Chapter 1:
The God Realm was a place of eternal starlight and infinite power, a universe where the weak were but dust and the strong moved galaxies with a flick of their sleeves. For eons, one name had echoed through the celestial palaces with a mixture of reverence and terror: The Ancient God.
He was a legend who had defied fate. Without a powerful clan, without a master, and without a single handout from the heavens, he had climbed the 13 Realms and crossed the 10 Stars of the God Realm. He ruled half of all existence, his word becoming the Law of the Universe.
But greed is a poison that even divinity cannot cure.
"You have lived too long at the peak, old friend," a voice hissed, dripping with malice.
The Ancient God stood amidst the ruins of a collapsed star system. Around him stood three figures—his brothers-in-arms, his partners. They had fought side-by-side for millennia, but now, their eyes held only the hunger for the treasure he clutched: The Creation God Scroll.
"With this, we will finally step into the Hidden Stage," another laughed, their divine aura flaring. "The era of the 'Ancient God' ends today."
The battle that followed shattered the fabric of space. The Ancient God, even in his exhaustion, was a force of nature. He struck them down, his power overwhelming their combined might. But as he turned to deliver the final blow, a cold sensation pierced his back.
A dagger, forged from the soul of a dying sun, protruded from his chest. His closest ally stood behind him, trembling with a mix of fear and triumph.
"Forgive me," the traitor whispered.
The Ancient God stumbled. Behind him lay the Chaos Flame, a primordial abyss of purple fire that consumed everything—even souls. As he fell into the roaring heat, the Universe seemed to weep. The traitors reached for the Scroll, but it ignited in a blinding golden light.
Everyone believed it was destroyed. They were wrong.
Deep within the Chaos Flame, as his physical form turned to ash, the Scroll unrolled within his soul. In that final moment of "death," the Ancient God didn't find oblivion. He found Enlightenment. The secrets of the Creation Stage flooded his mind, imprinting themselves into his very spirit. The Scroll had chosen its master.
With its purpose fulfilled, the Scroll began to fade, but not before granting a final, miraculous gift. It tapped into the Source of all things, activating the Cycle of Reincarnation.
One time... ten times... a hundred...
For 9,999 lives, his soul wandered, slowly healing, slowly absorbing the knowledge of Creation. Finally, at the dawn of the 10,000th reincarnation, the cycle stopped.
The Awakening
"Ugh..."
A sharp, stabbing pain in his head forced his eyes open. The first thing he smelled wasn't the scent of celestial herbs or divine incense; it was the smell of woodsmoke and fried fish.
Where am I?
He tried to circulate his Qi, but he felt nothing. No sea of power, no divine core. He felt... heavy. Fragile.
"Xiao Chen? Have you finally woken up, you lazy boy?"
The voice was warm, melodic, and filled with a kind of love he hadn't felt in millions of years. He blinked, his vision clearing to see a modest room made of simple wood and stone.
Xiao Chen? he thought, the name tasting strange in his mind. My name... is Xiao Chen now.
"Yes," he croaked out, his voice cracking.
"Good! Come quickly, I made your favorite—Flame Heart Fish. If it gets cold, don't complain to me!"
He sat up, looking at his hands. They were thin, calloused, and lacked the glow of jade. He sent a thread of his consciousness inward to inspect his body, and his spirit nearly recoiled in shock.
Damaged Veins? Blocked Meridians? This body was a disaster. In the God Realm, a person with these traits wouldn't even be fit to be a slave. He was a "cripple" in every sense of the word.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and playfully pinched his ear, tugging him toward the door.
"I'm talking to you! Why are you staring at your hands like they're made of gold? Move!"
He looked up at the woman. Her face was beautiful in a mundane way, her eyes bright with life. This woman... she is my mother in this life.
"Xiao Mei, I'm home!" a deep voice boomed from the front door.
A man walked in, his clothes dusty from work, a gentle smile on his face. Memories that weren't his own began to surge into his mind like a breaking dam.
Xiao Mei, my mother. Xiao Yi, my father. This is the Xiao family... a minor branch of a minor clan on a tiny planet.
The Secret Within
Dinner was a blur of laughter and the simple warmth of a family he never had. As they ate the "Flame Heart Fish"—which was just a common pond fish with spicy peppers—the Ancient God felt a strange stirring in his chest.
After the meal, he sat on a small wooden couch, closing his eyes to truly inspect the "damage" the previous Xiao Chen had suffered.
Wait... His spiritual eyes widened. To the local doctors, these veins looked broken. But to a being who had mastered the Creation God Scroll, they looked entirely different.
These aren't damaged veins... these are Divine God Veins. And these meridians... they are Creation God Meridians.
He realized the truth. The 9,999 previous lives weren't just for healing; they were to prepare a vessel strong enough to hold his soul. This body wasn't weak—it was so high-grade that the "trash" Qi of this planet couldn't even enter it.
The Creation God Scroll healed my soul perfectly. This is the final reincarnation.
He delved deeper into his consciousness, and then he froze. There, tucked away in a corner of his mind, was a small, flickering spark. Another soul.
What?!
Usually, reincarnation meant the previous soul had moved on. But this boy, the "original" Xiao Chen, wasn't dead. He was in a deep, protective sleep, tucked away while the Ancient God's massive spirit occupied the "pilot's seat."
"I see," Xiao Chen whispered to the empty room. "I have borrowed your body to fulfill my destiny. If I leave, you will wake up."
He looked out the window at the night sky. Somewhere out there, across the vastness of the universe, were the three who had betrayed him. They were likely sitting on thrones, thinking they were the masters of all.
"Keep my seats warm," Xiao Chen's eyes flashed with a cold, primordial light. "When I get my revenge, I will return this life to its rightful owner. But until then... the Universe will remember my name."
[End of Chapter 1]