Chapter 1: Chapter One: Awakening

"Ugh~!"

Lu Fan strained with all his might to pry open his heavy eyelids, and a dim, shabby room appeared before his eyes.

With every breath, the air was thick with the foul stench of cheap medicinal herbs, and a faint whiff of blood crept up through his collar and into his nostrils.

"This place is…"

His face froze, his expression one of utter disbelief.

He clearly remembered being ambushed by Yuwen Pojun, the Lord of Heaven Origin World, fighting for his life at the brink of death — how could he have ended up here?

"Wait! This is…"

Lu Fan looked as though he'd seen a ghost. Somehow, his body had transformed into that of a youth — thin arms, scrawny legs, frail beyond measure.

He could hardly believe it. In his shock he tried to throw himself upright, but stumbled; his head spun, and a flood of information surged up in his mind.

After a moment, Lu Fan sorted through his thoughts and understood at once — he, Lu Fan, had been reborn, his soul attached to this youth who shared his surname and a homophonous given name.

"I, Lu Fan, Lord of a realm, stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Martial Dao, roamed freely across the ten thousand worlds, and laughed proudly beneath the eternal heavens.

And you are called Lu Fan — a天生废物, cast aside by your clan, left to fend for yourself here at Tianyuan Academy…"

"The ways of the world are truly wondrous. Very well — from this day I shall change 'Fan' to 'Fan'. Since fate has bound the two of us, and I have received your kindness, every grievance and humiliation you once suffered, I, Lu Fan, will remember them all. One by one, I shall help you reclaim them!"

Lu Fan sighed softly. A flash of starlight burst within his eyes, and a sudden air of proud bearing rose about him.

In his past life he had been ambushed by the Lord of Heaven Origin World and perished — he never expected to be accidentally reborn in Heaven Origin World.

The "Lu Fan" who had died was a student of Tianyuan Academy in Mingyue Empire; from now on, that would be his identity.

"I, Lu Fan, have returned!"

He smiled faintly, gathered his thoughts, rose slowly, and prepared to leave the room.

"Oh! This is… basic inscription patterns! The strokes are delicate and graceful — they look soft and lacking in force, yet there's a hidden spirit within them. Though they're only a few basic Runes, they're still quite remarkable!"

On the low table by the bed were a few water-traced Runes — likely left behind by someone absent-mindedly.

The Dao of Runes is the manifestation of a world's laws. He was not familiar with this Heaven Profound World, but the sight of these few Runes piqued his interest at once, and he studied them carefully.

Just then, a young girl pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Lu Fan awake, she was slightly surprised, but only for an instant — she immediately regained her cool expression and said indifferently, "You're awake!"

This girl was called Wang Wu, a genius maiden of Tianyuan Academy. About the same age as "Lu Fan," she had already reached the Tendon Refining Realm as a Martial Master — the third stage of Martial Dao cultivation, above the Blood Condensation Realm Martial Artist and the Skin Tempering Realm Martial Warrior.

At such an age, within Tianyuan Academy, she was already considered a rare and exceptional prodigy.

Without realizing it, Lu Fan suddenly felt a surge of excitement within him — seeing her filled him with an inexplicable joy.

He narrowed his eyes, studied her carefully for a moment, drew a slow breath, and steadied his thoughts.

He already knew the strangeness within him was the lingering will of the youth Lu Fan playing tricks, and he paid it no mind.

Lu Fan shook his head slightly, turned to leave, but paused before going to cast one more glance at the water-traced Runes.

These few basic Runes were somewhat inferior compared to those from the realm he had once inhabited. Thinking of this, the corner of his mouth curled unconsciously, with a hint of disdain.

Liu Ruowu's brows furrowed — the Rune Seal she had inscribed was actually being looked down upon by Lu Fan, that废物 of the Martial Dao. Annoyed, she opened her mouth to scold him.

"Lu Fan, after this failure you should finally know your own limits! From now on, act within your means — don't reach for what is beyond you. A man who knows himself lives long!"

"Are you trying to tell me that a toad should never dream of swallowing a swan, and that from now on I shouldn't cling to you shamelessly?"

Lu Fan's face was calm, with little emotion toward rebuking her. Yet between his words there was a hidden edge.

Wang Wu was slightly taken aback — she hadn't expected Lu Fan to dare talk back to her. This was nothing like his usual self!

What was going on with this Lu Fan? Had his brain finally cracked open?

In the past, whenever he saw her, he'd always stammer, unable to get his words out, his face flushed red, not daring to look at her at all.

Yet now he was so calm, his words carried an edge, and he even dared to size her up without restraint!

"Lu Fan, every trade has its master. Your Martial Dao foundation is far too weak — the path of Rune Seals is not suited for you. It is better to act within your means, lest in the end you draw water with a bamboo basket and accomplish nothing!"

Lu Fan immediately caught the meaning behind her words. It seemed these Runes had been left by her, and seeing him like this, she thought he had been trying to steal her teachings!

He paid it no mind. He merely swept a glance at her, paused, walked to the table, pressed two fingers together, dipped them in the water bowl on the table, and began to sketch casually.

With one hand he drew, following his heart's whim — like a master calligrapher, strokes of iron and hooks of silver leaping onto the "paper."

In just a moment, the long table was covered, filled to the brim with water-traced Runes. Catching the light from outside, they gleamed bright and dazzling to the eye.

Wang Wu, witnessing this scene, wore an expression of utter astonishment, her face full of disbelief.

The tableful of Runes — some she had never even seen. Lu Fan hadn't been stealing her teachings at all; she had wronged him.

But how could this be? Lu Fan couldn't even take the very first step of Martial Dao cultivation, long known as a废物 — how could he possibly be versed in the Dao of Runes, even more so than she, a mage's apprentice?

"Hah!"

Lu Fan gently exhaled a breath of stale air, thoroughly satisfied. The pent-up frustration of his rebirth was swept away; he felt his heart and spirit refreshed, and even the stagnant qi and blood within his body had begun to flow more smoothly.

"The Dao of Runes lies not in its form, but in its spirit.

You do have some talent for comprehension, but you are far too eager for quick results.

If you do not change this, to step into the First Tier Rune Master will likely require at least three months of bitter cultivation."

"Next time you practice, try forgetting the lure of Rune Mastery, empty your heart — only then, when inscribing patterns, you may find another kind of harvest."

He rose slowly, no longer sparing Wang Wu a single glance. He simply tossed out those words and walked straight toward the door.

Wang Wu's heart trembled. Her willow-leaf brows nearly drew together, utterly ruining her pretty face.

What was going on with this Lu Fan? Lecturing her now — where did he get the nerve?

A废物 of the Martial Dao who couldn't even step into the early Blood Condensation Realm — how could he possibly be versed in Rune Seals and inscriptions? It must be that this brat was doing it on purpose, trying to save face in front of her!

Wang Wu's delicate brows knit, her face taking on the look of one who had seen through Lu Fan. The doubts in her heart seemed to vanish in an instant, and her pretty features suddenly softened. She called out,

"Lu Fan, wait!"