A faint white light streaked through the darkness of outer space, wandering without any clear direction or purpose. If one looked at the light, they would see a young man—or rather, his soul—closing his eyes with a tired face, wandering aimlessly.
A small black beast that looked like a tiger but wasn't a tiger either, with fur as thick as darkness and blood-red eyes that glowed in the darkness. "Master."
"Hmm?"
"Look ahead."
The young man opened his eyes and looked ahead, but a black light suddenly enveloped them both and transported them to a place where nothing existed. "What kind of place is this?"
"I've never seen this kind of place before, Master." The small black beast looked around them and found nothing. "Could this be the afterlife?"
"Nah." The young man looked at the black light that gathered in front of him and formed a figure, but he could not see the figure. "Who are you? Why did you bring us here?"
"Do you want a second chance?"
The young man raised an eyebrow because the figure's voice was mixed between male and female voices, and several images appeared before his eyes. His heart throbbed, his expression turned painful, and there was only hatred in his eyes.
The small black beast curled up beside his feet, covering its two red eyes with its long ears to avoid looking at the figure.
"Do you want to take revenge on those who betrayed you? Your old lover and your old companion turned into greedy creatures because of the artifact you found at that place, and they betrayed you to get it."
The young man did not answer the figure's question, and his eyes were fixed on the images showing their betrayal and his death.
"I can help you take revenge on them, but—" The man looked at the figure. "But you have to give me your soul power in exchange."
"Master." The small black beast called softly.
The young man didn't listen to the beast and stared at the figure. "My soul power? Who are you? What do you want with my soul power?"
"Nothing much." The figure moved in front of him and touched his chest. "My identity is not important, and the most important thing is that I can help you take revenge against them. Your soul will remain yours, but I will absorb your soul power once in a while for my sake. If you agree to my request, I will give you a body that is stronger than your old body, so you can start over again, and you can take revenge on them in the future."
The young man seriously considered the offer before looking at the small black beast. "What about my beast?"
"This little thing is tied to your soul, and it will accompany you in your next life." The small black beast was excited by that, but it said nothing and waited for its master's decision. "Are you willing to accept my offer? I am your only chance to exact revenge on them; otherwise, your soul will continue to drift in the darkness until your soul power runs out, and you will disappear forever."
The young man took a deep breath and steadied his will. "They betrayed me for an artifact, and they dismembered my body after I died because they feared I would return and take revenge on them. As long as I can take revenge on them, I will give you my soul power."
"I'm glad about your decision." The young man can feel the figure's palm pressing on his soul. "I will send your soul into your new body, and I will start absorbing your soul power at that time."
"Send me now."
"Oh! I forgot one thing." The young man was shocked when a black pagoda appeared in the figure's hand, and he or she pushed it into his soul. Next, the figure used something for his soul, binding his soul to hers. "Use my gift well because it will help you to become stronger faster, and you must give me as much soul power as possible."
The young man wanted to say something but a black hole suddenly appeared, sucking him and the small black beast into it.
The figure materialized and transformed into a woman. Her face was pale, with high cheekbones, a slender nose, and softly defined lips. What stood out the most were her glowing red eyes that carried a predatory awareness, and her gaze felt slightly dangerous.
Her hair was long and wavy, with dark reddish hair, blending into the darkness around her. Two curved horns rose from her head, arching backward in a natural curve. She wore an off-shoulder dress in deep purple, trimmed with thin gold accents, revealing her shoulders and part of her collarbone, and falling loosely over her figure. Her lean figure was well-proportioned, with long, smooth limbs. Large wings extend from her back, framing her body like a shadowy backdrop. A long, thin tail curved naturally behind her hips.
The woman's lips curled up into a seductive smile as she looked in the direction of the young man's disappearance. "Your soul power is one of the strongest I've ever encountered, and I can't wait to enjoy it. You must make good use of my gift to become stronger faster, and you will give me a lot of soul power."
…
In a dark forest, a black hole suddenly appeared and threw the young man's soul out. His soul quickly entered the corpse of a young man lying there, covered in blood and broken limbs.
The corpse rose into the air by itself, and a dark aura quickly enveloped it. His blood slowly disappeared, and his broken limbs repaired themselves.
When the process was over, the dark aura disappeared on its own, and the young man was fully recovered, as if nothing had ever happened to him.
The young man landed on the ground and opened his eyes. He looked at his body, moved his limbs, and a smile formed on his face. However, his smile disappeared as memories flooded his mind, all of which belonged to the body's previous owner. "Gu Changsheng."