Third Life

Chongyun Mountain, Lin Clan Ancestral Land.

Council Hall.

Lin Tunan's hair was entirely white, his eyes somewhat clouded as he handled affairs.

Not long after.

A Message Talisman delivered news.

"Hmm?!"

Lin Tunan's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints. He hurriedly rode an Escape Light toward Linglong Immortal City.

Not long after.

He arrived at the Treasure Artifact Pavilion.

Wherever Lin Tunan's divine sense reached, he saw a scene straight out of hell!

The main building of Chongyun Treasure Artifact Pavilion, which had operated for a century.

Had already collapsed by more than half!

Thick smoke, carrying sparks, shot into the sky.

Dozens of enormous cracks ran across the entire street. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning and an intense smell of blood.

After carefully sweeping the area with his divine sense.

Lin Tunan barely identified several auras of people who had been crushed to pieces, including several juniors he had thought highly of.

Every last one had perished!

"Ah—!!!"

Lin Tunan's eyes turned bloodshot, and his heart was filled with agony.

He let out a shrill howl brimming with boundless rage.

Not far away.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in Linglong by the Lixiao Sect had been waiting for some time.

A cold-faced female cultivator at late-stage Foundation Establishment took out a bill.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, this is the damage your clan's cultivators caused to our city due to the weapons-refining explosion."

"A total of one hundred and seventeen thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Lin Tunan: "..."

Elsewhere.

Chen Sheng's consciousness had already completely fallen into chaos.

At the cost of being blown to pieces, he had taken a Lin Clan Pillar and seven or eight of the Lin Clan's future prospects down with him.

He had thoroughly vented his rage.

He would continue settling the score in his next life!

At this moment.

Within the chaos.

An ancient tome quietly appeared.

—Myriad Lives Tome.

The tome glimmered with faint spiritual light, displaying line after line of text.

Myriad Lives Tome: Second Life

Host: Chen Sheng (Tang Yun)

Lifespan: 110 years

Spiritual Root: Low-grade Fire Spiritual Root

Talent: Low-grade Spiritual Root

Cultivation: Qi Condensation Perfection, late-stage First-Rank Body Refining

Identity: Founder of the Qianji Tang Clan

Cultivation Art: Lihuo Art

Skills: First-Rank high-grade Alchemy Skill, basic Formations

Dao Arts: Crimson Flood Dragon Burning River Seal (Third Layer · Mastery), Fire Snake Curse (Peak Mastery), Molten Gold Finger (Peak Mastery)...

Achievements: First-Rank cultivator, First-Rank secondary profession, Hundred Sons and Thousand Grandsons

Within the tome.

Scene after scene continuously appeared.

From being a Spirit Farmer in the Market Town, learning at the Pill Workshop, marrying and having children, taking over the Pill Workshop... until they finally froze on the blazing, dazzling white light within the Treasure Artifact Pavilion.

The page quietly turned.

A brand-new blank page emerged.

Immediately after.

Several lines of text lit up.

The Second Life has ended.

This life has gained two new achievements. You may obtain two talents!

The words immediately vanished.

Countless dazzling streams of light appeared before him.

Under Chen Sheng's expectant gaze.

At last.

Two brand-new azure-blue lights entered the tome.

Talent obtained—Dragon's Vigor Tiger's Might.

Talent obtained—Alchemy Prodigy.

At the same time.

Descriptions of both talents emerged in Chen Sheng's mind.

There was no need to say anything about the latter.

It directly enhanced Chen Sheng's talent for alchemy.

As for the former.

It had many wonderful uses as well.

Not only was it a talent on the Body Refining side, it was also a talent for continuing one's bloodline and nurturing Descendants.

Chen Sheng quickly understood.

"Not only does it help one have more children, it also helps one have better children!"

"No wonder it's called 'the tiger's might' and 'the dragon's essence.' It guarantees both quantity and quality."

White Dragon River.

The river surged onward without end.

A Water Town by the riverbank.

Several crude thatched huts stood close against the shore.

An old, narrow fishing boat was tied beside the huts.

Under the eaves.

An old fisherman with gray hair and beard.

Old Man Bai hunched over, using his nimble fingers to mend a fishing net.

