Boundless darkness stretched endlessly before Lu Yang’s eyes as his consciousness drifted silently within that familiar void.

Soon afterward, the cracked Character Card slowly emerged once more from the darkness. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

However, compared to before, the card had completely changed now.

The faint golden glow previously surrounding it had already disappeared entirely, and in its place remained only a dim grayish color.

Even the old figure standing upon the card had become blurred and lifeless.

Below it, several words floated quietly.

[Character Card]

[Lu Yang]

[Peak Cultivation: Peak Ninth Stage Body Tempering Realm]

[Status: Used]

Lu Yang stared at the card for a long time.

The surrounding darkness remained incomparably quiet.

He naturally understood what this meant.

The cheat that had saved his life tonight could no longer be used again.

Although he had already guessed that it must be a one-time use thing, a strange feeling still surfaced within Lu Yang’s heart.

There was relied, regret, and even faint unwillingness.

After all, the strength displayed by the old version of himself earlier was genuinely intoxicating.

That absolute suppression, that terrifying combat experience...

Even now, recalling those movements and martial techniques still caused Lu Yang’s mind to fluctuate faintly.

Yet he also understood clearly that borrowed strength could never truly belong to him.

His past life strength ceased to be his the moment he died; only the strength he cultivated personally in each lifetime would remain forever his own in that life, serving as the foundation for his rise in subsequent reincarnations.

And besides, he was not far from reaching the same level of strength as his past life.

The darkness gradually shattered like glass afterward.

...

When Lu Yang slowly opened his eyes again, faint sunlight had already begun rising beyond the mountains.

The cold winter air drifted through the surroundings.

Outside the small hunter’s hut, crackling sounds echoed softly.

Lu Yang slowly sat upright, pain instantly surging throughout his body, his cracked ribs still had not fully recovered.

Fresh medicinal fragrance faintly drifted from the bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulders.

At this moment, a cheerful voice suddenly sounded outside.

"You’re awake?"

Lu Yang turned toward the sound slightly.

Not far away, the young man from last night sat beside a small fire roasting meat casually.

His travel worn robes appeared somewhat rough, yet his face carried a natural straightforwardness that easily caused others to lower their guard subconsciously.

After noticing Lu Yang wake, the young man immediately grinned brightly.

"Good timing."

He directly tore off a piece of roasted meat before tossing it toward Lu Yang.

"You haven’t eaten since yesterday."

Lu Yang silently caught the meat.

For several moments, he quietly observed the young man.

Only after confirming no hostility did the faint vigilance within his eyes gradually weaken slightly.

Then, he slowly took a bite.

The young man laughed, "See? Much better than starving."

The atmosphere gradually became somewhat calmer afterward.

Several moments later, the young man finally introduced himself.

"My name is Fang Chen."

He casually poked the firewood while speaking.

"Eighteen years old, at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm."

Lu Yang’s gaze faintly fluctuated.

Sixth Stage Body Tempering Realm at eighteen years old...

And most importantly, this guy seemed to be a rogue cultivator.

This meant Fang Chen possessed no large clan support whatsoever, no massive cultivation resources or elders personally guiding him constantly, yet he still managed to reach this level.

Even Lu Yang inwardly had to admit it.

If he himself lacked the Lu Family’s resources and support in this life, then reaching the Sixth Stage Body Tempering Realm likely would’ve also required until seventeen or eighteen years old.

This Fang Chen’s talent was genuinely astonishing, not weaker than him at all, perhaps even stronger.

Fang Chen noticed Lu Yang’s expression before scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"It’s nothing too special. My village chief was at the Seventh Stage Body Tempering Realm before he died last year. He left behind his cultivation methods and experience for me."

His gaze faintly dimmed briefly afterward.

"I don’t really have parents either. The old chief raised me since childhood, so after he passed away, I just left the village to travel outside."

Lu Yang quietly listened silently.

He could vaguely understand such feelings somewhat.

After all, he himself had once wandered through the cultivation world alone for decades in his previous life.

Fang Chen continued speaking afterward, "I’ve met quite a few people during the past year, some good, some bad."

Then, his eyes suddenly brightened slightly while looking toward Lu Yang.

"But honestly, you’re the most monstrous person I’ve seen so far."

He clicked his tongue repeatedly.

"Fifteen years old and already at the Sixth Stage Body Tempering Realm... that’s ridiculous."

Lu Yang merely smiled faintly without replying immediately.

He must have sensed his cultivation when administering medicine last night.

"You’re telling me all this, do you trust me since much after just meeting?"

