“I tried it for you all. The path the Director teaches — it leads to a dead end!”
Everything shattered.
Yin Qingcheng’s consciousness snapped back to reality.
She gasped for air, her eyes wide, overflowing with shock that she couldn’t suppress.
Despite how weak and small Lu Ye had been...
In those final moments, as the flames raged behind him, as he abandoned everything and charged at the invincible godlike figure with his life on the line, as he delivered that final lesson to the orphans who were as trapped as he was...
That kind of soul-deep tremor...
Even Yin Qingcheng, an outsider to the scene, felt it. The impact was indescribable.
Li Kaoshan might have been just an ordinary man.
But after years of relentless psychological manipulation, he had become a god.
A god who reigned supreme over the minds of every child.
In that moment, Yin Qingcheng finally understood why the Lu Ye of the previous life had been so foolish.
Eight people poisoned him, hexed him, and he never noticed.
Yin Qingcheng couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine as a horrifying thought crossed her mind:
What if... What if he actually knew?
What if Lu Ye had been fully aware of the poison, the curses, all of it... and let it happen anyway?
That terrifying possibility sent a shiver coursing through her entire body.
...
Lu Ye’s eyes snapped open within the Desolate Valley of the Three Peaks.
His aura surged, his life force swelling as wave after wave of tribulation power transformed into purest energy, bolstering his true essence and strengthening his physical body.
Three Lives... it wasn’t past life, present life, and future life?
No. It was past-past life, past life, and present life.
It must have been because of the overwhelming obsessions he carried from his time on Earth. Those shadows from childhood demanded far too much time to heal.
In his previous life, when he crossed the Three-Life Tribulation, he had also returned to the orphanage. But that time, it ended in mutual destruction.
He spent ten years battling Li Kaoshan, and in the end, perished alongside him. It seemed like a victory, but in truth, he had never escaped Li Kaoshan’s shadow.
But this time, he truly won.
Even though he died, he had genuinely redeemed himself.
“Ding! Host, you were so handsome!”
The familiar chime of the system echoed in Lu Ye’s mind.
Lu Ye sighed helplessly.
“What were you doing in my Three-Life Tribulation? Did you expect me to call you ‘Master’ again?”
“Ding! And what of it? Didn’t you make me call you ‘Master’ first?”
“You’re my system!”
“Ding! And you’re my host! Besides, that crazy Yin was there too. I just went in to enjoy the show. Who knew she’d be so useless? Even with her memories intact, she was still that weak once she lost them.”
“You were the impressive one. You {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} almost broke my Three-Life Tribulation.”
“Ding! Oh, and by the way, you actually hugged that crazy Yin. Are you still hung up on her?”
Lu Ye chuckled.
When there was love in his heart, he dared not embrace Yin Qingcheng.
When there was hatred in his heart, he refused to embrace Yin Qingcheng.
Only when he had let go did Yin Qingcheng become nothing more than a key in his eyes.
He embraced that key, unlocked the cage of his heart, and opened the door to his own world.
It was worth it.
Next time, he’d be sure to give her a swift end.
The suffocating pressure from the Three-Life Tribulation still weighed heavily on Lu Ye’s mind.
That orphanage... As long as he remembered it, a crushing sense of suffocation would linger.
Fortunately, the next life should be much more enjoyable.
Lu Ye closed his eyes. The next part of the Three-Life Tribulation was the past life — a chance to finally relax.
He shut his eyes.
The tribulation power surged forth once again.
...
Yin Qingcheng stared at the Three-Life Stone, now riddled with cracks, her expression somber.
So, entering someone else’s Three-Life Tribulation was this difficult...
“No matter. I can still continue.”
This time, she was determined to create beautiful memories with Lu Ye.
Lu Ye opened his eyes.
“How could it possibly be a trap? The demon clan doesn’t even know about my relationship with Feng Wuxie!”
Yue Hongling’s anxious voice echoed in Lu Ye’s ears. Her worried face filled his vision.
Lu Ye did not respond. His expression softened slightly.
So... he was here now?
“Senior Brother, don’t stop me. I truly love Feng Wuxie. Just let me be with him. I beg you.”
Lu Ye nodded. “Alright.”
Yue Hongling was stunned.
In that moment, she wondered if she had heard him wrong.
Shen Xitong was utterly thrilled. Holy crap! Holy crap!
No way, no way. Such a spectacular scene couldn’t just be for her eyes alone.
In that moment, the system forcibly intervened in the Three-Life Tribulation.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Thunder roared across the Desolate Valley of the Three Peaks.
“Just a little indulgence, just a little indulgence!”
Shen Xitong looked up at the sky and spoke.
The next second, she waved her hand, and the previously calm Yue Hongling suddenly saw a vivid scene appear in her mind — the very scene from Lu Ye’s Three-Life Tribulation.
Wha... What?
Yue Hongling’s body shuddered slightly.
The scene in her mind was all too familiar.
It was the moment she had insisted on going to see Feng Wuxie, only to be forcefully stopped by her Senior Brother.
But this time, her Senior Brother... had agreed?
“Are you really willing to let me go?” Yue Hongling asked abruptly.
Bai Qiulan was startled. She looked at Yue Hongling, concern in her eyes. “Hongling, what’s wrong now?”
Yue Hongling didn’t answer.
At this moment, it was as if her present self had synchronized with her past self.
Back to Lu Ye’s Three-Life Tribulation...
Lu Ye confirmed once again.
“Of course. It’s your choice.”
Yue Hongling gazed at Lu Ye, her eyes full of suspicion. “But... just now, you were so adamant about not letting me go.”
A smile played at the corners of Lu Ye’s lips.
“My initial intention was to warn you, as I suspected a trap. After all, I don’t know Feng Wuxie well. But since you’re familiar with his character, naturally, you’re free to go.”
Yue Hongling hesitated.
She looked at Lu Ye, not quite daring to believe it. Wasn’t her Senior Brother always concerned about her?
Although she couldn’t believe Feng Wuxie would harm her, Feng Wuxie was still a demon after all.
“How about this, Senior Brother? You come with me,” Yue Hongling suggested.
“Please, help me just this once, Senior Brother. You know my strength is average. I’m afraid I won’t be able to save Feng Wuxie by myself. If you go with me, everything will be fine.” Yue Hongling couldn’t help but reach out to grab Lu Ye’s arm, trying to act coy.
This tactic had always worked in the past.
But to her surprise, Lu Ye took a step back.
“Junior Sister, you’ve already found your true love. You should understand the boundaries between men and women. From now on, we are just Senior Brother and Junior Sister. You mustn’t do anything that might make Feng Wuxie jealous or cause a misunderstanding.”
“If you truly love Feng Wuxie, then as your Senior Brother, I give you my blessing. So go ahead. Go and find your happiness.”
Lu Ye’s face remained gentle, a serene smile gracing his lips.
Within the Three-Life Tribulation, Lu Ye did not retain all of his consciousness. Each time he entered a scene, he only had memories up to that specific moment.
The Lu Ye who tried to stop Yue Hongling was the version who had not yet attained redemption.
The Lu Ye who let her go was the version after he had been redeemed.
Yue Hongling stared at Lu Ye’s smile.
Her heart... it ached slightly.
