Chapter 215: Nine Lifetimes Of Reincarnation
Undoubtedly.
Ning Qi’s performance in the second trial was not as stunning as the first. Although he consecutively broke through the imprints left by nine of the strongest Dao Children, the final battle was somewhat lucky. If that Youthful Girl had held on for a few more breaths, Ning Qi would have undoubtedly lost.
“There are countless Spirit Realms in the Sea of Realms. There must be such Heavenly Prides there too. But at least I got a Top Grade evaluation.” Ning Qi let out a long breath. “If I get another Top Grade evaluation in the third trial, I should be able to obtain full authority in the True Martial Hall.”
He was somewhat expectant.
Top Grade was already the highest evaluation. From the content of the first two trials, it was clear that it was very difficult.
With the strength of these Martial Saints in the Martial World, even if they reached the second trial, they probably couldn’t defeat the first Dao Child.
He turned his head and glanced at the illusory image of the last Dao Child.
“Immortal Yuan Body, huh… I remember you.”
This was the first peer of the same tier who could force Ning Qi to go all out.
The surrounding scene was constantly dimming.
Ning Qi held his breath and concentrated.
He fell into an infinitely dark space. His Spiritual Sense and his golden pupils were completely ineffective. He couldn’t perceive anything around him.
He kept waiting for the grand voice to announce the start of the third trial, but he never heard it.
Just as he was puzzled.
A beam of light pierced through, and the surrounding darkness gradually receded.
A loud cry made Ning Qi stunned.
“This… seems to be me crying?”
He was shocked in his heart and horrified to discover that his body had turned into an infant again. His originally powerful body and overwhelming Mana had all disappeared.
“It’s a son! A son! The He family incense can finally be passed down!”
A voice filled with ecstatic joy interrupted Ning Qi’s thoughts. Several congratulatory voices sounded around him, making him understand his situation.
He seemed… to have transmigrated and been reborn again!
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, six years had passed.
On the hillside, the green grass was lush. A little shepherd boy leisurely lay on the grass herding cattle, with a broken dogtail grass in his mouth.
Ning Qi was extremely puzzled.
He clearly remembered just passing the second trial of the True Martial Inheritance. How did he suddenly come to this world and become the son of a farmer, He Yaozu.
During these six years.
Ning Qi, or rather He Yaozu, had been thinking about this question.
“Am I still in the trial, or have I really transmigrated again?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for Ning Qi to think this way.
This life for Ning Qi was already his hundredth rebirth, which awakened his Max Level Comprehension. So, reincarnating again didn’t seem strange.
Of course.
He didn’t just believe it. He kept looking for flaws.
But he no longer had heaven-defying strength or reverse-heaven Comprehension. He was just a transmigrator with Past Life Wisdom. In this feudal society where people devoured each other, the six-year-old him didn’t even dare to show too prodigious a performance.
He even vaguely felt that many memories were being forgotten. He no longer remembered the details of the life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and even some things at True Martial Mountain were fading.
He didn’t find it strange.
Wasn’t it normal for Mortals to forget things? After all, six years had passed.
Gradually.
He Yaozu discovered that everything around him was real. His father He Daniu was an honest and simple farmer. There were also three older sisters above him. The eldest sister was already married, while the second and third sisters helped at home. Recently, a matchmaker had come for the second sister.
As for his mother, she died of illness half a month after giving birth to him.
“It seems I really have been reborn again. Unfortunately, in the previous life, I hadn’t walked the path of Longevity yet. I don’t know how powerful Immortal Artifacts are, and Master and the others—I don’t know if they can ultimately resist the invasion of the Mountain Sea Realm…” He Yaozu had too many regrets, but it was done, and he was powerless to change it.
In the end, he decided not to muddle through and to live this life well.
Although this life didn’t have reverse-heaven Comprehension, with the wisdom of an adult, changing the family’s destiny shouldn’t be difficult.
He thought of the pampering from his father and three sisters, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Spitting out the dogtail grass from his mouth, He Yaozu roared to the sky:
“I, He Yaozu, will never settle for mediocrity!”
The old yellow ox in the distance mooed, as if responding. The shepherd boy couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
From this day on, He Yaozu fully accepted his identity.
He began to seek a livelihood.
