In the dead of night, even the moon's radiance was swallowed by thick, rolling black clouds. Yet the sprawling buildings of the Do Clan blazed with light, as though fragments of the heavens had descended upon the earth.
At the very heart of the settlement stood a magnificent pavilion. A grand ceremony was underway within its halls, and the lanterns there burned brighter than anywhere else, casting a solemn glow that seemed to carry the weight of ancient glory.
"Ancestors, please bless us! We pray that this ceremony brings forth young children of outstanding talent and intelligence, providing our families with new blood and renewed hope!"
The head of the Do Clan, a middle-aged man with graying sideburns, knelt upon the brownish-yellow wooden floor. Clad in ceremonial golden robes embroidered with subtle patterns, he kept his back perfectly straight and his hands pressed together in reverence, his eyes tightly shut as he offered his prayer.
Before him stood a tall black altar composed of three tiers, each housing the memorial tablets of his ancestors. On either side of the tablets, copper incense burners released thin spirals of smoke that drifted slowly upward, dissolving into the rafters above.
Behind him, more than a dozen figures knelt in similar fashion. Dressed in loose white ceremonial garments, they were the clan's elders and high-ranking members—the pillars upon which the authority of the Do Clan rested. When the clan head finished his prayer, he leaned forward, pressing his palms flat against the floor as he kowtowed. The muted thud of his forehead striking wood echoed softly through the silent hall.
Behind the elders, hundred children around the age of sixteen knelt in ten orderly rows. They too pressed their foreheads to the ground, imitating their seniors. All of them belonged to the clan, and all were about to undergo the Spiritual Root Awakening.
Their faces carried a mixture of emotions—excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and quiet fear. Yet among them, a pair of clear, steady eyes observed the ceremony with a depth far beyond his years, filled with a complex swirl of thoughts.
"Awakening Ceremony… this is three hundred years ago?" Mu-Jin thought silently as he bowed before the ancestral tablets. "It seems the Heaven Defying Mirror truly worked."
The Heaven Defying Mirror was a mystical artifact capable of reversing time itself. Ranked among the Ten Heavenly Treasures, it was no ordinary relic. In essence, it granted the power of rebirth.
"I have truly returned to a time three centuries past."
Mu-Jin slowly raised his hand, his gaze settling upon his pale and youthful palm. The skin was smooth, untouched by scars or hardship. He gradually clenched his fingers into a fist, silently acknowledging the undeniable reality before him.
He closed his eyes for a long moment, allowing the silence to fill his senses. When he opened them again, he released a quiet breath.
"Three hundred years of experience… it almost feels like a dream."
Legend spoke of a River of Time that flowed through this world, sustaining the fabric of existence and the cycle of years. It was said that by harnessing the Heaven Defying Mirror, one could swim against that current—traveling upstream into the past itself.
Public opinion regarding this legend had always been divided. Many dismissed it as fantasy; others regarded it with skepticism. Very few dared to believe it entirely.
The reason was simple: the price.
To activate the Heaven Defying Mirror, one had to pay with their life. The physical body and all accumulated qi would serve as sacrificial fuel to ignite its power. The cost was absolute. And even then, success was never guaranteed.
Even those fortunate enough to obtain such a treasure would hesitate to use it. What if the legend was false? What if it were nothing more than a beautifully crafted death trap?
Had Mu-Jin not been driven into a desperate final stand, cornered by the combined forces of righteousness and evil alike, he would never have dared to activate it so recklessly.
Yet now, doubt no longer existed.
The truth stood before him.
He had truly been reborn.
"It is a pity, though…" Mu-Jin thought, a faint heaviness stirring within him. "I sacrificed an absurd amount of effort to reach that point. I slaughtered hundreds of thousands, provoked the fury of heaven, and endured the hatred of the world. I weathered endless hardships to refine such a peerless artifact… If not for my master, I would never have discovered the secret method to refine it."
He quickly realized that although his soul had returned, the Heaven Defying Mirror itself had not followed.
"Even if it is gone, I can refine another. I accomplished it once. Why should this life be any different?"
