Chapter 2

Theodore found himself engulfed by a vast expanse of silver-white light. Strange images flashed before his eyes continuously. At first, they were moving slowly, but as time passed, they started accelerating.

"Cultivation… Immortal… Sword technique… Immortal Realm… Lord of Eternity!"

The images flickered relentlessly, and when they finally stopped, Theodore felt as if his mind was about to explode. "These are… memories. They're a set of cultivation memories!"

A complete memory played out at an astonishing speed before his eyes, detailing the entire life of a single person. That person was none other than the Lord of Eternity from the Immortal Realm!

"The Immortal Realm!"

In Theodore's understanding, immortals were an existence beyond reach. However, the owner of these memories had surpassed even that. He had entered the Immortal Realm and ascended to the highest level as a Lord.

"No matter who you are, if you were able to break the seal I left behind, then you must be my descendant..."

An ancient voice resonated in Theodore's mind. He snapped back to his senses and realized he was no longer in the dungeon but in a bright space.

The voice belonged to the owner of these memories—Ezekiel Yardley, the Lord of Eternity.

According to Ezekiel's account, he perished long ago. Before his demise, he left behind a Sword Orb; Theodore was now inside it.

Ezekiel's downfall was due to the ambush of his formidable enemies.

However, in his final moments, he managed to swap out his Sword Orb and place a powerful seal upon it, ensuring that only a descendant of his bloodline could unlock it.

"A Sword Orb?"

Theodore recalled the item his grandfather had given him when he married into the Ashcrofts. "Grandpa merely gave me a small piece of beast hide, told me to memorize the sword technique on it, and then made me swallow it. How could that have been a Sword Orb?"

Amidst his confusion, the voice echoed again, "I knew those enemies would stop at nothing to ensure my complete destruction, leaving me no chance of revival. So, when my Sword Orb escaped, it took the form of an ordinary object. Even my descendants can only unlock it if they possess an unyielding will and have endured immense suffering..."

At that moment, realization struck Theodore. The Lord of Eternity concealed the Sword Orb in an unremarkable form to deceive his enemies. He even went so far as to hide it using techniques outside of immortal cultivation.

"Since you have broken the seal of the Sword Orb, you are now my successor. The Sword Orb is yours to wield. But beware—never reveal its existence, nor the Seraphic Swordplay Archive contained within it. Especially the swordplay archive! Otherwise..."

The final words carried both a warning and a grave reminder.

Theodore shuddered. If not for the lingering pain from what he just endured, he might have believed this was all just a dream.

However, he knew it wasn't. He had inherited the legacy of a Lord—and, most unbelievably, he was a descendant of an Immortal Realm Lord.

Even though Theodore had lived through extraordinary experiences since childhood, he couldn't suppress his excitement.

"Although I've unlocked the Sword Orb, my ancestor still placed restrictions on me. That shows how deeply he fears his enemies!"

Theodore couldn't even begin to imagine what the Immortal Realm was like. In his eyes, being an immortal was beyond his grasp.

It took him a long time to calm himself down. The memories had entered his mind, but they weren't fully accessible. Instead, they were sealed into separate sections, each corresponding to a different stage of cultivation.

According to the Lord of Eternity, if one were to receive all the memories at once, even a mortal cultivator, or a Golden Immortal descending from the heavens, would be too overwhelmed and reduced to a fool.

After sorting through everything, Theodore finally managed to merge the first portion of memories with his mind. That portion alone contained nearly sixty years' worth of experience.

From these memories, the first cultivation realm he encountered was the Energy Refinement Stage.

For mortals, cultivation was divided into several levels, Third-class, Second-class, First-class, Postnatal Realm, and the highest Innate Realm.

This was the realm Theodore had once longed for. As long as he reached the Innate Realm, he would no longer have to worry about being bullied in Philodorah, even though he wasn't invincible yet. Besides that, even the Yardleys would no longer face the threat of annihilation.

However, the Innate Realm wasn't even the threshold to becoming an immortal. Only by breaking through to the Energy Refinement Stage, absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, and converting internal energy into spiritual power, could one be considered to have stepped onto the path of the immortals.

"What's my current realm..."

As the voice faded, Theodore opened his eyes and was utterly stunned.

"Peak Postnatal Realm!"

He had skipped past the first three stages of cultivation, reaching the Postnatal Realm immediately.

It was also astonishing that his severed tendons which were cruelly cut by Vivienne had fully healed. Aside from looking slightly thinner, his skin was now glowing.

"What immense internal energy!"

Theodore tried circulating his internal energy according to the method in his memories. Instantly, a powerful surge of energy erupted from his energy core, filling every part of him.

His shattered energy core and injured body had completely healed. The internal energy coursing through him was burning like raging flames, yet it did not scorch his skin.

He knew this was the effect of his Solarborn Physique—Solar Force!

"Vivienne claims to be an immortal. If that's true, she should be at the first level of Energy Refinement." Theodore slowly stood up with a murderous gaze. "Energy Refinement Level One… That's nothing more than the threshold of immortality, Vivienne!"

Even though he had only unlocked the first portion of the memories, it was sixty years' worth of knowledge. Theodore's perspective had already surpassed Vivienne's and even the entire Philodorah.

"Initially, I endured everything and quietly honed my sword techniques only to take revenge on a few noble families. I even had a sliver of affection for you, Vivienne…"

Theodore was not an unreasonable man. However, today's events changed everything. His hatred for Vivienne and the Ashcrofts had now risen to the same level as the grief he felt when he witnessed his father's brutal murder.

"I never imagined you could be so ruthless! Just wait, Vivienne. I will repay you tenfold for the humiliation today!"

Suddenly, voices echoed from the corridor leading to the dungeon.

"Why did Ms. Vivienne let him live? She should've just killed him and told the Yardleys he died because of an illness."

"I don't know. But since Ms. Vivienne said she has destroyed his energy core, his foundation has been completely ruined anyway."

"The one in charge wants to delay things for a few days. I wonder if he’s dead."

The voices grew closer. Before long, two young guards entered the dungeon—only to be shocked by the sight of Theodore standing there with a healthy complexion.

They exchanged glances. However, Emery Ashcroft, the one in front, didn't seem suspicious. After all, Vivienne had fed Theodore a Celestial Pill after destroying his energy core.

Seeing Theodore in his current state, they felt it was a shame that such a gift had been wasted on a worthless man.

"Have you made up your mind? You only get one chance to choose," Emery said.

Theodore knew these men well. They were Emery and Henry Ashcroft—the guards responsible for watching over him.

For years, whenever they brought him food, they would place the food on the floor and take away the cutleries, forcing him to eat like a dog.