Jian Wu woke up with a scream, drenched in cold sweat. As he tried to figure out where he was, someone kicked him harshly. He fell back to the ground and raised his head to look at the person who had kicked him. It was the bully from his hometown. In a low voice, he muttered, “Lee Fang?”

“If you know who I am, then shut your mouth. If you’re so eager to scream, I’ll throw you out of the carriage. You can scream all you want outside,” Lee Fang said.

Jian Wu realized he was lying on the floor of a carriage cabin. Around him, several people sneered at him in disdain. The other boys and a few girls in the cabin giggled at the scene.

He brushed himself off and took the only empty seat. The cabin fell silent again, the only sound being the rattling of the carriage wheels on the dirt road.

He remembered this moment. Ten years before his death, he had been on this journey with these children to take the aptitude test for sect selection. Everything was just like in his memories. The faces, the cabin—everything was identical. Children from all over the country were traveling to Blue Cloud City to showcase their talents and be selected by a sect. Various tests awaited them there. Sects from the southern continent would pick talented students, who would then join their chosen sect and strive to ascend the martial dao.

Ten years ago, Jian Wu had been one of those children. “Could this really be happening?” he muttered. Noticing the sharp gazes directed at him, he composed himself and began to think quietly. Everything he had seen—the sect, his failures, the battles, his death, and the deal he had made with the dragon—could it all have been real? It seemed impossible, yet it felt so vivid that he couldn’t be sure.

He focused inward, searching his body for anything unusual, but found nothing. “It must be a dream,” he thought. Yet, what a realistic dream it was. Smiling faintly, he convinced himself that such wild events couldn’t have actually happened. “I’m imagining things,” he thought and, feeling exhausted, let his head droop as he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, he noticed that the other children were cultivating in their seats, each of them trying to prepare as much as possible for the upcoming test.

Jian Wu began cultivating as well, a practice he was familiar with, but this time, something felt different. In the past, he had struggled to draw mana into his body and strengthen his Qi, a process that had slowed his progress. Now, however, his meridians felt like black holes—effortlessly pulling mana from the air. Even more surprising was how the mana merged seamlessly with his Qi, flowing through his meridians like a smooth, uninterrupted river.

What shocked him further was how much purer the Qi felt. As he adapted to this change, he felt a transformation in his heart. His blood seemed to heat up, almost as if it were boiling, but strangely, it didn't cause him any discomfort.

“So it wasn’t a dream. It was all real...” he whispered in shock.

Lee Fang stood up angrily and snapped, “That’s enough! I warned you to be quiet. I’ll throw you out of this cabin myself!”

Still lost in his thoughts, Jian Wu saw the large boy approaching him slowly. Lee Fang was walking toward him with a sinister grin on his face. It was as if he was deliberately taking his time, savoring the moment. He seemed to believe that the closer he got, the more frightened Jian Wu would become, and he was enjoying the sight of that fear, all while showing off in front of the girls in the cabin.

If it were the old, cowardly Jian Wu, Lee Fang would be right. Jian Wu would have frozen with fear, unable to fight back. He would have just waited, trembling and unresisting. But that weak boy was already dead. The Jian Wu standing before him had returned from the dead, crossed an endless abyss, and emerged carrying the dragon's legacy in his heart.His heart was now stronger than steel. Nothing could scare him.

Though it had been a long time, he hadn't forgotten how Lee Fang had bullied him in the past. They were from the same city, but Lee Fang had always been stronger and came from a wealthy family. For years, he'd tormented Jian Wu for fun, humiliating him in front of girls to show off.

As these memories rushed through Jian Wu's mind, a cold smile appeared on his face.

-He and Lee Fang had unfinished business.

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Lee Fang was surprised to see the smile on Jian Wu's face. He had a sinking feeling that something was wrong.

“Who do you think you are, daring to look at me like that? I’ll rip those eyes out!” Lee Fang's words were threatening, but his voice betrayed surprise and hesitation. He had stepped in front of Jian Wu, expecting to see weakness, to crush him and revel in the joy of domination. But there was no weakness in the face staring back at him.

