In the soft drizzle, a gaunt boy with white hair lying on a rudimentary wooden bed opened his eyes.

Within his demeanor lay a maturity and steadiness not befitting his youthful form. His eyes, calm as a dried-up ancient well, quietly surveyed his surroundings.

The dank and musty air, a dwelling too humble to be called "home," and beside the bed on the floor lay a girl, still clutching the boy's hand, her cheeks marked with dried tears—Lucia.

No, something's amiss... Why do I know her name? His mind instantly became a whirlpool of chaos.

Who am I? Sword Sovereign Junlin? Or the boy Julius?

A memory spanning twelve years, alongside shattered fragments of a millennium, all intertwined. Which one is truly me?

Memories of cultivation and combat as a cultivator, alongside those of a Nivian boy hiding and struggling for survival in a strange city with his sister, clashed and bounced within his mind like marbles, bringing acute pain.

"Julius... Yes, my name is Julius, at least that's who I am now." The tumult of memories lasted but a moment, and as if to affirm repeatedly, the boy whispered, clutching his forehead.

Correct, I have reincarnated, it's just that I am only recalling it now.

So, what happened at the end of that battle?

Carefully searching through the shattered memories, the closest fragment Julius could recall to the final battle was his soul fragment drifting in the endless void, memories constantly eroding...

It seems I was defeated? Then why did that being leave my soul behind...?

The closest memory he could find was when fragments of his soul collided with a mysterious ray of mortal prayer in the endless void, subsequently bringing him to this world, entering the body of a stillborn infant, reviving it.

However, the infant's brain structure couldn't support such vast memories, so the memories of the Sword Sovereign were sealed, only to be unlocked now, a full twelve years later.

It was as if he had been in a foggy, confused dream for twelve years, only truly awakening today when another ray of mortal prayer—Julius’s sister Lucia’s prayers—entered his soul, colliding and nullifying the earlier prayer.

But how could a mortal's prayer have such an effect? Or was there something abnormal about this body's birth in the first place?

Now, the reasons behind these events might be beyond verification. His mother in this life had already disappeared four years ago during the evacuation that preceded their arrival at Ironwood, and there had been no word of her since.

Regardless, now that the memories have returned...

With that thought, Julius's consciousness immediately reached deep into his soul, attempting to reclaim some of his former power.

Soul disengagement, consciousness splitting, even rematerializing a suitable powerful body. These feats any cultivator’s soul at the Incarnation stage could achieve, let alone one who had reached the realm of immortals.

As expected, it won't work. Julius's attempt ended in a sigh.

No matter how powerful this soul once was, the depletion from millennia spent in the endless void, combined with the revival of this body twelve years ago, was immense.

To use brightness as a metaphor, the once complete soul of the Sword Sovereign was like the brilliant sun in the sky, while now, it was but a flicker of fireflies.

Yet, even this tiny amount of soul energy could yield mystical effects.

*Buzz—*

Switching tactics and pressing his soul with his consciousness, a warm current immediately flowed from his heart throughout his body with each strong heartbeat, causing his muscles to rhythmically twitch with the flow.

*Thump, thump, thump*

His heartbeat quickened, the warm current racing through his veins, swiftly completing a full cycle back to his heart, making it beat even faster, delivering more power throughout his body.

*Hiss—*

Following that, steam burst forth from Julius's entire skin, and his body, emaciated from long-term malnutrition and illness to nearly skeletal, began to swell visibly, quickly transforming from a near-death state to a somewhat thin, but more or less normal physique.

Internal organ function has returned to normal, body strength increased to the average level of a 16-year-old male in this world; it seems this is the limit for now in terms of body modification.

Soulforge Bodycraft, a technique that forces the body to surpass its potential through the strength of the soul for a dramatic enhancement, was originally a method employed by demonic cultivators of the past who practised soul magic. These cultivators, having lost their physical bodies, would possess mortal bodies, using this technique to quickly strengthen and eradicate ailments within those bodies.

Though he had never attempted to possess another's body, the not-yet-Sovereign Sword Immortal Junlin had seen plenty of such demonic methods during his travels around the world, exterminating all manner of demonic paths. Now, with a bit of exploration, Julius could approximately mimic such techniques.

