Ninety-ninth life.
In Baiyujing, at the Tianxuan Sect, on Haomiao Peak.
Su Yunyu held the Xuehua Sword in his fair hand, hiding behind a Shentu tree and waiting for an opportune moment.
A youth was practicing swordsmanship, looking heroic and extraordinary. His thin, tightly pressed lips curved into a deep expression, and although his face was still youthful, it was already handsome and fierce.
As expected of a Long Aotian; he truly came with his own protagonist halo.
Hiding behind the tree, Su Yunyu stared for a few seconds, growing extremely annoyed.
This time, he vowed to wash away his past shame and kill this fellow.
“They say ‘third time’s the charm’, but I’m already at thirty-three times three; surely it should work no matter what.”
Su Yunyu cheered himself on, tightened his grip on the long sword, and finally made up his decision to rush out from behind the tree.
Clad in white robes, he spun his toes lightly, his black hair flying and cascading as he reached right in front of the youth—namely, Xiao Shuying—raising his long sword to point its tip straight at the heart.
Meeting Xiao Shuying’s indifferent gaze, a trace of doubt welled up in Su Yunyu’s mind, but there was no time for deep thought; he only knew he had to finish this quickly.
With his cultivation already at the half-step Saint realm, killing a Long Aotian should be a piece of cake.
Thinking it would be that easy, Su Yunyu wielded his long sword and prepared to stab down. Just as his feet left the ground and he was about to land a step, his foot suddenly slipped—
A sensation of weightlessness washed over him. Before Su Yunyu fell and was stabbed to death by his own ancient divine sword, he saw that what he had just stepped on was a watermelon peel.
Excruciating pain spread from his chest. Before losing consciousness, he cursed the Heavenly Dao:
“I, an Immortal Venerable, am slipped to death by a watermelon peel—is this reasonable?!”
After his failure, ripples began to spread across Haomiao Peak. Ignoring the disappearing Su Yunyu, Xiao Shuying merely glanced up at the sky, his dark gaze deep and gloomy as he counted silently:
“Ninety-ninth life.”
When his consciousness regained its clarity, Su Yunyu found himself back at the starting center. He squatted on the ground in near despair, on the verge of tears:
“System, I really can’t kill this Long Aotian. Stop looking for me.”
The system named 111 gave a soft, cute refusal:
[No way, oh. You can only go back after you kill Long Aotian.]
Su Yunyu threw a tantrum, showing not a single trace of his Immortal Venerable demeanor:
“Why? Why does it have to be me?!”
Mentioning this matter made his blood boil. Originally, he was just a 21st-century editor who had signed an author named Scallion Roasted Rabbit Meat. This author possessed exceptional inspiration, writing a book titled The Three Realms Bow Before Me.
It was only that the character design had slight flaws. Regarding the protagonist of the book, Xiao Shuying, Su Yunyu had helped shape his character on multiple occasions before leaving it alone.
As a result, the book became a massive hit. However, the author didn’t know what was going through his mind; at the grand finale, he suddenly revived the primary villain—who was also Xiao Shuying’s master, the Fengchi Immortal Venerable Su Yunyu—and attempted to whitewash him.
Readers immediately flooded the comments with over 999+ curses. The author still argued back, claiming that Su Yunyu was the number one beauty in the world with the number one cultivation, so what was wrong with giving him a Long Aotian? Thus, a fierce battle broke out with the readers.
When the matter blew up onto the trending searches, Su Yunyu, acting as the editor, finally learned the whole story. Just as he went to question the author, he was directly dragged into this world.
111 bounced its spiritual body about: [Because the author’s resentment is too heavy, you must kill Long Aotian to be released.]
“Why don’t you say the readers’ resentment is too heavy?! Besides, why didn’t you transmigrate the author instead?”
[Uh, because it was detected that you had a much greater hand in shaping Xiao Shuying’s character design, dear.]
