Fetal Self-Destruction, a Master Who Had Attained the Dao

[Prologue · Fetal Self-Destruction] (The chapter comments were lost due to edits; please forgive us.)

Wuli Town, Lihe Village.

Su Li struggled to open his eyes, but all he saw was a murky, yellowish blur rippling before him.

Not far away was a bright-red mass of flesh, with blood vessels winding across it like earthworms.

Su Li tried to move his body, only to find that it seemed to exist and not exist at the same time, as though his consciousness and physical form had already drifted halfway apart. He felt both substantial and insubstantial, and it was deeply uncomfortable.

Worse still, indistinct voices kept reaching his ears. They sounded real, yet also distant, as if coming through a dream.

Su Li quieted his mind and listened carefully to the muddled voices.

They spoke a very strange language. Stranger still, he could not only understand it, but could also recognize the written characters corresponding to those words.

Su Li stopped listening and turned his attention to his own condition.

"Am I... being treated in the ICU?"

"Or is this... the gates of hell or heaven appearing before me because I'm about to die?"

"But even if I do die, no one will care whether I live or die, will they?"

"Could there be anyone who'd shed a single tear for me?"

A wave of sorrow welled up in Su Li's heart.

He was over fifty, yet had accomplished nothing.

His childhood sweetheart had turned against him.

He had thought the words "Forget me" would be the greatest pain of his life, but he had never imagined they were only the beginning.

Su Li closed his eyes.

Whether he was being treated or not, he had given up. He no longer wanted to live.

His life could have been brilliant and dazzling, but he had paid too great a price for his family and friends.

In the end, he had faded into the crowd, been abandoned by everyone, and found himself without a home.

Perhaps, after he died, no one would visit his grave.

And the lonely grave on that barren mountain would have only an ordinary tombstone, perhaps engraved with the words "Tomb of Su Li."

His entire life would be reduced to one simple, pale line of text.

It was even possible that not even that single line would remain.

As he looked back on his life, everything passed before his eyes as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.

His memories were like slides etched into the depths of his soul, each scene appearing with extraordinary clarity.

But after only a moment, Su Li felt dizzy and utterly exhausted.

At the same time, needlelike pains sprang up around his heart. Then came a sudden pang of alarm, followed by a stifling nausea that made him want to throw up.

By now, Su Li had realized that something was wrong.

This wasn't an intensive care unit. It didn't even seem to be the world he knew.

"Husband, Li'er seemed to have awakened just now. There was a fluctuation in his soul aura. I sensed him, and his current condition is very poor."

A voice as sweet as an oriole's rang out dreamily.

As it sounded, the wrinkled, blood-red mass of flesh before Su Li's eyes trembled a few times.

Even the most foolish person would have understood by now: he was still in the womb, an unborn baby!

The sensation was extremely strange.

He didn't need to breathe, and his body and soul seemed to drift toward and away from each other. The feeling was so insubstantial that he could barely sense his own existence, yet it also gave him an experience unlike anything he'd ever known.

The disorder and oppression around his heart were uncomfortable, but as someone who had once lived past the age of fifty, he had a high tolerance for pain.

Su Li stayed still and tried to listen carefully.

"His soul aura has already begun to gather? Let me take a look."

A warm, magnetic voice rang out.

Then a wave of energy, like a blazing sun, suddenly seeped in and enveloped Su Li's body.

At that moment, Su Li felt as if he'd been stripped naked and thrown beneath the scorching sun. He immediately sensed the outline of his body.

What was more, he strangely discovered that on the other side of his body was another lump of flesh, much like his own, clinging to him.

"Twins?"

A peculiar thought surfaced in Su Li's mind.

The magnetic male voice rang out again.

"This child is innately deficient, and there's something wrong with his body. And... Qing Ya, your injuries are already this severe. This time, we've also suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Secrets Soul Reversal Technique—"

The man hadn't finished speaking before the woman cut him off.

"Husband, say no more. No matter what, I'm going to give birth to both children!

"You must understand: whether we use his heavenly soul to save Ye'er and replenish Ye'er's soul power, or let them live their own lives, it's worth it.

