Blood coated the battlefield like a cruel stain of fate. Broken bodies of cultivators littered the ground, their lifeless eyes still burning with silent accusations at Xuan Luo. The air was thick with smoke, scorched earth, and the iron tang of blood. Every step he took crushed shattered bones, yet he walked as if untouched by the chaos surrounding him.
In the center of the carnage stood Xuan Luo. His black robe was shredded, hair matted, face streaked with grime—but his gaze remained unnervingly calm, an eerie calm that made even the most hardened spirits shiver.
"Heh…" he chuckled, low and bitter, lips twisting. "So this is how it ends? Surrounded by gods and saints… and yet, the mighty Void Demon finally cornered."
Above, a radiant figure descended, golden eyes blazing like twin suns, aura pressing down with the weight of mountains. Judgment incarnate.
"Xuan Luo," the figure's voice cut through the roar of the battlefield, cold and unyielding, "I have seen countless sinners, but none as vile as you. To refine mortals, cultivators… even your own blood… all for power. All for your selfish ambitions."
Xuan Luo's lips twitched into a smirk, but his chest burned. So… they finally know, he thought.
The god's voice sharpened further. "Even your sister, Xiao Yu… you sold her to demons to climb higher! Do you even deserve to call yourself human?"
Xuan Luo froze, the memories flashing violently. Xiao Yu's innocent face, her trusting eyes, the smile he had ignored—he had destroyed all of it. A pang of something he thought he had long buried pierced him.
He clenched his fists. Regret… it comes too late, doesn't it? he thought.
Shen Mu raised his palm. Divine lightning gathered above, crackling like the wrath of heaven itself. "Today, your sins end."
The heavens roared. Bolts of divine energy struck Xuan Luo, searing his flesh, cracking his bones—but he whispered hoarsely, "I thought I would never die." Pain lanced through him, yet his spirit burned.
The world dissolved into white, blinding, suffocating.
---
When his eyes opened again, Xuan Luo was no longer on the battlefield.
The pungent stench of alcohol hit his nose. Broken bottles littered the floor, some half-empty, others shattered completely. His head throbbed as if the memory of his past life was trying to break free.
Wait… where am I? he thought, trying to piece together the fragments of his consciousness.
Before he could process, the door slammed open.
"Brother! Come eat!"
Xiao Yu's sharp voice cut through the haze. She stepped inside, hands on her waist, black hair tied loosely, eyes stormy as thunderclouds.
Xuan Luo froze. His sister… alive.
She glanced at the bottles. "Unbelievable! Drinking again? Do you even realize how hard I work to keep this house running? And you… wasting it all?"
Xuan Luo forced a crooked smile. Her scolding… feels like a lifetime ago. No… two lifetimes, he thought, a bitter pang of guilt twisting inside him.
Xiao Yu stormed closer, snatched a bottle from his hand, glaring. "Useless brother! If Father were alive, he'd probably kill you himself."
Xuan Luo wanted to speak, but no words came. Instead, he stared at her—really stared. Her eyes, alive and unwavering, reminded him of everything he had destroyed in his climb for power.
First time in years… I feel regret, he thought.
He forced a smile. "Xiao Yu… don't be so fierce. I was just… testing the wine," he muttered.
"Testing? You're always drinking! Seriously, twenty bottles and you call it testing? Are you opening a tavern or what?" Xiao Yu rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.
Xuan Luo coughed, scratching his head. Even when I was the Void Demon, gods trembled before me. But in front of her… I feel like a mouse before a cat, he thought, biting back a laugh.
Xiao Yu sighed, exhausted, muttering, "Just… eat something before you pass out. I don't want to drag your corpse outside."
She left, storming out, leaving Xuan Luo alone with his thoughts.
He leaned against the wall. His hands trembled as he stared at his reflection in a cracked bottle. The face staring back wasn't the Void Demon feared by all—it was a weak, drunk man, stripped of his past might.
So it's true… I've come back, he thought.
His mind raced. The Divine Artifact he had stolen from the demon… could it have pulled him back through time?
He exhaled sharply. "So be it. This time… things will be different," he muttered.
As he clenched his fists, he realized that the boundless void energy that once shook realms… was gone. All that remained was the forbidden technique buried deep within his soul—a regress technique he could not yet use.
Powerless. Mortal. Weak.
Silence settled in the hut, broken only by the soft chirping of crickets outside.
Xuan Luo chuckled bitterly. The mighty Void Demon… reduced to a drunk mortal. If the heavens could see this, they'd die laughing.
Yet his eyes blazed with determination. This world… its rules remain the same.
He closed his eyes, recalling all he had once known.
Mortals begin with Body Refinement—strengthening muscles, bones, and flesh. Then Qi Gathering—drawing in the energy of heaven and earth. Core Formation—condensing power into a golden core. Next comes Nascent Soul, where the spirit takes form. Then Saint Realm, where laws bend to one's will. Beyond that lies the Divine Realm, walking as a god among men. Then the Heavenly Realm, and above even that… the Eternal Rank, where only a few ever stood, he thought.
Xuan Luo opened his eyes, whispering softly, Once I stood beyond gods themselves. I looked down on all living beings. And yet… I fell. Betrayed not by heavens, not by demons, but by myself.
Fire blazed in his gaze.
This time… I will not repeat the same mistake, he thought.
He lifted a bottle, hands shaking, but set it down.
Wine can wait. Power cannot.
Night deepened. Xuan Luo sat in silence, determination burning brighter than any flame.
The Void Demon is dead. Xuan Luo is reborn. And this world… will remember my name again, he thought.