Memories

Late at night, in a secluded room deep within the Silent Garden, only a dim oil lamp was lit.

Lin Mo sat cross-legged on the futon, with the incomplete martial arts manual he had acquired from the black market, the fragment of "The Record of the Netherworld," spread out in front of him.

After collecting them through black market channels over this period of time, I have barely managed to gather a set of several key medicinal herbs to aid in cultivation.

Although the quality varied, Lin Mo couldn't wait any longer.

The initial establishment of the intelligence network did not bring peace of mind, but rather a deeper sense of urgency.

The undercurrents among the four great families, and the appearance of the suspected "Star Official," were like invisible whips lashing at him.

He must improve his strength as soon as possible, and this technique, which is subtly related to his abnormal meridians and what he learned in his previous life, is the key.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Mo slowly circulated his internal energy in his dantian, following the energy cultivation route in the opening chapter of "The Record of the Netherworld".

The mysterious power originating from the mass grave, after its rebirth, began to travel along a strange path through the meridians, guided by the cultivation technique. At first, it was only warm and cool, but as the practice deepened, the power hidden deep within the meridians was fully activated, becoming scorching and violent.

At the same time, the medicinal herbs he had placed beside him—Yin Ning Grass, Di Po Flower, and Han Yu Sui—began to emit wisps of grayish-black aura that were barely perceptible to the naked eye. As if drawn by something, these wisps seeped into his pores and merged into the surging torrent of his inner energy.

"Ugh..." Lin Mo groaned, veins bulging on his forehead. This power was too overwhelming, far exceeding the current limits of his meridians, as if it were about to burst his body. Intense pain shot through his limbs and bones, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, trying his best to maintain the flow of his cultivation technique.

Just as this pain reached a certain critical point—

boom!

Deep within his mind, it was as if some solid barrier had been completely breached by this ferocious force attacking from both inside and outside. Countless fragmented images, chaotic sounds, and surging emotions, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly overwhelmed him.

No longer the fragmented pieces of the past, but a complete, coherent memory of a past life, full of details and emotional impact, resurrected like a tidal wave!

He saw himself, the top assassin codenamed "Shadow" from his past life, adopted by a mysterious organization from childhood and struggling to survive in brutal training. Cold weapons, warm blood, the falling figures of comrades, the desperate eyes of targets... scenes of slaughter flashed by rapidly.

He saw her, the only woman who had ever given him warmth, dressed in white, her smile as radiant as a flower. They had confided their deepest feelings to each other under the moon, fought side by side in perilous situations, and promised to find a secluded paradise after leaving the organization…

Then came the betrayal!

His most trusted brother, his always-smiling second-in-command "Azure Wolf," slipped a poisoned dagger from behind during one of his crucial missions. It wasn't for power, nor for money, but for the first volume of the "Netherworld Codex," a book said to grant glimpses into the secrets of life and death, which he carried!

The excruciating pain of a poisoned blade piercing his chest seemed to return once again.

He saw that in order to save him, she did not hesitate to use a forbidden secret technique, using her own soul as a guide to activate the power of the secret manual to block the "Azure Wolf's" subsequent fatal blow. However, she was backfired, and her soul was sucked into an ancient magic artifact... That magic artifact was extremely similar to the object he had glimpsed in the cargo box earlier!

The smug grin of "The Wolf," the indifference of the organization's higher-ups, and the look of reluctance and determination in her eyes as she looked at him in her final moments...

"No--!"

Lin Mo suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes bloodshot, filled with endless killing intent, deep-seated hatred, and heart-wrenching pain... All the emotions that had been suppressed for two lifetimes erupted like a volcano at this moment!

"Azure Wolf!!!"

He let out a beast-like roar, the grief and resentment in his voice almost tearing the roof of the quiet room apart.

With that roar, the already violent power within him completely spiraled out of control! The Netherworld Record technique began to operate wildly on its own, drawing upon no longer the mere cold energy of the medicinal herbs, but a deeper and more immense primordial power.

Om-!

Centered on him, an invisible shockwave suddenly spread outwards. The walls of the quiet room groaned under the strain, the ground trembled slightly, and the flame of the oil lamp flickered violently a few times before going out with a "poof".

The power within him did not subside; instead, it surged even more violently, as if breaking free of some shackles and connecting with something beyond the mortal realm. This power burst forth from his body, soaring straight into the sky!

Meanwhile, far away on the western mountain of Qinghe Town, the old man dressed in the robes of a star official, who had been observing the stars there a few days earlier, suddenly opened his eyes and stared in horror at the horizon in the direction of Moyuan. He saw that the positions of the stars in that night sky seemed to have subtly shifted, and a faint, yet strange, fluctuation carrying the aura of death and new life was spreading from that direction.

