I didn’t even have time to fall into deep thought in the stable before I burst out.
' Damn! Shit!!'
It’s not that surprising to come back to life now. I’ve already experienced rebirth more than five times, and I even have the Heavenly Cliff Manual. At this point, I’m confident that having the Heavenly Cliff Manual allows me to return to the past.
However, what truly made me feel terrible was that despite repeatedly experiencing life and death, I hadn’t fundamentally changed. I had stubbornly accumulated martial arts and knowledge, but in the end, I lacked the patience and wisdom to handle critical situations, leading to my downfall.
Right now, I hate myself more than the Jinyiwei who killed me. I feel like committing suicide right away.
Originally, I would have immediately set out to obtain the Heavenly Cliff Manual and the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng as soon as I regained my senses, but not this time. The intense self-loathing made me vomit in the forest.
"Choke! Choke! Pant..."
After vomiting for a while, a bitter smell rose from the ground.
Why am I like this?
Have I not changed at all?
[ Well... I enjoyed it. ]
Wangliang’s final laugh pierced my heart and echoed.
He ultimately died because of me.
My wrong choices led to the deaths of others.
I thought this was enough. I had spent enough time cultivating martial arts and knowledge. However, I mostly relied on Wangliang’s wisdom to solve most problems, and I lacked the ability to calmly think of the next move. Even after consuming the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, I felt like it was all in vain, a waste of time.
I need to change.
Something about myself needs to change.
"... And now, I have to admit it."
I muttered to myself.
I had been thinking about this since last time, but now I realize that the option of living an ordinary life is no longer available to me. Since I’ve become addicted to the process of continuously gaining power through the ability to return to the past, I can’t stop until the end. Moreover, there are too many formidable enemies left. To grow properly, I need to assume the possibility of death.
What I need now is [power].
And for me to grow mentally!
To truly resolve myself, I need to be prepared to die and return a hundred more times.
' Think carefully. Stay calm and consider the immediate benefits...'
I put aside my self-loathing and began to think calmly. My journey with Wangliang in my sixth life taught me a lot. Wangliang often told me to "look at the bigger picture," meaning that I often fell for my own schemes because I tried to see things in too narrow a scope. I felt the need to think more broadly and find a rational way to resolve the situation.
I concluded that I was still far too weak. Of course, I knew this from the beginning, but when I set out to stop the human sacrifice plan, I intended to quickly defeat the Jinyiwei. If I had miscalculated, I thought that Wangliang’s master, Wangliang Xianshi, or his junior, Tian Wujin, had enough power to cover the world, but they were unwilling to use it against the Jinyiwei.
' Relying on others’ strength was a mistake.
Even if I managed to stop the Jinyiwei’s first plot this time, I expected the same scenario to unfold. Even if I hadn’t impersonated the White Lotus Sect’s Law Enforcement Envoy at Huangshan, the Jinyiwei’s intelligence would eventually identify the culprit. No matter how well I fought, if I lacked the power to overthrow the Jinyiwei’s leader, it would be the same.
' The leader... and the power to ultimately overthrow the Jinyiwei.'
How much power would that require?
It’s unimaginable for me now, but it would have to be the kind of power that can shake the entire world. Even a naturally gifted genius would find it difficult to achieve such power after decades of cultivation and arduous effort. However, I must obtain such power. If I don’t want to see my comrades die again.
After a while, I decided on my plan.
"This time, I won’t involve myself with the Jinyiwei. I will cultivate at the Qinglong Martial Hall for several decades if necessary."
This is a painful and arduous life. Why? Because I have martial arts skills that could make me a top expert in the martial world, yet I will endure harsh cultivation for decades as an instructor at the Qinglong Martial Hall.
And if the timing doesn’t align - I will commit suicide. I had never planned to die by my own hand in my previous lives. However, due to Wangliang’s death and repeated failures, I decided to actively use my ability to return to the past.
This time, it’s different.
With my resolve set, I headed towards the cave where the Heavenly Cliff Manual was. I could have stolen the silver vault from the village chief’s house, but since I planned to live at the Qinglong Martial Hall, it was better to have a clean past. I stepped into the cave where the Heavenly Cliff Manual was located.
Whoosh!
Swoosh....
"... This is easy now."
This time, I didn’t bother to dodge or block the arrows with any objects; I simply grabbed them with my hands. My reflexes had become extremely sharp due to the development of my lightning qi, and I could react and catch even the arrows from the trap. After sparring with top-notch and peak experts, this was now a piece of cake.
After putting the Heavenly Cliff Manual in my arms, I immediately ran towards Huangshan. On the way, I felt my lightness skill had improved, which was evidence that I was using my internal energy more efficiently throughout my body. Unlike before, when I had bumped into trees and rocks due to losing control of my speed, this time it didn’t happen at all.
Thud
When I arrived at Huangshan, it felt like I had shortened the travel time by a day or two compared to before. This was because I hardly ate anything while running. Strangely, despite the intense physical and mental exertion, I didn’t feel hungry or tired. It seemed my internal energy had activated, elevating my body to a superhuman level.
' First, I’ll borrow a pot from a nearby village to boil water.'
I calmly walked around, being careful not to provoke the Huangshan Sect’s elder as I had in the past. I didn’t run recklessly but cautiously observed my surroundings. Sure enough, I saw Elder Lengtianjian Gong Zai, whom I had seen before, patrolling with his disciples along a foggy path.
' I’ll hide.'
I concealed my presence and hid in the grass. After a moment, I could hear Elder Lengtianjian’s voice.
"... Every time I come out on patrol, I feel how vast Huangshan is. Don’t you agree?"