"Ye'er's heavenly soul is incomplete. It must be repaired with something of the same origin.

"Li'er hasn't been born yet, but his five-element soul power is already compatible.

"Even if his life is miserable, he can serve as a soul slave and replenish Ye'er's soul power.

"But we'll give him hardships to temper him and help him grow.

"I believe the brothers are close. He won't be unwilling."

The woman's voice was firm.

The man fell silent for a long while before letting out a long sigh. "But A'Li's body can't withstand it. You should understand: if A'Li and Hehe are both born, Hehe's soul will be incomplete too.

"Then both children may end up as useless wastes.

"Once their foundations are damaged, everything else is empty talk.

"We won't save Ye'er, and Hehe and Li'er will have lives of nothing but misery."

Mu Qingya said, "There's a fifty-percent chance of success. For us Heavenly Secrets Masters, that's already excellent odds."

The man said, "Precisely because we're Heavenly Secrets Masters—Transcendent Heavenly Secrets Masters—even those odds are no better than having none. Are you willing to gamble with the lives of all three children?

"You should know that if we harden our hearts now and refine A'Li to death before his soul has fully coalesced, before he has a sense of self, we can take the soul power he has just begun to develop and nourish Ye'er with it. That would give Ye'er a much better chance of being saved!

"And if we give the rest of the Bloodline Power to Hehe, she could become a Proud Daughter of Heaven on the level of a Heavenly Secrets Goddess!

"That way, we'd only have to sacrifice A'Li!"

At that, the woman fell silent for a long while before letting out a long sigh. "I, Mu Qingya, will never abandon any of my children! Even if they become soul slaves or medicine slaves, they'll still be alive! As long as they live, there's hope they can rise!"

The man's voice trembled. "You've decided?"

The woman replied coldly, "It's only a possibility. If things get worse, I'll consider your proposal! But I still have a Heavenly Dao Fragment. I'll plant it in the Soul Suppressing Stele and nurture a glimmer of hope! If even that doesn't work..."

The man's voice grew much more solemn. "The Heavenly Dao Fragment is very different from the Soul Suppressing Stele. Its fate is unpredictable—and worse, if it contains a trap and we walk into it, we'll be doomed beyond redemption!"

As he spoke, the hand he had placed on the woman's lower abdomen couldn't help but press harder.

His strength seeped through, and a vicious killing intent gathered. But after lingering for a moment, it quickly dispersed.

His hand trembled. Then he turned around.

Tears fell through the air.

Night had fallen deep.

Night had fallen deep in this world.

What should have been gained remained out of reach.

What should have been lost had long since been lost.

Su Li struggled to pull over a section of the umbilical cord and loop it three times around his own neck. Then, with great effort, he sank his not-yet-fully-formed body downward.

What joy was there in life? What pain was there in death?

Death was death.

Nothing came with you at birth, and nothing went with you in death.

This was a strange world, and there was nothing here to make him feel reluctant to leave.

He could save his twin sister, Su He, and his genius older brother, Su Ye. And Su Xinghe and Mu Qingya wouldn't have to bear the burden of Inner Demons. What could be better?

Besides, his life was worthless anyway.

Su Li wasn't a child.

He was an adult.

Adults often had no qualms about suspecting the worst of human nature.

So why could he suddenly understand his parents' words?

For people with the abilities of Heavenly Secrets Masters, it was surely something like an "enlightening" method.

Opening the secrets of heaven and granting all things spiritual awareness.

So why could a baby who had only just gained consciousness suddenly understand some things?

Heaven and earth were impartial, treating all things like straw dogs.

And whether parents who could come up with "having an identical child and using that child's soul to save their other, more gifted child" were good parents or wicked people was hard to say.

Su Li was tired.

In his previous life, everyone had thought he was a good man, an honest man.

He had been extraordinarily talented, kind and benevolent, righteous and loyal. He had spent his life loving others, giving so much love that his heart had grown weary.

For that, he had been worn down to death. He'd spent his life alone, and in the end, he hadn't even met a good end.

Did good deeds bring good rewards?

