On a distant planet bathed in the light of twin suns, a black-haired youth suddenly opened his eyes. His breaths were shallow and frantic, his gaze darting across an unfamiliar sky. Towering alien trees stretched toward the heavens, their leaves shimmering like liquid crystals.

"Where… am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse, tinged with confusion.

His mind felt like a storm. Fragmented memories surged forward, crashing against his consciousness. Flashes of a name—Long Yan—emerged, bringing a sense of familiarity. But this name wasn't foreign to him; it was his own. Yet, these memories felt alien, as if belonging to someone else.

The world around him felt surreal, yet deeply real. This was not Earth. This was something far greater.

Two millennia ago, this planet and its universe had undergone dramatic transformations. Subtle anomalies in the solar system had sparked humanity's curiosity, leading to discoveries that shattered everything they thought they knew. New planets, new species, and a universe teeming with both wonder and peril had come into view.

Humanity's rise had been meteoric. From simple observers, they became explorers, then warriors. The emergence of powerful cultivators reshaped society. These beings wielded strength so immense they could bend nature, space, and even time to their will. Entire clans were born from their legacies, spreading across the stars.

But humanity was not alone. The vastness of the cosmos was teeming with other civilizations—some benevolent, others malevolent. Among them were creatures so powerful they could obliterate entire solar systems with a flick of their hands. The most exceptional human cultivators joined forces, creating a fragile but formidable alliance to ensure humanity's survival.

For Long Yan, these stories were more than historical facts—they were a bitter reminder of his own inadequacies. Born with no ability to cultivate, he had no chance of joining the ranks of humanity's elite. His only refuge lay in academia. He threw himself into studying science and history at a lesser-known academy, a place where forgotten dreams went to wither.

Memories of his past flickered like dying embers. He remembered the orphanage—a place of bleak walls and colder hearts—where he spent his childhood until the age of 10. Beyond that, his memories were an empty void. At 16, he left the orphanage, scraping together a life through sheer determination. His earnings as a waiter barely covered his rent, but it was enough to maintain his modest independence.

Now, though, something felt different. A storm raged within him—a torrent of memories that weren't his own. Images of Earth flashed before his eyes, vivid and haunting. According to these newfound recollections, he had lived there two thousand years ago as an ordinary man, doomed to a life of loneliness. He had died alone.

The realization hit him like a lightning strike. He staggered to his feet, fists clenched as laughter erupted from his lips. It was wild, unhinged.

"Hell yeah! This is it—this is my second chance!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the alien landscape. His eyes burned with a manic light.

He had spent countless nights dreaming of a cultivation world—a realm of boundless power, where the impossible became reality. And now, it was before him.

But as the euphoria washed over him, a cold truth surfaced: he still couldn't cultivate. The fire in his chest extinguished, replaced by a suffocating wave of despair. He sank to his knees, his hands trembling. "No... not like this," he whispered.

As his thoughts spiraled, another anomaly clawed at his mind—a glaring hole in his memories. He could recall nothing before the age of 10. It was as if a piece of his existence had been ripped away.

Suddenly, another memory—buried deep—rose to the surface. It was sharper, more vivid than the others, and it sent a jolt through his entire being. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening as rage surged through him like molten lava.

"What the hell… is this?!" he snarled, his voice trembling with fury.

Something had been taken from him. Something precious. He didn't know what, but he could feel it in the very marrow of his bones.

As the suns began to set, their golden light bathing the horizon, Long Yan stood. His eyes burned with a mix of anger and determination.

"If I can't cultivate, then I'll find another way," he muttered. "I don't care how long it takes. I'll uncover the truth. And I'll carve my place in this world, even if I have to defy the heavens themselves."