Boom... Boom... Boom...
Amid the dull roar, Xin Yun felt an overwhelming fatigue, weakness throughout his body, and a chaotic mind. Everything was terrible, as if he had just suffered a serious illness.
"Huh?" While in agony and rubbing his forehead, Xin Yun suddenly stiffened. This... something was off! Could it be… that he hadn't been destroyed by that all-devouring wave of light?
He abruptly opened his eyes, looking around urgently. The space seemed not very large, and the lighting was poor. This place... it appeared to be a dry well!
Observing his surroundings, Xin Yun clenched his fists excitedly. Thank goodness, he really wasn't dead! Although his current state was terrible—unprecedentedly terrible, unimaginably terrible—as long as he was alive, there was always hope.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
In the midst of his excitement, another series of explosions rang out. Unlike before, these sounded closer, and more powerful, even the ground beneath him and the walls of the well shook.
Looking up instinctively, through the well opening about ten meters above, Xin Yun clearly saw a red dragon shadow fly past, followed by another round of roaring sounds.
Staring dumbfounded at the well opening, Xin Yun felt bewildered. Why did all this seem so familiar? It was as if... he had seen a similar scene somewhere before. But... how could that be possible!
A dry well, a dragon, bombings... He had experienced a similar environment only once in his life, right when he first traversed from Earth to this world. Back then, his village had been attacked, and he, along with many other children, had been hidden in a dry well, narrowly escaping death. But... that was so long ago that Xin Yun thought he had forgotten about it. Yet, today's events proved that he had not forgotten at all; it was merely buried deep in his memory.
"Ah..." He sighed softly. If only he could return to that moment. Alas... life only happens once, and one cannot simply start over.
Shaking his head, Xin Yun slowly lowered his head, about to check on his condition, when a domineering voice rang out beside him: "Hey! Kid... move over there, I'm taking this spot."
"Huh?" Hearing this voice, Xin Yun was astonished. Someone had managed to approach him without being detected by his Spiritual Sense—right up to his side without notice. Could this be one of the Nine Great Experts!
Xin Yun hurriedly stood up. Respect for the powerful was still a must. Standing, he quickly turned to face the direction of the voice, just about to speak, when what he saw left him speechless.
Looking ahead, standing before him was nothing more than a boy of about ten years of age. How could someone of this age be one of the Nine Great Experts? Flash Butterfly Yi Luo Xiang was talented enough, but even she took more than twenty years to mature fully. Such an exaggerated person simply doesn't exist in this world.
What shocked Xin Yun the most was that this kid's face looked incredibly familiar to him—yes, really familiar. It seemed he had seen it somewhere before, and for some reason... upon seeing this face, he wanted to punch it with his fist, knock the boy to the ground, and then give him a few solid kicks.
While he was pondering, the boy on the other side had already grown impatient. Grabbing Xin Yun's collar, he exerted force with both arms and threw Xin Yun out. Xin Yun didn't fail to try to resist, but the strength coming from the boy's arms was not something he could counter.
"Thud..." With a soft sound, Xin Yun fell awkwardly in the mire at the bottom of the well. Looking disdainfully at Xin Yun, the hulking boy took the spot where Xin Yun had just been sitting, then called out. After his call, three children, around eight or nine years old, gathered around him.
Lying dumbfounded in the mud, Xin Yun wasn't annoyed, not because his self-control was particularly good, but mainly because he was stunned by everything he was currently experiencing. It was all too familiar... the scenes and events unfolding before his eyes felt increasingly familiar; he was certain he had lived through this before.
While still in shock, amidst a series of trivial noises, from a shadowy area at the bottom of the well, a slight figure emerged, twisting their head woodenly. A thin, delicate silhouette was slowly walking out of the darkness.
"Are you all right..." A weak, exceedingly pure voice came from the gaunt, delicate figure.
Swallowing nervously, Xin Yun felt his heart beating faster and faster. Yes... he had indeed experienced such a scene once before.
Anxiously watching the figure approaching, finally, when the figure came closer, illuminated by the faint light coming from the mouth of the well, Xin Yun at last clearly saw that face—the face that had appeared in his dreams countless times. In that moment, Xin Yun just stood there, dumb as a wooden chicken, watching that face, allowing a torrent of tears to flow unchecked.
Watching Xin Yun with tears streaming down his face, the slender figure bent over, stretching out their thin arms, gently wrapping them around Xin Yun's arms, trying to pull him up.
Standing there dumbfounded, looking at the person in front of him, Xin Yun, even in his dullness, should have understood by now. If the guy from before hadn't sparked any realization, then the person before him now certainly made everything clear...
Indeed, in the usual sense of the word, one cannot live life over again, but if time travel could happen, why not rebirth? No matter how impossible it seemed, once everything truly occurred, any skepticism was meaningless—facts spoke louder than words!
Taking a deep breath, Xin Yun finally managed to rein in his excitement and looked down at himself. Sure enough... his body had reverted back to the physique of a seven-and-a-half-year-old child, and the person who had helped him up was none other than the goddess of his dreams—Flash Butterfly Yi Luo Xiang!
No wonder he hadn't noticed that bad boy approaching him just before. The Xin Yun of now was just a seven-and-a-half-year-old child, how could he speak of Spiritual Sense? He hadn't even started cultivating yet. Just in terms of physical strength, how could he be an opponent for that guy from before? Being thrown out was just to be expected.
Elatedly looking at Yi Luo Xiang in front of him, she was far from displaying the stunning beauty that would overshadow the world in the future. In fact... although she couldn't be considered ugly at this moment, she was definitely not pretty either. Thin and gaunt, she looked undernourished, just an ordinary child in all respects.
Children are always like this; some may look lovely when small but not necessarily so upon growing up, potentially becoming rather unattractive. Then there are those children who seem ordinary at first but turn into breathtaking beauties once grown. Such cases, I believe everyone has witnessed.
Of course, for Yi Luo Xiang, appearance was never her greatest asset. Her intelligence, her talent, her hard work were what truly made her proud, what everyone admired and respected.
Looking at Yi Luo Xiang, who was close at hand, and faced with the reality of his rebirth, Xin Yun was completely overwhelmed with ecstasy. Heaven truly favored him, first granting him a transmigration and now a rebirth. If he couldn't make something of himself this time, it would be truly unforgivable!
Indeed... Xin Yun had already vowed that in this life, not only would he enhance his own strength, but...he would ensure his life was without any regrets. He would realize all his dreams and assure that everyone who mattered to him, and whom he cared about, would live well.
Of course, life is always full of helplessness. Everyone has many friends, but inevitably, each person also has some enemies. For his friends, Xin Yun would ensure they lived very well. As for his enemies, their misery would be endless!
Taking a deep breath, Xin Yun turned his head and looked over at the boys who had just taken his spot, a cold glint flashing in his eyes... In this life, he would never give them another chance to do evil!