Sitting under the shade of a tree,
gazing at the bright moon,
I looked at the piece of wood
carved with my name,
which had been with me since childhood.
In a fleeting moment,
time and space shifted.
I already knew what it was—
roughly, my own identity.
Stepping into the past to uncover it
would no longer lead to betrayal.
The law of time forbids
interfering with or altering one's own past,
nor can one meddle with the unknown,
due to the rule of sequence.
Everything must have a beginning and an end,
irreversible in its order.
Time and space did not pause.
I found myself in a vast, unfamiliar room.
The space was solemn yet magnificent,
adorned with majestic golden dragon motifs everywhere.
A middle-aged man stood before me.
He looked at me, and I looked at him.
He was dressed in splendid clothing,
intricate patterns woven with large golden dragon designs embracing his form.
His face was stern,
his gaze otherworldly,
tinged with doubt.
"Who are you?
Why do I sense my own bloodline within you?"
I looked at him, a man from the past.
"You are the one who created this wooden piece."
…
"You look exactly like your mother.
But how can you be here?"
"You don't doubt me?"
"How could I doubt my own bloodline?
But… you're clearly 18 years old
and haven't awakened your bloodline yet?"
"I didn't know how…"
For some reason,
I felt no need to guard myself against this man,
as if there was nothing to fear.
I told him everything about myself,
though I left out a few things
related to the inherited memories.
It wasn't wise to reveal those in this way.…
"How could this be?
You were supposed to grow up in our arms.
Why would you wander in that place?"
"Tomorrow, you and a woman in splendid attire
will be killed by a man in a black dragon robe,
right in the peach garden.
This is already a past that cannot be changed."
As for myself,
I don't know what will become of me…The atmosphere grew silent.
"Make good use of the time you have left."
… I turned to leave,
wanting to meet that woman.
But from behind, a voice called out.
"From what I know…
if you can…
find the Soul Tree of the Soul Clan,
you might find the person you're looking for.
But the Soul Clan is very powerful.
You must prepare thoroughly."
"Wait a moment,
I have something to give you."
Watching the retreating figure
of the father I met for the first and last time
in this past, I wondered if I should leave.
No, whether for better or worse,
I was already here…
Not long after, he returned,
seeing me still wandering in his room
without touching anything.
He looked at me with love and satisfaction.
But I knew—
this was only the past,
not reality or the future.I smiled at him.
And he returned a smile.
"Indeed, you carry our blood.
You're over 18 and haven't awakened your bloodline.
The chances of awakening it in the future
are nearly zero.
But here, I have some heaven-defying treasures that might help.
This contains necessary resources
and all related records.
I don't know if they'll be useful,
but if you can return to the past,
perhaps you can do something."
"And this, too—
all the essential resources.
Even if you can't use them for cultivation,
they can serve other purposes."
"Aren't you afraid I'm deceiving you?"
"Afraid? No.
I trust myself,
and I believe you are my child.
Your mother and I brought you into this world…
but we couldn't raise you ourselves.
You must live well…"
…
"… Father, could you…hold me as a baby,
just for a moment, away from Mother?"
…
In another room, beside an empty cradle,
stood a noble woman in splendid attire.
Her face was gentle,
her movements light as clouds,
yet she exuded an unyielding resolve.She stared at me intently.
After a long pause:
"… You look so worn out."
…
My tears fell uncontrollably.…
"Mother, cherish this final time
so you have no regrets…"
She, too, shed tears unknowingly.
"Can you lie down here
and let me stroke your head?"
Lying on the bed, feeling the warmth, the softness, my head resting on my mother's lap.
Feeling her warmth,
her gentle caresses,
it was so peaceful, so light.
Suddenly, I seemed to recall something.
A flood of thoughts flashed through my mind,
memories I couldn't comprehend.
It felt like I had experienced this before,
many times, and…
Unconsciously, I murmured,
"Mom, i'll come back soon."
…
"Does… your mother in the future often do this with you?"
Then she began to sing a lullaby.
I
What was that just now?
Have I been gone too long?
No, perhaps it's memories
from a past life lingering.
The singing was so soothing,
so comforting…
Unknowingly, I drifted into sleep,
my body gradually fading into the void…
In the room, only one person remained,
her hands empty.
