Chapter 66 Li Hongyi's Personal Side Story (Chapter 66) Okay...

When he has any memory of the world, all he sees is darkness.

If, in addition, someone dressed in black stands before him, looking weary, his aversion to the color black becomes even more pronounced.

...

That day, he opened his bewildered eyes, and before he could think of anything, he heard the words that would shape the course of his life.

"Li Hongyi".

"With lofty ambitions soaring ten thousand miles, and exemplary conduct shining brightly, Li Hongyi is your name."

A person who looks exactly like me stands before me.

The only difference was the unconcealable exhaustion of the person opposite, as if they had been crushed by an immense burden, their backs clearly broken, yet they stubbornly refused to bow their heads.

"And what about you?"

"Li Tiansheng," the person opposite replied.

And so, he was born with a name.

Can anchor points also possess consciousness?

Even though he was still somewhat naive, Li Hongyi hadn't forgotten his role.

In those hundreds of endless cycles of reincarnation, he was the anchor Li Tiansheng used to fix the world, the starting point for restarting the story.

So, tools can also have a life?

Yes—at least that's what Li Tiansheng told him.

"I gave you my original personality, but I removed some things that might cause trouble. Use it as you see fit; it'll be enough for you to make your way in the world."

"There's one more thing..."

So, is Li Tiansheng's exhaustion due to his inability to be as light and agile as he used to be?

Li Hongyi had limited comprehension skills, but he still managed to understand what the person opposite him meant:

He possessed the same qualities as Li Tiansheng in his early days: romantic, unrestrained, and arrogant... But there was one more thing that fundamentally differed between him and Li Tiansheng.

He felt uncomfortable, but Li Hongyi couldn't explain why.

Li Tiansheng said, "Because you feel unfree."

Li Tiansheng said, "As an anchor point, your life is already confined. You will feel uncomfortable because no matter how excited and hard you are, you can only run towards the same destination."

Young Li Hongyi was terrified.

So, does that mean everything I do is in vain?

For a carefree young man who had not yet experienced the joys of life, this was nothing short of a blow to the head, extinguishing the enthusiasm he should have had for the new world.

Li Tiansheng set his entry into the world a hundred years ago. During this hundred years, Li Hongyi took Li Tiansheng's place and became the main consciousness of the body. Just before the plot begins, Li Hongyi will die and his soul will return to this endless dark space.

Afterwards, Li Tiansheng will take back control of the body and live a life called "plot".

Do I really have to go?

Li Hongyi was not very keen on doing so.

“Go ahead,” Li Tiansheng said patiently. “Learn more, and over time, you might see some changes.”

"Then, shall I go?"

Li Hongyi's departure was not decisive.

He had never seen the human world; all his knowledge of the Guanwu Continent came from the memories that person had given him.

But Li Tiansheng's submission was too hasty, fragmented, disorganized, and lacked coherence; the timing was also wrong. The content consisted mainly of brotherly affection and women in his arms, but these women were born more than a century earlier and had nothing to do with him.

Li Hongyi searched for a long time but found that there was nothing he could use.

In the end, he could only mutter a complaint: "This is so inexplicable."

Seeing his hesitation, Li Tiansheng didn't say much, pointed him in a direction, then pointed at Xu Huang, and while Li Hongyi was in a daze, kicked him out of his consciousness space.

Li Hongyi: "!" That's cheating!

...

He's not even human, yet we're making him experience the human world?

Li Hongyi's first reaction was to laugh.

He inherited Li Tiansheng's intelligence and understood why he had received such an honor.

—I am nothing more than a product of Li Tiansheng's exhaustion.

Perhaps it was because of loneliness, or perhaps it was because he realized he was gradually losing his ability to perceive the world; in any case, Li Tiansheng needed him to enjoy happiness.

Go back to my past life for me. Do whatever you want, but every time you return, share your memories with me.

Li Tiansheng lent his body to him, with a very simple request—he wanted pleasure from Li Hongyi's perspective.

Why not?

Since he came here to enjoy happiness, he should wholeheartedly immerse himself in life on the Guanwu Continent.

Thanks to the personality Li Tiansheng helped him cultivate, Li Hongyi discovered that he was surprisingly adept at handling interpersonal relationships.

Perhaps it was because Li Tiansheng had a good foundation that he could easily get rid of unpleasant troubles;

Perhaps it was because he was in a period of time with few difficulties, and was meant to live a carefree life;

Or perhaps he lacked the strength of Li Tiansheng; a mere mortal simply couldn't squeeze into the circle of troubles among cultivators.

Or perhaps, this is his first time experiencing life, and he approaches everything new and exciting with a playful attitude, unable to distinguish between good and evil...

Ultimately, the joy he experienced accounted for ninety percent of his travels. He enjoyed a carefree and pleasant life. Gradually, his lifespan came to an end for mortals, but he was still far from the hundred years that Li Tiansheng had planned for him.

...

Li Hongyi was unconvinced.

Too little time!!!

What happened to the promised century?! How come it's drastically shortened?!

But he has no one to blame but himself. He was so engrossed in the life of an ordinary person that he forgot that many ordinary people struggle to reach the barrier of longevity throughout their lives.

Such a life was too ordinary. Li Hongyi also wanted to become stronger, and he also wanted to see what kind of world Li Tiansheng had entered.

"Can I practice martial arts?"

"Yes, but it depends on your level of control over your body."

After practicing martial arts, Li Hongyi realized that the level of control Li Tiansheng spoke of was no less than having to start cultivating from scratch.

He didn't seem to have Li Tiansheng's outstanding talent, so he could only learn the moves Li Tiansheng taught him step by step and improve his skills step by step.

Indeed, it's wishful thinking to expect to be completely at ease with a body that doesn't belong to you.

In this life, he studied diligently and practiced assiduously. His interpersonal skills also improved from the level of ordinary people to a higher level. He traveled among various cultivators and witnessed a brand new world.

Yet, just when he was at his most enthusiastic, his life was abruptly cut short.

"Why is martial arts training so difficult?!"

Li Hongyi died under the claws of a spirit beast.

"I've been training for decades, and I've only just reached the threshold of the initial martial realm! This is practically considered trash!"

Although Li Hongyi was unwilling to accept it, he was ultimately inferior in skill and died knowing the truth.

Li Tiansheng simply watched him jump around in the consciousness space, making a ruckus. Only when the guy calmed down did Li Tiansheng slowly walk over and pick up the dejected dog.

"It won't be so difficult next time," Li Tiansheng comforted him.

Li Hongyi's eyes lit up immediately: "Could it be..."

Li Tiansheng: "You have mastered the manipulation of spiritual power in your body during the Mortal Martial Realm. Next time, you can directly break through to the Initial Martial Realm."

Li Hongyi: "..." In other words, his cowardly talent hasn't changed at all; he's simply inherited the results from last time.

You still have to endure the hardships, right?

