Inside the spacious gymnasium, the students—boys and girls alike—were stunned.

Zuo Tian, at the 9th level of Qi Refining, was undoubtedly a rare genius. How could he be judged as "unfit for greatness"?

The black-haired boy's school uniform shirt was soaked in cold sweat. He squinted his eyes, hiding the bloodshot veins, and clenched his fingers tightly.

Zuo Tian lowered his head, but his gaze had already swept around the room. Every surprised look from the other students felt like needles pricking the back of his neck.

He saw Su Yingxue. The graceful and aloof girl wasn’t looking at him.

The one looking was...

Then Zuo Tian saw Luo Qingchuan.

Zuo Tian involuntarily froze for a moment.

Luo Qingchuan was looking at him.

And his gaze... held confusion?

An inexplicable confusion.

Then, Zuo Tian saw a hand.

Lu Wu's hand.

The young man in Daoist robes smiled and said, “'Unfit for greatness' might just mean that the The Truth-Breaker Mirror has high expectations for you. Don't mind it. Zuo tongxue, you’re already excellent. If you can cut through the puzzles in your heart, you’ll reach the peak.”

Zuo Tian grabbed Lu Wu’s hand and was pulled to his feet.

Lu Wu patted his shoulder, his expression warm and kind. “I believe in you. Don’t lose heart. There will come a time when the long winds break the waves…”

Lu Wu saw Zuo Tian trembling, then watched as he struggled to walk away on his own.

A fierce pain surged in Zuo Tian’s forehead, so intense that he wished he could split open his skull with a sword, yank out his nerves, throw them on the ground, and stomp them into pieces.

Yang Jin helped Zuo Tian over to a long bench by the gym wall and said with a smile, “I think your future is definitely limitless.”

“Mm...” Zuo Tian gave Yang Jin a lazy, easygoing smile. “Honestly, I don't care. My future can be whatever.”

He wanted to puke.

Zuo Tian took a sip of mineral water and hung his head in silence. A single phrase repeated uncontrollably in his mind.

‘I want to give up…’

But beneath the drifting cloud of thoughts, a volcano lurked—ready to explode. The fire symbolizing fate and pride never stopped burning.

The aptitude assessments in the gym continued.

Student after student stepped forward, spacing out for a moment, then returning to themselves, more or less weakened.

The Truth-Breaker Mirror would give a brief evaluation.

A few minutes later, it was Luo Qingchuan's turn.

“Close your eyes,” said Lu Wu.

Luo Qingchuan closed his eyes. With Lu Wu supporting his arm, he slowly approached the mirror.

“Relax,” Lu Wu smiled. “Open your eyes.”

Su Yingxue’s delicate hands twisted together nervously.

Luo Qingchuan was far from calm.

Damn… even the child of destiny Zuo Tian had been scared stiff.

This Truth-Breaker Mirror was brutal, huh?

But why hadn’t Zuo Tian built his foundation yet?

The future… was definitely changing.

Starting from last night’s bar fight, from the moment those 73 lives saw the sunrise the next day...

The world was gradually veering off its predicted path.

Before the mirror, Luo Qingchuan slowly opened his slightly cold eyes.

He froze.

“You are a demon.”

Lu Wu’s previously gentle face suddenly twisted into a beast-like snarl, leaping at him!

Luo Qingchuan instinctively stepped back, but the students behind him pressed down on his shoulders.

“Demon scum!”

“Kill him!”

“This world has no place for you!”

Luo Qingchuan struggled, but his strength seemed to vanish, and countless overpowering hands gripped and dragged him.

He was lifted up.

It felt like he was about to be torn apart.

Rip—

Luo Qingchuan heard the sound of flesh being torn.

But it wasn’t from his body.

Wounds appeared across the bodies of the gymnasium’s students—horrifying slashes as they were sliced into multiple pieces in an instant.

Blood spurted like fountains. One by one, youthful faces froze mid-expression.

Thud thud thud... Bodies collapsed to the floor in rapid succession. Boys and girls in the prime of youth lay twisted and broken all over the ground.

Pale limbs were scattered everywhere, shattered fingers spilling like beans.

Thick pools of blood began to spread across the once-clean wooden floor, flowing beneath Luo Qingchuan’s feet.

