Chapter 445: A Human Again in the Fifth Life

But the Saint Master was clearly far too powerful for them to handle right now.

So they didn’t dare say a word. They even had to control themselves, not daring to reveal too much emotion.

Hui Ming stood beside Zhao Xin, wanting to speak but holding her tongue. After all, Zhao Xin had just introduced this man, Liao Chen—Xu Lei—as her Dao Companion.

Yet in the blink of an eye, Xu Lei had fought a great battle with Yuan Kong, only to be killed by the Saint Master.

Hui Ming’s feelings were naturally a bit complicated.

As Xu Lei watched Hui Ming, Qing Lian, and Zhao Xin, new figures suddenly appeared.

It was Bodhisattva Guan Yun, Bai Ling, and another of the Bodhisattva’s young attendants.

They flew up to join them, looking as if they had rushed to get here.

“How could this have happened?”

Bodhisattva Guan Yun’s expression was grim. “I already mediated between them,” she said. “I told them they were not to attack one another!”

Meanwhile, the young attendant at her side remained impassive, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

Bai Ling said nothing either. Her face was calm, but a flicker of sorrow couldn’t help but pass through her eyes.

Her Creepy Spirit must have already told her about Xu Lei’s death, so the worst of her grief had already passed. Besides, she knew Xu Lei could be reborn, so she wasn’t overcome with sadness now.

She did, however, feel a pang of regret. Bai Ling hadn’t gotten to spend any time with Xu Lei after his Ascension.

And now that Xu Lei was gone, off to his next life, who knew how many years it would be before he could achieve Ascension and return.

“What a waste of Yuan Kong,”

the Saint Master sighed. “After all the trouble it took for him to cultivate to this Realm, he dies at the hands of this Liao Chen over something like this!”

“I told Yuan Kong long ago that this world is vast. There’s always someone stronger, always a higher heaven,”

Bodhisattva Guan Yun said. “Even our Celestial Palace is, in reality, just a Magical Artifact we live in, allowing us to reside high in the sky. The only difference between us and the people on the ground is that they live on the surface, and we live in the sky. Overall, there isn’t much of a difference. We are not the true Ancient Immortals and Buddhas. Someone might not live in the sky. They might live on the ground, blending in with the common folk, perhaps even disguising themselves as an ordinary person. But if they happened to receive some inheritance from the legendary Ancient Immortal Buddha Civilization, it’s entirely possible they could be stronger than us. That’s why I always warned him to be cautious as he moved through the world, to act with kindness toward others. I never expected he would still underestimate this Liao Chen. Even I failed to see it before… that this unassuming Liao Chen was capable of such a devastating move.”

“I must return to my slumber. Guan Yun, I’m leaving matters here to you,”

the Saint Master said. “I don’t wish for my slumber to be disturbed like this again.”

Bodhisattva Guan Yun nodded.

The Saint Master’s body then soared into the air, piercing directly through the firmament of the Third Heaven and vanishing from sight.

Xu Lei watched the spot where the Saint Master had vanished, remaining silent.

‘While it’s understandable for the Saint Master to uphold the rules of the Celestial Palace, he still killed me. Of course, I’m still resentful. Besides, the so-called rules of the Celestial Palace are just rules the Saint Master made up himself. Whoever has the bigger fist makes the rules. Sometimes, that’s just how it is. And just now, that Saint Master acted so high and mighty when he faced me, completely disregarding my life. He didn’t even bother to investigate the conflict between myself, Yuan Kong, and Jue Gen to see who was right or wrong. He just killed me outright.’

Just as Xu Lei was mulling over the issue of the Saint Master…

‘But that technique Liao Chen used to kill Yuan Kong earlier… why did it seem so similar to the one Hui Chi used in the Eastern Wilderness Marsh all those years ago?’

Outside, Bodhisattva Guan Yun suddenly frowned. She turned to Bai Ling and asked, “Bai Ling, do you know anything about that technique?”

Bai Ling, of course, shook her head in denial.

Bodhisattva Guan Yun then went to question Zhao Xin and Qing Lian.

But naturally, Qing Lian and Zhao Xin claimed to know nothing.

They didn’t reveal anything about Xu Lei.

Although Bodhisattva Guan Yun’s Magical Power was immense, she apparently had no techniques for controlling people’s minds.

Unable to get any answers, she didn’t press the matter, simply telling Zhao Xin and Qing Lian to continue their Cultivation.

‘Perhaps he’s some being who obtained an inheritance from the Ancient Immortals and Buddhas?’

Then Bodhisattva Guan Yun muttered to herself, “And it must just be some kind of Secret Technique, right? After all, when he activated it, he couldn’t even protect himself. The attack was indiscriminate! But… Hui Chi from all those years ago, and Liao Chen today… what is their relationship? Could Liao Chen be Hui Chi’s successor?”

She was speaking to herself, but no one answered.

After that, Bodhisattva Guan Yun didn’t linger. She gave a short speech to soothe the many Cultivators of the Third Heaven, telling everyone to focus on their Cultivation, before she departed with her two attendants.

The Cultivators of the Third Heaven continued to discuss the matter animatedly for a while before turning back to their own Cultivation.

Zhao Xin, Qing Lian, and Hui Ming didn’t stay long either, and soon departed.

After all, there was no point in staying.

Besides, Qing Lian and Zhao Xin had no idea that Xu Lei could still observe the outside world after his death.

So they said nothing more.

Once everyone had dispersed, only Xu Lei remained, watching the empty scene from within the Ten Thousand Lives Book.

Xu Lei waited in the Ten Thousand Lives Book for several more hours, but nothing outside changed.