Four days later…
The seven rainbow-hued suns blazed across the sky as Fang Ryuu finally arrived before a vast city that shimmered like a fallen star.
It was so enormous that even his divine sense could not fully encompass it.
Towering structures of lustrous gold rose into the heavens. Grand mansions stretched endlessly, their rooftops gleaming beneath the light of the seven suns. From afar, one might mistake the city for a fragment of the yellow sun itself descended upon the land.
'Even though I've seen it in memories… seeing Fang City with my own eyes is different.'
The air felt heavier here.
Warmer.
Alive.
'This place will be my home.'
Not borrowed.
Not inherited.
Mine.
A place to return to.
Hope stirred quietly within him as he descended toward a private teleportation platform.
He retrieved a jade seal from his spatial ring and placed it at the center of the array.
~Buzz~
White light flared.
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
—
A heartbeat later, Fang Ryuu reappeared in the heart of Fang City.
The teleportation light faded.
Before him stood a majestic white-and-gold mansion, its architecture refined yet imposing. Elite guards surrounded the estate, their auras steady and disciplined.
"Welcome back, Young Master."
They bowed in unison.
Fang Ryuu inclined his head slightly and walked forward without pause.
Inside, he followed the pathways etched into his newly assimilated memories.
White corridors.
Polished stone.
The faint scent of sandalwood drifting through the air.
He entered a quiet chamber.
A large white mat lay at its center. Candles flickered along the walls, their soft light casting long shadows.
He sat cross-legged upon the mat and closed his eyes.
For a while, there was only silence.
When he opened his eyes again—
The earlier excitement had vanished.
In its place was something colder.
Sharper.
Resolve.
Calculation.
And a faint unease he could not yet name.
Now that the thrill of being alive again has faded…
I have more questions than answers.
He closed his eyes briefly, reviewing the inherited memories once more.
There were gaps.
Subtle inconsistencies.
Like pages torn from a book.
Why are there no memories of his parents?
Why was he so utterly infatuated with Mei Lei?
Cultivation. Mei Lei. Basic knowledge of Laniakea.
That was all.
How does someone live for over a thousand years and never question the world they inhabit?
His gaze darkened.
From the memories, one figure stood at the center of everything.
His grandfather.
The man who taught him.
Guided him.
Controlled him.
I'm almost certain there's a scheme at play.
And that old man is at the heart of it.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Looks like I'll have to pay Grandfather a visit.
He exhaled slowly.
Leaving that aside…
This body's cultivation is… impressive.
He released a thread of power.
Qi Refining Realm.
The air trembled.
Foundation Establishment.
The candles in the chamber flickered violently.
Golden Core.
The floor beneath him cracked faintly.
Nascent Soul.
The spiritual energy of Fang City surged in response.
Void Sensing.
Clouds above the mansion began to spiral.
Void Shattering.
The sky darkened.
Peak Void Shattering.
—
An overwhelming aura erupted outward like a tidal wave.
The entire mansion shook.
Within a radius of five hundred kilometers, cultivators felt their knees buckle.
Some collapsed.
Some coughed blood.
Others stared toward the Fang Clan estate with terror in their eyes.
It felt—
Like a sleeping ancient beast had opened one eye.
Inside the chamber, Fang Ryuu slowly withdrew his aura.
The cracks in the floor ceased spreading.
Silence returned.
A faint smile appeared.
So this is the peak of Void Shattering.
Not bad.
Fang Ryuu exhaled slowly.
Nine hundred years old…
Peak Void Shattering for two centuries.
Why hadn't the previous owner sought opportunities to break into the Ascendant Realm?
Why remain stagnant?
Talent was never the issue.
Drive was.
Or perhaps…
Control.
He narrowed his eyes.
A sheltered young master of the wealthiest clan in the galaxy. Missing parents. A stern grandfather obsessed with "tradition." A fiancée in love with another man.
He let out a short laugh.
"What kind of absurd setting is this?" he muttered.
