Chapter 1: Mu Kai village

Xue Song lay on his back, his arms spread apart, and gazed at the sky. He thought about his situation.

He had just traveled back in time.

"The Mu Kai village," he murmured. "Who could have thought I would come here again?"

In the next 30 years or so, this village along with the whole eastern continent is set to be destroyed. But that's not what he cared about.

Not only did he have another chance at life, he now also had an unfair advantage this. His memories were intact; he could use this knowledge to learn from his mistakes.

"Cultivating that egg was perhaps the only thing I did right in my life. I mean, my previous life."

He brought his hands forward and looked at them. Small and frail. He should be around 14 or 15 years old, still working in the fields of that lame old man. He hadn't thought that egg was this powerful. He had expected to go a year or two back in time. But 50 years? Legendary relics can't be underestimated.

The familiar sound of water flowing in the canal along with the chirping of local birds brought him nostalgia. His mind was more tired than his body. Rebirth had taken quite a toll on his health. The more he tried to keep his eyes open, the more they shut themselves. Before long, he lost himself in a deep slumber.

A dream followed his sleep. A woman was holding him in her embrace. Who was she? His mother? or sister perhaps?

"I have to go now," she said as she squeezed him tightly. "Come find me in the immortal realm. I know you can find me..."

Her eyes soaked in tears as she parted the embrace and smiled at him. After that last gesture, she left him alone on the hill. A boy of 8. How heartless was she? Or how heartless, abandoning such a young boy as him. It had been a really long time since he had seen this dream.

"GET UP YOU SON OF A ***." A strong strike right on his head. Xue Song woke up feeling he'd die. His eyes glared with killing intent at the old man who had just driven the metallic end of his walking stick right into his head.

"You bastard dog. How dare you sleep while the work I gave you is unfinished. Will the weeds pluck themselves out? What will I do if the crops rot?"

The old man threw another strike at him. Now that Xue Song was awake, a slow strike like that was child's play for him. He dodged it easily by tilting his head.

Seeing this, the old man's eyes fumed with anger. How dare this freeloader dog dodge his blows? Wasn't he humbled by him long ago with countless beatings?

"Did you just dodge the punishment? You think since my legs are lame, you can rebel against me? You ungrateful mongrel. Tell me, who is it that feeds you? Stop dodging if you don't want to go hungry today."

Xue Song looked at him with disgust. If possible, he never wanted to see the face of this garbage of a human again in his life. But it seemed not everything about rebirth was brilliant. He took a few steps back and then charged at him as fast as his frail body allowed and then kicked at his working leg.

The old man fell on his back and cried in pain and anger.

"Ouch!! Argh!..H-HOW DARE YOU. YOU THINK YOU CAN BULLY ME, AN OLD MAN WHO FED YOU. I didn't know I was raising a snake... Don't ever think you could get away with this. I may be old, but I have connections. I will have you sold off to a slaver. That will teach you a lesson."

He tried to scare Xue Song with his threats as usual. But Xue Song didn't even bother to reply, his breath was more precious than this low-life scum. Only he knew how evil he was and how many lives he had ruined.

He would have killed him if it wasn't for his connections.

He kicked away his walking stick and walked past him, entering the storage shed and finding a kerosene can and a matchbox there.

Upon seeing him with these, the old man felt a chill through his spine. He was in no condition to move. Was this brat going to kill him? How did he get so much courage suddenly? He used to cower in fear at his mere angry tone.

He shook his head, and his heart beat faster, but to his surprise, Xue Song wasn't so interested in revenge. But these herbs were soaked in his sweat and blood. This old scum can't have it.

He plucked out a few herbs and put them in his mouth before pouring kerosene all over the herbs and setting them on fire. The old man's eyes widened. His expression grim.

"Huh? You brat, do you even know what you have done? How will we eat this year if you burn the crops? And did you just eat those herbs? Those are for cultivators. Mortals like you would die instantly if they ate them... don't tell me you..."

Too much developement happened so suddenly that the old man's head started spinning. Soon the fire spread to all the crops, emitting a pungent smell as they burned. Making the heat even more intense.

Satisfied with this, Xue Song chewed on the herbs in his mouth as he left the scene, not even bothering to pick up his things from the shed.

He wanted to start a new beginning. Old stuff could hamper his progress, or so he believed. It's not like he had anything of value anyway. He kept walking slowly, trying to remember the way out of the village.

"This tastes like crap," he mused to himself.

This world had five huge chunks of land known as continents: Eastern Continent, Western Continent, Southern Continent, Northern Continent, and Central Continent. Out of these five, humans live only on the Eastern, Western, and Central Continents, while the remaining Northern and Southern Continents are reserved for non-human races as per the peace treaty that ended the 100-year chaotic war.

In the human continents, the Central Continent is the strongest and most prosperous, controlled by elite cultivators. Despite being smaller in size, 70% of its inhabitants are cultivators, while the remaining 30% mortals are for lowly jobs and servants. In the Eastern and Northern Continents, most people are mortals having no talent for cultivation except for the ruling class set up by the Central Continent itself.

This means these continents are colonized by the Central Continent, an arrangement hated by many, but they can't do anything about it. Mortals are like ants in front of cultivators; they can be squashed in an instant.

However, even the mighty cultivators are no less than cockroaches when compared to the true elites of this world: the immortals.

Xue Song walked leisurely, soothing his eyes with the homely village scenery.

In the heart of a lush valley nestled between two towering mountain ranges lies the village of Mu Kai. This tranquil settlement is a minuscule part of this vast cultivation world.

The air is fragrant with the scent of blooming wildflowers and fresh pine. Crystal-clear streams, fed by the pure waters cascading from the canals, meander through the village, providing both sustenance and serenity to its inhabitants.

Wooden cottages with thatched roofs are adorned with ivy and morning glories, their gardens bursting with vibrant herbs and flowers used for both cooking and simple potions. Stone pathways, lined with glowing lanterns that light up with a soft, ethereal glow at dusk, connect the homes and communal areas.

He kept walking, ignoring the curious gazes of the people, finally reaching the borders. A few horse carriages stood there in hopes of getting some business, should a farmer want to transport his yields to the cities.

Xue Song examined each of them before selecting the most run-down carriage. Since he was broke, he couldn't afford anything fancy.

He went up to the sleeping coachman and woke him up with a nudge.

"Take me to the nearest city." He demanded.