At that time, he did not understand the weight of "next time" in Li Tiansheng's words, nor did he understand the deeper weariness that the man felt after he finished speaking.

He remained full of curiosity about the world.

Anticipation is what he does most often in his conscious space.

The endless dark sea of ​​consciousness from which he was born has not yet garnered his full attention.

...

"You really enjoy flirting with women?"

Li Tiansheng was in no hurry to let the people out.

After returning, he first took a breath and waited until his spiritual energy stabilized before he began to investigate Li Hongyi's affairs.

"Women? They're alright." Li Hongyi's attitude didn't change much; she was even a little confused about where this topic came from.

Perhaps because he had been unusually nice to the girls he had dated the previous two times, Li Tiansheng suspected that his womanizing nature was at play and worried that he might do something out of line when he was deeply in love.

Li Tiansheng's expression was solemn, and he deliberately added, "Don't use my body for that kind of thing."

"Huh? So that's possible?" Li Hongyi was shocked.

But Li Tiansheng answered his foolishness with a sudden, oppressive tone – no.

Absolutely not!

Li Hongyi immediately backed down: "I understand, I will definitely not do it."

But in fact, Li Hongyi couldn't understand why there was anything special to tell him.

He does appreciate beautiful older or younger sisters and is willing to spend more energy trying to please them, but that's just something he does when he's bored. In his first two lives, he was either adventuring in the martial arts world or focusing on cultivation. No matter how good the girls are, they're just beautiful sights that catch the eye.

...She wasn't even as beautiful as the wives Li Tiansheng remembered.

Li Hongyi thought to himself, "This is utterly rebellious."

To put it bluntly, the sloppy memories that Li Tiansheng showed him were the true joys of life. In those memories, he had seen celestial beauties, each with their own dazzling charm. Compared to them, the ordinary beauties of the mortal world were simply too unattractive.

Why create too much overlap?

Li Hongyi was eager to quickly gain control of this body's cultivation level and become one of the top experts in the Guanwu Continent.

At least don't die in the blink of an eye like last time!

But changes are always unexpected, especially when he was starting from scratch and had little experience; the unexpected caught him off guard.

Yes, Li Hongyi has messed up again.

He couldn't even get past the secret realm of the Great Wilderness, and he was ambushed by a bunch of idiots!

Li Hongyi really wanted to pry open the brains of these idiots and see what kind of nonsense was inside them.

Dude! We're in a life-or-death situation! We're trapped in a secret realm!

The first thing you thought of was killing someone to steal their treasure?!

That's so brainless!

Guanwu values ​​strength above all else; weakness is a cardinal sin. Li Hongyi glanced at the greedy old men surrounding him and silently gave up resisting.

We can't beat them.

I really can't beat them.

The world of cultivators is too vicious. Li Hongyi simply resigned himself to his fate and stood still to be slaughtered.

It seemed he was going to die young again... he thought to himself, but was saved while he was in a daze.

The appearance of a touch of pink changed the situation; Li Hongyi, who had been isolated and helpless, now had a figure standing in front of her.

He looked closely and saw a face that wasn't particularly pretty, nor a cultivation level that was high; it was the kind of person who wouldn't attract much attention anywhere.

She stood straight in front of the greedy cultivators, her body appearing fragile enough to be crushed with a single pinch, yet she completely blocked their malicious gazes.

"Even in a life-or-death situation, they still have the mind to bully the weak!"

"You brat, this is none of your business."

"Do I need you to decide what I do?"

With just a few words, she managed to shut everyone in front of her up.

Li Hongyi found it amusing, never expecting that he too would encounter a scene where he was rescued by a chivalrous woman.

However, his interest was just beginning to build when he was interrupted by the woman in pink.

A beautiful woman saves a hero? Not at all. It was the beautiful woman who grabbed the hero and ran away on the spot.

"Are you stupid? They were about to hit you on the head, and you were still standing still?"

"As a cultivator, you must be quick on your feet! You can't just stand there and wait to be beaten."

"You were thinking of reasoning with them at first? Give it a rest. You're too naive. Robbers don't care about any logic!"

Compared to those foolish cultivators, Li Hongyi actually suffered the most from her sharp tongue.

Li Hongyi: ...Silence.

Naive? Was he just called naive?

Is this really how others perceive me?!

Li Hongyi's eyes widened.

"What? You're still not convinced?" The pink-clad heroine glared back.

"No, no, I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. I am willing to serve you like a cow or a horse to repay your great kindness."

Luck ultimately smiled upon them, and they found a way to break the previously locked secret realm.

Good news: There is hope for survival.

Bad news: It seems we're being entangled.

Li Hongyi couldn't understand Hua Yuran's thoughts. On one hand, he said that Hua Yuran was simple and interesting, but on the other hand, he complained that Hua Yuran was slow and inefficient, meddling in everything and wanting to get involved in everything.

Li Hongyi didn't really want to pay attention to Hua Yuran, but fate had somehow tied the red thread between them.

This woman is a bit annoying, he thought.

However, when she looked at him, the smile on her face made it hard for him to look away.

Who is she looking at? Who is she calling out to?

Was Li Lang calling him?

Is she... showing her love to me?

Like the women in Li Tiansheng's memory?

It seems like a world of difference.

Li Hongyi's thoughts were still in a daze until she was confessed to, at which point she finally understood.

The love was so intense and so directed that Li Hongyi realized that someone could call his name with such weight, so much so that it could make an anchor point that wasn't even human truly and tangibly land on this land.

"Hongyi!"

It was him.

But who is he?

It is Li Hongyi, a memory-collecting tool that replaces Li Tiansheng in walking among humans, and a world anchor given consciousness by Li Tiansheng.

Isn't he experiencing the joys of the world?

Why... did he become even more upset?

But when Hua Niang reached out her hand, he took it without hesitation.

He seems to have fallen in love with Hua Yuran.

However, love seems to be a capability that tools should not possess.

Someone presented the world to him and invited him to explore it.

Some people took his hand and introduced him to what the world was and what Li Hongyi was.

Anchor point?

No, how could Li Hongyi be the anchor point?

He is clearly a person; he has human joys and sorrows, love, hate, resentment, and infatuation. He has a past and a future; he is clearly a real person who truly exists in this world!

But all those swirling thoughts were nothing more than an inner struggle.

He began to realize the difference between himself and Li Tiansheng, to realize his instrumental role, and to realize that if he wanted to live as a person, he would never be able to break free from the predetermined fate.

Li Tiansheng gave him a hundred years of life, but a cultivator's lifespan is more than a hundred years.

He wanted to reciprocate Hua Yuran's love, but one day, he would have to leave this love abruptly.

Hua Yuran loved the clean and pure Li Hongyi, but after he understood his own significance, he found that he could no longer be considered "clean".

I don't want to die.

I don't want to be a tool.

I didn't want to see the disappointment in the flower maid's eyes.

I don't want to betray the love that has locked him in this world.

Why... why does even his body come from Li Tiansheng?

