Chapter 1 The Beginning

Wan Lei opened his eyes.

He was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, with the stone tablet before him.

In the distance were Fang Xiaoyu and the little yellow dog.

"Heh, I won. Fatty, what did you say about the end?"

"Formation Master test, success. Promoted to Formation Master."

The stone tablet's cold voice echoed.

"Again? Is this one real or fake?"

After all, Wan Lei had been tricked once. How could he know if the current scene was another layer of deception?

"Wan Lei, you're finally done."

Fang Xiaoyu joyfully flew over.

"Don't come any closer!"

Wan Lei roared, startling Fang Xiaoyu, who thought there was danger.

"Let me... let me calm down for a moment. Don't come over yet."

Wan Lei's tone softened.

He stared at the stone tablet and murmured,

"Does everything you see exist?

Is the world you know real?

Then, is this moment real... or fake?"

Wan Lei didn't know if it was real or fake. He needed time to think, to calm down.

But one thing was certain:

What he had experienced was definitely not part of a Formation Master test.

It was a joke. If every Formation Master, upon promotion, had to experience their entire life, become the supreme being of the universe, and break through layers of deception, then where would so many Formation Masters come from?

Wouldn't everyone who went through it be a master of state of mind and illusion?

With such intensity and realism, how many could survive, ensuring they wouldn't succumb to the temptation of becoming the universe's supreme being?

They would be rare, perhaps even rarer than Grandmasters.

Then...

Who was manipulating all of this from behind the scenes?

Wan Lei lay down on the ground, gazing blankly at the sky.

Above the sky, further and further up...

It was like a camera lens, continuously zooming out... zooming out...

The perspective moved beyond the Lei Star Sea, beyond the Lei Feng Realm,

To a place so far that Wan Lei couldn't see.

It arrived at the boundless, vast expanse.

Standing here, one could see countless universes connected like bubbles.

A young man with a baby face, dressed in white, stood in the void. Beside him was a stern-looking young man in black.

They were watching the Lei Feng Realm.

The two emanated no cultivation fluctuations, appearing like mortals.

But if anyone truly took them for mortals, they would be out of their minds.

Could someone who could stand unharmed in the vast expanse be a mortal?

"Look at how scared you made the child. He still hasn't recovered."

The stern-looking young man in black smiled and said to the white-clad, baby-faced youth.

"What? Are you, Old Wan, concerned about your Wan family's descendant?"

"Although we share the surname Wan, he has nothing to do with me. He is a descendant of Qingyi."

"I know, you don't need to explain."

"But someone needs to hear the explanation."

"This child is quite pitiful."

"Pitiful? If you find him pitiful, why did you do this to him? His Formation Master test should have ended after he passed through the Ghost World. You forced him to live through an entire lifetime,

A fake lifetime,

And then the Demon Race broke through the Immortal Realm. If the Demon Race could do that, would they dare to come in if we opened the Immortal Realm?

The child is still in such a daze, doubting his life."

"But at least I let him have a taste of being the universe's supreme being. The supreme state, an unattainable realm."

"Cut the crap. We are the supreme beings, why are you acting all high and mighty with me, seeking validation?"

"Heh, it's truly satisfying to act up in front of you, Old Wan."

"Tell me, are you really using him just for that one elusive possibility?"

"Hey, Old Wan, you can't be this shameless. It was you, the foremost wise man of the Prime Dimension, who proposed the theory of the protagonist of the novel world. You were the one who felt someone was manipulating us from the shadows, so I came up with this desperate plan, understand?"

"I just want to know if the world we know is real."

"That's why I intervened to test it. The result... now I don't know if it's real or fake either."

"That world... that fatty, was he not a phantom you created?"

"No, I merely provided some guidance. This kind of thing can only be done by a protagonist. We can't do it."

"You think he's the protagonist? Aren't you the protagonist? The protagonist's halo is still on you."

"No, the protagonist's halo has been slowly separating from me over these fifty thousand years. I've lost the protagonist's destiny.

After all, fifty thousand years have passed, and it's a new era. It's time for the protagonist to change.

Before, the protagonist's halo was on Sword Saint, and Sword Saint led an era.

Later, the protagonist's halo came to me, and we changed the multiverse.

Old Wan, there is no eternal protagonist. You and I were indeed protagonists before, but now we are not. It's time to wake up and step aside."

"Da Yu, 'protagonist' is just a theory, just my guess. You don't need to be so engrossed in it."

"Am I engrossed? The few of us changed the landscape of the Lei Feng Realm, sealed the Lei Star Sea, left so many treasures in the Lei Star Sea, and created the six great secret realms, all to cultivate a protagonist to counter the Demon Race.

Who among us doesn't believe in the protagonist theory?"

"When we were remodeling the Lei Star Sea, the Demon Race wasn't causing trouble yet."

"Tell me, if one day, we manage to gather seven people and destroy the Demon Race, will we, just like in his dream, go to meet..."

"Hush."

"What? Do you think someone can eavesdrop on our conversation?"

The white-clad youth looked at the black-clad youth with surprise.

"No, don't say too much. Leave some suspense for the readers."

"Look at you, you're more immersed in the novel world theory than I am."

"What if, just what if, the theory is true? Would that bastard called the Author be watching us from some dark place right now?"

"Alright, you're getting more delusional. I just came over on a whim to play around. The most important thing right now is to deal with the Demon Race."

"Fine, then. When we get back, issue a decree. All universes and dimensions, maintain vigilance and communication. No one is to interfere here in the Lei Feng Realm, especially Wan Qingyi. That guy has always wanted to come back and take a look."

"These are minor matters. If Wan Qingyi keeps blabbering, we'll kill him again. He's already died several times, he's about to go mad."

"Mmm, right, I'll leave this behind."

After the white-clad youth spoke, a halo appeared on his forehead, emitting golden light.

"Oh, are you willing to part with your protagonist's halo?"

"It's just an object. I don't need it anymore. Let it stay here. If it chooses Wan Lei, it means Wan Lei is truly the protagonist, and we can use him."

"And if it doesn't choose him?"

"Then he... can die. He took so many of our things, consumed so much of our effort, and can't even gain the recognition of the protagonist's halo. What's the point of living?"

"However, speaking of protagonists, there's one thing he's better than you at."

"Which is?"

"When you became the Immortal Venerable, you were still a virgin..."

"Shut up! If you mention this again, we're done for!"

The white-clad youth glared fiercely, tossed the halo towards the Lei Feng Realm, and vanished along with the black-clad youth.