Su Li didn't know, but to him, it was undoubtedly the most ridiculous joke in the world.

And now, even if that couple had spoken those words on purpose for him to hear, he had still decided to go through with it and help them.

Helping them would also bring his own life to its end.

A life like this wasn't worth living.

But even if he was gentle as water, even if water nourished all things without contending with them—

Su Li wouldn't simply leave like this.

So Su Li forced himself to meditate, gathering all the spiritual energy innate within him—or perhaps the power of the soul, or the Heavenly Secrets that were unique to this world.

It was like opening a dream and creating a particularly strange virtual space.

In that hazy environment, Su Li drew the consciousness of his mother, Mu Qingya, into the space. It seemed to be an ability that came from the bond between mother and child.

This was the only ability he could use as he lay dying.

"Mother, your child is useless. I don't want to put you in a difficult position, so let this useful body of mine become the source of Brother Su Ye's heavenly soul and the source of Sister Su He's gifted bloodline. Your child is leaving."

After softly saying these words, Su Li tried to strangle himself with the umbilical cord, but he couldn't carry out the act. So he gathered the last wisp of soul power he could still use, condensed it into a solid form, and turned it into a sword.

"Whoosh—"

The sword became a blazing killing intent and shot straight toward his own brow.

Blood stained the embryo red.

In Su Li's frozen eyes, the world turned blood-red as well.

"Rumble—"

Suddenly, thunder boomed in the sky.

Then a mysterious voice drifted down from the distance.

"At that moment, thunder suddenly cracked across the clear sky, startling him awake like a midnight ghost."

The voice seemed to ring right beside his ear, as if some unknown presence were reading aloud from a script.

[ Ding—Your system has arrived.]

[Loading interrupted... System warning... Life simulation... Failed... Erasure... Chaotic intrusion... Beware of mental traps—]

[Chapter 001 · A Master Who Had Attained the Dao]

Outside Lihe Village, Wuli Town, Luoxia Barren Mountains.

Two flying swords wrapped in green, misty rainbow light descended from the sky.

The light faded, revealing two women in purple gauze dresses at the foot of the mountain. They raised their heads and looked up at the barren slopes.

A dilapidated ancient temple stood on the mountain.

On the vast, desolate mountainside, the temple looked tiny, as though a gust of wind could blow it apart.

"According to the information, this place is where Lihe Village holds its sacrifices. It's where some elderly, ignorant villagers pray for the heavens' protection.

"Looking at how dilapidated this place is, it doesn't seem like a place where anyone who's attained the Dao would live.

"Could there really be a Heavenly Secrets Master here with such astonishing abilities?"

A purple-robed girl with an ethereal air furrowed her delicate brows and glanced doubtfully at the girl beside her.

The other girl smiled at her words. Her bright eyes immediately lit up. "Don't worry. This Master really does have the skills. Just wait, Sister Li. You'll see for yourself."

The girl was Mu Yuxi, a True Disciple of Wanli Holy Land.

The stunning young woman beside her was the number-one Saintess of Wanli Holy Land, Fairy Li.

Fairy Li's real name was Hua Ziyan, but no one knew her identity or background. Outsiders only knew her as Fairy Li, and assumed the character "Li" was part of her name.

Though Hua Ziyan and Mu Yuxi had different statuses, they were as close as sisters.

When Mu Yuxi learned that Fairy Li had been searching for cultivators capable of divining the secrets of heaven, she immediately introduced her to a true wonder of a man.

Over the years, Hua Ziyan had completely lost hope in cultivators who claimed to be able to divine the secrets of heaven. After all, she had seen far too many charlatans who deceived the world, and no longer had any expectations.

But this time, she couldn't withstand Mu Yuxi's persistent coaxing, so she reluctantly left seclusion to meet the man.

She hadn't expected that, at the sight of the surroundings, she would immediately lose seventy percent of her hope.

A true master who had attained the Dao might return to simplicity, but his bearing and Dao charm would still be there, even if only imperceptibly.

But this place...

Not only was it bleak and desolate, but gusts of sinister wind periodically swept up clouds of miasma.