Lu Yang suddenly asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Fang Chen blinked, "I’ve always had good instincts since I was a child, they’ve never betrayed me. I feel like you’re not a bad person."

Lu Yang was somewhat surprised by this answer, silent for several moments before beginning to recount everything that happened last night.

Naturally, everything regarding the Character Card was omitted completely.

Instead, he simply explained that Guard Zhou and Xu He sacrificed themselves to protect him before he eventually managed to kill the remaining enemies through desperate sneak attacks while they were injured.

As Fang Chen listened, his expression gradually became uglier and uglier, especially after hearing the attackers were sent by someone within Lu Yang’s own clan.

"And all this..."

Fang Chen’s voice carried disbelief.

"Just because you came from the mortal branch?"

Lu Yang calmly nodded slightly.

The fire quietly crackled between them afterward.

Suddenly, Fang Chen slapped his thigh furiously.

"Despicable!"

His face flushed slightly with anger.

"A genius like you should be protected no matter what! Yet they actually tried killing you over internal competition?"

The more he spoke, the more indignant he became.

Then suddenly, he stared directly at Lu Yang seriously.

"Brother Lu."

Lu Yang faintly froze slightly.

Fang Chen directly spoke solemnly afterward.

"Let’s become sworn brothers."

"...What?"

Even with Lu Yang’s temperament, he was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Fang Chen grinned afterward.

"A talented genius who comes from a great clan yet isn’t pretentious or immoral like you is hard to find, and I hate people like those murderers most in my life."

His expression became incomparably sincere.

For some reason, looking at Fang Chen at this moment caused Lu Yang to vaguely see traces of Gu Changfeng once more.

That same straightforwardness and sincerity...

In the cultivation world, such personalities were exceedingly rare.

After remaining silent briefly, Lu Yang finally nodded slowly.

"Alright."

Fang Chen instantly laughed loudly afterward.

"Good!"

The originally heavy atmosphere finally relaxed somewhat.

...

Because it was winter, the frozen earth remained difficult to dig deeply.

Eventually, Lu Yang and Fang Chen carried Guard Zhou and Xu He’s bodies toward a nearby cliff overlooking the mountains.

The cold wind swept endlessly through the surroundings.

Lu Yang quietly stood before the two graves for a very long time afterward.

Guard Zhou’s final words continuously echoed within his mind.

The Rising Sun of the Lu Family...

Lu Yang slowly closed his eyes briefly.

Then, he bowed silently once toward the graves.

Not far away, Fang Chen also remained unusually quiet.

Meanwhile, the severed heads of the three attackers were hidden separately nearby.

Because of the winter, they won’t rot for a while and will become crucial evidence later.

Soon afterward, the two officially departed once more.

...

The following days quietly passed.

Under the winter skies, Lu Yang and Fang Chen continuously traveled toward Luoyun Prefecture together.

Along the way, the relationship between the two gradually became increasingly familiar.

Sometimes they exchanged cultivation insights, sometimes they sparred briefly while resting, and occasionally, they encountered danger together.

Wild beasts, bandits, and even wandering cultivators attempting robbery.

The cultivation world remained chaotic as always.

However, during several battles, even Lu Yang himself gradually became somewhat surprised by Fang Chen’s combat ability.

Although Fang Chen lacked refined martial techniques, his combat instincts were extremely sharp.

Moreover, his fighting style carried an almost beastly ruthlessness.

Once battle began, he became incomparably decisive.

Even two Seventh Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivators encountered along the road suffered greatly under Fang Chen’s hands.

At one point, after personally witnessing Fang Chen shatter a wild beast’s skull barehanded during combat, even Lu Yang sighed faintly.

There truly were hidden geniuses throughout the world.

The Lu Family’s younger generation was only one corner of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Compared to the truly vast cultivation world outside, countless talented individuals still existed hidden among ordinary people.

This realization quietly strengthened Lu Yang’s determination further.

His current achievements were still far from enough.

...

Finally, after another week of travel, enormous city walls gradually appeared at the distant horizon beneath the setting sun.

They had finally arrived at the Luoyun Prefecture City.

The moment Lu Yang saw those familiar walls, his footsteps unconsciously slowed slightly.

Fang Chen noticed the subtle change immediately, "You’ve been here before?"

Lu Yang remained silent briefly before replying: "... A long time ago."

The evening wind quietly swept across the plains.

As Lu Yang stared at the distant city, countless fragmented memories from his previous life slowly surfaced once more.

This place... must have all the answers he was looking for right now.