Second Playthrough, Starting from Invincibility

A shrill cry tore through the rolling immortal sky.

A blue immortal phoenix swept past the Floating Mountain, its long tail feathers stirring gusts of fierce wind that sent waves rippling through the pines, their rustling forming a chorus beneath its distant, lingering cry.

At the edge of the Floating Mountain's cliff, an ancient pine spread its roots.

A handsome young man in plain clothes lay with his head against the roots, a sword beneath him and a blade of foxtail grass between his teeth. Gazing at the Azure Phoenix that had just flown overhead, he thought to himself:

If I suppress my cultivation to the lowest level, then use this crappiest iron sword to hack that fat bird into its basic particles, maybe I can earn a skill point in swordsmanship...

At that thought, the young man slapped himself across the face.

"What are you thinking? Your swordsmanship's already maxed out. There's no need to grind monsters anymore."

Lu Ya was twenty-one years old, one of countless transmigrators from twenty-first-century Earth.

He had arrived in this Immortal Realm less than an hour ago. Since then, he had been lying dazed at the cliff's edge without taking a single step.

He was certain this was the Immortal Realm because in his previous life, he had been obsessed with a large-scale xianxia online game called Ancient Immortal Court.

The game featured an Immortal Realm made up of countless Floating Mountains, a seamless, boundless map, breathtaking floating vistas, a wealth of freely switchable classes, all kinds of monsters and the Nether...

It was exactly the world he saw before him!

For five whole years, Lu Ya had stayed up late cultivating, pouring money and effort into the game. By a stroke of luck, he had even spent a month stuck on a hillside, practicing his sword... He had cleared Hell dungeons solo, slain nine-star Nether Gods in a single blow, swept through the various immortal sects, and thrashed Immortal Emperors and Immortal Sovereigns alike. He had even played every class to the fullest. Then, the instant he earned Ancient Immortal Court's first-ever title for reaching the maximum level in every class—

He transmigrated!

He had crossed into a parallel, real Immortal Realm, bringing with him the handsome appearance he had painstakingly designed in the game, his starter gear as a sword cultivator, plain clothes with no stat bonuses and a cheap iron sword, as well as... his max-level mastery of every class, enough to trounce the entire server!

I transmigrated, and I'm invincible, too?

He had thought his real and exciting life was about to begin, but Lu Ya soon discovered a cruel truth—he had already reached the pinnacle of every class. He couldn't take another step forward.

Invincibility also meant boredom.

The sect arenas, dungeon monsters, wars between immortal kingdoms... He'd played out every pleasure the Immortal Realm had to offer.

He had no desire to explore, nothing left to pursue in life, and absolutely no interest in making an effort.

If he'd encountered that giant Azure Phoenix in the game, he would have rushed over and hacked it down at once, just to see if he could grind out some swordsmanship skill points or experience.

But now?

Lying beneath the pine tree, feeling the immortal breeze and gazing up at the floating celestial scenery, Lu Ya couldn't bring himself to move.

The gentle mountain wind ruffled his clothes and hair, bringing with it the rich scent of pine nuts and the pleasant rustle of the pines.

The ultimate meaning of striving was to be a Salted Fish.

He had spent five years staying up late to grind through the game. It had been joyful and fulfilling, but it had also been exhausting.

Now that he had reached max level, there was no point in working harder. It was time to start living the life of a Salted Fish.

Lu Ya made up his mind then and there, immediately setting about planning.

Being a carefree wandering immortal sounded nice, but having to handle everything himself would still be too tiring.

According to the class system in Ancient Immortal Court, there were three promising paths to becoming a Salted Fish—

First, join a small immortal sect and become an elder who lived off the sect.

Second, go to a big immortal city and find a rich immortal maiden to keep him.

Third, take an official post in the Immortal Court and coast in some cushy position.

Hmm...

Just picturing each option was enough to make Lu Ya feel like he was basking in a spring breeze, savoring three different kinds of comfort.

Suddenly,

His stomach growled.

Growled?

How could someone at max level be growling?

Lu Ya was a little surprised. He was absolutely certain that he could never starve to death at max level. Even if spiritual energy ran dry and the Immortal Realm collapsed, he still wouldn't starve.

But after a few simple tests, he discovered that he could feel hot and cold, thirsty and hungry. His tongue hurt when he bit it, his legs went numb if he sat too long, and boredom could still make him irritable. Apparently, he had retained all five senses of a mortal.

Was this a way to make him experience immortal life as a mortal? But the experience had its ups and downs. Like now: he couldn't starve to death, but he still felt miserable from being hungry. That was forcing him to seek the joy of good food...

That was fine, too. Food in a real Immortal Realm was bound to taste better than the virtual stuff in a game. If all he wanted was to be a Salted Fish, he could just hibernate. Only a happy Salted Fish could truly enjoy life.

First, he'd find something to eat!

He spread his divine sense ever so slightly, and in an instant, it covered the entire Floating Mountain.

The Floating Mountain wasn't large, and no immortals lived there. In the woods, there were squirrels, sparrows, rabbits, pangolins, all kinds of wild vegetables, mushrooms and fruits, as well as ginseng shaped like little people beneath the soil... Unfortunately, none of these ingredients had reached the immortal grade. In the game, they were mundane food that couldn't restore immortal power no matter how much one ate. More importantly, their taste was nowhere near as good as immortal-grade food.