What does he still truly belong to him?

Love pulled him down to earth, making him a part of the world.

When their feet touched the ground, they found they had nothing.

He fled the desolate land.

...

If only I had never fallen in love with Hua Yuran.

If only I weren't so caught up in that love.

Is this what love is?

The more real the cuteness feels, the more instrumental it becomes to him.

It shouldn't feel real...

But he couldn't bear to part with it.

He was captivated by the taste of love, whether he was being loved or loving others, he could feel Li Hongyi's value in it.

In this life, he was emotionally devastated and lived in a daze.

The desolate region became a taboo; he dared not even think about it, nor dared to look at the place that had given him his true starting point.

When a hand grabbed him, he struggled for a long time but could not resist. Only then did he realize that he had ended his life and returned to the consciousness space.

"I'm dead?" He looked bewildered.

"Time's up." Li Tiansheng stopped Li Hongyi from jumping up and down. "It's time to change people."

"……sorry."

"explain."

"Could you... not look at this memory?"

Li Hongyi didn't find these memories particularly happy, and Li Tiansheng couldn't find any solace in his life this time.

But Li Tiansheng froze time outside and sat down next to him: "What did you do?"

Does this mean he needs to speak?

Li Hongyi blinked, and her dazed thoughts began to gather again.

If you say it out loud, it seems like there really isn't a problem.

He recounted how he met and spent time with Hua Niang.

It tells how the flower maiden took him to experience and understand the world.

It turns out that the sunlight reaching the window sill each day is different from the previous day.

It turns out that people with different personalities can make the same decisions.

It turns out that the curve of a person's smile can vary in depth.

It turns out that no two things in the world are exactly alike, and every tomorrow is a brand new day.

Even he himself didn't realize that he glossed over the unpleasant aftermath, and all his words were related to Hua Yuran.

Despite having lived a life spanning a century, he described it as a mere few short years.

Decades of pain and struggle seem like just a dream.

Only love remains truly present.

Li Tiansheng listened silently to his story.

Seeing that Li Tiansheng remained silent, Li Hongyi mustered her courage and asked, "Can I pursue love?"

"……Can."

Li Tiansheng seemed to have thought of something, and, looking exhausted, closed his eyes: "But when you're in love, you can only focus on one person."

Li Hongyi didn't understand, and he subconsciously sought clarification: "Is it experience?"

"It's a lesson learned."

Li Tiansheng refused to say anything more.

But that was Li Tiansheng's business. After receiving a positive reply, Li Hongyi was overjoyed.

"When will it be next time?! I can't wait!"

Li Hongyi was so engrossed in his own happiness that he didn't notice Li Tiansheng's face instantly fell after hearing what he said.

Li Tiansheng left quietly.

Only when no one responded in the darkness did Li Hongyi realize that Li Tiansheng hadn't even left a farewell before heading straight into the storyline.

Strange? So rushed?

At that time, Li Hongyi was unaware of the hidden danger.

...

Li Hongyi realized that he seemed to have gotten into trouble.

He became engrossed in the game of loving and being loved, inadvertently influencing the course of events on Li Tiansheng's side.

This was told to him by Li Tiansheng after he returned.

He looked at Li Tiansheng's strange gaze, not knowing what had happened, but the man sent him the memories without saying a word. Li Hongyi finished reading the abrupt parts of Li Tiansheng's story in the blink of an eye, and suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

“She…” Li Hongyi noticed the extra presence at a glance.

That was a debt of love he left behind. For some reason, he forged his own path, squeezed into the complicated "plot," and briefly played the role of Li Tiansheng's mother.

The problem is... Li Tiansheng was born of nature, so where did he get a mother?

Wait, who's the father? Could it be him?

Li Hongyi was terrified.

But Li Tiansheng's reaction was very simple; he just glanced at him and told him not to be nervous.

What I need is change.

This seems to be an affirmation.

At least in Li Hongyi's view, Li Tiansheng must have encouraged him to do so.

He recalled the key points Li Tiansheng had shown him and vaguely thought that Li Tiansheng was probably used to being alone and was very happy to have another mother to accompany him.

He only knew that Li Tiansheng was pleased, but he didn't know what exactly Li Tiansheng was pleased about.

If Li Tiansheng also wanted the love of his family, then he could leave more for Li Tiansheng—Li Hongyi had a taboo little idea.

He disregarded Li Tiansheng's initial advice and made the wrong decision that led him to ruin and dragged the world down with him.

—He was simultaneously having affairs with many women.

Some of these lovers knew about his promiscuity, while others completely believed they were the only ones for him. Under their constant entanglement, Li Hongyi's life came to an end.

He waited anxiously in the space of consciousness, experiencing a sense of time for the first time. He watched helplessly as Li Tiansheng failed to return, yet he desperately wanted to see Li Tiansheng astonished by his brilliant decision.

But for some reason, Li Tiansheng returned especially early this time, and the plot unfolded particularly quickly under his direction.

Li Hongyi excitedly ran over, hoping to get some feedback, but before he had even gotten close enough, Li Tiansheng slapped him across the face.

The sound was crisp, loud, and so forceful that it seemed to echo throughout the entire tranquil space of consciousness.

"I shouldn't have let you have consciousness."

Li Tiansheng was furious.

What's this?

Why deny its value from the root?

But Li Tiansheng was furious and didn't give him a chance to explain. He locked Li Hongyi in this space of consciousness and then ignored the guy's panic and pleas, only repeating what he had to do.

Rebooting the world time and time again, seeking change time and time again.

Time and again, they ascend the steps to godhood at the end of the story.

This time, however, Li Tiansheng had an extra audience member.

He forced Li Hongyi to watch his actions hundreds of times.

Nothing is more profound than personal experience, and no principle is more meaningful than one's own realization.

Since speaking out won't get him any attention, let's just force Li Hongyi to see it.

Let's examine these hundreds of cycles of change to see what should exist and what should be eliminated.

Looking back with these experiences, Li Hongyi understood why Li Tiansheng was angry.

He really ruined everything.

On the day he had that sudden inspiration, Li Tiansheng saw something unusual as soon as he opened his eyes—many women were vying for his attention yet getting along harmoniously, competing to help him resolve the crisis brought about by the plot.

Li Tiansheng's journey that time went particularly smoothly.

But the price he pays is a more stereotypical and powerless storyline; he can't change this world-template-based approach.

Li Tiansheng started over countless times, all to remove the stereotypical elements from the characters and make the world more realistic. Having made similar mistakes before, he could immediately recognize at a glance where Li Hongyi had gone wrong.

Letting this guy run wild was a stupid decision.

The world has become more fake.

Li Tiansheng regretted giving him too much freedom. If he had obtained Li Hongyi's memories before the storyline began, he could have discovered these things in time.

It wouldn't lead to anger accumulating and soaring to the heavens, until finally there's no way to vent it.

