I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

pain.

Every muscle in my body aches.

No, that's not right, he's already...

Ji Tian opened his eyes and saw a dusty wooden ceiling. Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the wall, shining on a baby's small hand.

his.

"this……"

He opened his mouth, but only managed to utter indistinct babbling sounds.

"In the end, they couldn't withstand the heavenly tribulation."

He sighed inwardly, "Ten years of cultivation, reduced to nothing in a single day."

But he quickly cheered up again.

"It's alright—reincarnation and cultivation are opportunities that one could only dream of in their previous life. This body is more malleable; with proper training from a young age, it's entirely possible to forge an indestructible body for eternity."

A woman dressed in coarse cloth came over, picked him up, and mumbled something he couldn't understand.

Then start breastfeeding.

Ji Tian froze.

"...Although this 'Guiding Spirit Liquid' is of mediocre quality and its spiritual energy is so thin,...since we have entered this realm, we shall abide by its rules."

He closed his eyes and resignedly began to suckle.

---

Twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Ji Tian leaned against a crooked tree on the hill behind the village, closing his eyes and looking inward—although he couldn't see anything inside, the action itself made him feel at ease.

He silently assessed in his mind, "Now that the bones are set, the meridians are open, and the qi and blood are abundant, the foundation of this body can be considered to have been laid."

He opened his eyes and looked at the sky above him, which was fragmented by the leaves.

"Unfortunately, the spiritual energy in this world is as scarce as in the Dharma-ending Age. Forget Foundation Establishment, even 'Qi Sensing' is impossible..."

He paused, then muttered to himself:

"But there are countless methods, but only one Tao. Spiritual energy is the Tao, and so is blood and qi."

He stretched out his hand and clenched his fist.

"Since we can't sense any spiritual energy, let's first refine the 'physical foundation'. Once our qi and blood are fully replenished, we might be able to prove our Dao through force."

"Xiao Tian—"

I heard my mother's voice behind me.

"The lord has sent knights to collect taxes. You've reached 112 this year, so you're counted as a head. Come back quickly."

Ji Tian paused slightly on the branch, then flipped over and landed.

The moment you land, your knees bend slightly and your center of gravity sinks; this is to release the force and also to exhale.

He slowly straightened up, his expression calm.

Twelve years have passed, and his mother is no longer surprised by his "strange actions".

……

A few dozen people were sparsely gathered under the old locust tree at the village entrance.

When Ji Tian followed his mother to the village entrance, the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

It wasn't because he was prestigious; it was simply because this kid had become famous in the village.

He was born sitting cross-legged in a daze, and his parents once thought he was born mentally challenged and almost became the village keeper.

At one and a half years old, he chased after the neighbor's big yellow dog, saying he wanted to keep it as his mount.

He started fighting at the age of four and fought until he was eleven. All the children in the village combined couldn't beat him.

The adults looked at him with a complex mix of emotions, a hint of awe, but mostly regret: what a promising talent, born into the wrong family.

"Here it comes—"

At the end of the dirt road, a group of people appeared.

The two knights at the front were clad in full chainmail, with robes bearing the lord's coat of arms. Their horses were large, and their hooves pounded heavily.

A carriage followed behind, and then several attendants and soldiers.

The crowd was silent and tense. The village dogs had long since tucked their tails between their legs and hidden in their kennels.

The lead knight reined in his horse and looked down at the tenants.

Ji Tian leaned against a small tree behind the crowd, squinting as he scanned the knights' posture, the way they held the reins, and the angle of the sword at their waists.

My gaze finally fell on the side of his neck, where an old scar stretched from his ear to his collarbone.

"He is shrouded in malevolent energy and has committed numerous murders."

Ji Tian silently "read" the knight's fortune in his mind: "At least ten life-or-death battles. Although his blood and energy are waning, the fighting spirit in his bones and muscles is still there."

He paused, then added in his mind:

"Unfortunately, this person was born in the Dharma-ending Age and has no cultivation techniques to inherit. If he were in the cultivation world, he would at least be an outer disciple at the third level of Body Refinement."

He clicked his tongue softly, as if he felt sorry for the other person.

The knight spoke up, "Everyone, there's no need to be nervous. There will be no tax this year."

The crowd buzzed in disbelief.

The knight dismounted and continued, "But there is something. The lord's family has returned to their fiefdom for a temporary stay, and the young lady lacks playmates. The steward has ordered that children around 112 years old be selected from various villages to serve as servants in the manor. Those who perform exceptionally well may be promoted to apprentice knights."

