Chapter 2:🔥 Rebirth from Darkness 🔥

The forest stretched endlessly, an unbroken expanse of towering trees where even the moonlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy. The air was thick, laced with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, as if the very ground held secrets long buried beneath its surface. A suffocating silence blanketed the surroundings, broken only by the occasional rustling of unseen creatures lurking in the shadows.

Beneath an ancient, gnarled tree, a young man lay motionless. His body, battered and broken, bore deep, bloody gashes. His once-pristine robes were torn and soaked with dried blood, clinging to his bruised flesh like a second skin. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, each one slower than the last—teetering on the precipice of life and ☠️ death.

Yet, despite the torment carved into his body, an undeniable aura surrounded him. There was something in the way he lay there, something unyielding.

Even in the depths of suffering, his lips curled into the faintest, most chilling 😈 smirk—a smile that carried a secret only he understood.

✦ A twitch.

✦ Then a breath.

✦ Then, golden eyes flickered open.

❄ Cold. Sharp. Penetrating. ❄

Not the eyes of a dying man.

But those of a predator.

----------------------------------------

🩸 SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Pain erupted in his skull like a thousand blades slicing through his mind. A searing, blinding agony consumed him, dragging him into a chaotic flood of memories that did not belong to him—yet felt undeniably his own.

Visions of a different life crashed into him. Faces. Voices. A fragmented past.

The Tianjun Continent.

The Yulong Empire.

A world where power dictated life and death.

And a name—Ji Yang.

Disgraced. Forgotten. Cast aside like filth.

A cripple shackled at the second level of ⚡ Body Tempering, unable to advance. No matter how hard he struggled, an unseen force bound him, caging his growth. But why? The memories held no answers, only questions wrapped in agony.

💔 Ji Ru—his childhood friend, the only person who had once stood beside him—had soared to power while he remained stagnant. She had reached the seventh level, a prodigy revered by all.

Yet, when Gu Fan, the 💀 young master of the Gu Family, set his sights on her, Ji Yang had dared to stand in his way.

A mistake.

He had been beaten. Shattered. Left to die.

And Ji Ru—her tear-streaked face burned into his memory—had been dragged away, her final words haunting him:

🩵 "Ji Yang... why did you do this?"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

----------------------------------------

🔥 A NEW LIFE, A NEW PURPOSE 🔥

The visions faded, leaving behind a cold emptiness. Ji Yang sat in the darkness, his breath steady, his expression unreadable.

Then, a whisper—low, venomous, filled with promise.

☠️ "This body is mine now. And I will have my revenge."

His hands trembled, not from weakness, but from the power awakening within him. Deep in his soul, something ancient stirred—a force sealed away, waiting to be unleashed.

🔥 Yin-Yang Flame 🔥

For the briefest moment, ⚫ black and ⚪ white flames flickered in his golden irises, an omen of something unfathomable. A power long dormant.

But before he could fully grasp its meaning—

"AAARRGGHH!!"💥

A scream shattered the night.

Ji Yang’s gaze snapped to the source.

And there she was.

💔 Ji Ru.

Bloodied. Barely standing. Encircled by Gu Fan and his lackeys, their laughter like poison in the air.

"Ji Ru... why did you do this?"

The irony was bitter.

Gu Fan sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

💀 "You should have been mine, Ji Ru. But you chose this worthless insect instead."

The words slammed into Ji Yang like a blade. His fists clenched, his veins pulsing with barely restrained fury.

Yet, even as his anger surged, something within him resisted.

Not yet.

Demonic Cultivators had a fatal flaw—attachments.

Those who allowed emotions to shackle them would never ascend. They would forever be bound by weakness.

Ji Yang knew this.

💔 Ji Ru meant nothing.

He turned away.

But—

⚡ BZZT!

A searing pain shot through his chest, like invisible chains tightening around his soul.

His body rebelled.

His mind whispered, "She means nothing."

Yet the emotions of the former Ji Yang lingered, refusing to be discarded so easily.

If he allowed these emotions to govern him, these chains would forever bind his cultivation. They would become his inner demon, shackling him from reaching true power.

Ji Yang took a deep breath, his golden eyes flashing with ruthless determination.

His will hardened like steel.

“There is no turning back.”

Slowly, he raised his trembling hand—not out of weakness, but because the storm within him was growing. The power within his soul, the ancient force of the Yin-Yang Flame.

🔥 “Fine…”

💥 “If I must shed blood to break these chains…”

His golden eyes darkened.

Then, his will hardened.

And he smiled.

😈 A cold, merciless smile.

"No chains in this world can bind me."

His enemies would know pain.

His enemies would fear his name.

A whisper escaped his lips, carrying the weight of a thousand lifetimes.

☠️ "Fine... If I must shed blood to break these chains..."

🔥 "Then so be it."

From this moment on, Ji Yang was no longer the prey.

He was the hunter.

----------------------------------------

Would Gu Fan recognize the storm he had provoked? Or would he fall victim to the darkness?

Would Ji Yang’s first step drag him deeper into the abyss, or was this the true beginning of his ascent to power?

A smirk tugged at his lips as he took the first step forward.

"This game... is mine now."

🩸 To be continued...

What do you think will happen next? Will Ji Yang strike immediately, or is he planning something even more terrifying? 🔥

💬 Comment your thoughts below! Let me know how you felt about this chapter—what was your favorite moment? What are your theories for the next chapter? 😈🔥