From the surrounding situation, he learned that this life was in a feudal dynasty. As for his family, they were the lowest level farmers in the dynasty. They worked hard all year round. If there was a good harvest, they could eat a full meal after paying taxes. If they encountered a natural disaster, it would be ten meals hungry and five full.
By chance, he learned of the existence of Martial Artists.
“To change destiny, I must practice martial arts!” He Yaozu’s eyes were firm.
But for a farmer’s son to practice martial arts was simply a pipe dream. Not to mention the paths to practice martial arts, the four words “poor in literature, rich in martial arts” were not a joke. Just the meat needed for practicing martial arts was enough to deter all farmers.
He Yaozu didn’t give up.
With his wisdom surpassing his peers, he gained the recognition of the village’s old teacher, Mr. Liu. Thereafter, he began to seriously learn to read and write, while also helping Mr. Liu with chores.
Slowly.
Some people started coming to He Yaozu to write letters and such tasks. The family’s economy gradually improved.
People in the village began to praise that the He family had produced a talent, who might become a great official in the future.
He Daniu swung his hoe with even more vigor, smiling happily every day.
Thanks to He Yaozu’s existence, the second sister’s marriage went even more smoothly. In the end, she married a Butcher. The Butcher valued his brother-in-law’s ability to read and write. He didn’t want his future son to also make a living at the chopping board like him every day.
But in fact, being a Butcher was already considered a decent profession, as he could get some oily meat every day.
He Yaozu benefited from it and occasionally got to eat meat.
Life got better and better, and he had more drive.
He had gradually forgotten the memories of his previous life, only occasionally dreaming of that immense Mana that could freely enter the blue sky and split mountains with a casual swing.
Time passed day by day.
He Yaozu grew taller day by day. His body became stronger, and he could do more things.
Mr. Liu had completely regarded him as his successor and taught him everything he knew. He Yaozu had once thought that perhaps he could first study literature, take the imperial exams, and then practice martial arts when the family’s financial situation improved. But Mr. Liu’s words shattered his illusions.
“Hey! Scholar is not something ordinary people can become. They say noble sons come from poor families. Look at yourself—are you from a poor family?” He Yaozu heard despair in Mr. Liu’s words. Looking at those hollow eyes, he seemed to understand why Mr. Liu had stayed in the village all along.
He Yaozu looked at his family’s wooden house that was freezing cold in winter and completely gave up on this path.
Poor in literature, rich in martial arts, but he didn’t even have the ticket to enter for this “poor in literature.”
He Yaozu accumulated money.
The third sister also married out, to a blacksmith, which was also considered good.
Soon.
He Yaozu was fifteen years old.
Mr. Liu passed away when he was fourteen, and he became the new village teacher. He saved money even faster.
This day.
He Yaozu looked at his aged father and said:
“Dad, I want to practice martial arts.”
He Daniu was startled, then tremblingly advised:
“Son, I know you have high aspirations, but our family can’t afford it. You are a capable child, but Dad is useless and didn’t give you a good foundation. Listen to Dad, give up this idea. Our family’s days are getting better now. Dad will find you a wife someday. Then cultivate the next generation well, each generation better than the last, okay?”
Looking at his father’s hopeful eyes, He Yaozu’s heart softened, but he still firmly said:
“Dad, I still want to practice martial arts. Let me try.”
He Daniu sighed repeatedly, wanting to say more but stopping.
In the end, he still turned around, went into the house, and took out a money pouch. He placed it in front of He Yaozu and buzzed:
“Dad is useless and can only help you this much.”
He seemed to have lost some belief.
He Yaozu looked at He Daniu’s hunched back, his eyes reddening. He became even more determined in his heart to make something of himself and not disappoint his father.
A few days later.
The three sisters returned home unannounced.
The family was happy and harmonious, as if back to childhood. He Yaozu was extremely happy.
After the meal.
The three sisters, as if they had discussed it, each gave He Yaozu a pouch, then encouragingly patted his head and left smiling.
He Yaozu gripped the three pouches in his hand, veins bulging on his arms.
The memories of his previous life were becoming more and more blurry. Sometimes he wondered if it was just a vague dream.
He now had only one thought: become a Martial Artist and change his destiny.
After seeing two Martial Artists fight and lightly take several lives when he was ten, this thought became even more firm. He didn’t want to die so powerless.
A few days later.
