The first thing I felt was pain.
Not the dull ache of sore muscles after a morning run.
Not the sharp sting of the truck that had crushed my body back on Earth.
This was different.
This was the kind of pain that seeped into bone and soul.
Cold iron bit into my wrists. Chains clinked as I was dragged across frozen ground. Snow mixed with mud and blood beneath my knees.
Blood.
Mine.
A boot slammed into my back.
"Move, you useless dog!"
I coughed hard, warm blood splattering onto the white snow.
For a moment, I could not understand what was happening.
Wasn't I dead?
I remembered it clearly.
I was Chen Sheng, thirty years old, CEO of Chen Group. Every morning, I followed the same routine—wake before sunrise, run through the city streets, clear my mind before the chaos of meetings and deals.
That morning, I saw a little girl running into the road.
A truck was speeding toward her.
I didn't think.
I ran.
I pushed her out of the way.
Then darkness.
So why was I here?
A sharp headache exploded inside my skull.
Memories flooded my mind like a broken dam.
A prince.
A palace.
A throne.
Betrayal.
I froze.
No… these weren't my memories.
They belonged to this body.
I had transmigrated.
This world was called the Heavenfall Continent, a land where gods, demons, immortal sects, and divine dynasties ruled everything beneath the sky.
Here, strength was law.
Cultivators stood above all living beings, while mortals spent their entire lives as ants crawling beneath their feet.
The cultivation realms of this world were simple yet terrifying:
Body Tempering RealmQi Gathering RealmSpirit Core RealmNascent Soul RealmHeavenly Lord RealmSaint King RealmDivine Monarch RealmImmortal Sovereign Realm
Each realm was divided into nine levels.
The stronger one became, the longer one lived.
The legends said Immortal Sovereigns could split mountains and shatter stars.
And me?
I looked inward and nearly laughed.
Body Tempering Realm, Level 2.
Trash.
No wonder the guards looked at me with disgust.
The memories continued to pour in.
This body belonged to the Fifth Prince of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Once born into glory.
Now reduced to a prisoner.
He had been falsely accused of stealing from the imperial treasury, embezzling relief funds meant for drought-stricken citizens, and committing the unforgivable crime of defiling his sister-in-law.
Every accusation was false.
A trap.
A political move.
The one behind it all was the Third Prince, the emperor's favourite son.
A cultivation genius.
A monster in human skin.
He shattered the Fifth Prince's meridians with his own hands.
Then he planted evidence.
The emperor never investigated.
Instead, he ordered exile.
Three years of forced labour at the northern border.
And if the border beasts or demons didn't kill him, the cold surely would.
A guard yanked my chain.
"Stop daydreaming, criminal!"
I raised my head slowly.
The man smirked.
Even a common guard dared to humiliate a prince.
This body truly had no dignity left.
The snowstorm grew stronger as we neared the border watch road.
The guard captain walked over, sword at his waist, eyes filled with mockery.
"So this is the mighty Fifth Prince?"
He grabbed my hair and forced my face up.
"Tell me, Your Highness, how does the snow taste?"
The surrounding guards burst into laughter.
Something inside me snapped.
Maybe it was the CEO in me.
Maybe it was the prince's lingering resentment.
Or maybe it was simply the rage of a man who had died once already.
I spat.
A mouthful of blood and saliva landed directly on the captain's face.
Silence.
The guards froze.
Then the captain's face twisted with fury.
"You dare!"
His fist slammed into my stomach.
I folded over, coughing blood.
Another kick struck my ribs.
Crack.
The sound of breaking bone echoed in my ears.
The guards joined in.
Boots rained down on me.
My chest.
My back.
My legs.
My head.
Pain exploded everywhere.
Warm blood flowed down my forehead and dripped into the snow.
I could barely breathe.
So this was it.
I had crossed worlds only to die like a dog.
At that exact moment, a mechanical voice echoed in my mind.
[Ding!]
[Myth System successfully activated.]
[Host detected: Chen Sheng.]
[Starter package unlocked.]
[Rewards: 1 Divine Summon Card, 1 Random Reward Token.]
I almost thought I was hallucinating.
A system?
A cheat?
Just like those novels I used to laugh about during late-night breaks?
The captain drew his sword.
The silver blade reflected the pale moonlight.
His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"A dead prisoner causes no trouble."
He raised the sword.
The tip hovered inches from my throat.
[Warning: Host life signs critical.]
[Would you like to activate Divine Summon?]
My heart pounded.
I didn't hesitate.
Yes. Summon.
For a single breath, everything went still.
Then—
The heavens roared.
A deafening cry tore through the night sky.
The storm clouds above us turned crimson gold.
Flames erupted across the horizon.
The guards stumbled backwards in terror.
"What… what is that?!"
A giant phoenix made of divine fire descended from the sky.
Its wings blotted out the moon.
The snow around us instantly melted.
The air turned scorching hot.
The captain's sword trembled in his hand.
Then shattered.
BOOM!
A pillar of golden flames crashed down between the guards and me.
The blast sent everyone flying.
Screams filled the frozen road.
From the sea of fire, a figure slowly emerged.
A woman.
Long crimson hair flowed behind her like burning silk.
Her eyes were golden, cold, and majestic.
A pair of flaming wings unfolded from her back.
Every feather shone like a fragment of the sun.
She wore a red-gold robe adorned with ancient phoenix runes.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Divine.
The guards dropped to their knees.
Some fainted from the pressure alone.
The woman's gaze swept over them.
Her voice was cold enough to freeze souls.
"Who dares raise a blade against my master?"
Master?
Before I could react, she turned and knelt before me.
One knee to the ground.
Head lowered.
"I, Feng Yuehuang, Phoenix Goddess of the Nine Heavens, answer your summons."
The Myth System panel flashed before my eyes.
[Summon Successful]
Name: Feng YuehuangRace: Ancient Divine PhoenixRealm: Divine Monarch RealmInnate Ability: Nirvana Flame RebirthTechnique: Phoenix Heavenly Flame SutraLoyalty: 40/100
My breathing stopped.
A Divine Monarch?
That was a realm that could annihilate kingdoms.
And she had called me master.
The captain trembled violently.
"M-mercy!"
Feng Yuehuang slowly stood.
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"Mercy?"
Flames erupted around her fingers.
"For daring to touch him…"
Her lips curved into a faint, ruthless smile.
"Death is your only mercy."
The world exploded in fire.