Was this really where a master who had attained the Dao lived? It looked more like a place where ghosts and demons ran rampant.

With these doubts in mind, Hua Ziyan and Mu Yuxi had already reached the ruined temple atop the mountain.

Upon entering the Ruined Temple, Hua Ziyan immediately saw a jumble of statues depicting all manner of demons and monsters from folk legends. These were the objects of the villagers' haphazard worship—superstitious nonsense that, in her eyes, was utterly laughable.

Looking into the rooms farther inside the temple, she saw a few statues of genuine "great figures." But they were battered and indistinct, and there were no signs of offerings beneath them. The whole place looked utterly insincere.

They hadn't even bothered to keep up appearances!

Hua Ziyan was naturally fastidious and something of a perfectionist. She had already decided that the place's master was incompetent.

One could tell a person's character just by looking at their way of life.

What was more, those who practiced Heavenly Secrets Divine Calculation were often able to rise above the myriad distractions of the mortal world, to be as gentle as water and free of worldly attachments.

But this place...

Hua Ziyan couldn't see the slightest trace of the Dao, nor sense even a hint of the mysteries of Heavenly Secrets.

"Looks like another charlatan, trading on the title of Heavenly Secrets Master to swindle people. The Observer of Trends who won little sister Yu Xi's trust must be a smooth-tongued braggart."

Hua Ziyan had reached her verdict once more, and her disappointment only deepened.

Hua Ziyan shifted her gaze. Before long, she spotted a young man in white scholar's robes, sitting cross-legged on a wooden bed on the other side of the statues.

He looked about seventeen or eighteen, handsome as carved jade, with an extraordinary bearing.

Just judging by his looks, he was undeniably a first-rate beauty.

At the sight, Hua Ziyan's heart stirred. Lowering her voice, she teased, "Yu Xi, don't tell me you brought me here to see the young man you've set your heart on?"

At her words, a shy blush immediately spread across Mu Yuxi's lovely face. A trace of fluster also appeared in her beautiful eyes. "Sister Li, don't say things like that. Master Su's ability to divine Heavenly Secrets is incredible. We mustn't show him disrespect."

Hua Ziyan secretly shook her head. Even someone with exceptional talent needs to be over a hundred before they can truly master the power to divine cause and effect. Take the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, for example. Only then do they have a chance of seeing through what's real and what's false. Yet this Su Li, Master Su, you mentioned is only eighteen, and his vital essence is depleted and weak. How could he possibly be a great practitioner of the Dao who can control Heavenly Secrets? Yu Xi is a core disciple, practically a Saintess, and yet she can't even see through this?

Never mind. I'll take a good look and see what Heavenly Secrets abilities this seemingly ordinary young man actually has.

If he can manage even a tenth or a fifth of an ordinary Observer of Trends' skill, I'll let him off for deceiving little sister Yu Xi this time.

If not...

The thoughts flashed through Hua Ziyan's mind, and soon she fell silent again.

By now, she could see that Mu Yuxi had been completely deceived by this supposed great practitioner of the Dao, and trusted him without reservation.

There was no point in saying anything now. Better to expose the man's true nature on the spot and let little sister Yu Xi see just how treacherous people could be.

After all, though no one else knew it, Hua Ziyan did: Mu Yuxi possessed a rare cauldron constitution, one seen only once in a century. If a man joined with her through Yin Yang Dao Union, he would gain enormous benefits.

As the two spoke, they entered the temple's main hall.

The commotion roused the great practitioner of the Dao from his meditation. He opened his eyes.

At that instant, Hua Ziyan noticed that the young man, with his red lips and pearly teeth, had brows sharp as swords and eyes bright as stars. At a glance, he seemed to possess an indescribable spirit and bearing.

It was as if, once the young man opened his eyes and stood up, all the light in the room dimmed in his presence.

Hua Ziyan had already formed a poor impression of him, but even so, she couldn't help being struck by his appearance.

"May I ask if you are the great practitioner of the Dao my little sister Yu Xi mentioned?"

Hua Ziyan asked outright.

It was a rather abrupt way to speak.

