Chapter 73 That was over ten thousand times of despair.
Where to?
"Zhongzhou. The junction of Yuyan City and Baisheng City."
"wasteland?"
"Um."
Then the scene shifted again, a picturesque view unfolded, and then quickly passed by.
Even while spatially jumping, Li Tiansheng didn't forget to linger. Seeing that there was no one around to disturb him, he asked, "What do you want to know?"
He was somewhat surprised that Li Qingyun dared to use him as a springboard for intelligence without even confirming his own background.
Instead of directly asking him the crucial question, Li Qingyun probed indirectly, "Between you and Li Hongyi, who is more capable?"
Li Tiansheng: "...Me."
Li Qingyun then asked, "Just how powerful?"
Li Tiansheng understood, and then said confidently, "Ask me anything, I can answer anything."
Li Qingyun gave a forced smile and scoffed, "You seem to know me quite well."
Li Tiansheng: ".
That's inevitable.
The ultimate adversary who has been through countless reincarnations, the final target that must always be challenged, the nemesis against whom one must prepare with all one's might before each final battle—with so many factors combined, it's hard to say that one is unfamiliar with them.
Relieved, Li Qingyun asked, "Am I the same as my grandmaster... uh!"
He was speaking when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart, and the words he was about to say were instantly swallowed back.
Thunderclouds rolled across the sky, and a rumbling sound gradually approached. Li Qingyun had seen this before; it was a Heavenly Rank that wanted to take his life.
Damn it!
No wonder Chang Yubai and Li Hongyi always choose to remain silent in the face of the truth.
It is said that those in the Venerable Martial Realm possess extraordinary abilities; perhaps they received a warning from the heavens before they even opened their mouths.
As a mere novice at this level, I was unaware of the warning from Heaven and carelessly asked the question, which has thoroughly angered the heavens and will bring down a fatal lightning tribulation!
How could he die such a pathetic death!
Suddenly, Li Tiansheng patted his shoulder, relieving the heavy pressure and gradually dissipating the heart-wrenching pain.
Li Qingyun suddenly looked up and saw Li Tiansheng beside her tilting his head back, looking at the surging thunderclouds with an unchanging expression.
Then, his dark eyes focused, and he glared fiercely at Lei Yun, causing Lei Yun to stop in his tracks.
"roll."
As soon as the word was uttered, the thick, dark thunderclouds suddenly dispersed, revealing a clear blue sky.
That wasn't all. Li Tiansheng kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, and only after confirming that there wouldn't be any more trouble did he slowly utter, "This is the last time."
It truly embodies the ultimate in majestic power, instantly surpassing all the world's most renowned figures.
But when Li Qingyun realized that Li Tiansheng was only at the initial Martial Realm, his face visibly contorted.
Damn it, where did this monster come from!
How can they be so unreasonable!
In terms of style alone, even Chang Yubai, whom he considers the most pretentious, would lose by a landslide!
"Is your cultivation really being suppressed?" Li Qingyun asked suspiciously.
Li Tiansheng: ".
Li Tiansheng: "I told you, you can ask me anything, I can answer anything."
They didn't mention a word about cultivation.
Li Qingyun twitched the corner of her mouth, realizing that the person in front of her was also a black-hearted old dog.
After clicking her tongue in disdain, Li Qingyun stopped asking about Li Tiansheng's private affairs, but didn't ask anything else either.
Because we have arrived at our destination.
Upon arriving at the familiar wasteland, Li Qingyun's state of mind was inevitably stirred.
This was his third time visiting this area.
When he first came, he was clueless and did not yet understand the deeper meaning.
His second visit was filled with resentment and hatred; love and hate wove together a manic state.
This third time, however, I felt somewhat lonely.
The west wind blew with a bleakness, ruffling her hair, which wasn't exactly messy, and also causing wrinkles to appear between Li Qingyun's brows.
If the guess is true... well, there are no ifs. Even the heavens would want to strike him dead. It's an absolute secret that couldn't be more true.
But with the truth laid bare before her, Li Qingyun felt a tightness in her chest.
Why choose this desolate wilderness?
Why leave the grave here?
Li Qingyun knew nothing about it.
He could only gaze at this land overgrown with weeds, feeling the same desolation that had persisted for over a decade.
But in the end, he didn't love me.
He pondered this thought, then quietly buried it back into his resentment.
Li Qingyun sighed, glanced at the location of her master's grave out of the corner of her eye, but turned around and went in another direction.
"This way."
He followed the location from his memory and found the place where he first set foot.
