In a quiet house, a boy lay sleeping.
A gentle smile graced his face, yet unbeknownst to him, a golden dragon perched on his chest, its ancient eyes studying him closely.
The dragon chanted softly, and in the next instant, it began to fade, gradually merging into the boy. His body shivered slightly, reacting to a power it did not yet understand. His eyes fluttered open, only to meet the sight of a dilapidated room and a damaged ceiling.
"Why am I in this broken-down place?" he muttered, gazing around at the wreckage.
A sudden wave of intense pain surged through his mind.
"Ah… I've been reborn into this body," he realized. "Tomorrow was supposed to be the day I opened my bakery."
In his previous life, he had lived a quiet, simple existence. He wasn't a hero, nor a genius—just a humble baker.
After losing his parents in a road accident at a young age, he'd been raised by his grandmother, who ran a small bakery in a sleepy town. It was there, kneading dough and watching the rising bread, that Su Yang had discovered a rare peace.
He'd worked tirelessly, pouring love into every loaf and pastry, dreaming of someday opening his own little shop. People loved his gentle nature and warm smile—but fate, as always, had different plans.
He died the night before his bakery's grand opening, trying to protect a child from a drunk driver.
His final memory was of the boy's frightened eyes... and the bright headlights rushing in.
Now, he found himself in a new body, a new world.
His head throbbed, though the pain was less severe now. He reflected on the foreign-yet-familiar memories flooding his mind.
This body had once belonged to a boy also named Su Yang—an orphan who had scraped his way through life in the slums of Lu City.
Beside him was a girl named Su Yan. They weren't siblings by blood, but fate had bound them together. Both had been abandoned at birth, left crying in the same alley. A kind beggar had found them, giving them names and raising them on what little he could scavenge.
The beggar had passed away during a harsh winter, leaving the two to fend for themselves.
Together, Su Yang and Su Yan begged on the streets, sharing scraps and sheltering under temple roofs. They starved, froze, and endured cruelty—but never left each other's side.
To protect Su Yan from that life, Su Yang had ventured into the nearby mountains. He discovered he had an unusually sharp sense of smell—able to detect herbs and rare plants hidden from ordinary sight.
Through hardship and perseverance, he began selling the herbs, and eventually saved enough to buy a broken-down house just outside the city.
When Su Yang turned ten, a cultivation sect arrived in Lu City, seeking to recruit disciples.
At the time, he only knew of Nine basic stages of cultivation:
Skin Refinement – hardens the skin like armor.
Flesh Refinement – strengthens muscle and tissue.
Bone Refinement – fortifies the skeleton.
Blood Refinement – enhances circulation and qi flow.
Vein Refinement – opens and strengthens spiritual meridians.
Organ Refinement – purifies and enhances internal organs.
Marrow Refinement – reshapes the body's core foundation.
Soul Refinement – expands spiritual awareness and willpower.
Core Foundation – condenses the cultivator's essence into a spiritual core, a requirement to advance into true cultivation realms.
Each stage was further divided into four levels: Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak.
Only by completing the nine refinements could a mortal truly begin walking the path of a cultivator. Even reaching the Core Foundation Stage was considered a lifetime achievement by many in Lu City
On recruitment day, both Su Yang and Su Yan went together.
Su Yang was rejected—he lacked the spiritual roots needed to cultivate. But Su Yan possessed the rare Ice Spirit Constitution, an ideal match for ice-based cultivation. She hesitated to leave him, but Su Yang insisted.
"Become strong," he'd told her. "So you can protect both of us."
She left, and four long years passed without word.
Still, Su Yang never lost faith. He believed she would return, stronger than ever.
Rumors eventually reached Lu City that a young female cultivator from humble origins had risen swiftly in power—many believed it was Su Yan.
When Su Yang turned fourteen, an enigmatic figure dressed in black arrived at his doorstep.
The stranger's face was hidden beneath a shadowed hood. Without a word, he handed Su Yang a small pouch and a folded letter.
"Su Yan asked me to deliver this," the man said—and vanished like mist.
Su Yang opened the letter with trembling hands.
"I have become a cultivator. Our paths now diverge. I gift you this storage pouch filled with gold, so you may live your life in peace."
Su Yang stared at the words for a long time, emotions stirring within.
"Her pursuit of greatness was inevitable," he whispered. "You deserved more than a life confined by the ordinary