Chapter One: First Arrival

Boom!

As blinding bolts of lightning tore through the sky above Atlanta, the entire city of over ten million people was cast in a gloomy blue hue. Torrential rain began to pour down, and in an instant, fine lines of rain shrouded the whole city. The thunderclaps followed one after another, splitting the clouds and shaking the earth, deafening to the ears.

In a narrow, dim alley in the south of Atlanta, a pale-faced youth stood beside a puddle, staring blankly down at the unfamiliar face reflected in the water.

Ethan Thompson: Citizen of the United States of the Ameriga Federation, sixteen years old, also known as Andrew Thompson Weldon, of mixed heritage, currently a student at Atlanta Linden Academy, third-level magus swordsman. Father: Charles Thompson (deceased), mother: Eleanor Weldon (deceased), ranked nineteenth in the Wiltonstein family’s line of succession. Fifteen minutes ago, died suddenly for unknown reasons.

Brian Carter: Born in the Original Vault Realm, entered the Divine Firmament Sect at age ten to cultivate; half a month later, channeled qi into his body; built his foundation at thirteen; reached innate stage at sixteen; at twenty-two, dragon and tiger converged, condensing a golden core; at thirty-seven, achieved nascent soul; at sixty-four, reached grand completion and was granted the title "Divine Firmament Boundless Purple Void Immortal King" by the Langya Celestial Dynasty. His cultivation was hailed by all immortals of his era as unprecedented and unrepeatable.

In the forty-seventh year of the Langya Celestial Dynasty’s grand enlightenment, a great demonic calamity erupted in the Original Vault Realm. Dragons and serpents rose, the Divine Land was in turmoil. As the head of the Divine Firmament Sect, he led the immortal sects in battle for twenty-four years, slaying countless demons. In the final battle, he shattered the Vault of Heaven’s barrier, entered the boundless void alone, and pursued the Nine Heavens Desire Demon Logan Bennett at great risk.

Unfortunately, the ending was less than ideal. Though he ultimately slew the demon, he himself was left in a state of near mutual destruction—

As the fragments of memory churned in his mind and were gradually sorted out by ‘Brian Carter’, he couldn’t help but rub his temples in slight irritation, while lifting his head to gaze at this unfamiliar world before him.

It was a narrow alley, flanked on both sides by tall, blocky buildings. Bright lights shone from the windows, and not far away, the back doors of several shops glowed with colorful neon lights. Even under the shroud of a stormy night, everything here remained clearly visible.

According to the original owner’s memories, this was the backstreet of Atlanta Storm Sports Arena. He had come here today to participate in a competition—a comprehensive cold weapons combat tournament organized by the Ameriga NHSAA (National High School Athletics Association).

“What a strange world, and such dense primal energy?”

After a moment, the look in Brian Carter’s eyes became unusually complex. Besides shock, there was more regret, remorse, loss, unease, and even confusion.

Especially when he reached out a finger, trying to gather magical power at his fingertip, only to be overwhelmed by the weakness surging from his soul and the excruciating pain tearing through him.

After reincarnating by borrowing this body, his soul was gravely injured, his true essence gone. For a short time, he might not be able to return—

This thought appeared with crystal clarity in Brian Carter’s mind, making his emotions all the more chaotic.

The Nine Heavens Desire Demon Logan Bennett was dead, but his five subordinate god-demons remained, still able to wreak havoc in the world. There were still traitors within the sect, holding the core of the mountain. The current emperor of the Langya Celestial Dynasty deeply feared their Divine Firmament Sect and had long wished to destroy it. In addition, the southern "Heavenly Dao Sect" had emerged from the calamity almost unscathed, and after this disaster, would surely covet the many spiritual veins of the Central Plains.

This great sect of the Central Plains, passed down for 6,300 years and entrusted to him by his master, was now beset by internal and external troubles, riddled with wounds, and faced the danger of its lineage being extinguished.

The rain poured down in sheets, drenching Brian Carter to the bone. It was early winter, and the cold wind was biting, but the damp chill on his skin could do nothing to quench the heat burning in his chest—not even cool it a little.

This was heart-devil!

From the moment these tangled thoughts began to appear in his sea of consciousness, Brian Carter realized this. His soul was gravely wounded, and after merging with the remnant soul of ‘Ethan Thompson’, the nearly flawless state of his mind had developed a huge flaw.

If his mind was a city at this moment, then all its walls had collapsed, allowing all manner of demonic thoughts to come and go as they pleased.

But understanding was one thing; whether he could suppress and control this heart-devil was another.

Brian Carter clenched his teeth, his hands digging tightly into his flesh. At the center of his brow, faint red lines began to appear, spreading like a spiderweb and soon crawling across his entire face.