1 Chapter 1- Reborn

Amidst the colossal St. Ancestral Mountain range, sunlight pierced through the gaps between the peaks, illuminating the depths of the canyons. On a hillside beside the valley, patches of snow lingered. Despite the arrival of early summer, the snow had yet to melt completely. The cold in this region was exceptionally persistent. If one listened carefully, they could occasionally hear the distant roars of beasts.

Nestled within the valley stood a magnificent city.

The world beyond the St. Ancestral Mountains had fallen under the dominion of beasts. The people living within the mountain range had lost contact with the outside world for hundreds of years. Those who resided in the city were still trying to understand the current state of the world. During humanity's most glorious era, thousands of Legend rank Fighters and Demon Spiritualists had established empires across the vast continent. However, those empires have since been wiped out.

Thanks to its geographic concealment, the city had escaped the ravages of the Age of Darkness and remained well-preserved. Although it endured occasional raids from powerful Snow Wind Beasts in the St. Ancestral Mountains, the city persevered through numerous devastating conflicts and was constantly rebuilt.

These motley walls stood as an indomitable monument.

This city was known as Glory City, and it symbolized hope for humanity.

Holy Orchid Institute, Fighter Apprentice class:

Over thirty students sat, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their teacher. They were Fighter Apprentices, all students of Glory City's Holy Orchid Institute.

"I heard that the new teacher, Shen Xiu, is one of the Sacred Family's 3-star Silver rank Demon Spiritualists!" a few students whispered among themselves.

The teacher captured the students' attention with her tall figure and lavender dress that emphasized her perky chest. She sported slender white legs and elegant makeup, her eyes full of pride and arrogance. Born into the Sacred Family, one of the three Major families in Glory City, and as a 3-star Silver rank Demon Spiritualist, she had every right to feel proud.

As a 3-star Silver rank Demon Spiritualist, Shen Xiu wouldn't usually teach such a class. However, she had agreed to do so because her nephew and a special noble girl were among the students.

"Listen up, students! Demon Spiritualists and Fighters have five ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legend. Within each rank, there are five levels, from 1-star to 5-star. As Demon Spiritualists, you occupy a superior position to Fighters. We are truly noble beings. With the ability to form a soul realm in our dantian, we can integrate a captured demon and merge with it in combat. This grants us unparalleled strength, far surpassing what Fighters can achieve," Shen Xiu raised her chin and spoke arrogantly. "Just like me, my demon is a Scarlet Flame Fox."

Suddenly, Shen Xiu's face and hands underwent drastic changes. Her facial features became more acute, and her teeth and nails grew sharper. Finally, a scarlet tail emerged from her back.

"By merging with the demon, the Scarlet Flame Fox, I can control its strength and gain fire-based abilities. As it is a Gold-ranked demon, this allows me to reach the level of a Gold-ranked Demon Spiritualist. Becoming a Gold-ranked Demon Spiritualist offers the possibility of replacing it with an even stronger demon in the future."

Shen Xiu's pride was unmistakable as she spoke about her cultivation. Her words left a group of students in awe. Gold rank Demon Spiritualists were existences beyond the reach of most of them.

As Shen Xiu captivated the audience with her lecture on stage, Nie Li and Ji Ren sat in the back row, their faces expressionless and seemingly entranced. The rest of the crowd was so enthralled by Shen Xiu's transformation that they remained oblivious to Nie Li and Ji Ren's presence.

After several moments, Nie Li blinked and rubbed his eyes, slowly coming to the realization that he was no longer dead but back in the past. "What the?… Where am I?" he murmured in confusion, marveling at the sudden change in his physical appearance.

Simultaneously, Ji Ren, seated to Nie Li's left, opened his eyes and blinked several times as he tried to grasp the situation. Muttering, "What's going on?" His mind raced with questions. Did it work? Is Nie Li alive? Is this what the afterlife is supposed to be like?

As Shen Xiu droned on, their memories began to flood back, reminding them that they had just enrolled in the institute. Their teacher, a haughty 3-star Silver-ranked Demon Spiritualist, had made their classroom experience unbearable, stifling Nie Li's learning and causing Ji Ren to skip classes.

Nie Li's body tensed as he relived his final moments, the memory of a massive hole in his chest from his death still vivid. Subconsciously checking his chest, he was relieved to find it unscathed. He recalled his final moments of being surrounded by the Sage Emperor and twelve powerful Deity-rank beasts and being fatally struck in the chest. Ji Ren was by his side, taking down three of the beasts before reaching Nie Li. And that's where his memories ended.

After taking a deep breath, Ji Ren gazed at his hands in disbelief. Moments before, he had been cradling Nie Li's lifeless body, but now he found himself back in this dreary classroom. Despite the unpleasantness of his current situation, he was grateful to be here instead of the alternative.

But wait, he had forgotten something important. "The Book," Ji Ren mumbled, "That's right, I used the Temporal Spirit Book." As he muttered those words, Nie Li interrupted him and asked in a serious tone. "Brother, I am a protector of the unspoken word, a keeper of secrets both great and small. Though I am small myself, I can hold more than most. What am I?"

