Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

He Yuzhu sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, surrounded by an aura of immortality.

One hundred and eighty years have passed since he left the courtyard house.

In that lifetime, after he stole Xie Weihong's opportunity, he made rapid progress all the way.

From Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, from Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation, and then to the peak of Tribulation Transcending Stage, one is only one step away from becoming an immortal.

As for Xie Weihong, the person who trampled him underfoot in his previous life, he had already been killed by Xie Weihong when Xie Weihong was still in the Golden Core stage.

He remembered the fear and resentment in Xie Weihong's eyes when he struck her with that palm. That feeling was even more exhilarating than a breakthrough in cultivation.

From then on, he had no more worries and devoted himself to the pursuit of immortality.

He traveled the world, seeking out sacred mountains, venturing into mysterious realms, battling demon kings, and fighting against evil spirits. He received ancient inheritances and nearly perished under a heavenly tribulation. He lived for 180 years, transforming from a cook in a courtyard house into a renowned "half-immortal."

But 180 years have passed, and he still cannot take that final step.

He was at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, only one Heavenly Tribulation away from becoming an immortal. But he never dared to trigger that Heavenly Tribulation.

Because he knew that with his current foundation, his chances of successfully transcending the tribulation were less than 30%.

He waited a hundred years, accumulated a hundred years of experience, and finally obtained a secret technique—the Blood Sacrifice Tribulation Transcending Technique.

Obtained from an ancient ruin, it is said to be able to forcibly trigger a heavenly tribulation and greatly increase the success rate of overcoming the tribulation by sacrificing one's own essence and blood.

But the cost is enormous; failure means certain death.

He Yuzhu hesitated for a long time.

He has lived for 180 years, enjoying everything he could and conquering everything he could. His only obsession is to become an immortal.

"I'll give it my all," he gritted his teeth.

That day, he stood atop Kunlun Mountain and triggered a celestial calamity.

He caught the first bolt of lightning.

He withstood the second lightning strike.

The third bolt of lightning nearly killed him.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...

Each bolt of lightning charred his entire body, nearly draining his life essence.

After the seventh bolt of lightning, he was on the verge of death, barely clinging to life.

The eighth bolt of lightning was brewing, and its earth-shattering pressure was more terrifying than all the previous ones combined.

He Yuzhu looked up at the sky, a hint of despair flashing in his eyes.

He knew he couldn't hold on any longer.

The moment the eighth bolt of lightning struck, he suddenly remembered the look Xie Weihong had given him before she died.

Fear, resentment, and a hint of...mockery?

Then, his consciousness went dark.

He Yuzhu suddenly opened his eyes.

Before me was a gray mosquito net, and in my nostrils was a familiar musty smell.

He was stunned.

This is……

He sat up and looked down at his hands.

Rough, strong, with calluses on the knuckles. But there were no injuries on those hands, no charred marks from being struck by lightning, and no traces of cultivation.

He looked around again.

A worn-out wooden table, a cabinet with peeling paint, and clutter piled in the corner. Old newspapers were pasted on the window, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the newspapers.

This is his house.

West Wing

He Yuzhu's heart began to race.

He pulled back the covers and looked at his legs. They were intact, with firm muscles.

He stood up and walked to the mirror.

The person in the mirror has a ruddy complexion and looks to be in their early thirties; there is no sign of old age at all.

He Yuzhu stared blankly at the mirror, his mind completely blank.

He remembered failing his tribulation and being struck down to ashes by the eighth heavenly lightning. He remembered living for 180 years, killing Xie Weihong, pursuing immortality, and ultimately failing at the last hurdle.

But now...

He looked down at his hands.

He has no cultivation level.

His dantian was completely empty; the immortal energy that had been circulating for 180 years was gone without a trace.

He Yuzhu's eyes widened slowly.

A thought popped into my head.

He...was reborn?

He went back in the past? Back to the time before he even started cultivating?

He Yuzhu's heart began to pound.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Yes, that must be it. He failed his tribulation and should have died, but Heaven gave him another chance, allowing him to be reborn in the past!

