The East China Sea Deity Video had been all over the internet for an entire day.
Chen Lin alone occupied all ten spots on the trending list.
Messages flew through Chen Lin's High School Class Group Chat too fast for the naked eye to read.
"@Chen Lin Brother Lin! God Lin! Are you taking disciples? I can warm your bed!"
"That man standing on the reef was definitely Linzi! I swear on my sex life for the rest of my days!"
"Linzi, don't forget us when you make it big! I'm kowtowing to you!"
In his private WeChat messages.
The barrage of voice messages from Zhao Jie, Wang Ye, and Wang Shuo nearly crashed Chen Lin's phone on the spot.
Leaning back in the Grand Master's Chair at the Song-Style Courtyard House, Chen Lin casually answered their group video call.
The screen flashed.
Zhao Jie's face was practically pressed against the camera, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Linzi! Was that immortal in the East China Sea really you?!"
Wang Ye frantically tugged at his hair on the other end, his girlfriend screaming in the background. "Holy shit! I watched that video eight hundred times! That build, that profile, that show-off pose! Don't tell me it was CGI!"
Wang Shuo's frantic gulping could be heard clearly even through the screen.
Chen Lin looked at his three best friends, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"It was."
Two words.
Utterly casual.
A full ten seconds of dead silence settled over the group call.
Bang! Wang Ye slammed his head onto his keyboard.
Zhao Jie sucked in a sharp breath, his flab trembling.
Chen Lin wasted no time. "I can't explain it over the phone. Bring your partners to Chen Family Village tomorrow. I'll treat you to tea."
He ended the call.