Chapter 1

Hengdian Film and Television City

The midday sun was scorching, hanging brightly overhead, causing a distorted wave of heat to rise from the concrete ground outside the photography studio.

Zhuohua nestled lazily in a creaking folding chair, almost sinking into the thin canvas of the backrest. The brim of her wide straw hat was pulled low, barely covering most of her face, revealing only a sliver of her delicately shaped chin.

The faded T-shirt worn by the extras was loose and baggy, making her look even thinner, like a bean sprout that hadn't been exposed to enough sun.

She held a half-melted popsicle in her hand, licking it casually. The sweet coolness slid down her throat, dispelling some of the heat that was seeping in from within.

Compared to the divine body she forged in the heavens, this body is as fragile as paper; she gets dizzy after being in the sun for a while.

Zhuohua sighed softly in her heart.

Tens of thousands of years—it's all in the blink of an eye. From a lowly cultivator in the mortal realm, he struggled his way up to become the powerful Immortal Lord Zhuohua, and then, in that earth-shattering war between gods and demons, he exhausted his divine power, dragging those old demons down with him...

I thought the dust had settled and my soul had returned to heaven, but unexpectedly, I opened my eyes and found myself back in this bustling, peaceful world.

However, when Zhuohua looked at the personal space in her sea of ​​consciousness, she found that there was almost no spiritual energy left, and her body was also somewhat weak.

Divine power? Only about 30% remains, barely enough to make ends meet. Space? Aside from a few pieces of "junk" materials that were carelessly tossed in back then and now seem less valuable than ordinary iron, it's practically empty. The only redeeming quality is that the space is still usable, barely serving as a portable storage space.

As for this "film crew" in front of us?

Zhuohua savored the sweetness of the popsicle in her mouth, feeling the chaotic noise around her, the pungent smell of sweat, and the few dark cameras pointing at people not far away... Hmm, quite novel.

Compared to the days in the divine realm where mountains are moved and seas are filled, and battles of magic cause the heavens and earth to collapse, this current life as an "extras" under the scorching sun, wearing cheap costumes, and waiting in line to be called around, well, it's actually... a return to simplicity?

After all, he had been a god for hundreds of thousands of years and was used to the days of turning the world upside down with a wave of his hand. Suddenly, he returned to the entertainment industry, which he had never experienced before.

Good.

She squinted, like a cat that had basked in the sun. Tens of thousands of years of fighting and killing had worn her down to her very bones. Now, with this new identity, free from all ties and unknown to anyone, she was perfectly content to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Occasionally, she'd stumble upon some of the world's "mystical" little troubles, which she considered a way to stretch her muscles and relieve boredom. For example, the white-shadowed old ghost that wandered around the urban village in the middle of the night last month, almost scaring several migrant workers to death, was casually stuffed into a corner of her space. It's probably still inside, questioning its existence as a ghost.

Zhuohua was leisurely planning whether to go to the newly opened mala tang restaurant at the street corner or try the beef noodles next door that claimed to be made with family recipes after finishing work, when a slightly hurried footstep and a young, clean voice entered her ears.

"Brother Li! Brother Li! Look at this scene where I fall into the water, could I... could I try it again? I felt that the emotion in that struggling-into-the-water shot wasn't quite there yet, it was a bit off..."

Zhuohua lazily lifted the brim of her straw hat and looked in the direction of the sound.

Not far away, a young man dressed in a similarly cheap, soaking wet white period costume was stopping an impatient assistant director and speaking urgently to him.

His hair was still wet and dripping, strands clinging to his full forehead and well-defined cheeks, water droplets rolling down his jawline, sliding over his long neck, and disappearing into his equally soaked collar.

That face, too young for its own sake, was made even more striking by the moisture in the air. Its high nose bridge and well-defined lips, slightly pursed in urgency and earnestness, exuded a stubborn earnestness.

What's most captivating are those eyes. They're large, with light, glassy pupils that, under the blazing midday sun, are as clear as freshly melted snow from a mountain stream, crystal clear, and brimming with undisguised pleading and an almost burning focus.

Zhuohua paused, still holding the popsicle in her mouth.

The young man was still explaining anxiously, "I know the crew is in a rush, just one take! Give me another chance, I promise I can do even better! Brother Li, please!"

