In the heart of a tranquil garden, a man sat cross-legged on the soft, vibrant grass. His white clothes contrasted with the lush, green vegetation surrounding him, creating a striking image of serenity and focus. The air was filled with the fresh scent of blooming flowers, and the gentle rustling of leaves played a soft melody as a light breeze whispered through the trees.
The man sat within the confines of a beautifully ornate pagoda, its structure standing gracefully amidst the greenery. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, catching the light and reflecting his intense concentration. His auburn hair, streaked with hints of white, clung to his damp skin, evidence of the effort and strain of his meditation. His eyes were closed, lids twitching slightly as if he were in the throes of a vivid dream or deep contemplation.
For a long moment, he remained still, his posture calm and composed despite the apparent struggle within. Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open, a spark of clarity igniting in their depths. His features softened, and a faint, joyful smile spread across his face as if he had just uncovered a profound truth or achieved a long-sought goal. The expression of joy was subtle yet unmistakable, bringing a lightness to his otherwise intense demeanor.
The garden around him seemed to respond to his awakening, the colors appearing more vibrant, the air fresher. The harmony of nature reflected the peace and contentment that now radiated from the man, creating a scene of quiet beauty and fulfillment. The white strands in his hair, a testament to the wisdom of age, gleamed softly in the dappled sunlight, completing the picture of a man who had just touched the edge of enlightenment.
Just as the sense of peace settled over him, the entire pagoda began to tremble. The once serene garden was consumed by a sudden, oppressive darkness, swallowing the light and color, and plunging everything into shadow. The air grew heavy, filled with an ominous energy that sent a chill down his spine.
Out of the darkness, a silhouette began to take shape—a figure barely visible in the inky blackness, yet unmistakably formidable. The man looked up, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the details. The silhouette was tall and imposing, with the faint outline of flowing robes and a presence that exuded a cold, commanding aura. Though the details were shrouded in shadow, the figure's mere presence filled the air with tension and unease.
The once serene garden, now cloaked in darkness, seemed to hold its breath as the man stared at the silhouette. The joy that had filled him moments before was now eclipsed by a sense of foreboding, as the shadowy figure loomed in the distance, an unspoken threat lingering in the air.
A short time later.....
The once beautiful pagoda lay in ruins, reduced to a chaotic landscape of shattered wood, broken tiles, and scattered debris. The lush greenery that once surrounded the area was now marred by the devastation, with the ground scorched and torn as if the earth itself had been wounded. The serene garden was no more, replaced by a scene of utter destruction.
In the midst of this wreckage knelt the man—once strong and proud, now battered and broken. His white clothes were in tatters, clinging to his bloodied body. Wounds covered him from head to toe, with blood trickling down his face and limbs. One of his arms was missing, severed in the brutal conflict. He struggled to stay upright, his strength all but drained.
Around him, grotesque corpses of beasts lay strewn across the battlefield, their twisted forms a testament to the violent clash that had taken place. These monstrous creatures, now lifeless, were evidence of the overwhelming power he had faced.
In front of him stood the shadowy figure, an enigmatic presence cloaked in darkness. Next to him was a beast, similar in appearance to the fallen ones but very much alive, its eyes glowing with hunger. The beast lunged at the crippled man, jaws wide open, ready to tear him apart.
Just as it was about to strike, a powerful gust of wind accompanied by crackling lightning surged through the air, slamming into the beast. In that moment, the man's form shifted, his body morphing with a sudden surge of power. He transformed into a mighty dragon, scales gleaming with an otherworldly energy. The dragon roared, its fury unleashed, and with a swift and deadly strike, it tore the beast into countless bloody pieces, scattering them across the debris-strewn ground.
Without hesitation, the dragon lunged at the shadowy figure, its eyes burning with a relentless desire for vengeance. The figure, however, remained still, unfazed by the oncoming attack. With a single, effortless strike, he countered the dragon's assault, sending it crashing back into the debris of the already toppled pagoda. The impact shook the ground, and the dragon's body was left crumpled amid the ruins, the fight momentarily halted, but the tension still thick in the air.