“Get lost!” Su Yunyu’s anger flared: “When I get back, I’m going to chop up this idiot author’s book!”
[Then, since you have eagerly accepted, let’s continue.]
Before Su Yunyu could speak, the spatial landscape shifted in a blur of light spots. When vision restored, they were already at Fengling Ferry in Nanlin Province, among the fourteen states of the mortal realm.
[In view of the previous ninety-nine failures, this system has decided to advance the timeline. Oh right, Host, your cultivation level is getting lower and lower in this world, so please do not slack off.]
Su Yunyu was left speechless: “…… I haven’t even prepared yet.”
[It’s fine. I put the magical treasures in your space; you can take a look.]
Magical treasures? A hopeful smile replaced the deeply worried expression on Su Yunyu’s face. Directing his consciousness back into his space, he saw that an extra stack of books had appeared inside.
Casually pulling one out, the title printed on the cover read:
The Overbearing Disciple Falls in Love With Me.
Startled, Su Yunyu shook his hand and quickly picked up another one to read:
The Aloof Immortal Venerable and the Black-Belly Disciple.
After picking up several more in succession, he found that they were all quite indescribable. Su Yunyu exploded: “What do you mean by this? Are you asking me to seduce him? Wait, hold on”
Seduction… Since he couldn’t kill him, maybe he could make Long Aotian commit suicide out of frustration!
He recalled that in his previous ninety-nine lives, the first thirty times he fed Long Aotian various poisons only for the medicinal properties to reverse and poison himself to death.
The middle thirty times he tried to make Long Aotian die in secret realms, only to be struck to death by heavenly lightning himself.
The next thirty times he tried to manufacture accidents, only to face descending divine coercion. It wasn’t until the final nine times that he dropped all pretense and went into battle personally.
Yet those also accumulated every conceivable method of dying. Therefore, looking at those master-disciple romance texts, Su Yunyu accepted the situation with a relatively good mindset.
If seduction is what it takes, then for the sake of going home, I’ll risk it!
Su Yunyu’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he took back his criticism:
“This time, I will definitely wash away my shame!”
According to the original book’s plot, Xiao Shuying was the spirit of the three realms. He was born in the Xuanling Sea, then dropped into the mortal world at Fengling Ferry after being carried by a green phoenix.
He happened to land in the aristocratic Xiao family of Fengling Ferry, born to a concubine. However, upon Xiao Shuying’s birth, he drained the concubine to death and was born concurrently with the legitimate eldest son.
Two different omens descended from the heavens at that time. A fortune-teller declared that the auspicious omen was brought by the legitimate eldest son, whereas Xiao Shuying would only bring disaster.
From that day onward, Xiao Shuying suffered relentless bullying and was completely disregarded. Learning that the immortal sects would come to select disciples, he desperately wanted to cultivate so he could be chosen, only to be framed and accused of ties with the demon realm, having his meridians severed and his path to cultivation completely cut off.
At this moment, the primary villain Su Yunyu made his entrance. Calculating that the Xiao family held a predestined person of heavenly fate, yet unable to determine precisely who it was, he simply took in both Xiao Shuying and the legitimate son, Xiao傾然 (Xiao Qingran).
From then on, Xiao Shuying embarked on a journey through hell, facing endless trials and tribulations until he finally slew his enemies in the grand finale and achieved the Great Dao.
Having patched together the original plot, Su Yunyu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and comforted himself:
It’s fine; there is still a chance for redemption.
So he asked the system: “What time period is this?”
[Xiao Shuying’s meridians have already been abolished, and it is now your turn to make an entrance.]
Su Yunyu glared sideways: “Why couldn’t you let me arrive before his meridians were severed?”
[Important plot nodes cannot be altered.]
Fine. At least this was simpler than before. His previous ninety-nine lives had always started on the second day after Xiao Shuying entered the master’s sect and ended on the seventh day.