As the last traces of regret faded, Mu-Jin's heart steadied. The mere fact of his rebirth rendered the loss of the artifact an acceptable exchange. Moreover, he had not returned empty-handed.
He carried something far more valuable than any physical treasure.
Three hundred years of memory and experience.
Within his mind lay the hidden locations of countless treasures and secret hoards yet to be discovered in this era. He knew the unfolding of major events, the rise and fall of clans, and the names of legendary figures who were still obscure or not yet born.
His memories formed a map of the future.
He knew which hidden masters currently remained in seclusion.
He knew which young geniuses would later dominate their generation.
He knew which disasters would descend upon the Dongwa Plains.
Most importantly, he possessed three centuries of hard-earned cultivation insights and the instincts sharpened by innumerable life-and-death battles.
With such knowledge, he had already grasped the general flow of history and the opportunities it would present. With careful planning and precise execution, he could seize advantages long before others even sensed them.
The immediate problem before him, however, was cultivation.
His foundation was nonexistent. If he advanced too slowly, he would merely repeat past delays.
"To cultivate quickly, I must rely upon the clan's resources," he thought calmly. "In my current state, I lack the strength to travel beyond the plains. Even an ordinary mountain boar could end my life. If I can reach the Peak Master realm, I will possess the ability to protect myself and leave this place."
Through the eyes of a three-hundred-year-old cultivator of the Demonic Path, the Dongwa Plains felt suffocatingly small. Even the Do Clan resembled nothing more than a cage.
Yet while a cage restricted freedom, its sturdy bars also provided safety.
"For now, I will remain within this cage. Once I reach Peak Master, I can depart from this impoverished land. Fortunately, the Awakening Ceremony arrives at the perfect time. Soon, I can begin cultivation once more."
When he thought of the Awakening Ceremony, memories long buried began to surface.
"Talent…"
A faint sneer touched his lips as his gaze shifted toward the other children bowing beside him.
When the ceremony concluded, the participants slowly rose from the floor and returned to their respective places. The children stood in two lines, waiting for their turn.
The clan head stepped toward a large spirit stone positioned near one of the pillars.
"Today will determine not only your future, but the future of our clan," he declared. "All of you will receive training regardless of your aptitude. However, only the most outstanding will be granted greater resources. When I call your name, step forward and place your hand upon the stone. When you feel qi enter your body, guide it through your meridians and form your dantian. I trust you have all practiced the Do Clan's breathing technique."
His gaze swept across the children, though it lingered slightly longer upon one particular girl.
The clan head was well aware that rival clans had produced exceptional talents this year. The Gin Clan had awakened an A-rank spiritual root in Gin Kim-Soha. The Peng Clan had produced twin prodigies, Peng Da-Hee and Peng Da-Lee, both A-rank.
If the Do Clan failed to produce at least one A-rank talent, their dominance over the eastern region of the Dongwa Plains would gradually erode.
His eyes returned once more to the girl. Many elders were also paying close attention to her. She had spoken before the age of three, walked at one, and demonstrated extraordinary intelligence from a young age. Experience had shown that children with such early brilliance often possessed superior cultivation qualifications.
As clan head, it was only natural to observe promising youths.
And among them, Do Mu-Jinhe stood out as the most eye-catching of his generation.
"If this child awakens A-grade potential, with proper guidance she could rival Gin Kim-Soha. Even B-grade would allow her to become a pillar of the Do Clan. With such early intelligence, A-grade is highly possible."
A faint smile formed upon the clan head's lips.
Mu-Jin glanced toward the girl beside him.
Jinhe noticed her brother's gaze and smiled gently.
Mu-Jin returned the gesture with a small wave.
His younger sister stood at his side.
In his previous life, she had awakened A-grade spiritual root and displayed remarkable promise. Yet she had died during the beast tide, her life extinguished before she could use her talents.
This time, Mu-Jin would not allow her talent to perish so meaninglessly.
The power of the Heaven Defying Mirror had granted him another chance—to seek immortality and ascend to the peak of Murim.
For a fleeting moment, it felt like a dream.
But he knew with unwavering certainty—
This was reality.