"Your love didn't save them; it just killed them in a more dramatic and plot-driven way. Your 'sincerity' is the most ineffective and harmful thing in the world."

"I told you that you can only focus your love on one person, why didn't you listen?"

"If you can't even do something like this, you might as well bring your consciousness back; it's better than causing trouble."

...

Was Li Tiansheng going to abandon her?

Li Hongyi huddled in the endless darkness, fear and loneliness creeping into his heart.

After realizing where he went wrong, Li Tiansheng completely cut off his contact with the outside world, clearly not wanting to say another word to him.

He didn't know how to calculate the time, but the burning sensation in his chest rolled over hundreds of times, each time meaning that Li Tiansheng had restarted the world.

It seems he can't get out.

It seems that Li Tiansheng has completely rejected him.

Hundreds of times, Li Tiansheng had no intention of letting him go.

If he continues to wait, will he eventually see the light of day again?

[Whatever it is, I accept that I am an anchor point, and I accept that my life has been planned for me. Please, don't leave me in the dark any longer.]

[Please, Li Tiansheng, give me a definite answer whether you want to kill or use me.]

It's so dark and quiet here.

I feel so lonely.

I long to go back to the human world.

...

Will Li Tiansheng break down?

After being blocked more than a hundred times, Li Tiansheng turned on the shared perspective again.

The long period of loneliness made Li Hongyi very sensitive, and she immediately noticed the changes in Li Tiansheng.

The weariness was gone, replaced by a deathly indifference.

He witnessed Li Tiansheng reach this point firsthand.

Li Tiansheng, who used to greet him lightly, seems to have completely died.

"Are you alright?" Li Hongyi really wanted to ask.

He did indeed ask the question.

But he thought that this was just something he said casually in his consciousness and that no one would hear it.

“No good,” Li Tiansheng replied.

After a hundred long-distance glances, Li Tiansheng finally agreed to reconnect with him.

"...So, do you still want to continue?"

At the first sign of trouble, Li Hongyi suddenly became frightened.

He was the anchor created by Li Tiansheng. If even Li Tiansheng himself couldn't persevere and stopped restarting this world, then he would have truly lost his purpose.

What other fate awaits a tool that is no longer needed but to be annihilated?

In a world that can no longer be restarted, how can he, who wants to become a human, step into it?

As the story came to its end time and time again, he watched Li Tiansheng ascend to godhood again and again, only to restart it without hesitation. At first, Li Hongyi was puzzled.

I don't want to become a god alone. My brothers, colleagues, lovers, teachers... I want them to live on in this world with me.

That was Li Tiansheng's initial choice.

For the sake of those he cares about, Li Tiansheng restarts time and time again, searching for ways to change the outcome.

If the price of becoming a god is the collapse of the world, then let the story never end.

Hundreds of cycles, hundreds of repetitions, Li Hongyi believed that Li Tiansheng had devoted all his efforts to these talents.

But later, Li Tiansheng stopped visiting his friends.

Just as this person silently threw him into endless darkness, Li Tiansheng quietly left everyone he cared about, simply because of that one sentence.

—【The moment they step into the dramatic template, they are already dead】

But why persist?

Why make him watch those fruitless struggles for salvation?

If you give up even the initial reason...

[Li Tiansheng, what exactly are you pursuing?]

There was no light in those dark eyes. Hundreds of times before, they had been steadfastly practicing something, but when they turned around, Li Hongyi could only see numbness and despair.

It turns out that I'm not the only one enveloped in loneliness.

Could it be that from the very beginning, the reason he was given consciousness was simply to accompany Li Tiansheng?

Li Hongyi couldn't tell the difference.

Regardless of what he was born for, it didn't stop him from falling in love with the days of traveling among humans.

Wanting to be loved, wanting to have love, wanting to be real, wanting to leave a mark on the world... these are things that can never be obtained in the dark, endless space.

Only Li Tiansheng can grant him this.

I hope you're doing well.

Li Hongyi said.

He saw Li Tiansheng freeze in place, seemingly trembling, but then he thought, with Li Tiansheng's abilities, what could possibly hold him back?

It must just be my own illusion.

Li Hongyi watched him continue to devote himself to the great cause of restarting the world, but halfway through, Li Tiansheng suddenly spoke to him.

“A woman once appeared here, claiming to have come looking for me after following your trail.”

She became my godmother.

Li Hongyi nodded. He had heard about these things, but he didn't know why Li Tiansheng wanted to tell them.

"I need them." Li Tiansheng closed his eyes, and the fatigue he hadn't seen in a long time reappeared.

"I need you."

Li Hongyi's eyes widened.

“Li Hongyi, continue to be my father. I need the changes you bring.”

—Li Hongyi, I need you.

Is there any more moving word in the world?

A creator, facing his creation, begs with the most powerless words, saying, "I need you."

"Wait, Father?" Li Hongyi cried out in alarm, clutching his face in shock.

Is this the first identity that gets recognized?!

Is Li Tiansheng really not broken?!

But Li Tiansheng merely glanced at him indifferently: "According to ethics, it should actually be you."

"Okay! I got it! I'll do it!"

He wished he could find a needle and thread right now and sew Li Tiansheng's mouth shut.

If we keep talking, it would be too formal!

But thankfully, he can finally see the light of day again.

...

It turns out that the plot itself eliminates any jarring elements.

Li Hongyi discovered that he had been "purified".

"Why! Why didn't you leave any trace of me this time!"

"After all I've done, can't even a single rumor have survived?"

"Haven't I already been rooted in the human world for a hundred years?"

When Li Tiansheng showed him the memories he had read, Li Hongyi panicked and searched every nook and cranny, but couldn't find anything related to him.

Li Tiansheng was used to failure and remained silent.

But Li Hongyi could not accept it.

"There isn't even a mother figure related to me... Why is this happening..."

He slumped back into the darkness, dejected.

Once he seemed able to communicate, Li Tiansheng said, "It depends on the person."

Whether one can squeeze into the storyline through their own efforts depends on the individual.

"But you are the only one who can never get into the story."

Li Tiansheng said decisively: "You are my anchor outside the plot, and being mentioned by others is already the limit."

"..."

"...It's still better than leaving no trace."

Li Hongyi laughed self-deprecatingly.

Even if one leaves that darkness, can one still not become a truly existing person?

[I don't even crave a future, yet I don't even deserve to be sung about?]

It turns out that he had never truly stepped into the world.

Even the plot can't fit in. Once Li Tiansheng has fulfilled his long-cherished wish, will this world still remember that someone named Li Hongyi once came?

Definitely not.

But he hopes someone will remember.

Since there's only one path to take, let's go all the way down that path, to its very end.

His views on love have become completely distorted.

He no longer pursued the purity of love; he began to pursue the "effect" of love.

Which is more unforgettable, love or hate? Which is more memorable, hate or regret?

What if someone suddenly leaves when you love them most? Would anyone risk their future to find them?

His love was thorny; in the end, it became a source of harm.