Hua Ziyan was not a natural conversationalist and had never ventured into the wider world. Her status and standing were extraordinary, and the people she usually met were all sycophants eager to please her. So even Mu Yuxi didn't think there was anything wrong with the way she spoke.

"If you believe I am, then I am. If you believe I'm not, then I'm not."

Su Li's expression was calm, and his tone neither servile nor overbearing. He didn't bow and scrape just because she was a Saintess.

"Oh? You're quite confident, aren't you? But since you claim to know the past and future, do you know who I am? Did you know that little sister Yu Xi and I would come here today? And do you know why we came?"

Hua Ziyan didn't hold back. She challenged him on the spot.

At her words, Su Li looked straight at Hua Ziyan.

She felt a little displeased under his direct gaze, but didn't reprimand him. Instead, she stared back at Su Li with a cold expression.

"What you ask is no small matter. If I answer everything correctly, what if you refuse to admit it and kill me to silence me?"

Hua Ziyan raised an eyebrow. Given the power behind her, given her identity and background, would she really do something so dishonorable and spineless?

Kill him to silence him?

A trace of amusement rose in Hua Ziyan's heart. This young man certainly knew how to talk. He'd almost made her believe him.

Was there any information in the world that would make her resort to murder?

Hua Ziyan was thoroughly unconvinced. There were far too many so-called Heavenly Secrets Masters in the world, always going on about how "Heavenly Secrets must not be revealed," then putting on an air of inscrutable wisdom.

She had seen far too many of them over the years and had grown sick of the lot.

And now this so-called great practitioner of the Dao was trying the same trick?

Or perhaps he'd toss out a few lines about how "the fairy's fate is full of hardships, yet she'll encounter some lucky opportunities and blessings."

Didn't he know that cultivators with great talent were bound to have lucky opportunities and blessings? Their fates were often fraught with hardship, or they'd encounter a calamity or two along the way.

Wasn't all of that just empty talk?!

If this man's only skill was swindling Mu Yuxi—and he had ulterior motives besides—Hua Ziyan wouldn't mind teaching him a proper lesson!

"Those words are meaningless. If your divination is so good, and you know my origins and background, then you must know I wouldn't kill you to silence you. In my life, I've always hated shameless scoundrels who think nothing of killing to cover their tracks!

"Besides, little sister Yu Xi is here too. If you can't trust me, surely you can trust her?"

Hua Ziyan's tone had turned somewhat unfriendly.

Su Li gave a meaningful smile. "All right. Since you put it that way, I'll divine your fortunes for you. But first, let me introduce myself. I'm Su Li. Su, as in the 'revive' of all things coming back to life; Li, as in the 'part' of joy and sorrow, reunion and separation."

Hua Ziyan kept her expression calm and stopped Mu Yuxi from speaking. She gave a slight nod. "Go ahead."

Su Li nodded faintly and fixed his gaze on Hua Ziyan. Light Blue, lock onto this person and open her "Life Archive"!

As for the new book, I've been building up its central story for many years. It's full of twists and turns, and the story itself is definitely good. But my own abilities are limited, so it'll be difficult to write—which is why I never got around to writing it all these years.

But Broken Sword has been writing books for sixteen years and has written more than forty million words. I can't avoid something just because it's difficult. If I do, I'll never improve.

I don't have many more sixteen-year stretches left in life.

So the first few chapters may have plenty of flaws and may not appeal to everyone. But around Chapter 26, there should be a stunning reversal and transformation. I promise I won't disappoint you.

The idea behind this book is the transformation of a nobody after he transmigrates. It's easy to write about that, but hard to write it well. One wrong step and the protagonist will come off as an idiot, making the effort thankless. After all, this is a very restless age.

But I didn't give much thought to the book's performance in the first place. I only mean to write it well with sincerity and remember why I started creating in the first place. I'll leave everything else to time to test and prove. I hope my dear readers can be a little more patient and a little more forgiving.

Everywhere is a pure land when you read; shut the door, and you're deep in the mountains. If you read this book with care, I won't let you down. If it truly isn't to your liking, just click the X.