The cultivation world was vast, filled with countless heaven-defying geniuses. It was a realm where one could forge their own destiny—a world where defying the heavens wasn't just accepted, it was the very reason to grow stronger. Power. Freedom. Immortality. That was the path of a cultivator.
Far below, in one of the countless lower realms, there lay a humble village known as Red Bull Village. Here, cultivators were a rarity.
In this quiet, isolated place, being a cultivator was a symbol of unmatched strength. Even the weakest among them possessed the might of at least three grown men, making them figures of awe and fear.
"Hey, Snow, when is Mother going to come and pick me up? I'm sick of being down here," said an adorable child, no older than seven, as he gently cradled a baby cat in his hands.
And who was that kid? It was me. I had reincarnated into this new world, and the best part? I still had the bloodline I created in my past life.
"Itachi," the cat replied calmly, "you know time flows faster in the lower realm than it does in the immortal realm. Your mother will come for you when it's safe. She's the strongest—nothing will happen to her."
I let out a sigh, the weight of my past actions still lingering in my chest. Regret, quiet but ever-present, settled in once more.
"I should never have created that cultivation art…" I said softly.
It was that cultivation art that made the world fear me. Even from birth, the heavens reacted to my presence. When I was born, a phenomenon swept across the skies, and in its wake, a few of the strongest experts in the immortal realm dropped dead after trying to make a move against me. Since then, eyes have never left me. They've been watching, waiting, fearing what I might become.
Four years ago, after just three years of study, I created the cultivation art that truly changed everything. The heavens raged the moment I finished it, as if desperate to erase it from existence. I called it the Primordial Cultivation Art.
It was the perfect match for my bloodline. Not only did it eliminate every flaw hidden within my unique lineage, but it also harmonized with it, allowing me to draw out more than 100% of my potential.
It was too perfect. And perfection always comes with a price. It triggered a full-scale assault on my mother. The world wanted me dead.
Many already despised her. She was considered one of the strongest in the immortal realm, even though her cultivation was lower than many of her peers. That alone bred resentment, fear, and unease. Add my existence to the mix, and they saw the perfect excuse to strike. But my mother had already foreseen it.
The moment my cultivation art completed its tribulation, she acted by sending me to the lower realm, where it was safe, while she faced off against the immortal realm. She sent Snow to protect me—not because Snow was particularly powerful, but because she was just strong enough to keep me safe… while being weak enough not to attract the attention of the immortals.
"Itachi, you're late!" the village head called out as I finally arrived at the center of the village, where most of the villagers had already gathered. All eyes were on the stage, where a cultivator from the renowned Seven Lotus Sect stood tall and imposing.
Every ten years, elders from the sect traveled across the country, searching for hidden talent in both villages and cities alike. For those fortunate enough to be born with the gift of cultivation, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to enter the sect and begin walking the path of true power.
"My bad," I said casually as I walked over to the village head. He was the one who had taken me in, without Snow ever needing to reveal her true strength. Since then, he had become something like a father to me… though I struggled to see him that way. This wasn't my first life, after all.
It was different with my mother. I had spent over 10,000 years within her womb—more than enough time to form a unique bond between us.
{Third Person POV}
A long line had already formed, filled with children no older than seventeen. The youngest among them looked barely three.
Itachi scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes catching sight of a familiar face—a little girl, around the same age as him. She smiled brightly and waved at him, motioning for him to skip the line and come stand beside her.
This girl was his fiancée. In this world, love was a rare luxury. Marrying someone for love was something few could afford. Most marriages were arranged to forge alliances, secure resources, or strengthen influence.
As the adopted son of the village head, Itachi quickly became a desirable match. Many families offered their daughters in hopes of building ties with the man who led Red Bull Village.
Itachi, of course, had no real interest in marrying a child. He was a full-grown man trapped in the body of a boy. But in the end, he agreed to the engagement. Why? Because he didn't really care.