"Am I the hero… or the villain?"
Mei Lei loved someone else.
That man was likely a son of destiny.
Which made Fang Ryuu…
The antagonist?
And yet—
Missing parents.
Memory tampering.
A scheming patriarch.
That sounded suspiciously like a protagonist's background.
He clenched his fists.
"No matter what role this world assigns me… I'll write my own."
His gaze sharpened.
"I need answers. And a plan."
...
Deep within the Fang Clan estate, in a shadowed chamber, an old man sat alone.
Fang Wu stroked his long white beard.
"Two hundred years at Peak Void Shattering…"
His eyes were calm.
"When I arranged the engagement, it was to sharpen his resolve."
Instead—
"Mei Lei became his weakness."
Silence lingered.
"I may need to wipe his memories again."
He closed his eyes briefly.
Ryuu… do not blame this old man.
You are the Fang Clan's only hope.
After I exiled your father… after Long Muwan…
You are our ticket to the three super galaxies.
He opened his eyes.
"Number Two."
A figure in black appeared instantly, kneeling.
"Bring Fang Ryuu."
"As you wish, Master Fang Wu."
The shadow vanished.
...
Inside the white mansion, Fang Ryuu was still deep in thought—
When the air in front of him distorted.
A black silhouette materialized.
"Young Master Ryuu. Master has summoned you to his immortal abode."
Before Fang Ryuu could respond—
The world shifted.
Darkness swallowed him.
A breath later, he stood in a dim chamber.
"Master Fang Wu. The young master has arrived."
"Good," Fang Wu replied. "You may leave."
The shadow disappeared.
Silence.
Fang Ryuu looked at the old man calmly.
"You wished to see me, Grandfather?"
Inside—
His thoughts burned cold.
So this is the man who shaped Fang Ryuu's entire life.
The man who may have altered his memories.
Abducting me without warning…
A faint smile almost surfaced.
Good.
I wanted this meeting too.
Let's see who's truly scheming against whom.
"How was your meeting with Mei Lei?" the old man asked, a trace of gentleness in his eyes.
Fang Ryuu's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
"It went well, Grandfather," he replied, lowering his gaze slightly. "But after returning, I thought carefully… I want to focus on cultivation. I want to work hard for the Fang Clan, as you've always taught me."
He paused.
"Could we postpone the ceremony?"
He even added a faint hint of pleading.
"Please, Grandfather."
The old man's eyes flickered with satisfaction, though his expression remained composed.
"Good. Good." His voice was calm, approving. "That is how the future of the Fang Clan should think."
He leaned back slightly.
"You do need experience. I will speak to Mei Lei's master. I will arrange for the two of you to complete a mission together. The ceremony will be delayed without either clan losing face."
His gaze sharpened as he studied Fang Ryuu carefully.
The obsession was gone.
No longing.
No blind devotion.
Interesting…
Perhaps time apart had matured him.
Or perhaps this was an opportunity for their bond to grow naturally.
Fang Ryuu remained silent.
He had unknowingly stepped around a blade.
Had his answer been different, his memories might already have been wiped and rewritten.
"No, Grandfather," Fang Ryuu said after a moment. "I want to travel alone. I need to see the world with my own eyes."
He remembered how distant Mei Lei had been.
How restrained.
This was no romance.
But alliances were never simple. Refusing the marriage outright would bring consequences upon both forces.
The world was not black and white.
It was grey.
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"You know my words are final."
His tone did not rise — it hardened.
"If I say you will accompany her, then you will."
Fang Ryuu met his gaze.
"Then I will go with her."
He took a breath.
"But you must answer me something first."
The room grew quieter.
"Why do you always avoid speaking about my parents?"
A beat of silence.
"Every time I ask, you turn me away."
His voice sharpened.
"I deserve to know."
The old man exhaled slowly.
"Very well."
His eyes darkened.
"What I am about to tell you is the Fang Clan's deepest secret."