It was before the crack of dawn. Liu Changfeng had a habit of waking early over the years, this sleep deprivation was nothing to him. He shoved away the luxurious silk blanket and opened the window. Taking in the sweet spring air, he felt his head clear.


    Looking around, he still couldn’t get used to the clear sky overhead.


    And I’ll make sure the Heavens will stay this clear for the years to come. He sighed before faintly wincing. Pain still lingered all over but it was masked by the satisfaction of his old friend’s True Dragon Bones Art—


    [Congratulations, Challenger Liu Changfeng! You have achieved Human Bones: 2nd Star]


    “Argh!” Liu Changfeng staggered to his knees before he clutched his head.


    That voice was the same emotionless voice he heard from the abyss of death.


    Liu Changfeng ignored the shooting star and the voice because it paled in comparison to waking up in the past. But now, it demanded his attention. His hands trembled as he gripped the windowsill, his breathing uneven.


    He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, forcing himself to calm down.


    [Congratulations, Challenger Liu Changfeng! You have happened on the Path of the True Dragon. Would you like to continue? Yes/No]


    Liu Changfeng frowned. True Dragon? That could only mean one thing—a path to the throne itself. His stomach churned at the thought. Damn it, is it because I practiced the True Dragon Bones Art? Does this…voice, this Fated Grand Marshal System, recognize the art?


    Liu Changfeng felt displeased. It was deeply unsettling to hear an unwanted voice, but once he thought more about his regression, it only made him more uncomfortable.


    There was…something omnipresent watching over him and his every action.


    Like the Heavens themselves.


    “There is no soldier who likes his actions being read, let alone a Grand Marshal,” he spat, climbing to his feet. His voice was sharp, but his hands trembled slightly. The True Dragon belongs to him. The one who bore the weight of a dying world, who never faltered, even when betrayed by those closest to him.


    Liu Changfeng’s lips pressed into a bitter line, his mind flooded with memories of his old friend—the one who had been hailed as the Last Emperor, the Son of Heaven in his past life. A man of unparalleled strength and wisdom, who had risen to claim the throne not out of ambition, but out of necessity, for the sake of the people.


    Memories of his old friend flooded his mind. He saw the man’s weary smile, the way his shoulders had sagged under the burden of the throne. Liu Changfeng had stood by his side, a loyal blade, but in the end, he had failed him. The guilt of that failure was a wound that had never healed.


    “No,” he said firmly, his voice cutting through the quiet of the room. "This lowly subject is unworthy. The throne, the Path of the True Dragon, the destiny of the Son of Heaven… all of it belongs to him. Not me."


    The system remained silent, but the faint, hovering presence in his mind was still there. It loomed, waiting for his decision.


    [Would you like to continue? Yes/No. A large sum of Fate Shards will be granted!]


    Liu Changfeng scowled, his heart pounding. A cruel jest, he thought. To offer me the power to change everything, but at what cost? He thought of his old friend’s quiet dignity, the way he had carried the world on his shoulders through betrayals, foreign armies, the advent of the Nightmare Gates, and the waves of demons from the abyss. Liu Changfeng had been his sword, his shield, but he had failed to protect him. The weight of that guilt was still fresh, even now.


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    "I am no True Dragon," he muttered, his voice laced with bitterness. "This old man is a soldier—one skilled in warfare, not leading an empire. A blade to be wielded, not a crown to be worn."


    The silence was deafening, the system''s cold presence still lingering as if waiting for him to falter, to choose otherwise. But Liu Changfeng stood firm.


    “No!” he said again, this time louder. “I reject it. Whatever destiny you think you’ve laid before me, I will not walk it. I’ll forge my own path this time. I’ll right the wrongs of my past, but I am no Son of Heaven.”


    [Challenger Liu Changfeng, are you sure? To step on the Path of the True Dragon is to defy the heavens and carve fate anew.]


    “I am sure, you persistent thing.” he scoffed angrily.


    [Rejection confirmed. The Path of the True Dragon will be prompted again under specific circumstances.]


