The Era of Gods

Through the shuttle’s window, Lin Xiao saw mountains below that were exceedingly massive, stretching tens to hundreds of kilometers high; the peaks were so vast, they seemed endless at first glance.

Ahead of the shuttle’s flight path stood a colossal peak reaching between heaven and earth, with the surrounding mountains, towering dozens to hundreds of kilometers high, appearing like mere specks in front of it. Numerous streams of light shuttled above this mountain range, converging into a gateway at the summit of these billions of peaks -a gateway as incomprehensibly vast as a whirlpool resembling a star system, with rolling clouds forming a swirl as vast as a galaxy.

Their shuttle, like the other streams of light, flew towards the immense vortex, and as they approached, they felt increasingly minuscule.

This giant whirlpool-like nebula was, in fact, the gateway to the Brilliant Super College, with Radiance situated within the space just beyond this gate.

The shuttle passed through a vast gateway, so high that it seemed endless; crossing it felt like penetrating a thin layer of light film. Lin Xiao could distinctly feel the changes in the rules much weaker than those of the Main World.

As for the changes manifesting on them, he saw that Shen Yuexin emitted a faint purple light with strands of luminosity barely visible, whereas the space above his own head seemed to be collapsing inward like a black hole, drawing in his gaze, yet he couldn’t see the Magic Cube.

But none of that caught their attention at the moment; they were captivated by the spectacle outside.

Behind the immense whirlpool was not the sort of space Lin Xiao had imagined but a vast starry world. They were in the midst of a grand star system, with the vast portal behind them, but far beyond this gateway vortex in the distant void, a massive star burnt, releasing terrifying energy.

Throughout the orbital path of this star system, enormous stars slowly revolved around the constant star according to their designated trajectories.

This was a colossal star system.

But it wasn’t a star system like those found in space; it was… a simulated star system.

Meaning, this space as vast as a star system wasn’t actually outer space but a colossal Divine Realm, transformed.

Yes, a Divine Realm. As Divine Beings, upon entering this space, they could clearly tell that this was a Divine Realm, just an incredibly vast one.

The shuttle halted in front of the light gate, and seconds later, a beam of light from an indeterminably distant vast star struck the shuttle. Lin Xiao heard a gentle voice by his ear:

“Don’t move, and don’t resist.”

Then, guided by the beam of light, the shuttle sped across the billions of miles of void and arrived near another slightly smaller planet hovering above the blue planet.

Looking out the window, Lin Xiao was amazed to discover that these two planets had a relationship identical to that of the Earth and the Moon.

No, when he saw the shape of the landmasses on the surface of the larger planet below, he realized that they were simulated versions of the Earth and the Moon—or to say, this colossal Divine Realm simulated the Solar System as it was three hundred thousand years ago.

The shuttle was guided to a huge spaceport on the Moon, and as the two disembarked, they were greeted by a young woman standing at the door. She was dressed in a uniform, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, looking crisp and energetic. She smiled slightly at the sight of them and asked cheerfully: “Are you students Lin Xiao and Shen Yuexin?”

Lin Xiao nodded:

“We are.”

The woman replied:

“My name is Yang Yue, and I’m from Class 5, Level 2 at Shining High School Department; 1 am also an assistant there. You can call me Xiao Yang. I’m here to guide you two through the registration process.”

Lin Xiao inquired:

“If it’s possible, could we see your ID?”

The woman paused briefly, then handed over the badge hanging from her chest. After Lin Xiao confirmed it was legitimate, he smiled and said:

“Then we’ll be troubling you, senior.”

“No trouble at all. Please follow me.”

It was unlikely someone would impersonate a staff member from Radiance, but nothing was absolutely impossible. It was always better to be cautious.

“By the way, the rules here are more relaxed than in the Main World, you can fly.”

With those words, the young woman rose into the air and headed towards a large cluster of shadows hanging in the distance. Lin Xiao and Shen Yuexin quickly followed her.

At first, Lin Xiao thought they were approaching a cluster of high-tech modern buildings suspended in the sky, considering the high content of mythological technology within this Divine Realm. But as they drew closer and the view became clearer, he realized that instead of a modern aerial city, it was a vast array of Floating Cities of various sizes, floating in the air. Towering spires filled the skyline with a distinctly exotic design, and the architecture was imbued with a fantastical magic, giving off the impression they had arrived in an arcane empire from another realm.

Yang Yue led them into one of the Floating Cities. It felt larger than an average city, and as they flew, she explained:

“This Floating City is designated as No. 02 Floating City. It serves as a general office for the Shining High School Department, and it’s where most students come to check in.”

Along the way, they saw figures occasionally flying from a distance into the Floating City or departing from it mostly young people. Yang Yue continued: “These days are the enrollment period, so it’s a bit crowded. Of course, since you’re special enrollees, you don’t have to queue up. Someone will handle your registration personally.”

Then, she led Lin Xiao and Shen Yuexin past a tall tower with long queues and toward another tower with very few people in front of it.