The battle raged on, a violent storm of power and fury as the dragon clashed with the shadowy figure. The once serene garden was now a battleground, the air thick with the sound of roaring winds and crackling lightning. The dragon, fierce and unrelenting, unleashed its might in a desperate attempt to bring down the unyielding foe before it. Each movement was a blur of scales and claws, but the shadowy figure met every attack with effortless precision.
The clash was brutal. The dragon lunged and struck with all its strength, but the figure remained calm, deflecting and countering each assault. In a swift and decisive motion, the figure's hand connected with the dragon's head, shattering one of its horns. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the dragon's body, its powerful form reeling from the impact. Its once majestic visage was now marred, with one horn broken and its eye bloodied, the crimson staining its scales.
The figure pressed his advantage, his movements swift and calculated. With a surge of overwhelming power, he grabbed hold of the dragon, his grip like iron. The dragon struggled, but the figure's strength was unmatched. In a single, brutal motion, the dragon was forced back into its human form—the man, now even more broken than before.
His body was wracked with agony, his injuries far worse than earlier. His tattered clothes were soaked in blood, his wounds deep and numerous. The transformation had taken its toll, and he could barely stand, his body trembling from the exertion and pain. The figure held him firmly, his cold eyes showing no mercy as he regarded the defeated man. The battlefield, littered with debris and the remnants of their fierce battle, was silent except for the labored breathing of the crippled man, the weight of his defeat hanging heavy in the air.
The crippled man, barely able to stand, slowly lifted his gaze to meet the figure's cold, unyielding eyes. His voice, though weak, carried a tone of defiance as he spoke, "You're really going so far just to kill a man who doesn't even care but to just be in a small world. Why do you care for people like me who don't even have a squabble with you? Just because I reached the Heavenly Axis Realm, you're hunting me down, even though I really respect someone of your caliber. But if you insist on doing this, even after dying a few times against me... then if this is my last moment, so be it."
With those words, the crippled man gathered what little strength he had left and retreated toward the center of the already shattered pagoda. As he reached the heart of the ruins, a strange, mystical energy began to pulse through the air. The broken pieces of the pagoda started to tremble and then, as if guided by an unseen force, they began to come together. Every shard, every fragment, slowly reassembled, the gaps and holes filling with a glowing blue-green energy. The pagoda, once destroyed, now stood again, but only barely, held together by this ethereal force.
The figure didn't hesitate. As the pagoda reconstructed itself, he unleashed his power, attacking with relentless force. The space around the pagoda began to warp and tear, the fabric of reality itself unraveling. Each tear in space acted like a vortex, pulling bits and pieces of the pagoda into the void, the energy sustaining it flickering under the assault.
While this battle raged on, the small world that contained it all began to shrink, collapsing in on itself. Mountains crumbled, rivers dried up, and the very ground beneath them vanished into nothingness. Every living thing—animals, trees, even the air itself—disappeared as the world continued to diminish, drawn toward the center where the pagoda floated precariously on a fractured island. The island itself was held together only by the desperate embrace of the dragon, its massive form coiled tightly around the structure, and the wild winds that howled through the broken landscape, their fury barely holding the fragments in place. Thunder roared through the sky, each strike of lightning slashing through the torn space and sealing it in crackling balls of energy.
Despite the overwhelming odds, the battle continued. The dragon fought with all its might, its once-majestic body now battered and bleeding, its scales shattered and torn. Each clash left it weaker, its strength draining away as the shadowy figure, seemingly untouched by the chaos, continued his assault. His clothes were slightly torn, but his body bore no wounds, his expression unchanging, as if the struggle was beneath him.
The dragon defended with desperate ferocity, shielding the pagoda from sage emperor's relentless attack,but it was clear who held the upper hand. With time, the dragon's movement grew slower, its strike less precise, it's power diminishing with each attack, while sage emperor stood unmoved, unbothered by flurry of scales,claws,wind,lightning, nothing seemed to faze him.
