With a sudden splash, Leon Nightfall, who was drifting in the river, was pulled out by someone.
"Ah!" he exclaimed as a sharp pinch to his philtrum jolted him awake. Instinctively, he tried to leap to his feet, but the unfamiliarity of his body made him stumble and nearly fall.
"My... my body!" he gasped, looking down to find himself whole and unscathed. Joy and surprise flooded through him. After being trapped in the form of a dark crow for millions upon millions of years, he had finally reclaimed his own flesh. Even someone as seasoned as Leon, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Leon looked up to see an old man standing before him.
"Heh heh, it was old me who fished you out of the river," the man said with a sly grin. As he spoke, he revealed the only three large yellow teeth left in his mouth. His smile was as lecherous as could be.
Glancing along the riverbank, Leon caught sight of the distant silhouette of the Immortal Demon Grotto. At the sight of it, his youthful thirteen-year-old face hardened, and an aura that belied his age emanated from him.
After a long pause, he turned to the old man. "May I ask your name?"
"People call me Old Man Three Ghosts, from the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect," the elder replied, his grin widening to expose his trio of yellowed teeth, saliva trickling down.
"The Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect..." Leon murmured, the name stirring long-sealed memories. He had been imprisoned in the body of a dark crow for so many millennia.
"Who currently holds the Heavenly Mandate?" he asked, regaining his composure.
"The Heavenly Mandate? No one has borne it yet," Old Man Three Ghosts chuckled.
"What of the Void Traversing Immortal Emperor?" Leon's expression shifted subtly. Could he have slept for hundreds of thousands of years this time?
"The Void Traversing Immortal Emperor vanished thirty thousand years ago," the old man continued, his grin never fading.
"And the Black Dragon King of Sea-Suppressing City?"
Old Man Three Ghosts shook his head. "No one knows. The Black Dragon King disappeared thirty thousand years ago as well."
Leon's face grew solemn upon hearing this. Gazing once more at the faint outline of the Immortal Demon Grotto, understanding dawned on him as to why he had regained his body.
"Let's go," he declared firmly, turning away without waiting to see if the old man followed. Having lived through countless epochs and endured innumerable trials, he knew exactly what needed to be done.
Sea-Suppressing City was the most formidable and unmatched lineage of the current age. When the Black Dragon King was alive, he dominated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, unrivaled and revered across generations.
Though the Black Dragon King had been missing for thirty thousand years, Sea-Suppressing City still stood like a colossal titan between heaven and earth.
Outside its grand gates stood a young boy of about thirteen and an old man whose lewd grin revealed three yellowed teeth.
By the city entrance, Leon quietly burned paper money, his thoughts solemn. Little Blackie, rest in peace. In this life, you've helped me reclaim my body. One day, I will crush the wicked realms to avenge you!
Finally, he lifted his gaze to the towering walls of Sea-Suppressing City. Time had changed so much; everything felt unfamiliar. He reminisced about the past—how this magnificent city had risen from the ground, built through years of relentless effort by him and Little Blackie.
Yet, after thirty thousand years, who would remember the dark crow that once toiled behind the scenes?
"Heh heh, let's head back to the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect," Old Man Three Ghosts chimed in, his three yellow teeth catching Leon's eye.
"Let's go," Leon agreed calmly. No matter how enigmatic the old man was or what his true intentions might be, nothing could surprise him anymore. After surviving countless eras, accompanying Immortal Emperors, and journeying with the Medicine God—all while trapped in a crow's body—very little could stir him.
Not long after they departed, a breathtakingly beautiful woman emerged from Sea-Suppressing City. She moved with the grace of a sea fairy, embodying the essence of the ocean itself. As she prepared to embark on her journey, her eyes caught sight of a charred fragment of paper money at the base of the city wall. On it was a faintly visible symbol.
Her expression shifted instantly upon seeing it. "Who was here burning paper money just now?" she demanded.
An attentive old servant quickly gathered information. "The guards report that not long ago, an old man and a boy around thirteen or fourteen were burning paper money here."
"Find them! Now!" she ordered decisively.
"But Your Highness, weren't you headed to the Divine Mountain?" the old servant hesitated.
"Find them!" she repeated, and without another word, she soared into the sky, disappearing in pursuit.
