It was said in legend that a river of time existed in this world. It supported the world's time flow and circulation. And by using the Spring Autumn Cicada's power, one could travel back upstream and return to the past.
There had been much conflicting opinion on this mythical tale. Many did not believe in it, and some were skeptical to the truth.
Few people actually dared to believe it.
Because every time one used the Spring Autumn Cicada, one had to pay with their life, letting their entire body and cultivation be the driving force to use its very power.
Such a price was just too great, and the thing that people just couldn't accept was the fact that after paying with one's life, one didn't even know what the outcome would be.
So even if someone had the Spring Autumn Cicada, they wouldn't dare use it so indiscriminately. What if the rumors were fake, and if it was just a scam?
If Fang Yuan were not cornered into such a state, he wouldn't have used it so hurriedly either. But now, Fang Yuan was thoroughly convinced—the reality of the truth had been laid before his eyes and there was no denying it. He had really been reborn!
It's just a pity… From the start I had wasted an absurd amount of effort, killing hundreds of thousands of people, making even the heavens furious and attracting the vengeance of people. I went through suffering and multiple hardships to finally attain and refine this good Gu… Fang Yuan thought with a sigh. Even though he had been reborn, the Spring Autumn Cicada didn't come with him.
Humans were the greatest among thousands of creatures; but Gu were the essence of heaven and earth.
Gu came in thousands of shapes and sizes of strange and mysterious variety—there were too many to count. Some Gu after being used once, twice or even thrice would completely dissipate. And some Gu could be reused again and again as long as it wasn't used over its limits.
That said, it was probable that the Spring Autumn Cicada was one of those types that could only be used once before disappearing for good.
"But even if its gone, I can still refine another. I have done it in my previous life, why can't I do it in this life?" After the thoughts of pity were put aside, Fang Yuan's heart burst forth ambitious and determined feelings.
To be able to be reborn made the loss of the Spring Autumn Cicada entirely acceptable.
Not to mention he had something precious with him, so it's not like he had lost everything.
This precious treasure was his 500 years worth of memories and experience.
In his memories were a multitude of all kinds of treasures and precious items that no one had opened yet in this time. He could easily grasp all the big events and incidents by the veins of history. There were a countless number of figures: some predecessors of hidden levels; some geniuses, and some were not even born yet.
Also in those 500 years were memories of painstaking cultivation and rich combat experience.
With all these memories and experiences, he had undeniably grasped the overall situation and upcoming opportunities. With good planning and execution, he could empower the situation with great fierceness and elegance. It was not a problem now that he could take a step ahead of others, breaking the higher boundaries!
"So how do I go about this hmmm…" Fang Yuan was incredibly sensible. He collected himself together and faced the night rain outside the window, pondering. With this thought, things started to feel complicated. After thinking for a moment, his brows wrinkled deeper.
500 years of time was a rather long period. Ignoring those long muddled memories that couldn't be recalled, even remembering the hidden locations of treasures or special encounters of people was demanding, but the main issue was that the locations were separated among a long distance and had to be accessed or visited at certain periods of time.
"The most important thing is cultivation. The present me has not even opened my Primeval Sea, hasn't stepped on the path to be a Gu Master. I'm just a mortal! I have to hurry and cultivate, catching up to history and seize the opportunities with the best advantage."
Not to forget, many of these hidden locations of treasures were useless without proper foundation. Instead it would just be walking into a wolf's den, looking for death.
The problem in front of Fang Yuan right now was cultivation.
He had to increase the level of his foundation as fast as possible. If he were slow like his previous life, he would just be too late.
"To cultivate as fast as possible, I would have to borrow the resources from the clan. With the state I am right now, I have no power or ability to travel back and forth across the dangerous mountains. Even an ordinary mountain boar can take my life. If I can reach the cultivation of a Third level Gu Master, I'd have the means to protect myself and leave the mountain."
Through the eyes of a 500-year-old person who had cultivated in the demonic path, Qing Mao Mountain was just way too small, Gu Yue Village even felt like a cage.
But while the cage restricted freedom, the sturdy bars of the cage also brought about a certain kind of safety.
"Hmm, in this short period of time, I'll just stay in this cage. As long as I can reach Third level Gu Master, I can leave this poor mountain. Luckily tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony, I'll be able to start training as a Gu Master soon after."
When he thought about the Awakening Ceremony, old memories that had long been buried away in his heart resurfaced themselves.
"Talent huh…" He sneered, his gaze focused out the window.
At this moment, the door to his room was lightly pushed open and a young teenager walked in.
"Brother, why are you standing in the rain by the window side ?"
