In legends, there exists a River of Time in this world, supporting the flow of all existence. And by utilizing the power of the Spring Autumn Cicada, one can travel upstream against the current, returning to the past. Regarding this rumour, the world was divided in opinion. Many did not believe it, while some half-believed and half-doubted. Almost no one was truly certain. Because every time the Spring Autumn Cicada was used, one had to pay with their life, sacrificing their entire body and all of their cultivation base as the driving power.
This price was truly too steep, and what made it even harder to accept was that even after paying with one’s life, the outcome remained unknown. Even if someone obtained the Spring Autumn Cicada, they would never dare use it casually on a whim. What if the rumour was false, nothing more than a hoax? If Fang Yuan had not been driven to a dead end, he would not have used it so readily. However, now, Fang Yuan believed completely and thoroughly. Because the ironclad truth lay before his eyes, beyond all dispute. He had indeed been reborn!
“It is only a pity for such a good Gu. Back then, it took monumental effort, the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people, stirring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men, enduring endless tribulations before I finally refined it…” Fang Yuan sighed inwardly. Though he had been reborn, the Spring Autumn Cicada had not traveled back with him.
Humans are the spirit of all living things; Gu are the essence of heaven and earth. Gu were bizarre and varied, countless in number. Some Gu would completely dissipate after being used once or twice. Other Gu, as long as they were not used excessively, could be used repeatedly. Perhaps the Spring Autumn Cicada was simply that kind of expendable Gu that could only be used once.
“However, even if it is gone, I can simply refine another one. If I could refine it in my past life, could I not in this life?” Pity aside, a surge of ambitious pride could not help rising in Fang Yuan’s heart.
To be able to be reborn, the loss of the Spring Autumn Cicada was entirely acceptable. Moreover, he still carried a priceless treasure; he was far from empty-handed. This treasure was his five hundred years of memories and experience. Within his memory lay countless secret troves, currently unopened by anyone. There lay major historical events one by one, allowing him to easily grasp the pulse of history. There lay countless figures: some were hidden experts who cultivate in deep seclusion, some were extraordinary prodigies, and some were not even born yet. There also lay the grueling experience of bitter cultivation over these five hundred years, and a rich reservoir of battle experience.
With these, he undoubtedly held the overall situation and the initiative. As long as he played his cards well, roaming the mortal realm and recreating his former glory as a demonic overlord and ruthless hegemon would be no problem at all, and he could even take a step further, charging towards an even higher realm!
“Then how should I proceed…?” Fang Yuan was extremely rational. He quickly gathered his emotions and turned toward the night rain outside the window, falling into deep thought.
Thinking this over, his thoughts became a tangled mess. After a moment, his brow furrowed deeper. Five hundred years was a very long time. Many memories were already blurred and faded, beyond recall. Even among the hidden troves and fortuitous encounters he did remember, numerous though they were, most lay worlds apart or required specific times to open.
“Cultivation is what matters most. Right now my primeval sea has not even opened; I have not even set foot on the path of a Gu Master. I am nothing but a mortal! I must cultivate quickly, raise my cultivation, stay ahead of history, seize the initiative, and secure as many benefits as possible.”
Moreover, without sufficient cultivation, many hidden troves would be useless even if obtained; they would become dangerous liabilities, as merely possessing such treasures would make him a target. The first problem before Fang Yuan was his cultivation base. He had to raise it as quickly as possible; if he moved as slowly as in his past life, it would be far too late.
“To raise my cultivation base quickly, I must rely on the resources of the clan. In my current situation, I fundamentally lack the capability to traverse the peril-laden mountain ranges; even an ordinary wild boar could take my life. Only if I reach the cultivation base of a Rank 3 Gu Master will I have the baseline ability to protect myself and traverse the mountains and rivers of this world.”
Through the eyes of a demonic overlord tempered by five hundred years, this Qing Mao Mountain was truly too small, and Gu Yue Village was more like a cage. However, while a cage imprisons freedom, a sturdy cell often represents a kind of safety.
“Hmph. For now, I’ll make my moves within this cage. As long as I advance to Rank 3 Gu Master, I will leave this impoverished mountain backwater. Fortunately, tomorrow is the Aperture Opening Ceremony, and shortly after, I can officially begin cultivating as a Gu Master.”
At the thought of the Aperture Opening Ceremony, memories long buried in dust surfaced within Fang Yuan’s heart.
“Aptitude, is it…?” Looking outside the window, he could not help letting out three cold chuckles.
Just at this moment, the room door was gently pushed open, and a youth walked in.
“Brother, why are you standing by the window letting the rain fall on you?”
The youth was thin in build, slightly shorter than Fang Yuan, his face bearing an uncanny resemblance to his own. Fang Yuan turned his head to look at this youth, a trace of complexity flashing across his face.