Anyway, he cut the line. Though several people were clearly displeased, no one said a word. Everyone knew how capable Itachi was. There was a strong chance he'd possess high cultivation talent, so most just held their breath and watched.
"How can you be late on such an important day?" Su Yan asked in a hushed voice, shooting him a look that said she already knew the answer.
And she did. He had been asleep. Itachi didn't take the whole sect recruitment too seriously. To him, it just wasn't that important.
"Yup," Itachi replied flatly.
Su Yan sighed, shaking her head before launching into a rundown of everyone who had already gone up for testing. She knew he didn't care; he never did, but she was especially talkative today.
It was obvious why. She was nervous. Her words went in one ear and out the other as Itachi's attention drifted toward the front of the line.
There, a boy had just stepped forward and placed his palm on a baseball-sized orb. The orb pulsed faintly before glowing, scanning something deep within the boy. A moment later, a number appeared, shining clearly above the orb. It reflected the boy's talent.
Anyone who scored below a 5 wouldn't be allowed to enter the sect. That was the baseline. The highest possible score was 99, a number that had never been seen before in history in this village.
So far, every villager tested had scored below 5, sealing their fates before they even had a chance to dream. But that changed when a boy, around the same age as Itachi, stepped up to the orb.
He placed his palm on its surface. Instantly, the orb flared with its brightest light yet, drawing surprised gasps from the crowd. As the glow slowly faded, a number appeared within the crystal… 13.
"Impressive. With that level of talent, you're sure to reach the peak of the Qi Refinement realm—given enough hard work and resources," the elder from the sect said, nodding in approval.
For someone from a small village like this, it was rare to even reach a score of 7. So, for this young man to earn a 13 was nothing short of remarkable.
Of course, his limit would likely still be the Qi Refinement realm. But even that was a massive leap compared to the rest of the village, most of whom couldn't even break through level 3 of Body Tempering.
In fact, the strongest cultivator in Red Bull Village was the village head himself… and he was only at level 3 Body Tempering.
With a wide, proud smile, the young man looked toward Su Yan, who stared back at him in surprise.
This boy, Ling Han, had a well-known crush on Su Yan. They were childhood friends, and for a while, it seemed like they were destined to end up together… until Itachi appeared.
To say he hated Itachi would be an understatement. But Su Yan quickly shattered any hope Ling Han might have had. She shot him a cold, dismissive glare before turning to Itachi with a trace of unease in her eyes. That worry faded slightly when she saw Itachi's complete lack of reaction—he hadn't even looked Ling Han's way.
That quiet disregard only made Ling Han seethe with frustration. He stepped down from the stage, throwing a venomous glare at Itachi as he passed.
The elder from the Seven Lotus Sect noticed the entire exchange, but chose to ignore it. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the next person to step forward.
Yes, Ling Han was talented. But he was still bound to the realm of Qi Refinement. Even if he trained nonstop for the rest of his life, he would never reach a level where the elder would see him as anything more than a weakling.
Time passed, and soon it was Su Yan's turn. With slightly unsteady steps, she approached the orb and placed her hand on it. The moment her palm touched the surface, a bright light erupted—far brighter than most had seen today.
Gasps filled the air as the glow faded… 12. The number shimmered inside the orb, stunning the crowd into silence.
The sight was truly shocking. It was as if Ling Han and Su Yan were fated for one another, both displaying talent levels never before seen in the village. Their scores stood far above the rest, almost like they had been born for greatness together.
"Impressive," the elder said with a slight smile, casting a sidelong glance at Ling Han. Ling Han, however, wasn't looking at the elder. His expression remained calm, but his eyes were locked firmly on one person… Itachi.
'Just who is this guy? Why is everything so different from how I remember it?' Ling Han thought, secretly gritting his teeth.
Upon his death and sudden return to this point in time, a few months ago, he had been shocked. But that shock had only deepened when he realized something was off—terribly off.
He wasn't engaged to Su Yan. They were supposed to be engaged. In his original life, they had fought side by side. Even when the world branded him a demon, she stood with him—facing down enemies, fate, and heaven itself. When she died protecting him, he had been shattered.
