Chapter 21
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 21: The Most Important Thing Is to Stay Away From Emotions
Some people are born extraordinary.
Some shine with unique light, their paths paved with luck.
Some possess innate gifts, destined to rise as emperors.
Some grasp profound cultivation techniques with a mere glance.
It was December 18, 2327 years ago, at a quarter past noon.
Heavy snow drifted beyond the wooden house.
Within its walls, her first cry rang out.
Like many born with extraordinary fates, her arrival marked an unusual omen. The house was cloaked in thick swirls of purple and black smoke. The elders whispered that it was like the birth of a Demon Lord.
As her confused eyes took in the white world around her, she instinctively knew her name—
Zhi He.
Names in the tribe were chosen casually, yet hers carried weight.
She grew swiftly.
She learned to crawl, to walk, to speak.
Her gaze began to take in the world with wonder.
She was curious.
Why is the sky blue, and the grass green?
Why can birds soar, and fish glide through water?
What lies beyond the mountains? Beyond the sea?
She dreamed of venturing out to uncover the answers.
But the tribe did not share her dreams.
For hundreds of years, they had survived on this land. What they sought wasn’t knowledge of the wider world but food to last through harsh winters.
As the patriarch’s daughter, Zhi He bore the weight of responsibility.
Her dreams were set aside.
Years slipped by like melting snow.
Her puppy grew into a fierce dog; the saplings she planted turned into towering trees.
One snowy night, chaos descended.
Beasts tore through the fence. Behind them came a man with a blade, his strikes ruthless and unrelenting.
She fell into a pool of her own blood.
Life ebbed away, her body unbearably heavy, her vision fading.
Was this death?
The questions she had longed to answer would remain mysteries.
But fate had other plans.
When the snow ceased, footsteps crunched atop the thick white blanket. A shadow loomed over her, and a cold voice pierced the silence.
“Do you want revenge?”
She couldn’t speak. She despised her helplessness.
“Blink if you do.”
With all her remaining strength, she blinked.
That was the day she left the ruins of her life behind and entered the Lingxu Sect. Her master had chosen her.
From then on, Zhi He carved out a legend.
She defeated senior disciples who mocked her.
She claimed victory in the trial.
She emerged first in the ranking battles.
Rising above all, Zhi He became the leader of her generation in the Lingxu Sect.
Years passed, and she ascended to the position of sect leader. Under her rule, the Lingxu Sect flourished, reigning as the mightiest demon sect.
Her name, Demon Woman Zhi He, resounded far and wide, reaching even the East Divine Land.
The Lingxu Sect’s golden age was the culmination of countless efforts. It seemed her life’s purpose had been fulfilled.
And yet, standing amidst her achievements, sword in hand, Zhi He felt only emptiness.
She had joined the Lingxu Sect seeking revenge.
But after all these years, she still didn’t know her enemy.
Perhaps they had already perished, swallowed by time or other foes.
Her cultivation felt hollow.
Then one day, the truth came to light.
Her master had orchestrated everything—the beasts, the chaos, the men with swords.
The ruin of her tribe had been no random tragedy; it was a calculated act.
Furious, Zhi He confronted her master.
“Why?”
Her master’s gaze was cold and unyielding.
“Zhi He, do you see your destiny?”
She shook her head.
“Your destiny is sealed. Only by severing all feelings can you find the path that belongs to you.”
Zhi He’s hand tightened around her sword.
Her master spoke with calm resignation.
“The great disaster is coming. The Lingxu Sect cannot escape its fate. In the next era, the Lingxu Sect will vanish. I was born here, grew up here, and I will die here. For thousands of years, the Lingxu Sect has stood, and I cannot bear to watch it crumble in this calamity. So, I took a gamble. I placed my hope in you—a person unshackled by emotions—believing you might lead the Lingxu Sect to survive.”
Zhi He’s voice was sharp.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll destroy the Lingxu Sect myself?”
Her master admitted, “I am.”
“Then is it worth it?”
A long sigh was her answer.