Lu Wu died with his eyes wide open.

Luo Qingchuan panted heavily, his brows furrowed.

“It wasn’t me.”

The cursed blade hadn’t even manifested.

“Luo Qingchuan… you, you killed so many people…”

A silvery voice rang out, filled with fear. Luo Qingchuan turned to see Su Yingxue standing amid the blood.

Su Yingxue’s beautiful face was ghostly pale, her pearly teeth clenched. “Look what you’ve done.”

“It wasn’t me,” Luo Qingchuan said calmly.

The boy smiled faintly, scanning the shredded remains around him.

“It wasn’t me,” Luo Qingchuan said again, his voice eerily calm. “And I wouldn’t do it.”

Crack—

Dark cracks, like shattered glass, split the entire space.

Crash...

It was like waking up from a thunderstorm.

Luo Qingchuan snapped back to reality, staring into the ancient mirror at his hazy reflection.

Illusory ancient characters floated out.

「Excellent」

Lu Wu raised his eyebrows, paused for a moment, then laughed. “Nice!”

Luo Qingchuan was a bit confused. “What does it mean?”

“It’s praising you for being a good person,” Lu Wu said with a grin. “It really likes you.”

“So I got the ‘good guy card,’ huh?” Luo Qingchuan joked.

The students burst into laughter.

A girl called out, “Luo tongxue, you can come be my bad guy.”

Su Yingxue’s gentle eyes dimmed with jealousy. She muttered, “He’s mine.”

But… what a shame… Lu Wu looked at Luo Qingchuan, thinking: This boy's temperament won the mirror’s praise, but his talent is lacking, and the pills he took ruined his foundation.

The road of cultivation ahead would be full of karmic obstacles, making progress difficult.

It was a hopeless path. He couldn’t compare to Zuo Tian—even if Zuo Tian was “unfit for greatness”, he was still young and inexperienced, with limitless potential.

Luo Qingchuan noticed the regret in Lu Wu’s eyes and smiled. “Thanks.”

Then he turned and walked back to the line of boys.

Lu Wu smacked his lips.

A good kid. A clever, good kid. Which made it even more of a shame.

Everyone has their own fate.

“Next, Su Yingxue.”

The stylish female laoshi beside Lu Wu called Su Yingxue’s name.

She was in charge of the girls’ line and looked at the stunningly beautiful girl—unmistakable at a glance. “Come.”

She was so beautiful it made the teacher feel a twinge of jealousy.

Su Yingxue walked gracefully over, supported by the laoshi, and gently closed her eyes—like a royal daughter from ancient times.

Her face, white as jade and completely undefended, had a cold, ethereal quality like a celestial being descending in the snow. It stirred the urge to defile it with every method imaginable.

The boys were entranced.

People always said girls’ eyes were the prettiest—but Su Yingxue looked beautiful even with her eyes closed!

Luo Qingchuan’s life was truly blessed!

Hiding timidly at the edge of the girls’ line, Gao Rongrong let out a soft sigh… She really shouldn’t have offended her.

But just a few seconds after Su Yingxue opened her eyes, her body suddenly trembled. She crouched down helplessly, hugging herself, tears falling one by one.

Ancient characters floated from the mirror:

「A fleeting dream in the human world is easily broken; emotions cannot be restrained」

Su Yingxue’s sobs were like drifting snowflakes—cold and piercing, landing on everyone’s hearts.

She looked utterly desolate, as if the entire world had abandoned her.

Silence.

In a daze, Luo Qingchuan stepped lightly toward Su Yingxue.

The girl slowly looked up and was met with the gentlest affection in the world.

Luo Qingchuan bent down and gently tucked away the stray hair from Su Yingxue’s cheek.

Su Yingxue smiled through her tears, too shy to meet Luo Qingchuan’s gaze. His eyes were too close. She couldn’t see herself clearly in them, so she panicked.

“I saw you running into the darkness alone. No matter how I called, you wouldn’t come back. It was like… you didn’t want me anymore...” Su Yingxue said softly.

“Don’t overthink it.” Luo Qingchuan ruffled the girl’s jet-black hair. “Everything the mirror shows is fake. I’m not your fleeting dream. I’m right here.”
…