Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Rebirth Inside the main hall of the Disciplinary Hall^[1]. “You unfilial wretch! Get on your knees!” Dressed in white as pure as snow, with handsome, refined features and an otherworldly elegance, Immortal Venerable^[2] Yuyang sat high above. His blue eyes suppressed a raging fury as he stared at the girl standing in the middle of the hall. Quite a few people stood around the hall, their faces displaying anger, jealousy, schadenfreude, or calm indifference as they watched the girl in the center. The girl appeared to be around fourteen years old. Her long, raven-black hair fell to her waist, and her skin was as fair as snow. Her exquisite features were peerlessly beautiful. Though she was still young, she was already beautiful enough to be called an absolute beauty. The girl had a pair of violet eyes. Suddenly, her entire body trembled, and astonishment appeared in her beautiful eyes as she looked around. Xie Lianxin was utterly shocked. What was going on? Shouldn’t she be dead? She should have perished together with the Black Heaven Emperor. Why was she here? Those familiar yet unfamiliar faces around her—all those people should have been dead. They had been dead for who knew how many years, yet one by one, they were standing beside her. And this scene… Had she returned to the past? Or had she fallen victim to an illusion^[3]? Up above, Immortal Venerable Yuyang, Xie Yi, saw that Xie Lianxin was actually still lost in thought, and his anger doubled. “Xie Lianxin!” The cold voice from above carried a hint of fury. Xie Lianxin raised her head and looked at the man seated high above. Her pupils abruptly contracted. She had never expected to see him alive again. Xie Yi was her Master^[4] in name, but in reality, he was her biological father. Because her mother was the Demon Venerable^[5] Dugu Xuanye—Dugu Jing—he refused to acknowledge her identity, telling others only that she was an orphan he had adopted. At first, Xie Lianxin had not known who she really was. She simply could not understand why her Master had adopted her, yet was always so cold toward her and punished her at the slightest provocation. Toward her Junior Sister^[6] Liu Ruyan, however, he was exceptionally attentive and caring. Later, after learning the truth of her identity, she could not accept it. She left Xuantian Sect^[7] and wandered through the myriad realms^[8] before being taken in by her mother, Dugu Xuanye. She became the second-generation Demon Venerable. She had always believed that neither Xie Yi nor Dugu Xuanye loved her. One was unwilling to acknowledge her as his daughter, while the other had abandoned her at birth. How could they possibly love her? It was only when the Black Heaven Emperor destroyed the world and they died for her that she understood they truly loved her. Their love had simply been hidden too deeply for her to see. Xie Lianxin gazed at her father above and remembered how he had blocked the Black Heaven Emperor’s sword for her. His blood had splashed across her face. He had poured all his power into her body and told her, “Live on!” His soul had scattered^[9] before her eyes. Until the very end, she had never managed to call him “Father.” She should have died. She could not accept that both her parents had died for her, so she had dragged the Black Heaven Emperor into death with her. You want to destroy the world, don’t you? Then you don’t get to live either. Let’s all perish together. What exactly was happening now? Had she been reborn^[10]? Was everything beginning again? Crystal-clear tears welled up in Xie Lianxin’s eyes. Seeing the girl’s reddened eyes and tear-filled gaze, Xie Yi stared at her in a daze. It was not only Xie Yi. Everyone else in the hall was dumbfounded as well. Xie Lianxin… she was crying? She was actually crying? Everyone knew how stubborn Xie Lianxin was. How could she possibly cry? “Xie Lianxin, don’t think that crying a few times will make us forget that you seriously injured Junior Sister,” a voice suddenly rang out. The speaker was a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes. Through her blurred vision, Xie Lianxin glanced to the side and saw Song Xuan and Liu Ruyan standing nearby. Liu Ruyan—the Black Heaven Emperor’s lackey. But for now, she was still just an ordinary cultivator^[11]. In her previous life, this woman had constantly sowed discord between her and her father. She had also repeatedly driven a wedge