"I've actually returned! Back to Earth a thousand years ago?" Standing at the peak of Kunlong Mountain, a gentle breeze brushed past, and Zhang Fan gazed down at the bottomless Kunlong Valley below. His handsome face was etched with a complex array of emotions, a mixture of shock and faint recollection.
He remembered that over a thousand years ago, it was precisely here that Zhang Fan was thrown into Kunlong Valley by his love rival.
Cast into the seemingly bottomless Kunlong Valley, Zhang Fan had resigned himself to death. Yet, to his surprise, at the valley floor, he stumbled upon a spatial turbulent channel. It was this channel that saved his life, sweeping him away into the vast depths of the cosmos.
There, amidst the myriad domains, the countless nebulae, and the endless battles of myriad races, the civilization of immortal cultivation had reached its zenith. Because of his exceptional immortal cultivation talent, Zhang Fan was fortunate enough to be accepted into Daotian Immortal Palace, one of the seven great immortal sects of the human race.
His astonishing aptitude allowed him to overcome the ninety-nine heavenly tribulations and attain the position of Immortal Emperor within a mere millennium of cultivation. He was exceptionally battle-hardened, conquering the myriad domains of the starry sky, challenging the overlords of every region, and remaining undefeated. The myriad races of the cosmos reverently bestowed upon him the title of 'War Emperor.'
The War Emperor was considered the most likely candidate to become the next Chaotic Supreme Immortal. However, during a struggle to seize the Mandate of Heaven, his overbearing and forceful nature provoked an ambush by over a dozen Immortal Emperors from various races. Ultimately, he perished.
Upon his death, Zhang Fan's greatest regret was his failure to seize the Mandate of Heaven, to harness its power to reverse the flow of time and reclaim his parents and his beloved.
In his previous life, after cultivating to the Nascent Soul Heavenly Immortal stage and gaining the ability to traverse vast distances through the void, Zhang Fan began to wander the universe. He utilized the Dao of Deduction to trace his 'roots,' searching for his home planet, Earth.
When he finally returned to Earth, a century had already passed. All traces of him, his family, his lover, and even his enemies, had long since been buried by history. Heartbroken, he left Earth and subsequently cultivated even more ferociously. In just a millennium, he ascended to the imperial rank, standing at the apex of the vast cosmos, becoming an Immortal Emperor renowned throughout the myriad races of the starry sky.
He rose through battle, his rapid increase in strength astounding the myriad races of the cosmos.
"I never expected that while I intended to reverse time with the power of the Mandate of Heaven, an accident would send me back to the very beginning of everything." Although his heaven-shattering magical power was gone, his immensely powerful divine body and divine consciousness vanished, Zhang Fan felt no despair. This was because he still possessed the memories forged over a millennium, which had not dissipated.
"In this life, I will not only reach the pinnacle and rectify the regrets of my past life, but I will also have my family and loved ones by my side, attaining eternal life." Zhang Fan vowed silently in his heart. In his previous life, though he was the most dazzling existence in the myriad domains of the cosmos, no one knew that his heart had always been preoccupied with his parents and his lover.
...
"This should be the year that Luo Shui and I came to Kunlong Mountain peak to watch the sunrise during our second year of high school. It seems I've returned to the year I was seventeen." Zhang Fan looked at his slightly unfashionable clothes and couldn't help but reminisce. In his previous life, he had only visited the peak of Kunlong Mountain twice.
The first time was with Luo Shui to watch the sunrise in his second year of high school. The second time was when his love rival forced him to the peak of Kunlong Mountain and, without any ability to resist, threw him into Kunlong Valley.
"In this life, Earth is destined to change because of me!" Zhang Fan took a shallow breath, sensing the slightly thin spiritual energy in the air. He decided to first visit the girl he hadn't seen in a thousand years, the one who haunted his dreams.
As Zhang Fan turned, he noticed two women, accompanied by a burly bodyguard in black, walking towards him. Seeing this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but pause.
"What a familiar scene," Zhang Fan mused inwardly. He already knew what was about to unfold because he had experienced it once before. However, this time, the outcome would be entirely different.
Although there was an age difference between the two women, their features bore a striking resemblance. The younger one appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, slender with delicate features, her hair tied in a ponytail, exuding an aura of youthful vitality. She was Zhang Fan's first love – Qin Luoshui.
Accompanying her was Luo Shui's mother, Li Songlan.
"You're Zhang Fan? Luo Shui's boyfriend?" Luo Shui's mother's scrutinizing gaze fixed on Zhang Fan even before they approached. As they drew nearer, she showed no courtesy, her eyebrows furrowed as if interrogating him.
Zhang Fan nodded faintly, his gaze fixated on the girl beside her, showing no emotional reaction to the woman's tone.
"Luo Shui, it's so good to see you again," Zhang Fan said softly, looking at the girl with a hint of melancholy on her face.
"Zhang Fan, I'm sorry, let's break up." Qin Luoshui seemed not to have heard Zhang Fan, nor did she notice the subtle undertones in his words. She said, lowering her head, her voice deep and hesitant, as if afraid to look at Zhang Fan.