Ji Ren smiled at his brother's peculiar question, "Really? That's what you ask me after coming back? No 'thank you'?" Nie Li furrowed his brow in response. "Answer the damn riddle," he insisted.

Ji Ren chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine... a riddle," he said. Nie Li relaxed; the riddle was a failsafe game they played to test each other's trustworthiness. The usual answer was a book, but they had adopted the former response after a particular incident in their past lives, using it as a means to verify if either of them had been compromised.

Ji Ren recounted to Nie Li, "After you died, I was close to death myself, and my memory of what happened is a little fuzzy. But I do remember holding the Temporal Spirit Book just before the Sage Emperor and his beasts attacked, and then we found ourselves back here."

Nie Li's eyes lit up in realization. "The book saved us!?" He began searching through their desks and bags, hoping to find the mystical book, but to no avail. Ji Ren then pointed out a key detail. "Li, we're only 15 years old and back in Glory City. When did we even find the book?"

Nie Li furrowed his brow and muttered under his breath, "We haven't found the book in this lifetime because we haven't come across it yet. That means we'll have to endure all the pain and struggles again just to find it." Ji Ren sighed in agreement. As they conversed, they unintentionally caught the attention of their classmates, who shot them irritated looks, signaling they were talking too loudly.

"Hey, you guys, keep it down. You're going to get us in trouble," Lu Piao grumbled, his voice groggy with sleep. "At least be quieter; you're disturbing my nap," he added. Sitting beside Lu Piao, Du Ze teased, "You know, Lu Piao, it's impressive that you can sleep through Shen Xiu's lectures only to wake up and tell us to be quiet. You've got quite the talent."

Nie Li and Ji Ren grinned, overjoyed to be reunited with their old friends after so long. They had missed Lu Piao's sleepy complaints and Du Ze's playful jibes and were glad to be in the company of such close friends.

"Shut up, Du Ze," Lu Piao retorted. "You know Shen Xiu only cares about teaching the noble kids like Shen Yue and Ye Ziyun. She doesn't give a damn about the rest of us." At the mention of Ye Ziyun, Nie Li's eyes widened as he scanned the classroom for her familiar purple hair. He spotted her sitting in the first row, and her beautiful, flawless face entered his line of sight. Though only fifteen, she already possessed a slender, elegant figure, her hair cascading down to her waist. Arched eyebrows and radiant eyes complemented her delicate, youthful face, hinting at the stunning woman she would become as she grew older. She wore a white silk dress, adding an air of indescribable grace to her presence.

Nie Li's excitement was undeniable, and he found himself breathless. "I can't believe I'm seeing her again!" he exclaimed, his expression dreamy as he recalled the precious moments spent with Ye Ziyun before her untimely death. Ji Ren followed Nie Li's gaze and chuckled, "Ah, so that's Ye Ziyun. I hope the stories you told me about the two of you are true." Nie Li shot him a brief glare before returning his gaze to Ye Ziyun, his expression still wistful. Ji Ren shrugged; he had never interacted with her in his previous life and only knew about her through Nie Li's stories, which he suspected were somewhat embellished.

Ji Ren's gaze drifted towards their old friends, bringing back memories of his past life. Born into the renowned Red Jade Family, known for their expertise in producing black gold rank demon spiritualists, Ji Ren was a child of prestige. The Red Jade Family had been the backbone of Glory City's defenses until twelve years ago when a mysterious genetic disease wiped out the entire family. Ji Ren was the last child born into the family, orphaned at the age of three after his parents succumbed to the disease.

By tradition, another noble family should have adopted him, but fear of the disease's origins kept them at bay. Ji Ren was on the brink of being sent to the orphanage when Nie Lian, of the Heavenly Marks family and Nie Li's father's older sister, stepped forward to take him in as her son. Despite being a former gold-rank demon spiritualist, overwork had caused Nie Lian's dantian to fracture, rendering her unable to walk or hold demons. She saw Ji Ren abandoned by every one and took him in, becoming part of the Red Jade family and his mother, Ji Lian. He lived with her for twelve years before attending the institute, where he met Nie Li.

Initially, Ji Ren thought Nie Li was just a brat causing trouble, but as he navigated the challenges of the institute, his bond with Nie Li grew. However, after three years, fed up with Glory City's hostility towards him, Ji Ren left to seek his fortune elsewhere. As he stormed out, he ignored his mother's desperate pleas, unaware it would be the last time he'd hear her voice.

Upon returning to Glory City five years later, Ji Ren found it destroyed. With no home to return to, he wandered aimlessly, feeling lost and alone. It wasn't until he stumbled upon a severely injured Nie Li that his life regained purpose. They journeyed together, exploring the world, encountering demon beasts, and discovering the mysterious Temporal Spirit Book. But their adventure ended tragically when they fell at the hands of the Sage Emperor. Ji Ren's thoughts returned to all the people he had failed, including Nie Li. "No more regrets," he vowed, determined to make amends for his past mistakes.