He Yaozu set off for the county city. He had already inquired clearly that with ten taels of silver, he could learn martial arts at the Black Tiger Martial Arts School.
He paid the tuition.
He Yaozu finally began practicing martial arts as he wished.
But to his disappointment, his talent was very average. According to Senior Brother Li, with sufficient resources, he might achieve modest success.
But could resources be sufficient?
At least several hundred taels of silver.
That was an astronomical figure for He Yaozu.
A thick sense of Despair suffocated him, but he didn’t give up. He just buried himself in hard training. He believed that Heaven rewards the diligent. But soon, his years of accumulated silver rapidly depleted because of buying Medicinal Soup.
He Yaozu was disheartened.
Without Medicinal Soup, with his talent, even advancing one step would take massive time.
Moreover, years of accumulation would be ruined. Just thinking of his father’s despairing and disappointed eyes made him tremble in his heart.
Senior Brother Li found him, his laughter carrying a hint of temptation:
“Interested in making a Transaction?”
From then on.
He Yaozu became the Black Tiger Martial Arts School’s unseen black glove, doing all the dirty work that couldn’t see the light, in exchange for Medicinal Soup and Secret Manuals to advance on the Martial Way.
Time passed day by day.
He Yaozu had completely forgotten the matters of his previous life. He only occasionally recalled fragments in dreams.
This year, he was twenty-five years old.
He had finally achieved modest success on the Martial Way.
He Daniu was extremely old now. Although he no longer needed to farm, the accumulated fatigue from years of farming still made his body unwell. The herbs He Yaozu found weren’t very effective, but he was very happy. His son had made something of himself and was a Martial Artist above others!
Everyone within ten miles and eight villages envied He Daniu for having such a good son.
The three sisters’ lives were also good, with decent status in their husband’s families and not bullied.
Only one thing made the three brothers-in-law secretly dissatisfied.
That was when they proposed their children follow He Yaozu to practice martial arts, they were all refused.
But in other aspects, He Yaozu kept helping, plus his identity as a Martial Artist, which maintained a certain balance.
They themselves didn’t know that He Yaozu didn’t want his nephews to follow in his footsteps.
Over these years.
He wanted to escape the control of the Black Tiger Martial Arts School every moment, but he was sinking deeper. He knew some secrets unknown to others and knew he would eventually bring disaster upon himself. Therefore, over these years, he hadn’t married, which made He Daniu and the three sisters very anxious.
This day.
He Yaozu was walking home to celebrate his father’s birthday.
The house was no longer the wooden shack from back then. The three-entrance courtyard made the village farmers extremely envious, and He Yaozu had also bought property in the city.
Just as he entered the courtyard.
He Yaozu’s pupils suddenly contracted.
More than a dozen heads rolled to the ground, like opened watermelons. After recognizing the faces on those heads, his eyes filled with blood, and he let out a beast-like low roar.
These heads were no others—it was his sisters and brothers-in-law, and their children.
He Yaozu went mad.
A faint voice sounded: “I suggest you calm down.”
Senior Brother Li was actually there too.
He Yaozu low roared:
“Why?”
He roared unwillingly but didn’t dare act rashly. Senior Brother Li was holding He Daniu, who had dull eyes and still hadn’t recovered from this tragedy.
“Blame yourself for knowing too much. Someone needs your head.”
He Yaozu knew this was to push him out as the scapegoat.
“Take my life if you want, but why harm my family!” His eyes seemed about to drip blood.
Senior Brother Li chuckled lightly:
“Who knows if you’ve told others, so sorry about that. Senior Brothers for a time, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance. Kill yourself, and I’ll spare your old father. I keep my word. Anyway, he doesn’t have many years left. I can provide for his old age.”
As he spoke, he tightened his grip on He Daniu’s neck. He Daniu shook his head in pain, but his face grew increasingly purple, on the verge of death.
He Yaozu was mad with hate. It was as if something was surging out in his mind. Looking at his father’s pained expression, he finally chose to give up resistance.
“I agree.”
The low voice made He Daniu shed old tears. He wished so much to die right then and not burden his son.
Senior Brother Li laughed and kicked over a sword.
He Yaozu tremblingly grasped the sword.
He reversed it.
The sword tip against his Heart.
His face was tragic:
“Dad, your son is unfilial. Perhaps I shouldn’t have practiced martial arts back then.”
