Target: Liu Xin!

You were pressed to death by a single finger from the Peak Master of Heaven Mending.

Current remaining pages of the Hundred Lives Book: 95

Restart a life. You may choose one of the following gains from your previous life:

One: Treasure.

Two: Cultivation.

Three: Lifespan.

Four: Abandon all gains and randomly awaken a talent based on your previous life's experiences.

"Those whose names are called, step forward."

Liu Xin's voice came from the stage, yet Lu Yang remained dazed for a long while, his mind seemingly still lingering on that anger-fueled sword strike from his previous life.

"A mayfly shaking a great tree—perhaps that wasn't wrong."

Lu Yang let out a deep breath. Though he had witnessed firsthand the gap between himself and a Foundation Establishment True Person, he was not discouraged. Instead, his fighting spirit burned even fiercer.

With the Hundred Lives Book in hand, whatever could not knock him down would only make him stronger.

At worst, he would simply start over from the beginning.

With that thought, Lu Yang looked again at the Hundred Lives Book's interface. In his previous life, he had devoted himself single-mindedly to cultivation, leaving him with nothing but Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivation.

Yet he could not choose cultivation.

As long as the hidden danger within the "Nine Transformations Dragon Art" remained, he could not cultivate this method. Otherwise, it would be no different from carrying a ticking time bomb on his back.

"I choose talent."

Calculating your previous life's experiences.

After your death, the tale of how you drew your sword against a Foundation Establishment cultivator spread far and wide. Countless people mocked you for overestimating yourself, never realizing that your efforts had not been entirely fruitless.

Although you still failed to harm the Foundation Establishment True Person in the slightest, at the instant before you were pressed to death, you miraculously broke through a bottleneck in swordsmanship. The Peak Master of Heaven Mending had to exert one extra degree of strength to kill you, afterward remarking that though you were merely an ant, you were still A Bit Capable.

You awakened the purple talent: A Bit Capable.

A Bit Capable: No matter how terrifying the attack you face, so long as it falls within the limits of your ability, you can handle it with effortless flair for two moves.

"What kind of talent is this?"

Lu Yang frowned. At first glance, it seemed like an absolute-defense divine skill, but the phrase "within the limits of your ability" in its description greatly diminished it.

Still, he soon stopped dwelling on it. He had chosen talent merely to avoid the hidden danger of cultivating the "Nine Transformations Dragon Art" in his previous life. Naturally, it would be best if the talent was strong, but if it was weak, that was fine too. Compared to that, Lu Yang was more concerned with whether there was a way to evade the Peak Master of Heaven Mending's calculations.

"If all else fails, I can only give up the 'Nine Transformations Dragon Art.'"

"Lu Yang."

"...Here!"

Liu Xin's voice from the stage brought Lu Yang back to himself. He hurried onto the platform, and just as in his previous lives, Liu Xin assigned him to Joyous Union Hall.

The next moment, Lu Yang suddenly froze.

"Wait. I remember that Liu Xin seemed to have refined a formidable figure into my Ten Thousand Spirit Banner—very likely a True Disciple of the Sacred Sect."

Something was wrong.

He had merely cultivated one cultivation method, yet the Peak Master of Heaven Mending had calculated his Karma, followed the vine to its root, and come knocking. But Liu Xin had killed a True Disciple!

How could he still be alive?

At that thought, Essence Light burst from Lu Yang's eyes as he stared fixedly at Liu Xin on the stage.

"That's it. The only explanation is that he possesses some rare treasure capable of concealing Karma, preventing even a Foundation Establishment True Person from calculating any information about him!"

In an instant, Lu Yang's thoughts came alive.

Immediately afterward, he changed his strategy and reenacted his actions from his first life, directly Transcending Death over Yu Suzhen in public and successfully drawing Liu Xin's attention.

He obtained half of the Primordial Dao Scripture from Liu Xin.

He entered seclusion to cultivate.

Just as he expected, on a dark and windy night, Liu Xin—fully prepared and humming a little tune—arrived outside his cave dwelling.

"Junior Brother Lu, are you there?"

Lu Yang said nothing.