The small world kept shrinking, its very existence disappearing altogether as the battle went on.The island holding the pagoda was breaking apart, its pieces crumbling into the void, held together only by the dragon's fading strength and the wild winds that howled around them. The balance of the fight has tipped, the dominance of sage emperor was clear as day, while the world around them continued to collapse,leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
The battle between the Sage Emperor and the ancient dragon raged on with ferocity unmatched. The dragon's once majestic scales were shattered, leaving its flesh exposed and bleeding. Despite its grievous injuries, the dragon continued to fight with relentless determination, its eyes burning with an unyielding fire. However, the Sage Emperor, with his vast power and cunning, was gradually gaining the upper hand.
With a roar that shook the heavens, the dragon lashed out with its tail, trying to catch the Sage Emperor off guard. But the Sage Emperor was too quick, effortlessly evading the attack and countering with a devastating burst of energy. The blast struck the dragon squarely in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground, its body wracked with pain.
But just as the dragon seemed to falter, the entire small world around them began to tremble. The ground split open, and the sky darkened as if the world itself was being torn apart. The Sage Emperor's eyes narrowed as he sensed the shift in the air. The dragon, despite its agony, began to chant in a deep, ancient language, its voice resonating with the very essence of the world.
In an instant, the world was consumed by a blinding light, and when the light faded, nothing remained but an endless void of lightless nothingness. In this void, a pagoda, ancient and mysterious, began to glow with a myriad of colors. Wrapped around the pagoda was the dragon, its body glowing faintly as it resisted the Sage Emperor's relentless attacks. The Sage Emperor, unperturbed, continued to unleash his power, shifting his techniques to strike when the dragon least expected it.
But the pagoda suddenly responded, firing a streak of brilliant light at the Sage Emperor. He narrowly avoided the strike, disappearing into a colorless void only to reappear beneath the pagoda. He unleashed an attack that was pure, unadulterated light—so intense it devoured everything in its path, including the pagoda and the dragon.
The dragon screamed in agony as the light consumed it, the pain unbearable. As the dragon's form was slowly swallowed by the light, it managed to speak its final words, "Sage Emperor, your greed knows no bounds. But this small realm is not one I will leave behind for you to reap the rewa—" Its words were cut short as its head was engulfed in the consuming light.
As the dragon's voice faded, the broken pieces of the pagoda began to float around the Sage Emperor. Though he tried to destroy them, they moved too quickly, spinning around him at incredible speeds. The shards began to glow with a sliver of white light, striking the surrounding void. The Sage Emperor used his space vortex to dodge, but the slivers were limitless, and many struck him, leaving marks on his body. The slivers began to attract the shards they came from, which slowly attached to the Sage Emperor, forming a cluster around him. The shards on his body glowed with all kinds of colors, filling the lightless void with a dazzling display.
After a long battle, only a single piece of paper remained floating in the void. The lightless world was consumed by a myriad of colors as the Sage Emperor, gravely injured in both body and soul, was trapped within. The damage was so severe that it sealed away some of his powers, leaving him significantly weakened, even though he knew that should he die, he would return stronger than before.
Eventually, the Sage Emperor emerged from the ruined small world, his followers rushing to his side. His divine beasts gathered around him, sensing his presence. Without hesitation, he gave the order to annihilate all human experts of the Heavenly Axis Realm. His command plunged the large and small worlds into chaos, igniting bloody battles between the demon sects and the human sects.
Many human sects were destroyed, though the demon sects also suffered heavy losses. Amid the chaos, the Sage Emperor's divine beasts hunted down countless Heavenly Axis Realm experts, driving the world into deeper turmoil. Even those who practiced Heaven's Divination Technique could not escape the devastation.
The last remnant of resistance was an expert who broke through the realm and surpassed the Sage Emperor in cultivation. The ensuing battle was fierce, but the Sage Emperor, despite his injuries, emerged victorious. However, he did not personally deliver the final blow, as his weakened state made the battle difficult. His divine beasts sacrificed themselves in a final burst of power to defeat the orange-haired youth, an act that caught the Sage Emperor's attention.