"No," Zhang Fan shook his head, his voice calm, as if conversing with a friend.
"Hmph, you little brat. Our Luo Shui isn't someone like you, a country bumpkin, can be worthy of. If you know what's good for you, break up with our Luo Shui immediately and don't bother her again, or you'll be the one to suffer," Li Songlan said, her face darkening as she saw Zhang Fan refuse.
In reality, she wasn't afraid of Zhang Fan pestering her daughter. After all, she planned to send her daughter to study in Yanjing the following semester. What she feared was Zhang Fan's potential to spread rumors and damage her daughter's reputation out of resentment after a breakup.
"No," Despite Li Songlan's taunts, Zhang Fan's state of mind remained undisturbed. He replied calmly.
"Ah Biao!" Li Songlan, seeing Zhang Fan's defiant attitude, became furious and called out to the burly man beside her.
The burly man nodded upon receiving the order and then took a large step, approaching Zhang Fan.
"Mom, you promised me!" Qin Luoshui exclaimed, grabbing her mother's arm, her voice tinged with a hint of tears.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Li Songlan said gently, stroking her daughter's head.
The burly man, over 1.9 meters tall, had sharp, icy eyes. He strode towards Zhang Fan, his face filled with menace. His heavy footsteps carried a palpable pressure, enough to make an ordinary person blanch with fear.
But how could Zhang Fan be an ordinary person? Though he possessed no magical power at this moment, and his physical strength was negligible, his will, tempered over a thousand years, remained undiminished. Even facing the abyss of hell would hardly make him frown, let alone the mere oppressive aura of a mortal man?
To Zhang Fan, this so-called pressure was like a gentle breeze, utterly insignificant.
"Huh!" The burly man, seeing that Zhang Fan showed no sign of nervousness under his oppressive aura, was astonished. He was a man who had truly experienced life and death in combat. When he unleashed his full aura, some timid individuals would likely be paralyzed with fear, yet this young man before him could face it so calmly. It was indeed strange.
"You've got some guts," the burly man said in a low voice. "But in this world, courage alone isn't enough to survive."
As his words fell, he stomped heavily in front of Zhang Fan.
"Boom!"
The peak of Kunlong Mountain seemed to tremble. Everyone clearly felt the vibration beneath their feet. When the burly man retracted his foot, a massive footprint appeared before Zhang Fan, about one centimeter deep. The man's stomp earlier was more powerful than an elephant's, as if stepping on a person could crush them into pulp.
"Well, kid, are you impressed?" The burly man, seeing Zhang Fan staring blankly at the centimeter-deep footprint, mistook his silence for shock. A hint of mockery flickered in his eyes as he said calmly, "This world isn't as simple as you think, so you should seriously consider some things."
"This world is indeed not as simple as you imagine," Zhang Fan said after a long pause, shaking his head gently. The life within a single star was not even a speck of dust in the vast cosmos. Even as an Immortal Emperor in his past life, he always held reverence for the universe. For a mere mortal to talk about 'the world' with him was utterly laughable!
Such petty tricks could not stir any emotion in Zhang Fan. In his previous life, Chen Fan was the Immortal Emperor of the myriad domains, capable of destroying stars with a flick of his finger and devouring galaxies with a breath. How could such trivial displays enter his sight?
He knew that the man before him likely cultivated some energy akin to 'true qi,' but it was merely at the Qi Condensation stage, utterly insignificant.
True qi, like magical power, was condensed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. However, due to the varying quality of cultivation techniques and manuals, the resulting energy also differed in quality.
It was like the difference between diamond and graphite. Both are composed of carbon atoms, yet their hardness varies drastically. While the gap between true qi and magical power wasn't as vast as that between graphite and diamond, it was still considerable.
"Kid, you sure have a big mouth," the burly man, surprised that the young man before him could still speak so calmly, let out a cold snort.
"Forget it!" Li Songlan, seeing Zhang Fan's consistently nonchalant demeanor, realized that this approach wouldn't work. She decided to try a different tactic.
"I believe a significant reason you're with my Luo Shui is because of her wealth, right?" Li Songlan said, looking at Zhang Fan. Before he could reply, she took a wad of red bills from her red Gucci purse and presented them to Zhang Fan, frowning, "Take this money as a breakup fee with my Luo Shui."
Zhang Fan looked closely. There were about twenty thousand yuan. For a high school student, twenty thousand was indeed a lot. However, upon hearing this, Zhang Fan's eyes widened, and he asked, "So little? Auntie, are you planning to pay it monthly?"
Li Songlan was taken aback by Zhang Fan's response and then realized, inwardly sneering, "He's truly greedy."
She then took another twenty thousand from her purse and offered it to Zhang Fan, "Is this enough now?"
For her, if she could dismiss Zhang Fan with this amount of money, it would indeed be a simple matter.
Zhang Fan still didn't reach out to take the money. Instead, he shook his head and said sincerely, "Auntie, we have true love, and it requires more money!"