A month had passed since the Heavenly Demon's reincarnation into Ling Yun's body.
During this time, he had locked himself away in his chambers, refusing visitors, avoiding all social interactions, and not even opening the door for the servants. However, the Ling family members were not surprised. They knew their young master's temperament well.
One of the Ling clan members, passing by the eastern estate—the residence of their young master within the Feng family's palace—sighed deeply and said,
"The young master gave everything for our family's future. He cultivated day and night, hoping the Eternal Elder would take him as a disciple. He knelt at the foot of the mountain for ninety days, just to prove his worth. To keep our family from financial strain, he personally ventured into the mountains to collect spirit herbs. And when training his spiritual arts, he even cleared demonic beasts from the villages under our protection. But in the end, what was it all for?"
Another clan member shook his head.
"I don't understand why the heavens are so cruel to him. He is a good man, blessed with beauty, dedicated to his people, and the most just person I have ever met. Yet now, like a caged bird, he is at the mercy of the Feng family."
A third stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"But why has the young master sealed himself away? He hasn't eaten or left his room in a month. Could something have happened to him?"
Someone else replied,
"A few nights ago, I happened to see him staring at the sky through the window. He wore a long robe, and his eyes… they held no hope. He is going through difficult times. I just pray he finds his way back and reclaims his will to live."
With that, they moved on to switch shifts.
Inside the estate, Ling Yun sat in meditation, focusing on stabilizing his body's condition. From the moment he had awakened in this vessel, he had sensed the curse etched upon his forehead by the heavens.
Reincarnation was a forbidden art—a technique that defied the power of the celestial realm and bypassed the laws of Nirvana. Such defiance came at a steep price. For years after creating this technique, the Heavenly Demon had sought a way to circumvent its restrictions, but no such path existed.
To make matters worse, Ling Yun's body was in a dire state. Upon inspecting it, he discovered it had been poisoned, rendering his cultivation nearly useless.
Despite this, he had spent the past month doing everything in his power to salvage what remained of Ling Yun's abilities. Finally, after relentless effort, he had managed to stabilize his cultivation at the second layer of Qi Refinement.
In those conditions, even such a simple task took an entire month.
On the midnight of the thirtieth day, Ling Yun opened his eyes. After a month of relentless cultivation, he had managed to heal his body to a reasonable extent. But the real problem was only just beginning.
The price he had paid for using the Art of Reincarnation was far heavier than he had ever imagined.
"I was reborn, but the Dao's curse and the Calamity Seal have been etched onto my forehead. Fortune has abandoned me, and I'm stuck at the second layer of Qi Refinement..."
He opened the window, letting fresh air fill the room.
"Worse than that… is my lifespan. Heaven wants to remove me at any cost."
He circulated his Qi.
"Does this mean I have to resort to demonic cultivation?"
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
"No. Demonic methods have too many flaws. The simplest of them is the cultivator's unstable temperament. The madness of demonic cultivators always leads them into trouble… and right now, the last thing I need is more trouble."
"I have to regain my strength as quickly as possible."
But he was a Heavenly Demon—his knowledge was limited to demonic techniques. If he wanted to master other methods, the righteous sects' techniques, he would have to study their cultivation manuals.
"I need to find a way into the library and get my hands on a suitable cultivation method. Even if I don't find exactly what I need, it won't matter. I can always combine a few techniques and create my own."
As he gazed at the stars, he clenched his fist.
"Power is the essence of all things… Everything derives meaning from power. Even peace, without the strength to protect it, is nothing more than a foolish ideal unworthy of pursuit."
The next morning, the doors of Young Master Ling Yun's residence finally opened, and he stepped out, dressed in a flowing robe.
Two Foundation Establishment realm guards respectfully blocked his path.
"Young Master, may we ask where you're headed?"
Ling Yun responded with calmness and respect.
"Of course. I'm going to the baths. After that, I might visit the library. Life in the manor is dull—I need something to pass the time."