In the aftermath, the Sage Emperor sensed a familiar aura—a remnant of the Temporal Demon Spirit Book. He already had some remnant of the book and with this his control over the dpace can be evem for formidable, he attempted to retrieve it, but the book exploded with the youth's death, causing a massive disruption in time and space. Even the Sage Emperor was unable to suppress the chaos, and the explosion tore apart the fabric of reality, sending the book's remnants and the youth into a storm of space and time. The world itself was left in disarray, with time at a standstill and space shattered beyond recognition.
---
In a completely different scene, a young boy with orange hair, Nie Li, sat in a classroom. The surroundings were all too familiar—the classroom from his first year at the institute. Nie Li was startled awake, his eyes wide with disbelief. As he looked around, tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, a smile breaking across his face.
"Where am I?" Nie Li whispered to himself, his voice trembling with shock.
He looked down at his hands, now smaller and more delicate. His skin was smooth and tender, a stark contrast to the rough, battle-hardened hands he remembered. Shen Xiu, a 3-star Silver rank Demon Spiritualist, was at the front of the class, her voice droning on as she lectured. Nie Li's mind raced as he realized where he was—back at the start, back when he first joined the institute.
"I've been reborn?" Nie Li thought, his mind reeling. He remembered the final moments of his previous life, surrounded by the Sage Emperor and six Deity rank beasts, fighting to his last breath. But now, he was back to when he was thirteen, surrounded by his friends who had died alongside him.
He glanced around the room, his heart swelling with emotion as he saw Lu Piao and Du Ze, both looking so young and innocent. And then, his eyes fell on her—Ye Ziyun. Even at thirteen, she was already a vision of beauty, her long purple hair flowing down to her waist, her eyes sparkling with intelligence. Nie Li's heart ached with the memory of their time together in his previous life, and he had to fight back tears.
"She's alive!" Nie Li thought, his chest tightening with emotion. The realization that he had a second chance filled him with hope and determination.
He pinched himself hard, the sharp pain confirming that this was real. "The Temporal Demon Spirit Book," Nie Li whispered, his mind racing. He searched frantically for the book, but it was nowhere to be found. But there was no doubt in his mind—the book had something to do with his rebirth.
As Nie Li's mind drifted back to memories of the destruction of Glory City, he vowed to change the future. He would not let the city fall, not let his loved ones die. He would use his knowledge and experience to protect them, to rewrite the fate that had once seemed inevitable.
Nie Li's thoughts were interrupted by Lu Piao, who looked at him with concern. "Nie Li, what are you smiling at?" Lu Piao asked, puzzled by his friend's strange behavior.
Nie Li grinned, pulling Lu Piao into a tight hug. "Just happy to see you, good brother!" he said, his voice filled with emotion. Lu Piao struggled, clearly taken aback by the sudden display of affection.
"Oi, Nie Li! Who's your good brother, you weirdo? Let go of me!" Lu Piao protested, though there was a hint of warmth in his voice.
Nie Li finally released him, still smiling. "No matter what you think, you'll always be my good brother," he said, his tone serious. Lu Piao rolled his eyes but couldn't help feeling touched by Nie Li's words.
As Nie Li's gaze wandered back to Ye Ziyun, he felt a burning resolve in his heart. "She's my woman," he declared quietly to himself, his mind already planning how to win her heart once again.
---
While Nie Li was adjusting to his rebirth, unaware that his actions had altered the timeline, the remnants of the Sage Emperor's battle lingered in the fabric of reality. In a small room, a man, Ye Zhong, a Black Gold rank Demon Spiritualist with a stern but honorable demeanor, cradled a small baby in his arms.
Ye Zhong, with his sharp features and dignified presence, stood over a coffin, his expression filled with remorse. "I shall adopt this child," Ye Zhong declared, his voice resonating with gravity. "It was my arrogance that led to his father's death—a man who was not just a friend, but the only one I knew from the very beginning of my journey. He was there when I took my first steps into this world of cultivation, and he sacrificed himself to save me. Though I am a Black Gold Demon Spiritualist, I am still but a novice in the true path of strength. I will take responsibility for my mistake.
He gently handed the baby to a woman, his eyes filled with sorrow as he bowed deeply before the coffin. The room was silent, the air thick with the weight of his words and the sense of duty that drove him to atone for his past.