"Can you tell the pattern?" Li Qingyun asked.
Li Tiansheng sensed the surroundings and replied, "Yes."
Li Tiansheng sensed the same spatial fluctuations as in the early morning, which must mean that Chang Yubai had once created a space here.
"Can we go in?"
Li Tiansheng said in unison, "Yes."
Li Qingyun stepped aside, signaling Li Tiansheng to make his move.
Li Tiansheng: ".
Li Tiansheng: "This is Chang Yubai's space."
"so?"
Li Tiansheng: "Hopefully there's nothing in there that I shouldn't have seen."
What if it really exists?
Li Tiansheng fell silent.
But Li Qingyun's gaze remained fixed on him, clearly indicating that she didn't want to let him off the hook.
Li Tiansheng hesitated before finally saying, "I don't want to offend Chang Yubai."
"So you want to offend me?"
"..." Li Tiansheng was speechless.
He hadn't considered whether he might offend Li Qingyun, but now it seemed he had to be careful to avoid upsetting her.
Perhaps Li Qingyun's current strength is less than one-thousandth of what we know, but when he files a complaint, his destructive power is truly enormous. He could very well wipe out all of Li Qingyun's efforts with just a single sentence.
Li Tiansheng could only look up at the sky in despair.
While fiddling with the space, Li Qingyun asked him what was going on with Li Hongyi.
Li Tiansheng remained silent for a moment, and finally chose not to answer.
"Are you still alive?"
"He's not dead."
Li Qingyun was relieved: "Indeed, evil lives on for a thousand years."
Li Tiansheng: ".
Li Tiansheng: "Same feeling."
Although Li Tiansheng said this without any apparent veil of sarcasm, Li Qingyun, who was standing next to him, felt as if he were speaking to her.
Li Qingyun clicked her tongue at him, but didn't respond to his words.
But Li Tiansheng had one question and continued to ask him, "What did you do to Li Hongyi?"
"What?"
"vitality."
"Oh, I was afraid he would die, so I fed him something that could bring him back to life."
That's alright then.
Li Tiansheng finally understood why he had woken up.
The time limit he set was fine, but it was all based on the premise that his body was on the verge of death. The hundred-year buffer period was not only the time for him and Li Hongyi to recuperate, but also the time needed for him to be refined as the core of Ghost Island.
Once the body is completely refined and the last lifeline is stimulated, the body will detach from Ghost Island and be reborn in a small village in Yan Kingdom, belonging to the Li family.
Then a family would find this newborn baby. Because he didn't cry, the couple worried that he was a quiet person, so they named him Li Tiansheng, hoping that he would be given a voice and speak more so as not to make enemies.
Unfortunately, the kind couple did not have a good end. A malevolent cultivator passed by and massacred the village, which aroused Li Tiansheng, who was still young at the time and had no memory of his previous life. Filled with anger, the young boy embarked on the path of martial arts to avenge his adoptive parents.
In the end, he will discover that the root of all hatred points to Ghost Island, and all the clues to his enemies point to Xiao Xiaolu, the Holy Maiden of Ghost City who had submitted to him early on.
With this, Li Tiansheng's great revenge was achieved, and his story came to an end.
That's how it should have been.
Variables disrupted all of this.
Even the time difference when he woke up was affected.
Li Tiansheng, however, was satisfied, even happy.
He finally found the most unique solution.
He could finally see the light of dawn.
This life will be the last.
...
"Dawdling and procrastinating."
"Come here."
"If I could do that, what use would I have for you?"
“.
Li Tiansheng wasn't sure if he had mistaken the person for someone else. The Li Qingyun in front of him was completely different from every time they had met before, and there was absolutely no resemblance to the person he remembered.
Well, you can't be too absolute, but it's not entirely true. It's still quite similar in that it's black-hearted.
“It’s open,” Li Tiansheng suddenly said.
As soon as he finished speaking, a crack was instantly torn open in the space in front of him, just the right size for someone to step into.
Li Qingyun eagerly came over, and seeing his great interest, Li Tiansheng made way for him and followed him inside.
As soon as she entered, Li Qingyun was dazzled.
Even though she was prepared, Li Qingyun still couldn't suppress the surging emotions in her heart upon seeing this scene.
The square courtyard, two sturdy trees, stone tables and chairs, a pond with swimming fish, and various flowers and plants... it was all so familiar and strangely familiar.
Li Qingyun knew all too well what should be in this scene.
For more than a decade, every time he touched Chang Yubai, this was the scene that greeted his eyes.
Each time, it serves as a backdrop for everyday memories.
