"Wait!" Lily suddenly stood up and grabbed Leo's arm, her eyes filled with a hint of anxiety. "Leo, are you really leaving just like that? Don't you care about me at all?"
Her tone was obviously coquettish, and her gaze flickered, as though she had placed all her hopes on Leo. She knew that for someone like Leo, a man with such a reserved personality, a little bit of tenderness would easily move him.
Leo calmly removed Lily's hand from his arm, his gaze unwavering. He glanced at the phone Lily had left on the table. "If I'm not mistaken, your phone is probably recording a live video, and it's likely from your medical class's WeChat group, right?" He said it in a calm tone, yet there was an unmistakable trace of sarcasm in his voice.
Lily froze, almost dropping the glass in her hand. She hadn't expected Leo to notice all this. Her face flushed, as though her unspoken secrets had just been exposed. She stared at Leo, her eyes flashing with anger, then looked up at his retreating figure.
Leo gave a sneer, turned, and walked away without looking back. Lily's gaze was filled with complex emotions. Deep down, she knew her gamble had failed. Although she had thought she could control the situation and enjoy Leo's favor, she had overlooked one thing: Leo was no longer the boy she could easily manipulate.
"Leo, you wait for me!" she muttered under her breath, clenching her teeth in frustration.
When she called Henry, her voice was full of grievance. "Henry, Leo is bullying me..." She was completely unaware of her own problems and instead vented all her anger on Leo.
Leo's figure gradually disappeared from sight. He walked along a small path on the campus, surrounded by golden autumn leaves falling slowly in the breeze, the air fresh, though his mood remained heavy. With each step, the leaves beneath his feet rustled softly.
"Now, cultivation is the most important thing. Power is the foundation," Leo thought to himself, countless thoughts swirling in his mind. Since he had been reborn on Earth, he had made a vow to rise again and never let anyone look down on him.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped and looked toward a tranquil lake. The night deepened, with stars twinkling in the sky, and the lake's surface reflected the starry sky. He felt a sudden impulse and unconsciously walked toward the lake. This lake was secluded, a perfect place for cultivation.
"The spiritual energy of this Earth is indeed very sparse, but it's still somewhat richer than other places," Leo thought, sitting cross-legged by the lake and closing his eyes to begin meditating. He knew that his strength wouldn't recover immediately, but with enough spiritual energy, he could once again break through and restore his previous cultivation.
He gently spread out his right hand, and an ancient coin appeared in his palm, with the words "Universe's Supreme Treasure" inscribed on it. The coin glowed faintly in Leo's palm, and with his breathing, a subtle yet exceptionally pure stream of spiritual energy slowly flowed into his body.
"Cultivation is divided into different stages: Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Out-of-Body. Each stage has different methods of cultivation, especially the Foundation Establishment stage, which involves Qi Refining, Spirit Observation, and Sea of Consciousness..." Leo's mind echoed with the knowledge he had learned while cultivating in the Immortal Realm. Though his cultivation was sealed, the "Universe's Supreme Treasure" allowed him to still feel the flow of spiritual power.
After a night of cultivation, Leo had finally reached the initial stage of Qi Refining. Although it was only a small improvement, it was still a breakthrough for him.
As the day began to dawn, Leo opened his eyes and saw a few people dressed in Taekwondo uniforms approaching. He glanced at them and noticed that the leader was Lucas, a tall, handsome, and well-built young man. The girl next to him was Ava, Leo's classmate from university. Although she was wearing a simple Taekwondo uniform, her elegant demeanor still couldn't be concealed.
Lucas looked at Ava with admiration in his eyes and spoke, "Ava, your technique is already pretty good, really talented, hardworking, and determined. You'll definitely surpass me one day."
Ava smiled faintly, her expression both confident and modest. "Lucas, you're being too kind. You're already a black belt expert. How could I ever catch up to you?"
Their conversation was light and cheerful, seemingly unaware of Leo's presence. However, Ava's gaze suddenly froze when she saw something by the lake, her face changing with shock.
"Look!" Ava exclaimed.
Lucas and the others turned to look, and to their amazement, over a hundred koi fish were arranged neatly in five rows, floating on the water's surface. Their mouths opened and closed, as if they were breathing. The arrangement was so orderly that it seemed like they were performing a pilgrimage, all gathering in the direction where Leo stood.
"What... what's going on?" Lucas asked in disbelief.
Ava was equally stunned, a strange feeling rising in her heart. She couldn't help but move closer, whispering, "This is incredible! How could so many koi gather together like this? It's as if some mysterious force is calling them."
Leo stood up, turned, and began to walk away. His figure gradually faded into the autumn wind. At that moment, the koi, which had been so neatly arranged, suddenly sensed a faint disturbance and hurriedly swam to the bottom of the lake, disappearing without a trace.
"Oh my God, this is a celestial wonder!" a girl shouted excitedly. "We have to record this!"
Leo smiled faintly, his steps resolute as he walked away. No one knew what that scene really meant, but the koi's unusual behavior seemed to have some unseen connection to the aura Leo was emitting.
Leaving the lake behind, Leo's heart was already set: in this life, he would no longer tolerate anyone trampling on his dignity. All the pain he had suffered in the past would now become the driving force for his forward momentum.
And for those who had once betrayed him—Henry, William, Lily—he had already made his decision. Change was coming for them all.