Even though it was already early summer, the snow had yet to melt. The cold here was exceptionally enduring. The occasional roars of beasts echoed through the mountains.
On the surface of the valley stood a majestic city.
The world outside of the Skyward Mountains had long been overtaken by beasts. The inhabitants of the mountain range had not had contact with the outside world for centuries.
The people living in the city were unaware of the current state of the outside world. It was recorded that in humanity's most glorious era, thousands of Legend rank Warriors and Spirit Masters established numerous empires across the vast continent, but those empires had since been destroyed.
Due to its hidden geographical location, the city was preserved through the Age of Darkness. Occasionally, it faced attacks from powerful Frost Wind Beasts within the Skyward Mountains, but after enduring countless devastating battles, the city was always rebuilt.
These motley walls stood as an indomitable monument.
This city was called Lumina City, a beacon of hope for humanity.
Celestial Blossom Institute, Warrior Novice class
Over thirty students sat, awaiting their teacher's lecture. They were Warrior Novices, students of Lumina City's Celestial Blossom Institute.
"I heard that the new teacher, Lira Xian, is one of the prestigious Shadow Family's 3-star Silver rank Spirit Masters!"
A few students whispered among themselves.
The students' attention was focused on the teacher. She had a tall figure, was wearing a deep blue dress that clung tightly to her body, accentuating her graceful form. Her slender, white legs were elegantly crossed, and she wore exquisite makeup that highlighted her beauty and sophistication. Her eyes sparkled with pride and confidence. The Shadow Family was one of the three major families of Lumina City. As a member of noble birth and a 3-star Silver rank Spirit Master, she had every reason to be prideful.
As a 3-star Silver rank Spirit Master, she would not normally teach here. She had only agreed to because her niece was in this class.
"Spirit Masters and Warriors have five different ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Legend rank. Each rank is then divided into five levels, from 1-star to 5-star."
"A Spirit Master is above a Warrior. We are a truly noble existence. A Spirit Master can form a soul realm within their dantian. They have the ability to integrate a captured spirit into their soul realm and then merge with the spirit in combat. This allows them to possess matchless strength, far beyond what Warriors can achieve." Lira Xian raised her chin and spoke arrogantly, "Just like me, my spirit is a Crimson Flame Fox."
Suddenly, Lira Xian's face and hands underwent drastic changes. Her facial shape became sharper, her teeth and nails also became sharper. Finally, a scarlet tail emerged from her back.
"After merging with a spirit, I can control its strength as well as gain fire-type abilities. Among the spirits, the Crimson Flame Fox is a Gold rank beast. This means that the highest level I can reach is Gold rank Spirit Master. Of course, after becoming a Gold rank Spirit Master, I can replace it with a more powerful spirit."
When it came to her cultivation, the pride on Lira Xian's face became thicker.
Lira Xian's words caused a group of students to be amazed. Gold rank Spirit Masters were existences beyond the reach of most of them.
As Lira Xian continued lecturing on the stage, Kael was sitting in the back row. His mind was in a trance as his soul floated around.
After a while, Kael slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't help being confused by the scene in front of him.
"Where am I?" Kael quietly asked himself.
He was utterly shocked as he realized that his hands had become smaller and his skin had become a lot more tender.
Lira Xian was on the stage, talking nonstop. Kael clearly remembered that this was the year he joined the institute. The teacher lecturing was a 3-star Silver rank Spirit Master and was extremely arrogant. Because of her, Kael had been unwilling to learn for quite some time.
"I was actually reborn?" Kael was deeply shocked. He remembered being surrounded and attacked by the Celestial Emperor and six Deity rank beasts and dying in the battle. It seems his soul was reborn to the time when he was thirteen years old.
Kael looked towards the side and saw familiar faces: Leo and Darius. These brothers that had shared life and death with him were alive, though their appearances were very immature.
And her, Kael looked towards the left. A few meters away from him, a beautiful, flawless face came into his field of vision. Her name was Zera Yun. Although her appearance was only thirteen or fourteen years old, she already looked slender and elegant with purple-colored hair pouring down to her waist. She had arched eyebrows, and an intelligent radiance was seen within her eyes. Whenever she smiled, she would have deep dimples.
Although she looked a little childish, Kael knew that, when she grew up a bit more, she would be extremely beautiful and enchanting. She wore a silk white dress that gave her a kind of unspeakable elegance. In his previous life, Kael had a deep affection for her ever since he was a teen.