But he insisted on using hurtful methods to make his loved ones remember him, so that his name could survive in this world.

"I no longer hope to be in that future, but at least..."

At least, don't forget Li Hongyi.

Don't let him have lived in vain.

Every experience is a lesson, and every memory should be used to summarize.

You need to be able to distinguish who can help you and who are just passing acquaintances.

Seeing his increasingly erratic behavior, Li Tiansheng could no longer turn a blind eye.

"Calm down." He pressed down on Li Hongyi's shoulder. "You've distorted your love."

"I didn't want to either, I didn't want to hurt them too much, but compared to hatred, I can only choose regret."

He didn't want them to live with hatred.

Let the regret of an unfinished story preserve his name.

“Love is mutual,” Li Tiansheng said. “The regrets you feel for them will also become your own wounds.”

"The longer it goes on, the more pain you will experience."

"...Is this a lesson learned?"

Li Tiansheng shook his head: "It's experience."

"What should we do?" Li Hongyi asked for help. "What should we do?"

More than finding an answer, Li Tiansheng was curious as to why Li Hongyi chose to use love as the starting point for his regret.

The emotions in the world are diverse and varied, and each emotion, when used to its fullest extent, can leave an unforgettable impression.

But unfortunately, Li Hongyi only had eyes for love.

Because it was love that brought me into this world.

The more intense the love, the more vivid Li Hongyi's presence becomes.

It was love that allowed him to gain a foothold in the real world, enabling him to stand firmly on the ground as a real person.

He only wanted to prove his footprints with love.

"..."

After a long silence, Li Tiansheng said, "I'm sorry."

Li Hongyi looked over in surprise.

"It's my fault for not teaching you these things."

Li Tiansheng sighed.

Li Hongyi was speechless, and even his expression became anxious and flustered.

But Li Tiansheng soothed his anxiety and gave him a practical solution.

“I have a plan,” Li Tiansheng said. “I originally intended to use it on myself, but now it seems I’ll have to include you as well.”

—Memory Seal.

Retain only the key memories, and live each day of your life as a completely new person.

When the time arc of departure ends, the seal will break on its own, and the physical body will die in the process. The impact of unlocking the memories may be painful, but by then the soul will have returned to the consciousness space, giving them enough time to recover.

“Tell me your chosen targets, and I will preserve your feelings for them. You will be more willing to pursue them than random strangers you meet by chance.”

"good."

But Li Tiansheng underestimated the importance of one of them.

He looked down on the woman who had used love to drag Li Hongyi down to the ground.

...

Having lost his past memories, he no longer feared the desolate wasteland, nor did he think of escaping that nascent place.

By chance, he arrived in the desolate region, searching for the Green Wilderness Secret Realm that had been the subject of much speculation recently.

He encountered that pink color again in the secret realm.

In an instant, he felt his heart pounding like it was going to explode.

What does this feel like?

Why does my body uncontrollably want to get closer?

But she was clearly of average appearance and had no profound cultivation.

Why would you want to get close to her?

After Li Hongyi finished thinking, he was already standing in front of Hua Yuran. The ordinary-looking girl was smiling and greeting him: "My surname is Hua, and my name is Yuran."

Hua Yuran.

An arrow, a symbol of love, pierced his heart.

But his body was trying to escape.

Even a seasoned player in the dating scene can have a day when he backs down in front of a woman.

"I actually feel like I've let her down."

"ha……"

What an absurd idea.

Is this the nemesis ordained by Heaven for him?

"Hey, why are you following me like a thief?"

"Speak up, are you mute?"

"You bastard, you wouldn't be up to anything with me, would you?"

"Really? Why aren't you moving?"

Because something was broken.

The memory seal, which was originally set to be broken decades later, began to falter with each call from Hua Yuran.

Until that question about love was uttered, the chains deep within Li Hongyi's memory were completely shattered.

"Hua Niang... Yu Ran?"

"Are you an idiot?" Hua Yuran frowned as she looked at him.

Are you stupid? Why were you so still just now?

These words sound so familiar, words I haven't heard in so long.

After hundreds and thousands of lifetimes, he finally returned to the desolate land.

She returned to her first love.

After such a long time, he should be a mature person by now.

But even standing in front of Hua Niang, he would still feel helpless and frantically search for cover.

Hua Niang had no idea how many reincarnations he had gone through, nor did she know that in those reincarnations he had been a scumbag time and time again.

He had long since failed this beautiful lover.

But... it was Hua Niang who introduced him to the world, it was Hua Niang who first made him realize that he was Li Hongyi, and not someone else.

He couldn't help but take notice.

[Or perhaps, I should leave no trace in this life.]

When his love was so deep, he gave up the opportunity to leave his name in the world, thinking that it would be enough for him to spend a fulfilling life with Hua Niang in this lifetime.

Even if it's the last time, it's worth it.

Who says leaving your name is the only way to prove your existence? If that were true, what about the millions of ordinary people in the world?

[To have loved, to have lived, to have been fulfilled, and to have lived with the one you love—isn't that also a kind of life?]

It took him tens of thousands of years to understand this principle.

It turns out that after all the twists and turns, we've returned to the very beginning.

But he smiled as brightly and foolishly as the first time, his black eyes shining like stars.

"Flower Girl, I love you."

But why do disasters occur in the wasteland?

It wasn't until all the ghosts cried out that Li Hongyi remembered that there seemed to be such a thing.

The desolate region seemed to have suffered a calamity, but no one knew exactly what it was. People passed it down by word of mouth, and in the end, all they said was: "The evil cultivators are truly despicable; even the Dust Emperor perished."

But at that time, Li Hongyi was deliberately avoiding news related to the Great Wilderness, and missed many crucial details.

Now that he was standing here in person, he realized that it was Ghost Island that had crashed into him.

When two realms collide, how can it be a simple case of evil cultivation?

This is clearly a catastrophe that could destroy the world!

"Flower girl!"

"We have to save them! Hongyi! We can't just stand by and watch!"

It's beyond saving.

He was born from the Ghost Emperor, and this body is the Ghost Emperor's original form. It's no exaggeration to say that Ghost Island is his hometown. No one knows the consequences of Ghost Island crashing into him better than him.

No one will survive in this wasteland.

But what if... what if the wasteland suffers from this kind of disaster every time?

Looking at the figures rushing about in the wind and sand, Li Hongyi couldn't help but feel sad and burst into tears on the spot.

[So, you never actually lived to the end.]

It turns out that in the countless cycles of reincarnation he fled from, Hua Niang was buried in the wind and sand and the howling of ghosts, her passing so tragically.

Those self-deceiving futures had no trace of Hua Niang.

The person he loved most had long since died because of his indifference, in the distant past.

Is this the price of desertion?

Why not punish him instead of harming Hua Niang?

He desperately tried to grab Hua Yuran, but gradually realized his powerlessness in terms of cultivation.