Liu Xin was not surprised. Instead, a cold smile appeared on his face. He patiently opened his Storage Pouch and took out array flags one after another, arranging them around the area.

These were arrays for soundproofing and creating illusions. They ensured that no matter what happened inside, no trace of it would be noticed outside. Liu Xin had done such things many times before. To this day, no one had ever linked them to him. Even if someone used Karma calculations—

At that thought, Liu Xin touched the pouch in his robes and smiled with confidence.

Even if someone used Karma calculations, it would be useless!

Soon, once the arrays had been set up, Liu Xin stopped concealing himself. He erupted with true qi, cleaved open Lu Yang's cave dwelling with a single sword strike, and then strolled inside.

"Junior Brother Lu, stop hiding. Your senior brother needs someone as talented as you—!?"

Liu Xin's voice abruptly cut off.

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged upon a meditation cushion, watching him with a half-smile. He looked nothing like someone who had cultivated half the Primordial Dao Scripture!

"...Something's wrong!"

In an instant, Liu Xin's pupils contracted sharply, and a banner had already appeared in his hand.

But it was too late.

The next second, as a flash of red light appeared, Liu Xin felt more than half of the true qi, blood, and flesh throughout his body instantly sucked dry. Staggering, he actually collapsed to the ground!

Blood-Washing Heavenly River Sword Formation Map!

Lu Yang had long since arranged the formation map at the entrance to the cave dwelling. Liu Xin's forced entry was no different from walking into a trap of his own accord, so Lu Yang naturally captured him with ease.

"Senior Brother, I've been waiting for you."

Looking at Liu Xin sprawled on the ground, Lu Yang recalled how he had been toyed with to the brink of death by this man in his first life. He immediately gave a cold laugh. In the end, you still fell into my hands!

If our roles were reversed, I would let you know what cruelty truly meant!

"Who exactly are you!?"

Liu Xin lay limp on the ground, unable to muster even a shred of strength, yet he could not comprehend the situation at all. He had been plotted against? By a new disciple who had only just entered the sect?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

"You're a spy from a righteous sect? Wait, don't kill me! I can be useful to you. I possess a superior Dao Book that can help you achieve Foundation Establishment True Person status!"

At the critical moment, Liu Xin could no longer care about anything else and directly revealed his greatest secret.

"Besides that, I have a magical treasure containing a Sacred Sect True Disciple. He knows many secrets of the Sacred Sect—no, the Primordial Saint Demon Sect."

"So long as you spare me, all of it will be yours—"

Before Liu Xin could finish, Lu Yang directly activated the Blood-Transforming Divine Light and sucked him dry until nothing remained but a sheet of human skin. "Foolish. Kill you, and it will still all be mine!"

"Even you are mine!"

Immediately afterward, Lu Yang beckoned with his hand and seized the Primordial Breath Ten Thousand Spirit Banner. He then shook the banner and swept it over Liu Xin's corpse.

He had read the Primordial Dao Scripture in the life before last, so he naturally knew how to activate this treasure.

As Liu Xin's corpse fell into the banner, it immediately steamed and transformed into breath. It was refined upon the banner for a long while before Lu Yang shook its surface, causing Liu Xin to manifest once more.

However, the Liu Xin who manifested again had already become a Banner Spirit within the Ten Thousand Spirit Banner. Lu Yang had deliberately preserved his memories, so when Liu Xin awakened, he immediately stared at Lu Yang in disbelief. "Junior Brother Lu, impossible! How could you know how to activate the Ten Thousand Spirit Banner?"

"What did you call me?"

Lu Yang sneered. "Do you need me to teach you what attitude a Banner Spirit should have toward its banner master? Or do you want your soul to scatter and your spirit to dissipate?"

"My lord, spare me! Liu Xin pays respects to my lord!"

Liu Xin's legs instantly gave way, and he dropped to his knees. Though he retained every memory from before his death, he could not summon even the slightest hatred toward Lu Yang, the man who had personally killed him.

Within every thought, there was only absolute Loyalty! Devotion!

This was the tyrannical nature of the Ten Thousand Spirit Banner. At first glance, its Banner Spirits appeared no different from living people, but in truth, their wills had long been taken away, making true autonomy impossible.