Shen Ran slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing as he looked around.
"Where the hell is this place?" he muttered. The surroundings felt unfamiliar, silent and strange.
Suddenly his gaze lifted toward the sky.
"Wait…"
A crimson moon hung above him, glowing faintly like blood staining the heavens. The sight made his eyes narrow.
"This night sky… it's not normal." He stared at it for a long moment. "It looks exactly like the night this one first came to this world."
His gaze quickly dropped to his body.
Small hands. Short limbs. A child's frame.
"…Around twelve years old?" Shen Ran frowned deeply as he clenched his fist.
"But it's not just my body," he murmured. Circulating his spiritual energy slightly, his expression turned strange. "This one's spiritual qi is ridiculously weak… almost nonexistent."
That shouldn't be possible.
If the forbidden art sent me back in time, my cultivation should have remained the same.
Shen Ran suddenly froze.
"…Wait."
"If this is really the moment this one first arrived in this world…"
A strange excitement flashed across his eyes.
His gaze slowly moved downward.
Toward his pants.
He swallowed.
There's only one way to confirm.
Gathering the little spiritual energy he had, he focused it toward that particular place, trying to awaken something long silent.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
"…Hmph." Shen Ran clicked his tongue, his face turning gloomy. "This one knew it."
But just as the words left his mouth—
Something suddenly rose upward like an arrow released from a bow.
Shen Ran froze.
"…Wait."
He quickly glanced downward.
His eyes widened instantly, and the gloom on his face disappeared as if it had never existed.
Joy filled his expression.
"Ha! My dragon has finally answered my call!"
He looked again carefully.
Then his expression slowly became strange.
"…Hmph."
"With this size…"
"…it looks more like a duckling than a dragon."
"You shameless bastard," Shen Ran said with a faint smile.
"How did you even pull this off? Even with divine blood… this shouldn't be possible."
He exhaled slowly and shook his head.
"…Whatever. That can wait."
Above him, the crimson sky stretched endlessly, clouds drifting slowly like waves of blood. A faint breeze swept across the silent land, carrying the scent of scorched earth and thin traces of lingering spiritual qi.
The ground beneath him was cracked and blackened, as if heavenly lightning had once descended here to erase everything.
His gaze lowered again, and his expression darkened slightly.
"…Still…"
"This is far smaller than what this one had before the curse."
He stared at it for a moment.
Then suddenly froze.
A realization struck him like lightning.
"…Wait."
His eyes widened slightly.
"…It wasn't even that big back then."
Shen Ran suddenly slammed his fist into the ground.
"How can this be…?"
"I never realized it until now."
His face turned a little pale.
"…Even without the curse…"
"…this one might not have satisfied a woman."
He went silent for a moment.
Then his brows slowly furrowed.
"…Wait."
"Something else has changed."
His expression grew serious.
"…My thoughts feel different."
"After using the forbidden art twice, my emotions had already grown dull."
"Even the feelings I showed before… were nothing more than acts to amuse myself."
He slowly clenched his fist.
"…But now…"
"My emotions have returned."
He paused.
"And my soul…"
"…feels whole again."
A strange thought surfaced in his mind.
The Heaven-Defying Blood Reversion Art was supposed to tear the soul apart with every use.
Each time it was used—
a portion of the soul would be destroyed.
Yet now—
"…My soul has been restored."
Shen Ran's eyes darkened slightly.
"…How?"
He looked toward the crimson sky.
"…Just what did you do…"
"You bloody bastard." he murmured quietly.
For a brief moment, fragments of the past surfaced in his mind.
Towering sect halls filled with trembling elders.
Enemies kneeling before him, their faces pale with despair.
He slowly stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes. A faint breeze swept across the quiet land, rustling the grass around him as Shen Ran stretched his stiff body.
"…That can wait for later," he muttered under his breath.
"For now… I should start living properly."
An excited grin slowly spread across his face as he clenched his fist, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"Beautiful women."
"Love."
"Pleasure."
"Happiness."
"All the things I never experienced until now."
He glanced toward the open sky for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"…After all," he murmured softly.
"You wanted that too."
Suddenly, he paused mid-step, the grin on his face fading slightly.
"…Wait."
His brows slowly furrowed as he looked around at the vast and unfamiliar surroundings.
"…Where do I even start?"
Nothing came to mind.
A trace of panic appeared on his face as he rubbed his chin awkwardly.
"…I never even thought about this before."
"What should I do?"
"Where should I go?"
He frowned slightly while thinking, the breeze gently tugging at his clothes.
"…And I definitely can't return to the places from my first life."
"If I go back there…"
"…there's no way I'll be able to live the life I want."
Shen Ran slowly exhaled, calming the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
"Think…"
"Think carefully…"
"There has to be something."
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"…Right."
A confident smile appeared on his face as an idea finally surfaced.
"What women like is actually quite simple."
"First… martial arts."
"With strength, I can show off in front of others."
"Fame will naturally follow."
He nodded slightly to himself, clearly satisfied with the reasoning.
"Second… wealth."
"With enough wealth, both they and I can enjoy every luxury under heaven."
He crossed his arms thoughtfully as he continued thinking.
"Third… a strong physique."
"…So I can last long enough."
Then suddenly—
He froze again.
"…Wait."
His expression stiffened as realization struck him like a sudden bolt.
"…I already had all of that before."
"Strength."
"Fame."
"Wealth."
Shen Ran stared blankly ahead as the truth slowly sank in.
"…And yet…"
"…I still died a virgin."
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Then slowly—
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"…But there is still one thing left."
His gaze slowly lowered toward his pants as the grin widened with renewed determination.
"…This time…"
"This little duckling…"
"…will become the most fearsome dragon the world has ever seen."
Shen Ran rubbed his chin, still deep in thought.
"So where should I even start…"
The words had barely left his mouth—
Rustle…
The sound of leaves shifting came from the bushes nearby.
Shen Ran's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…Hm?"
The wind was gentle, yet the bushes trembled again.
Rustle… Rustle…
His body froze.
"…Wait."
A faint memory surfaced in his mind.
"These sounds…"
His eyes suddenly widened.
"…This feels familiar."
Without hesitation, Shen Ran quietly moved forward, his footsteps light as he approached the bushes. Even with his weak body, his movements still carried the instincts of a former cultivator.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The grass bent under his feet as he slowly crept closer.
Behind the bushes—
Something moved.
CRACK
A small twig snapped.
Shen Ran stopped instantly.
His heart started beating faster.
"…No way."
His breathing grew slightly heavier.
"That timing…"
His eyes shone with excitement as realization dawned on him.
"If this really is the same moment…"
He quickly rushed toward the bushes.
Branches brushed against his clothes as he pushed them aside.
Then he stopped.
Behind the bushes—
Shadows shifted.
Something was there.
Shen Ran stared forward for a moment.
Then suddenly—
A wide grin slowly spread across his face.
His eyes gleamed with excitement as if he had just discovered buried treasure.
"I just knew it."