The sky burned crimson.
It wasn't the color of a sunset, nor the gentle glow of dawn—it was the color of war. Smoke curled into the heavens like dark serpents, choking the air with the scent of ash and blood. The once-glorious imperial capital, Tianyu City, stood on the brink of collapse.
At the center of the chaos, atop the broken steps of the Golden Dragon Palace, a man stood alone.
His name was Li Xuan.
The Emperor's oldest son.
Once hailed as the crown prince, a genius unmatched in both martial prowess and strategic brilliance—now reduced to a betrayed, forsaken figure surrounded by enemies.
His armor was shattered, soaked in blood that was both his own and that of countless others. His long black hair, once neatly tied, hung loose and wild across his face. Yet his eyes… his eyes still burned with unyielding defiance.
"Li Xuan," a cold voice echoed across the battlefield.
From the smoke emerged a tall figure clad in dark robes—his younger brother, Li Chen.
Behind him stood the imperial army… no, not the empire's army anymore. It had become Li Chen's army.
"You've lost," Li Chen said calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Why resist any further?"
Li Xuan laughed. It was hoarse, filled with exhaustion, but it carried a sharp edge.
"Lost?" he repeated. "No… I didn't lose to you. I lost to trust."
His gaze swept across the ranks—generals who once swore loyalty to him, ministers who once praised him, and even his own father, the Emperor, who now sat silently within the palace, refusing to intervene.
A betrayal from all sides.
Li Chen's smile widened. "Brother, you were always too naive. Power is not maintained by righteousness… but by control."
Li Xuan gripped his sword tighter. The blade trembled—not from fear, but from the last remnants of his strength fading away.
"You poisoned the Emperor," Li Xuan said coldly. "Manipulated the court. Framed me for treason. Was all of this worth it?"
"Of course," Li Chen replied without hesitation. "Because now… I will become the Emperor."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
For a brief moment, silence fell across the battlefield.
Then—
"Kill him."
At Li Chen's command, thousands of arrows were released at once.
The sky darkened.
Li Xuan closed his eyes.
So this is how it ends…
In that fleeting moment, countless memories flashed before him—his childhood training, his mother's gentle smile, his dreams of becoming a just ruler… all shattered by betrayal.
But then—
A strange warmth spread through his chest.
His eyes snapped open.
"No… not yet."
With a sudden roar, Li Xuan unleashed the last of his spiritual energy. A blinding light erupted from his body, forming a protective barrier that deflected the arrows.
The ground cracked beneath him.
The air trembled.
Li Chen's expression finally changed. "Impossible… you still have that much power left?"
Li Xuan raised his sword, pointing it directly at his brother.
"If I must die… I will drag you down with me."
The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating.
Even the soldiers hesitated.
They knew… this was the final clash.
But just as Li Xuan prepared to charge—
A sharp pain pierced through his chest.
His body froze.
He slowly looked down.
A blade had emerged from his back, its tip stained with fresh blood.
Behind him stood a familiar figure.
General Zhao.
The man he trusted the most.
"Y-you…" Li Xuan's voice faltered.
General Zhao avoided his gaze. "Forgive me, Your Highness… but I chose the winning side."
The words struck harder than the blade itself.
For a moment, Li Xuan felt nothing.
No anger.
No sorrow.
Just… emptiness.
Then he laughed.
A quiet, hollow laugh.
"I see… so this is how it is."
His grip on the sword loosened.
The light around him began to fade.
Li Chen stepped forward, his expression calm once more. "Brother… you should have understood earlier. In this world, only the strong survive."
Li Xuan's vision blurred.
The sounds of the battlefield grew distant.
But deep within his fading consciousness, a single thought burned brighter than anything else.
If… I had another chance…
If I could start over…
I would destroy every single one of you.
The world went dark.
A drop of water fell.
Then another.
Soft sounds echoed in the silence.
Li Xuan's consciousness stirred.
Am I… dead?
His body felt light… too light.
There was no pain.
No wounds.
Only a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
What greeted him was not the burning sky of the battlefield… but a wooden ceiling.
Sunlight filtered through a nearby window, casting gentle patterns on the floor.
He blinked.
Confusion filled his mind.
"This place…"
He sat up abruptly.
The room was simple, modest—nothing like the grandeur of the palace. A wooden bed, a small table, a few scrolls scattered around.
It felt… ordinary.
Too ordinary.
Li Xuan looked down at his hands.
They were smaller.
Younger.
Unscarred.
"This isn't possible…"
A sudden headache struck him.
Memories—foreign yet familiar—flooded into his mind.
A different life.
A different identity.
Li Xuan… the son of a minor noble family.
Not the crown prince.
Not the emperor's heir.
Just… a forgotten child.
He clutched his head, struggling to process it all.
"I've… been reborn?"
The realization sent a chill down his spine.
He stumbled out of bed and rushed to a nearby mirror.
The reflection confirmed his fears.
A young boy, around sixteen years old, stared back at him. His features were sharp but lacked the maturity he once had. His eyes, however…
Those eyes still carried the same depth.
The same fire.
"It's really me…"
Li Xuan took a deep breath.
His heart pounded.
This wasn't a dream.
He had truly been given another chance.
But why?
And how?
Before he could think further, the door suddenly burst open.
"Young Master! You're finally awake!"
A servant rushed in, his face filled with relief.
"You've been unconscious for three days! The master was worried sick!"
Li Xuan stared at him, momentarily stunned.
Then, slowly, he began to piece things together.
This body… had collapsed due to weak health.
A useless heir.
A laughingstock.
He clenched his fists.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
"So even in this life… I start from the bottom."
The servant continued talking, unaware of the storm brewing within him.
"We thought you might not survive, but it seems the heavens are watching over you!"
Heavens…
Li Xuan's eyes darkened.
"No," he muttered under his breath. "The heavens owe me this."
The servant blinked. "Young Master?"
Li Xuan shook his head. "Nothing."
He stepped outside.
The sunlight hit his face.
For a moment, he simply stood there, feeling the warmth.
Alive.
He was alive again.
But this time…
Everything would be different.
He looked up at the sky.
His gaze was no longer that of a naive prince.
It was sharp.
Calculating.
Cold.
"Li Chen… General Zhao… all of you…"
His voice was low, filled with quiet determination.
"In this life, I will rise again."
"I will take back everything that was stolen from me."
"And I will make you regret ever betraying me."
A faint breeze passed through the courtyard.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell rang.
A new story had begun.
And this time…
The emperor's oldest son would not fall.
Continue....