Stop!

Though he had spotted it, Li Xingtian did not immediately take it. Instead, he turned back and cupped his hands in thanks once more.

"Thank you, Senior."

Chu Xingchen waved a hand, his expression serene.

Li Xingtian slowly rose and walked straight toward the Millennium Bone Jade he had longed for ever since his rebirth.

Lifting the corner of the table, he took the stone-like Millennium Bone Jade back into his hand. At last, he felt the great stone weighing on his heart fall away.

After cupping his hands to thank Chu Xingchen again, Li Xingtian hurried out of the ruined temple with the Millennium Bone Jade.

Li Yingling watched him leave, then stepped into the ruined temple herself, sounding puzzled.

"Master, you just let him leave like that?"

Her master could hardly be bothered to move without something to gain. Why had he so generously let someone take something and leave this time?

At Li Yingling's words, Chu Xingchen immediately dropped his lofty-master act. "Practice at home for now. I'm heading out."

Li Yingling looked as though this was exactly how her master ought to behave. Before Chu Xingchen left, however, she asked curiously:

"Master, is our sect really called the Heavenly Dao Alliance?"

After all, not everything her master said was true. He might simply have been fooling that silly boy.

"Yes." Leaving that single word behind, Chu Xingchen turned into a streak of rainbow light and departed.

Li Yingling rubbed her chin, pondering something.

Then, with a surge of Spiritual Power, the wooden sword flew over on its own, and she caught it with a backhanded reach.

I'd better practice first. I'm almost at the introductory stage of the Three Thousand Weak Waters Sword.

Li Yingling had a feeling that this difficult art would undergo a qualitative leap once she crossed that threshold.

Having been called a genius since childhood, this was the first time practicing a Divine Ability had worn Li Yingling down until she had no temper left.

It's been five whole days! And I'm still hovering at the threshold.

No wonder Master is so eager to take another disciple. My talent probably isn't much to look at in his eyes.

Li Yingling sighed. She would just have to work harder.

With a clear destination in mind, Li Xingtian headed straight for the nearest town.

Refining the Millennium Bone Jade required a quiet, safe place, as well as a full day.

Anyone who goes back to that Idiot Sect is a moron. Besides, I couldn't go back even if I wanted to. I sneaked out of the sect.

The Sect has probably already put me on the Red Name List as a deserter.

I'll get a room at an inn in the nearby town and pay extra so the attendants won't disturb me.

Once I've refined the Millennium Bone Jade, I'll hurry to Central Province. There are still opportunities there within my current reach.

Yet one matter still weighed on his heart.

It was that senior. His words were still circling through Li Xingtian's mind.

Did I really miss my true opportunity?

He sighed, but his former sect had already disappointed him utterly.

Didn't I become a renowned prodigy of Central Province in my previous life without relying on a sect?

I can certainly do it again in this life. Why should I attach myself to some so-called sect?

Having made up his mind, he cleared away every distracting thought. Since he had chosen this path, he would not regret it.

A day later, after trekking over mountains and across rivers, Li Xingtian finally reached his destination.

It was a sizable town.

After arriving at the inn, Li Xingtian did not rush upstairs to a guest room to refine the Millennium Bone Jade.

Instead, he first ordered a tableful of food.

After all, he was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. Traveling over mountains and rivers had long since exhausted the dry rations he had brought.

He had been hungry for a while, though it had been a very long time since Li Xingtian had last experienced this sensation.

Li Xingtian chuckled, finding it all unusually real.

But his smile soon vanished.

Because...

He had run into disciples from his former sect, the Clearwind Sect.

Several Outer Sect disciples of the Clearwind Sect, dressed in white robes with blue-green trim, slowly descended from the guest rooms on the second floor.

Spotting them out of the corner of his eye, Li Xingtian hurriedly lowered his head to keep them from seeing him.

At the same time, he inwardly cursed his rotten luck.

Unfortunately, the very thing one feared most always came knocking.

One of the Clearwind Sect disciples swept his gaze across the first floor and spotted Li Xingtian with his head lowered.

He found him familiar. Then, seemingly remembering something, he hurriedly reached out and tugged the sleeve of the senior brother leading them.

When his senior brother looked back questioningly, the disciple hastily signaled with his eyes toward Li Xingtian.

The senior brother followed his gaze, then narrowed his eyes and led the four disciples toward Li Xingtian's table.

Reaching the table, the senior brother sat down brazenly and fixed Li Xingtian with a sharp stare.

"You there. Aren't you Li Xingtian, the one on the Red Name List?"

Knowing he could no longer hide, Li Xingtian abruptly raised his head and swept his gaze over all five disciples.

None were in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Judging by their auras, three were at the third level of Qi Refining, one at the fourth, and the senior brother leading them at the fifth.

Although he was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer, the ultimate techniques still preserved in his memories from his previous life were enough to defeat these novices who had barely begun cultivating.

I have to kill them, then flee. Otherwise, if they keep chasing me, I might really fail to escape!

Strike first and reap the rewards; strike late and take the beating!

Li Xingtian chose to seize the initiative. He grabbed the chopsticks beside him, and the Spiritual Power within his body erupted.

To catch the bandits, first catch their king. Take down their leader first!

Faced with Li Xingtian's sudden attack...

The senior brother had already been on guard!

He merely sneered at the incoming chopsticks, unleashing the full power of his fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation!

His broad palm, already poised to strike, suddenly blasted toward Li Xingtian's head!

A worthless Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator! How could he possibly understand the power of the fifth level?

The chopsticks and palm collided in a flash!

Yet the outcome defied everyone's expectations!

The chopsticks in Li Xingtian's hand abruptly pierced the palm. His meager spiritual energy possessed astonishing penetrating power.

After piercing the palm, Li Xingtian did not rein in his strength at all, continuing straight toward the leading senior brother's head.

Just as he was about to succeed...

A sharp, vicious Golden Core aura suddenly erupted.

A casual strike blasted open a room on the second floor, and immense Spiritual Power surged toward Li Xingtian like a flood dragon.

Alarm bells screamed in his heart. Li Xingtian glanced aside and saw a white-haired old man watching him expressionlessly.

Li Xingtian recognized him as the Clearwind Sect's second elder! He was in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm!

I'm done for!

The thought had barely risen in his mind before the crimson flood dragon formed from that immense Spiritual Power reached him and slammed into his body.

Feeling as though the blow had shattered every internal organ, Li Xingtian violently spat out a mouthful of blood.

The second elder rose slightly, his expression showing neither joy nor sorrow. "You deserted the sect, then attacked its disciples. Under the Clearwind Sect's rules, you deserve to be made into a human sky lantern."

Li Xingtian had no room left to struggle. The meager Spiritual Power within him had already been scattered by the blow.

His meridians had also suffered grievous damage.

That senior's words echoed through his mind once again.

The torrent of time is the great current, an immutable law. Everything I've done that departs from my previous life is swimming against that current.

In the end, I let success go to my head. I forgot that once cause and effect were thrown into disarray, everything would take a different course!

Perhaps that senior was warning me all along. Recklessly altering history comes at a price!

Perhaps his offer to take me as a disciple was merely an attempt to save my life.

After all, how could a mighty expert who could see through the torrent of time fail to foresee where I would end up?

Li Xingtian felt no regret. He just... could not accept this!

"Stop. Would you do me the courtesy?"

At the familiar voice, Li Xingtian turned to look.

There stood Chu Xingchen with a regretful expression, holding a cup of clear tea and taking a gentle sip.