Every stroke of the pen embodies Chang Yubai's unwavering obsession.
It turns out that even when burying his beloved, Master Chang could never forget this little courtyard. He even wanted to make an exact replica as a sacrifice, to freeze time and leave it in this world forever, and to leave it in his heart forever.
How could I possibly believe that the living could defeat the dead?
Li Qingyun then realized how ridiculous she had been.
He was clearly like an ant trying to shake a tree, using his ignorance to collide with the largest and most solid mountain.
But all that is in the past. He didn't come to complain; he came to seek the truth.
Even though the truth is already in our grasp.
But Li Tiansheng had never seen this scenery before.
He looked left and right, pondering the origins of some of the ornaments with great interest, and even paying close attention to some of the excavation marks left on the ground.
This small courtyard exudes a strong sense of daily life, perhaps a quality that has only been achieved over several decades.
Warm and cozy.
But when Li Tiansheng thought that this was a courtyard related to Li Qingyun and Chang Yubai, he found it unbelievable.
It's not hard to guess what this courtyard means. He was almost driven mad by his search for Li Qingyun in the last cycle of reincarnation. The master and disciple must have gone into seclusion in a good place, and this courtyard is probably the final form of their cave dwelling.
Li Tiansheng found it strange that Li Qingyun in her previous life had already shown something different. A cold and indifferent person could manage to keep her residence in good order, with an elegant yet simple atmosphere.
It's clear that his habit of putting on airs and needing others to praise him as Venerable Qingyun is quite pretentious.
Seeing that Li Qingyun had a clear goal and after thinking for a moment, headed straight for the northernmost house, he followed suit.
It turned out to be a bedroom.
The master bedroom and the secondary bedroom were clearly separated. After entering the main hall, Li Qingyun walked further in and headed straight for the westernmost room.
Upon entering the room, Li Tiansheng paused.
Li Qingyun arrived a step earlier than him, and at this moment she too was frozen in place.
The reason is simple: what they saw was too overwhelming, causing their brains to malfunction and fail to keep up with the changes.
On the bed directly opposite the bedroom door, someone was sleeping soundly with their eyes lightly closed, without making a sound, yet in a relaxed posture, dressed casually, their face facing them. It seemed that if they made the slightest noise, this person would gracefully open their eyes and meet their gaze.
But fantasy is ultimately just fantasy.
The person in front of me is just a dead man.
Li Tiansheng felt a chill run down his spine. Even with his mental preparation, he was still taken aback by Chang Yubai's obsession.
He recognized him at a glance as Li Qingyun from his previous life, or perhaps he should be called Venerable Qingyun.
"ha……"
A burst of laughter reached my ears.
It turned out that the message came from Li Qingyun, a living person standing two steps in front of him.
Upon seeing her past self, Li Qingyun couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He said with a smile, "Li Tiansheng, you really should have come sooner."
Li Tiansheng: ".
This won't work.
His sudden appearance was due to the replenishment of his body with life force, a resurrection that forcibly pulled his soul out of his consciousness.
The right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable. Even if Li Tiansheng calculated everything perfectly, it would be impossible for him to awaken a hundred years in the past.
Li Tiansheng's gaze fell on the corpse. After examining it for a while, he said after confirming, "This is just an empty shell without a soul."
"Where did you come from?" Li Qingyun asked him.
"In my previous life."
Upon receiving the answer, Li Qingyun laughed even louder.
After laughing, Li Qingyun's smile faded, her expression quickly turning dejected, and her tone filled with resentment: "But I want to know, what exactly is the difference between him and me?"
"Why can he do it, but I can't?"
His words were mournful, like a vinegar jar that had been fermenting for a thousand years being smashed, filling the room with a sour smell, which made Li Tiansheng frown.
Li Tiansheng first silently rolled an ellipsis in his mind, but then, unable to stand his nemesis's melancholy and pathetic appearance, he said, "Okay."
"What?"
"Yes, I can know."
Li Tiansheng was probably too harshly criticized, and his speech was a little slurred, but that didn't stop Li Qingyun from understanding that he was responding to her muttered complaints.
—I want to know exactly how I differ from my master.
Yes, you can know.
Li Qingyun: "..."
Li Qingyun: "!!!"
Li Qingyun looked back sharply and, sure enough, saw Li Tiansheng guiltily look away.
Li Qingyun gritted her teeth: "You did this on purpose!"
Li Tiansheng immediately felt wronged: "It's because you didn't mention it."
Li Qingyun: "How could I possibly come up with this on my own?!"
Li Tiansheng: ".
