Chapter 32: Target, Liu Xin!

【You were pressed to death by a single finger of the Senior Butian Peak Master.】

【Remaining pages in the Book of Hundred Lives: 95】

【Starting a new life, you may choose one of the following gains from your previous life:

One: A treasure.

Two: Cultivation base.

Three: Lifespan.

Four: Forgo all gains and randomly awaken a talent based on your previous life's experiences.】

"Those whose names are called, step forward before me."

Liu Xin's voice came from the platform, but this time Lu Yang remained stunned for a long while, his mind seemingly still lingering on that sword strike launched in fury from his previous life.

"A mayfly shaking a great tree; that description is not incorrect."

Lu Yang exhaled deeply; although he had witnessed the gap between himself and a Foundation Establishment True Person with his own eyes, he felt no discouragement, only a fighting spirit that burned even brighter.

Bearing the 【Book of Hundred Lives】, whatever fails to defeat him will only make him stronger.

It is merely starting over from the beginning.

Thinking thus, Lu Yang looked again at the interface of the 【Book of Hundred Lives】; in his previous life, he had devoted himself solely to bitter cultivation, possessing nothing aside from a cultivation base at the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation.

However, he could not choose cultivation base.

After all, as long as the hidden danger of the remained, he could not cultivate this technique; otherwise, it would be equivalent to carrying a time bomb on his person.

"I choose a talent."

【Settling your previous life's experiences for you...】

【After your death, the deed of drawing your sword to slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator spread among the people; countless individuals mocked you for overestimating your own strength, unaware that you had actually achieved something.】

【Although you still failed to injure the Foundation Establishment True Person in the slightest, at the very instant you were about to be pressed to death, you miraculously broke through a bottleneck in your sword arts, forcing the Senior Butian Peak Master to exert a fraction more effort to kill you, leading him to remark afterward that although you were merely an ant, you still knew a thing or two.】

【You have awakened the Purple Talent: 'Knows a Thing or Two'.】

【Knows a Thing or Two: No matter how terrifying the attack encountered, as long as it falls within the limits of your capabilities, you can handle it with ease for a couple of moves.】

"What kind of talent is this?"

Lu Yang frowned; at first glance, this seemed like an absolute defense divine ability, but the phrase "within the limits of your capabilities" in the talent description somewhat diminished its value.

However, he soon stopped dwelling on it; after all, the sole reason for choosing a talent was to avoid the hidden danger of cultivating the in his previous life. If the talent was strong, that would be best; if weak, it did not matter. More than this, Lu Yang was more concerned with whether there was any way to evade the Senior Butian Peak Master's calculations.

"If all else fails, I can only abandon the ."

"Lu Yang."

"... resent!"

Liu Xin's voice from the platform brought Lu Yang back to his senses; he hurriedly stepped onto the high platform, and just as in the previous few lives, Liu Xin assigned him to the Hehuan Hall.

The next second, Lu Yang suddenly froze.

"Wait... I recall that within my Myriad Souls Banner, Liu Xin seems to have refined a powerful figure, very likely a true disciple of the Holy Sect."

This does not add up.

I merely cultivated a single technique, yet the Senior Butian Peak Master calculated the karmic ties, followed the vine to find the melon, and came knocking at my door; yet Liu Xin actually killed a true disciple!

How is he still alive?

Thinking thus, Lu Yang's eyes suddenly flashed with sharp brilliance as he stared fixedly at Liu Xin on the platform.

"That's it; the only explanation is that he possesses a rare treasure capable of obscuring karmic ties, preventing any Foundation Establishment True Person from calculating any information about him!"

In an instant, Lu Yang's mind became fully active.

Immediately afterward, he changed his strategy, instead replicating the actions of his first life: he openly crushed Yu Suzhen to death before everyone, successfully drawing Liu Xin's attention.

He obtained half a copy of the Innate Dao Scripture from Liu Xin.

He entered secluded cultivation.

Subsequently, just as he had anticipated, on a dark and windy night, a fully prepared Liu Xin hummed a little tune as he arrived before the door of Lu Yang's cave dwelling.

"Junior Brother Lu, are you there?"

