1 Chapter 1: Rebirth

Outside the Heaven-Defying Empire's castle was a strong, honorable army waiting for orders, and inside were three people and a bloody throne. An arrogant young man with a sharp sword and a triumphant smug on his face was grasping the waist of a blue-haired beauty. On the other side, a handsome crimson-eyed young man was spitting blood with his head down while kneeling with one knee.

The handsome young man looked at them with anger in his eyes. "Why... would you betray me?"

The young man who was standing beside the lady was laughing hysterically like a madman before sighing. "Why are you so stubborn, Heavenly Emperor. If you just gave us the throne, we would not have resorted to these petty tricks, right? Isabella...?" With a slight grin while looking at the lady.

Isabella looked at the handsome young man with contempt. "To think such a weak, and a spineless guy like you became my husband and the emperor."

The Heavenly Emperor chuckled and said: "Weak? If I have not been poisoned by you then I can obliterate you and your whole family... Spineless? I just wished for peace and tranquility..." the handsome young man then released killing intent, the pressure weakened due to his poisoned body.

"Oh so a little poison can kill the Heavenly Emperor?" the arrogant young man mocked him.

"George... I was there in your time of need... In return, you introduced Isabella to me... Hoping for her to get close to me... I did not think you were aiming for the throne and that secret " the Emperor deduced.

The Heavenly Emperor stood confidently with his head down and said: "Let me tell you something..."

"... I already destroyed it." the Emperor coughed up blood. "You bunch of lying and cheating bastards... You will perish together with me!" his laugh echoed inside the throne room. His body began to emit a terrifying pressure surprising the two traitors.

"What...! George! Stop him!!!" Isabella yelled before pushing the other guy with a sword.

George tried to reach for the Emperor's body. "Ling! Stop!"

"Tsk... I won't make it!" George immediately halted his movements and covered the entire space around him and Isabella with a bright yellow-colored protective barrier.

The soldiers outside the castle also sensed the dominating pressure coming from inside, terrifying them.

"Wh-what's happening inside?"

"I don't know. But King George ordered us to cover the whole castle with the formation he taught us to avoid alerting the citizens with our sudden rebellion." the general of the army replied.

The soldiers then covered the whole castle with a large formation. Above the building, Water-like mana appeared and flowed down like a waterfall, enveloping the large walls.

...

Inside the castle, Ling sneered at Isabella, who thought he was trying to kill them. "Do you really think I'm aiming for you...!"

"No! Stop-" the lady cried out loud while reaching her hand for the throne while making a grasping motion before blocking her view from the throne.

At that moment, Ling gave off a sense of loneliness and disappointment. "I really thought you were my family..."

*explodes*

...

Ling's vision became dark, but then he was surprised when a bright, levitating sentence appeared in his consciousness. "To return, you must first BE a Shadow."

...

Ling opened his eyes. He was feeling dizzy and uncomfortably unfamiliar with his body.

Ling looked at his hands. "What? How did my arms become scrawny? I thought I blew-"

Suddenly, Ling felt like something was forcibly being inserted into his mind and it was painful. Ling gritted his teeth through that pain but fell unconscious after.

...

"What? Who am I? Didn't I blew myself up? How did I-" Ling began to remember things he did not do but his body was overly familiar. It was like his soul traveled into another dimension and occupied a dead body.

The people here have something they call "Mages". In Ling's world, they were called Cultivators. The original owner's name is Hong Ling. He is the Eldest son of the Hong family. He was sent to attend some banquet but details about said 'banquet' and where his soul did not appear.

"So, like in Heaven's Lair, my name is also Ling, but with the Hong. I was an orphan so getting a surname was above me when I was a child..." Ling reminisced but was surprised when he looked around him.

Dead bodies surrounded him and a broken carriage was seen behind him. Sword marks were seen on the dead bodies so Ling immediately thought of assassins.

"Looks like my family's famous... What a pain..." Ling shook his head, finding his current status as the eldest son a problem.

After he sorted his thoughts, he immediately thought about what his next plan will be.

"First. I need to find more information about this world and then after I become powerful, powerful enough to kill God-state Cultivators, I will go back to Heaven's Lair and seek revenge on those who wronged me..." his crimson eyes and wide smile looked cold and shrewd it can even scare an ancient demon stiff.

...

"May you rest in peace." Ling prayed after burying the bodies.

A nearby bush started rustling and a handsome man with a light-blue robe and a sword appeared. Ling was surprised but kept a calm composure.

The young man pointed his sword at Ling then asked him: "Did you see a Dark Lightning Leopard?"

