With hurried steps, not willing to stay for too long in the storm, Yan Hao sprinted towards the teleportation platform. As the rain pounded against his cheeks and the wind blasted in his face, Yan Hao had to squint his eyes and protect his face with his hand.

As he arrived at the teleportation platform, he positioned himself in the middle of it. According to his earlier research on the internet, all he had to do was to lift the bracelet over his head and grab the coin which would appear next to the bracelet.

Yan Hao straightened his back and stretched his arm toward the sky. As he looked at the bracelet on his raised arm, he couldn't help but shift his attention to the sky. Even though it was just after midnight, the sky was darker than usual.

In the sky, which turned darker than a devil's soul, the masses of clouds glared down with malice at Yan Hao. Rumbling noises echoed from them like an avalanche, and sonic booms flashed through them.

As the clouds crept toward Yan Hao, it sounded as if a horde of massive demons dragged colossal anvils through the heaven's vault; just deep rumbles and grumbles. The sky coiled in on itself and made Yan Hao the center of it; the clouds gloomily moved around him.

"That doesn't look good," thought Yan Hao with his hand in the air.

But before he could do anything, the coin appeared next to his bracelet - a perfect lightning rod.

"I can make it!" howled Yan Hao in his mind and intended to grab the coin before the thunder came. If he could grab the coin before the lightning, he could safely teleport away.

Swiftly, he twisted his wrist and shot his finger toward the coin, yet it was already too late.

A clanking sound blasted through the air and a single vein of lightning came for the coin. The large and fearsome lightning branched and purred with anger at Yan Hao, not intending to let him grab the coin.

In a single flash, the slithering and wriggling golden lightning lashed at the coin shortly before Yan Hao grabbed it.

"AARRRGHH~" A miserable howl of agony escaped Yan Hao's lungs. His heart no longer pounded against his ribcage; it halted...

The buzzing and electrifying pain crept under his skin and through his veins. But strangely, he received no injury -nothing. Only some occasional flashes of electricity sparked up on his being.

*flash*

The teleportation set in.

The pain was gone and Yan Hao appeared panting and out of breath in an isolated, sparkly-clean, white room. Under deep and heavy breaths, he stared at his bracelet while his chest heaved heavily up and down.

His ears were still ringing from the deafening crash of thunder, and unnoticed by him, a voice sounded out, stating his profile:

[Name: Yan Hao]

[Age: 18]

[Gender: Male]

[Race: Half-Celestial/Half-Human]

[...]

The blue gem on his amulet brightened in a dazzling color.

[Memory gem detected. Reading data…]

[Current strength-level unlocked the book "Celestial Laws I" from the memory gem and added it to the inventory]

…

Only after the voice ended did Yan Hao's hearing return. His mind was still focused on the lightning incident from earlier, and everything said by the voice went unnoticed by him.

"Did I only imagine the pain?... No, that can't be," he said and formed his hand to a fist, squeezing it tightly.

Suddenly, a holographic screen popped up before him.

=== First Spirit Realm's Starter Points: === Glory City (229'301 inhabitants) Armoured Sanctuary (18'720 inhabitants) Safe Haven (3'312 inhabitants) Demon's Lair (1 inhabitant) ... ...

After reading through the first few starter villages of the large list, Yan Hao wondered, "Only one person in Demon's Lair? Who would-"

And before Yan Hao could finish his sentence, the number of inhabitants in Demon's Lair flashed to a big zero.

"... Oh..."

"Well… I think I will take Safe Haven then. There aren't too many people, so the chance of finding uncovered treasures is higher. And I won't have to worry that it is too crowded there either," he concluded and pressed 'Safe Haven' on the screen.

[Safe Haven selected.]

[Warning: Weapons from this planet do not work in First Spirit Realm. Equipment has to be crafted and created by yourself with materials found in First Spirit Realm.]

Suddenly, the holographic screen changed and became see-through. On the other side of the screen appeared Pixel who probably just selected his starting point too.

Pixel's eyes widened and he jumped a step back, screaming, "OH MY GOD! I look hideous!" while touching his face and staring through the see-through screen at Yan Hao.

"This isn't a mirror, you idiot!" said Yan Hao displeased and went around the holographic screen, approaching Pixel.

Pixel's clothes were drenched and water dripped down from them, staining the clean room. And even though he just went through a storm, his green hair was the same as in the elevator, spiking upward like a blazing flame.

"Which starter point did you choose?" asked Yan Hao curiously.

"Safe Haven." Pixel coiled his hands around his chest, hugging his shoulders, and wiggled to and fro. "My only true love went there. And I have to find her."

With his eyes closed and hugging himself in ecstasy, he seemed to suddenly remember something as he stopped and shot his eyes open.

Shoving his hand into his chest pocket, he pulled out his ID and set up a serious expression as if this was a grave issue.

Pixel showed his ID to Yan Hao and slowly and steadily said, "Have you seen this woman?"

Yan Hao froze… "Isn't that you?"

Pixel tilted his head and stared at his own ID with knitted eyebrows, stroking his chin. "Hmmm… Well, it could be me… Just image it more feminine. Like, you know, a feminine face, a feminine body, feminine things and looks which are not manly in the least… You get what I mean. Did you see her?"

'I don't even know how she looks like from your description,' thought Yan Hao and shook his head.

"Well that's too bad," replied Pixel and pressed the orb on his bracelet. As he leaned to a side and tilted his head, he said; "Crack it," and got teleported away.

"I should get going too. The faster I get the Phoenix Coin, the better," said Yan Hao, pressed the orb, and got teleported away too.