C1 A Thousand Years ago

In Jiang Province, Linhai City, a week of dreary, rainy weather had settled in, casting a somber mood throughout the area. Thunder rumbled relentlessly over Linhai University, sounding like the roars of a wild beast, sending shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

"Boom!" Another clap of thunder resounded.

At the back of the classroom in the Materials Science Department's Polymer Science Class One, a figure who had been dozing suddenly lifted his head.

"Hey, Ye Luo, you're up before the bell? That's not like you," the astonished Fatty sitting next to him exclaimed.

Ye Luo swiftly reached out to grab something, but his hand grasped nothing but air.

What was going on? Where was his sword?

Something wasn't right.

Wait a minute, where had his attackers gone?

Looking around, Ye Luo was dumbfounded. A middle-aged woman with glasses was writing on the blackboard with chalk, surrounded by a group of boys and girls in school uniforms, all diligently taking notes...

Classroom. Teacher. Classmates.

Suddenly, it struck Ye Luo like a thunderbolt, shaking him to his core. He whirled around and grabbed Fatty's shoulder.

Fatty, caught in Ye Luo's intense gaze, felt like prey in the eyes of a predator and instinctively wanted to retreat.

"What year is it? What's the date? Where are we?" Ye Luo's voice trembled with urgency.

"Ye, Ye Luo, are you alright? You didn't scramble your brains sleeping, did you?" Fatty grimaced under Ye Luo's vice-like grip.

"Out with it!"

"Alright, alright! It's May 10th, 2020. We're at Linhai University, in our classroom, dude!" Fatty replied, looking at Ye Luo as if he were out of his mind.

"2020, Linhai City, in a classroom?" Ye Luo's eyes swept the room again. The bespectacled middle-aged woman at the front had turned to address the class, her lecture accentuated by animated gestures.

A storm of shock and disbelief surged within Ye Luo.

This was a thousand years ago!

He was back at the school he once attended!

He had been reborn, reborn a thousand years in the past, back to when he was still a student.

Ye Luo slapped himself hard.

It hurt, a deep, piercing pain, but Ye Luo just laughed, laughed with reckless abandon.

Just moments ago, in the Heavenly Great World, as he was on the verge of breaking through to the Sovereign realm, Ye Luo was besieged by the nine Heavenly Emperors because he was the youngest, most talented, and most ruthless Martial Cultivator in the history of the realm.

They were afraid, afraid of him becoming an Emperor, afraid that once he did, no one would be able to hold him down.

So, the nine Heavenly Emperors and countless experts launched an assault on Ye Luo. The battle lasted seven days and nights, with billions of Martial Cultivators falling at Ye Luo's hands.

In the end, though, Ye Luo was exhausted, his Vital Energy depleted, and he discovered a mysterious toxin spreading to every cell in his body, preventing him from recovering from his injuries.

As he was about to be slain, Ye Luo chose to detonate his Dantian, taking one of the Heavenly Emperors with him to the grave.

I thought everything had turned to ashes, that I was back to square one.

But who would have thought, Ye Luo actually got reborn, a thousand years in the past, with a chance to start all over again!

Ye Luo suddenly burst into laughter, feeling an immense sense of exhilaration.

"Who would've guessed, huh? That Ye Luo didn't bite the dust. Demon Emperor, Sword Emperor, Soul Emperor... wait for me. I'll tear you all to shreds, one by one, ha ha ha..."

Watching Ye Luo laugh maniacally and listening to his crazed speech, Hsu Danian, his deskmate, was completely baffled. He truly thought Ye Luo had lost his mind.

"Whoa, Ye Luo, are you okay? We're still in class. Don't get too cocky. Professor Yang is tough as nails. Aren't you afraid she'll have your head for this?" Hsu Danian cautioned.

At that, Ye Luo quieted down momentarily.

He focused on the area where his Vital Energy should be and, sure enough, found it empty. The vast Vital Energy and formidable power he once possessed were now gone.

But no matter, all those heaven-defying techniques and unparalleled opportunities were etched in his mind. With these memories, his path as a Martial Cultivator would be swift and smooth, a hundredfold more so.

Ye Luo believed that it wouldn't be long before he returned to his peak, reclaimed what was his, and exacted vengeance on those who deserved it.

"Hold on, Fatty, did you say today is May 10th, 2020?" Ye Luo's heart, which had been racing with excitement, suddenly clenched with tension.

Because he remembered something significant: on this very day, this year, his most beloved girlfriend, Ann Xin, met a tragic end.

Ye Luo could never erase the memory of that day. He stood outside the most opulent private room in Linhai City, watching in horror as Ann Xin, the woman he cherished, collapsed. Her blood soaked her pale yellow dress, her expression eternally marked by regret.

This was the darkest day in Ye Luo's life, a day that would forever alter the course of his existence. Even after a millennium, he remembered it vividly.

"What time is it now?" Ye Luo asked, glancing at Hsu Danian.

Feeling a chill down his spine, Hsu Danian trembled slightly as he pointed to the clock beside the blackboard and stammered, "It's four, four-forty, almost time for class to end."

With a swift motion, Ye Luo rose from his seat, disregarding the stares of everyone in the classroom, and strode towards the door.

The entire class was stunned. This was Professor Yang's class—the notorious demon of a teacher. Ye Luo's earlier brazen laughter had already drawn the professor's ire, and before the man could even erupt in anger, Ye Luo was boldly making his exit right in front of him. It was madness—this guy could kiss his graduation goodbye.

"Since fate has granted me a second chance, Ann Xin, in this life, I vow you won't suffer a single scratch. And those who dare try to harm you? I'll ensure they rue the day they were born." With a determined clench of his fist, Ye Luo charged toward the entrance of Linhai University.

"Hey, isn't that Ye Luo, the Material Academy's very own reject? What's the rush? Trying to get a head start on your next life?"

Approaching the staircase, Ye Luo found his way barred by a pack of sneering faces.

He looked up to confront the smug visage of Zhu Jian, the school's notorious tyrant. With his father as a school board member, Zhu Jian terrorized students with impunity, his misdeeds going unpunished.

Most students, after suffering Zhu Jian's torment, would bite their tongues and keep quiet—who would dare cross the director's son and risk their place at the university? In his past life, Ye Luo, an orphan with middling grades but a girlfriend as stunning as Ann Xin, had been a frequent target of Zhu Jian's cruelty and jealousy. Zhu Jian had not only bullied Ye Luo but also repeatedly harassed Ann Xin.

These memories were etched in Ye Luo's mind, but now was not the time for settling old scores. He was desperate to save Ann Xin.

"Don't test me. Move aside!" Ye Luo shot Zhu Jian a frosty glare and commanded with icy resolve.