“No. It’s not worth it.”
Her master regretted everything.
Every time he saw the faint, knowing smile that played on Zhi He’s lips, it felt as though the world he had carefully built was unraveling.
Disciple? No.
The Lingxu Sect? It was already on the brink of ruin.
The more he tried to cling to control, the further it slipped from his grasp.
People like him were destined to sink into the abyss, forgotten and erased.
Zhi He’s master revealed the truth to her.
“Why didn’t you keep it hidden?” she asked coldly.
“Because your sword wavers with confusion. One day, that confusion will entangle and consume you.”
In silence, she twisted her master’s neck, ending his life.
Her hand lingered over the mountain protection array of the Lingxu Sect. She had contemplated detonating it, erasing the sect from the East Divine Land entirely.
But as her gaze fell on the familiar faces of the disciples and elders, her resolve faltered.
What is my Tao?
She knew her destiny.
Anyone she valued would eventually leave her, driven away by fate.
It wasn’t always death; sometimes, the loss was more unbearable than death.
Her master’s words echoed in her mind:
“Zhi He, the most important thing is to stay away from emotions. Without emotions, you’ll be unrestrained and free to pursue your path.”
Her cultivation method was called Spiritual Emptiness Casting Saint.
Would the founder of the Lingxu Sect have imagined that it would someday become a demon sect?
With a single stroke, Zhi He destroyed the holy stone tablet of the Lingxu Sect. Then, she left.
Many years later, Zhi He perished in the Gua Feng Disaster.
Her cultivation base was obliterated, her body reduced to nothingness, yet a sliver of her soul persisted.
Eighteen years ago, on December 18, at a quarter past noon, heavy snow fell once more.
With a cry, she was born again.
This time, her arrival was unremarkable.
No purple and black smoke. No ghostly cheers.
As she looked at the world with new, curious eyes, a poor scholar nearby gave her a name—
Si Yunshang.
She grew up ordinary in every way, even dull compared to other children. But for a girl as lovely as her, a little simplicity could be forgiven.
She had no memory of her past life.
She lived healthily and uneventfully.
Until the Huaxin Sect entered her life.
There was no “Golden Finger” to guide her, only fragments of Zhi He’s sealed consciousness.
Bai Lian gazed at the figure floating in the sea of divine sense—Zhi He.
This was no ordinary woman but a true Demon Woman, cloaked in purple, exuding the dark allure of a blooming lotus from the underworld.
Though Zhi He’s features were not as striking as Si Yunshang’s, her depth and temperament set her apart.
The fragments of Zhi He’s memories played before Bai Lian’s eyes. Finally, Zhi He’s fading consciousness spoke.
“You see it now. If you choose to save me, you will be entangled by my fate.”
Bai Lian nodded.
“I know.”
The task’s reward was a Supreme Real Elixir. With her current strength, equivalent to the middle stage of the Nascent Soul, Bai Lian believed she could complete the mission.
Zhi He’s fading form watched her quietly before disintegrating into Si Yunshang’s divine sense, merging with her entirely.
Bai Lian scratched her head, debating her next move.
If anyone in the East Divine Land could help Si Yunshang, it was her master, An Lan.
An Lan had once been the Immortal Heavenly Lord in a previous life, someone capable of erasing entire worlds’ Daos.
Bai Lian sent a message describing Si Yunshang’s plight.
The response came surprisingly quickly.
An Lan: “Isn’t it simple? Treat her casually.”
Bai Lian: “???”
Why so casual?!
An Lan curled her lips in disdain.
“Is there anyone more experienced than you in dealing with ‘Death’?”
She continued, “If she showed no anomalies when reborn, it means she has already freed herself from that fate.”
Understanding dawned. Bai Lian nodded vigorously.
If An Lan said so, it must be true.
Yet the question lingered: If Si Yunshang’s fate had been broken, why was the reward for helping her so high?
After much contemplation, Bai Lian made her decision. She picked up Si Yunshang.
She wanted to try.
Zhu Xian
It really is an epic tale.