Chapter 1009: The First Life

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Water Luo Fist had an interesting history. According to Luo Xu, there was a river called “Water Luo” in the Heavenly Devil Mountain.

There was a story told by the villagers along the river:

A long time ago, there was no river in the Heavenly Devil Mountain. One day, the stars gathered at the sky and started pouring water from above. The water flowed to the ground and formed into a river. That was the origin of the Water Luo River.

When Luo Xu crossed the river on a boat, he saw the reflection of the stars on the surface and was inspired to create the Water Luo Fist.

Luo Xu had told Zhang Ruochen to return to the Heavenly Devil Mountain and paid the river a visit.

He thought Zhang Ruochen might be able to see different things through the river.

“That Water Luo River is not an ordinary river. Perhaps it was gifted by the other universe that we never know,” Zhang Ruochen commented.

Luo Xu tilted his head and stared at the peaceful boundless sky. He said, “The universe is unbelievably vast. There could be another greater world that coexists with the Kunlun’s Field. Water Luo River might be some magic gifted by some magical creature of the other universe.”

Luo Xu stood up and jokingly said, “If I ever become the Supreme Saint, I will pay a visit to the universe to find out if it has a boundary.”

Zhang Ruochen looked at Luo Xu, nodding in agreement.

He could tell Luo Xu was a big-hearted person from his behavior. Things that Luo Xu was after were different from the other monks.

Luo Xu made Zhang Ruochen ask himself: What should I do after I take my revenge?

He had no answer to that question.

The day after, Luo Xu taught Zhang Ruochen all thirty-six moves of the Water Luo Fists and handed him a guide on fist techniques.

Zhang Ruochen understood the essence of the Water Luo Fists. It took him a day and he had the basics of the technique already.

From then on, he no longer needed Luo Xu’s guidance. The guide given to him would be sufficient.

This day, instead of staying on the water, the green wooden boat was docked at the bay.

Chu Siyuan volunteered to lead the expedition and check out the terrain of the area nearby.

“This is the place.”

Chu Siyuan seemed quite decided and said, “This is the place where the six meridians meet. It has sufficient Spiritual Qi to support the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map.”

Zhang Ruochen was doubtful of his decision. He asked, “If this is the place, why couldn’t I sense the Spiritual Qi? Also, I don’t see any sect based in the surrounding area.”

Chu Siyuan threw a glance at Zhang Ruochen, and said with his chin tilted, “The six meridians flow deep underneath the ground. An ordinary half-saint of spiritual power will not be able to detect them. Furthermore, the Spiritual Qi is buried beneath, of course you couldn’t sense it. Try again after I draw the Spiritual Qi out with my special skill.”

Chu Siyuan took out a broom-sized brush and dipped it in a special ink. Then, he used it to draw a huge circle on the ground.

Once the circle was drawn, he kept the brush and waited.

“That’s all?”

Zhang Ruochen held his chin while waiting, staring at the perfectly drawn circle. The technique that Chu Siyuan claimed was special seemed rather casual and childlike to him.

Chu Siyuan seemed to have read Zhang Ruochen’s mind and said, “Less is more.”

An hour later, puffs of thick fog came out of the ground within the circle.

That was not fog.

It was the Spiritual Qi.

The Spiritual Qi was known to be colorless and odorless, just like the air. But when its concentration was high enough, it would appear as thick fog.

Chu Siyuan placed the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map in the middle of the circle. Later, he asked Zhang Ruochen and Beauty Shi to sit facing each other within the circle, taking the Map as the border.

“The entrance to the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map is opened once every seventy years. Appreciate this opportunity because once you fail… there will be no second chance.”

Clearly, using the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map was a luxury that Chu Siyuan wouldn’t want to spend on Zhang Ruochen and the Beauty. There was no way that he would allow them to use it a second time.

He warned them once again, “In the Map, there will be unpredictable danger. As the guide, you should always remember this. Otherwise, both of you will never be able to wake up in real life.”

Chu Siyuan gave Zhang Ruochen a warning stare, and sat outside the circle. He pushed his palms forward and cast his Spiritual Power on the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map.

Two glowing dots flew from Zhang Ruochen and the Beauty’s body and diminished as they touched the Map.

Their bodies remained sitting in the circle with their eyes shut like two petrified stationary statues.

Luo Shuihan frowned as he looked at their bodies. He asked, “Going through seven lives together in the Map will leave many memories. Will Zhang Ruochen and Ling Palace Ruler get confused about their reality?”

Luo Xu answered, “Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu are no ordinary people. They will never mix up the virtual world with reality. This is a good opportunity for them to hone their Spiritual Power. When they have completed all seven lives, there will be a massive change. Though there is one thing that I am worried about.”

