The battlefield was soaked in blood. Broken weapons, shattered armor, and the corpses of thousands lay across the once-beautiful plains of the Eastern Sky Province. Amid the chaos, one man stood tall—his crimson robes fluttering in the wind, his obsidian eyes glinting like sharpened blades.
They called him the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the strongest martial artist to ever walk the lands of Murim. His name alone had once shaken the Five Great Sects and silenced courts across the continent.
Jin Mu-Won.
The name echoed like thunder in the hearts of his enemies.
But now... even the heavens wept for him.
He stood alone atop a mountain of corpses, his chest heaving, blood dripping from a long gash across his ribs. The Sect Alliance had sent ten Grand Elders to kill him—ten legends who had spent their lifetimes perfecting their arts.
He had killed nine.
The last one, Elder Hwan of the Azure Blade Sect, now stood before him, body trembling and sword shattered, eyes wide with disbelief.
"How... How can one man bear this much power?" the elder gasped, taking a stumbling step backward.
Jin Mu-Won chuckled, wiping the blood from his lips. "You only fear me now, Elder Hwan? When you conspired to slaughter my family, you did not tremble then."
"I-It was for the balance of the world!" the elder screamed, summoning the last of his qi into his palms.
Jin Mu-Won raised his hand, a flicker of dark flame curling around his fingertips. "Then let the world burn with it."
With a final wave of his hand, a tide of demonic flame engulfed the elder, silencing his screams in a flash of light.
But even as his last enemy fell, Jin Mu-Won felt it—the poison that had been slowly eating through his veins. A treacherous blade coated in the Forbidden Lotus venom had nicked him hours ago.
His strength began to fade. His legs trembled. The heavens above seemed to blur and fade into darkness.
He fell to one knee, the wind whispering past his ears.
"So this is the end," he murmured. "No regrets."
And then, he laughed.
Not a laugh of despair—but of amusement.
"Though it seems... I still had many women waiting on me back home... Tch. How wasteful."
The world faded.
---
One Thousand Years Later
Ding.
[You have been chosen by the Heavenly Reincarnation System.]
[Welcome back, Jin Mu-Won.]
A sudden rush of air filled his lungs. Jin Mu-Won's eyes snapped open.
He found himself lying on soft grass beneath a clear blue sky. Birds chirped in the distance. The sun shone warmly on his face.
And yet, everything felt wrong.
His body was... smaller. Weaker. Softer. He raised his hands and saw smooth, youthful fingers. No calluses. No scars. No battle-hardened muscle.
"What..."
[Host has reincarnated into the body of Jin Ryo, age 16. Current status: Weak. Potential: Heavenly.]
[Would you like to activate the Beginner Pack?]
Jin Mu-Won blinked.
"A system?" he muttered. "What in the Nine Hells...?"
[System initialized: Heavenly Reincarnation System.]
[As the chosen soul of the Heavenly Demon Emperor, you have been granted the chance to rise once more.]
[Beginner Pack Contents:
Heaven-Devouring Manual (Unsealed)
10,000 Gold Taels
Secret Map to Lost Sect Inheritance
Minor Charm of Supreme Fortune
Hidden Bloodline Awakening (Locked)]
Jin Mu-Won's lips curled into a smile. "Now this... this could be fun."
He looked down at his new body—slim but healthy, with a hint of natural spiritual energy coiled inside like an untouched spring. "Sixteen years old again? Hmm. Puberty... and plenty of time for women..."
He chuckled.
"But first..."
[Heaven-Devouring Manual activated.]
A sudden surge of energy flooded through him, nearly making him black out. Ancient runes spiraled into his soul, reawakening memories of techniques long lost to history. His meridians—once dormant—flared to life.
Qi began to flow again.
Not just any qi.
Demonic qi.
Pure, chaotic, destructive—and entirely his.
[Congratulations. You have entered the First Stage of the Demon King Path.]
[Due to your soul's origin, you have skipped all Mortal Realms.]
[You are now at the peak of the Earth Core Realm.]
The air itself seemed to bend around him.
"Ah... It feels good to breathe again," Jin Mu-Won murmured, standing up. "And now... where in the world am I?"
He glanced around and spotted a dirt road nearby. Farmers passed in wagons, their clothing plain and faces peaceful. Children ran through the grass, laughing. A far cry from the war-torn Murim he had once known.
"Peaceful era? How boring."
He began to walk toward the road when a sudden scream shattered the calm.
"Help! Someone help me!"
A young woman, no older than seventeen, stumbled out from the woods, her long black hair matted with dirt, her pale face filled with fear. Behind her, three rugged men with swords emerged, sneering.
"Stop running, little miss. You saw something you shouldn't have," the leader growled.
She tripped and fell right in front of Jin Mu-Won.
"P-Please... save me..."
Jin Mu-Won looked at her. Her eyes—bright like the moon—stared into his with desperate hope.
"Of course," he said, smiling gently.
The bandits froze as he stepped forward.
"What's this? A little boy trying to play hero?" one of them laughed.
"Scram, brat, or we'll gut you with her."
Jin Mu-Won sighed.
"You dare threaten me? Me?"
He raised his hand, and with a flick of his fingers, invisible force smashed into the nearest bandit, sending him flying into a tree with a sickening crack.
The other two barely had time to scream before their weapons shattered and they were knocked unconscious.
The girl gasped.
Jin Mu-Won offered his hand to her.
"You alright, miss?"
She blinked. "Y-You... You're a cultivator?"
He smiled. "Something like that."
"Th-Thank you. My name is Lin Xue. I was on my way to the Jade Blossom Sect when I saw those men kill a merchant…"
Jin Mu-Won's ears perked. Jade Blossom Sect... that name sounds familiar.
"Oh?" he said. "Then I shall escort you."
Her cheeks flushed. "Th-Thank you again…"
[Minor Charm of Supreme Fortune activated.]
[You have triggered a Fated Encounter.]
[Lin Xue: Hidden Genius Physique. Favorability: +40 (Grateful). Potential Harem Member.]
He raised an eyebrow.
"A harem system, too? Heh... now things are getting interesting."
---
Somewhere Else...
In a grand hall atop a mountain surrounded by lotus fields, a beautiful woman in white robes sat in meditation. Her eyes snapped open.
"A powerful aura has awakened... No, returned..."
She stood, her expression grave.
"It cannot be... The Heavenly Demon Emperor?"
---
Back in the Forest
Lin Xue clung to his arm as they walked. "You're really strong… What's your name?"
He looked up at the sky and smirked.
"Jin Mu-Won."
She tilted her head. "That name sounds familiar... like from an old legend."
He grinned.
"It should."
---
To Be Continued