"Found it... It really is Nirvana Death Qi! The reborn one is right there!" The old star official's face showed an excited yet solemn expression. He quickly took out a specially made jade talisman, imprinted the information on it, and waved his hand to send it into the night sky. The jade talisman turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the horizon.

Inside the Silent Garden, Shi Yong, A Fei, Li Qianchuan, and the others had already been alerted and rushed out of their houses, gathering in the small courtyard outside the quiet room, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"Leader..." Shi Yong felt the terrifying, violent aura emanating from the quiet room and instinctively tightened his grip on the hilt of his knife.

Li Qianchuan's expression was extremely solemn. As the one with the highest cultivation level and the clearest perception, he exclaimed, "Such terrifying power... violent, deathly still, yet containing a strange vitality... This is definitely not a sign of an ordinary breakthrough in cultivation!"

Afei stared nervously at the door of the quiet room: "Should we go in and take a look?"

"No!" Li Qianchuan immediately stopped him. "The energy is extremely unstable right now. If we rush in rashly, we might not only harm him, but we ourselves will also be dragged into it, and the outcome will be very grim."

Just then, the strange aura that had been soaring into the sky in the quiet room began to slowly subside, but the overwhelming pressure did not completely dissipate. Instead, it became even more profound and restrained, like the calm before a storm.

Inside, Lin Mo remained seated cross-legged, but his entire demeanor had drastically changed. Before, while he was cold and aloof, he carried a hint of detachment as he explored the world. Now, however, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, containing a torrent of emotions—hundreds of years as an assassin, a love etched into his very soul, the agonizing pain of betrayal, and… a more resolute and intense fire of revenge fueled by his rebirth!

All memories have been fully restored. The killing experience and martial arts insights from his past life, along with his current body, the fragment of the "Netherworld Record," and the mysterious power in his meridians, have begun to merge at an unprecedented speed.

He slowly raised his hand, feeling the power within him, which, though subsided, was now even more vast and boundless. This power seemed to have been truly awakened by the complete revival of his past life's memories.

"The Netherworld Records... the Netherworld Secret Manual... so that's how it is." Lin Mo murmured to himself, his voice hoarse yet carrying an all-knowing chill. "The upper part governs the cycle of birth and death, the lower part controls the death energy of the Netherworld... Canglang, you probably haven't even fully comprehended the upper part that you stole, have you? And me..."

He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked softly.

"And I, reborn from this mass grave, by sheer chance, have had my body transformed by the purest Netherworld Death Energy, making me a perfect match for the next part of the 'Netherworld Records'! This is the foundation of my revenge!"

The image of the magical artifact in the cargo box that sealed his lover's soul flashed through his mind, and a sharp pain shot through his heart, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger determination.

"Wait for me... No matter where you are, no matter the cost, I will rescue you! And Canglang... and the forces behind you, everyone involved in that betrayal, I will not let a single one of them go!"

Complete memories bring complete hatred, but also a complete goal and a clear path. He is no longer a stranger struggling to survive in this world with only vague thoughts of revenge, but a true returnee carrying the destiny of two lifetimes, with a clear goal.

Lin Mo slowly stood up, stretched his body which was a little sore from the impact of the force, and felt the true qi in his body that was several times stronger than before, as well as the incredibly rich combat experience and martial arts knowledge in his mind.

He knew that the commotion he had just made had been too great and must have already attracted the attention of some powerful entity. His time was running out.

He walked to the door of the quiet room and pushed it open. Outside, Shi Yong, A Fei, Li Qianchuan, and others immediately surrounded him, looking at him with concern.

"Boss, are you alright?" Shi Yong asked hurriedly.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over everyone, and the depth and coldness in his eyes sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"I'm fine." Lin Mo's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Pass down the order: effective immediately, raise the security level inside and outside the manor to the highest level. All intelligence networks are to operate at full capacity, focusing on investigating everything related to 'Star Officials,' and... the movements of forces using this symbol."

He casually drew a simplified version of the pattern on the ground, which resembled a wolf's head combined with stars—that was the symbol of "Azure Wolf" and the organization it belonged to in his previous life!

Although everyone was confused, they all sensed the seriousness of the situation from Lin Mo's tone and expression, and responded in unison, "Yes!"

Lin Mo looked up at the dark night sky, where a trace of the strange fluctuations caused by the power just moments before seemed to linger. His memories were fully restored, and his power was beginning to merge; the true path of revenge had officially begun from this moment on. And the storm that was about to break might far exceed his previous expectations.