between her parents. This woman had played no small part in bringing her entire family to such a miserable end. Though nothing showed on her face, Xie Lianxin rapidly adjusted her state of mind. She remembered the current situation: Yesterday, Liu Ruyan had accidentally smashed her spirit beast egg^[12]. Xie Lianxin had been furious, but everyone had taken Liu Ruyan’s side and asked her to forgive her. Unable to swallow her anger, Xie Lianxin had gone to spar with Liu Ruyan today and struck too hard. She had only wanted to vent her frustration, but Liu Ruyan had taken the opportunity to injure herself severely and pin all the blame on Xie Lianxin. Liu Ruyan was practically a treasure in Xuantian Sect. Everyone adored her. Now that she had been seriously injured, the senior brothers and sisters^[13] from every peak^[14] were heartbroken. Everyone was outraged. Afraid that Xie Lianxin’s punishment would be too light, they had deliberately blown the matter out of proportion. Thus, everyone had gathered in the main hall of the Disciplinary Hall to put her on trial. Liu Ruyan still looked exactly as Xie Lianxin remembered. Her hair was arranged in a loose bun, and her pretty little face was slightly pale, making her appear incomparably delicate. Her figure was like a frail willow swaying in the wind; a single glance at her was enough to arouse everyone’s overwhelming desire to protect her. Although Liu Ruyan had been seriously injured earlier, she had taken all kinds of miraculous pills^[15], and her injuries had already almost completely healed. Yet the moment her eyes met Xie Lianxin’s, her face turned pale, as though she might faint dead away at any moment. Seeing her timid, frightened appearance made everyone feel even more distressed for her. Just how had Xie Lianxin bullied Junior Sister Ruyan in the past? A single glance from her was enough to frighten Junior Sister Ruyan. Her misdeeds must be too numerous to list. Xie Lianxin wished she could kill Liu Ruyan on the spot, but she could not do so yet. She withdrew her gaze and looked toward her father above. Then, with a thump, she fell to her knees. Her tears fell like beads from a broken string. “I was wrong, Master. I was wrong. I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t do it on purpose…” “I didn’t know Junior Sister was so weak. I already said I didn’t know how to instruct others, but she insisted on sparring with me. I didn’t mean to do it. I clearly held back, Master. I didn’t do it on purpose… I didn’t do it on purpose. Sob…” Xie Lianxin burst into uncontrollable sobs. Xie Yi was utterly shocked. He could no longer remember when he had last seen her cry. She had never shed tears easily. No matter how much pain she was in, she never cried. Every time he trained her, no matter how badly she was injured or how much blood she lost, she had never cried. She was too strong—so strong that he had forgotten she was only a fourteen-year-old girl. He had always thought that it was better to strike her hard during training than for her to encounter an enemy in the future and die at that enemy’s hands. Yet he had forgotten that she could feel pain too. He had forgotten her feelings. Did she think that he had deliberately used excessive force? Xie Yi suddenly felt guilty. He glanced at Liu Ruyan and felt that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. She was clearly four years older than Lianxin, yet she cried at the slightest provocation. She had only suffered a minor injury, but had made such a huge commotion over it. If everyone acted like this, what would become of the disciples of Xuantian Sect? “Stop crying. Get up.” Looking at Xie Lianxin, Xie Yi’s tone unconsciously softened. Liu Ruyan immediately sensed that something was wrong. “Injuries are unavoidable during a spar. Who can spar without getting hurt? You’ve caused such a commotion over this trivial matter. How are the disciples of Xuantian Sect supposed to vanquish demons and defend the righteous path^[16]?” Xie Yi swept his cold gaze across everyone. All those who met his eyes trembled involuntarily. Liu Ruyan’s face instantly went white. She was utterly humiliated. Her Master’s words were practically a public slap in the face. Master… How could Master treat her like this? ———— Realm progression: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation (Golden Core), Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Mahayana, Tribulation Transcendence, Immortal Ascension.