"Yes, I do."
One of the disciples, holding a lantern, asked as they walked.
"But is it really necessary to come out this far? This place is too remote..."
"The world is turbulent, and bandits and outlaws often appear. If rumors spread that such scoundrels are active in the Huangshan area, it would tarnish our sect’s reputation. We must occasionally come out this far to prevent such incidents."
"Indeed..."
"Let’s head back now and continue our cultivation. Your progress in the Yunlong Eight Swords is lacking."
"Yes, Master."
After a while, their presence faded into the distance. I waited a bit longer before emerging from the bushes and dusting off my clothes. I felt a bit conflicted.
' The Huangshan Sect collects large sums of money from the local residents like a gang, but the elders and disciples seem surprisingly ordinary. Can the nature of an organization and its individuals be different?'
And as I knew, the Huangshan Sect’s leader has connections with the Fengshen School and the White Lotus Sect, especially with the White Lotus Sect’s Law Enforcement Envoy. Although the White Lotus Sect isn’t openly treated as a public enemy in the martial world, it is shunned due to its strained relationship with the imperial court. Being closely related to such a sect was not a good sign.
Come to think of it, the Huangshan Sect has grown rapidly over the past few years and now ranks among the Nine Great Sects. This growth is undoubtedly influenced by the White Lotus Sect and the Fengshen School. If I delve deeper into the origins of the Huangshan Sect’s martial arts, I might uncover more.
' But that’s not something I should look into now... I’ll investigate when I have the time.'
I stored this information in my mind and headed towards where the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was. Having been here several times, I was calm as I passed through the cave and descended into the snowy field. I took a pot from a nearby house, boiled the Black and White Lotus, and consumed it along with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
Whoosh
There is no more pain.
After completing my qi circulation, I felt my strength had increased even more. The power that had been circulating through my body had become even more vibrant. However, the rate of power increase seemed slightly lower than before, which was a bit disappointing.
But this was because I hadn’t fully utilized my existing internal energy. The unused power was accumulating and couldn’t find its full potential. If my level improved, the internal energy would likely amplify dramatically.
"Alright, that’s it."
Now, I need to go to the Qinglong Martial Hall and work as an instructor while learning the Leishen School’s techniques.
I will reject any invitation from the Jinyiwei.
That should be enough.
Just as I was about to step out with my heavy body, something caught my attention.
Sparkle!
"......?"
I felt a light shining from the pond where I had harvested the Black and White Lotus. The light was so faint and subtle that anyone else would have missed it. However, my senses, more developed than those of a wild animal, caught the signal. Curious, I approached the pond and noticed a small light emanating from inside. Even a well-trained martial artist might not have noticed it.
' What is that light?'
The light coming from the darkness of the pond. I felt the need to understand what it was. So, I decided to dive in. I wasn’t worried about drowning because I was an excellent swimmer.
Splash
Bubbles...
The pond was densely covered with lotus roots and stems, making it difficult to swim. However, with my extreme internal energy, I could breathe through my skin and had a very high lung capacity, allowing me to hold my breath for a long time. I calmly pushed through the lotus roots and swam deeper.
Then, I realized something astonishing.
"......!!"
The pond is incredibly deep! I swam for over ten zhang, but I still couldn’t see the bottom. The light that had been faint was now clearly visible to the naked eye.
As I approached the light, I noticed strange patterns carved into a stone wall, and a mysterious stone door existed. In the center of the stone door, a round orb was emitting light. The light I had seen must have come from this orb.
' A stone door in the Black and White Lotus pond?'
I pondered what to do but decided to remove the orb. It was embedded precisely in the center of the stone door, and I thought it might be holding the door in place.
Rumble!!
My guess was correct. As soon as I pulled the orb, the stone door began to roll open, revealing a passage leading somewhere. Strangely, even though the door suddenly opened, no water entered the passage. When I stepped inside, I could breathe the air easily.
"How is this possible?"
I was amazed as I looked around the passage. The water from the pond didn’t enter the passage as if there was an invisible membrane. Moreover, I could breathe the air inside easily. It was beyond comprehension.
Nonetheless, I decided to explore further.
Step Step
The passage led to a spiral staircase that seemed to descend into an abyss. Torches were placed at intervals, making it visible even for ordinary people. I was cautious, looking for any traps, but there didn’t seem to be any.
"......"
After walking for a while, a large cavern was revealed. The cavern was reasonably bright with multiple torches. In the center of the cavern was a strange altar. Despite feeling overwhelmed by its mysterious aura, I decided to investigate further.
I examined the jars and rocks near the altar. The jars were empty, and the rocks had no peculiarities. It was strange that there was no musty smell in this dark and damp place.
I eventually focused on the altar. It was inscribed with an unknown language, which was beyond my comprehension. I wondered if it was the same as the language in the Heavenly Cliff Manual, but I couldn’t determine that with my current knowledge.
' ... A guardian?'
At that moment, I recalled something Wangliang Xianshi had told me.
' Could this be...!!'
The Seven Treasures of the Immortals!
Could the seven relics of the immortals be this ancient sword in my hand? As I was pondering this unexpected revelation,
Squish Squish
The spider suddenly began to emit silk from its entire body. The silk was coming out at an incredible speed, covering a vast area. With my current abilities, there was no way to break through such a massive waterfall of silk or cross back to the other side.
"Damn... I’d need a sword aura to even attempt it."
In the end, I managed a bitter smile and made the most rational decision in this situation.
Plop
"Ugh..."
I immediately burst my heart meridians and committed suicide.
If there was no way to win or escape, then death was the only option.
Being slowly consumed alive and becoming prey was far worse than this.