Indeed useful, but even if mastered, this technique can only bring a mortal's body to match the lowest level of Foundation-Establishing cultivators, hardly surpassing an intermediate Body-Tempering novice.

As Julius was marvelling at the strength rising within his body, it was unclear whether it was the peculiar steam that startled her, or suddenly feeling the hand she held in her sleep inexplicably grow larger, but Lucia, lying on the floor by the bed, slowly opened her eyes.

"Julius...?" Disbelieving, she rubbed her sleepy eyes, and upon seeing the person before her clearly, she exclaimed, "Are you feeling better? You seem... stronger! The old priest was right! Prayers do work!"

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Before Julius could figure out how to explain everything, Lucia sprang up from the ground, chattering away as usual.

"You were so sick yesterday! Nearly scared me to death!"

"Look! Such a big loaf of bread! The sister at the bakery dropped it under the shelf, and I picked it up!"

"Have some, and there's plenty of rainwater collected outside in the small basin. We can drink more this time, and if it rains harder, we might even have a bath after a long while!"

Lucia eagerly piled the items beside the bed, showing off her small achievements to her brother. These ordinary items, taken for granted by other families' children, were immense happiness for her.

She hadn't even managed to unwrap the old cloth she used as a blanket before she ran towards the storage cabinet made from a discarded fruit stall's wooden crate.

"Oh! And another thing, a piece of clothing without holes! I—"

But before she could take a few steps, Lucia's legs suddenly gave out, and her body fell forward, crashing to the ground.

*Whoosh—*

The moment Julius sensed Lucia losing her balance, he leapt from the bed.

His enhanced body reacted with speed and agility far beyond that of a typical human of his age, catching her just before her forehead hit the ground.

"Strange... " Lucia murmured, "I'm fine, probably just didn't sleep well last night..."

Despite her attempts to appear spirited, Julius immediately sensed something was wrong.

Her body temperature is too high, and this sensation...

Without hesitation, Julius released a wave of consciousness from his soul, penetrating the old cloth wrapped around her, quickly scanning Lucia's body—only to discover the dire state she was in.

"Who did this?! The White Wolf gang? Or the HoundGuards?"

Fuelled by the memories and sense of responsibility as a brother, a fierce rage ignited in Julius's heart, rapidly sifting through memories for possible culprits, wishing he could execute them publicly.

"It's nothing, that guy's fireball was a dud..." Lucia joked weakly, her voice fading.

Of course, she couldn't feel pain; the severe burns that reached deep into her bones had destroyed the nerves that could perceive pain. The widespread infection from the wounds made her entire body's sensations dull, worsening by the moment.

In this critical situation, without a moment to spare, Julius flipped Lucia onto her back, uncovering the cloth to expose the horrifying charred scars. His fingers swiftly moved to perform a healing technique that could be used even by a mortal body, attempting to gather the scant soul power left to condense the Spiritual Qi from the air, but he suddenly stopped.

This space... it's devoid of Spiritual Qi, filled instead with various conflicting, complex energies!

His inner shock led him to quickly sift through the 12 years of memories in this world, grasping the basic principles of this world.

Mana, magic, elemental mages, and halo...

His expression turned grave. In an environment with completely different energy and cultivation systems, techniques reliant on the Spiritual Qi of his previous world were ineffective, and most techniques that didn't require Spiritual Qi were beyond the capabilities of a mortal body.

Soulforge Bodycraft? No, that's only for personal use. What other methods are left...

If there was anything left to use, it was the Unmatched Sword Intent. But the last remnants of Unmatched Sword Intent within his soul had been exhausted upon leaving the endless void.

Right! The sword, the broken sword I found in the junkyard last month!

Gently laying the increasingly delirious Lucia on the bed, Julius's consciousness swiftly swept through the room, finally locating the item from his memories among the rubbish in a corner—a rusty iron broken sword.

Hoping this sword carries enough Karma.

He picked up the broken sword, delicately touching the filthy leather on the hilt, then closed his eyes tightly, gripping it firmly.

Sword Intent, a path of intent art cultivated by sword practitioners through practicing sword techniques, using the sword against enemies, and understanding the Dao of the sword. This sharp and unparalleled will of the sword is condensed from all these insights. Those who grasp the essence of Sword Intent can at any moment condense it into a tangible sword to fend off enemies.

