Chapter 1: Return
In a crumbling house surrounded by tall weeds and under a sky full of gray clouds, the rumble of thunder echoed loudly. Rain pounded the windows and roof of the dark home. Inside, on a worn-out mattress, someone lay shivering from the cold of the desolate building.
Suddenly, the person opened his eyes and stared at the leaking ceiling. His head throbbed with pain. He sat up and placed a hand on his face.
"How... did I end up here?"
I'm sure I was on my deathbed after the injury from the Sons of Light... And this place—wait, isn't this my old house?
He looked around, trying to gather his thoughts. But he quickly noticed something strange.
"Why is my thinking so slow? And this feeling of weakness… I can't even spread my spiritual sense! Where's my Qi?! Damn it—did they destroy my cultivation? Those sons of b*tches!"
He jumped from the bed and examined his body. It was clearly not his own—not even close.
"What's going on? Am I trapped in an illusion array? Or under some kind of technique? But I've never heard of a formation or skill that can completely seal both cultivation and consciousness… Unless they sealed everything and put me under this state. But still—"
As he paced the room, he took in the familiar surroundings. Then, catching a glimpse of dawn from the window, he stepped closer. A few meters away stood a tree… and beneath it, two graves.
"This…"
Minutes later, he stood before the graves.
"This isn't an illusion. These memories… they're sealed ones. Illusions can't replicate them."
He looked around again—all he could see were green plains with tall grass and that same grim, gray sky.
"Could it be… I've traveled back in time?"
Suddenly, a black dot appeared in the sky, approaching quickly.
'Damn, that's fast.'
As it got closer, it turned out to be a young man with long black hair and a handsome, distant look. Riding a flying sword, he didn't break eye contact as he approached, offering a warm smile.
"Hello."
He greeted politely, then looked at the two graves. His eyes shimmered with complicated emotions.
"Aren't you going to say hello?" he asked, still looking at the graves.
"…Hello."
Silence followed as the man stepped forward and began cleaning one of the graves—completely ignoring the second one, which was in much worse condition.
After a few long minutes, the young man spoke.
"I'll go with you."
The man stopped cleaning for a moment. His back was turned, so his face couldn't be seen, but the silence told enough—he was affected.
"Then let's go," he said at last.
Without another word, he mounted the flying sword. The young man held on from behind.
After two hours of flying, they reached a range of tall mountains covered in thick mist. As they flew between valleys, a deeper canyon came into view, stretching out in a complex shape.
The mountains were lined with old, majestic buildings, while the canyon below housed a massive village glowing with countless lanterns. The entire place was built intricately—some valleys connected by bridges, mountain caves in use, and hidden stairways leading to unseen peaks.
The two landed in front of a massive cave entrance with stairs leading down.
The man descended first. The youth followed close behind.
Two stone statues guarded the entrance, staring at the boy. But when he looked back at them, their gaze quickly turned away.
'Damn, I remember now why I hate this place. Everything is under surveillance. They probably detected us long before we arrived… That explains why no defensive formations were triggered.'
After descending for what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a huge reception hall.
An old man with glasses sat behind a desk, reading a book. He raised his head in irritation—the sound of footsteps had been bothering him since they entered. The echo was unbearable.
"Name and purpose of visit?"
"Gu An. I'm here to register this boy at the Middle Academy."
The old man glanced up from the corner of his eye.
"Which academy exactly?"
"The Tenth Family."
The old man paused, then touched a glass orb.
"Gu An, ID number 8222010?"
"Yes."
He pulled a file from the orb, squinting as he read.
"Ah, so you're that Gu An. It's an honor to meet you."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
"You're welcome. Now, what's the boy's name? I'll send the request to the academy once his information is filled in."
"Lucian. Age 13. Cultivation: None."
The man began filling out Lucian's details while Lucian scanned the area. The place was empty. Clearly, it was meant for the elite class—everything screamed segregation.
But after taking in the details of the room and structure, he was convinced this wasn't an illusion.
What kind of illusion could simulate such a world, in motion, with this much accuracy? Especially after reaching this complex city… Illusions simply couldn't process all that while maintaining real-time action.
Still… time travel? That seemed even crazier.
He didn't have enough info to draw conclusions. So, for now, he'd go with the flow.
"All set," said the old man, placing the documents in a new file, sealing it inside the orb with a tap of his fingers.
"Request sent."
"Thank you." Lucian bowed, then left with Gu An.
Outside the cave, Gu An carried Lucian over the bustling city streets. It was packed, full of lights and colors.
They reached the wall of the canyon, where a platform hung halfway up the cliff—clearly designed for those who could fly.
Lucian finished the booking and paid before quickly turning to leave.
"Don't leave your room until I come get you."
'That bastard placed me here so I can't leave,' Lucian thought with a sigh, staring down at the glowing city below, his heart filled with mixed feelings.