Chapter 1

Legend has it that whenever the heavenly way is lost and the cycle of reincarnation reaches its end, ten heads of the 'Ancient Chaos Beast' will be born in the boundless realms.

They possess bodies as vast as the immortal realms, and wherever they go, the heavens collapse, the earth shatters, time and space are inverted, stars wither, and all living beings suffer.

After destroying the old world, they will vanish without a trace. Thereafter, the heavens and earth will be reborn, order will be restored, life will flourish, and a new world will be born.

...

In the dead of night, a torrential rain fell from the sky, and the dense clouds gathered like countless evil spirits, staring malevolently at the dark world below.

Countless blinding lightning snakes darted between the clouds, bursting with deafening thunder, making the heavens and earth tremble.

"Heaven, save me!"

Li Tianming's head was splitting with pain. In the torrential rain, he struggled to open his eyes.

Before him, a Peng bird with two pairs of golden wings lay on the ground. This once magnificent Peng bird was now covered in wounds, blood streaming from its body, mixing with the rain to stain the earth red.

"Jinyu!" Li Tianming's heart felt as if it were being torn apart when he saw this. This was his companion beast, the 'Four-Winged Golden Peng Bird,' his brother-in-arms for sixteen years!

Boom!

A thunderclap echoed, and a bolt of lightning split the sky. In the moment of blinding light, a purple three-eyed eagle descended from the heavens.

The three-eyed eagle was entwined with countless lightning snakes. It let out a fierce screech, its sharp claws pressing down on 'Jinyu,' then opened its beak and began to pluck the golden feathers from 'Jinyu's body, one by one.

Each feather plucked left a bloody wound.

Jinyu's cries of agony pierced Li Tianming's chest, making even his breath painful.

"Li Tianming, you intended to drug and assault 'Mu Qingqing.' Given your despicable behavior, as a 'Tianfu Disciple' of the Yanhuang Academy, I must punish you!"

A young man sat atop the three-eyed eagle. His eyes seemed to contain a thunderstorm, and amidst the lightning and thunder, he rode the three-eyed eagle like a son of thunder.

"Considering your good behavior in the past, I will spare your life but sentence your companion beast, the 'Four-Winged Golden Peng Bird,' to death!" the young man declared solemnly.

He intended to flay 'Jinyu' alive.

"Brother Ting, the 'Sacred Beast Soul' is yours. Li Tianming, this despicable scoundrel, does not deserve such a divine treasure."

A beautiful girl clung to the young man's side. In the torrential rain, she was drenched, her figure delicate and graceful as she nestled in his arms.

She was Mu Qingqing, whom Li Tianming would recognize even if she were reduced to ashes!

The 'Brother Ting' she referred to was the thunderous young man, Lin Xiaoting, who sat atop the three-eyed eagle.

Li Tianming finally remembered—

Their purpose in killing 'Jinyu' was to seize the 'Sacred Beast Soul'!

In this nation, everyone knew how precious the Sacred Beast Soul was. Its value was immeasurable, a legacy left by the legendary 'Sacred Beast,' said to have the power to create a supreme being surpassing all others.

The Sacred Beast Soul Li Tianming had obtained had already been refined into 'Jinyu's feathers.

His anger surged like a volcano, but for some reason, he couldn't move. He could only watch helplessly as the lightning eagle plucked 'Jinyu's feathers one by one, watching it bleed and cry out in pain.

The desperation and pain in 'Jinyu's eyes tore at Li Tianming's heart.

What could be more painful than watching your brother being butchered before your eyes, while you are powerless to help?

"Lin Xiaoting, Mu Qingqing! As long as I, Li Tianming, live, I will send you to hell!" Li Tianming would never forget these two names. He struggled fiercely, trying to tear their faces apart!

But strangely, they seemed to be moving farther away, then were swallowed by the fog and lightning, and everything before his eyes vanished.

Li Tianming stood in the dim world, looking around in confusion.

Where was Mu Qingqing?

Where was Lin Xiaoting?

...

Creak!

A door opened.

"Ying'er, you're having a nightmare again." A gentle, caring voice came from the darkness.

Li Tianming's head was splitting with pain. With the help of a pair of thin arms, he struggled to sit up and finally opened his eyes. He was in a dimly lit bedroom, the candlelight flickering, casting long shadows on the furniture.

"Turns out it was just a nightmare. No wonder I couldn't move."

But it wasn't just a dream, because everything in the dream had really happened!

Every scene, every word they said, was exactly the same as it had been then!

He, Li Tianming, had once been a genius from the remote city of 'Lihuo City' in the nation of Zhuque, the son of the city lord!

Three years ago, Li Tianming received recognition from the highest holy ground of Zhuque, the 'Yanhuang Academy,' and carried the hopes of the people of Lihuo City as he trained there.