He was slightly bent over, his posture very low, but his spine was straight, and his tenacity of not giving up until he achieved his goal almost emanated from his soaked costume.

The assistant director, exasperated by his persistence and seeing how dedicated he was, waved his hand dismissively, like shooing away a fly: "Alright, alright! Lu Xiao, you're really... I give up! Hurry up and get ready! This is the last time! If you delay everyone from finishing work again, you're buying dinner!"

"Thank you, Brother Li! I promise it won't delay you!"

The young man named Lu Xiao instantly broke into a wide smile, a smile so infectious it seemed to melt away the scorching sun overhead. He bowed deeply, then turned and ran towards the huge blue square artificial pool not far away, his steps as light as a deer that had found its way.

Zhuohua completely forgot to lick the popsicle in her mouth. The melted sugar water flowed down the stick to her fingertips, making them sticky, but she didn't even notice.

How long have I lived? Hundreds of thousands of years? I can't remember.

Over the long years, I have seen countless celestial beings with ethereal beauty and extraordinary bearing, as well as countless outstanding talents among mortals who stood out from the crowd. My heart has long since become an ancient well, too lazy to even ripple, let alone stir up waves.

Just now, that young man named Lu Xiao, with his wet hair, looked over with those incredibly bright, glassy eyes, his expression filled with an unwavering sincerity and stubborn pleading...

Zhuohua subconsciously raised her hand and pressed it against her left chest, where her heart was.

Thump.

A dull but clear thud struck my palm solidly through the thin fabric of my T-shirt.

She blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering twice in the shadow of her straw hat, like the wings of a startled butterfly. The ancient iron tree… has blossomed?

Zhuohua's gaze was drawn to the white figure running towards the pool, as if by an invisible thread. Lu Xiao reached the poolside, and two staff members immediately rushed forward, deftly beginning to strap wires around his body.

The wire looked thin, and it must have been uncomfortable digging into his thin, soaked costume. Lu Xiao frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed, raising his arm in cooperation while talking to the crew, probably discussing the details of the action later.

The lines of his profile appeared exceptionally sharp under the bright light, and a water droplet, about to fall, clung to the tip of his nose, trembling slightly as he spoke.

Zhuohua looked at the water droplet, and that unfamiliar, subtle itch in her heart resurfaced, even more clearly than before.

"All departments, prepare! Scene 3, second act of the water scene, Action!"

The director's gruff shouts boomed through the loudspeakers, instantly drowning out all the noise on set. Zhuohua withdrew her hand from her chest, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the stick dipped in sugar water, her gaze still fixed on the pool.

The pool had been specially designed to simulate a deep abyss, its water an unnatural, murky deep blue. Lu Xiao, strapped to a wire, took a deep breath, his expression instantly changing.

The clarity and pleading from before vanished, replaced by a desperate terror and a futile struggle. Suspended by the wire, he was violently thrown backward in an extremely disheveled posture, crashing heavily into the deep water with a loud "plop!"

Water splashes everywhere!

Zhuohua's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The force with which that slammed down... it looked painful.

The underwater shots required close-ups. Lu Xiao was completely submerged in the murky water, suspended by wires, keeping him hovering near the bottom of the pool.

His eyes were tightly shut, and his limbs struggled and kicked in the water with all his might, yet it seemed utterly futile, trying to break free of the invisible constraints and struggle to surface. Fine bubbles kept escaping from his mouth and nose, and his expression was contorted with suffocation, filled with real pain. The desperate struggle was clearly conveyed through the murky water.

"Good! Make the struggle more intense! Yes! That's the feeling of almost drowning!" The director stared at the monitor, his voice tinged with excitement.

Zhuohua sat up straight. Her powerful divine sense spread out almost instinctively, instantly enveloping the entire pool.

The underwater situation was crystal clear in her "eyes"—the murky water, Lu Xiao's limbs twitching slightly from exertion, and... those steel wires that were supposed to pull him up from underwater at a constant speed, one of which seemed to be stuck on a pulley!

This caused him to be dragged down by an unbalanced force, preventing him from rising as planned and instead causing him to slide deeper and deeper into the pool!