The two guards exchanged subtle smirks but said nothing. They escorted him to the baths and then to the Feng Clan's public library.
Ling Yun wasn't the least bit surprised to see the words "Public Library" at the entrance. He already knew he wasn't allowed into the Feng Clan disciples' library. In fact, the public library had been his target from the very beginning.
As he stepped inside, he thought to himself:
"All righteous cultivation techniques have clear origins. Their main difference lies in the elemental specialization of each clan. The Feng Clan's emblem is the phoenix, so their techniques must be centered around the fire element."
He had studied numerous books on the Feng Clan's history. Some of them contained vague, sometimes poetic, descriptions of the clan's origins and techniques.
Ling Yun carefully read through everything, committing every detail to memory. Then he moved on to the history of the world itself, studying everything from ancient legends to the latest recorded events.
He remained in the library until late into the night.
When he returned to his manor, Ling Yun carefully organized all the information he had gathered. Drawing from fundamental techniques, general knowledge, and what he had read about the Feng Clan's history and spiritual arts, he attempted to create a basic breathing method for fire-element cultivation.
However, after several failed attempts, he coughed up blood on his final try, his life force draining away.
"Cough...! Cough...! Damn it… I knew it. The Dao's curse directly hinders my cultivation progress..."
Ling Yun had once been a prodigy with unparalleled intuition. According to rumors, he could master basic techniques with a single glance, intermediate ones after a few practice sessions, and advanced methods within weeks.
But now, with the Dao's curse shackling him, that insight and understanding were gone.
The Heavenly Demon turned his gaze elsewhere, took a deep breath, drank a glass of water, and lay down on his bed.
"I need to find a way to circumvent the Dao's curse... Otherwise, with this wretched luck and the Calamity Seal, I won't last much longer!"
As he was lost in thought, a commotion outside caught his attention. He slowly opened his eyes and made his way to the door.
The Foundation Establishment guards were arguing with members of the Ling Clan.
"Hey! Where did you take the Young Master without informing us?!"
"You have no right to disrespect him!"
"We must see Young Master Yun!"
"That's right! Young Master! Don't worry! We'll protect you at all costs!"
Ling Yun listened to the voices from behind the door, a sneer forming in his mind. He silently mocked them for not realizing that their Young Master had already died.
But suddenly, a crushing pressure weighed on his chest.
"What? This body is reacting to their concern? Damn it!"
The pain was so intense he collapsed onto the floor, his face turning pale. A suffocating sensation spread through his chest, as if it were about to burst from within.
Crawling on the ground like a wounded beast, his trembling hand reached out, slowly cracking the door open.
The moment his gaze met the worried eyes of the Ling Clan members, the pain in his chest subsided.
The Heavenly Demon had just discovered another problem.
His body instinctively responded to the Ling Clan.
This was a massive weakness. If he ever took an action that endangered the clan members, who knew what kind of catastrophe would befall him?
"This body has an unshakable will to protect its people… Damn it. Just what I needed—another problem!"
Ling Yun pushed himself up, opened the door, and allowed the Ling Clan members to see him.
With a firm voice, he asked, "What's going on?"
The moment they saw him safe and sound, they shoved the guards aside and rushed toward their Young Master.
"Young Master Yun! Thank the heavens you're alright! We've been so worried about you this past month! How could you push yourself this hard?!"
Though Ling Yun was seething inside from the overwhelming problems piling onto him, he maintained a calm exterior. With a gentle expression, he replied, "Ah… I'm sorry for worrying you all. I just… needed some time to find myself again."
At that moment, an elderly woman who had served the Young Master for years broke into tears and fell to her knees.
"Young Master Yun! Please forgive us for being such a burden on you! We deserve death! The dragon meant to lead our clan to greatness is now caged because of us!"
Ling Yun gave her a warm smile and gently took her hand.
"The people of Ling are my family. Without you, I am nothing more than a dragon without scales. How could I call myself a dragon if I can't even protect my own scales?"