asmazenith

He left her to save her. Now he’s back—with power, secrets, and a daughter he never knew.

Zayden Wu was just a broke man with nothing to offer—except love.
So he walked away from Aria Feng, the only woman who ever truly believed in him, hoping she'd find happiness with someone who could give her the life she deserved.

But fate had other plans.

Betrayed during a deadly mission as a soldier, Zayden was left for dead in a remote jungle—only to stumble into a portal to another world. A realm of cultivation, sects, and deadly power struggles.
There, he became something no one in the modern world would believe: a cultivator forged in war and survival.

Three years later, he's returned to the world he once knew.

What awaits him?

A daughter with his eyes.
An ex-lover barely surviving.
A new partner who followed him back from the other world.
And enemies—both old and new—watching from the shadows.

Now, torn between choice and two worlds, Zayden must choose:
Rebuild the life he lost... or protect the future he’s only just begun.

Dao Dad Return

At first, Zayden thought it was just in his head—leftover vertigo from the pain and exhaustion. But then he saw the way Yue Lian froze. Her hand hovered mid-air, the grinding stone still, the herbs forgotten.

"What is it?" he asked, heart picking up speed.

Her head turned slightly, expression sharp. "The formation... it's been triggered."

He blinked. "Formation? What formation?"

"The one cloaking this clearing. Something just brushed it."

Zayden stood slowly, his legs still weak. "Is that... supposed to happen?"

"No," she said flatly. "Not unless we're being hunted."

A cold wave slid down his spine. Before he could speak, the wind shifted—unnatural and cold, tinged with something metallic.

An arrow screeched through the trees and exploded against an invisible wall. Sparks scattered in the air, lighting the ward around them like golden cracks in glass.

Zayden staggered back. "What the hell was that?!"

Yue Lian was already moving, one hand summoning glowing runes in the air, the other pulling a slender blade from her sleeve. "Someone found me."

He stared at her. "Found you? Wait—are you saying we're under attack?!"

"Obviously," she said, not looking at him. "Here, death comes swift. They won't miss again."

Another arrow whistled in. This time, she slashed it midair—the blade hummed, the arrow split, disintegrating into dust.

Zayden's mouth went dry. "Okay. Okay. I—this is insane."

He turned in a circle, eyes wide, trying to process it all. "Magic barriers? Floating runes? Wind that listens to you? What is this place?!"

Yue Lian didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on the forest, senses sharpened.

From the trees, a shape emerged—cloaked in shadows, glowing eyes under a hood, Qi swirling around him like smoke.

Zayden backed up instinctively. "Tell me that's not normal either."

"I'm not sure what you're asking."

The intruder stepped forward, silent as death. Leaves curled beneath his boots, scorched by the heat of his presence.

Zayden felt his knees weaken. "You didn't mention this part of the healing plan."

Yue Lian lifted her sword. "He's here for me. Not you."

Zayden shook his head. "Yeah? Well he just shot at me. So I guess I'm involved."

She looked at him for a long second—long enough that something unreadable flickered in her eyes.

Then, a smile. Not mocking. Almost... admiring.

"Foolish," she murmured. "But brave."

The hunter raised a hand. The air shimmered.

Zayden took a breath he wasn't sure he could hold.

Because he was about to witness what this new world truly meant.

The First Threat