Chapter 32: Target, Liu Xin!

【You were pressed to death by a single finger from the Mending Heaven Peak Master.】

【Current remaining pages of the Book of a Hundred Lifetimes: 95】

【Reopening a new lifetime, you can choose one of the following gains from your past life:

One: Treasure.

Two: Cultivation.

Three: Lifespan.

Four: Give up all gains and randomly awaken a talent based on your past life’s experience.】

“Those whose names are called, step forward to stand before me.”

Liu Xin’s voice echoed from the platform, but this time Lü Yang hadn’t snapped out of it for a long while, his mind still stuck on the sword strike filled with fury from the last lifetime.

“To try to shake a great tree like an ant... I suppose it wasn’t entirely wrong.”

Lü Yang let out a deep breath.

Even though he had personally witnessed the gap between himself and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he wasn’t discouraged. Instead, his fighting spirit had only intensified.

With the【Book of a Hundred Lifetimes】in hand, anything that failed to kill him would only make him stronger.

At worst, he would just start all over again.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang looked once again at the interface of the【Book of a Hundred Lifetimes】.

In his previous life, he had focused solely on bitter cultivation, and apart from reaching the sixth layer of Qi Refining, he had gained nothing else.

However, he couldn’t choose cultivation.

After all, as long as the hidden dangers of the 『Nine Transformations Dragon Art』remained, he couldn’t train in it. Otherwise, it would be like carrying a ticking time bomb.

“I choose talent.”

【Calculating past life experience...】

【After your death, the tale of you drawing your sword to slash at a Foundation Establishment cultivator spread. Countless people mocked you for overestimating yourself, unaware that you actually weren’t entirely without merit.】

【Though you still failed to injure the Foundation Establishment cultivator in the slightest, in the instant before you were pressed to death, you miraculously broke through a bottleneck in swordsmanship, forcing the Mending Heaven Peak Master to exert a bit more strength to finish you off. He later sighed that, though you were but an ant, you had some skill.】

【You have awakened the purple-grade talent: “Some Skill.”】

【Some Skill: No matter how fearsome the attack, as long as it falls within the limits of your abilities, you can freely respond to it—twice.】

“What kind of talent is this?”

Lü Yang frowned.

At first glance, it seemed like some kind of absolute defense divine ability, but the phrase “within the limits of your abilities” in the description took some of the edge off.

Still, he didn’t dwell on it.

After all, he had only chosen a talent to avoid the hidden dangers of cultivating the『Nine Transformations Dragon Art』from his past life. If the talent was strong, great. If weak, so be it.

More importantly, he cared about whether there was a way to avoid the Mending Heaven Peak Master’s divinations.

“If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just have to give up the『Nine Transformations Dragon Art』.”

“Lü Yang.”

“...Here!”

Liu Xin’s voice from the stage snapped Lü Yang out of his thoughts. He quickly stepped onto the platform, and just like in past lives, Liu Xin assigned him to the Pleasure Hall.

In the next second, Lü Yang suddenly froze.

“Wait... I remember that in my Myriad Spirits Banner, Liu Xin had refined a powerful figure into it, very likely a true disciple of the Saint Sect.”

This didn’t add up.

He had merely cultivated a technique and was traced through karma by the Mending Heaven Peak Master, who had followed the thread to his doorstep. Liu Xin, on the other hand, had killed a true disciple!

How was he still alive?

With that thought, Lü Yang’s eyes instantly lit up, staring straight at Liu Xin on the stage.

“That’s it. The only explanation is that he possesses a rare treasure that conceals karma, preventing Foundation Establishment cultivators from divining any information about him!”

In an instant, Lü Yang’s thoughts began to churn.

Immediately after, he changed his approach, replicating his actions from the First Lifetime by publicly enraging and killing Yu Suzhen, successfully drawing Liu Xin’s attention.

He obtained half of the『Innate Dao Book』from Liu Xin’s hands.

He went into seclusion to cultivate.

As expected, on a certain dark and windy night, a fully prepared Liu Xin, humming a little tune, came to the entrance of his cave dwelling.