Hua Niang refused to stay behind Li Hongyi. Every time Li Hongyi tried to stop her, Hua Niang would shake her head and say, "Hongyi, my sense of duty does not allow me to watch a tragedy happen."

If Hua Niang were not kind, how could Li Hongyi have been saved by her, and how could she have been dragged down to the mortal world?

But I still lied to you.

[You are no longer the innocent Li Hongyi you once loved. The naive and clueless "child" you cherished has long since betrayed you, abandoning you to live a life of shame.]

[I'm sorry... Flower Girl, I'm so sorry...]

From her figure rushing forward, Li Hongyi could see scenes from the past repeating themselves, how Hua Niang had struggled to her death in the sandstorm, and how Hua Niang had been devoured by evil spirits.

Who can save Hua Yuran from her fate?

"Help……"

"Li Tiansheng, help me... help me save her."

He had no choice but to seek help from this person.

Please save her.

Let's save this wasteland from this disaster.

Li Tiansheng, please help me, help Hua Niang, and help these people you love so much.

They're dying.

On that day, he held his lover's remains in his arms, but his spiritual sea was opened, and a path called morality was constructed before him. In the darkness, it seemed that a road to heaven was laid out in front of him.

He discovered his own path.

Or perhaps, he grasped the essence of Li Tiansheng's Dao.

His cultivation level, which had been stuck for so long, finally broke through the bottleneck, and he was finally able to use this body to reach a higher level of cultivation.

For his lover, for life, for everything vibrant in his eyes... he finally understood Li Tiansheng's repeated cycles of reincarnation.

This continent bears the marks of his love, and it has brought him countless joys.

This is where he was truly born and where he truly settled down.

What that person loved was already the whole world.

This time, he also died in the catastrophe.

When Li Tiansheng returned empty-handed, Li Hongyi went up to him and begged him to help him think of a solution.

After a long silence, Li Tiansheng finally spoke: "Go to Ghost Island."

"Ghost Island is adrift because it lacks a core town. You are the anchor point. Be the anchor for Ghost Island and guide it back to the uninhabited wilderness. This will prevent the crisis of the two regions colliding."

“But you will die. I originally gave you a hundred years. If you want to do this, I will set the time for unlocking your memories to the day before the disaster. You will only have less than thirty years of life left to experience.”

“That’s enough,” Li Hongyi said.

His gaze was no longer unfocused; it seemed to hold a touch of resolute sorrow.

Li Tiansheng then realized that, in ways he was unaware of, Li Hongyi had grown up again.

Li Hongyi learned many of the principles that he was unable to teach from Hua Niang.

Li Hongyi has actually begun to love this world.

...

"Keep the memories of Hua Niang. I won't look for her anymore."

"Can you handle it?"

"I deserve it."

Thus, with his short lifespan, he traveled to the desolate region and the ghost city countless times.

But he still longed for love.

If I cannot spend the rest of my life with Hua Niang, then at least I cannot let down this journey to the human world.

I should still leave my name.

Li Hongyi should still be remembered by some people in the world.

It's just that the time left for him has been shortened.

Every time could be the last.

Every time, he loved someone with all his might.

He was enveloped in such intense love that he could hardly breathe, yet nothing could make him feel more at ease.

When their love reached its most intimate point, he could only force himself to withdraw, enduring the pain.

Li Tiansheng is right. Love is mutual. The deeper you love, the more painful the backlash will be.

He started drinking.

Alcohol seems to numb a person's senses. Every time he breaks up with someone, he has to drink several jugs of fine wine. The stronger the wine, the more he wants to drink.

Sometimes, drinking it for a few days will make you feel better, but sometimes it takes two whole months for the effects to disappear.

But this body is real, and every sip of wine fed to him becomes a sharp weapon against his intoxication.

In the end, even alcohol couldn't alleviate the symptoms.

He instinctively reached out to Li Tiansheng for help.

In all the difficult situations he encountered, it was Li Tiansheng who provided him with solutions, either actively or passively helping him resolve the troubles.

He thought Li Tiansheng wouldn't refuse.

But Li Tiansheng had completely lost his vitality.

When he looked into Li Tiansheng's dark eyes, trying to find traces of the past in the familiar eye sockets, he only saw his own reflection reflected in them, in the endless darkness.

Just like when he was confined by Li Tiansheng.

He realized that everything was actually traceable; for example, after several cycles of reincarnation ended, Li Tiansheng became much less talkative.

"Um."

"good."

"come over."

"Shut up."

"Change players."

Unbeknownst to him, Li Tiansheng stopped speaking to him in long sentences, and each time, apart from intermittent commands, there was only long silence.

Feeling timid, Li Hongyi tiptoed over, wanting to help Li Tiansheng alleviate his gloom.

It was only then that he gradually remembered that he was actually Li Tiansheng's channel for finding happiness.

But Li Tiansheng gave him too much freedom.

Originally, Li Tiansheng would take away his memories after his death, fill his own senses with Li Hongyi's happiness, and let his near-numb consciousness regain pleasure.

But Li Tiansheng stopped doing that after the first few times.

The warmth that should have been used to heal Li Tiansheng's wounds became Li Hongyi's private property.

Everything he was supposed to give to Li Tiansheng, he kept for himself.

By the time Li Hongyi tried to get closer to Li Tiansheng, the man had completely shut out any attempts at comforting him.

"How are you?"

"..."

"Why don't you take a look at my memories?"

"..."

"Dude, boss, dad, don't scare me, I'm living off you."

"……Shut up."

"Oh well."

But Li Tiansheng didn't want him to get close.

This was the first time Li Hongyi had ever been so afraid of Li Tiansheng.

When Li Tiansheng locked him in the "dark room," he was afraid of his own demise, but now, just standing in front of Li Tiansheng, he trembled with fear.

Why would a living, breathing person have eyes that are filled with emptiness?

Was it because I had let Li Tiansheng down?

Was it his own selfishness that corrupted Li Tiansheng?

If this continues, won't Li Tiansheng become nothing more than an empty shell that can only restart the world?

Li Hongyi couldn't imagine sharing a room with such a being, and then being entangled in countless cycles of reincarnation.

Save Li Tiansheng!

Someone please save Li Tiansheng!

"Hmm, you mean, when your friend needed you most, you left him to enjoy yourself alone, and when you wanted to respond to his requests, you found that he had become indifferent to everyone?"

By the time Li Hongyi came to his senses, he was already standing in front of Hua Yuran.

The girl in front of me blinked her bright eyes, her brows furrowed: "You, sigh!"

She seemed eager to criticize Li Hongyi for his heartless actions, but remembering that there was a "broken friend" waiting to be rescued, Hua Yuran quickly suppressed her complaints and began to help Li Hongyi find a solution step by step.

Yellow sand swirled in the sky, the sunlight dappled by the sand's shadows, casting dappled patterns on Hua Yuran's body. Combined with her loose-fitting clothes, she looked like a giant butterfly sitting before you.