'She's not dead!'
Kael was extremely excited to the point that he almost choked.
"I actually went back in time, is this real? Not a dream?" Kael asked himself as he severely pinched himself. The clear pain told him that this wasn't a dream. Suddenly he thought of something.
"The Chrono Spirit Tome. It must've been the Chrono Spirit Tome!"
Kael lowered his head and immediately searched for it, but could not find the Chrono Spirit Tome.
Kael could not believe that his rebirth, this mysterious phenomenon that happened to him, was not related to the mysterious Chrono Spirit Tome!
That Chrono Spirit Tome's creator was not known. It was a highly mysterious book that Kael always kept with him. He clearly remembered, when he was fighting the Celestial Emperor and the six Deity rank beasts, that his blood had thoroughly covered the book. It must have been the Chrono Spirit Tome that brought him back to when he was only thirteen.
After seeing all these familiar faces, Kael drifted into his distant memory.
He remembered when Lumina City was under the assault of the Frost Wind beasts. Lumina City's guardian, Lord Aric Mo, who was a Legend rank Spirit Master, died in the battle with the beasts among hundreds of thousands of people. Only a few thousand survived and fled to the desert east of the Skyward Mountain range. During the escape, one survivor after another died in the desert. One day, they were surrounded by the beasts in the desert. Later that night, Kael and Zera Yun sought the comfort of each other's souls.
That night, Kael had finally embraced the goddess in his heart with his arms.
Under the night sky, the silver moonlight became a hazy veil. Zera Yun's exquisite physique, with her crystal clear skin that looked as though she was molded from a jade sculpture. They embraced each other with a mad passion.
If it wasn't for the destruction of Lumina City, and for the dreadful escape, he could never have gotten the favor of Zera Yun. He had ridiculously low talent and was from a declining family.
After that night, they encountered another group of beasts and in order to protect him, Zera Yun died by the hands of one of the beasts. Kael could never forget that moment.
After he experienced the life-threatening attacks, Kael survived and walked out of the Endless Desert.
Although his talent was low, his survival instincts allowed Kael to travel throughout the Divine Continent. He came across many people who were fighting the beasts. He also came across many mysterious things, and of course, that Chrono Spirit Tome. If it wasn't for the book, Kael wouldn't have been able to come back.
That mysterious Chrono Spirit Tome actually brought him back through time!
He was brought back to before Lumina City's destruction. Before his parents, family, and brothers' deaths in the battle. Before Zera Yun's death in the escape.
"Since I'm back, the heavens have given me another chance. I will not let the destruction of Lumina City happen again!" Kael said under his breath, gritting his teeth. He firmly made his decision.
He vaguely remembered that he should have just enrolled into the institute this year and he should be thirteen years old. Kael wanted to laugh happily, 'I'm back, how nice!'
'Celestial Emperor, the next time we meet, I'll slaughter you, and avenge my previous life!'
If it wasn't for the destruction of Lumina City, he and Zera Yun would be from two different worlds. It wouldn't be possible for them to be together. Zera Yun was the
daughter of the Yun Family, one of the most prominent and influential families in Lumina City. She was destined for greatness, while Kael, with his declining family name and low talent, was destined to live in her shadow.
But now, with this second chance, Kael vowed to change everything. He would not only protect Lumina City and its people but also rise above his limitations. He would train harder, become stronger, and ensure that the tragedies of his past life would not repeat themselves.
Kael's heart burned with determination as he clenched his fists. The weight of his past mistakes and regrets was heavy, but it also fueled his resolve. He would harness the knowledge and experiences from his previous life to alter the course of history.
"Zera Yun," Kael whispered to himself, "this time, I will protect you. I will protect everyone."
As Lira Xian continued her lecture, Kael's mind raced with plans and strategies. He knew he had a long journey ahead of him, filled with challenges and dangers. But this time, he was ready. He had been given a rare gift—a second chance to rewrite his destiny.
Kael's gaze hardened as he looked around the classroom. This was where it all began. This was where he would start his journey to reshape the future. With his newfound resolve, Kael silently vowed that he would not waste this opportunity.
The rebirth of Kael marked the beginning of a new era, one where he would rise from the ashes of his past and forge a path to a brighter future for Lumina City and its people.
And so, the story of Kael's rebirth and his quest to change fate began—a tale of determination, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of a young warrior determined to defy the odds and protect those he loved.