Rebirth: The Fierce Dao Companion

It was a hazy, silent night. The stars hid behind the clouds, lending an unusually tranquil air to the scene. On the quiet street, a tall figure strolled leisurely, blending seamlessly into the darkness of the night. The man appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His face was handsome, but exhaustion was etched into his features. Two dark circles under his eyes accentuated his weariness, making him look utterly drained. Even his tall frame seemed slightly hunched, as though weighed down by some invisible burden. His eyes were devoid of any sparkle, empty like a lifeless shell. He made his way slowly toward the deli shop across the alley. The summer night was oppressively humid. The deli owner, dressed in an oversized sleeveless vest, fanned away the flies buzzing around the cooked meat with one hand while greeting the young man with practiced familiarity. “Xiao Lu, tonight’s meat is fresh as ever! What’ll it be?” The young man, addressed as Xiao Lu, was none other than Lu Li. He raised his heavy eyelids to glance at the slightly greasy shop owner. A bright, sunny smile broke across his otherwise lifeless face. “The same as yesterday.” “You got it!” The shopkeeper replied cheerfully, swiftly packing up the order with deft hands. Lu Li’s gaze wandered from the owner to the alley behind him. A one-eared tabby cat peeked cautiously from the shadows of the wall, letting out a soft meow. Lu Li’s eyes instantly softened. At the same moment, the shopkeeper finished packing the food. Lu Li fished out a handful of loose change from his pocket, counted out the exact amount, and handed it over. The shopkeeper tossed the money into his drawer with practiced ease, looking at Lu Li with a mixture of pity and sympathy. “Xiao Lu, life’s tough, I know, but things will get better with time. That’s just how it is—messy and all over the place, but it keeps moving.” Lu Li’s eyes darkened briefly, but his radiant smile remained unchanged. “I know, Uncle Zhong. Thanks. I’ll head out now.” Uncle Zhong watched Lu Li’s retreating figure and sighed regretfully before going back to waving his fan. At the entrance of the alley, several kittens immediately trotted up to Lu Li, rubbing against his pants and mewing softly. Squatting down, Lu Li took out some pieces of cooked meat from the bag and placed them on the ground. The kittens, clearly accustomed to being fed by him, eagerly crowded around and began eating. Lu Li’s gaze grew gentle as he watched the tiny creatures. He murmured softly, “You’re just like me.” After a while, Lu Li stood up, ready to leave. But as he straightened, a piercing scream suddenly echoed from behind him. His body tensed, and without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and ran toward the sound. In the middle of the street, a woman was struggling desperately to pull someone out of harm’s way. Ahead of them, a truck was hurtling toward them at high speed. The driver waved his arms frantically, shouting at them to get out of the way, his voice hoarse with panic. His truck had malfunctioned and couldn’t stop. Lu Li instantly recognized the woman and the person in the wheelchair. They were his neighbors from across the hall, a mother and her son. The woman was drenched in sweat, tugging at the wheelchair with all her strength, but it was stuck in the middle of the road. Without a second thought, Lu Li sprinted toward them. The truck loomed closer and closer, its headlights glaring. Lu Li moved with unprecedented speed, shoving the woman aside with all his might before grabbing the wheelchair-bound boy and tossing him toward the onlookers, who caught him just in time. In the same moment, Lu Li felt a sharp, deafening impact. His mind buzzed as his body flew through the air like a leaf caught in the wind before crashing to the ground. Lying on the pavement, he could feel the warm stickiness of blood on his face, yet there was no pain elsewhere in his body. He stared up at the pitch-black sky, its darkness devoid of even a single star. His lifeless eyes mirrored the night—empty and without light. The surrounding noises gradually faded away, replaced by an enveloping coldness. Yet, for the first time in a long while, Lu Li felt a sense of safety and ease wash over him. He thought to himself: I should have died a long time ago. In the azure sky, pristine white clouds drifted lazily, soft and fluffy like freshly picked cotton. Occasionally, a few brightly colored birds streaked past, their vibrant plumage leaving behind a trail of melodious cries. Below, rows of intricate, awe-inspiring buildings lined the streets like pearls in a celestial palace. Ancient-styled pavilions, serene green lakes, willow trees swaying gently, and ducks paddling amidst blooming flowers combined to create a scene reminiscent of an idyllic utopia from a storybook. Children dressed in traditional clothing, their hair styled in small buns, ran about, laughing and playing without a care in the world. Amid this picturesque setting, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen leaned casually against a broad pillar, his gaze fixed on something unseen. With little thought, Lu Li slid the jade slip in his hand into his sleeve. He had stumbled upon this cultivation manual by chance. Though it was a basic one, it was sufficient to improve his health and vitality. After that fateful car accident, Lu Li had believed he was dead. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would open his eyes again. But when he did, he found himself no longer in the familiar world he had known, but instead in a cultivation world—something he had only ever read about in novels. This was the Seven Stars Continent, a realm populated not just by ordinary mortals but also by cultivators. Here, any child born with a spiritual root would be taken by cultivators to sects to begin their training. Cultivators enjoyed lifespans far longer than mortals and could fly on swords. The truly powerful ones could even soar through the clouds and command the winds. It was no wonder that everyone aspired to such a life—immortality and great power were desires few could resist. However, those without spiritual roots, or worse, with useless ones, would spend their entire lives without even glimpsing the path to cultivation. This stark reality underscored just how difficult the cultivation journey truly was. When Lu Li first learned about this world, he had longed to join its ranks. Yet, much to his dismay, he discovered he was cursed with a useless spiritual root, dooming him to remain an ordinary mortal his entire life. Still, Lu Li was remarkably at peace with this realization. This life was a bonus, after all. In his previous life, he had been nothing more than an average person. Getting a second chance at life, even as a mortal, felt like a stroke of luck. And, truth be told, there were plenty of wonders in this world to keep him entertained. The family he was born into in this life, the Lu clan, was a renowned and noble household. Legend had it that an ancestor of theirs had ascended thousands of years ago and continued to watch over the family from the heavens. Many of the Lu clan’s members who entered cultivation sects were said to have achieved great success in the cultivation world. As the saying went, “When one ascends, all rise.” However, Lu Li’s place in the family was unremarkable. His father, a son of the current family head, had been cast aside because he was a mere mortal. Afterward, Lu Li’s father married a mortal woman, and together they had a son—the original owner of this body—who was born with a useless spiritual root. It could be said they were a family of unfortunate souls. In the grand Lu clan, they were no more than dependents, barely eking out a modest existence. But what made Lu Li most grateful was the deep bond between his parents. Despite their hardships, they loved him dearly and had a harmonious relationship. For the first time in a long while, Lu Li felt the warmth of familial love. Five years had passed since Lu Li’s transmigration. When he first woke in this new world, he had been feverish and dazed, his head throbbing as though it would split apart. Shortly after, he slipped back into unconsciousness. When he awoke again, his mind was flooded with memories that did not belong to him—they were the original owner’s. The original Lu Li had been an unloved child within the family, frequently bullied by more talented peers. Before Lu Li’s arrival, the boy had been pushed into a freezing pond by some of the other children. It had been the coldest winter, and the boy’s frail body, weighed down by waterlogged clothes, could not withstand it. He drowned in that pond. That was when Lu Li’s soul took over the boy’s body. In this life, his name was still Lu Li. He couldn’t fathom why the original owner had been given the same name. In his previous life, Lu Li’s parents had a tumultuous marriage. His father had been unfaithful even before Lu Li was born. His mother, a traditional woman, refused to divorce, especially after having a child. Yet, she had given him this particular name. Lu Li had overheard her complaints more than once: “If only I hadn’t given birth to him…” He had been an unwanted child from the very beginning. When his parents died in a car accident, Lu Li wasn’t sure if he felt relief or sorrow. All he knew was that when he received the news of their deaths, his world turned completely dark.