Chapter 342: Mindset Upon First Transmigration

Jade Void Tianjun!

Jiang Lin was indeed startled, but after recovering, he calmed down again.

He bowed to the three spirits he had summoned.

Right now, the most important thing is not to let this Tianjun spot any flaw.

"Thank you, three Shenjun, for your protection—this time, you've gone to great trouble."

"It is our duty; no need for such formalities," said the Shenjun holding the golden mace, his voice deep.

Though outwardly calm, he still felt a certain satisfaction seeing the one who enslaved him bow to him.

"Tianjun, then we take our leave." The three spirits bowed to the Jade Void Tianjun.

"Mm." The Jade Void Tianjun's expression was indifferent. "Go."

Shh!

The three spirits transformed into three golden streaks and vanished into the horizon in an instant.

"We respectfully bid farewell to the Shenjun."

Jiang Lin bowed once more, then turned to the Jade Void Tianjun after seeing off the three spirits:

"Disciple Jiang Lin, forty-seventh successor of Yunhai Monastery on Chengming Mountain, pays homage to the Tianjun."

He had seen both the Tianzun and Emperor Sui Zu remain unmoved—he didn't believe the Tianjun could detect his anomaly.

"..." The Jade Void Tianjun studied him for a long while, then gave a slight nod. "Good. Even faster than I was at your age."

She cultivated through spirit invocation for two hundred thirty-five years before ascending to the rank of Tianjun.

Yet she only reached Nascent Soul at two hundred ten; this young disciple is barely two hundred years old, already at Golden Core peak, just one step away from the realm she held before ascending to godhood.

"Your Excellency flatters me."

He knew his own situation better than anyone.

Without those four scriptures, he would never have reached this point in life—dead, he'd be lucky to earn even a 'Shenjun' title!

emm…

More likely, he'd have been killed by Xiong Shen back in that broken temple.

"Neither arrogant nor impatient—excellent." The Jade Void Tianjun grew even more satisfied.

Before ascending to godhood, she was already fiercely righteous, slaying countless demons and monsters; even after becoming Tianjun, she never changed her nature, protecting the ten directions.

Seeing Jiang Lin, who had chased a wicked demon across a thousand li to destroy it, stirred in her a desire to offer guidance.

"Originally, given your talent, you would surely receive a heavenly decree and ascend to Tianjun—but now, the great age is about to change. After you reach Nascent Soul, your lifespan will extend further; there's no need to rush for godhood..."

At this, she smiled carefree.

"But how you proceed is ultimately your own choice—my words today are merely for your reference."

Practitioners of the 【Spirit Invocation Dao】 in this age seek nothing but godhood; though I speak from goodwill, how you interpret it is uncertain.

Perhaps I'll end up making an enemy by speaking too much...

Thinking of this, she silently shook her head.

Heh.

Having held godhood for so long, it seems I've grown overly cautious.

When I was still mortal, I would have spoken plainly—no concern for consequences.

"Thank you for your guidance, Tianjun."

Jiang Lin trusted this virtuous Tianjun.

No need to rush for godhood...

Could this be connected to what the wicked demon had said—that the Zixuan Zhenjun is about to descend?

"May I ask, Tianjun, is this related to what the wicked demon mentioned earlier..."

"In a sense, yes." The Jade Void Tianjun spoke frankly. "But I cannot say more."

To gain this chance to break free from the bonds of godhood, she had endured immense hardship—now she merely awaited the right moment.

Must not speak too much, lest all her efforts be wasted.

"Disciple understands."

Jiang Lin's expression turned solemn.

"Enough."

The Jade Void Tianjun dissolved into pure light and vanished into the heavens, leaving only a distant, fading laugh.

"The wolf demon is not dead—proceed with caution."

"May you find your place in the brilliant great age to come!"

If this coming great age is filled only with petty schemers and selfish fools, it will be dreadfully dull!

"We respectfully bid farewell to the Tianjun." Jiang Lin bowed with sincere reverence.

Long after, he straightened up and gazed at the clear night sky.

What a truly carefree elder.

"Cough! Cough!"

In a dense forest of the remote Shenshan, snow lay thick; a figure leaned on a tree trunk, stumbling forward with uneven, laborious steps.

Where he walked, the snow beneath was stained red with blood.

The hand gripping the tree trunk was covered in gray fur, now matted with blood oozing from his wounds into clotted strands.

Even stranger was his face—constantly shifting between wolf head and human head, his malevolent eyes filled with bloodshot veins, terrifyingly grotesque.

It was none other than Cangyun Yaojun!

At this moment, his qi was feeble as a candle flickering in the wind, as if it might extinguish at any moment.

Had his transformation technique not been of extremely high rank, he would long ago have been unable to maintain his human form.

After walking like this for a long while, he finally emerged from the forest and arrived before a massive bear den.

Inside lay a black bear, emitting a strong stench of decay.

Cangyun Yaojun remained in his state of constantly shifting between beast head and human face.

The thick scent of blood from his body stirred the sleeping bear; its decades-old hunting instinct caused it to open its eyes and lunge at Cangyun Yaojun before it.

Roar!

Its massive body whipped up a fierce gust of wind.

Compared to it, Cangyun Yaojun, trembling and on the verge of collapse, his qi like a candle in the wind, appeared utterly insignificant—but with one exquisitely precise finger thrust into the bear's body, the bear stiffened, then collapsed outright.