“Junior Brother Lü, are you there?”

Lü Yang didn’t speak.

Seeing this, Liu Xin wasn't surprised.

Instead, he revealed a faint sneer and calmly opened his storage pouch, pulling out several array flags and placing them all around.

These were all arrays used for soundproofing and illusion generation, ensuring that no matter what happened inside, no one outside would notice a thing.

Liu Xin had done this many times before. To this day, no one had ever suspected him, and even if someone attempted a karmic divination...

Thinking of this, Liu Xin patted the pouch hidden in his robe and smiled confidently.

Even if someone used karmic divination—it would be useless!

Soon, after the formation was fully set up, Liu Xin no longer concealed himself and directly unleashed his True Qi, slashing open Lü Yang’s cave with a single sword, then strolling inside.

“Junior Brother Lü, don’t hide. Someone like you is exactly the kind of talent Senior Brother needs...!?”

Liu Xin’s voice abruptly stopped.

Inside the cave, Lü Yang was seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, looking at him with a half-smile. He showed none of the signs of someone who had been cultivating the『Innate Dao Book』.

“...Something’s not right!”

In a flash, Liu Xin’s pupils contracted, and a banner appeared in his hand.

But it was already too late.

The next second, a red light flared.

Liu Xin felt his True Qi and blood essence rapidly drained, collapsing to the ground in a stumble!

Heaven-Slashing Blood River Sword Formation!

Lü Yang had long since set the diagram outside the cave entrance, so Liu Xin’s forceful entry was no different from walking into a trap—easily subdued by Lü Yang.

“Senior Brother, I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Looking at the fallen Liu Xin and remembering how he had been tricked to death in the First Lifetime, Lü Yang sneered coldly.

At last, you’ve fallen into my hands!

If our roles were reversed, I’d make you understand what true cruelty means!

“Who... are you really?!”

Liu Xin lay slumped on the ground, completely drained of energy, utterly confused. Had he been schemed against? By a newly recruited disciple?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

“You’re a spy from a righteous sect? Wait, don’t kill me! I’m useful to you... I have a high-grade Dao book—it can help you reach Foundation Establishment!”

In the face of death, Liu Xin blurted out his greatest secret.

“In addition, I also have a magical tool. Inside it lies a true disciple of the Saint Sect. He knows many secrets of the... no, the Primordial Saint Sect.”

“As long as you let me live, all of it is yours!”

Before Liu Xin could finish his sentence, Lü Yang activated the Blood-Transforming Divine Light, completely draining him into a human skin: “Fool. Killing you means they’re mine anyway!”

“Even you are mine now!”

Then, Lü Yang raised his hand and summoned the Innate True Qi Myriad Spirits Banner, shaking the banner once and sweeping it over Liu Xin’s corpse.

In his earlier life, he had read the『Innate Dao Book』, so naturally, he knew how to activate this treasure.

Liu Xin’s corpse entered the banner and began to vaporize into Qi.

After circulating within the banner for some time, Lü Yang gave the banner a shake—and Liu Xin reappeared.

But this time, the resurrected Liu Xin had already become the banner spirit of the Myriad Spirits Banner.

Lü Yang had deliberately preserved his memories, so when Liu Xin revived, he stared at Lü Yang in disbelief: “Junior Brother Lü? Impossible! How could you possibly know how to activate the Myriad Spirits Banner?!”

“What did you just call me?”

Lü Yang sneered coldly: “Do I need to teach you what attitude a banner spirit should show toward their banner master? Or are you eager to be scattered into soul dust?”

“Spare me, my lord! Liu Xin greets my lord!”

Liu Xin’s legs immediately gave way, kneeling on the ground.

Even though he retained all his memories from life, he felt no hatred for Lü Yang, the one who had personally killed him.

His every thought was filled only with absolute loyalty.

Such was the overbearing nature of the Myriad Spirits Banner.

At first glance, the banner spirit was no different from a living person, but in truth, their mind had already been seized, incapable of true autonomy.