“Let me think about how I should make my entrance…”
Meanwhile, at the Xiao family residence.
A commotion echoed from the back courtyard. Several young boys surrounded someone, punching, kicking, and hurling insults amidst the beatings:
“You concubine’s son dare to steal things! I think you’ve really lost your mind!”
“Exactly, exactly! Are Young Master Qingran’s things something you can touch?!”
The youth currently being swarmed and beaten slowly opened his eyes. A dull ache radiated all over his body. When he lifted his gaze, the gloomy chill in those eyes frightened the boys instantly.
That look was too cold, too sinister, and too disdainful of all living beings, as if under the scrutiny of such a gaze, they were nothing more than mere ants.
The ringleader felt a chill run through him, but rethinking that Xiao Shuying was just a good-for-nothing, he instantly regained his courage:
“What are you looking at? Look again and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
This was the initial starting point that Xiao Shuying recalled from his chaotic memories. He had actually returned to the Xiao family the very beginning of all his humiliation.
Being bullied and beaten, framed for colluding with the demon realm, and having his meridians severed until he was reduced to a cripple.
The dull pain continued to wrack his body, and Xiao Shuying’s gaze turned gloomy and fierce. In his previous life, he had ascended to the supreme position; how could he possibly allow himself to be bullied like this again? He instinctively tried to channel his spiritual energy, only for his entire body to feel as though it were being carved by knives.
There was no spiritual energy left… It seemed everything truly had reset to zero.
His meridians were broken inch by inch, and his dantian felt agonizingly painful. In a state like this, how could he possibly have the strength to fight back?
It didn’t matter. He just needed to endure a little longer. It wouldn’t take long for him to reclaim his position as the Lord of the Three Realms.
It was just that the process would be somewhat arduous.
Xiao Shuying closed his eyes and was about to let things take their course when a cold voice descended from above. It sounded like snow falling into a cold pool, ethereal and crisp like jade:
“Stop right there”
It was too familiar, so much so that it instantly made Xiao Shuying clench his fists and lift his gaze to glare fiercely at the newcomer.
However, when the figure in white landed on the ground, Xiao Shuying paused.
This person, this face it was both familiar and unfamiliar.
The Fengchi Immortal Venerable was hailed as the number one beauty in the world and possessed the world’s highest cultivation. His Xuehua Sword had once illuminated fourteen provinces with a single sweep, and his great name was pursued by the three realms.
This person’s face possessed an extraordinary deceptive quality. In his first life, Xiao Shuying had learned this lesson firsthand; when he was first accepted into the immortal sect, he mistakenly thought his luck had turned, only for it to lead to even deeper torment.
This person had watched coldly from the sidelines as he was humiliated, thrown him into secret realms to face slaughter, and finally locked him deep in the dungeons to drain his blood day after day.
Yet after that lifetime, ninety-nine more lives had replayed. In those ninety-nine lives, this person’s appearance had been completely different from the first life.
The person before him shared about seven points of that facial structure, but carried an even more piercing chill. With snowy skin, ink-black hair, upturned eye tails, deep raven eyelashes, and cold light flickering in his eyes.
A single red mole at the corner of his eye, coupled with rosy thin lips, imbued that aloofness with a stunning, breathtaking allure.
What a peerless beauty; what a Fengchi Immortal Venerable.
If he hadn’t been hunted down for ninety-nine lives, Xiao Shuying almost would have been deceived again.
Yet, it was very strange. In those ninety-nine instances, although Su Yunyu wanted to kill him, there was not the slightest trace of killing intent in his eyes, as if he were merely executing some sort of task.
Setting aside those lingering questions, Xiao Shuying concealed the gloom beneath his eyes and feigned a naive, ignorant expression to see what the other would do next.
Su Yunyu clearly noticed nothing amiss. He simply looked at the boys, who had frozen in shock, and said in a cold voice:
“Everything you just did was witnessed by this deity. Your framing of others and bullying of the weak completely violates the righteous path.”
