The weight of whole Humanity descended upon Yu Xuan.

Not killing intent.

Not suppression.

But something far heavier.

It was as if countless lives, countless histories, triumphs and failures, hopes and sins – all of them had turned their gaze toward him.

Yu Xuan’s Sword Domain trembled.

The Garden of Death withered as spectral figures froze mid-attack, their forms blurring, unable to advance further.

Yu Xuan clenched his teeth.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, yet his back remained straight.

He refused to kneel.

Ximen Juesheng did not press further.

The Human Destiny Spear moved.

It was a simple thrust.

No radiance split the heavens.

No domain unfolded.

No killing intent.

Yet that simplicity was precisely what made it terrifying.

Before Yu Xuan could even comprehend the motion – before pain, before fear, before thought.

He vanished.

Erased from the face of the realm.

Dead once more.

Ximen Juesheng exhaled slowly, a faint groan escaping his throat.

This was not what he wanted.

But even the heavens demanded sacrifices, and some lessons could not be taught with mercy alone.

Talent without restraint bred arrogance.

And arrogance bred ruin.

He had seen it too many times.

And this boy, this absurdly gifted, dangerously adaptable child, needed to understand that there were heights he could not yet stand upon.

"That should temper him a bit," Ximen Juesheng murmured to the empty space.

Then Time rewound.

Like ink pulled back into a brush, reality folded in on itself.

Moments reversed.

All the Karma and Causality that occurred before Yu Xuan’s death began to reverse.

It felt that nothing had changed, yet a feeling remained that everything had changed.

And when Ximen Juesheng blinked, he was no longer in Leaf Number 7462.

He stood once again before the Path Enlightening Tree.

Afterall, if Yu Xuan did not exist, why would he be outside, and the Time Axis had clearly shifted, with the reset of this arrangement.

This was no ordinary loop.

It was a special construct, forged by an Absolute, one whose existence even Ximen Juesheng treated with solemn respect.

Ximen Juesheng turned and stepped toward the residence within the tree, his expression thoughtful.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"...This time let’s at least learn your name." he muttered.

And with that, the Third Human Emperor entered Yu Xuan’s new residence once more, as the cycle began again.

***

Yu Xuan opened his eyes and found himself seated in meditation inside the tree once more.

For a moment, he simply breathed.

Then his brows knit together.

’...Why did the starting point change?’

He had fully expected to awaken near that Asura again, instead, he was here, in relative calm, beneath the vast interior of the tree.

"This loop system is getting more unreasonable by the minute," Yu Xuan sighed as he rose to his feet, already sensing a familiar presence approaching.

Right on cue a figure stepped into view.

"What do you think you did wrong?" Ximen Juesheng’s voice sounded as the middle-aged man stepped into view, hands clasped behind his back.

Yu Xuan paused genuinely considering the question.

But before he could answer, Ximen Juesheng continued, his tone casual yet carrying an undeniable weight.

"Ah, yes. I never properly asked for your name. I am Ximen Juesheng and you may call me Old Ancestor."

Yu Xuan looked at him strangely for a brief instant, then nodded without hesitation.

In a cultivation world, Old Ancestor was not a title one questioned.

It was a survival technique.

Cultivation World Survival Rule #101: Never argue with someone who calls himself Old.

"I am Yu Xuan, Old Ancestor," he replied smoothly, adopting the posture of a respectful junior.

Ximen Juesheng studied him for a moment longer, then nodded slightly.

There was a faint, almost nostalgic satisfaction in his eyes.

It had been a very long time since someone had looked at him with that kind of expression.

"Hm... good, you need a new weapon now," Ximen Juesheng said.

"Though your Heaven-grade sword is fine... it is not enough."

Yu Xuan’s expression sharpened.

He had felt it too, during their brief clash. He needed a weapon which can be fully functional with the presence or absence of spiritual energy.

Ximen Juesheng seemed to read his thoughts.

"You will obtain one eventually, but I intend to speak with a few old friends first, now catch this." he continued.

Before Yu Xuan could respond, the golden spear was thrown toward him.

"What—!"

Yu Xuan reacted on instinct, catching it midair.

The moment his fingers closed around the shaft, a terrifying sensation surged through him.

He felt a connection.

And a terrifying greed followed.

An urge so profound it almost convinced him that this spear belonged to him.

His heart skipped a beat.

He forcibly suppressed the thought.

At the same instant, the spear dissolved into radiant light and flowed over his body, transforming into an armor-like manifestation that wrapped around him seamlessly.

Yu Xuan froze.

He looked down at himself, eyes wide with astonishment.

"...Can I keep this?" he asked honestly.

"Unfortunately, no," Ximen Juesheng replied, his expression unreadable.

But inwardly, he was shaken.

An ordinary human had grasped the weapon that carried Humanity’s destiny... and lived.

Not merely survived, but synchronized.

That alone was absurd.

Ximen Juesheng had fully expected Yu Xuan to be crushed by the weight of destiny.

Yet here he stood.

A youth from a clan with no record.

Yu Xuan did not belong to any Emperor Clan.

Nor to any King Clan.

Ximen Juesheng knew every one of them.

The surname Yu did not ring any bells within his minds.

’Did a new King Clan rise while I was sealed here?’

Ximen Juesheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

With the Human Destiny Weapon in his possession, no new Emperor Clan could have emerged.

Then where did he belong? Because even arriving here would mean that he is a prominent figure within the Heavens.

He immediately checked Yu Xuan’s destiny with his connection to Human Destiny Weapon, and found that the boy did not even have the destiny of being born within a King Clan.

Which left only one possibility.

’...Is there a conspiracy unfolding beyond my sight?’

For the first time in a long while, the Third Human Emperor felt something stir within his chest.

Not suspicion alone.

But anticipation.

[Read Creator’s Thoughts]