“So it is you, my twin brother.” He raised his brows slightly, his expression returning to his habitual coldness.
Fang Zheng lowered his head, looking down at his toes, his trademark habit. “Seeing brother’s window wasn’t closed, I wanted to slip in quietly and shut it. Tomorrow is the Aperture Opening Ceremony. Brother, if Uncle and Aunt find out you’re still up this late, I’m afraid they’ll worry.” He was not surprised by Fang Yuan’s coldness, because from childhood to now, his brother had always been like this. Sometimes he would think that perhaps geniuses were just different from ordinary mortals. Although he shared a nearly identical face with his brother, he felt as ordinary as an ant.
Born from the same womb at the same time, why was heaven so unfair? It had given his brother diamond-like talent, while he was ordinary like a roadside stone. Everyone around him, whenever mentioning him, would always say: “This is Fang Yuan’s brother.” His uncle and aunt also often lectured him: “You must learn from your brother.” Sometimes, even looking at his own face in the mirror filled him with a certain disgust! These thoughts had existed for many years, accumulating deep inside his heart day by day. They weighed on his chest like a boulder. Over the years, Fang Zheng’s head had hung lower and lower, and he had grown increasingly silent.
“Worry…?” Thinking of his uncle and aunt, Fang Yuan scoffed inwardly.
He remembered very clearly that the parents of this body had both fallen during a clan mission. When he was merely three years old, he and his brother had become orphans. Under the pretext of raising them, his uncle and aunt had openly and legally usurped their parents’ inheritance and treated the two brothers harshly. Originally, as a transmigrator, he had planned to bide his time in obscurity. But the hardship of survival had forced Fang Yuan to choose displaying talent different from normal people. The so-called “genius” was actually nothing more than the rationality of a mature soul, paired with a few Tang poems and Song verses from Earth that echoed through generations.
Even such a small display of talent was hailed as that of a heavenly prodigy, drawing widespread attention. Under such scrutiny, the young Fang Yuan had to adopt a cold demeanor to protect himself and reduce the risk of exposure. Over time, that coldness became habit. His uncle and aunt could no longer treat him and his brother harshly. As he grew older and his prospects brightened, his treatment improved accordingly. This, however, was not affection, but investment.
The laughable thing was that this brother of his had never seen through this truth. Not only was he blinded by their uncle and aunt, but he had even harbored a buried resentment toward Fang Yuan. Don’t look at him being so well-behaved and honest now; in Fang Yuan’s memories, once he tested with Grade A aptitude and was heavily nurtured by the clan, all of his hidden hatred and jealousy had been released, and he had spared no effort in targeting, obstructing, and suppressing his own elder brother.
And as for his own aptitude…? Heh. At best, merely of Grade C. Fate always loved to play jokes. Born as twins, the elder brother’s aptitude was only of Grade C, yet monopolized the name of genius for over a decade. The younger brother had been unknown, yet possessed Grade A natural talent. The result of the Aperture Opening Ceremony had left the entire clan stunned. It also completely reversed the two brothers’ situation and treatment. The younger brother was like a crouching dragon ascending the heavens; the elder brother was like a fledgling phoenix crashing to the earth.
After that, came repeated difficulties from his brother, cold eyes from his uncle and aunt, and contempt from the clansmen.
Did he hate them?
In his past life, Fang Yuan had hated. He hated his own insufficient aptitude, hated the clan’s heartlessness, and hated fate’s unfairness. But now, as he reexamined that part of his life with five hundred years of experience behind him, he felt not a ripple of hatred.
What was there to resent?
Thinking from their perspective, he could also understand his brother, his uncle and aunt, as well as those righteous powerhouses who besieged him five hundred years later. The strong devour the weak; survival of the fittest, that was the very nature of this world. Moreover, everyone has their own ambitions, all fighting for that sliver of heavenly opportunity. Between each other suppressing and killing, what was there not to understand? Five hundred years of experience had long made him see through all of this; in his heart, there remained only the Great Dao of Eternal Life.
If someone stood in the way of this pursuit, no matter who, it was nothing more than: either you die or I live. The wild ambition in his heart was too immense. Stepping onto this path, one was destined to make enemies of the entire world, destined to walk alone, and destined to face relentless tribulations. This was the enlightenment distilled from five hundred years of life.
“Vengeance is not my intention, and the demonic path has never known the word compromise.” Thinking to this point, Fang Yuan could not help laughing. Turning his head toward this brother of his, taking a faint glance, he said: “You can go.”
Fang Zheng felt a sudden tremor in his heart, feeling that his brother’s gaze was as sharp as an icy blade, seeming to pierce into the deepest part of his heart. Under that gaze, he felt as if he were standing naked in the snow, every secret laid bare.
“Then… see you tomorrow, brother.” Daring not speak more right now, Fang Zheng slowly closed the room door, murmuring compliance as he retreated.