Echoing across the wasteland, a thunderous cracking sound shattered the long silence of Blood Moon City, announcing the long-awaited rebirth of the ancient Infernal Void Serpent race.
The colossal egg exploded into countless fragments, scattering across the ruined ground. From within emerged a newborn serpent whose scales were darker than the deepest void, absorbing even the faintest traces of light. Its crimson eyes opened slowly, burning like twin embers as it took in its surroundings and instinctively felt the terrifying vitality surging through its new body.
Viscous fluid dripped from its long, sinewy form as it uncoiled itself from the broken shell. A pulsing crimson aura radiated outward, spreading across the desolate ruins like a heartbeat. The city remained silent beneath its gaze, lifeless and abandoned, as though it recognized the arrival of a new apex predator.
Then the serpent's attention shifted.
Not far away lay a strange black stone and three shimmering crystals. Each radiated an intense power that resonated deeply within its instincts, stirring an irresistible pull.
Drawn forward, the serpent glided smoothly across the fractured ground. Its eyes narrowed as it studied the objects.
The stone was utterly alien—its texture flawless, its surface polished to unnatural perfection. Faint waves of spiritual energy flowed from it in steady pulses, filling the surrounding air with a heavy, hypnotic pressure.
The crystals were no less extraordinary. Each shimmered in shifting hues of black, crimson, and violet, emitting a violent energy that seemed alive. Their power resonated with the serpent's very essence, sending tremors through its sleek body.
Instinct screamed a single truth:
These were treasures of immeasurable value.
The serpent approached the nearest crystal. The instant its scales brushed the surface, the crystal dissolved into streaks of light and fused directly into its body.
An intricate pattern formed along its scales, glowing with otherworldly brilliance. A surge of power flooded through its veins, fierce and intoxicating.
Without hesitation, it moved toward the remaining crystals.
One after another, they merged seamlessly into its scales, weaving complex designs across its body. With each fusion, its aura intensified, growing heavier, denser, more oppressive.
When only the black stone remained, the serpent slowed.
Unlike the crystals, this object inspired something close to reverence.
It could feel an overwhelming spiritual force contained within the stone—vast, ancient, and unfathomably pure.
Opening its jaws, the serpent swallowed the stone in a single motion.
The moment it entered its body, a torrent of energy erupted within it, surging through every inch of its form like a raging flood.
Then, just as the power stabilized, a different sensation emerged.
A pull.
A calling.
Something deep within the ruins of Blood Moon City beckoned to it with irresistible force.
The serpent lifted its head, its crimson eyes locking onto the distant heart of the destroyed metropolis.
Without hesitation, it began to move.
It advanced slowly, deliberately, its massive body gliding across shattered streets and collapsed structures. Debris shifted aside under its passage, as though the ruins themselves yielded before its presence.
Though the city lay in utter devastation, an invisible energy lingered within it—ancient, persistent, and profoundly unsettling.
The deeper the serpent traveled, the stronger the pull became.
Until at last, it arrived at a place where the very ground throbbed with concentrated power.
This was once the site of The Free Heart Inn.
Now it was nothing more than broken stone and scattered rubble.
Yet at the center of the wreckage lay a small black mirror.
Unlike everything around it, the mirror remained perfectly intact. Its surface was smooth and flawless, untouched by destruction or time.
As the serpent approached, the mirror began to glow with deep crimson light. A silent call echoed from within it, bypassing instinct and reaching directly into the depths of its consciousness.
Compelled beyond reason, the serpent lowered its head and touched the mirror.
In the next instant—
Agony exploded through its entire body.
A violent, unbearable pain tore through its mind and soul simultaneously. The serpent convulsed violently, its massive form writhing across the ruins as waves of searing torment surged through it.
Its eyes shut tightly as it endured the ordeal, unable to resist, unable to escape.
Then—
The pain vanished.
Silence returned.
When the serpent slowly opened its eyes again, everything had changed.
No longer were they the eyes of a beast.
Clarity, intelligence, and profound awareness now filled their depths.
Memories flooded its mind—memories that did not belong to a mere creature. Names, ambitions, knowledge, and a powerful will surged forth, crushing the last remnants of instinct beneath overwhelming consciousness.
A voice resonated from within its being, deep and calm, carrying the weight of an existence far older than this body.
"As expected… even with my soul intact, I was nearly devoured by the Infernal Void Serpent's will."
The serpent's crimson gaze hardened, now filled with cold calculation.
"I have truly returned."
A faint aura of authority rippled outward.
"I, Liang Yifei, will ascend once more."
His voice carried absolute certainty.
"Mortals, immortals, gods, demons—none shall escape my shadow."
He paused, sensing the strength within his current form.
"This body rivals the power of a Spirit Severing Realm cultivator… but it is still far from sufficient."
His thoughts moved swiftly, precise and disciplined.
"I must assume human form and condense my Nascent Soul again. Only then can I rebuild my foundation and reclaim my former peak."
Knowledge surfaced naturally within his mind.
In this lower domain, cultivation was divided into three grades—low, middle, and high—each containing major realms that defined a cultivator's power.
Low-grade cultivators advanced through Spirit Awakening, Spirit Palace, and Core Formation, laying the foundation of their strength.
Beyond these lay the Nascent Soul Realm—a monumental threshold where cultivators transcended mortality and gained lifespans of nearly a thousand years.
Above that stood the true heights of power within this domain:
Spirit Severing.
Dao Integration.
Void Transformation.
Spirit Severing cultivators could sever the bond between soul and body, partially transcending physical limitations.
Dao Integration cultivators merged their Dao with the world itself, becoming one with heaven and earth.
And at the apex stood the Void Transformation Realm—where existence itself could be bent, and even space and time lost their meaning.
Liang Yifei's eyes burned with cold determination.
"This time… I will go even further."