Lu Yang did not speak.

Seeing this, Liu Xin was not surprised; instead, a cold smile appeared on his face as he patiently opened his storage bag, taking out array flags one by one and arranging them around the area.

These were arrays used for soundproofing and creating illusions, ensuring that no matter what happened inside, not a single trace would be detected from the outside. Liu Xin had done similar things many times before; to date, no one had suspected him, and even if someone used karmic calculation...

Thinking thus, Liu Xin patted the pocket at his chest and smiled confidently.

Even if someone uses karmic calculation, it will be useless!

Soon, once the array arrangement was complete, Liu Xin ceased hiding, directly erupting his true qi, splitting Lu Yang's cave dwelling open with a single sword strike, and then strolling inside.

"Junior Brother Lu, stop hiding; Senior Brother needs someone of your caliber...!?"

Liu Xin's voice cut off abruptly.

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged on a rush mat, looking at him with a faint smile, bearing none of the appearance one should have after cultivating half of the Innate Dao Scripture!

"... omething is wrong!"

In that instant, Liu Xin's pupils contracted sharply, and a banner flag had already appeared in his hand.

However, it was too late.

The next second, as a red light flashed, Liu Xin felt more than half of the true qi and flesh-blood in his body instantly drained away; stumbling, he actually fell to the ground!

Blood-Washing Heavenly River Sword Array Diagram!

Lu Yang had arranged the array diagram at the entrance of the cave dwelling long ago, so Liu Xin's forced entry was akin to walking into a trap, naturally allowing Lu Yang to capture him with ease.

"Senior Brother, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Looking at the fallen Liu Xin and recalling how he had been deceived to the point of exhaustion by this man in the first life, Lu Yang let out a cold laugh; finally, you have fallen into my hands!

If our roles were reversed, I would show you what cruelty truly means!

"Who exactly are you!?"

Liu Xin lay paralyzed on the ground, unable to muster even a fraction of strength, completely unable to comprehend the situation; had he been plotted against? By a newly initiated disciple?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

"Are you a spy from a righteous sect? Wait, don't kill me; I am useful to you... I possess a superior Dao scripture that can assist you in becoming a Foundation Establishment True Person!"

At this critical moment, Liu Xin cared nothing for secrecy and directly revealed his greatest secret.

"Besides that, I also have a magic treasure containing a true disciple of the Holy Sect within; he knows many secrets of the Holy Sect... no, the Chusheng Demonic Gate."

"As long as you spare me, all of these will be yours."

Before Liu Xin could finish speaking, Lu Yang directly activated the Blood-Transforming Divine Light, sucking him completely dry until he became nothing but a sheet of human skin: "Fool; even if I kill you, these things will still be mine!"

"Even you belong to me!"

Immediately, Lu Yang reached out and summoned the Innate One Qi Myriad Souls Banner, then shook the banner flag, sweeping it across Liu Xin's corpse.

Having read the Innate Dao Scripture in a life before last, he naturally knew how to activate this treasure.

Liu Xin's corpse fell into the banner, instantly evaporating into qi; it underwent transformation within the banner for a long time before Lu Yang flicked the banner surface, causing it to manifest once more.

However, the Liu Xin who manifested again had already become a banner spirit upon the Myriad Souls Banner; Lu Yang had specifically preserved his memories, so when Liu Xin revived, he looked at Lu Yang in utter disbelief: "Junior Brother Lu, impossible! How could you possibly know how to activate the Myriad Souls Banner?"

"What did you call me?"

Lu Yang sneered: "Do I need to teach you what attitude a banner spirit should hold toward its banner master? Or do you wish for your soul to scatter and your spirit to perish?"

"Mercy, My Lord! Liu Xin greets My Lord!"

Liu Xin's legs instantly went soft, and he knelt on the ground; although he retained all memories from his life, he could not generate even a shred of hatred toward Lu Yang, who had killed him with his own hands.

Within every thought, there existed only absolute loyalty.

This was the domineering nature of the Myriad Souls Banner; a banner spirit appeared no different from a living person at first glance, but in reality, their will had already been seized, making true autonomy impossible.

(End of Chapter)