The sky above Heavenly Emperor Mountain split apart.
Purple lightning danced like raging dragons, striking the stone pillars surrounding the cultivation altar. Violent winds howled as spiritual energy condensed so densely that the air itself felt heavy, almost liquid.
At the center of the altar stood a young man dressed in long black robes.
His hair flowed freely down his back, and his eyes were as sharp as drawn blades. A terrifying aura radiated from his body, cracking the ground beneath his feet with every breath he took.
His name was Arkana.
The greatest cultivation genius in a thousand years.
Today should have been the day he ascended to the realm of the Heavenly Emperor.
Just one step more—
And he would stand above all cultivators in the world.
Arkana slowly raised his hand, drawing in the power of heaven and earth. Golden light spiraled around him like a miniature galaxy, while the mountain trembled violently beneath his overwhelming presence.
His breakthrough was inevitable.
Or so he believed.
Suddenly—
"NOW!"
A cold command echoed through the sky.
Eight figures emerged from the shadows of the stone pillars.
They were all elders of the sect.
The very people who had taught him. Raised him. Praised him as their future pillar.
Before Arkana could react, chains of brilliant spiritual light pierced through his body from every direction.
"Kh—what… is this…?"
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth as his vision blurred.
He stared at them in disbelief.
The Grand Elder stepped forward, his golden robes fluttering gently in the wind. A false, gentle smile rested on his aged face.
"Arkana," he said calmly, "you are simply… too talented."
"The world does not need two emperors."
Arkana's pupils shrank.
"So… this is it…"
He coughed violently, blood splattering onto the altar.
"From the very beginning…"
"Yes," another elder replied coldly.
"We raised you for this very moment."
The spiritual chains began draining his cultivation.
Decades of hard-earned power poured out of Arkana's body like a collapsing dam.
The once-raging sky gradually calmed.
The golden clouds disappeared.
His chance to become the Heavenly Emperor—
Was stolen.
Arkana let out a soft laugh.
Then louder.
"Hahaha… so this is loyalty…"
He lowered his head, his long hair covering his face.
When he raised it again, his eyes were dyed crimson.
"If that's the case…"
His voice turned colder than ice.
"Then I'll drag every last one of you into hell with me."
Black energy erupted violently from his body.
BOOM!
The spiritual chains cracked as the mountain shook violently.
"He's burning his soul core!" an elder shouted in panic.
Arkana stood upright despite his body collapsing from within. Dark light spiraled around him, forming a forbidden circle.
"If I cannot live…"
he whispered,
"then none of you deserve peace."
He raised his hand.
The sky turned pitch-black.
Ancient symbols appeared in the air—
Soul-Annihilating Formation.
The elders' faces drained of all color.
"You're insane! That's a forbidden technique!"
Arkana smiled faintly.
For the first time—
A genuine smile.
"I already died the moment you betrayed me."
A blinding white light erupted from his body.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
Heavenly Emperor Mountain collapsed.
The sky shattered.
The entire cultivation world trembled.
Then—
Darkness.
Silence.
Nothingness.
…
Within that endless void, a cold mechanical voice echoed.
[Detecting a powerful soul…]
[Synchronization in progress…]
[Forbidden Cultivation System activated…]
Arkana felt something pulling him.
Falling.
Sinking.
Then—
He opened his eyes.
A plain blue sky appeared above him.
Not a sky filled with spiritual light.
Not golden clouds of ascension.
Just an ordinary sky.
He blinked.
His body felt weak.
Painfully weak.
"Hey, trash! Stop pretending to be dead!"
A kick slammed into his stomach.
Arkana coughed violently.
He slowly turned his head.
Several outer sect disciples stood nearby, staring at him with open disdain.
"He fainted again?"
"Eats every day but can't cultivate."
"What a disgrace to the sect."
Arkana fell silent.
He slowly raised his hands.
Thin. Pale. Weak.
This wasn't his body.
Foreign memories flooded his mind.
This body's name was also Arkana.
An outer sect discard.
Talentless. Powerless.
Beaten daily.
He closed his eyes.
Then chuckled softly.
Low.
Unstable.
The disciples stepped back instinctively.
"What's wrong with him…?"
Arkana slowly stood up.
A chilling aura leaked out unconsciously.
"Reincarnation…"
he muttered.
His eyes shone sharply.
Inside his mind, the mechanical voice sounded again:
[Welcome back, User.]
[Forbidden Cultivation System activated.]
[First Mission: Rise from humiliation.]
Arkana smiled.
A smile that froze the surrounding air.
"Fate has given me a second chance…"
"This time…"
"I will not fail."
Deep within his heart,
the flames of revenge began to burn.