    For a moment, there was nothing.


    Then, faintly, the presence seemed to retreat, leaving him in solitude once more.


    Liu Changfeng exhaled, his shoulders sinking. The tension in his body ebbed away, replaced by a sense of fragile resolve. He glanced out the window again, the clear sky almost mocking him with its serene beauty.


    He shook his head bitterly. As if this one could ever fill just half of your shoes.


    Once the shock from the voice in his head dwindled, Liu Changfeng returned to his prior thoughts—achieving the 2nd Star of Human Bones.


    True enough, even a minor body tempering pill coupled with the True Dragon Bones Art was enough to raise him up a notch.


    He tightly curled his hand into a fist. It felt solid. Stronger. It was nothing near the heaven-shattering body that came with the cultivation of his last life, but the feeling of growth felt pleasant. He couldn’t enjoy this in his later years after reaching his potential’s limit.


    “Young Master? It’s time for breakfast.” Mei Lian called from the door a little weaker than usual.


    Liu Changfeng frowned. “Leave me. I’ll come down myself.”


    A pause followed, but Liu Changfeng didn’t hear any steps walking away. She’s still behind the door.


    After a few seconds, he heard a muffled pout. “I-I can accompan—”


    “Leave. If you wish to be useful, then tell the manor’s guards I will be joining them for their drills.” he scoffed.


    “I…Yes, Young Master.”


    He heard her step away from behind the door.


    …I wonder how I must deal with this despicable watcheye. She could prove useful.


    Liu Changfeng tapped his fingers against the desk, his thoughts spiraling into quiet calculation. The girl was persistent, that much was clear. Her demeanor reeked of ambition, the kind that clawed its way upward without care for whom it trampled. A weakness, perhaps, but also an opportunity.


    Mei Lian, this "watcheye" was sent by the rival Zhulong Clan. But loyalty was a malleable thing, especially for someone with aspirations as obvious as hers.


    A pawn with delusions of grandeur was the easiest to move.


    He considered two paths.


    The first: use her as a sieve for falsehoods. Feed her just enough information, layered with lies and half-truths, and let her deliver it to the Zhulong Clan like a dutiful courier pigeon. It would keep them chasing shadows, diverting their attention from his true movements.


    But there was a second option, far less plausible, but could prove some use. Mei Lian could become more than just a pawn—she could be a dagger in their heart. A “double shadow,” planted to erode the Zhulong Clan from within.


    Ambition was the key. Mei Lian’s hunger for status could be turned inward, twisted against her handlers. A hint of recognition here, a small promotion there, and she’d start to see the value of siding with him instead of them. Let her taste the rewards of her betrayal, and soon enough, she’d crave them.


    But trust? That was a different matter.


    The problem with an ambitious personality like hers was its unpredictability. She’d work for him as long as it suited her, but she''d turn on him without hesitation when she saw an opening for a greater prize.


    He’d need to ensure her loyalty—not through trust, but through fear. A single mistake on her part would need to carry dire consequences, consequences she would understand were inevitable.


    Liu Changfeng smirked, an old sharpened edge glinting in his youthful eyes.


    “I’ll dangle the heavens before her and show her the abyss if she missteps.” he muttered.


    With her ambition and his designs, she could become a valuable tool—a shadow cast where his light would never reach. But for now, he would play the part of a dismissive young master, keeping her hungry for validation. He needed her restless and eager.


    This was Liu Changfeng, Grand Marshal of the Dawn’s cunning.


    There were countless Great Generals and Grand Marshals before him like the myriad of stars in the black of night. But that was it. All those bright stars extinguished when his own light began shining brighter. All the greats he heard tales about died before he could even witness their greatness. Perhaps they were mightier than him. Crueler. Wiser. More cunning.


    However, he was proud to say that in the Age of Twilight, none was more honored and acknowledged in warfare than he was. The Great Luan Empire would’ve fallen long before it did had Liu Changfeng not been so skilled.