Jian Wu didn’t waste time. Before Lee Fang could make a move, Jian Wu kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking him to the ground, then jumped on top of him. As Lee Fang fell, he swung a kick to stop Jian Wu from advancing, but it was a mistake. Jian Wu caught his leg in a tight grip. Lee Fang struggled to free himself, but when he looked at Jian Wu's face, a cold fear gripped him. This was the first time he had ever felt such overwhelming killing intent from someone.

In a flash, Jian Wu pulled a small knife from his pocket and stabbed Lee Fang in the leg.

Before Lee Fang could comprehend what was happening, searing pain erupted in his leg. He looked up at Jian Wu with eyes full of terror.

Underestimating his opponent had been his greatest mistake, and he had only himself to blame. Before he could recover, Jian Wu rained down a barrage of punches on his face. Lee Fang's screams were filled with agony, but Jian Wu felt no sympathy. He was consumed by pure ruthlessness.

Before he could recover, Jian Wu rained punches on his face. Lee Fang’s screams were full of agony, but Jian Wu felt no sympathy. He was consumed by pure ruthlessness.

“You should be more polite…”

“Bullying others is a bad thing…”

“Underestimating your opponent is a huge mistake…”

“Think twice before attacking someone again…”

“I’m teaching you kindly because we’re from the same city. Do you understand?”

Jian Wu’s tone was calm and his voice gentle, as though offering advice, even as his fists struck with a newfound strength and confidence. Blood covered Lee Fang’s face as he lay unconscious on the floor.

The other children pulled Jian Wu away. A moment ago, they had looked at him with mockery and pity; now, their faces were frozen in shock. No one said a word, their stunned eyes fixed on him.

“Kindly teaching him?” they thought, but no one dared to speak.

Jian Wu paused for a moment and looked at Lee Fang’s face again.He didn’t care whether Lee Fang lived or died, but right now, there was no reason to kill him. Plus, doing so could cause trouble. Although this world was one where the strong ruled, it wasn’t without rules. Only the strongest masters could do as they pleased. If he killed Lee Fang here, his family would not let it slide.

Looking at Lee Fang, Jian Wu thought, 'I don’t think you’ll cause me any more trouble.'"

He returned to his seat. One of the boys carefully handed him the knife that had been taken from Lee Fang’s leg, bowing in a mixture of respect and fear. For the first time in his life, someone looked at him with both respect and fear. Jian Wu took the knife and strapped it to his waist.

Some of the other children took Lee Fang to his corner, leaving him there. The cabin fell silent again. Lee Fang, now conscious, was cultivating quietly, focusing on healing his injuries.

Jian Wu began cultivating as well. He had no time to waste. Mana continued to rush through his body at a wild speed, merging effortlessly with his Qi. He could feel his body growing stronger, slowly but steadily, with each passing moment.

After the recent incident, no further trouble had arisen. During the remainder of the journey, Jian Wu focused on his cultivation while trying to comprehend the changes happening within him. The biggest difference was the sensation of mana. Before, he could barely feel it, and when he used Qi to surge through his meridians, it required immense effort.

But now, everything was different. Mana flowed through him at a wild speed, yet when it entered his meridians, it felt like a calm river—a steady, controllable current that Jian Wu could fully command. The sensation was profound, smooth, and exhilarating. It was as though he had finally found harmony between his Qi and mana, a balance that no amount of traditional training could ever teach.

“I wonder how long it will take me to break through to the next level this time,”

In his previous life, he had spent ten years cultivating and had broken through to the second level of the Celestial Body Stage. But now, he had only cultivated for three months and had reached the peak of the first level of the Celestial Body Stage. Despite being one level lower than his previous life, he felt stronger than ever before—far stronger. Now, he understood better why sects valued talent so highly. This world truly wasn’t a fair place.

He looked outside the window. They were about to arrive in the city. In the distance, Blue Cloud City came into view. Memories of the dragon and the promise he had made came flooding back. He knew all these miraculous changes had come to him because of the dragon. He felt deep gratitude in his heart.

“I won’t let you down. I will take your revenge, but first—” he murmured.

With a cold smile, Jian Wu turned his gaze toward the horizon again. Blue Cloud City would host the selection trials of the major sects in just three days. In his past life, everything had gone wrong there. But this time would be different.

“- but first, I’m coming for you,” he murmured, “We still have unfinished business, White Lotus Sect.”