It seems that it's indeed not possible.
Realizing that the goal I'm striving for is actually my past life... well, that's still too much to ask of me.
Li Tiansheng then shifted his gaze in another direction, casting a guilty look.
Li Tiansheng: "Then I will return your memories to you."
"Hurry up," Li Qingyun urged.
Li Tiansheng then looked at him again, raised his hand, waved it in front of his eyes, found the lock that sealed Li Qingyun's memories, and then opened the door to the past.
In an instant, the spiritual energy changed, and Li Qingyun in front of him began to breathe rapidly.
About an incense stick's time later, Li Qingyun's condition calmed down, indicating that she had digested all the memories of her previous life.
Just as Li Tiansheng was about to greet him again, a cold glint suddenly appeared before his eyes, and he felt a chill in his chest as the Qitian Longsword was plunged straight into his heart.
Li Tiansheng: ".
It seems familiar.
She couldn't possibly cry to Qingyun every time.
That's a bit creepy.
Li Tiansheng shook his head frantically in his heart, praying that Li Qingyun would not pull this stunt to torment him.
Perhaps he should be thankful that Li Qingyun didn't know what he was thinking, otherwise it wouldn't have been as simple as just being stabbed.
After waiting for a while without any response, Li Tiansheng had no choice but to speak first: "You..."
The words had barely left my lips when it felt like my heart had been stabbed even deeper.
Li Tiansheng wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Why?" After a long, long time, he finally heard Li Qingyun's voice.
Li Tiansheng listened intently, trying to glean all the information from the man's low voice.
What reaches the ears is a normal volume, but also an abnormal vibrato.
At least, Li Tiansheng never expected that Li Qingyun would speak like this one day.
There were no hysterical wails, no desperate sobs, but rather a sense of sadness and helplessness, as if all their savings had been emptied and every possible method had been exhausted, yet nothing could reverse the bitter ending.
"Why won't you let Yu Bai go?" Li Qingyun said with a bitter smile.
"Isn't killing me one of them enough?"
Li Tiansheng didn't know how to answer.
Was it an accident? But he still killed the person, and it was his intention to kill him.
The only reason I can stand safely in front of my master and disciple now is because of my invincible divine body.
If he had a finite lifespan like an ordinary person, he would have been reincarnated countless times long ago.
In the end, all he could say was softly, "I'm sorry."
Li Qingyun removed the long sword that was stuck in his heart.
After taking several deep breaths, Li Qingyun forced down her pain and glared at Li Tiansheng.
After watching, he said regretfully, "Why can't it be killed!"
Li Tiansheng: ".?"
A cold face, filled with great doubt.
"What are you looking at? Even if you look, it's still me."
“.
Li Qingyun looked him up and down at his current wretched state, which made her feel much better, but her words were still sharp: "It's a pity that such a seductive face is hiding a dog who deserves to be slapped."
Despite his severe heart injury, Li Tiansheng managed a weak smile and said, "Likewise."
It's obvious he was so angry he laughed.
Li Qingyun raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Who's like you? You're clearly universally disliked."
"You're no better than me, you're not exactly a likable person either." Li Tiansheng's words were accompanied by the creaking sound of his bones grinding together.
After a verbal sparring session, they both ended up laughing at the same time.
Li Qingyun stopped arguing with him and reached out her hand.
Just as Li Tiansheng thought that Li Qingyun was trying to help him out of kindness and reached out his hand, Li Qingyun slapped it away.
Li Qingyun: "Don't make this so disgusting. I want you back."
Li Tiansheng: "...What else?"
Didn't he already give his memories to Li Qingyun?
“All of it,” Li Qingyun said. “Give me back all the past lives you’ve lived through, all the versions of me you’ve encountered each time you’ve been reborn.”
Li Tiansheng frowned: "You can't hold on."
"I said give it back to me!" Li Qingyun's tone became more serious.
Seeing this expression, Li Tiansheng knew that the man was serious and there was no way to avoid it anymore.
Li Tiansheng had no choice but to comply, but he still said with concern, "Don't push yourself, take it slow."
He tried to gradually pass those memories on to Li Qingyun.
But that was, after all, a massive amount of consciousness, and the sum of every independent life. The moment the memory was released, Li Qingyun's pupils dilated, and her body had no dominant consciousness to give orders. She knelt directly on the ground.
Despair? Collapse?
An indescribable expression appeared on Li Qingyun's face, and upon closer inspection, her eyes were still filled with tears.
His mind was filled with all the memories of the past.
That was more than ten thousand times of despair.
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