A massive hand, as large as a palm-leaf fan, seized William Reynolds in its grasp. The muscles on both arms swelled rapidly, bulging chunk by chunk; with just a slight exertion outward, William Reynolds could be torn to shreds.

At that very moment, a surge of blue light suddenly flared behind the demon clan leader, and a sword appeared out of thin air, thrusting straight for his neck.

Out of the corner of his eye, William Reynolds caught sight of a graceful figure, covered in blood, charging forward behind the sword’s gleam. She moved so fast that she left all the obstructing demon cultivators behind, heading straight for the demon clan leader.

“Grace Bennett!” William Reynolds’s heart stirred!

This Grace Bennett, without a doubt, was the most outstanding young expert of Yunluo City’s new generation, qualified to be among the first to retreat—so why was she here?

With the demon army densely packed, Grace Bennett’s appearance here meant there was absolutely no way out!

Grace Bennett’s delicate face, after prolonged slaughter, now bore a trace of ferocity.

Although William Reynolds and Grace Bennett had little interaction, in this split-second between life and death, their minds connected, each seeing the other’s intent—

Both were resolved to perish together with the demon clan leader!

William Reynolds’s lips curled into a faint, bitter smile. Perhaps this was his only solace before death!

At the very least, not every high-ranking member of Yunluo City had abandoned the city and fled!

At least, there was Grace Bennett as an exception!

With that smile, life and death were decided!

Suddenly, William Reynolds’s entire body exploded, a pillar of green light shooting skyward as he channeled all his true energy—he was using the “Heaven-Penetrating Disintegration Technique”!

All of this seemed to be within Grace Bennett’s expectations.

Her cold, beautiful face revealed a knowing smile. With a twist of her sword, a faint layer of frost instantly covered her body.

The frost spread rapidly, and in no time, everything within a thirty-foot radius was frozen solid.

With a flick of the sword, a cold light shot into the sky.

Boom—

Within a thirty-foot radius, a mass of frigid air exploded! Everything within was reduced to dust!

In an instant, the two humans and the demon vanished completely from this world!

Chapter 0001: Undying and Indestructible, Reborn Five Years Ago

William Reynolds felt as if he were drifting among the clouds, or perhaps floating in the abyss. There was always a spark of awareness, always a surge of boundless resentment and endless regret, holding the fragments of his soul together, refusing to let them scatter. Countless thoughts surged forth, converging again and again like rivers flowing into the sea.

From afar, William Reynolds seemed to see his elder brother waving at him, and to hear his mother sobbing in a corner. Scenes flickered before him, half-real, half-illusory, indescribable and impossible to grasp.

William Reynolds longed to reach out, but always seemed just a little too far away.

He tried to call out, but no matter how he strained his throat, he could never quite make a sound.

At this moment, a kind and familiar voice rang clearly in his ear.

“Young master, what’s wrong? Wake up. Young master Qinghong is causing trouble again.”

Hearing this voice, William Reynolds suddenly opened his eyes. Before him was a still somewhat childish face, with clear, spring-like eyes tinged with anxiety, leaning over his bed, gently shaking his arm, her breath fragrant as orchids.

“Little Alice?”

William Reynolds jumped up as if pricked by a needle, his eyes filled with disbelief as if he’d seen a ghost, staring blankly at Little Alice.

His mind felt as if it had been stabbed by a needle, buzzing incessantly.

It was indeed Little Alice, that youthful face, long-missed yet so familiar.

Looking around, the surroundings were also incredibly familiar. Even the bedding on the bed still held his own warmth. The bedside cabinet, every furnishing in the room…

Every detail told William Reynolds that this was the real, living world.

Yet William Reynolds still felt as if he were dreaming. How could he be here? Wasn’t he supposed to have perished together with the demon clan leader?

The brutality of that final battle still made William Reynolds shudder, even after the passage of time.

In that battle, he fought desperately, but it was all in vain. The demon army surged like a breached dam, utterly unstoppable.

He saw, with his own eyes, his brother—about to be demonized into a puppet—take his own life with a horizontal slash.

He saw, with his own eyes, his beloved mother swallowed by the demon army, torn to pieces.

In the end, he, filled with humiliation and despair, used the last of his strength to unleash the disintegration technique, perishing together with a demon clan leader…

That battle stained the mountains and rivers with blood!

That battle made heaven and earth weep!

That battle filled the sky with injustice!

Yet, opening his eyes, he found himself here.

This scene before him was deeply etched in William Reynolds’s memory. Because it had happened five years ago!

Five years ago, he failed to cultivate ten stalks of purple pearl grass. These ten stalks were crucial to his branch’s contribution points in the family evaluation. Seeing the purple pearl grass dying with no hope of saving them, William Reynolds, in his disappointment, drowned his sorrows in wine, causing his meridians to reverse and his true energy to backfire, resulting in a serious illness.