Chapter 1338: Chapter 1336: Where Can’t We Meet in Life
Where does the Dao lie?
The Dao lies in the boundless mortal world, the tedious and muddy lives. Without sufficient experience, it’s hard to glimpse the Great Dao.
Shi Xiaole had once been through life-and-death experiences and had once proudly roared over mountains and rivers, yet the experiences of life are not solely about grandeur and splendor. The mundane, mediocrity, as well as pain and setbacks, are also feelings, a common state of life.
The "Reincarnation Technique" of Wu Xuanyu provided Shi Xiaole with great inspiration.
After leaving Nine Profound Mountain, he sealed off all his powers, transformed into an ordinary person, and with another perspective, he went through the sweet and sour, the joys and sorrows of life.
In his first reincarnation, he was named Shi Leixi.
He had no parents, no origin, he was adopted by the Sect Master of a third-rate sect in Qingxue State. Thanks to his decent talent and his cheerful and sincere personality, he quickly won the love of the sect.
At the age of thirty, Shi Leixi took over the position of Sect Master and officially took charge of the sect.
Under his painstaking efforts, the sect developed rapidly, and Shi Leixi’s reputation began to spread, becoming one of the few master experts in the region.
Alas, such good times were short-lived. In a battle for a newly emerged secret realm, Shi Leixi was severely injured. The accompanying sect’s Elders and elite disciples were almost completely killed or wounded.
Years of dedicated development went down the drain overnight, and Shi Leixi’s heart bled as he sank into an unprecedented level of self-blame.
What was worse, he was pursued and hunted by several master experts from the same region. Cornered with nowhere to escape, he was about to be killed.
A passing woman saved him.
"Many thanks to the heroine for lending a hand!"
Shi Leixi said gratefully with a cupped fist salute.
The woman’s lips curved up as she said, "You don’t need to thank me. I only saved you because I heard those people call you ’Shi.’
"Hmm?"
Shi Leixi didn’t understand. Was there something special about this surname?
"Many years ago, a person with the surname Shi was almost killed because of my false accusations. I wanted to compensate him, but unfortunately, he no longer needed it."
In the woman’s bright eyes, a clear color of reminiscence flashed.
Years ago in Moyun City, in that inn, she, out of mischief, had hoodwinked Uncle Fu, her protector, only to be targeted by Xue Tianmu of the local Xue family.
Having no choice, she diverted the disaster onto someone else. It was this caprice that almost cost the life of the young man in green. (Chapter 18)
Years had passed and she, after experiencing the rise and fall of life, then realized just how despicable she had been. This guilt had always accompanied her. Eventually, out of love for the house and its crow, whenever she heard someone with the surname Shi, she would subconsciously lend a hand.
"Is that so? You need not dwell on the past, Heroine. Everyone makes mistakes; what’s important is to make amends. Let bygones be bygones. I believe that the person you framed, if he were to meet you now, would also forgive you."
Perhaps seeing the loneliness and regret in the woman, Shi Leixi, who was in a perilous state himself, quickly advised her.
The woman glanced at him and said with a snort, "You’re not very strong, but you sure are a smooth talker. I’ll take that as a good omen. Until we meet again!"
With that, she picked up her long sword and left with light steps.
Shi Leixi had a strange feeling, as if he had seen this woman before. He asked instinctively, "Heroine, may I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?"
"Wei Zhilan."
As her voice faded, the woman had disappeared into the vast mountains.
"Wei Zhilan?"
Shi Leixi murmured to himself.
If he remembered correctly, hundreds of years ago, the Northwest Jiedushi Wei Langyi, who was dismissed from his post, had an only daughter named Wei Zhilan. Shi Leixi knew this because Wei Zhilan had been involved in a major event that shocked the court and the commoners.
It must be just a coincidence.
Shi Leixi, having been saved, reflected deeply on his pain. In the days that followed, he abandoned all vanities. Although the boldness in his bones was not extinguished, he became more cautious.
Later, he established an even larger foundation, but during a practice session, driven by a moment of greed, he succumbed to deviation and died at the age of eighty-two, halting at the eighth layer of the Divine Barrier Realm.
"Personality determines destiny. It’s not easy to change."
Shi Xiaole, having come to his senses, briefly reviewed this life and then entered the next cycle.
Perhaps not wanting to involve too much karma, each of Shi Xiaole’s reincarnations started as an orphan. In his second life, he was a young man with average talent, eager to make a name for himself.
He started to mix in the Martial World at the age of fifteen, was betrayed by brothers, used by his leader, and after several ups and downs, ultimately died at the age of eighteen during a grand melee.
The third life.
He became an ordinary farmer, working from dawn to dusk. Because he saved a martial artist, he was implicated and mercilessly slaughtered.
The fourth life.
Shi Xiaole met Guan Duli, once one of the four great talented swordsmen of Qingxue State. When they met, the other party was already a peak expert of the Divine Barrier Realm, serving as a nondescript Elder in a second-rate sect.
Through serendipity, the disciple Shi Xiaole had become, saved the severely injured and dying Guan Duli. From then on, Guan Duli took extra care of him, often giving him guidance on cultivation.
Many times during conversations, he would listen to Guan Duli actively bringing up the most incredible person in East Victory.
"Shi Xiaole, he was once the peer I admired most, but later, I personally witnessed him annihilate the Guan Family."
"Elder Guan, do you hate him?"
"Hate? At first, I did, but I know, from his perspective, the Guan Family indeed deserved death. Haha, if you were to speak of tonight’s conversation, my tenure as Elder would come to an end, and I might even lose my life."
"Elder, rest assured, I will never betray you!"
