Chapter 1: Reincarnation
The glow of the screen was the only light in the dim apartment.
Cang Yue Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes fixed on the animated battle unfolding before him. Sword lights tore across the sky, mountains split apart, and cultivators soared like gods above the heavens.
He leaned forward excitedly.
"Come on… breakthrough already…"
On the screen, the protagonist of Spiritual Master unleashed a brilliant strike, spiritual energy roaring like a storm.
Then—
Click.
Darkness swallowed the room.
The fan stopped spinning.
The screen went black.
Silence fell like a curtain.
"…Ahh man!" Cang Yue Chen groaned.
He stared at the dead screen in disbelief.
"Right at the climax too… seriously?"
The summer heat pressed against the walls. Sweat formed on his forehead within seconds.
With a sigh, he grabbed his phone — dead battery.
"Perfect. Just perfect."
He slipped on his sandals and pushed open the door, stepping into the humid night air.
---
A Strange Red Light
The street outside was unusually quiet.
Power outages weren't rare, but tonight felt… different.
The air felt heavy.
Still.
Oppressive.
Cang Yue Chen walked down the road, hands in pockets, hoping the breeze might cool him.
Then he saw it.
A faint red glow flickering at the far end of the street.
It pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.
"…What is that?"
Curiosity tugged at him.
He stepped closer.
The glow reflected across the asphalt, spreading like liquid crimson.
A distant rumble echoed through the darkness.
Before he could react—
HOOOOONK!!
Blinding headlights exploded into view.
Time slowed.
The roar of an engine tore through the silence.
Cang Yue Chen's eyes widened.
"A truck?!"
The world turned white.
Impact.
Pain erupted through his body like shattering glass.
As he collapsed onto the cold asphalt, the taste of iron filled his mouth.
Blood pooled beneath him.
His vision dimmed.
"…Truck-kun…?" he whispered weakly, a faint, ironic smile touching his lips.
Darkness closed in.
---
Between Life and Death
Silence.
Then warmth.
Soft voices drifted through the void.
"…He's breathing."
"…Such a beautiful child…"
Cang Yue Chen struggled to open his eyes.
Blurry shapes hovered above him.
A man and a woman.
Their figures shimmered like figures in a dream.
The man had calm, dignified features and deep eyes filled with quiet strength.
The woman's beauty was gentle and refined, her gaze soft with maternal warmth.
"Where… am I…" he thought.
The woman's eyes brightened.
"Look at him, Sheng… he's so cute."
Cute?
He tried to move.
His arms felt tiny.
Weak.
He raised his hands slowly.
Small fingers.
Soft skin.
Impossible.
"…Am I… a baby?
The world zoomed outward.
A swaddled infant with black hair and faintly shimmering blue eyes lay in her arms.
Footsteps approached.
A boy of about five years old peeked over the bed, eyes shining with excitement.
"My little brother," he said proudly.
---
Ten Years Later
Sunlight filtered through a wooden window.
A boy sat quietly on his bed, staring at his hands.
Black hair. Calm blue eyes. A face far more mature than his age suggested.
Ling Chen exhaled slowly.
"Ten years…"
"I never thought I would be reincarnated… as a baby."
He closed his eyes and felt the air around him.
The world pulsed with invisible energy.
This world was different.
Alive.
Filled with spiritual energy.
"…This world is filled with spiritual energy," he whispered.
He clenched his fists.
"But my spirit veins have been blocked since birth."
In this world, spirit veins were the gateway to cultivation.
Without them, one could never gather spiritual energy.
Without energy, one could never become strong.
Without strength, one could never survive.
"I cannot cultivate."
---
Memories of the Previous Life
Before his death, he had been watching an animated series.
Spiritual Master.
Ling Chen's eyes widened slightly.
"…This world…"
He stood and walked to the window.
Outside, a boy floated mid-air, controlling a flying sword.
Spiritual energy shimmered around him.
Ling Chen's expression darkened.
"I am inside the world of Spiritual Master…"
"And this is Huang Shi City."
His fingers tightened against the wooden frame.
"The same city where Mu Bai lives."
Mu Bai — the protagonist.
The destined genius.
---
The Difference Between Heaven and Earth
Outside, Mu Bai directed his flying sword with precision.
Ling Chen watched silently.
"Mu Bai unlocked seven meridians at age ten…"
"He reached the peak of Spiritual Sensing."
Even without full cultivation, Mu Bai could manipulate spiritual energy to fight.
He could gather energy around his body and wield it like a weapon.
A true genius.
Ling Chen coughed suddenly.
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
Blood stained his palm.
"…Black Python poison…"
The toxin had remained in his body since childhood.
Weakening him.
Devouring his vitality.
Meanwhile—
"My brother Ling Hao reached Spiritual Gathering Sixth Grade at fifteen."
Ling Chen lowered his hand.
"In this world, cultivators awaken their spirit veins at ten…"
"Mu Bai opened seven meridians in two months."
"That is what they call a genius."
Ling Chen looked down at his trembling hands.
"And I…"
"…have none."
---
Arrival of Destiny
A deep rumbling sound shook the air.
Ling Chen looked up.
A magnificent flying carriage descended from the sky, radiant runes glowing along its frame.
It landed outside the city square.
The air grew tense.
Three figures stepped out.
Their robes flowed with spiritual light.
Their presence alone suppressed the surroundings.
Ling Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Spiritual Manifestation Realm…"
"Middle stage… middle stage… late stage…"
He inhaled sharply.
"They are masters from Spirit Jade Dragon Academy."
The city stirred with excitement.
Children ran through the streets.
Adults whispered with reverence.
Ling Chen watched silently.
"They are here…"
"…to take Mu Bai."
A wind passed through the streets.
Ling Chen stood at the window, the sunlight casting a long shadow behind him.
In a world ruled by strength…
He possessed none.
In a world overflowing with destiny…
He had been born talentless.
Yet deep within his eyes—
A faint glimmer stirred.
As if something ancient had begun to awaken.
---
[End of Chapter 1]