He recalled his past life experiences—stealing books, cultivating, killing, wandering the world, and undergoing tribulations. Those memories were so vivid, so real, how could they be fake?

He suddenly remembered the look in Xie Weihong's eyes before she died.

Fear, resentment, and a hint of mockery.

Now he understood what that mockery meant—Xie Weihong was mocking him, mocking him for not becoming an immortal even if he killed him.

"Heh." He Yuzhu sneered, "In this life, I will not fail again."

He turned around, strode to the door, and opened it.

The sunlight was blinding, so he squinted and looked at the dilapidated house where Xie Weihong lived.

The door was closed, and the window was closed too.

It's exactly the same as I remember.

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a cold smile.

In this life, he will not give Xie Weihong any more chances. He will kill that brat immediately, seize all opportunities, and then focus on cultivation, aiming for immortality.

He strode over, each step carrying murderous intent.

As he reached the Xie family's door, he raised his foot, ready to kick it down—

The door opened.

Xie Weihong stood at the door, looking at him.

The face was young and calm, with no fear in its eyes.

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment.

wrong.

At this time in her past life, Xie Weihong should have been a spineless coward, easily bullied and trembling with fear at the sight of him. How come now…

Before he could think it through, he suddenly felt a terrifying pressure coming from Xie Weihong.

The pressure was like a mountain, making it hard for him to breathe, his knees went weak, and he almost knelt down.

He Yuzhu stared wide-eyed at Xie Weihong in disbelief.

How is that possible?

How can this kid be so strong?

In his past life, when he killed Xie Weihong, the kid had only just established his foundation, and he killed him with a single palm strike. But now, this pressure is even more terrifying than when he was at his peak in his past life!

"You...how could you..."

Xie Weihong looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Silly Zhu, you're awake?" His voice was flat, as if he were asking what we were having for dinner.

He Yuzhu's mind was completely in chaos.

Woke up?

What does that mean?

Could it be... could it be that everything he experienced before was just a dream?

Impossible! Those things are so real! The feeling of his hand when he killed Xie Weihong, the despair he felt when he was going through his tribulation, are etched into his very bones!

"You..." He Yuzhu opened his mouth, "Who are you?"

Xie Weihong didn't answer, she just looked at him.

His gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool, sending a chill down He Yuzhu's spine.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Yes, he is a reincarnated individual. He has 180 years of cultivation experience and memories of countless techniques and secret arts. Even if Xie Weihong is stronger than him now, he can slowly catch up.

He clenched his fist and met Xie Weihong's gaze.

"Xie Weihong, I don't know how you became so strong," he said, his voice low, "but remember this: in this life, I will never lose to you again."

Xie Weihong raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Oh?"

He Yuzhu gritted his teeth, turned around and left.

He needs time. He needs to start training again. He needs to transform those 180 years of experience into real strength.

He went back to his room, closed the door, and leaned against it, panting heavily.

He was panting when he laughed.

First she laughed softly, then she laughed louder and louder.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, and tears streamed down his face.

"Xie Weihong, you just wait. You think you've won? You have no idea what I've been through. You have no idea how much is going on in my head right now."

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked in the direction of Xie Weihong's room.

"In this life, I will become stronger. Strong enough to make you despair."

He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

backyard.

Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to the notification sounds that kept ringing in her mind.

[Ding! Detected a change in the mindset of the ninth-tier demon "Berserk Mighty Demon," its fighting spirit has been rekindled!]

[Target Status: Having experienced a century-long illusion, considers himself a reborn individual, harboring both hatred and ambition, with an unprecedentedly strong desire for cultivation]

[Judgment: The host has successfully cast the ultimate illusion spell punishment on the "Raging Mighty Demon" - Hundred-Year Reincarnation]

[Damage level assessment in progress...]

[Evaluation Complete: SSS Rank! Beyond the Limits of Mental Transformation!]

[Reward calculation in progress...]

