Wang Hao remembered it all—his lives, his journey through each life: from slave to emperor, from prisoner to leader of a rebellion, from mortal to immortal. He had lived for more than thirty-three lives, yet not once did he do the same thing over and over. Was it to find entertainment in his curse, or was it to identify the flaws from lives he had lived before, thus trying to fill in those gaps?
Even Wang Hao was unsure what his answer was. He had betrayed and was betrayed; he had loved and was hated. From friends to foes, from unknowns to the known, he had seen it all. Yet why did he feel so blind?
Looking back, Wang Hao knew that he could change the middle course of his lives and the end result, but never the beginning because that was set in stone. He was a reincarnator and a regressor. He was born on Earth and was born in the Earth realms. Outside and inside, only he could understand his thoughts and his struggles.
UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF YEARS AGO
White Cloud Continent, gu Masters, or other terms: those that cultivate the immortal path, those who break the laws but also use the laws of the Heavenly Dao. Hypocrites pretending to understand the Dao and the meaning of their lives but discarding those around them just as easily. Preaching about immortality yet acting like petty children when angered.
Deeming strength to be the answer to everything, they created holy lands for those lesser than them to pray to them like gods. Yet these so-called gods were more emotionally unstable than mortal men.
Mind over strength, journey over destination, soul over body. Only the most powerful gu Masters understood these values, while the weak, pretending to be strong, were too dull to even comprehend their responsibilities.
Wang Hao's first life, he lived on earth, he worked, he lived and he loved, and he died.
The first time Wang Hao reincarnated, he was shocked and scared. But as the son of the head of the Wang Clan, he had something no one else in his generation had—influence. He used that influence to make a name for himself, leveraging his memories from Earth to create inventions and improve the lives of his clansmen. This earned him praise and respect, and he was given a title in the clan that symbolized "Heaven's Child," which in their culture meant a genius above others.
Wang Hao trusted them, believing their flattering words. However, when the awakening ceremony came, everything changed. Praises soon turned into insults, smiles became scowls. Like any other reincarnation story, he soared high only to be shot down and fall to the ground faster than he had risen.
Though his status remained the same, Wang Hao's influence diminished. His father's gaze shifted to his brother, Wang Shen, who was regarded more favorably. Wang Hao was merely a political tool, but now he had become a stain on the family.
Wang Hao's talents were never even recognized at the lowest level during the talent awakening stone ceremony. Instead, there was no reaction, no spiritual root.
His father soon left the clan to search for their mother, and his uncle became the new clan head. Due to his uncle's wife's miscarriage and subsequent depression, she was considered useless. His uncle, using the same flattering words, adopted Wang Shen. A year after Wang Hao, Wang Shen was revealed to have a golden spiritual root and became the pride of the clan.
His uncle didn't even consider adopting Wang Hao and was tempted to throw him out, but Wang Shen kept begging his so-called new father to spare his brother.
But Wang Hao knew Wang Shen better than that. Wang Shen was talented, yes, but he was also scheming. No one understood the true nature of their relationship except for the brothers themselves. Wang Shen knew that if Wang Hao were to gain influence through inventions, poems, and art from external support, then cultivating or not wouldn't matter much. He, too, knew Wang Shen's dark side.
For most of his life, Wang Shen stayed in Wang Hao's shadow, learning from him, studying and analyzing him due to an inferiority complex, which was pitiful. But then Wang Shen soared far above his elder brother, which felt amazing to him. His inferiority became a superiority complex, but Wang Shen hid his true feelings behind a false act of kindness.
Years passed. Wang Hao made a living by being the second young master, but nobody treated him with the respect he deserved. He soon saw the world's cruelty and dark side.
Life went on. Disasters befell Wang Hao, and misfortune struck. He cursed the heavens, wept alone in the dark, and studied and schemed to leave the clan. At this time, Wang Shen had become the clan head after their uncle's passing, which occurred due to sacrificing his life in a beast tide.
If not for Wang Shen's efforts to maintain a benevolent face, he would have thrown Wang Hao into a cage. Power went to Wang Shen, but so did reputation, so he hid his misdeeds in the dark, and schemed.
A form of protection for Wang Hao was his acting, pretending to be a drunk fool, though that was the image he maintained for the outside world. His tolerance for alcohol and wine was high, which he used to his advantage, showing the clan that he had lost the will to live and used drinking as a coping mechanism. But the truth was that he kept track of how long it took for the guard to change shifts or if it was possible to drug the food in the main dining room, such as Wang Shen's, so that they would either sleep or die.
Wang Hao devised numerous plans and schemes, but he never expected outside aid to actually come.
An old man in white garb entered the tavern. On Earth, he might have been considered an old Chinese hobo, but in this world, he was the norm. Most people wore either robes or armor; only royalty, nobles, or clan leaders had the wealth and influence to wear luxurious clothing.
The old man met Wang Hao inside their clan's wine seller tavern.
