Volume One, Chapter One: Rebirth of the Demon Lord

"Eldest Young Master, this is bad! Miss Liu is going to marry Young Master Chen Xiao."

A servant rushed into the courtyard in a panic.

Hearing this, Chen Xuanting, who was practicing his swordplay, flew into a rage. His usual patience and composure vanished instantly as he gripped his sword and stormed out of the courtyard.

Just as he stepped out, he was blocked by several people, among whom was his beloved, Liu Ruyan.

The woman who had once been inseparable from him now stood beside another man. His heart twisted with agony, yet he still clung to a sliver of hope.

"Ruyan, did he force you? Don't be afraid of him. I will ask my father to intervene."

Chen Xiao was the grandson of the Chen clan's Great Elder. The Great Elder held immense power within the clan, to the point that even Chen Xuanting's father had to show him deference. If Chen Xiao truly was forcing Liu Ruyan to marry him, Chen Xuanting could only beg his father to step in.

Devoid of her past tenderness, Liu Ruyan said coldly, "He didn't force me. I am marrying him of my own free will."

These words pierced Chen Xuanting's heart like a dagger. His last shred of hope shattered completely, and his eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

"Why did you betray me?"

"Because you are inferior to me, of course," Chen Xiao sneered, mocking Chen Xuanting with humiliating words. "A mere concubine's son like you—how could you ever be worthy of the eldest daughter of the Liu family? You're just a toad lusting after swan meat, indulging in wishful thinking. I am about to become the young master of the Chen clan, and Ruyan is the most beautiful woman in Jinling. Naturally, she belongs with the young master of the city's greatest clan."

Liu Ruyan was even more heartless, rubbing salt into his wounds. "You know what I am like. I admire the strong. I only liked you back then because you had the best talent among the Chen clan's younger generation and were the most likely to become the young master. But you failed to live up to expectations. In your haste to cultivate, you damaged your meridians. Now, you can never break through to the Meridian Opening Realm. I had no choice but to abandon you. I didn't come here today to humiliate you; I came to make it clear that you should stop bothering me in the future."

Though she claimed she was not trying to humiliate him, every single word was a stinging insult.

"I'll kill you!"

Usually patient and restrained, Chen Xuanting lost all control. He thrust his sword toward Liu Ruyan, desperate to kill the woman who had betrayed him.

Chen Xiao reacted instantly, striking out with a palm. His externalized astral qi blasted Chen Xuanting backward, sending him crashing to the ground as he coughed up blood.

"You actually broke through to the Seventh Stage of Martial Arts, the Meridian Opening Realm!"

Chen Xuanting stared in shock at the sneering Chen Xiao.

The Martial Dao was divided into nine realms: Skin Refining, Bone Tempering, Marrow Cleansing, Blood Rebirth, Internal Strengthening, Astral Qi, Meridian Opening, True Qi, and Divine Transformation.

Above Divine Transformation lay the Longevity Mystic Realm.

Chen Xuanting believed his talent was superior to Chen Xiao's. Yet, while he had failed to reach the Meridian Opening Realm, Chen Xiao had succeeded. He refused to accept this defeat.

Seeing Chen Xuanting's shocked expression, Chen Xiao was delighted. He had finally trampled this concubine's son underfoot.

"I told you I would step on you one day. The position of young master is mine, and your woman is mine as well."

He wrapped his arm around Liu Ruyan's slender waist and walked away, dealing another blow to Chen Xuanting.

"Chen Xiao, Liu Ruyan, I will never let you dog-like couple off!"

Unleashing the resentment he had accumulated over more than a decade, the sudden rush of anger combined with his injuries caused Chen Xuanting to spit out another mouthful of blood and collapse into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, a remnant soul, drawn by the intense resentment, slipped into Chen Xuanting's body.

Within his sea of consciousness:

"Who are you?"

"Jie-jie-jie! I am the Heaven-Devouring Demon Venerable. Your resentment drew me here. Give me your body, and I will avenge you. I will slaughter every single person you hate."

This remnant soul belonged to a great arch-demon who sought to seize a body for rebirth.

To achieve a perfect possession, he needed the host to surrender the body willingly, allowing his remnant soul to merge flawlessly with Chen Xuanting's soul.

"Fine! I give it to you! Kill everyone in the Chen clan for me, kill Liu Ruyan, and destroy the Liu family!"

Liu Ruyan's betrayal had snuffed out the only light in Chen Xuanting's heart. He wanted to drag everyone down to the grave with him.

"As you wish."

The remnant soul of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Venerable merged perfectly with Chen Xuanting's soul.

"Damn it, to think I would be reborn into a mortal ant."

Using the last of his divine sense, the Heaven-Devouring Demon Venerable forcibly expanded the sea of consciousness to cultivate divine sense. The fusion of the two consciousnesses made his divine sense incredibly powerful.

Only a master of the Ninth Stage of Martial Arts, the Divine Transformation Realm, could open their sea of consciousness and birth divine sense.