The atmosphere in the crowd changed.

Not collecting taxes is a good thing, but the word "squire" carries a hint of "selling oneself." Yet, "apprentice knight" is like a piece of fat meat, dangling in front of everyone.

For the tenant farmer's son, this was almost the only path to advancement.

In an instant, several women began pushing their children forward.

Ji Tian didn't move.

His gaze passed over the knight who was speaking and landed on the carriage behind.

The carriage curtain was slightly lifted, revealing a young girl's face. She had fair skin, delicate features, and a hint of impatience from being restrained for too long in her eyes.

She glanced quickly at the disheveled tenants, then lowered the carriage curtain, her movements tinged with disappointment.

Ji Tian clicked his tongue inwardly.

They're here to find playmates, not to choose a knight.

The "apprentice knight" position should be real, since the lord's dignity needs to be maintained by knights, and the eligible young men in the fiefdom are the cheapest source of soldiers.

His mother's voice came from beside him: "Xiao Tian... do you want to go?"

Ji Tian turned his head to look at her.

The mother's expression was complex. There was hope, reluctance, and a knowing "I know what you're thinking."

The father stood silently, and finally said only one sentence: "Then go, but don't embarrass yourself."

Ji Tian smiled and straightened up from the tree trunk.

The knights in front had already begun to "take a look".

He scrutinized each of the boys who had been pushed to the front, his expression growing increasingly cold. After looking at seven or eight children, he turned and walked to the carriage, whispering a few words.

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, revealing an old hand with a silver ring inlaid with gemstones on its finger.

A voice came from inside the car, slow and deliberate, tinged with weariness:

"That's all?"

"Reporting to Steward, this is the first village."

"No need to look anymore." The old steward's voice carried the impatience born of experience. "These peasant children can't even stand up straight. Go back and tell the lord to transfer people from the capital."

"However, it would take at least half a month to transfer people from the capital..."

"Then half a month."

"Wait a moment."

A voice rang out from behind the crowd, not loud, but every word was clear.

All eyes turned to him.

Ji Tian stepped out from behind the crowd.

He walked at a moderate pace, with even strides and a stable center of gravity—a physical instinct honed over twelve years.

He stopped three steps away from the carriage. The distance was just right—not too close, not too far—so that the guards wouldn't be nervous, yet they wouldn't be easily overlooked.

The knight placed his hand on the hilt of his sword: "Whose family are you?"

"My name is Ji Tian Jack." He slightly raised his chin, his gaze passing over the knight and landing directly on the seam of the carriage curtain. "I am 112 years old. I am the son of Old Jack, a tenant farmer."

He paused, then continued:

"I want to be a servant."

A soft cough came from inside the carriage, the curtain was lifted, and an old man poked his head out.

His gray hair was combed meticulously, and the wrinkles on his face looked as if they were carved by a knife, each one bearing the word "rule".

He was wearing a dark gray robe with a silver brooch at the collar, and he was scrutinizing Ji Tian with a critical eye.

"From a tenant farmer's family?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"fight."

Several soldiers around him almost burst out laughing, and the old steward was also slightly taken aback, then narrowed his eyes.

"Do you know that fighting in the lord's manor results in being whipped?"

Ji Tian replied calmly, "That depends on who you're fighting. Fighting the enemy is called combat. Fighting your comrades is called brawling."

The old butler's gaze sharpened.

He took another look at the boy—his clothes were drab and coarse, his straw sandals were worn and frayed, but he was quite well-built.

Moreover, those eyes didn't look like those of a tenant farmer's son.

It's so quiet. As quiet as the water in a deep pool, with no bottom in sight.

"You just said you wanted to be a servant?"

"Yes."

Why?

Ji Tian thought for a moment and gave an answer that everyone could understand:

"Because I want to be a knight. And for a tenant farmer's son, this is the only path."

This answer was so honest that the old butler couldn't find any fault with it.

The old butler chuckled. "A knight? With your muscular frame, you couldn't even hold a sword properly, could you?"

Ji Tian did not refute.

He turned to the side and looked at the knight next to him, who was riding a horse and had old scars on his body.

"My lord," he said to the knight, "may I try out your sword?"

The knight paused for a moment, "Nonsense—"

"Give it to him."

The old butler suddenly spoke, half of the languor in his voice fading away, replaced by a sharp interest.

"Give it to him."

