Chapter 47 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

Lian Xingjian leaned against the pillar, recounting his experiences from two years ago. Originally, he intended to visit the Taihua Sword Sect to further his studies. However, when passing through Suzhou City, he sensed an unusual disturbance. As a disciple of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, he had always despised evil and was particularly intolerant of cult activities. Therefore, he delayed his trip to the Taihua Sword Sect. Given that Suzhou City was merely a city of ordinary people and he already possessed a formidable level of cultivation at the Cloud Ascension stage, he considered the situation in Suzhou to be nothing more than a minor episode in his training journey, unworthy of reporting to his sect. As he investigated further, he discovered that young girls frequently disappeared in Binhe Town, and their destination was none other than Taixu Manor, which had been entrenched in Suzhou City for a long time. Due to agreements between cultivators and worldly authorities, if cultivators discovered mundane forces wreaking havoc, they were required to inform the local government, allowing officials to send people for investigation. This is also why Bai Lian and Mu Jianli chose to temporarily reside with the Tang family, a practice vital for reputable sects, where rules are paramount. Of course, for powerful cultivators, adherence to such rules depended entirely on personal choice, and officials could only grumble in silence if discontented. Being a disciple of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, known for being the most rule-abiding sect in the cultivation world, Lian Xingjian would never break the rules. Thus, he reported his findings to the lord of Suzhou City, the current head of the Tang family, Tang Mingli. However, the response he received was that Taixu Manor had dominated Binhe Town for two hundred years and acted with impunity even within Suzhou City. Unless Lian Xingjian could provide sufficient evidence that Taixu Manor was involved in the abduction of girls for cult activities, the city lord's office claimed to lack the capability to send troops for investigation. If he could gather enough evidence, the city lord's office promised to exert every effort. In the end, the city lord's office informed him about Taixu Manor's background, stating that the founder would be celebrating his four hundredth birthday in two years. This implied that the founder might have reached the Cloud Ascension stage, but Lian Xingjian paid it no mind—after all, a four-hundred-year-old Cultivator must not be significantly powerful by his standards. He decided to investigate Taixu Manor himself, with the city lord's office offering support and even enlisting the help of a master from Huanyi Temple. Overconfident, he didn't choose to sneak into Taixu Manor like Bai Lian and Mu Jianli. Instead, he entered through the main gate, intending to confront them directly. "Taixu Manor didn't hide anything in response to my inquiries," Lian Xingjian said calmly. "They were already prepared to ensure I wouldn't leave Taixu Manor alive." "The first glance at Taixu Manor's founder revealed that he was beyond the Cloud Ascension stage—he was in the late Heart Essence stage. His lifespan had long been exhausted and he should have died." A look of anger appeared on his face as he continued, "But he dared to use the blood of virgins to extend his life, attempting to breakthrough. It's unforgivable!" "I was furious and fought fiercely with him, not expecting another hidden cultivator at the late Cloud Ascension stage." "He was from the Esoteric Sect, calling himself an emissary with numerous techniques. Even my master's magical artifact struggled against him." "In a moment of carelessness, I was ambushed and injured, attempting to flee, only to be intercepted by Yuan Fa from Huanyi Temple." Here, Lian Xingjian's eyes dimmed, not expecting betrayal. "I don't know if it was the city lord's office or Huanyi Temple, or if they had long colluded." "But at that point, it didn't matter. I was defeated by their collaboration, ultimately controlled by that late Cloud Ascension cultivator and made a slave to Taixu Manor, constructing their grand array." Two late Heart Essence cultivators, a late Cloud Ascension esoteric emissary... and the city lord's office, Tang Chuhuan’s father… Bai Lian frowned slightly; she realized how many secrets Suzhou City was hiding. When she played the game, she never sensed the depths of Suzhou's intricacies and thought the chapter was far too simple. Her suspicions were confirmed—Tang Chuhuan’s father, Tang Mingli, was indeed the traitor. But why? In the game, the Tang family's fate was ultimately extermination! Suddenly, she recalled a letter she had seen earlier in the study. ["I have abandoned everything and fulfilled the emissary's requests, thus deserving immortality..."] Bai Lian's breath hitched—to achieve immortality, would one truly disregard their city, family, and children? At that moment, Lian Xingjian began to cough. Over the past two years, he had been exploited as the core of the grand array, leading to a regression in cultivation and a destroyed foundation; he was now completely burned out. "Senior Brother Lian, let me heal you. Once my seniors from the Taihua Sword Sect arrive, they'll surely be able to save you," Bai Lian offered. Yet, Lian Xingjian shook his head, saying calmly, "I appreciate your kindness, Bai Daoist." "However, over these two years, I've been Taixu Manor's slave, aiding evildoers and harming countless people, albeit unwillingly, my Dao heart is dead." "I have failed as a disciple of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, and my master's teachings. Now, my primal spirit is extinguished, beyond recovery; living would only be prolonging the inevitable." His face showed a sense of relief. "But those cult members underestimated me as a naive fool, daring to use me as the core of their array, unaware I hail from the Heavenly Pivot Sect, skilled in arrays." "This array, named Soul Reversal, could obliterate all living beings within, refining grievances and souls into spiritual power, to break through bottlenecks — once activated, its fiendish aura could only be broken by the Bright Yang force." "They plan for the array to encompass Suzhou City, sacrificing its citizens, but little do they know I secretly altered the array patterns while conscious. Now, I'm not just the array's core but its eye as well." "As long as I die, the array breaks, and its master will suffer backlash to death." "Hahaha... dreaming of using me to slaughter people, delusional!" "Senior Brother Lian…" Bai Lian’s lips parted slightly, speechless. Lian Xingjian had been the cultivation world’s acknowledged prodigy, the Heavenly Pivot Sect’s universally respected senior brother, destined to establish a legacy; now enslaved by a cult, committing numerous acts against his core beliefs, shattering his Dao heart. Though he appeared relaxed, only he knew how much inner turmoil he faced to accept death this calmly. Maybe as he stated, no matter how brilliant, in death, he’d return to dust. This was no game where one could revive, but a harsh, real world where death was permanent. "In fact, you arrived just in time," Lian Xingjian suddenly smiled. "I could ruin the cult's plans, but Suzhou City's people would suffer retaliation." "I don't want my death to lead to greater misery for the people." "Since you are here, the Taihua Sword Sect must have noticed the situation." "Please protect the people as much as possible, so that I may..." "Face death with ease."