Although he had opened his sea of consciousness, his cultivation level remained at the Sixth Stage of Martial Arts, the Astral Qi Realm.

A moment later, the unconscious Chen Xuanting woke up.

He was no longer the weak, submissive Chen Xuanting of the past.

A cold expression settled on Chen Xuanting's face, his dissatisfaction with this body evident.

"Even the spiritual energy of the mortal world is this dense. It seems I have arrived in the Middle Antiquity era or even earlier."

He had come from the Dharma Ending Era, where he had perished while fighting for the Divine Character of Time, leaving only a remnant soul. The Divine Character of Time had reversed time, bringing his remnant soul to this unknown era.

Whether it was the Middle Antiquity or the Ancient Era, both were far superior to the Dharma Ending Era.

In the Dharma Ending Era, spiritual energy was scarce, and no one could achieve Emperorhood.

Now that he was reborn, he was determined to prove his Dao and become an Emperor in this lifetime.

He possessed the inheritance of the Heaven-Devouring Great Emperor. Even with a mortal body, he could rise against heaven itself, not to mention that he still possessed the Divine Character of Time.

The Divine Character of Time contained the Great Dao of Time. By mastering it, one could reverse time and travel to the past or the future.

An ancient rune floated within Chen Xuanting's sea of consciousness.

It was indeed the Divine Character of Time, the oldest script in the world, possessing supreme power capable of reversing time.

"Emperor Qingming, just you wait. I will return to slay you."

A terrifying killing intent flashed in his eyes.

In his past life, he had been a Saint King, while Emperor Qingming, who had killed him, was a Quasi-Emperor. How could he not avenge his death?

"You lived a truly pathetic life, kid."

Although his predecessor was the son of the Chen family's patriarch, he was a concubine's son born to a maidservant. Unloved by his own father and subjected to the cold shoulders and ridicule of his clansmen, he had found solace only when he met Liu Ruyan. She had not looked down on him and had even used the Liu family's resources to aid his cultivation, becoming the guiding light of his life.

Yet, it was also Liu Ruyan who had hurt him the deepest. Her betrayal had been the final straw that broke him.

"Let this venerable one avenge you! All those who humiliated and betrayed you must die."

A sinister glint flashed in Chen Xuanting's eyes.

He began to cultivate the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art.

The Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art was an Emperor-grade technique capable of seizing the fortune of heaven and earth.

As the saying goes, the Way of Heaven takes from those who have excess to replenish those who are lacking.

The Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art did exactly that, seizing the fortune of all creation to make up for one's own deficiencies.

In his previous life, he had relied on this technique to devour countless masters, eventually reaching the Saint King Realm.

Above the Martial Dao Mystic Realm lay the Longevity Mystic Realm.

The Longevity Mystic Realm was divided into: Spirit Attunement, Aperture Refining, Golden Core, Yin-Yang, Heaven-Man, Dharma Image, Nirvana, Samsara, Saint, Great Saint, Saint King, Quasi-Emperor, and Great Emperor.

Above the Great Emperor was the legendary God-Demon Realm.

In his past life, he had been at the peak of the Saint King Realm, just a step away from becoming a Quasi-Emperor.

Sensing someone approaching, Chen Xuanting stopped cultivating immediately.

His servant, Gou Buli, pushed open the door and entered, followed by an elderly man carrying a medical chest.

"Young Master, you're awake! I've brought a physician for you."

"I am fine now. I need to cultivate. Leave, and do not let anyone disturb me."

"Yes, Young Master."

Gou Buli left with the physician.

Chen Xuanting resumed his cultivation.

......

"I've finally broken through to the Astral Qi Realm."

A handsome youth with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes stepped out of his room.

A beautiful woman in green stood guard outside, her cold demeanor resembling an iceberg. Seeing the youth emerge, she spoke, "Second Young Master, something has happened to the Eldest Young Master."

"What happened to Elder Brother?"

The youth looked anxious.

He was Chen Xuanting's younger brother, Chen Fuyao.

However, they were not born of the same mother. Chen Xuanting was born to a concubine, while Chen Fuyao was the legitimate heir. Their statuses were worlds apart.

Yet, Chen Fuyao never looked down on Chen Xuanting. Instead, he treated his elder brother very well, showing him care and concern at every turn.

"Liu Ruyan is going to marry Chen Xiao. Two days ago, Chen Xiao brought her here to humiliate the Eldest Young Master, and he even injured him."

"Elder Brother was injured? Qingluan, why didn't you tell me sooner!"

Chen Fuyao was somewhat angry.

Despite the reprimand, Chen Qingluan did not regret her decision. The Second Young Master had been in seclusion to break through his realm; nothing could be allowed to disturb him.

"The Eldest Young Master's injuries are not severe, and he has already woken up. There is no need for the Second Young Master to worry."

Chen Fuyao knew that Qingluan had his best interests at heart, so he did not press the matter. However, the thought of his brother being humiliated filled him with rage.

"Chen Xiao stole my brother's woman and dared to come to our door to humiliate him. I will never forgive him!"