Half a month later, the sect where Shi Xiaole resided suddenly suffered an attack by a formidable enemy, stemming from Guan Duli obtaining a secret manual, the news of which leaked out.
To protect Guan Duli, the disciple that Shi Xiaole had incarnated into, sacrificed his own life.
"Elder Guan, don’t mind me, you must go quickly!"
"Ye Ding, why, you’ve saved me twice, what can I, Guan Duli, use to repay you?"
"Elder Guan, Ye Ding has been alone and helpless since childhood, without any special talent, and shunned by everyone at every turn. Only you, on the day I joined the sect, were willing to stand up for me, something I’ll remember for my whole life."
Guan Duli stared blankly at Ye Ding, who lay in a pool of blood.
He racked his brains and finally remembered that three years ago on the day the sect recruited disciples, he happened to pass by the sect gate and casually saved a down-and-out youth being kicked and beaten by others.
An act of thoughtlessness exchanged for a person’s twice rendered life-saving grace; among all his acquaintances, old and new, has anyone ever done such a thing for him?
In the last moments of his life, Ye Ding saw Guan Duli shedding tears, howling to the heavens in grief and madness, crying like a child.
"Guan Duli."
Awakening from his deep sleep, Shi Xiaole murmured to himself.
This experience evoked the long-buried memories in Shi Xiaole’s heart. Apart from Guan Duli, the four great sword prodigies of Qingxue State back then included Yue Tianlin, Nangong Yang, and Xue Changqing.
Years have passed; where are they now, and what have they experienced?
And there were others like Fang Shenwu, Situ Changkong, Ye Liushuang... those who shone with unique brilliance at the Qingxue State Heroes’ Competition. Where have they gone, and how have they been all these years?
Those he once knew, those he met, have already scattered under the merciless erosion of time, each going their separate ways. Regardless of whether there were grievances or not, Shi Xiaole hoped that they could lead good lives, living the lives they wanted.
The fifth lifetime.
Shi Xiaole appeared on the South Sea Continent. In this life, he possessed extraordinary talent. Although not on par with Xuanyuan Di and Qi Muchu, he was also among the distinguished talents after the Ten Prides.
He drifted in the Martial World and at the age of eight, was discovered by the Sentimental Demon Concubine and taken into the Purple Jade Sect.
The previous leader, Purple Jade Great Emperor, had been killed ten years prior, so the current leader of the Purple Jade Sect was the Sentimental Demon Concubine.
Unsurprisingly, Ding Qi, the incarnation of Shi Xiaole, smoothly became the personal disciple of the Sentimental Demon Concubine. However, what he did not expect was that at the age of sixteen, the Sentimental Demon Concubine would openly reveal her love for him.
"Qi’er, is your master very shameless? Think of me what you will, but I only know that the moment I saw you, I wanted to have you for myself."
In the steamy bathhouse, the Sentimental Demon Concubine’s face was flushed with color.
Her shoulders neither broad nor narrow, showing off an exquisitely delicate collarbone. The swan-like neck, the finely crafted features on her face, the fair and smooth skin, combined with her long hair, floating on the water’s surface like black seaweed, made the Sentimental Demon Concubine exceptionally enchanting at this moment.
Ding Qi’s throat constricted, blood rushing to his head, yet instinctively he stepped back: "Master, no, I was only eight years old then, how could you possibly..."
"Qi’er, whether you believe it or not, let me tell you a secret. My real name is Liu Yingying, a disciple of Shi Xuanzhong. It was in search of him that I accidentally came to the South Sea."
"I later learned that the master was just an insignificant incarnation of the Holy Monarch, but it was that incarnation that I loved! Qi’er, when I first saw you, I felt the same sensation that only my master could evoke."
"Qi’er, my body is still pure; when the Purple Jade Great Emperor wanted to dominate me, I killed him. Come here, won’t you? I’ll give you everything, comply with all your wishes. From now on, you will be the master of the Purple Jade Sect!"
The Sentimental Demon Concubine poured out her feelings, perhaps recalling the happy times of the past; her fox-like eyes, filled with unprecedented genuine emotions, made her even more irresistible, capable of turning any man into a beast.
The sixteen-year-old Ding Qi nearly lost control of himself, but a mysterious and powerful will within him prevented him from stepping forward. With all his willpower, Ding Qi closed his eyes and turned to run outside.
But an overpowering force pulled him into the pool, and soon after, a soft, burning body emitting a refreshing fragrance entwined him.
That time, the Sentimental Demon Concubine ultimately did not succeed, because Ding Qi’s panicked and resistant gaze was like a bucket of cold water extinguishing all her passion.
But she did not give up hope. Life was still long, and she believed that with her charm, she could make this disciple accept her.
Yet she could have never anticipated that during one of Ding Qi’s secret departures from Purple Jade Sect to wander the Martial World, the disciple who won her heart was targeted by several Devil Path powerhouses and was dismembered into six parts!
Upon hearing the dreadful news, the Sentimental Demon Concubine in a rage destroyed these Devil Path powerhouses and all the forces behind them, but her heart also died.
The only thing sustaining her life was likely a faint hope, the hope that in the crowd of people, she could meet him again, exactly as he was.
...
Each of Shi Xiaole’s lifetimes was not long, but for various reasons, he would encounter people with whom he had entanglements. In these serendipitous encounters, he understood that he was resolving karma.
Breaking through the void, what shattered was not just the cosmic bonds, but also the intangible connections.
He incarnated into different roles, sometimes successful, other times failing, courageous at times, cowardly at others, experiencing the sorrows and joys of life in all its forms.
By the end of the ninth life, two hundred and eighty-five years had passed.
