The early morning mist hung low in the valley as Li Wei sat in his courtyard, staring at the rising sun.
His small hands pressed against the earth, grounding himself as his bare feet sank into the grass.
The scent of dew filled the air, and the energy of the land seemed to hum beneath him, faintly pulsing with life.
It had been weeks since his rebirth, but each day was a new struggle.
His body was still weak, a far cry from the strength he once possessed.
Yet, deep within him, there was a familiar pull—an ancient power that whispered to him through the fragments of his shattered memories.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, attempting to tap into that power.
A faint pulse of spiritual energy stirred within him, but it was fleeting, slipping away before he could harness it.
He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Why is it so hard?" he muttered under his breath.
As the minutes passed, Li Wei's attention began to waver.
His mind wandered, flashes of unfamiliar faces and images filling his thoughts.
He saw a towering figure, a woman with eyes like burning coals—Xiao Xue—and a man clad in dark armor with an aura that could freeze the air—Jin Lu.
They were part of a life that seemed so distant, yet so close, like dreams on the edge of his memory.
Suddenly, a loud, distant roar shattered his thoughts.
Li Wei snapped his eyes open, his body instinctively springing into action.
A dark shape flew across the sky, cutting through the mist like a shadow. The familiar feeling of danger seeped into his bones.
"Shadow beasts!" he gasped, remembering the monstrous creatures that roamed the lands, servants of the Shadow Devourer.
The beasts were harbingers of chaos, their appearance signaling the coming of dark forces.
Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet and dashed toward the village square.
The once peaceful village was now a site of panic.
Villagers scrambled, shouting and running for cover.
At the center of it all stood Zhao Ming, the village elder, his wrinkled face tight with worry.
"Li Wei!" Zhao Ming called, his voice filled with urgency.
"The shadow beasts are here! We need to protect the village!"
Li Wei's heart pounded. The villagers had no idea how to fight these creatures.
His cultivation was weak, but there was no time to waste.
As he approached Zhao Ming, he noticed the elderly man's hands trembling.
"We need to defend ourselves," Li Wei said, his voice steady despite his racing thoughts. "I... I can help."
"Help?" Zhao Ming looked at him in disbelief.
"You're just a child! These creatures are no joke!"
But Li Wei could feel it—the pulse of power that ran through the land, through him. It was faint, but it was there.
He needed to act, and the trial of his first battle was before him.
Suddenly, the air grew heavy, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.
From the mist, a pair of hulking figures emerged.
Their bodies were covered in shadowy fur, their eyes glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light.
The beasts snarled, their claws raking the earth, sending up sparks.
Behind them, more figures emerged, their forms indistinct but menacing.
"Here they come," Zhao Ming whispered, taking a step back.
"You must protect the villagers, Li Wei."
Li Wei took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
The power within him stirred again, urging him to act.
He focused on his inner energy, calling forth the faint traces of his past cultivation techniques.
His hands began to tremble as he attempted to channel the energy.
But then, a strange sensation overwhelmed him—a flash of memory, a scene from a battle long ago.
He saw himself, not as Li Wei, but as Lian Shen.
His body was different, more powerful, radiating an aura that bent the very air around him.
He could feel the energy of the world coursing through him like a river.
He had faced enemies like these before, only they were more powerful, more deadly.
"Remember," a voice echoed in his mind. It was the voice of the Elder of Rebirth, the being that had guided him to this second chance.
"This is your first trial. Your past strength is within you, waiting to be unlocked. Use it, or perish."
Li Wei clenched his fists, focusing all his will into the power inside him.
The energy began to swirl within his body, gathering at his core.
Slowly, a faint light began to glow from his chest, flickering like a distant star.
[System Notification:
"Task 1: Cultivate your energy.
Power Fragment detected.
Unlocking power fragment... 7% complete."]
The power surged through him, and for the first time since his rebirth, Li Wei felt something familiar—strength.
His body, though still small, felt lighter, faster.
He lifted his hands and focused the energy into his palms, feeling it form into something solid.
The air around him crackled with the force of it.
With a shout, Li Wei thrust his hands forward, releasing the energy in a blast of light.
The shadow beasts recoiled, momentarily stunned by the sudden surge of power.
The villagers, who had been watching in terror, gasped in awe.
The beasts roared in fury, their eyes narrowing as they charged forward. But Li Wei was ready.
Drawing on the power fragment that had awakened within him, he focused on the techniques of the Lotus Heart Strike, an ancient technique he had once mastered in his past life.
He raised his arms, and the air around him shimmered with energy as he performed the strike, sending a concentrated wave of spiritual force toward the beasts.
The first shadow beast, caught by the blast, was thrown back, its body writhing in pain.
The second beast leapt toward Li Wei, its claws slashing through the air with deadly intent.
Li Wei dodged, his movements faster than before, and with a swift motion, he directed another burst of energy at the beast, sending it crashing to the ground.
The villagers watched in awe as the young boy held his own against the creatures.
But there was no time to celebrate. More shadow beasts emerged from the mist, their numbers growing.
Villager "How could this young child be this strong?"
Li Wei's energy was draining quickly, but he refused to back down.
He had to protect these people.
"Li Wei!" Zhao Ming shouted from the sidelines.
"Don't push yourself too hard! You need to conserve your energy!"
But Li Wei could hear nothing over the roar of battle.
He felt something stir deep within him—an ancient instinct, a driving force that urged him to keep fighting.
His past life, his lost power, it was all coming back. Slowly, but surely, the fragments were returning.
With a final burst of energy, Li Wei gathered all the power he had left and launched the Lotus Heart Strike once more, the energy coalescing into a brilliant beam of light.
The shadow beasts screamed in agony as the light tore through them, obliterating their forms.
The village fell silent. The mist cleared, and the last remnants of the shadow beasts vanished into the earth.
Li Wei stood in the center of the village, panting, his small body trembling with exhaustion.
[System Notification: "Task 1 Complete: 10% of your past strength unlocked.
Reward: Spirit Herb of Vitality fragment 35 %."]
[Battle point: 55]
Zhao Ming rushed to his side, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You... you did it, Li Wei. You saved us."
Li Wei nodded, but his mind was elsewhere.
The battle had been a trial, but it was only the beginning.
The path ahead would be long, and he knew that the forces of darkness were still out there.
The Shadow Devourer was waiting, and he had yet to regain all the power he had lost.
But for now, he has passed his first test.