[Received: 5000 Corrosion Crystals]

[Received: Body Tempering Elixir × 1000]

[Received: Barrier Breaking Pill x100]

[Received: Qi Gathering Pill ×200]

[Received: Spiritual Awareness Pill x50]

[Received: Foundation Building Pill x30]

[Received: Golden Elixir x10]

[Gained: Special Reward - Mindset Catalysis Passive (Actively catalyzes the target's fighting spirit, greatly increasing their desire to cultivate and boosting reward output by 300%)]

Xie Weihong's lips curled up slightly.

Sha Zhu thought he had been reborn and believed that his 180 years of experience were a real past life.

Little did they know, it was all just a dream.

The Xie Weihong he killed in the illusion was nothing but an illusion. The immortality he pursued was nothing but a bubble.

But those experiences, those insights, those hatreds and ambitions were real.

The current Sha Zhu has a light in his eyes.

That was the light of resentment, the light of competitiveness, the light of wanting to become stronger again.

Xie Weihong stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the central courtyard.

Sha Zhu was standing at his window, looking this way. Even from dozens of meters away, he could feel that burning fighting spirit.

He smiled.

"Practice hard," he said softly. "The stronger you become, the more I'll benefit."

Outside the window, the sun is shining brightly.

A new day has just begun.

He Yuzhu closed the window and sat down on the bed.

He closed his eyes and began to recall his cultivation experiences from his previous life.

The first level of "The True Explanation of Cultivating Immortality" is guiding Qi into the body.

He sat cross-legged, adjusted his breathing, and tried to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, following the method he remembered.

Fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed.

No response.

He tried again, but it still didn't work.

wrong.

He clearly remembered that when he first began cultivating in his previous life, he quickly sensed spiritual energy. Why couldn't he do it now?

He took a deep breath and continued trying.

An hour later, he gave up.

His dantian was completely empty, without a trace of spiritual energy.

He Yuzhu gritted his teeth and told himself not to rush.

Perhaps it's because I've just been reborn and my body hasn't adapted yet. Or perhaps it's because the timeline has changed, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has become thinner.

He has experience, skills, and perseverance. He will definitely be able to stand up again.

He stood up, walked to the wall, and looked at it.

In his past life, after he successfully cultivated for the first time, he punched a hole in this wall. That was proof of his power.

Now, he clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the wall.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, a shallow fist mark was left on the wall, but his hand was numb with pain.

He Yuzhu looked down at his hands; his knuckles were broken and bleeding.

His eyes darkened for a moment, then brightened again.

"It's alright," he murmured. "This is just the beginning."

He returned to the bedside and continued his meditation.

---

three days later.

He Yuzhu opened his eyes, which were bloodshot.

He had been cultivating day and night for three days, but still couldn't sense a trace of spiritual energy.

He began to wonder if something was wrong.

He walked up to the mirror and looked at the person in it.

It's the same face, the same body. But why can't he cultivate?

He suddenly remembered the way Xie Weihong looked at him that day.

Calm, profound, like watching a joke.

A thought popped into my head.

Could it be... could it be that Xie Weihong knew he would be reborn? Could it be that Xie Weihong did something?

He turned around abruptly, pushed open the door, and strode towards Xie Weihong's room.

This time, he didn't kick the door down. Instead, he stood at the doorway, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Come in," a calm voice came from inside.

He Yuzhu pushed the door open and went in.

Xie Weihong was sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking at him with her eyes open.

"What's up?"

He Yuzhu stared at him and asked, word by word, "Xie Weihong, do you know something?"

Xie Weihong raised an eyebrow: "Know what?"

"Know me...know what I've been through."

Xie Weihong looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Silly Zhu, what do you think you've been through?"

He Yuzhu gritted his teeth: "I've lived a lifetime! I've lived for 180 years, I cultivated to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, I almost became an immortal! You think you can look down on me just because you're stronger than me now?"

Xie Weihong stood up and walked up to him.

That pressure came again, making it almost impossible for He Yuzhu to breathe.

But he gritted his teeth and endured it, staring intently into Xie Weihong's eyes.

Xie Weihong looked down at him, her gaze calm.

"You said you've lived for 180 years?" he asked.

"right!"

"Then how do you explain that you can't even sense any spiritual energy now?"

He Yuzhu was stunned.