"Dark Lightning Leopard? I have not." Ling replied with a smile.

The man snorted and said: "Yeah right. How can an ordinary kid like you possibly see a monster and still smile like that." mocking Ling.

The man walked away, laughing like he just told the joke of the century. As he was walking, an enormous wave of strong killing intent rushed through him injuring and paralyzing him. He was wondering where this soul-crushing killing intent coming from while his feet shook like crazy. He looked right and left but saw nothing until he realized... It was coming from behind him.

He nervously looked back. "Y-you...Y-you... Ho...w?" then his eyes rolled back and saliva began to bubble from his mouth.

"Yeah. How can someone possibly smile nonchalantly when they see a monster." Ling stared at the young man like a predator about to kill his prey. The horror the young man felt made him unconscious disappointing Ling.

"Someone who mocks ordinary people just because of their ability to do mediocre things is nothing to scoff at kid just because you obtained small power."

Ling took the young man's sword and tied him to a tree before going deep into the forest.

...

"What...happen-" the young man instinctively stood up but was pulled back by the rope concussing his head.

"I, Wang Shin, swear... I will find that ugly black-haired kid and make him taste the humiliation I felt today." veins appearing on his forehead while trying to find his way out of his predicament.

Meanwhile...

"Achoo... Seems like someone's having lewd thoughts about my handsome appearance." Ling thought, oblivious to what his appearance looked like. "But that's not important. What's important is this Qi I've been sensing. I need to quickly rebuild this body's destroyed dantian and quickly cultivate to Qi absorbing state to strengthen this body..." Ling exhaustingly said while walking through the forest.

...

Ling arrived near the Qi source which was a cave but saw 3 figures planning something at the entrance. Ling immediately sat right on the spot to avoid getting spotted and eavesdropped.

Two voices resounded in Ling's ears because of how loud they are. A man's voice and a girl's.

"My lady, the cave here feels ominous and we think that something that can possibly kill you is hiding there. The 'mana' here is so strong, our 'mana' feels like it is being pulled like it wants to absorb it. You can't feel it milady because you're still at 'Mana' Absorbing state." a deep voice scolded someone. Ling can't see them because he thinks they might sense him.

"That's right Luo'er. I don't want to lose someone I love just because of something like that Dark Lightning Leopard." a young man's gentle voice resounded in Ling's ears, making him cringe.

Ling took a quick peek at them and saw 2 men and 1 woman. The 2 men looked intimidating because of their expensive-looking weapons but Ling, who fought thousands of armed cultivators in his last life with just his bare hands, saw them as two babies with toys to play with. The woman looked elegant. With her long, silky, black hair, any man who sees her will most likely fall head over heels for her, but to Ling, who saw and even made love with countless Celestial beauties and Immortal fairies, he just saw her beauty as low tier.

"They look ordinary. I even panicked when I saw them and thought they might be strong... but let's try not to anger them, right now I do not have a cultivation state and I'll try to get information as to what world I traveled to and if they know information about this body." Ling planned and revealed himself after.

"Greetings." Ling waved making the three wary of him.

"Stand back. Who are you and what do you want." the middle-aged man asked Ling with his spear pointed at him.

"Woah, there warrior, careful where you're pointing that dangerous thing." Ling backed off slightly before continuing. "My name is Ling and I was wandering around the forest then got lost. May I ask where are we currently?"

"This is the Ghost Valley, in between the Mountains of Hell. How did an ordinary kid like you even get here?" the young man intensely gazed at Ling trying to figure out his intentions.

"My carriage got attacked and my guards died trying to protect me. I tried finding the forest's exit but failed to do so. May I ask what these people want in exchange for protecting and guiding me through the forest?" Ling asked nicely taking the 2 men's curiosity.

Ling expected this and continued to say words that they instinctively want as Ling knows them inside and out. "I would even put my life on the line, just, please. Give me food or water. I'm already at the edge of dying from hunger and thirst." Ling acted as if he was helpless and took a quick peek but saw two men looking at the woman like they were expecting something.

Ling continued to act even kneeling in front of them and continued to beg but not the men but to the lady when he realizes their position. "Beautiful miss, please just let me join you on this journey. I will immediately split with you when we reach the forest's exit. I will do anything you want just please ensure my safety and feed me food."

"Anything?" the woman asked with an interested tone.

Ling's eyes lit with success and within his thoughts: "Got you..." laughing shrewdly.

"Yes, Anything....." Ling answered while suppressing his urge to smile evilly.