Godslayer: Reincarnated with SSS Rank Cultivation System

The scent of something sweet, yet ancient and bone-chilling, hit Wen Ran's nostrils. Even Xiao Mo, startled, jumped to his leg, her small paws gripping him tightly in fear. The sensation was so sudden, so overwhelming, that neither of them had expected to feel suffocated by it.

Wen Ran fought to maintain his composure. He could feel something ancient attacking his mind, pressing against his temples, as if trying to take over his very consciousness. Xiao Mo, however, seemed unaffected. Is it because she's a beast? he wondered. Does this entity or array not care about her? Does it only target humans? He smirked inwardly. So whatever is in here still wishes to live? How pathetic. I will end you, and you can move on to hell, leaving your treasures for me.

He chuckled darkly to himself, but the sudden pressure had an unexpected effect. Instead of breaking him, the attack seemed to strengthen his resolve. The pressure, though unbearable, tempered his mind, pushing it to new heights. It felt like a furnace, shaping his mind into something sharper, more resilient. With every moment, his mind pagoda grew stronger, and soon, a massive explosion of energy burst inside his head. It sent waves of powerful mental pressure through the cave, and the small pagoda in his mind expanded, rising to form a second layer.

It was a technique he had mastered in his past life. As far as he could tell, this world didn't possess mind-tempering techniques on this level. The system really gave me everything I needed, he thought with a cruel grin. And now, this world will be my forge.

The powerful mental pressure wrapped around him like a cocoon, sending waves of resistance to fight back against the futile attack. It was a battle he had already won.

I should thank whoever is sealed here, he mused, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. I can already feel the light at the end of this tunnel. I'll soon know exactly what kind of beast or demon is lurking here.

Xiao Mo clung tighter to him, her fur bristling as she felt the aura around them intensify. Her eyes, wide and fearful, were locked on the darkness ahead. When they reached the end of the cave, Wen Ran's mind froze—not from the attack, but from the figure sitting motionless on the ground.

It was a man, around twenty years old, or perhaps slightly older. His skin was flawless, almost perfectly preserved, but his eyes were dead—lifeless green orbs with no spark of recognition or will. His black hair hung lifeless, and his once-handsome face was void of emotion. It was the face of someone who had long since lost everything—someone who had once been a force to be reckoned with.

"Lian Zhen...?" Wen Ran whispered, his voice betraying a rare moment of disbelief.

He knew that face—he knew it well. Lian Zhen had died long ago, perishing in the thunderous wrath of the heavens, obliterated in a final act of defiance. Wen Ran had seen it with his own eyes, had witnessed the man who once dared to challenge the gods being struck down, his body reduced to ash by the world itself.

How... Wen Ran's thoughts scattered, confused. How is he here? How is he alive in this world, surrounded by divine energy... and why is he dead?

This was impossible.

Lian Zhen had once been a cultivator who defied the heavens, a man who sought to tear down the world and carve his own path. He had been a heaven-defier, just like Wen Ran was now. But he had perished in his prime, leaving behind only a legend. And now—now he was here, looking as if he had never died, in perfect form, but lifeless. A man displaced in time, trapped in the wrong era. Eons had passed since Wen Ran's death, and now, to his shock, he had found a forgotten companion in this new world—a place neither of them belonged to.

This was the first time Wen Ran had ever been shocked to his core. He had never expected to meet anyone in this world—alive or dead—especially not someone from his past, least of all his old friend-turned-rival. But sometimes, rivals made better friends than those who always supported you.

His hand trembled as he reached out, hesitantly touching the top of Lian Zhen's head. It was solid beneath his fingers, like stone or fossilized wood, as if the man had been transformed into a statue, frozen in time, untouched by the years that had passed. His skin, still flawless, gleamed under the dim light of the cave. It was unnatural, unsettling. Everything about Lian Zhen seemed preserved, yet the lifelessness in his eyes made him more a ghost than a man.

Wen Ran's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with the implications. It was then that a sudden notification popped into his vision, the green text glowing ominously, almost pulsing with energy.

[You have successfully found the lost piece of the forgotten world]

The words felt heavy, as if they carried with them the weight of something ancient, a secret buried beneath layers of time and memory. The text radiated a mysterious power that made Wen Ran gasp, his breath catching in his throat. The air around him seemed to crackle with unseen energy, and his skin prickled with an unsettling awareness.

"A piece of the forgotten world, you say..." Wen Ran muttered under his breath, staring at the message. His thoughts spiraled as memories of his own world flooded his mind—the days when he had roamed freely, defying the heavens, when life had been a battle, a challenge to be won. But that world was gone now, lost in time and forgotten by all but a few.

The more he thought about it, the more questions sprang up in his mind. What if there's more to this world than I've been led to believe? His mind buzzed with the possibilities. If Lian Zhen is here, then who else could I meet in this world? Is this truly just a declined world? Or does it hold secrets... secrets that I was never meant to know?

A slow, dark smile spread across his face as he continued to trace the lines of Lian Zhen's head. The pieces were falling into place, and the excitement in his chest grew. Does this mean I was sent here for a purpose? To unravel the very secrets of this forsaken place?

His smile turned to something more sinister as his eyes narrowed. "Is this why you brought me back? Huh?" he spoke aloud, as if addressing the unseen force behind his resurrection. "System…"