She silently wept.
When I awoke,
I found myself in an undefined space.
"What is this?"
Ahead, there was only a path of light.
I followed it and stepped out.
A vast peach garden stretched before me.
I saw two people in solemn attire,
their eyes and demeanor commanding the world.
Around them, bodies lay scattered.It wasn't hard to recognize who they were.
"Why are you here…?
This is…"
"We won't let you live like that.
We've done everything we could
to change the situation…
You won't have to suffer anymore…"
At that moment, a scroll flew out from my chest.
It slowly unfurled,
radiating light that seemed to illuminate
the heavens and earth.
Time slowed infinitely in that moment.
At the same time,
I knew the consequences I would face.
Time was being rewritten,
and I would be erased.
Seeing the change,
the two of them immediately became wary
of the glowing object."You don't need to fear it.
Time has now been stretched infinitely."
"I… You need to…"
What's happening to me?
Why can't I speak?
"Wait, if they can change it,
maybe things will be better…
Yes, I just need to let them change it.
I'll only disappear, all my memories…
will transform into a different person,
no longer enduring this daily torment…
But the chain of inherited memories
across two lives will be damaged,
losing its entire existence tied to me.
The scroll will be destroyed,
and a quarter of the memories
about the laws of time will vanish.
The fight against the enemy will also…
"I'm sorry… my past self.
I'm truly exhausted,
tired of longing,
tired of living without her…I closed my eyes,
recalling all the memories one last time—
with Liora, with everyone,
and the beautiful things that will be forgotten.
No, if I disappear,
those memories will vanish too,
as if they were a dream…
No, I can't let those memories fade.
The world I've lived through is real.
How can I sacrifice the present
for a past already gone?
I… I have to…
I felt myself age a few years in that moment.
"Father, Mother,
you must let everything happen as it should.
It must follow its course…"
If not, something terrible will happen…I was fading more and more…
Was I about to disappear?
"You two, please let everything
follow its proper order.
Things must happen as they should."
"Please don't force me."
I raised my hand,
and from the scroll, a vast, immense, misty force gathered
and surged toward them.
My body was fading faster,
but they only looked at me in silence.
They said nothing.
"Say something…"
…
Silence.
Is this my fate?
To destroy my own father and mother
with my own hands?
Why?
Fate is so cruel…
I've lost the two people who loved me,
my father and mother…
No, I must act for the present.
The present is what matters.
Yes, I can't falter.
But those terrified eyes…
What have I done?
Tears rolled down my cheeks,
unnoticed until now.
"I can't… I'm sorry…"
My body gradually dissolved into the void.
The scroll's light dimmed,
rolling itself back up
and floating toward the newborn
in the woman's arms,
as if nothing had happened.…
At Tiger Leopard Villa,
Noah Dark jolted awake from his sleep.
He was dazed, looking outside where the sky was still dark.
His head throbbed with intense pain,
as if someone were forcibly shoving something inside.
Emotions swept through his mind
like a tsunami— helplessness, exhaustion,
and a deep pain,
as if something vital had been lost.
It consumed his thoughts.
He didn't know where these emotions came from,
but they felt so real, so intense, so vivid…
In a fleeting moment,
he saw himself growing up
in a forested mountain region,
alongside a sister who resembled someone familiar.
They did things together,
intimate and evocative…Then, at a beautiful dawn,
he lost everything.
He was in agony, despairing,
yet somehow, he escaped.
He followed a younger sister
and an old master,
leaving silently.
On the journey, he learned much about…
bloodlines… social hierarchies…
- Ah… pain. A.
Noah clutched his head, roaring.
His head felt like it was splitting apart.
Blood trickled from his nose uncontrollably.
A notification panel appeared before him,
accompanied by a gentle, professional female voice
in his ears.
But to Noah , it felt like torture,
as if someone were scraping metal against his brain.
"Connection error—reconnecting…
reconnecting…"
"Connection complete… 3… 2… 1"
Noah felt himself soaring into the sky,
passing countless stars.
After an unknown time,
he plummeted back to the earth,
landing in some courtyard…
into a body…
…
Eighteen years ago,
in the royal peach garden of the Holy City,
everything returned to normal.
