Past and Present Life

Zhao Qin was stunned to find that his soul force couldn't even get close to Lang Lei.

He was a Soul Emperor!

And the six-year-old child before him, though gifted, shouldn't possess the power to simply ignore him!

At least not now.

But the soul force he'd used to restrain the boy hadn't even touched him—it had simply dissolved, leaving Zhao Qin utterly baffled. In the end, he could only chalk it up to some life-saving trinket given by an elder, and he steeled himself once more.

"Lang Lei, don't be reckless. The Crown Prince has his eye on you—your future is boundless. Don't throw it all away on a moment's impulse!"

Even as he acted, Zhao Qin's mouth kept working, trying to talk Lang Lei down. But as it turned out, his words had some effect—just not much. In fact, they backfired.

"Heh, I hate that kind of talk." A sneer crossed Lang Lei's face, far too mature for his age. "Big shots always do as they please, treating rules like nothing. And people like us, even when we want revenge, we have to think about the consequences..."

He paused briefly, as if weighing his next words. After a moment, he continued, "After that, I figured out one truth. Curious what it is?"

Lang Lei smiled warmly at Fleke, but in Fleke's eyes, that smile was like a demon's—bone-chilling. Despite the terror gripping him, Fleke forced his mouth open and stammered, "I... I don't know..."

"Then let me tell you." Lang Lei's voice dropped, low and grave. "When you're dealing with arrogant, self-righteous types, your fists are the only thing that'll make them listen!"

Lang Lei slowly turned, his gaze sweeping the room, a wave of bitterness rising in his heart.

All those who once could have stopped him were gone now. Mikhail, Azalina—they always stepped in at the critical moment, urging him and Tiernan to calm down and avoid escalation. But right now, neither of them was here.

Under the influence of [Past and Present Life], memories surged like a tide, clearer than ever before. Those endless recollections crashed against the dikes of his heart like boundless waves, overwhelming and unstoppable.

Regret began to consume Lang Lei's heart. He cursed himself for not tearing Xue Beng and Xue Xing—those arrogant bastards—apart on the spot. He could have used [Past and Present Life] without mercy, shredding anyone who dared provoke him further!

The thought of revenge spiraled in his mind, refusing to fade. His eyes slowly turned gold, and purple veins crept up from his neck, radiating an ominous aura.

"In your next life, keep your eyes open and pick a better master." Lang Lei's voice was cold and low, like a demon from the abyss.

With that, the greatsword formed from Breath of Destruction cleaved Fleke in two. A scream rang through the entire classroom.

Zhao Qin's breathing grew ragged, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He feared that this monster before him might, in a careless moment, tear him apart too.

"Alright, calm down~?" Just as Lang Lei's emotions were about to spiral out of control, a playful, sweet voice suddenly rang in his mind. It was like a gentle breeze, brushing away the heat and unease in his heart.

Then, a faint silhouette only Lang Lei could see slowly coalesced before him. It was a beautiful girl, her figure soft as moonlight, radiating a reassuring presence.

"Aili... why did you come out? I didn't..." Lang Lei stared in surprise at Aili. He remembered sealing her away to keep her from seeing things he didn't want her to.

"Sealed me away, right?" Aili smiled playfully, unbothered by his actions. "What a headache. Lang Lei still treats me like a little kid, locking me up whenever something happens. And here I am, the older sister~?"

Lang Lei scratched his head awkwardly. He had always seen Aili as a younger sister to protect, but in truth and age, she seemed far more mature than he gave her credit for.

"Sorry..." he murmured, unsure what else to say, but an apology couldn't hurt.

Aili shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. Don't let the power control you. The power of the [End]—Lang Lei can't just use it recklessly yet~?" She reached out and gently tapped his forehead.

In an instant, the oppressive force around Lang Lei receded like a tide. It came and went so quickly, as if it had never existed. At the same time, the memories flooding his mind grew clearer, revealing their true form.

They were beautiful memories, yet recalling them only brought endless sorrow. Why was that? Lang Lei sank into thought, but he had no time to dwell on it now.

The once orderly classroom had turned into a boiling pot of chaos. Students' screams mixed with the clatter of desks and chairs, creating a cacophony of noise. Zhao Qin, who should have been restoring order, sat slumped on the floor like a lost soul, his eyes hollow, all authority gone.

Lang Lei watched the chaos, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. But deep inside, he sighed. He knew he'd gone a bit overboard with this show of force.

Truth be told, Lang Lei's original plan was just to teach Fleke a small lesson—cut off the fingers he'd pointed at him, slice the tongue he'd used to insult him. After all, Lang Lei wasn't a cruel demon; he didn't want to blow things out of proportion.

But in his impulse, he'd used a powerful skill like [Past and Present Life]. Though devastating, it came with unintended consequences. The [Power of the End], stolen from the Cocoon of the End and sealed within him, had burst forth like a breached dam.

Lang Lei could feel that immense power rampaging inside him, making his body hard to control. This was clearly a sign of being mastered by the power—and it wasn't the first time.

He silently warned himself: next time, he had to be more careful, not so reckless. After all, power, no matter how great, becomes a burden if you can't control it.