Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

「Three years later.」

「Capital City.」

The streets, once desolate from war and oppressive rule, now bustled with traffic and a clamor of voices.

Shops lined the streets, their vendors’ calls rising and falling in a constant chorus. Children clutching candied haws chased each other through the alleys, their faces beaming with carefree smiles.

Storytellers in teahouses passionately recounted tales, no longer of the previous dynasty, but of how the current emperor had saved the nation from peril, beheaded the Grassland Khan, opened the granaries to feed the people, and lightened the burden of taxes and labor.

The patrons below listened, mesmerized, erupting in thunderous cheers at every exciting moment.

「Imperial City, Yangxin Hall.」

Chen Ye put down the Vermilion Brush in his hand and rubbed his tired brow.

For the past three years, he had barely rested for a single day.

He had reformed the administration, punished corruption, and uprooted the deeply entrenched Noble Families and clans who knew only how to feast on the fat of the land.

He had suppressed the various military garrisons that commanded their own armies, re-centralizing military authority. Naturally, this process was not without flashing blades, flying swords, and rivers of blood.

But in the face of the current Great Zhao Iron Army, these so-called interest groups were nothing more than mantises trying to stop a chariot, crushed to pieces in an instant.

When the dust settled, Chen Ye began implementing new policies: reducing taxes, encouraging agriculture and sericulture, cracking down on land annexation, and allowing countless displaced people to own land once more.

Under his series of policies, the Great Zhao Dynasty, which had been on the verge of collapse, was revitalized with astonishing vigor.

And he, His Majesty Yang Zhao, had long since been deified.

Across the prefectures and counties of Great Zhao, countless commoners had spontaneously built living shrines for him, burning incense day and night in offering, praying for his eternal life.

But Chen Ye knew in his heart that he didn’t belong here.

Now, his revenge was complete, and the world was at peace.

It was time for him to leave.

As for the matter of a successor after his departure, it wasn’t a problem.

This was because Chen Ye had transmigrated into this body. When he left, he would leave behind a sliver of his consciousness, which would continue to rule as the sovereign of Great Zhao, like a clone of himself.

"Your Majesty, it is time to rest!" an old eunuch called out respectfully, his eyes filled with heartfelt reverence.

"Alright, you may all leave first. I’ll sleep after I finish this memorial," Chen Ye replied casually.

The old eunuch sighed inwardly but dared not say anything, only retreating quietly.

After finishing the memorial, Chen Ye rose and walked to the window.

Gazing at the brilliant lights outside, his mind felt clear and empty.

At this moment, Chen Ye thought of many people: Fang Tao from when he first arrived, Wu Xiaorui from the Eight Great Sects’ tournament... A faint ripple stirred in his heart.

However, the Eight Great Sects were no longer the underbelly of the Martial World, a den of filth and vice. Under the Government Office’s guidance, they had become a significant force in maintaining order in the Capital City. It could be considered a good outcome for them.

Everything was well.

"Time to go home."

Chen Ye whispered to himself, then closed his eyes.

[Return]

In an instant, the entire world seemed to dissolve into flowing lines and shadows, rapidly fading and disintegrating.

The Imperial City beneath his feet, the mountains and rivers in the distance, the starry sky overhead—all vanished into nothingness in a single moment.

His consciousness was pulled by an irresistible force, sinking into endless darkness.

When he regained his senses, he found himself in a bizarre, chaotic vortex of light.

And beneath his feet was that same dilapidated canoe.

It was the Boat of the Other Shore he had arrived on.

But in the next moment, Chen Ye saw a series of images: from the humiliated Scholar’s Attendant who died in disgrace, to the famous Flying Thief of the Capital City, to the righteous Stepping Moon Hero, and finally to the Venerable Emperor who ruled over all and restored the nation...

With each passing image, the canoe beneath his feet would emit a faint glow.

The rotten wood peeled away and reformed in the light, the hull visibly lengthening and widening.

Finally, when the image of him ruling the world and being worshipped by the masses solidified, the boat’s form stabilized.

The original canoe, which looked as if it could fall apart at any moment, had transformed into a small boat that, while somewhat old, looked much sturdier and more solid.

At that very moment, a sudden understanding flooded Chen Ye’s mind.

He instantly understood the true purpose of the Boat of the Other Shore.

This boat was not just a vessel for traversing the myriad worlds.

Its size was determined by the traveler’s actions in a world and the magnitude of their impact on that world.

Upon arrival, the sacrificed Spiritual Object determined the boat’s size, which in turn determined the starting Identity’s status.

Upon return, however, the boat’s size determined how many "Dao Fruits" it could carry back!

These so-called Dao Fruits were everything he had obtained in that world!

Profession, Skills, insights... and so on.

The bigger the boat, the more he could bring back, and the higher his Professional Level would be!

"So that’s how it is..."

Chen Ye looked at the small boat beneath his feet, now simply old rather than derelict, and felt a pang of regret.

’I thought I’d done well enough in those three years, but it seems there were still many shortcomings.’

’Perhaps if I had unified the world and created an unprecedented golden age, the boat would have become even larger?’

Before he could think any further, the small boat beneath his feet shuddered violently and plunged into the vast river that cut through the endless void before him.

What a river it was!

It seemed to fall from an infinite height and flow toward an infinite distance.

Every splash, every surge of its waters, seemed to reflect the life, death, and rebirth of a world.

Countless equally spectacular tributaries flowed into it from all directions, creating a scene so magnificent and shocking it defied description.

Chen Ye felt like a single grain of millet in a vast ocean, laughably insignificant.

But the magnificent sight was fleeting.

The next second, Chen Ye felt himself plummet downward as if falling from a great height.

The cold, damp air, the faint breeze carrying the smell of water, and the gentle rocking of the wooden boat beneath him instantly pulled him back to reality.

Chen Ye’s eyes snapped open.

The familiar Black Water Lake greeted his eyes.

A piercing ray of sun struggled through a gap in the overcast sky, shining on his face and making him squint in discomfort.

Judging by the sun, it was still noon on the very day he had left.

He had spent several eventful years in that other world, but only a single moment had passed here.

If his memories weren’t so vivid, he would have almost believed it was all just a bizarre and fantastical dream.

Just then, a panel slowly materialized before his eyes.

[Profession: Nightwalker (Level 3)]

[Talent: Shadow’s Son]

[Skills: Skillful Hand (Level 10), Fast Blade (Level 10), Roof Walking (Level 10), Stealth (Level 5), Throwing (Level 5)]

[Boat of the Other Shore (Cooldown finished, can be activated again)]

Seeing the information on the panel, Chen Ye let out a long breath.

In the end, his achievements were only enough to bring back the Nightwalker Profession, along with its Skills.

Although he hadn’t managed to bring back the final Thief Ancestor Profession, this was still a heaven-sent opportunity!

Feeling the power surging within him and the techniques that had become second nature in his mind, Chen Ye lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the heavy mist to look into the distance.

A boat was floating there, and someone on it was craning their neck, furtively looking his way.

It was Zhao Qiu and his two companions!