Despite her efforts, the woman failed to locate the duo. Returning to Sea-Suppressing City, she remained deep in thought. That symbol hadn't appeared here for countless millennia. Why had it resurfaced now? Was it an omen, a threat, or something else entirely?
"Your Highness, we've lost their trail," the loyal servant reported.
"Notify all our people: keep an eye out for these two, but do not alert anyone else. Report directly to me with any news," she instructed firmly.
The servant was taken aback. Sea-Suppressing City was a dominant force in this world, and their princess—the Sea-Suppressing Goddess—was a renowned figure. Rarely did she exhibit such gravity.
"And what of the Divine Mountain expedition?" he inquired cautiously.
"Postponed," she replied. "I need to consult the ancient records left by our ancestors. There's something unusual about all this." With that, she retreated to the deepest chambers of the city's forbidden archives.
The Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect resided within the borders of the Precious Holy Kingdom. It was an institution steeped in history—an immortal sect with imperial lineage. In the early days of the Emperors' Era, the peerless Immortal Emperor Ming Ren had founded the sect here.
But as millions of years passed, the tides of time eroded its former glory. No longer did it dominate the Eight Desolations. Despite periods of resurgence, the sect couldn't halt its gradual decline.
"Great Elder, we have a problem! A mortal has come to our sect demanding to be our chief disciple," a disciple reported urgently one morning as the Great Elder began his day.
"Just send him away!" the Great Elder replied without looking up. "Do trivial matters like this really require my attention?"
A mortal aspiring to be the chief disciple? The notion was absurd. The position wasn't just a title; it was a mantle signifying the successor to the sect master. Even though the sect master was currently absent, the elders had the authority to handle such affairs.
"But... but he was recommended by Old Man Three Ghosts," the disciple stammered.
At this, the Great Elder's eyes narrowed. "Old Man Three Ghosts? Did he swindle someone out of wine again and make empty promises?"
Old Man Three Ghosts was indeed a member of their sect, though many wished he wasn't. His name sounded imposing, but to the elders, it was a source of embarrassment. He was notorious for three vices: a love of money, gambling, and women. Self-proclaimed as "Grandpa," others mockingly dubbed him Old Man Three Ghosts.
Despite lacking significant cultivation, he wielded considerable influence within the sect. Rumors suggested he was the illegitimate son of the previous sect master. On his deathbed, the former master had supposedly entrusted the current leadership with the care of Old Man Three Ghosts.
Some whispered that he might even be the son of the sect master from two generations prior. Regardless of his true lineage, the ambiguity and disgrace surrounding his background made the sect's leadership reluctant to delve deeper or discuss it openly.
Given his unsavory habits and lack of discipline, neither the elders nor the disciples held him in high regard.
"Recommendation or not, escort the mortal off our mountain," the Great Elder insisted, irritation creeping into his voice. His morning peace had been disrupted enough.
"But... he holds the Cleansing Incense Ancient Token," the disciple revealed hesitantly.
"The Cleansing Incense Ancient Token!" The Great Elder's demeanor changed instantly. After a moment's contemplation, he ordered, "Summon the other elders. Have the mortal wait in the main hall."
The Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect boasted six elders in total. Upon hearing about the token, the others quickly convened.
The Cleansing Incense Ancient Token was one of three sacred relics left by Immortal Emperor Ming Ren himself. While the other two had been reclaimed ages ago, the last remained inexplicably in Old Man Three Ghosts' possession.
Aside from the previous sect master's dying wish to care for the old man, the elders were powerless against him mainly because of this token. Possession of it was akin to the presence of Immortal Emperor Ming Ren himself, granting the holder the right to make one request of the sect.
Seated in the sect's venerable main hall, Leon gazed upon its aged surroundings. His eyes lingered on the statue at the forefront, its features blurred by centuries of incense smoke. Memories long buried stirred within him.
The statue depicted Immortal Emperor Ming Ren. Despite the passage of time, it still emanated an aura of ancient majesty, towering as if it touched the very heavens, compelling reverence from all who beheld it.
A swirl of emotions churned in Leon's heart. So many eras had come and gone. Immortal Emperor Ming Ren was no more, yet here Leon stood, having witnessed the rise and fall of countless epochs. Today, he had finally reclaimed his own body, but how many legends had faded into the annals of history?