Nie Li's gaze remained fixed on Ye Ziyun as he recalled their shared past. Unbeknownst to most students at the Holy Orchid Institute, she was the daughter of Glory City's City Lord. Only Shen Yue and Shen Xiu were privy to this secret. At Ye Ziyun's request, her father allowed her to attend the institute under the guise of an ordinary noble student. In his previous life, Nie Li only learned the truth after the destruction of Glory City, a fact he regretted deeply, as it led to their eventual connection at the cost of losing everything else.

In that past life, Nie Li and Ye Ziyun came from different worlds, only entering a relationship after they escaped the city's ruins. As the survivors dwindled one by one, the two found solace in each other's arms, embracing passionately in the face of overwhelming despair. Tragically, their love was short-lived; when a group of demon beasts attacked, Ye Ziyun sacrificed herself to protect Nie Li.

Racked with guilt and self-blame, Nie Li struggled to come to terms with her death. Her sacrifice haunted him, and he couldn't help but think of his own weakness as the reason she had perished. In the following months, the remaining survivors of Glory City met their own ends, leaving Nie Li alone and lost. It was at his lowest point, as he lay dying from yet another demon beast attack that he was reunited with Ji Ren.

The social hierarchy in Glory City was rigid, with the three Major Families—The Divine Family, The Sacred Family, and The Snow Wind Family—holding the most power and influence. The City Lord was usually chosen from among these families. Beneath the Major Families were the seven Noble families, followed by the twelve Aristocratic families.

Ji Ren belonged to the once-powerful Red Jade family, a former Major Family. However, after the tragic death of most of its members, the Red Jade family lost its noble status. Ji Ren was only accepted into the academy because officials took pity on the heir to the Red Jade family and offered him a seat. On the other hand, Nie Li belonged to the Heavenly Marks Family, which held the lowest position among the twelve Aristocratic families. While their standing was marginally better than Ji Ren's family, they still received little recognition from the other families.

With Nie Li belonging to the low-ranking Heavenly Marks Family, his social status was far from prominent. It seemed impossible for someone like him, with his humble background, to ever have a chance with Ye Ziyun, who came from a powerful and influential family. However, Nie Li's rebirth and the knowledge he gained from his previous life ignited a fire within him. He was determined to rise above his current circumstances and grow stronger than he had ever been before.

"Nie Li, what's gotten into you?" Lu Piao asked, puzzled by Nie Li's behavior. Nie Li had been giggling to himself for a while and staring at Ye Ziyun with an intense look. "I'm just happy! Happy to see you, my dear friend!" Nie Li declared, enthusiastically hugging Lu Piao. Ji Ren chuckled, well aware of the true focus of Nie Li's attention. Lu Piao tried to break free from the embrace, grumbling, "Hey, Nie Li! We're not that close, you weirdo! Let go of me!". Lu Piao couldn't fathom this sudden change in Nie Li since they barely knew each other and were definitely not close enough for such a hug. Ji Ren continued to laugh, enjoying this light-hearted moment.

Du Ze, attempting to concentrate on the lecture, found his attention drawn to the commotion nearby. A keen observer, he noted the significant changes in Nie Li and Ji Ren's demeanors. Not long ago, Nie Li had seemed pitiful, while Ji Ren was filled with anger and resentment. Now, Nie Li exuded mischief and confidence, and Ji Ren appeared more at ease. 'Whatever happened to them is none of my concern,' Du Ze silently concluded in his thoughts.

Nie Li, tightening his embrace, spoke to Lu Piao with a sincere and steady tone. "No matter what you say, you're like a brother to me in my heart." This statement jolted Lu Piao awake, leaving him dumbfounded. "But we've only just met!" he exclaimed. Despite his confusion, Lu Piao couldn't help but be moved by Nie Li's words, even though they had only known each other for a few days.

Nie Li simply offered a warm smile, choosing not to elaborate. Ji Ren chimed in, "Not just to him, but you're like a brother to me too, and Du Ze, you as well." Du Ze, who had been attempting to ignore his neighbors, shuddered when he realized he was being included in their bond. "I don't even know you guys. Please, let me focus on the lecture," he said, pretending to be attentive. Ji Ren shrugged and chuckled, well aware that Du Ze wasn't truly listening.

Lu Piao gently pulled away from Nie Li's embrace. "I'm not sure what makes us brothers, but I wanted to warn you about that girl you were staring at. She's mysterious. The institute's principal personally arranged everything for her, despite her being a normal noble girl. She could be dangerous, so be careful." Nie Li's grin only grew wider, as only he and Ji Ren knew her true identity. "She's my woman!" he declared, gazing at the stunning long-haired girl nearby. He suddenly remembered that he and Ye Ziyun were both still only fifteen years old. 'Ziyun, when will you grow up to become that breathtaking, enchanting woman? I promise to protect you, and we'll grow up together!'

Ye Ziyun sensed it – someone was watching her. From a young age, she had possessed a heightened sensitivity to the feeling of being observed, each instance sending an icy shiver down her spine. Taking a deep breath, she turned to identify the person staring at her: Nie Li. Her brows furrowed gently, and she thought, 'What a strange noble.' From the beginning of the class, she had felt his unbridled gaze upon her. If he persisted, she wouldn't let him off easily. Although she didn't want to use her status to influence her classmates, she refused to endure humiliation or tolerate bullying.