Consciousness returned amidst extreme panic, and Li Hongyi finally recognized who she was seeing.

Even those helpless words were all spoken to Hua Niang.

He never imagined he would see Hua Yuran again.

She never imagined that she would come to Hua Yuran not to talk about love, but to ask for help.

Am I crazy?

[How could it be Hua Niang? How dare I come back to find her?]

[I'm doomed, what will she think of me?]

Why did you tell everyone?

Many key issues were omitted, and the difficulties that needed to be discussed were all revealed by Li Hongyi without his knowledge.

She'll think I'm a complete jerk.

[Completely destroyed...]

Li Hongyi kept his head down, not daring to look up at Hua Niang's reaction.

He is exposing his most vulnerable and helpless side to the person he loves most and feels most indebted to.

The ugliness he had tried so hard to hide from Hua Niang was now impossible to conceal.

Hua Niang finally learned the truth about her own despicable nature.

Li Hongyi thought to himself.

After thinking it over, he felt a strange sense of relief.

When he had exhausted all the methods he had tried, and when his usual routes for calling for help were blocked, his instincts were still helping him find a way out.

It turned out to be Hua Yuran.

But it can only be the language of flowers.

He knows countless people in this world, but if he were to pick out the one who would unconditionally tolerate his capriciousness, lend a helping hand in his time of need, and still give him an answer even knowing he's a scoundrel, he would be a different story.

—Only Hua Yuran remains.

This generous and ordinary woman shattered his ignorance, showed him the world, and helped him put down roots in it.

This was his mentor in life, the one who enlightened him in all his emotions.

His joy, love, pain, and even his understanding of the belief in "existence" all came from Hua Yuran's guidance.

When anxiety and despair overwhelmed his consciousness, the only person he instinctively turned to for help was Hua Yuran.

This reasoning, needing no further explanation, had already calmed Li Hongyi's agitation.

"Hmm, if that's the case... you were far too naive back then."

Hua Yuran's voice brought him back to his senses.

"When you left him, you should have expected the pain you're experiencing today."

“Abandoning your companions to enjoy yourself alone is not something to be proud of.”

As the solemn opening ceremony ended, Hua Yuran gave him an encouraging smile: "But you know you were wrong."

"You said he no longer talks to anyone. Does that mean that during the days you weren't there for him, he suffered more and for longer than you did, which is why he became like this?"

"I don't know what kind of grudges you two have, but you said you still consider him a friend, right?"

He looked up and met those thoughtful eyes. His gaze shifted several times before he quietly adjusted his posture and listened attentively to the solution taught by Hua Yuran.

There are no grand principles or mysterious practices involved.

Hua Yuran gave him the simplest and most clumsy method.

"Then don't be stingy with your efforts, don't just stand at a distance and watch him."

“Go over there, get close to him. Hmm... are you afraid he'll hurt you? But your previous approach was successful. If he really resented you, you would have been attacked long ago.”

"Besides, you've already made a mistake once when he needed you the most. Do you want to change yourself and become unapproachable because of him, and make another mistake?"

Her gaze, as scorching as the blazing sun overhead, seemed to Li Hongyi to possess a pure power that could pierce through all gloom.

"If he is really important to you, then even if he turns into a stone, you should still go over and tap him, warm him up, and let him become a warm stone first."

“The damage cannot be repaired quickly.”

Even if he ignores you, you should show him your concern and apology again and again.

"This is not to seek his forgiveness."

"This is the only thing you can do right now, and the only thing you should do."

Even if it's slow and difficult, it's still better than you wandering around like a headless fly, randomly asking irrelevant people for help.

Li Hongyi was listening attentively.

When he heard the words "ask a stranger for help," even breathing became difficult.

Finally, with trembling lips, he mustered all his strength to force a smile that wouldn't cry: "Okay."

"Young Master Li, you mustn't be a coward. Next time we meet, let's hope this terrible thing doesn't happen again."

"No more..."

There will be no next time we meet.

Some hopes, once fulfilled, are enough to make us content.

Just like Hua Niang said, stop being a coward.

Do what he can.

If only one person could survive in the world, it would have to be Li Tiansheng.

As long as Li Tiansheng is alive, everything can be started over, and all mistakes can be corrected.

Li Hongyi was born to save Li Tiansheng.

I will resume what I should be doing.

My mission has been defined.

[But……]

His gaze remained fixed on Hua Yuran.

He lingered before the person who had illuminated his path in life three times.

Hua Yuran stood on the desolate land, offering guidance with a smile during his most confused moments.

She didn't even know what Li Hongyi was, nor did she know about those repeatedly restarted cycles of reincarnation, yet she would always lend a helping hand, and the reason she chose to help was terrifyingly pure.

He helped Li Hongyi as much as he could simply because Li Hongyi was asking for help.

This will be the last time we meet.

He finally understood his life from beginning to end.

He finally fully accepted his value as a tool.

Through thousands of reincarnations, Li Hongyi has proven that love can bring reality.

Therefore, he only had one path left.

Since the outcome is no longer up to me...

[Those experiences of loving and being loved are the only proof that "Li Hongyi" is alive.]

I will do everything in my power to love everyone who comes into my life.

[Including Li Tiansheng.]

[In this way, I will not let down my hard-won birth.]

Thus, he obtained the last piece of the puzzle from Hua Yuran, piecing together the final philosophy of life.

At this point, the pessimistic hedonist was fully formed and could not be changed.

He bid farewell to Hua Yuran.

A thank you and a farewell were all it took to send off her first love forever.

He wanted to say thank you for giving Li Hongyi a life.

I also want to say sorry that I can't repay your kindness.

Or perhaps there are other things, too many, too many. After hundreds and thousands of reincarnations, when you look back at the starting point, you can no longer distinguish how many emotions have arisen in your heart.

But he is no longer the Li Hongyi he once was.

A thousand words welled up in my heart, but in the end, they could only be summed up in one sentence.

--[I love you. ]

I loved you.

...

The appearance of Chang Yubai and Li Qingyun disrupted Li Hongyi's seasoned experience.

A completely new character.

A brand new...what is that?

Li Hongyi was filled with doubt.

But that didn't stop him from realizing one thing.

Li Tiansheng finally got the change he wanted.

Countless reincarnations, countless hours of companionship—besides gradually sharing his memories with Li Tiansheng and pulling the empty Li Tiansheng back to human form, he also gradually forged a path that shared the same ideals as Li Tiansheng, but diverged from his own.

One is selfless love, the other is selfish love.

Even though they both loved the Guanwu Continent, one focused his attention on the heavens, and the other on the earth.

Because of their differing moral principles, Li Hongyi was unable to break through the highest realm of this body. No matter how powerful his cultivation was, he could only remain at the peak of the Xuanwu Realm and could never cross the threshold of the Zunwu Realm.

This must be karma for being a scumbag.

But Li Hongyi also paid attention to his own time and the changes that could bring Li Tiansheng satisfaction.