“What is it?” Luo Shuihan asked.

Luo Xu answered with a gentle smile and shook his head gently.

Everything Zhang Ruochen could see was darkness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the middle of a busy street.”

“Candied fruit.”

“Knives! Sharpest knives in the world and they’ll cost you nothing but an ounce of silver!”

…

The street was buzzing with people. It was a kingdom that he was unfamiliar with.

“Is this the virtual world of the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Map? It doesn’t seem to be different from the real world.”

Zhang Ruochen could feel the flesh and blood of his body, and his five senses were like any ordinary mortal.

Beauty Shi should have been born into this world already.

No sooner than Zhang Ruochen had closed his eyes, he located her location.

It felt weird to have that kind of connection. No matter how far she was, he could always find her.

Zhang Ruochen did not search for her immediately. In fact, he went to a restaurant and started feasting.

In the two lives that he had lived, he’d spent most of his time cultivating. Never had he experienced the ordinary things in life.

He had decided to take this opportunity to experience all the things he had missed out as a human. This could help him sharpen his state of mind and eventually become more mindful and determined.

In the afternoon, the people were celebrating in the streets.

The queen had given birth to a princess.

When she was born, the palace was cloaked in a purple mist and there were bright flashes of light in the sky. The people of the kingdom believed that the phenomenon was auspicious and that she was a goddess come to ease their burden.

Zhang Ruochen was the only one who knew that the little princess was the first life of Beauty Shi.

Sixteen years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Ruochen had been the coachman to a big family, a woodcutter, a fisherman, and many other ordinary things, treating himself like an actual mortal.

Unfortunately, the peacefulness did not last for long.

This was the year when the four neighboring kingdoms attacked the country.

Hundreds of thousands of armies marched into the palace, killing the king and raping the queen in front of the little princess.

Within a day, the princess fell from her safe heaven into a filthy dark pit. She had lost everything she held dear.

This was also the day that Zhang Ruochen saved her from the attack.

The death of her parents and the fall of her kingdom had caused a severe blow to the little princess mentally. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she followed Zhang Ruochen blindly, looking traumatized.

It took her a month to recover, and she asked, “Can you take me in as your disciple?”

A month ago, Zhang Ruochen fought against the force of at least a hundred troops all by himself.

She knew he was a great warrior. She wished to have that powerful strength and sought revenge for her parents, her people and her country.

Standing by a valley, Zhang Ruochen’s arms rested behind his back, and he smiled. He muttered to himself, “The horridness has called forth her determination.”

The little princess did not understand what he meant by that. She bent her knees and begged him to teach her how to wield a sword.

Before he said yes, he decided to give her a small test. He said, “The troops that marched into the palace had ten thousand men. Kill any one of them and bring me his head. And I shall teach you all my sword techniques.”

“I… I have never learnt to wield a sword. How am I supposed to kill them? Besides, I have never killed anyone…”

The little princess was shaking with fear.

“Look at your weak self. Tell me, why should I teach you?”

Zhang Ruochen threw a stern stare at her and she was shaking more than ever.

In the end, the little princess left Zhang Ruochen and headed over to the palace.

Half a month later, she came back with a blood-dripping head and handed it over to Zhang Ruochen while limping.

Her beautiful face had been layered with a few hideous scars, and her right leg was broken, making her look like a wretched beggar.

No one could recognize her as the once beautiful little princess.

To seek revenge and Zhang Ruochen’s acceptance, the little princess had been through many hurdles and put in much effort.

“How did you kill him?” Zhang Ruochen asked.

She answered with her hoarse voice, “If you are willing to put in the effort and take the risk, killing someone is not difficult at all.”

Since she had passed the test, Zhang Ruochen took her in as his disciple and taught her the promised sword technique.

A decade later, the little princess had significantly improved in her sword skills. Alone, she marched into the palaces of the four kingdoms and killed the enemies.

After taking her revenge, she returned to look for her master, only to find him missing.

She was depressed and lost. Without the guidance of her master, she was clueless of her journey ahead.

In the end, she did not recover her fallen kingdom but chose to deepen her sword techniques while travelling around the world to look for her master.

A century later, she died of old age.

On her deathbed, she murmured her master’s name with resentment.

She had spent her whole life searching for her master, hoping to see him again.

Little did she know that her master had been by her side.

When she passed on, Zhang Ruochen went to her grave and paid her a last respect.

It was then he realized his Spiritual Power had increased substantially. He muttered again: After the seventh life, I wonder if my Spiritual Power will be strong enough to achieve the saint level?

Author’s Note: I have written a longer chapter for the first life, the other six will be shorter. There will be another chapter tonight. It’s late, rest early people!