Lucian found the book quickly. He took it and went back home, then started to burn it.
This book had once fallen into the hands of someone from a noble family. That person became very extreme.
He spread the idea that only the strong should survive, and that all people outside the noble families should be killed.
Because of this, hundreds of thousands of people died.
Now, the problem was solved. The dramatic story about a simple academy book causing so much death was over.
People used to joke about it, but this helped Lucian find the book.
Now he had to think about the next step.
Lucian's goal now was to refine his whole body to begin cultivation.
If his guess was right, this would change his body completely. Maybe he would become handsome again, like when he was a general who had refined himself three times. Maybe more now, because of his current special condition.
But this would bring unwanted attention. People would get suspicious. No one changes like that in one day.
So he decided to forget about the academy. His goal there was to get a high grade to enter the Elite University. But with this sudden change in his body, people would notice him.
Lucian decided to leave the academy. He would enter the Elite University by taking the special test. There would be no problem if he joined as an unknown person. He just had to erase his past so no one could connect him to the old Lucian.
Three days later, he left the academy.
He used a special formation and went to a small building in a hidden alley.
A man looked out from a window.
"Hello, I want to register."
"Name and number."
The man registered Lucian without delay. This was a hunter guild, but it also had a secret service. They could make a person seem dead by faking their death during a mission.
What made this place special was that they mixed real deaths with fake ones. So no one could tell who really died.
Lucian took a mission. If three months passed and he didn't return, they would report him as dead and remove his name from all public records.
Now he decided to leave this cursed town. His next destination was Wall City.
This city was near the border between the old cultivation world and the current safe zone.
A great disaster happened thousands of years ago. It destroyed all sects, kingdoms, and empires. Nothing was left behind.
A beautiful, wide, and rich cultivation world turned into forgotten ruins.
Until now, no one knows what caused the disaster. The strange monsters and the weird environment make it hard to explore the old lands.
Some people believe that these dangerous conditions push the disaster forward, not Wall City or the many forts on the borders.
Lucian wanted to go to a place near the wall. A special sect was once located there. The ten noble families found it during their military campaigns.
Lucian still remembered the exact location.
Many unknown treasures were waiting for him there. But first, he had to finish refining his body and start cultivation.
Weeks later, Lucian arrived at the city. He bought a cheap house in the poor area.
Once he settled in, he returned to his training.
After three months of cultivation, he was close to refining his bones.
"Just a little more."
Lucian took a deep breath. The pain was very strong.
Then he felt it—his bones were full of qi. The refining process started.
Pain without end filled his body. He tried to stop himself from screaming.
His bones were breaking and rebuilding, taking in his strong soul.
A black, smelly substance came out of Lucian's skin.
Time passed fast. Lucian lay on the bed, breathing hard after going through this hell.
He caught his breath and tried to stand. When he got up, he felt that the ground was now far below.
"What's this?"
Lucian looked at his body. His skin had many stretch marks from fast growth.
But his body still looked thin and weak. Because he was taller now, he looked even thinner.
"This is taller than before. I used to be 5.91 feet. Now I'm 6.4 feet?"
Lucian stood near the door to check his height. He knew the door was two meters tall.
"Good thing I left the academy. How could I explain this sudden growth? And this is only the first part of my body refinement. More changes are coming."
Lucian looked around. Since he came back in time, everything moved so fast. He couldn't waste time. He had to become strong quickly and get back his old power.
Lucian thought to himself, "I wonder if my status screen will be different in this life."
The status screen, also called the system, was something all cultivators got when they started real cultivation. It was a gift from the Heavenly Dao to help a special race that was nearly destroyed.
But that was something for later.
Now he had to start refining his blood. This process needed him to slowly remove the old blood from his body. Then his new bone marrow would create fresh, strong blood.
Of course, he had to manage this using medicine and meditation.
But compared to refining bones, this step was much easier—especially after what Lucian went through.