The only two people still standing there
looked at each other…
then at the baby in their arms,
with the scroll beside it.
"Husband, could we…
for our child…"
"No need to say more.
We've lived nearly 2,000 years
to have this child.
Our family is the most important."
With that, he waved his hand,
and a nearby stone tablet was engraved with words:
"The royal lineage will return
to reclaim its glory.
The traitor will pay the price."
After carving the words,
he and his wife joined hands,
creating a sphere of chaotic, violent energy
that destroyed the royal peach garden,
which had stood for ten thousand years.
Staging the scene to look like a self-detonation,
the two quietly left.
They traveled to a small valley
north of the Holy City,
to the Northern Domain,
to Acx Kingdom.
By chance, a coup was unfolding there.
They saw a father and mother
sacrifice themselves
to create an escape path for their son.
Moved by empathy,
they helped the girl escape.
Then they journeyed to Greythorn City,
tracing their way to the forbidden area
where the Smith Clan Village resided.
At night, under a full moon
shining gently, dispelling the darkness,
a rural couple in tattered clothes
walked back to their village.
The man, carrying an old bamboo basket,
grumbled irritably.
"It's all because of that fat Al Kai.
If not for him,
we'd have a fortune in our hands by now."
Beside him was a young woman,
somewhat beautiful, carrying a sack.
Hearing this, she grew angrier,
dropped the sack,
and kicked her useless husband.
"You useless man!
If I hadn't married you,
if I'd chosen Silas instead,
I'd have a better life now.
I regret it so much…"
"You shameless woman,
daring to hit me!
So that's it—you still love him.
I was blind to forgive you
for not being pure.
Tell me, how many men were you with before?"
"You useless man!
If my family didn't owe you money,
why would I marry someone as pathetic as you?
Let me tell you,
Liora isn't your daughter—she's Silas's.
Tomorrow, I'll divorce you,
you useless fool."
"You… you…"
"You, you, what? Silas is a soldier of Demon Sky City.
He has money and power.
If he hadn't helped today,
you'd have been beaten to death
by the foreign official... Tomorrow, Silas invited me to the city.
If you dare say a word,
I'll have him arrest and torture you
until you're half-dead.
You'd better stay quiet."
"You harlot…"
Slap! A strike landed.
"What did you say?
Want to die?"
"Dear wife…"
"That's more like it. Hurry up, let's go home.
I'll cook for you.If you behave,
I might consider sharing a bed with you
for a week,
letting you have some fun once or twice.
Still sulking?
Or should I give you a taste right here?"
…High above, two figures watched in silence.
The woman, with eyes like stars, frowned.
"Is this right?
Are these really the two?"
"No mistake.
In this entire area, it's just them.
Noah said it was the first full moon
after his birth, tonight…"
"Let's try first and adapt as we go."
They placed Noah under a tree by the roadside,
then observed from above.
Soon, the couple arrived.
Alric Smith's face was flushed and cheerful,
his mood visibly bright,
in stark contrast to the sullen, frustrated expression
of the woman behind him.
Then they heard a baby's cry
and rushed over.
Picking up the child,
they looked around but found no one.
They decided to take the strange baby
back to the village.
But on the way,
the baby kept crying,
refusing to be soothed,
attracting nearby wolves.
Meri Smith snapped angrily,
"Kid, stop crying!"
As the situation worsened
with more wolves approaching,
Alric Smith, unable to handle it,
snatched the baby from Meri
and threw it in another direction
to distract the wolves.
He intended to grab his wife's hand
and flee,
but she had already run ahead.
Left with no choice,
he scrambled after her.
High on a tree branch,
the two onlookers were stunned
by this seamless act,
but their shock quickly turned to anger.
Clara Light dashed to catch the baby,
while Victor Sky Dark, enraged,
seized the two heartless people
and forcibly read their minds.…
"Husband, what now?"
"My lady, it's definitely them,
but their personalities are far
from what Noah described."
"Husband, could something have changed
or gone wrong?"
"My lady, I don't think so.
Everything in the Smith Clan Village
matches Noah's description.
The only difference is these two.
I plan to reshape their minds
to be better,
like the people Noah spoke of."
…
"Husband, could we…
could we take their place
and impersonate them?"
…
"But it must be flawless,
with no mistakes."…