Beside him stood his well-behaved and sensible grandson.

Bai Li, around six or seven years old, was helping Old Man Bai pull the net.

Suddenly, Bai Li urgently pointed toward the middle of the river and cried out.

"Grandpa, look!"

"Is that a person in the middle of the river?!"

Old Man Bai abruptly looked up and followed where his grandson pointed.

In the muddy current, a small figure helplessly bobbed amid the waves, sometimes swallowed by the water and sometimes pushed back to the surface.

"Someone fell into the water!"

Old Man Bai saw it clearly. Throwing aside the fishing net and shuttle needle in his hands, he rushed to the shore in a few strides and plunged headfirst into the icy river.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere.

Old Man Bai's figure was like a green fish entering the water, swiftly swimming toward the middle of the river.

Finally.

He drew near the figure.

He grabbed hold of it!

It was actually a Child dressed in a luxurious brocade jacket.

The Child's face was pale as paper, his lips blue, his eyes tightly shut, and his limbs dangling limply.

Old Man Bai's heart skipped a beat.

Dragging the Child along, he swam back to shore.

"Li'er, quickly!"

"Go back and light the fire! Prepare plenty of hot water!"

As soon as Old Man Bai approached the shallows, he shouted hoarsely.

Upon hearing this.

Bai Li immediately ran toward the thatched huts.

By the riverbank.

Old Man Bai carried the Child onto a dry patch of gravel.

He immediately laid the Child flat and checked his breathing.

"He's still breathing! His chest is still warm!"

An incredulous light burst from Old Man Bai's eyes.

He had no time to think.

He immediately struck the Child's back hard.

And pressed down on his chest.

Trying to force out the foul water he had swallowed.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."

Finally.

Several weak coughs came along with a gush of dirty water.

The Child's small chest began to rise and fall with a somewhat steady rhythm.

Old Man Bai let out a long breath.

"Heaven bless us..."

At this moment.

Bai Li also brought over a brazier.

The warmth of the charcoal fire drove away the cold.

Who knew how much time passed.

Chen Sheng woke up groggily.

A little dark face filled his entire field of vision.

It was a Child wearing a coarse cloth jacket with a loosely tied topknot.

He was squatting beside him.

His pitch-black eyes stared at him without blinking, filled with curiosity.

Bai Li spoke in delight.

"You're awake!"

My head is killing me.

Chen Sheng hurriedly rubbed his temples.

The memories of this life gradually resurfaced.

Chen Yu, five years old, the son of a Great Jing official.

His father, Chen Manlou, was the Jiangnan Salt Supervisor.

He had embezzled too much while in office, and the sunken silver had filled an entire ship.

On the way back to the capital to report on his duties, they encountered river bandits.

Negotiations failed.

The bandits directly shot him dead with arrows.

Chen Yu had grown up in Jiangnan. He was quite clever and highly skilled in the water.

He jumped from a corner of the ship and escaped into the water.

The current was swift and carried him out of the encirclement, sparing him from dying at the bandits' hands.

But the rushing water also exhausted his strength.

He gradually choked on water and lost consciousness.

In the end, he drifted along the river.

Bai Li spoke with a grin:

"My grandfather pulled you out of the river."

"He said you were really lucky. Your hands and feet were all swollen from soaking; you must've drifted for a long time."

"Your chest was still warm, and you were still breathing. The Dragon King wouldn't take you."

Chen Sheng lowered his head.

He felt the ceaseless warmth in his chest, like a little stove—steady and vigorous.

It spread continuously through all four limbs and every bone in his body.

This feeling... that's it!

Dragon's Vigor Tiger's Might

Chen Sheng immediately understood.

His new talent had saved his life.

Otherwise, he would have died long ago.

And the Child's grandfather.

He had truly saved Chen Sheng's life as well.

Chen Sheng might have had a talent, but he was not an actual dragon.

If he had drifted for another two days.

Even if he had not frozen to death from hypothermia, he would have starved to death.

Chen Sheng clasped his fists.

"Thank you for saving my life. I am Chen Sheng. I will surely repay this favor one day."

Bai Li hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, no. My grandfather didn't save you for repayment."

