Chapter 2: Prologue 2

Within the room of his secluded cultivation chamber, Li Tian sat in serene meditation, wanting to attempt to reach the half-step immortal realm.

The stillness enveloped him, and his focus was as unwavering as ever as it has been as he started the cultivation for the first time in his life. The profound energies of the chamber swirled around him, creating an aura of profound tranquility.

But today, something was different. As he delved deeper into his meditative trance, studying an ancient artifact, his mind encountered unexpected turbulence as the artifact started to glow and enter his mind's eye and then his sense of consciousness. Like ripples on the surface of a tranquil lake, random flashes of memory began to intrude upon his sense of consciousness.

These were not ordinary memories; they were fragments of a lifelong past—memories from his existence on Earth.

Amidst his meditation, he found himself abruptly placed in the bustling streets of a modern city, surrounded by towering skyscrapers and the noise of urban life. A sense of bewilderment surged within him, causing a perplexed expression to appear on his youthful face.

His surroundings were alien to him, a stark contrast to the tranquility of his cultivation chamber. "What is this place?" Li Tian wondered aloud, his voice a rare intrusion into his silent sanctuary, but in the depths of his consciousness, he knew that place.

He looked around, attempting to make sense of the unfamiliar but unnaturally familiar surroundings. The relentless flow of people, the towering buildings that seemed to touch the heavens, and the hum of technology all left him bewildered.

As he continued to observe the modern city, a sense of disconnection from his current reality gnawed at him. "Why do I have these memories in my mind?" The question gnawed at his thoughts like an insistent riddle.

"It was as though a veil had been lifted, revealing glimpses of a life long forgotten," he murmured to himself. He struggled to reconcile the memories of this bustling city with the solitary existence he had known for millennia.

Then, as if to compound the dissonance, he felt the unmistakable rush of a subway train passing nearby. The ground beneath his feet vibrated with its passage, a sensation that sent shivers through his being. He heard the chatter of strangers, their voices a discordant symphony, and even caught the tantalizing scent of street food wafting through the air.

"What is wrong with me? What did that artifact do to my sense of consciousness?" he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. This was a question he could not answer, for he had not experienced such disruptions in countless years of meditation and seclusion. His determination to unravel the enigma presented burned brighter with each passing moment. The path to the half-step immortal realm had taken an unexpected turn, and Ancestor Li Tian was poised on the precipice of a revelation that would reshape his understanding of existence.

Next, he found himself in a tranquil meadow, bathed in the golden glow of a setting sun. He was not alone. A warm presence was beside him, a figure with features that stirred a long-forgotten emotion—happiness. It was a memory of a loved one, a person from his past life whose face he could not quite recall but whose presence tugged at his heart like a blade ripping his heart out.

"Now I remembered that these glimpses are of my past on earth," he muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of wonder and confusion, and his heartbreak like the shards of a shattered mirror, reflecting a life I had long left behind. They disrupted the harmony of his meditation, causing ripples of confusion in the tranquil pool of his concentration.

For the first time in his ascetic existence, Li Tian felt a sense of unease, a disconnection from the unwavering focus that had defined his life. He did not try to push these memories aside and return to the meditation formation that had been his sanctuary for so long. But they persisted, like ethereal phantoms, refusing to be banished.

In his pursuit of higher realms of power, he had forsaken his life and sealed away his emotions. Yet now, it seemed the past that he didn't know was reaching out to him, demanding acknowledgment that he was not only a cold-hearted cultivator of the cultivation world but also a young teen of earth, a boy with emotions.

Li Tian's previously serene countenance now bore a subtle indication of internal conflict. These glimpses of that place were a disturbance he couldn't ignore. An idea formed in his mind, hinting at a deeper truth—a connection between the place he saw and his present.

"The path to the half-step immortal realm has taken an unexpected turn for me," Li Tian thought, feeling a mix of uncertainty and curiosity. He couldn't deny that these memories were changing him to some extent, and he did not know if these changes were good or bad, but now he understood his own existence.

Li Tian's cultivation chamber remained enveloped in a profound stillness. The memories of his past life on Earth, which had once felt distant, were now strong and undeniable.

As he sat in meditation, his usual unwavering focus was undisrupted by these intruding memories. He realized, "I can no longer dismiss these old memories as mere strange memories." They had become more intense and clearer, cutting through the tranquility of his thoughts.

"They are no longer just strange occurrences," he acknowledged silently, his determination unwavering. These glimpses into his earthly past are now an undeniable and integral part of his present reality.

As he grappled with the mystery of these memories, his senses sharpened, and he became acutely aware of the artifact that had silently occupied a corner of his cultivation chamber floating on the same place and glowed ever slightly. It was a relic of unknown origin, a mysterious object that had long piqued his curiosity.

"Is this change in my mind because this artifact sent an unknown law into my mind's eye, and that law strengthens my soul?" Li Tian wondered, his gaze irresistibly drawn to the puzzling object. He knew that this artifact held many secrets, and that's why he was just trying to uncover them, but he did not know that it would strengthen his soul to the extent that he would be able to recall the memories of his past life that were cleansed by the cycle of reincarnation.

The artifact, an intricately carved jade pendant, had a faint, otherworldly glow. It was covered in symbols and patterns that even with his immense knowledge, Li Tian couldn't decipher. As confusion and questions swirled in his mind, the pendant's presence grew stronger and glowed more with dazzling light.

Li Tian cautiously reached out a trembling hand toward the pendant, his fingers hovering just above its cool surface. The artifact seemed to respond to his nearness, vibrating with an energy he couldn't quite understand or control. It felt as if the pendant held the key to unraveling the mysteries of the world, a power that he could only look up to, and the strength to destroy his existence many times over.

His heart raced as he considered the gravity of this moment and the power of the jade pendant.

The memories of his earthly past, the unsettling changes in his meditation, and the presence of the artifact were all intertwined, creating a web of uncertainty and opportunity. With a deep breath, he made a choice—to seize the pendant and unlock its hidden secrets. Li Tian stared intently at the artifact, his curiosity mixing with a touch of fear. He'd heard stories of powerful relics, objects imbued with ancient wisdom and extraordinary energies that hold enough power to even make a normal person a cultivation genius. Could this jade pendant hold the ancient inheritance of an immortal or a half-immortal, or not? The very thought sent a shiver down his spine.

With deliberate caution, he reached out his hand toward the pendant, feeling a slight tremor in his fingers. As his grasp closed around the cool surface of the jade, a surge of energy flowed through him, awakening his senses with an intensity he had never known. It was as if the artifact itself had chosen this moment to come to life.

He was consumed by visions and sensations, completely overpowering his awareness. Abruptly, he discovered himself positioned within a realm bathed in celestial radiance.