Promising New Life

Jo Yuan's eyes fluttered open, the cold morning air brushing against his skin. He stood still, the familiar dirt road beneath his feet, leading to a town he had once known. Yet this was no ordinary morning. His heart pounded as the memories flooded back—memories of his past life, memories that should not have survived. But they were there, clear as day. He clenched his fists, feeling the rush of strength within his soul, the same strength he had reached in the 9th stage of qi refining before death had taken him.

He breathed in, staring at the town ahead. It wasn't just any town—it was the place where everything had begun, the town he sacrificed to condensed his blood spiritual root. And now, he was here again, at the very start. But things were different. He could feel it in his core. Although his body was mortal, his soul or consciousness had retained the strength from the peak of qi refining, as if time had folded but his spirit stayed untouched.

It didn't take long for him to realize how regression works. Soul. It had traveled through time, untouched by death's hands. The body was new and weaker, but the essence inside? It had lived through battles and tasted victory and defeat. That's why he could remember, that's why he could feel it—the soul was the bridge between his past and present, and the key behind his regression was deeply tied to his soul!

...

Jo Yuan didn't hesitate long. He needed power, fast. The villages surrounding this town had been untouched by major cultivation forces, filled with simple folks living peaceful lives. He knew they were perfect targets—small, isolated, and vulnerable. Nine villages in total, each carefully selected. They formed a circle around the familiar town, like lambs waiting for slaughter. He targeted them because of their distance from the main sects' patrol routes, away from prying eyes.

Under the cloak of darkness, he moved quickly. One by one, he visited the villages at midnight, when the world was asleep. His Bloodsucking formation had evolved—it wasn't the weak version he had once used. With the knowledge from his past life, he had made it stronger. Much stronger. Now, the range had expanded drastically, enough to drain the life force from an entire village in one strike. The spiritual blood within him roared as the villagers' vitality poured into his body, nourishing his dantian and pushing him closer to the 9th stage.

He had sacrificed them all, nine entire villages, in just a few weeks. Each one fed his power, step by step. His body grew stronger, his qi surged, but most of all, his soul remained untouched. The blood sacrifice technique he used was more refined now. It wasn't just about absorbing life—it was about using their essence to fuel his advancement.

Just like that, in just two weeks, he was back at his peak!

What took his previous self decades, only took him two weeks in this life!

"HAHAHA!" Jo Yuan let out a maddened laugh.

His regrets in his past life? He would resolve this life!

...

Standing by the last village, Jo Yuan wiped blood from his lips, a twisted sense of satisfaction filling his chest. He remembered the first time he had used this formation, decades ago. Back then, the range was smaller and weaker, and it had taken time to perfect it. But now? With the knowledge from his past life, he had expanded the formation's reach. He modified the core symbols, adjusting the lines of power so that they covered a far larger area. Instead of only affecting those nearby, his Bloodsucking formation now drained life from miles around, catching even those who were hidden away in their homes.

The villagers never even knew what hit them. As they slept, their souls were pulled from their bodies, flowing into Jo Yuan like water to a sponge. His spiritual root—the blood type—worked in harmony with the formation, devouring every last drop of vitality. And with it, his body strengthened, inching toward the 9th stage.

His consciousness was the key. Even though his body was weak in this new life, his mind was not. His experience, his knowledge of formations, his understanding of qi and blood—all of it was intact, and more importantly, the expert stage Moon-Lightning Body Flow Technique and the Foundation Establishment technique he failed to comprehend were retained.

This gave him the power to manipulate the Bloodsucking formation with ease. His years of battling beasts in the past life, of advancing through the refining stages, all contributed to this moment.

...

Jo Yuan stood in front of the man who once shaped his understanding of formations—Master Feng. He felt a cold surge inside his chest as the memories hit him, memories Master Feng himself had no clue of. In this life, Feng had no trace of betrayal, no memory of the gunshot that had ended Jo Yuan's life in a past regression. But Jo Yuan remembered it all.

Feng stood there, casually talking about formations, oblivious to what had once transpired between them. Jo Yuan felt a sharp bitterness but controlled his emotions. How could he look so calm? So innocent? He had surpassed Feng now, having reached a stage of understanding the old Master would never grasp. But instead of satisfaction, there was a deep sense of detachment. The betrayal, the shot, the life lost—it was still fresh in his mind, though Master Feng had no idea.

Jo Yuan didn't confront him. Why bother? This Master Feng was different. Or perhaps it was Jo Yuan who had changed. He realized that his path had outgrown the teachings of this man.

...

Ten years. That was how long Jo Yuan secluded himself to master formations. It had taken five entire lifetimes of attempts to reach this point, yet he had failed time after time to break through to advanced knowledge. But this time, something had changed. The seclusion was deep and absolute—no distractions, no contact with the outside world.

In those ten years, Jo Yuan poured over everything he had learned in his past lives, every failed formation, every successful one. He compared, calculated, and refined his understanding. The difference between intermediate and advanced formation knowledge was vast. At the intermediate stage, he could only manipulate the basics of formation symbols and barely manage mid-tier formations. His efficiency was limited, and the formations lacked complexity. There was always something missing—like a puzzle with pieces that didn't quite fit.

But the advanced stage? That was different. The formations became more efficient, using less qi for greater effects. They moved fluidly, adapting to the environment and surrounding forces. The greatest challenge was the precision required. One wrong stroke in the formation and everything would collapse, often with catastrophic consequences. The complexity was unimaginable, yet it allowed for formations that could bend the world around them.

Jo Yuan pushed himself to exhaustion, forcing his mind and body to their limits in a hidden mountain cave far from civilization. It was there, under the pressure of time and isolation, that he broke through. He felt the shift one night—his understanding deepened, and everything suddenly clicked into place. 'This was what I couldn't grasp in five lifetimes.'

From the peak of an intermediate stage of the formation level to the advanced stage! He had truly left Master Feng to dust in this life.