The youth was thin, slightly shorter than Fang Yuan. His face resembled Fang Yuan's features greatly. As Fang Yuan turned his head to look at this young man, a complicated look flickered across his face.
"It's you huh, my twin little brother." He raised his eyebrows, his expression returning to that of cold indifference. Fang Zheng lowered his head and looked at his own toes; this is his signature stance.
"Brother, I saw that your window wasn't shut, so I thought I'd come in here and close it. Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony, it's so late and you haven't gone to bed yet. If Uncle and Aunty knew, they would probably be worried."
Fang Zheng was not surprised at Fang Yuan's coldness. Ever since he was a little child, his older brother had always been like that. Sometimes he would wonder, perhaps a genius was just like that, being rather different from ordinary people. Even though he had the same looks as his older brother, he felt that he was ordinary akin to an ant.
They were born from the same womb at the same time, and yet why were the heavens so unfair? His older brother had been endowed with gleaming talent, while he himself was as ordinary as a stone.
Everyone around him would say, "This is Fang Yuan's younger brother—" when they mentioned him. His aunt and uncle would constantly tell him to learn from his older brother. Even when he looked into the mirror sometimes, he would feel disgusted as he saw his own face!
These thoughts had been ongoing for many years, accumulating day and night deeply into his heart. Like a giant stone pressing against his heart, Fang Zheng's head lowered more and more over the years, and he also grew quieter.
"Worried…" At the thought of his aunt and uncle, Fang Yuan laughed silently. He could still remember clearly how his parents of this world had both lost their lives in one of the clan missions. When he was only three years old, he and his little brother had become orphans.
In the name of upbringing, his aunt and uncle grabbed hold of the inheritance left behind by his parents while inflicting harsh treatment against his younger brother and himself.
He originally planned on simply being a normal person, even planning to conceal his abilities and bide his time. However his life was difficult, making Fang Yuan have no choice but to choose to expose some of his talents.
The so-called talent was merely but a mature and intellect soul that carried a few of Earth's popular ancient poems.
With this he managed to startle people and capture attention. Because of pressure from the outside world, the young Fang Yuan made a decision to keep a cold indifferent expression to protect himself, reducing the possibility of revealing any secrets. Over time the coldness became a habit that he was accustomed to expressing.
Thus, his aunt and uncle were no longer harsh on him and his younger brother. As the years passed and they got older, the future became more optimistic and he received better treatment. This was not love, but a type of investment.
It's hilarious how his little brother never saw the truth; not only was he deceived by their aunt and uncle, but he also started burying his resentments inside. Although he looked like a good-natured and honest boy now, in Fang Yuan's memories when his brother was found out to be an A grade talent, the clan spent much effort in raising him with all they had.
After that, all the buried resentment and jealous and hate inside was released, and many a time Fang Zheng would target, suppress, and make life difficult for his own older brother.
As for his own grade, it was only C grade talent.
Fate loved to play a joke.
A pair of twins—the older one only had C grade talent, but had been known as a genius for a dozen years. The younger one who was always overlooked was the one with A grade talent instead.
The results of the Awakening Ceremony had left the clan shocked. The treatment of the two brothers suddenly reversed after that.
The younger brother was like a dragon that rose up to the heavens; the older brother was like a phoenix that fell down to the earth.
After that came the many hardships and troubles from his own younger brother, the cold eyes of his aunt and uncle, and the contempt of the clan.
Did he hate it?
Fang Yuan hated it in his previous life. He hated his own lack of talent, he hated how heartless the clan was, hated how fate was so unfair. But now, with his 500 years of life experiences, using this to retrospect, his heart was actually calm without a shred of hatred.
What was there to be gained from resentment?
Thinking about if from another point of view, he could understand his younger brother, aunt and uncle, even those enemies from 500 years later who attacked him.
The strong ate the weak—survival of the fittest; these had always been the rules of this world. Everyone had their ambitions, always struggling to grasp the opportunities presented before them. Among all the war and killing, what was there not to be understood?
500 years of life experience had long allowed him to understand all of this, with a heart that wanted to gain immortality.
If someone tried to prevent this pursuit of his—no matter who it was—he would kill and live through it. The aspirations in his heart were too big. Taking this path ensured he made the world his enemy, and he was destined to be alone, and destined to kill.
This was the conclusion from having lived 500 years.
"Revenge is not my intention, the demonic path does not compromise." With that he couldn't help but laugh and gave his younger brother a faint glance. "You may leave."
Fang Zheng's heart shook as he felt that his brother's eyes were incisive like an ice blade, seemingly penetrating the deepest parts of his heart.
Under such a gaze, he felt like he was naked in the snow, unable to hold any secrets.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Not daring to say anymore, Fang Zheng slowly closed the door and left.