Julian descended the stairs slowly.Each step creaked beneath his weight.The voices downstairs grew clearer."You promised us the money last week!"A man's furious voice shook the small living room.Julian reached the final step.His gaze immediately settled on the three men standing before his mother.His mother, Sarah, stood stiffly beside the old sofa. Her fingers were tightly intertwined, and the fear in her eyes was impossible to miss.Beside her stood Lily.The young girl had both hands gripping the edge of her mother's dress. Her face was pale, and her frightened eyes remained fixed on the strangers.Julian's expression hardened.The largest man noticed him.His eyes traveled over Julian's thin frame before a mocking smile spread across his face."So you're Ethan?"Julian said nothing.The man stepped closer."Your mother says she needs more time."Julian's eyes shifted toward Sarah.She quickly looked away.He could see the exhaustion written across her face.This family had

Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, painting thin golden lines across Julian's bedroom floor.Julian opened his eyes.For a moment, he remained still.Then he slowly sat up.His body still felt weak, but something had changed.The tiny amount of spiritual energy he had gathered the previous night was circulating quietly through his body.It was barely noticeable.To an ordinary person, it would mean nothing.To Julian, it was the beginning.He stood and looked at himself in the mirror.Ethan's face stared back at him.Young.Pale.Nothing like the powerful figure who had once stood above thousands of cultivators.Julian gave a faint smile."This body will change."He dressed quickly and left the room.Downstairs, Sarah was preparing breakfast.She looked tired.Dark circles rested beneath her eyes, and she moved slowly as she placed a plate on the table."You should still be resting," Julian said.Sarah glanced at him."I'm your mother. I can't just lie in bed while everyth

Night had fallen over the city.The noise from the streets had gradually faded, leaving only the occasional sound of passing cars and the distant barking of a dog.Inside the Carter home, everyone had gone to bed.But Julian was still awake.He sat alone in his bedroom with the lights turned off and the curtains slightly open.Moonlight slipped through the window, casting a pale glow across the floor.Julian sat cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees.His breathing was slow and controlled.Tonight, he wasn't going to waste time.He closed his eyes and began cultivating.A faint trace of spiritual energy drifted through the open window.Julian immediately sensed it.He guided the energy toward himself, carefully drawing it into his body.The moment it entered his meridians, his brow tightened.The energy was incredibly weak.It moved through his body like a thin stream struggling against a dry riverbed."This is far too little."In his former world, spiritual energy had been abun

The house remained silent long after the stranger disappeared.Julian stood near the doorway, staring into the darkness.The man's words kept repeating in his mind.You don't know what you've inherited.Julian slowly closed the door.Behind him, Sarah was still sitting on the couch. Her eyes were red, and Lily remained close beside her.Julian looked at his mother."Mom, what did Dad find?"Sarah lowered her head."I don't know."Julian knew immediately that she was hiding something.But he didn't press her.Not yet.His attention shifted toward the floor.The strange object beneath the house was still there.Whatever it was, it had reacted when he used his spiritual sense.And now he knew Ethan's father had discovered something he shouldn't have.Julian walked upstairs.He entered his room and closed the door.The moment he was alone, his expression changed.He sat beside the bed and placed his palm against the floor.He closed his eyes.His spiritual sense slowly spread downward.Th

The chamber was silent.Julian stood before the ancient altar, the spirit jade resting in his palm.Its faint silver glow illuminated his face.His mind remained fixed on the voice's final words.Your father.Ethan's father had built this chamber.But that wasn't what troubled Julian most.The voice had said something impossible.He knew you would return.Julian frowned.How could Ethan's father have known about him?He had never been to Earth before.At least, not in this life.A violent tremor suddenly shook the chamber.Julian looked up.Cracks spread across the ceiling.Dust fell around him.The entire chamber was collapsing."Later."He slipped the spirit jade into his pocket and turned toward the passage.Stone crashed behind him as he hurried through the narrow corridor.His weak body struggled to keep up, but Julian pushed forward.He reached the hidden entrance and forced it open.A moment later, he was back inside his bedroom.He quickly pushed the bed into place.Silence re