During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

On the platform, the big-nosed priest was speaking fluently in Europa, while the students below were bewildered and drowsy.

Song Beiyou suddenly appeared at the door. The big-nosed man was furious and about to shout, but when he saw the silver cross hanging around Song Beiyou's neck, his anger immediately turned into a smile, and he nodded slightly: "Oh my son, come in quickly."

Amidst the stunned silence of his classmates, Song Beiyou walked back to his seat.

Chen Yuansong stared, his eyes darting over the man's body, and finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Where did you go this afternoon? Where did you get this cross?"

Song Beiyou said softly, "It was a gift from Father Moran."

Chen Yuansong nearly dropped his jaw: "Father Moran? He's even higher in rank than the principal!"

Song Beiyou's expression remained calm, but inwardly he sneered: What priest? If it weren't for his awakened superpower, would this old guy even glance at him? This superpower wasn't some divine gift either; it was from a trace amount of serum he received upon entering the school, from St. Mary's Hospital. The official explanation was that Wen Yiwen lived in the Zhabei slums and needed to be vaccinated.

The last rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, and the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school term. Song Beiyou, however, didn't leave. Taking advantage of the spare time, he quickly took out paper and pen, paused for a moment, and wrote:

"I am Song Beiyou. You must keep everything that has happened today a secret. From now on, you must do as I say. Destroy this document immediately after reading it."

Song Beiyou wrote down everything that needed attention, went through it again, and finally added, "Remember, I'm your support." Then he put the note in his inner pocket to make sure Wen Yiwen would find it immediately.

At the door, short-haired Ah Xiu turned around and smiled, "Great poet, it's time to go home!" Shen Wanqing's silvery laughter had already drifted away.

Song Beiyou smiled at her, silently wishing for her return!

The Book of Impermanence flew out, turning to the fourth page, where Wen Yiwen's face appeared in the mirror, with blood-red characters drawn beside it:

Please select one of Wen Yiwen's abilities and condense it into a mask:

• Skill: Calligraphy • Beginner

Physical condition: None

Internal cultivation: None

• Superpower: Frosty Aura • Awakening

Song Beiyou raised an eyebrow slightly. Wen Yiwen's skills were indeed no match for Su Xiaowan's, so there was no need to think about it further.

Choose the superpower directly!

In an instant, Wen Yiwen's face scattered into strands of light, twisting and intertwining to form a luminous mask.

The mask fell back onto the water mirror paper, and the writing on it changed:

[Press the seal to complete the ritual; the soul will be restored to life, and true longevity will be shared.]

Wen Yiwen

Song Beiyou pressed his thumb down, and the fingerprint rippled across the paper like water. In an instant, a burst of life-giving light erupted from the Book of Impermanence, piercing straight into Wen Yiwen's brow, changing his fate and granting him forty more years of life.

Song Beiyou left his body, and his unopened memories, like a returned package, remained in his original form.

In the next instant, the scene changed, and he was sitting behind the ancient desk, with a small lamp illuminating the surrounding area.

On the antique inkstone, reward notifications flew out in a flurry:

You have been granted four years of lifespan.

[You have obtained the mask "Special Ability: Frostbite Aura - Awakening".]

You receive an additional four years of lifespan.

You have received an additional item: Heavenly Talisman Box.

[You have gained the following bonus: the Peerless form.]

Song Beiyou's heart leaped into his throat. The Visionary Realm had arrived! Before he could examine it closely, the notification vanished, and the Book of Impermanence automatically flipped to its first page. The rusty, bold characters read like a verdict:

Robber: Song Beiyou

Lifespan: 52 years [Shared lifespan of 40 years]

Wearing face: Inheritance · Qianyuan Eight Awakenings · Second Awakening, Emptiness, Emptiness.

Mask Collection: Qianyuan Eight Awakenings - Second Awakening, Butcher's Skill - Grandmaster, White Ape Eight Arms - Master, Firearms Proficiency - Master, Tai Chi Longevity - Hidden Strength, Frost and Ice - Awakening

As soon as the idea struck Song Beiyou, he immediately put on the Longevity Tai Chi Mask and then the Butcher's Mask, wearing three masks in total. He used his hands as knives to carefully practice the technique.

In an instant, the hand shadows moved like a fleeting shadow, overlapping and blurring, so fast that it was difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

At this moment, he possessed 40% of the inherited physique and 20% speed bonus, along with the Autumn Cicada's Foresight and Candlelight Seeking Scripture, plus the Tai Chi Dark Force. He could unleash the master-level skill of Butcher Ding's Dissection of an Ox, making him a first-class swordsman, a swordsman wielding a bone-chopping knife.

The combat power has been directly upgraded to a higher level, far exceeding what it could be achieved by simply switching masks.

Replacing the skilled butcher with the eight-armed white ape would produce the same immediate effect.

Excited, Song Beiyou's face lit up with joy, his brows and eyes relaxing. He then replaced the white ape with a mask that granted him superpowers.

Suddenly, a strange energy was born from his body, as if some kind of shackles had been broken. This energy could disperse and gather at his will, and could be controlled at will, far more smoothly and easily than Wen Yiwen's body could use.

He opened the Book of Impermanence, took out the power upgrade talisman from the interlayer, and pressed it against the mask on his face. Instantly, it seemed that some secret within his body was opened, and the icy energy from before became even stronger.

Superpower: Frostbite - Round One

• Possesses the ability to manipulate extreme cold air; current energy points: 100

• Reward: Cold and heat complement each other; when you use freezing cold energy, it will raise your body temperature.

Energy points?

Song Beiyou casually threw a punch at the oil lamp on the table. With a sound in the air, the oil lamp was instantly covered and enveloped by a layer of light blue ice crystals two fingers thick. If this hit an ordinary person, it could freeze them instantly; even a master of internal energy could have their blood circulation slowed down.

Looking at the information on the mask again, this punch had consumed five energy points, leaving him with only ninety-five. Song Beiyou had gained a general understanding of how to use this special ability.

He was in high spirits, not only had he saved Wen Yiwen, but the reward was also exceptionally generous. He immediately took out the Heavenly Talisman Box and softly shouted, "Open!"

A talisman shimmering with purple light flew out and landed in the palm of the hand: "Ability Enhancement Talisman - Second Wheel".

Song Beiyou raised an eyebrow and pressed the talisman onto the supernatural mask. Instantly, a burst of purple light appeared, and purple lines were imprinted on the mask before gradually fading away.

"Frosty Aura - Second Wheel": Possesses the ability to manipulate extremely cold aura, 1000 energy points.

At the same time, the dim scene before him shattered, and Song Beiyou felt dizzy and weightless. The fifteen-minute safe house time was up, and his soul had returned to his body.

The dim light made him squint, and he strolled to the window. Outside, the night was thick, a light rain was falling, and all was quiet.

He was in his bedroom, just as he had been before entering the instance.

Today is the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, and there are still seven days until I formally become the old master's apprentice. It all depends on whether this master is willing to teach me some real skills. Once I've mastered the skills, I can condense them into a new mask. I can then officially take over Zhang Feilong's place.

Zhang Dabao has mysteriously disappeared, Xie Sanhe has yet to return, Su Xiaowan was attacked by a mysterious person, and the whereabouts of the serum are unknown. The matter of Jiang Qinghai and Jiang Minglou has also made him wary.

With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, I suddenly feel overwhelmed with a lot to think about.

Suddenly, a shadow leaped onto the courtyard wall and met his gaze through the window.

She wore a moon-white, diagonally-fastened long coat and a smoky-colored horse-face skirt. Her face was covered by a flower, and her clothes were covered with raindrops, like a peony blooming with dew.