All its flesh and blood seemed sucked away; its massive frame shriveled instantly, leaving only a bear pelt falling to the ground, stirring up the nearby snowdrifts.

"Good enough to use."

After consuming the bear's flesh and blood, Cangyun Yaojun was no longer in that state of constantly shifting between beast head and human face, yet his qi showed no change whatsoever.

Dragging the bear pelt into the den, he used it to cover the filthy ground and various excretions.

Then he swallowed several Tai Ping Dan fruits he had picked en route, and sat upon the pelt to meditate.

With each breath in and out, torrents of spiritual energy converged upon him.

Cangyun Yaojun changed his hand seals, stripping away the Divine Path imprint, before drawing it into his body.

As one who had "reborn into this life," he naturally possessed a method to remove Divine Path imprints—and its efficacy was even better than any Soul-Washing technique in today's 【Steal Qi Path】!

Thus he meditated, drawing upon the bear's blood qi and the Tai Ping Dan's primordial qi, and after roughly one hour…

!. Du

Huh~

Letting out a long exhale, Cangyun Yaojun opened his eyes—his qi had finally stabilized somewhat.

He opened his palm, and Shanhe Pearl appeared in his hand.

Yet unlike before, when it had shimmered with myriad auspicious hues and five-colored auras, the Shanhe Pearl was now dull and dim; the emerald dragon surging within had vanished, and a jagged crack marred its surface, as if it might split in two at any moment!

This Reversal Void artifact had suffered damage from his overexertion.

"Damn it—!"

All his efforts since his "rebirth" had come to nothing!

Yu Xu Dao Master!

Jiang Lin of Chengming Mountain's Cloud Sea Pavilion!

And that most utterly damned Qianyan Dao Master!

The raging fire in his heart nearly drowned his reason.

Why? Why, even after rebirth, was he still like this?

"Aaah—!!"

A scream filled with fury echoed through the deep forest, startling countless birds into flight.

…………

Meanwhile.

By the waterfall, the small cottage.

The snow had grown heavier; the thick clouds parted on the horizon had not yet resealed.

The moonlight falling through them shone upon the churning waters of the cliff, glittering silver.

Xu Xing, returned from the mountain, now stood at the cliff's edge, gazing at Bie Xuejing.

Beside him, Yue Ling was redressing the snowmen, and additionally piling more snow atop her own.

Occasionally, Xu Xing would glance at Yue Ling as she worked.

Though she could summon a snowman with a single thought, she insisted on building it piece by piece, saying it let her better feel the joy of snowman-making.

Hmm…

No wonder she got along so well with Jiu Yu—she'd even built one for her too.

Gradually, snow settled upon Xu Xing's body.

"Brother Dao, do you have something on your mind?"

Xiang Yuanjun had appeared beside him at some unknown moment.

"No, the snowscape is simply pleasant enough to step out and admire."

After explaining, he turned to her: "How goes the construction of the communication platform?"

Xiang Yuanjun shook her head slightly: "It's all slow, painstaking work—there's no way around it; it will take considerable time."

"Take your time—it needn't be rushed."

"Mm."

Up high, Yue Ling, still piling snow atop her snowman, sensed something amiss.

After glancing left and right, she spotted the two standing in the snow—her small face tightened.

Something's wrong!

Extremely, extraordinarily wrong!

She carefully leapt down from the snowman and crept silently toward the cottage.

Yet before she could even reach the door, it opened on its own—and a figure stepped out.

"Master…"

Bie Xuening merely glanced at her, and she fell silent.

She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, crept carefully along the doorframe, and slipped inside swiftly.

After Yue Ling entered the small house, Bie Xuening did not approach, but simply stood by the door watching.

At this moment, Xiang Yuanjun had hesitated for a while, pressed her lips together, and finally asked:

"I've always been curious—when you first reached the Tai Xuan Realm, what were you really thinking?"

What were you really thinking?

"What I was thinking… it's hard to explain," Xu Xing paused. "But if you're truly curious, I can tell you about my initial mindset."

"Mm." Xiang Yuanjun was eagerly awaiting.

Master Xu had met her and her elder brother earlier than the other disciples, but that was only after he had fully adapted to this world.

So the only one who truly understood his past was the Sword Sovereign.

"At first, because of my unusual circumstance—the 'transmigration'—I held myself in very high regard," Xu Xing's voice was calm.

"Especially after learning the state of the human race at that time, I once believed I was humanity's destined savior."

"I thought I would surely lead humanity to defeat the Cang Clan, and become like the protagonists in those storybooks."

"Ideally, 'holding power in my grasp while drunk, resting my head on a beauty's lap, deciding life and death, with all under heaven bowing before me.'"

When he had suddenly transmigrated to the Tai Xuan Realm, aside from the initial fear brought by the transmigration, after his master took him in, though he never voiced it, his initial mindset was indeed this.

Just like countless ordinary people.

"Huh?" Xiang Yuanjun was somewhat surprised.

She found it extremely difficult to reconcile what she was hearing now with her current impression of Master Xu.

Behind them, Bie Xuening leaned against the doorframe, her expression calm.

Was it only the younger brother who was young and arrogant? Was she not the same?