Reincarnating as Itachi in a cultivation world!

"Are you really sure that's all that happened? That brat Chen came to you just to look for trouble?" Itachi asked, his tone calm but carrying a sharp edge.

"Yes, Brother! I swear on my life!" Shen Feng said quickly, his hands clasped together in a pleading gesture.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "You haven't lived a long enough of a life for you to swear on it." His dry tone made Shen Feng flinch, but Itachi wasn't done yet. "Was he like this before too? Full of baseless ego and looking for fights?"

Shen Feng furrowed his brow, scratching his head as he thought about it. "No, as far as I can remember, he used to be a timid brat. O-Of course, I've never laid a hand on him before! The most I've done was to either throw a comment here and there and ignore him for the rest."

Shen Feng added hastily, trying to sound innocent. "But honestly speaking, I've always despised his weak nature. The way he slumped over and let everyone walk all over him—it was infuriating. I hated him for not fighting back. But today was completely different, he was fighting back but not towards the people he should have."

"Interesting," Itachi muttered, folding his arms. A sudden change in personality. His strength although not of a cultivator still radiated differently. This all points to the sign of some soul take over bullshit.

"Didn't you know him as well, Brother?" Shen Feng asked curiously,

Itachi nodded, his dark eyes clouding slightly as he recalled memories from years ago. "He was a good kid. Shy, but good. When his dantian was crippled, I was already away on my journey. I even helped the Xiao Clan look for a divine doctor to save him. But before I could find the divine doctor the news of his death had long spread and there was nothing else I could do for the boy."

 "You… tried to help him?" Shen Feng blinked in surprise. "Is it because of his sister? Were you two a thing? Why didn't I know about this?"

 "What do you think 'helping' means, you brat?" Itachi shot him a sidelong glance. "Besides, you were running around the clan with snot still dripping from your nose, of course there are things you don't know.

Shen Feng winced. He hadn't expected his older brother to have any sympathy for Xiao Chen. "I was really unaware… If I knew brother was trying to help him maybe I could've prote-"

"Forget about him," Itachi said, waving it off. His sharp gaze fixed on Shen Feng. "Why is your cultivation still at the Qi Gathering Realm? Do you want to die?"

"I've been… busy with clan affairs outside," Shen Feng said weakly, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Does that including drinking and running around the city throwing our clan's name around?" Itachi said with an obvious glare, "Now that I think about it, you'd be a great poster child for the drunken pig. I'll even make you look the part."

"I'll diligently train from now on, Brother!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "I brought some mid-tier spirit stones back with me. Use them. By the end of this month, I want you to reach the Core Foundation Realm."

"B-But that's a stage and a breakthrough away…" Shen Feng stammered, his face paling.

"Do what I tell you, brat," Itachi said, flicking his younger brother's forehead hard enough to make him yelp.

Rubbing his forehead with a pout, Shen Feng mumbled, "Fine… but that's unreasonable, Brother."

Itachi ignored him, studying him with a critical eye. Over the years, Shen Feng had grown taller and leaner. His features had matured, and he now bore a faint resemblance to their father. His brown hair and eyes were a stark contrast to Itachi's dark, striking appearance.

"You've grown up well," Itachi said suddenly, his tone softer.

"What?" Shen Feng asked, startled.

"I said, grow up, or I'll throw you in a well." Itachi rolled his eyes, his tone turning sharp again. "And if I see you hanging around with those snot-nosed friends of yours, I'll cut your legs off. Understood?"

"Yes, Brother!" Shen Feng said hurriedly, nodding like a frightened rabbit.

Itachi sighed inwardly. Sometimes, it felt like he was more of a father than a brother. But if he left Shen Feng's upbringing to their father, the boy would end up even more spoiled and reckless.

Back at the clan estate, Itachi handed Shen Feng a small pouch filled with mid-tier spirit stones. "Make good use of these. Don't waste them, or I'll have your head."

"Yes, Brother," Shen Feng mumbled, bowing low before scurrying off in a delighted mood. After all, even for Shen Clan, mid tier stones were a valuable commodity, with the clan themselves only being able to purchase a couple of them in a year.

That was one of the few reasons, Itachi had his eyes set on joining a proper sect. With sect resources, even getting his hands on a high-tier spirit stones wouldn't be a problem.

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Itachi's room was spartan, a stark contrast to the lavish chambers most young masters of prominent clans enjoyed. The walls were simple, unadorned stone, and the only decorations were a pair of hanging scrolls inscribed with cultivation maxims.