Xie Weihong continued, "Where did you get those 180 years of memories? Where did you learn your cultivation techniques? And how did you strike me with that palm strike that killed me?"

He Yuzhu opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Xie Weihong smiled.

"Silly Zhu, your so-called 'past life' is nothing but a dream. A very, very long dream."

He Yuzhu's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Dream?

impossible!

Those moments were so real! His despair during his tribulation, his exhilaration when he killed Xie Weihong—they were etched into his very bones!

"Don't believe me?" Xie Weihong turned around, picked up a book from the table, and threw it at him.

He Yuzhu caught it, looked down, and was stunned.

It was a book called "The True Explanation of Cultivation," exactly the same as the one he had snatched in his previous life.

He turned to the first page, which read: "Guiding Qi into the body, the beginning of foundation building."

It was exactly the same as I remembered.

"This book has always been here," Xie Weihong said. "You've never taken it away."

He Yuzhu's hands began to tremble.

He recalled those experiences—stealing books, cultivating, killing, wandering the world, undergoing tribulations… Could it really have all been just a dream?

"No..." he murmured, "It can't be..."

Xie Weihong looked at him, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes.

But that pity vanished in an instant, replaced by calm.

"Silly Zhu, you think you've been reborn, you think you can cultivate again. But have you ever considered that the reason you can't even sense spiritual energy is because you simply don't have the aptitude?"

He Yuzhu was startled.

No qualifications?

He clearly cultivated so quickly in his previous life!

"Your so-called 'past life' was given to you by me." Xie Weihong's voice was soft, yet it exploded in his ears like thunder. "It was just a dream."

He Yuzhu stood there blankly, his mind a complete blank.

Dream?

Was it all a dream?

He lived for 180 years, pursuing immortality, but ultimately failed to transcend the tribulation—it was all a dream?

He slowly squatted down, holding his head in his hands, his whole body trembling.

Xie Weihong didn't say anything more, she just looked at him.

After a long time, He Yuzhu stood up.

He looked up at Xie Weihong, his eyes red.

"Even if it was all a dream," he said, his voice hoarse, "those experiences, those insights, are mine."

Xie Weihong raised an eyebrow.

"You can give me a dream, which means you have that ability. But I have my own abilities too." He Yuzhu gritted his teeth. "You just wait."

He turned around, pushed open the door, and went out.

Behind her, Xie Weihong's lips curled up slightly.

---

He Yuzhu returned to his room, closed the door, and leaned against it, panting heavily.

He was panting when he laughed.

First she laughed softly, then she laughed louder and louder.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, and tears streamed down his face.

So what if it's just a dream?

Those experiences were real, those insights were real, and the pleasure he felt when he killed Xie Weihong was real!

He lived for 180 years, rising from an ant to a half-immortal. That temperament and perseverance are etched into his bones!

He looked down at his hands.

These hands are very weak now. They can't even break through a wall.

But his hands had once crushed the throat of a demon king, held ancient immortal artifacts, and caught eight bolts of heavenly lightning.

Those feelings won't disappear.

He Yuzhu looked up at the moon outside the window.

"Xie Weihong, you wait," he murmured. "Even if it's a dream, I can make it real."

He walked back to the bedside and sat down cross-legged.

Close your eyes and continue your practice.

This time, it's not about becoming an immortal, but about proving that He Yuzhu is not someone anyone can trample on.

backyard.

Xie Weihong listened to the notification sounds that kept ringing in her mind.

[Ding! Detected another transformation in the mindset of the ninth-tier demon "Berserk Mighty Demon," its fighting spirit remains undiminished, and its ambition endures forever!]

[Target state: Knowing it's an illusion, yet still believing they can defy fate; deeply fixated on this, with a burning desire to break through their limits in cultivation]

[Judgment: The host has successfully boosted the target's morale; reward output is continuously increasing...]

Xie Weihong's lips curled up slightly.

He looked out the window; the room in the middle courtyard was lit with a dim, yellow light.

Under the lamp, a figure sat cross-legged, motionless.

He smiled.

"interesting."

He withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and continued his cultivation.