After all, the world still needs Li Tiansheng to keep going.

We must keep a close watch on Li Tiansheng.

He had seen Li Qingyun many times, even the Li Qingyun in Li Tiansheng's story.

This time, however, is completely different.

ha.

Isn't this a tremendous change?

Li Hongyi was overjoyed; he had finally found the treasure that could save everything.

But then what?

If the Guanwu Continent is saved, what should I do?

[This will be the last reboot.]

[I'm going to die completely...]

I don't want to die.

But it's better to die than for the world to perish.

Why do I have to be just a tool?

Why is it that even when he voluntarily went to his death, he was still asked to stay?

If he had died quietly as before, he wouldn't have suffered so much pain while bound by the deadly chains.

I feel so resentful.

Why is it that from beginning to end, there isn't a single moment in my life that's worth remembering?

When he was young and innocent, everything was pure, and he had the opportunity to leave behind a wonderful resume.

He ran away.

Once he had a goal to pursue, he had become a dissolute and licentious sinner.

He pursues the entanglements of love and hate.

By the time he understood the value of life and wanted to turn back, time and disaster cruelly shattered his hopes.

He could only die young.

Then came an unchanging cycle of indulgence and depravity.

At the moment of death, Li Hongyi looked back on his long life.

In a daze, he saw himself again, the one who had first fallen to the ground.

Hua Niang held him, who was as innocent as a child, and patiently and gently taught him how to conduct himself and how to experience the world.

if.

If only I hadn't left that time.

He may have an ordinary life.

His meager cultivation level was insufficient to support him to venture out, but Hua Niang was too eager to explore.

He will accompany Hua Yuran to explore various secret realms in the Great Wilderness. They may get injured, or they may obtain a priceless spiritual treasure.

Neither he nor Hua Niang were greedy people; the fact that the treasure had fallen into their hands only made them panic.

He would discuss with Hua Niang about finding a reliable merchant to sell them, and with the abundant spirit stones, they would first disappear from the public eye and live a secluded life like immortals. When the storm had passed and no one remembered their affair, it wouldn't be too late to reappear.

The Great Wilderness was a desolate place with little to no appeal, but fortunately, the cities were vast and relatively sparsely populated.

He would take Hua Niang to a remote town, so that capable people would not want to come looking for her, and so that the local thugs could not bully them.

Afterwards, they packed their belongings and moved into their new home.

The house may have been abandoned by local residents, or it may have been built by them piece by piece with wood.

Because they are well-off, they don't need to be too hard on themselves to make a living. They will open a small shop and choose a more relaxed lifestyle as their main job.

Hua Niang is skilled at cooking and has excellent culinary skills. She is also good at hawking her wares, and when she arrives, she will hold up her hands to the aroma of the food, which will surely lure all the passersby into her shop.

In their spare time, they would find a scenic spot to relax, but they would talk about how much money they had earned that day and how to spend it the next day.

Their talent for cultivation is quite average; they may remain at the initial martial arts realm for their entire lives, barely reaching the threshold of the intermediate martial arts realm. However, cultivation is no longer their primary goal in life; their daily training is more about ensuring their bodies are alert and healthy.

Several years later, when their fame has faded, they will return to explore the secret realms, but the realms they visit are no longer dangerous; they are now more interested in having fun.

Hua Niang loves innovation. She might catch sand scorpions, which are abundant in the Great Wilderness, to make soup, force herself to drink the new dish, and then stare at her own grimacing face and laugh out loud.

There will also be some neighbors. Small business owners who like to take advantage of others, or loud deliverymen, or the little kids from some older brother's house who like to visit, coming and going in front of their doors, creating a scene that is sometimes joyful and sometimes noisy.

In the end, they will grow old.

With simple food in their hands, a silver mirror reflected their graying temples. In the mirror, they mocked each other for being old and faded, no longer as dashing and debonair as they once were.

The children they adopted grew up and stayed by their bedside to say goodbye to the couple. The silly child might cry his eyes out, but after wiping away his tears, he would become a new and influential figure.

The children will mourn for them, build graves for them, and bury the couple together in one place.

His story may not reach far, but every year during Qingming Festival, people come to add a bouquet of flowers as a tribute. As long as people visit his grave, they will remember his existence.

Then, his more distant descendants completely forgot him, thus ending his ordinary life.

if……

if.

That was the closest he ever came to truly owning his own life.

Ordinary, joyful, and healthy.

I really want to.

I wish I could have a life like that.

But the time has come.

He closed his eyes, accepting the encroachment of death.

When everything comes to an end, Hua Niang will have a brand new life. No one will be troubled by the template anymore. Perhaps there will still be people in the world who remember Li Hongyi, and they may even be able to sing about this name in the more distant future.

[Li Tiansheng...]

[I hope, I implore, I wish... that you will succeed.]

For that peaceful and tranquil future.

Then, he silently said in his heart, "Li Tiansheng, I've come back to you."

...

Chaos and darkness once again swept into Li Hongyi's vision.

The limp soul reached out its hand, was pinched but felt no pain.

He then realized that the dream had ended and he had returned to the boundless darkness.

He hadn't personally experienced a revolving lantern festival in a long time.

Even after waking up, Li Hongyi's expression still carried sorrow.

Li Hongyi, seemingly lost in thought, spoke in a way that was different from usual: "I've found a lot of treasures for you; you should really take a look."

There was no response from the other side.

A numb look flickered in his eyes, but he was used to Li Tiansheng's silence. He kept trying to say what he wanted to say: "Be careful when you make a move against Li Qingyun. I promised to advise you. Even if we can't be friends, don't start a fight."

He was referring to the promise he made to Chang Yubai when he inquired about the past in the Great Wilderness.

After a long while, there was still no response.

Li Hongyi turned his gaze and began searching for a familiar figure in the darkness.

The man in black, who was usually easily spotted, was nowhere to be found after searching the entire area.

Li Hongyi then frowned, his eyes regaining their clarity.

"Li Tiansheng?"

"...?"

"...Li Tiansheng?"

After being called several times, even if someone is absent-minded, they should at least respond.

However, the space of consciousness was unusually quiet, even eerily so.

Li Hongyi looked completely bewildered: Where is everyone??

-----------------------

Author's Note: This chapter serves as a transitional chapter and is also a personal side story from Li Hongyi's perspective.

If Li Tiansheng's underlying nature towards Li Hongyi was philandering, then through a series of events, Li Hongyi transformed that philandering into utter depravity (the scum of a scumbag). Yet, love remained the essence of his existence, and Li Tiansheng was the reason for his being. Whether out of fear or sympathy, they shared a common underlying trait, and on matters of principle, they would ultimately converge. However, due to their different life experiences, their moral philosophies clashed and diverged.

Using Li Hongyi's life as a ferry crossing, the small boat carrying Li Tiansheng slowly sails in, thus beginning a new chapter in the story.