This tower was truly akin to the legendary Mage Towers of the Main World, albeit a modified version. It looked more advanced than those of the Aboriginals of the exotic world, with a surface that shimmered like crystals. Two tall Diamond Golems stood guard at the entrance, a type of mighty Golem comparable to the Legendary Level, boasting incredibly high defense and immunity to almost all spells, capable of going toe-to-toe with Dragons in close combat—an ideal guardian.

As they approached the entrance, Xiao Yang snapped her fingers, and a beam of light emitted from a huge crystal embedded in the doorway of the Mage Tower, shining on the three of them. Seconds later, a mechanical voice echoed:

“Standby for verification.”

“Identity verification passed, please enter!”

The door opened silently, and Lin Xiao entered the tower, feeling as if he were passing through a spatial membrane, similar to his previous entry into this star system. This Mage Tower actually contained its own separate space.

From the outside, it looked merely like a tower with a diameter of five to six meters and a height of approximately forty to fifty meters, but the interior of just the First Level had an area of several tens of thousands of square meters— a size comparable to a modern large office building.

Dozens of staff members paid no attention to them as Yang Yue led them to the office labeled ‘Director of Instruction’ and gently knocked. Through the glass door, they could see a bald middle-aged man browsing the internet. Upon their arrival, he quickly turned off the small screen in front of the large one, straightened his demeanor, and called out:

“Come in.”

“Director Zhang, these are two special recruits from this year’s Super Newcomer Summer Camp.”

Yang Yue placed a file on the desk and retreated to the side. The bald man surnamed Zhang rubbed his head, flipped through the documents, tossed them aside casually, and then his indifferent gaze swept over the two newcomers. His pupils narrowed upon seeing Shen Yuexin, his expression turning serious as he acknowledged with a hint of surprise. After tapping a few times on his personal terminal, he assumed a more solemn tone and said:

“Before we proceed with the enrollment, as a routine procedure, please both of you show your special recruitment marks.”

Lin Xiao rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his wrist shimmering with wisps of crystalline light that outlined the mark from Radiance. On the other side, Shen Yuexin only showed the back of her hand where her mark was located.

“Very good, no mistakes!”

Director Zhang suddenly became enthusiastic, manipulated his terminal a few times, looked up with a sly smile, and said:

“Indeed, you two are among the ten special recruits of our school this year. According to the documents, student Lin Xiao will be assigned to the Level 2, Grade 11, Elite Class 1, and student Shen Yuexin…”

He paused, his smile growing wider:

“Will be assigned to the First Level, Grade 11, Elite Class 1.”

As soon as he finished, Zhang Yue’s face next to them showed an astonished expression as she examined Shen Yuexin.

Lin Xiao and Shen Yuexin were equally surprised and taken aback. If they understood correctly, it seemed like First Level was only for the direct descendants of Radiance. Considering his aunt’s well-known background, she should have been assigned to Level 2, just like him.

She pointed to herself with great surprise and asked:

“Is there some mistake? Am I really assigned to First Level?

“No, there’s no mistake. The document indeed assigns you as such!”

Director Zhang explained patiently with a smile.

Shen Yuexin….

Lin Xiao….

Yang Yue….

Leaving the tower, Lin Xiao and Shen Yuexin stood silently beside its grand doors.

The school’s decision had caught him off guard. He had hoped the two of them would be in the same class relatives and acquaintances—spending both day and night together; perhaps he could win her over during their second year of high school.

He never anticipated she would be sent to First Level, which was quite awkward.

Seeing their reaction, Yang Yue off to the side realized their relationship was out of the ordinary. He didn’t rush them and instead deliberately stood further away, waiting quietly.

It was beyond remedy. If it had been different classes, there might be room for negotiation, but since it involved different branches, there was no solution. He couldn’t go to First Level, and she couldn’t be expected to transfer over.

“This is really…”

He sighed inwardly and looked up, only to catch her gaze as well. As their eyes met, Lin Xiao, who had instinctively prepared to look away, suddenly mustered the courage to hold her gaze.

A faint blush appeared on Shen Yuexin’s face, and she turned her head away, revealing a charming chin as she bit her red lip.

He stepped forward, drawing close to examine her delicate and tempting visage, and said:

“I’ll send you a message once I’ve completed the formalities. Let’s talk.”

Turning her head back to face him, her eyes held a complex look. After a while, she gave a slight nod in agreement.

A smile appeared on Lin Xiao’s face as he gently said:

“Then you should go ahead.”

She nodded, and Yang Yue came over. The two of them sat on the magic carpet, rising into the air and flying towards the distance.

Lin Xiao, on the other hand, took off alone, tapping his bracelet to unfold a holographic screen that displayed a map of the school. He followed the directions on the map and flew towards a certain destination.

After officially enrolling, both he and Shen Yuexin received a certain level of permissions within the vast Radiance, which included both the college and high school zones, akin to a star system within the God Country—such as point-to-point teleportation and the right to fly.

Every official high school student of Radiance held First Level permissions in the God Country, including the right to fly freely. Regular college students and elite high school class members held Level 2 permissions..