"My surname is Bai. My name is Bai Li."

"Oh, right. You must be hungry. Have some porridge."

Chen Sheng accepted the bowl and drank in small sips.

"Thank you."

Before long.

Old Man Bai entered carrying two lively crucian carp that were still flapping about.

Chen Sheng introduced himself.

After offering his thanks and speaking again of repayment.

Old Man Bai nodded and told his grandson to go make fish soup before lowering his voice.

"Young master, you come from no ordinary background. This old man is merely a commoner and dares not speak of favors."

"It's only..."

He cast a loving glance at his busy grandson, lowering his voice even further.

"Li'er lost his father and mother early. These old bones of mine... I do not know how many more years I can protect him. If you truly wish to repay me, then repay it through Li'er."

His words were plain.

Yet they contained Old Man Bai's profound love for his grandson.

Chen Sheng nodded solemnly.

"I understand."

In the blink of an eye.

Two months passed in a flash.

Under the powerful effects of Dragon's Vigor Tiger's Might.

Chen Sheng recovered at an astonishing speed.

Not only had the weakness caused by falling into the water completely vanished.

He had undergone a complete transformation.

Now.

Chen Sheng had grown a head taller. Looking like an eleven- or twelve-year-old youth, he went alone to a secluded spot by the river.

He tried swinging his arm.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

His fists tore through the air, faintly carrying the sound of wind.

Chen Sheng estimated silently.

This young body actually contained an immense force of three to four hundred catties!

Moreover.

That warmth was still continuously nourishing his muscles, bones, and organs. His strength grew every day!

"Perhaps it can rise to the strength of nine oxen and two tigers."

Chen Sheng thought to himself.

At that moment.

In the shallow water by the river.

Bai Li plunged beneath the surface.

Water splashed in every direction.

Undercurrents churned beneath the river's surface as his small figure darted through gaps in the rocks and aquatic grass.

Fifty breaths... fifty-five breaths...

Bai Li suddenly burst from the water, gasping for air. Yet his eyes shone brilliantly as he excitedly called to Chen Sheng on the shore.

"Brother Sheng!"

"This breathing method you taught me is incredible!"

"I can hold my breath longer than the pelicans that catch fish in the river now!"

Chen Sheng only smiled softly at that.

This breathing method.

Was an Internal Cultivation technique he had taught Bai Li.

"Xuanyuan Ocean Overturning Art"

It was most suited for cultivation while swimming. It could improve one's ability in water and physical strength while consolidating one's foundation. It was already a top-tier cultivation method in the secular martial world, leading directly to the Innate Realm.

Bai Li had good natural aptitude. If he persevered in cultivation, he had a great chance of reaching the martial Innate Realm.

Chen Sheng smiled faintly and cautioned him again.

"You alone may know this method, along with me. You must never reveal it before outsiders."

"Otherwise, it may bring about your death."

He deliberately slowed his speech for those final four words, only so Bai Li would understand their gravity.

The Jianghu was treacherous. A youth had to understand early that possessing a treasure could invite disaster.

Bai Li nodded forcefully and patted his small chest in promise.

"Don't worry, Brother Sheng. I'll remember. Even if it rots in my belly, I won't say a word!"

Another two months passed.

Chen Sheng's strength grew more and more noticeably, and he grew taller again. It was as though a dormant young beast lived inside his body, his arms possessing the strength of a thousand catties.

He gradually gained the ability to protect himself.

Chen Sheng also began to consider leaving.

During this time.

Chen Sheng had observed Bai Li's talent and character.

He had also taught him an ancient, grand palm technique that balanced offense and defense.

"Five Peaks Mountain Suppressing Palm"

The moves of this palm technique were fierce yet steady, its intent profound. Together with the water-aspected inner force of the Xuanyuan Ocean Overturning Art he had taught, it could form the force of "Mountain and Marsh Connect Qi."

Its applications were limitless.

The river breeze blew gently, and the setting sun was red as blood.

Watching Bai Li diligently practice the palm technique beneath the lingering light of the sunset, Chen Sheng gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Practice well, and take care of your grandfather."

"If fate allows, we'll meet again in the Jianghu someday."