He Daniu just kept shaking his head.
He Yaozu’s eyes gradually firmed:
“You keep your word, or even as a malicious ghost, I won’t let you go.”
At this moment, all experiences of the past twenty-five years replayed in his mind, the ups and downs known only to himself.
He closed his eyes and suddenly exerted force.
The long sword was about to pierce his Heart.
But in that instant.
Space-time froze. He Yaozu only felt something in his mind finally break through. That strand of Spiritual Insight that tore through Chaos dispelled all the fog. Countless sealed memories erupted like a mountain roar and sea wave.
He Yaozu was stunned in place.
That Spiritual Insight… was what appeared after he transmigrated to the Martial World in his previous life, then awakening his Max Level Comprehension.
Now it reappeared.
“Martial World? Right, Martial World!” He Yaozu’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. He remembered everything.
Senior Brother Li felt uneasy. He Yaozu’s state gave him a inexplicable sense of horror. He roared:
“He Yaozu, what are you waiting for!”
But He Yaozu slowly stood up. His eyes complexly looked at everything before him, lingering on He Daniu, then at his own hands full of old calluses:
“So… this is the test of the third trial…”
He Yaozu, no, Ning Qi finally understood everything.
All memories fully revived.
That Spiritual Insight cut through all confusion.
He knew that he hadn’t actually reincarnated and been reborn. Unknowingly, he had entered the third trial of the True Martial Hall.
“This trial tests Will.”
“So difficult.” Ning Qi sighed from the bottom of his heart.
Senior Brother Li was about to roar. Intense unease drove him to want to sever He Daniu’s arm with a sword to intimidate Ning Qi, but he horrifiedly discovered his body completely stiff. Ning Qi’s eyes made him feel strange, even fearful.
Ning Qi indifferently glanced at Senior Brother Li before him and lightly waved his hand. Senior Brother Li turned into dust, leaving no trace.
He supported He Daniu, his eyes somewhat complex.
Although he now knew everything before him was a trial Illusion, it was too real. He had also fully experienced twenty-five years of fatherly love without reservation.
“Child… where is my Yaozu?” He Daniu finally mustered the courage to ask.
The Ning Qi before him was still in He Yaozu’s body, but that temperament was completely different. He could tell at a glance this wasn’t his child.
“Yaozu… he is an Immortal reincarnated. Now his merits are complete, and he has Ascended to the Immortal Realm.” Ning Qi said softly.
Astonishing brilliance burst from He Daniu’s eyes.
“My child became an Immortal? Good! Great!” He was excited, face flushed red, gesticulating wildly, but from overexertion, in just a few breaths he had fallen asleep.
Ning Qi gently placed him on the bed, glanced at that familiar face, and said softly:
“Father, goodbye.”
With a thought, everything around cracked like shattering glass, dense patterns bursting out. Everything became illusory. He sighed lightly in his heart, his eyes finally fully firm.
“Break!”
Everything receded like the tide.
Darkness assaulted again.
When Ning Qi woke again, he found himself an infant once more.
“One reincarnation not enough?”
This life he was the son of a wealthy merchant.
The starting point was much better than the previous one.
This time he was very calm, like an observer.
He watched himself marry, have children, live indulgently, and finally die of old age surrounded by children and grandchildren.
He felt no ripples, like watching another life’s story, but with many insights added in his heart.
The scene shattered.
Ning Qi reincarnated again.
…
Again and again.
Ning Qi was born into royalty, competed for the throne; born abandoned, became a beggar, and finally died in a cold broken temple; he also once appeared in an Immortal Sect, hailed as a Heavenly Pride, but was betrayed by a Traitor during an experience outing…
Each life had different trajectories.
But Ning Qi’s heart was like a rock, without any ripples.
Except for the first life which had some fluctuations, the rest were like God’s Perspective, coldly observing.
Fully Nine Life Reincarnations.
It gave Ning Qi many insights. He understood that this third trial tested Temperament and Will. If the Will was weak, one would be deeply trapped and unable to extricate oneself.
Fortunately.
He had completely ‘detached’ himself.
The ninth life’s scene shattered again. Ning Qi thought darkness would assault again, but unexpectedly, the long-absent grand voice finally sounded:
“Third trial passed, evaluation… surpasses Top Grade, unable to evaluate.”