In summary, Sword Intent is about turning the intangible into tangible, known as the "Inner Sword," residing within the swordsman.

However, for a Sword Sovereign who has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, the process can be reversed: from tangible to intangible, condensing the Sword Intent from the emotions and experiences that the weapon's forger and users have imbued in it—what's referred to as the weapon's "Karma"—extracting its Sword Intent and transforming it into one's own Unmatched Sword Intent.

*Buzz—*

As his soul infused into the broken sword, Julius reopened his eyes, a faint glow swirling in his gaze. The broken sword in his hand was enveloped in a murky grey light, trembling slightly.

With the sword's trembling intensifying, a series of images flashed through his mind—the hopeful craftsman meticulously forging, the young warrior's joy when purchasing the sword, the despair when it shattered against a formidable enemy, the disheartened act of discarding the broken sword into a pile of rubbish. The Karma imbued in this sword surged into Julius's heart, continuously transforming into Sword Intent merging with his soul.

"You've done well, White Slash."

Julius softly uttered the true name of the sword in his hand. Subsequently, the remaining rusted blade vanished under the wrap of grey light, as if spring snow melting away, leaving no trace. Even the hilt quickly aged and cracked, crumbling to the ground in pieces.

*Shing——*

The next moment, a sound akin to a blade unsheathing echoed in the empty space, Julius's eyes shining like stars, a silver-white light emanating from his fingertips. Though it extended only a little beyond his fingertips, like a fingernail, its brilliance lit up the entire dim, abandoned sewer, sharp beyond compare.

Unmatched Sword Intent— the best proof of a Sword Sovereign, and what qualified him to endure thousands of years in the endless void.

With the silver-white light in hand, Julius returned to the wooden bed. Lucia was now gasping for air, her condition rapidly deteriorating after her excited run, making treatment urgently necessary.

"Julius... I'm fine..." Her voice was almost inaudible, yet she forced herself to say something, trying to prove she was alright.

"Don't worry, just sleep for a bit. You'll get better."

The glow of the Unmatched Sword Intent brushed Lucia's forehead, sending her instantly into slumber without leaving any marks.

"I swear, when you wake up, everything will be better."

Though unsure why he came to this world or what the supreme terror that let him leave the endless void intended, as Julius in this world, he must live up to his responsibilities, at least to protect Lucia.

Though the quantity of Sword Intent is minimal, it's all I can start with. Resolved, Julius raised his finger imbued with Unmatched Sword Intent, condensed it once more, and then swung down fiercely at Lucia's burns.

*Swipe, swipe, swipe——*

Julius's fingers swiftly moved across Lucia's body, the sound of a blade cutting flesh echoing, yet only charred skin and necrotic tissue were sliced away, falling to the ground around them.

Unmatched Sword Intent is not omnipotent; on the contrary, its application is almost singular in its simplicity.

Severance—this was its sole function, yet this singular ability could be applied in endless marvels. It severs enemies, spells, consciousness, even concepts. At its peak, even the unspeakable horrors lurking in the realm of oblivion must exert every effort to avoid this silvery edge to survive.

With his mind intensely focused, beads of sweat began to form on Julius's forehead, yet his hand movements showed no sign of hesitation, only increasing in speed.

With each flick of his fingertips, Lucia's body would be sliced open, yet only pus and filth would flow out. Normal crimson blood remained unaffected, maintaining its natural flow within the gaping wound, delineating countless vein-like threads, not a single droplet splattering out.

The techniques of the Sword Sovereign were masterful, even with only this trace amount of the Unmatched Sword Intent, far from the peak of its power; such wondrous applications came effortlessly.

*Pant, pant—*

But this body couldn't withstand the exhaustion brought by such precise swordsmanship. In just this short period, Julius was nearly exhausted, forced to once again expend soul energy to activate the Soulforge Bodycraft to replenish this body and keep it functioning.

The remnants of Unmatched Sword Intent are too scarce to sever the interval needed for her natural recovery...need a healer familiar with the local healing arts.

After covering Lucia's body with a long strip of cloth on the wooden plank bed, Julius securely tied her to his back with hemp rope, then climbed down into the slums under the drizzling rain through the opening of the abandoned sewer.