So when he regressed, his first thought wasn't revenge or power. It was her. He would change the future. He would make sure she never suffered again. But now… she wasn't even his fiancée. All because of one person. Itachi.
A boy who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere a few years ago and disrupted everything. Ling Han clenched his fists. It felt like someone had handed him a green hat and told him to smile about it. Who the hell is Itachi? Why was he here? Where did he come from? Was this his timeline or what?
He watched as Itachi calmly stepped forward and placed his palm on the orb. Instantly, a blinding light erupted, so intense it nearly scorched the eyes of anyone who dared to look directly at it. The villagers cried out, shielding their faces. Even the elder from the Seven Lotus Sect had to close his eyes, completely caught off guard by the overwhelming brilliance.
But the light didn't last long. It vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and all eyes turned toward the orb. Within it, numbers began to form… only to stutter, flicker, and glitch.
The digits twisted erratically, unable to settle on a value—until a sharp crack echoed through the silence. The orb split.
The elder's eyes widened in shock as the crack spread like lightning across its surface, and in the next breath, the orb shattered entirely, breaking into fine dust that vanished before it could even touch the ground.
The elder stared at the shattered orb, eyes wide, almost bulging from his skull. Without hesitation, he moved, appearing at Itachi's side in an instant, clearly ready to shield him from any threat.
He barked orders to the disciples who had come with him, commanding them to pack everything up immediately. With sharp urgency, he turned to Su Yan and Ling Han.
"Get ready. We're leaving for the sect," he said firmly. Itachi was too valuable. There was no telling who, or what, might come for him. The elder couldn't risk even a scratch landing on the boy.
Ling Han stood frozen, still reeling from what he had just witnessed. The orb had broken. Itachi's talent couldn't even be measured.
But what truly unsettled him wasn't the destruction of the orb; it was Itachi himself. He was completely calm. Unbothered. In fact, he looked… bored.
And in that moment, Ling Han understood something with painful clarity. If he wanted to take his wife back, He had to become stronger. Much stronger. And fast.
They were given an hour to pack their things and say goodbye to their families. Afterward, the group gathered outside the village, where a massive eagle awaited them—its wings wide enough to darken the earth beneath it.
The eagle was equipped with a large saddle, specially crafted to carry up to fifteen people comfortably. The seating was secure, built for long-distance travel through the skies.
Itachi sat at the very front, his pet cat nestled lazily in his arms, completely unbothered by the moment. He looked out over the horizon with the same indifferent calm he always carried.
Next to him sat the elder, who handed Itachi a storage bag with a pleasant smile, clearly trying to build a connection while he still could. Because deep down, the elder knew: One day, this boy would be so powerful… He wouldn't even bother to notice someone like him.
No one spoke. The eagle soared through the skies at incredible speed—easily faster than sound. Fortunately, the saddles were enchanted with a barrier that shielded everyone from the crushing G-forces and howling winds. Without it, they would've been torn apart.
Behind Itachi and the elder sat the sect disciples, along with Su Yan and Ling Han. Ling Han glanced at Su Yan, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something. But she didn't even look his way. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her expression unreadable, her silence louder than words. Seeing that, Ling Han clenched his fists tightly.
Ling Han closed his eyes, turning his focus inward. Within his mental space floated a tower, an ancient and mysterious tower. It was a relic he had obtained in his past life, and somehow, it had followed him through his regression. He didn't fully understand why, but he hoped… no, he prayed, that this tower might be the key to helping him rival the monster known as Itachi.
And that wasn't all. He needed to locate every treasure scattered throughout the world. He remembered hearing tales in his past life—rumors, drunken stories, and whispered legends. He might not know the exact locations, but he knew enough.
From hidden gambling houses with rare treasures that were treated like trash, to ancient, long-lost holy grounds which were in some random village out there, And countless other secrets waiting to be unearthed.
If he wanted to stand a chance, he had to move fast.