"I heard you're here. Your name is Wang Hao, is that right?" the old man asked.
"No, my name is Ling tie," Wang Hao said drunkenly.
"Don't lie to me. Your drunk appearance isn't fooling anyone—not your clan head or me."
Wang Hao continued to act drunk, not giving up the pretense, yet his eyes became more focused, more alert. The thought of killing the man was tempting, but there were too many witnesses.
"What does an old fart like you want?"
"This old fart is called Long Ao. If you must ask, I heard rumors many years ago of a genius unlike any other. Yet fate was unkind and gave the genius the worst cultivation talent, but they say his mind is filled with ideas that others consider otherworldly."
This time, Wang Hao no longer faked the drunken act. He straightened his back, looked at the man with emotionless eyes, and replied, "What do you want?"
"The question is, young man, what do you want? Freedom? No, I know from talking to you that you desire no such thing. Immortality? Who doesn't desire that? So tell me, Wang Hao, what do you want?"
Wang Hao focused intently. Why should he reveal his heart's deepest longing to this stranger? He desired no revenge, no fame, nor the hollow echo of glory. Yet, he did have a dream.
In that moment of silence Wang hao spoke.
"I want to experience what this world has to offer."
"Hahaha," Long Ao laughed. His old, frail body seemed like it would break from his violent laughter. "What does this world have to offer? Let me tell you this, young man: the world is vast, the heavens even more boundless. To experience its wonders and miracles, you either have to be immortal or everlasting ."
"Stop with your nonsense. I'm not in the mood to hear wise words from an old fart like you. Get to your point."
"My point, young lad, is that I'm part of an organization. I can't grant you immortal strength, but I can offer you a chance—a chance to change everything. Though not much, it can be fate-changing."
"You don't mean..."
Wang Hao had read enough novels on Earth to have a rough idea of where Long Ao was going. This was either a golden opportunity or straight suicide.
"Yes, a chance at cultivation," Long Ao whispered. It seemed like nobody else in the tavern heard due to some kind of mystic skill he used.
"Man-made spiritual roots? Why would the heavens waste a talent like you, someone who knows the pain of a mortal and has an attitude and understanding far above most cultivators? We need people like you; we need your talent."
Wang Hao knew the man was manipulating him or trying to use him, but maybe...just maybe?
He nodded. After a while, the problem was how they would take him out.
The man noticed his expression.
"Did you know that a powerful Gu Master once came to these mountains? He was gravely wounded and half-dead. He left behind no legacy, only his corpse. Yet, rumors spread that he had stolen a Tier 6 gu, buried alongside him. gu Masters flocked to these mountains, sealing every corner and flipping the mountain upside down in search of the gu. But no one found it—except for a certain group of mortals."
Wang Hao remained silent, listening to the old man's ramblings.
"But how could mere mortals wield such power? gu Masters are selfish and would rather kill mortals than reward them. How could they let their enemies know they possessed such a treasure? Asking for rewards was not an option, and leaving was also out of the question. So tell me, Wang Hao, what did they do?"
"What?"
"They built around it—homes and shelters—hiding the gu but also using it when needed. You see, a Tier 6 gu can influence not only its surroundings but also the people nearby. The children of these mortals experienced slight mutations, allowing them to be born with spiritual roots. This way, their descendants became the next generation of gu Masters, warriors, and guardians. They created their own force, which, though not exceptionally strong, was sufficient to reap benefits for a long time, even beyond their own lifetimes."
"Let me guess—those mortals are the clan's ancestors."
"Yes. But the truth about the gu was kept secret. Throughout your clan's history, I doubt any of them had the strength to wield such a gu. The best they could do was siphon its energy into the soil, increasing the chance for talented individuals to emerge from their ancestral grounds, which, in this case, was the mountain city itself."
"I don't know how they can help me leave."
"The gu, over the years, has developed a sense of belonging to the clansmen. As they maintain its energy, it, in turn, gives them a chance. It's like a child giving away a gift but still enjoying the rewards. It recognizes the clansmen as its family. You see, gus are fragments of the Dao, given form. They have emotions and feelings. For the first time in hundreds of years, it didn't bestow a talent upon a child of the Wang Clan. Do you know why?"
Wang Hao had a hunch but wanted to hear it from Long Ao.
"Because it sensed that you don't belong here, rejecting your existence in this realm."
At this, Wang Hao reached for a hidden blade he had kept for emergencies. As Long Ao approached, he struck out fiercely, aiming directly at his eyes. Yet, Long Ao moved faster and dodged his attack effortlessly, and he struck back.
Wang Hao's vision faded.
This was his second life, but his first cycle. Looking back, Wang Hao realized how foolish he was to challenge a gu Master, especially an experienced one. He remembered being struck on the head and then kidnapped. Did the clan intervene? No. To them, a mortal's life was insignificant. Only Wang Shen made a fuss, but it quickly died down. The clan was in slight turmoil, and Wang Hao was dragged to the mainlands, forgotten and abandoned.