On his way to the Yanhuang Academy, he met and befriended another genius from the remote city of 'Shenfeng City,' Mu Qingqing. A heroic act of saving her led to their falling in love, and they helped each other grow, dating for a year.

During this year, Mu Qingqing cited 'training is important' as a reason to keep their relationship secret.

Li Tianming once thought she was his true love, and he was willing to dedicate his life to protecting her.

But he never imagined that he didn't understand her at all, and he was completely unprepared for her ambitions!

That year, Li Tianming obtained the 'Sacred Beast Soul' in the Yanhuang Academy's secret realm, the 'Abyss Battlefield.' It was an ancient feather with patterns from the ancient era. He knew how precious it was, so he kept it strictly secret, first refining it into 'Jinyu's feathers.

He only told Mu Qingqing, the one person he trusted most!

But he never imagined that his most trusted person would reveal the secret of the Sacred Beast Soul to Lin Xiaoting, a 'Tianfu' disciple of the Yanhuang Academy!

She then dumped Li Tianming and became Lin Xiaoting's girlfriend.

The 'Tianfu' of the Yanhuang Academy was the highest secret place in the academy, where only the most brilliant geniuses in the nation could enter, each a legendary figure.

Their backgrounds were also from the most powerful families and noble houses in the nation, such as Lin Xiaoting, the most brilliant young genius of the 'Thunder Lord Manor,' a dominant force.

Such a background was far beyond Li Tianming's reach.

That night was the one-year anniversary of their relationship. Li Tianming had prepared a gift and presented it to her. She was very happy and tricked Li Tianming into drinking a cup of wine. Unaware of the danger, Li Tianming made a few moves, and then Lin Xiaoting appeared.

What happened next was exactly the same as in the dream. They cruelly killed 'Jinyu' and stole the Sacred Beast Soul, which was worth half the nation's wealth.

The only difference was that at the time, he and 'Jinyu' fought a desperate battle but were ultimately no match for the super genius Lin Xiaoting from the 'Tianfu' of the Yanhuang Academy.

Rumors spread that Li Tianming, unable to win Mu Qingqing's affection, had drugged her to commit a heinous act, but was caught by her boyfriend, Lin Xiaoting, who then crippled Li Tianming's companion beast!

From then on, Li Tianming not only lost his companion beast but also became a laughingstock in the Yanhuang Academy, eventually leaving in disgrace.

After that, Mu Qingqing, with Lin Xiaoting's help, entered the 'Tianfu' of the Yanhuang Academy, her cultivation advancing rapidly. Lin Xiaoting, with the help of the Sacred Beast Soul, soared to become the top genius of the Tianfu!

They were a perfect couple, a legendary story, while Li Tianming, once a laughingstock, was reduced to nothing after losing his companion beast, forgotten by all!

Who knew that he and Mu Qingqing had dated for a year?

Three years had passed since he returned to Lihuo City.

During these three years, he lived like a walking dead, a mere ant. If not for the desire for revenge and the responsibility to take care of his mother, he would have died in some corner long ago.

For the past three years, every rainy night, he almost always dreamed of that night, the night when they looked at him with disgust and contempt, the night when 'Jinyu' was plucked feather by feather, like being flayed alive.

Now, as he woke up, the events of that night still replayed in his mind, and he remembered every expression clearly.

The young man's eyes were as red as blood in the darkness.

Three years had passed, and this dream made him remember everything so clearly.

Three years of drinking ice had not cooled the fire of his hatred!

"Ying'er, don't be afraid, go back to sleep. Mother is here." At his most furious moment, the gentle woman beside him gently stroked his forehead, calming him down.

In the candlelight, his mother, Wei Jing, looked even thinner and more frail. She appeared somewhat aged, but even so, her eyes were filled with deep maternal love as she looked at her son.

"Sorry, I disturbed you, Mother." Li Tianming took a deep breath, freeing himself from the deep pain. He understood that taking care of the woman who gave him life was the most important thing he needed to do in the future.

"It's okay." Wei Jing, trembling, stood up and said, "I saw you were restless, and I was afraid you couldn't sleep in the rain, so I brewed a soup from 'Qingling Grass' for you. I'll bring it to you."

"Qingling Grass is your medicine. How can you be so careless? Without it, how long could you live?" Li Tianming was worried and quickly stood up to support her.

Seeing her haggard face, Li Tianming felt bitter. The doctor had said that with her current condition, she wouldn't last much longer, yet she still got up in the middle of the night to brew medicine for him.

"Ying'er, I've lived a full life. These good things should go to the young. I would just waste them." Even at this moment, she still spoke to him with a smile.

"Nonsense, drink it quickly." Li Tianming was used to being strict; otherwise, she wouldn't take her medicine on time.

"Okay, I'll drink