Peaceful City

After passing through several more illusions, memories of his past and present lives washed over his mind again and again like tidal waves.

At times, he stood in the office building of his previous life, facing endless overtime and reprimands.

At times, he found himself once more on the Three Origins Sect's Martial Arts Training Ground, facing challenges and doubts from his fellow disciples.

At times, he even returned to the small courtyard in Willow City, where he saw his father and eldest sister busy beneath the setting sun.

Every illusion was so real that it was impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood, yet each time, he managed to awaken at the crucial moment, severing and letting go of every obsession and stray thought.

Who knew how much time had passed before Li Xiao finally arrived at an open stretch of level ground amid the mountains.

Lush vegetation surrounded him, streams babbled nearby, and the spiritual qi was abundant and gentle.

He stopped moving forward and sat cross-legged atop a bluish stone, closing his eyes as he quietly sorted through himself.

Along this journey, he had learned a vast and varied array of arts—the Three Absolutes Returning Origin Qi, Iron Wire Fist, Flying Cloud Leg, Azure Wave Palm, Life-Slaying Amitabha Sword Scripture, Four Symbols Sun-Shooting Arrow Method, Mystic Glazed Body Scripture, Alchemy Technique, Exotic Insects...

Each had its own unique strengths, and each had consumed a great deal of his time and effort to hone.

Yet these cultivation methods were like chess pieces scattered across a board. Every piece carried weight, but there was no thread running through them all to string them together.

When it came to martial arts, he had always cultivated whatever he obtained, yet he had never truly stopped to ponder the meaning of martial arts