He needed something a little more exotic!

As that thought crossed his mind, inspiration suddenly struck Lu Ya. He stood up and swept his hand through the air.

"Bird, come—"

In that instant, the giant Azure Phoenix had already flown to the next Floating Mountain. Suddenly, an irresistible, terrifying force seized it out of nowhere and dragged it backward until it returned to the peak of the mountain it had just passed.

When it came to its senses, a large hand had already clamped tightly around its neck.

Holding the giant bird in one hand, Lu Ya marveled at its astonishing size. It was over a zhang long, its feathers smooth and brilliant, blue with a hint of cyan. Its round, plump belly was like a blue Xiuchiu ball.

As Lu Ya admired the Azure Phoenix's rarity and beauty, he knocked it unconscious, plucked off all its feathers, drained its blood and removed its innards...

His movements were remarkably practiced!

In Ancient Immortal Court, Lu Ya's cooking skill had been the second one he maxed out, right after swordsmanship.

He was especially good at grilling. The immortal power in his grilled food was purer than that in other people's pills.

To him, there was no recovery or level-up that a barbecue couldn't take care of. And if one wasn't enough...

Then he'd have two.

Unfortunately, his equipment slots hadn't come with him. They contained the god-tier grilling equipment and ingredients he'd carefully crafted. Even if he came across a divine dragon, he could roast it until it was crisp enough to crack between his teeth.

Even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook without rice.

With no seasonings, Lu Ya made do with what he could find in the woods, gathering herbs and spiritual fruits that could add flavor, such as Salt-Beard Grass for saltiness, Wild Mountain Pepper for heat and Cumin Fruit for fragrance...

With no equipment, Lu Ya dug a large pit in the earth by the cliff, skewered the Azure Phoenix on his iron sword and set it over the pit. Then he gathered some firewood, snapped his fingers to ignite it and began roasting the whole bird.

He had retained the same precise, thrifty style he'd used in the game. Unless absolutely necessary, he never wasted a single sliver of his health or mana bars.

Even so, after all that work, doing everything himself in the real Immortal Realm was still a little tiring compared with the one-percent fatigue setting in the game capsule.

"I've really put myself through the wringer."

Looks like he'd have to find a rich immortal maiden to support him, or take on a disciple or maid to serve him, if he wanted to be a proper Salted Fish...

An incense stick later,

Under Lu Ya's precise control of the fire and the thorough infusion of over a hundred seasoning fruits, a meat aroma that went straight to the soul erupted like a volcano.

When the mountain wind blew, the heavenly fragrance of the meat could be smelled ten miles away.

Way better than the pixelated aroma in the game!

Just as Lu Ya was about to dig in and enjoy a magnificent feast—

Two tiny sword shadows wobbled down from the sky toward the cliff.

Lu Ya looked up.

They were twin girls, about six or seven years old. Their features, figures, clothes and hairstyles were all identical, as if they'd been copied and pasted. It was hard to tell them apart at a glance.

Both had entry-level Immortal Monarch cultivation. Their hair was done up in twin buns, and they wore green robes with yellow diamond-patterned sashes. Their soft little faces were round and rosy, and their big, watery eyes were so endearing!

Unfortunately, Lu Ya wasn't a lolicon. He couldn't stand bratty kids, so he turned his back and pretended not to see them.

As soon as the girls landed, they put away their spirit swords and stared straight at the big bird. Their clear, childish voices rang out.

"Xiuchiu!"

"Xiuchiu... is that you?"

Xiuchiu?

Lu Ya furrowed his brows. A sudden, ominous premonition came over him, but he answered coolly:

"No."

Ignoring Lu Ya, the two girls dashed forward on their chubby little legs and lunged straight at the roasted Azure Phoenix. They didn't even care that the meat was hot. Tears and snot streamed down their faces as they wept pitifully, grief-stricken beyond words.

"Xiuchiu, what happened to you, Xiuchiu?"

"Xiuchiu, you can't die!"

He'd roasted a bird on a whim, and it turned out to be two kids' pet?

Could his luck get any worse?

Lu Ya was most afraid of dealing with children. They couldn't be reasoned with, and he couldn't hit them, especially when he was the one in the wrong. He was in a very awkward position.

Sure enough.

After confirming that the roasted bird was "Xiuchiu," the two girls looked straight at Lu Ya through tear-filled eyes and asked through their tears:

"Big brother... did you kill Xiuchiu?"

Seeing the girls weep until they were soaked in tears, Lu Ya couldn't bring himself to lie to them. He could only nod.

"I did."

Their sobbing stopped abruptly. The two girls said in unison:

"Since it was you, then it has nothing to do with us."

What did they mean, it had nothing to do with them?

Lu Ya couldn't quite follow their logic.

The two girls exchanged a glance and nodded in perfect understanding.

Then they each licked their lips and sank their teeth into the roasted Azure Phoenix!

Their little mouths were like bowls, their tongues nimble as serpents.

They devoured it like ravenous Taotie, a sight that chilled the blood!

First, this book's opening is similar to that of my old book that got taken down, but it isn't plagiarized.

Second, this is a pure otherworld fantasy. There won't be any players or open beta tests.

Third, this book has a lighthearted style. If you prefer heavier, more intense stories, please look elsewhere.