With that, he walked over to Xiao Shuying, lifted the bruised and battered youth, and applied a subtle technique with his fingertips, instantly causing all the injuries to vanish completely.
“Are you alright?”
Hearing the slightly softened tone of voice, Xiao Shuying put on a bashful, downcast look and nodded, though his heart was filled with profound disbelief.
What was going on this time? Wasn’t he supposed to be killed? Why pull these hypocritical stunts?
Truly hypocritical even more hypocritical than this bunch of thugs. Once his cultivation recovered, Xiao Shuying thought to himself that he must slaughter this person once again.
The boys who had been reprimanded turned red with embarrassment and humiliation. At that moment, the head of the Xiao family also rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Su Yunyu, he froze for a split second before hastily bowing:
“Greetings, Immortal Venerable.”
Unwilling to speak further for fear of triggering an OOC (out-of-character) electric shock, Su Yunyu kept his words extremely brief:
“No need.”
He then pulled Xiao Shuying over and told the family head:
“This child possesses exceptional talent; this deity wishes to take him into my sect.”
Before he even finished speaking, it was clear he expected the family head to respond. The family head froze, and alongside him, his legitimate son Xiao Qingran froze as well.
Xiao Shuying felt even more astonished. According to the original plot progression, shouldn’t Xiao Qingran have been accepted as well?
His dark gaze drifted toward Xiao Qingran, catching the shock the latter failed to conceal, followed by the worship hidden beneath that shock a sight that churned his stomach with disgust.
In his first life, he had already known that Xiao Qingran was infatuated with Su Yunyu, and this lifetime was no different.
This pair of dog-like master and disciple he would slaughter them both sooner or later.
“Since the Immortal Venerable wishes to take him in, of course I have no objections. It’s just that this child by my side also has decent talent; perhaps the Immortal Venerable might consider…” The family head angrily glared at his disappointing son before recommending Xiao Qingran instead.
Su Yunyu merely flicked his sleeve: “Tomorrow is the immortal sect grand selection; he can participate then. This child, this deity will be taking away.”
Just as he intended to take Xiao Shuying away directly, Xiao Qingran grew furious and stepped out to block them:
“Wait! Although the Immortal Venerable wishes to take him, you still have to ask whether my younger brother agrees.”
As he spoke, he exchanged glances with Xiao Shuying, signaling him to think carefully.
Meanwhile, Su Yunyu bent down, looked straight at Xiao Shuying, and asked with solemn earnestness:
“Are you willing to return with this deity?”
Under the moonlight, his features looked as though they had been dipped in a layer of snow, his gaze shimmering with cold mist a figure as pure as a blooming epiphyllum.
For some reason, Xiao Shuying recalled a half-verse of poetry circulating across the three realms:
Dreaming of him in the clear night with snow dampening his robes, sword flowers skimming shadows to startle the lotus blossoms.
What a pity that no matter how fair the exterior, it was merely rotten beneath.
Facing Su Yunyu’s inquiry, Xiao Shuying intentionally remained silent. He kept silent for a good while, wanting to see if Su Yunyu would drop the act and forcibly abduct him.
The air grew quiet. Several needle-like gazes glared at Xiao Shuying, yet he remained utterly motionless, keeping his head lowered as if genuinely deep in thought.
Suspecting nothing, Su Yunyu simply assumed the boy lacked a sense of security. Eager to stroke his head but terrified of triggering an OOC electric shock, he could only take Xiao Shuying’s small hand instead and give it a light rub.
A cool, jade-like sensation came from the palm a gentleness entirely different from those brutal beatings.
Xiao Shuying paused, the corners of his thin lips curling into a mocking smile at Su Yunyu’s escalating acting skills.
Yet, this made things far more interesting.
Thus, he raised his still naive-looking face and called out timidly to Su Yunyu:
“Master.”
In this lifetime, what on earth are you planning to do?