A sturdy wooden bed sat in one corner, its mattress firm and unyielding. Beside it was a small table, neatly organized with a single oil lamp, a worn-out notebook, and an inkstone. The most extravagant feature of the room, if it could be called that, was a large window that offered a clear view of the moonlit courtyard.

Itachi didn't need luxury; simplicity was enough. It kept his mind focused on his goals, free of distractions.

Itachi was quite satisfied that his room was left exactly the way it was before he left.

Sitting in lotus position on the floor, Itachi held a mid-tier spirit stone in his hand, its faint glow illuminating the room with a soft green hue. The energy within pulsed gently, like a heartbeat, as Itachi closed his eyes and began cultivating.

The process was second nature to him now. As he breathed in and out, his body acted like a sponge, drawing in the spiritual energy from the stone and the surrounding air. The energy flowed through his meridians, circulating smoothly as it strengthened his foundation and nourished his soul.

Time passed.

An hour. Two hours. Three.

The world outside faded into the background, his mind completely immersed in the sensation of cultivation. It was as invigorating as ever, filling him with a sense of vitality and clarity. Each breath brought him closer to breaking through the bottleneck that had lingered in his cultivation for weeks.

And then, he felt it.

A subtle but unmistakable shift in his energy. The qi within his dantian began to churn violently, no longer flowing in smooth cycles but instead surging upward like a rising tide.

This was it. The limit of his current cultivation.

Itachi's breathing slowed, becoming more deliberate as he focused all his attention on this moment. He guided the energy carefully, pushing it toward the invisible barrier that separated him from the next stage.

The room grew colder as the spiritual energy condensed around him, forming a faint, swirling mist. The air trembled with the intensity of his cultivation, and the spirit stone in his hand dimmed as its energy was rapidly drained.

"Almost there," Itachi muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. His entire body was tense, sweat beading on his forehead as he concentrated.

The barrier within him resisted stubbornly, but Itachi wasn't one to back down. He gathered every ounce of willpower he had, channeling it into a final, decisive push.

CRACK!

A soundless burst of energy erupted within his dantian, and the barrier shattered like fragile glass. Spiritual energy flooded his body, surging through his dantian with newfound vigor. It felt like a dam had broken, and the rushing torrent of qi was both exhilarating and overwhelming.

He had broken through.

Itachi opened his eyes, exhaling slowly as the green glow of the spirit stone faded completely, leaving it a dull, lifeless husk. His gaze was sharp, his dark eyes gleaming with newfound clarity and power.

"Elemental Manifestation Realm," he murmured, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

After 15 long years, he had finally entered the Profound Realm, unlike the Mortal Realm which contained four different stages to toughen the body of a cultivator up and lay foundations for what was to be built upon. 

The profound realm was where the first true step of cultivation began. With the Elemental Manifestation Realm, he could now open himself to more possibilities. As the name suggested, this realm allowed him to learn his affinity towards specific elements or forces, which would be the core basis for his cultivation and battle techniques moving forward.

The breakthrough had been smooth, almost too smooth. But Itachi wasn't one to complain about success. With this advancement, his strength had taken a significant leap forward. His body felt lighter, his senses sharper, and his qi reserves deeper than ever.

As he stood up, stretching his limbs, he glanced out the window. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver light over the courtyard. The night was still young, and his plans for Xiao Chen were far from over.

"Time to see what that brat is really hiding," Itachi muttered to himself. If he's just an emo kid with a sharp tongue and incest complex fine. But if there's more to him—if he's a threat to the Shen Clan—then I'll have to deal with him tonight.

Grabbing his sword and securing it at his waist, Itachi was just about to step out of his room when suddenly he felt something was wrong.

The weakness spread from his left arm then onto his right, and without a moment's notice, he was struggling to even stand up. 

"What the fuck..." Itachi grunted his teeth as his eyes began burning like no tomorrow. Shit! Did I make a mistake in my cultivation? No! That can't be...

Itachi sat down struggling, as he began cultivating to check what was wrong with his body as he began flowing his spiritual qi throughout his body checking what was going on. 

And there it was, a vacuum!

Itachi couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but whatever was going on, the black hole like thing within his dantian was sucking away all his spiritual qi like there was no tomorrow.

Before long Itachi couldn't even bother to flow his energy in his body, as his body collapsed.

"Fuck me..." he said weakly before closing his eyes.