The knight hesitated for a moment, then dismounted, took off his sword and handed it over. It was a standard knight's longsword, nearly a meter long including the blade. For a 112-year-old boy, the sword was too long and too heavy.

"Hold on tight, kid—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

The moment Ji Tian gripped the hilt of the sword, his entire demeanor changed, like a rusty knife being drawn from its sheath, its blade still sharp enough to send chills down one's spine.

He raised the longsword with one hand, twisted his wrist, and the blade drew an arc, accompanied by a faint whistling sound.

Ji Tian gripped the sword with both hands, his feet shoulder-width apart, his center of gravity lowered, his knees slightly bent, and the tip of the sword pointed forward at an angle close to forty-five degrees, without any unnecessary movements.

The knight's expression changed.

This boy, as thin as a stick, had a perfect balance in his sword-wielding posture, standing stance, and breathing rhythm, as if there were no flaws to be found.

That's called "frame," the hardest thing for a martial artist to hone. You can tell at a glance whether a frame is correct or not.

The old butler didn't know swordsmanship, but he could read the knight's expression. "How was it?"

The knight paused for two seconds: "He's got potential."

Ji Tian handed the sword back, his expression unchanged, not even breaking a sweat.

He turned to look at the old butler, his voice calm:

"My lord, I only need two things—a training ground and an opponent."

He paused slightly, his eyes revealing the sharpness of youth, and his aura was no longer concealed. He even faintly touched the so-called "ultimate freedom and arrogance" of his previous life!

"As for the young lady's safety, these knights you brought may not be able to stop me within ten steps."

That's incredibly arrogant.

The tenants in the crowd all thought the child had gone mad. Before the knight and guards could make a move, the mother broke free from the father's obstruction and shielded Ji Tian behind her: "Sir, Xiao Tian is still young and doesn't understand—"

"It's alright." The old butler wasn't angry; he just looked into Ji Tian's eyes.

There was madness in those eyes, but not the arrogance of youth. It was the kind of madness that comes from someone who has seen the view from the top of the mountain and is now climbing back up from the bottom. It was the kind of madness that is certain and unquestionable.

The old butler stroked the ring on his finger and finally spoke again, "You're quite interesting. Miss certainly needs a playmate. But I must remind you, a playmate is someone to keep Miss company. Whatever Miss asks you to do, you must do. Dancing, playing chess, reading, singing… are you up to it?"

Ji Tian paused for a moment.

"I'm not very good at singing, and I'm not very good at dancing either."

"Then what can you do?"

Ji Tian thought for a moment and then said something that surprised everyone:

"I can allow the young lady to go out and go wherever she wants within her fiefdom, without having to be confined to the carriage."

A soft sound suddenly came from inside the carriage, as if someone had accidentally bumped into the carriage wall.

The carriage curtain moved slightly, then quickly returned to its original position.

The old butler looked at Ji Tian, ​​his lips twitching slightly, as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

He tapped his cane lightly on the carriage shaft, and finally made his decision, "Alright, you're the one."

He turned to the knight and instructed, "Make a note of this. We're not going to the next stop; let's go back to the manor."

The knight hesitated for a moment: "Sir, the other villages—"

"I'm not going." The old steward waved his hand and leaned back into the carriage. "Sending a knight to inform them that it's tax-free this year is enough. One child like that is sufficient."

He glanced at Ji Tian one last time, his gaze holding something unreadable:

"Kid, get in the car."

Ji Tian turned around and glanced at his parents in the crowd.

The mother stood there, her lips trembling, her eyes red, but she didn't cry. She just nodded vigorously, as if to say: Go, don't look back.

The father waved his hand and smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time.

Ji Tianchao's parents nodded and turned to walk towards the carriage.

He didn't turn around.

The carriage started moving, its wheels rolling over the dirt road, raising a cloud of yellow dust.

Ji Tian sat on the crossbar at the back of the car, his legs dangling in the air, while the village behind him gradually blurred into a gray silhouette.

He looked away and down at his hands.

Thin, with clearly defined joints.

He silently thought to himself, "This world may lack spiritual energy, but the absence of spiritual energy does not mean that one cannot cultivate immortality."

There are countless laws, but only one true path.

"Since we can't sense any spiritual energy, let's refine the physical body and its foundation first."

He clenched his fist, feeling the subtle clicking sound between his knuckles, then looked up at the dirt road stretching into the distance.

"When Qi and blood are abundant to the extreme—"

"Why not open the gates of heaven!"