Lin Yuechan's home was located in the Shangshan Ruoshui District, a mid-to-high-end area in Donghua City.
Even in the real estate market of 2008, which hadn't yet surged to its peak, the housing prices in this area were already approaching the ten-thousand-yuan mark per square meter.
On the way there, Qin Yanyan was like a curious baby, chattering nonstop and asking Jiang Chen questions about when he learned martial arts, whether he had been to Shaolin Temple, and other trivial things.
Lin Yuechan was also curious about Jiang Chen, but she cared too much about her image.
Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she couldn't bring herself to ask even one question.
When Jiang Chen looked at her, she immediately glared back with her almond-shaped eyes and snapped, "Jerk, what are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a beauty before?"
Jiang Chen curled his lips. "Chuxue, I helped you earlier. Forget saying thank you—you're even repaying kindness with insults now? That's pretty ungrateful."
Qin Yanyan giggled. "Hehe, Jiang Chen, what do you want her to do—marry you?"
Lin Yuechan rolled her eyes at him and pouted, "Hmph, wishful thinking. Even if all the men in the world died, I wouldn't marry him!"
Then she turned to Qin Yanyan and huffed, "Qian'er, you're sleeping with me tonight!"
Qin Yanyan smiled and nodded. "Alright, Yuechan. Tonight, I'll serve my Empress."
Yuechan playfully raised her fists and pounded Qin Yanyan's shoulder. "Go to hell!"
After the girls returned to their room, Jiang Chen's playful expression gradually faded.
He looked up at the familiar yet strange ceiling, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
"It's good to be alive again."
After a while, he went into his room and began inspecting his body.
The more he looked, the heavier his expression became.
All his powerful cultivation that once allowed him to sweep through the Eight Deserts and Nine Regions—gone.
It was like being max level in an online game, then suddenly getting your account deleted and starting from scratch.
He could only describe his mood with one word: frustrated.
Still, to be reborn was a blessing amid misfortune.
Although spiritual energy on Earth was thin, breaking through the Innate stage was still possible.
The path of cultivation followed this structure:
Acquired → Innate → Foundation Establishment → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Divinity Transformation → Mahayana → Celestial Realm
The Celestial Realm itself was divided into Nine Revolutions:
One to Three Revolutions: Celestial Lord
Four to Six Revolutions: Celestial King
Seven Revolutions: Immortal
Eight Revolutions: Immortal Venerable
Nine Revolutions: Immortal Emperor
Above them was the legendary Eternal Realm.
Across the vast Three Thousand Great Planes and uncountable beings, only nine Immortal Emperors were known to exist—and Jiang Chen had once been one of them.
He was destined to become the first to step into the Eternal Realm.
But fate had other plans.
He was ambushed by the Four Immortal Emperors, dozens of Immortal Venerables, and betrayed by the woman he loved most— Mu Qingshang, the Moon Orchid Saintess.
She had stabbed him in the back when he was most vulnerable.
As Jiang Chen recalled that cruel moment, fury and grief surged in his heart.
"Mu Qingshang… I treated you like my true love—why did you betray me? Why?!"
Suddenly!
In the midst of his emotional storm, Jiang Chen noticed something stirring within his Dantian.
A golden radiance was slowly rising, like a miniature sun peeking over the horizon.
His eyes widened.
Heartfire Stone?!
That very Stone which the Six Immortal Emperor and manu Immortal Venerables fought over—it was inside him now?
A wave of excitement washed over Jiang Chen.
The Stone slowly ascended into his spiritual sea, shining brilliantly.
Then—Boom!
It erupted with dazzling light, and Jiang Chen's vision went white.
"AHH! My eyes! My eyes!"
In the next room, Lin Yuechan heard the scream and rushed over barefoot, flustered.
"Jiang Chen?! What's wrong? What happened to your eyes?!"
His sight had gone blurry and painful, like hot needles stabbing into his eyes.
After a few moments, his vision returned slightly.
He blinked, disoriented.
"I'm… fine."
Lin Yuechan clutched her chest. "Hmph! If you're fine, then why were you screaming? You scared me half to death!"
With a final glare, she turned and stomped back to her room.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
She had run in barefoot, after all. That meant something.
He took a deep breath, focusing inward.
The Heartfire Stone had fully merged into his spirit sea.
Though his cultivation was still gone, the path to rise again had now truly begun.
And this time—
He wouldn't stop at Immortal Emperor.
He would step into the Eternal Realm, and burn his enemies to ashes along the way.