104: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (The End)

In the endless Void Realm, consciousness seemed to float in the boundless sea of stars, or perhaps sink into eternal, silent darkness.

Xu Yuan's perception was muddled; only the earth-shattering scene at the end and the pain of his own smelting remained, branded deep within his surviving true spirit.

"Golden Core Karma? A Daoist Monarch arrived in person?"

A vague thought floated up slowly like a bubble from the bottom of a pond, carrying a strong sense of absurdity and unreality.

"I was only at the Foundation Establishment stage in this life..."

"Playing for such high stakes?"

This was not a complaint, but a near-numb astonishment.

Xu Yuan thought that in his three lives of Rebirth, he had been cautious, rising from the bottom, making a name for himself in the Elite Battle, holding power within the Sect, and opposing the "Son of Destiny" Ye Feng who was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, competing for Luck and resources in a corner of the Southern Region...

He thought this was the limit of the stage in this life.

Until that giant hand tore through the firmament, ignoring the Heavenly Dao Order, and refined him and the reincarnated body of a Golden Core True Person into a Magic Treasure as if kneading mud.

Until he heard the desperate roar of "Daoist Monarch" from True Person Xuanming.

Until he realized that his destiny entanglement with Ye Feng might have already fallen into the eyes of some supreme existence back at the enlightenment tablet, becoming part of their casual layout.

However... perhaps it was always meant to be this way.

This world is not a stage for "leveling up by fighting monsters" in a game.

It is vast, profound, and... extremely dangerous.

There are no so-called "safe zones" or "Rank protection" here.

You will not encounter only Qi-refining opponents just because you are at the Qi-refining stage; you will not be involved in Foundation Establishment conflicts only because you are at the Foundation Establishment stage.

It is very likely that while you are still struggling in the mud, thinking you have hidden yourself well, your trajectory of destiny and the Karma entangled around you have already been watched and calculated by some high-and-mighty eyes.

Just like an ant, when it is focused on fighting another ant for a grain of rice, it will never realize that its nest might be located on the Foundation of a palace someone is about to build.

Destruction, perhaps, does not stem from the opponent in front of you, but from a casual step or an intentional arrangement by an existence from a higher dimension that you cannot comprehend.

Destroying you, what does it have to do with you?

"In this life... losing is not unjust..."

Xu Yuan's surviving consciousness felt a hint of bitter self-mockery.

He thought he was cautious enough and hardworking enough, yet he still underestimated the cruelty and unpredictability of this real world.

He struggled against the destiny of Ye Feng, not knowing that he had long been a more conspicuous pawn on someone else's chessboard.

This realization did not bring despair, but a bone-chilling coldness and... clarity.

If the world is like this, then complaints and fear are meaningless.

Only acceptance, and learning lessons from it, remains.

"Settle the experience of the previous life."

As Xu Yuan's mind stirred, the illusory panel appeared.

【You were born into a cultivation Sect. You were gifted, and upon the day of your birth, the Innate Blade Heart caused visions of Ten Thousand Blades Resonating. You were seen as the hope for the rise of the Overlord Blade Sect and were taken as a Personal Disciple by the Sect Master.】

【At the age of sixteen, you sensed through your Innate Blade Heart that among the new Disciples, there was one, Ye Feng, who possessed an Innate Blade Bone. You reported this to the Sect, and the Sect immediately decided to secretly take action to transplant his Innate Blade Bone onto you.】

【The matter of digging out the bone was eventually exposed at the last moment. Ye Feng's Revered Master attacked the Sect, but the bone transplantation was already a fait accompli. In the end, Ye Feng's Revered Master took the dying Ye Feng and left the Sect to search for medicine, while you, having transplanted the Innate Blade Bone, successfully broke through to the 7th Layer of Qi Condensation.】

【Having awakened your past wisdom, you vaguely sensed that something was wrong, so you hurriedly sent people to search for Ye Feng's tracks everywhere, intending to cut weeds and eliminate the roots. But after successfully intercepting one of Ye Feng's Opportunities, he managed to escape again. Although you were unwilling, you successfully broke through to the Eighth Level of Qi Condensation relying on this Opportunity.】

【After breaking through to the Eighth Level of Qi Condensation, you went to the Scripture Pavilion to Cultivate saber techniques and consolidate your Foundation, which caused Ten Thousand Blades Resonating within the Sect, and you successfully broke through to the 9th Layer of Qi Refining.】

【You led the Sect's Disciples to participate in the Secret Realm, intending to compete for the Heaven And Earth Treasure within to enhance your own background and prepare for the future Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.】

【In the Secret Realm, you swept away all enemies, gained insights into the Golden Core Saber Intent, and killed a Foundation Establishment Great Demon in reverse. However, you also learned news about Ye Feng, and a sense of urgency arose in your heart.】

【You no longer pursued the Perfect Dao Foundation, but chose to condense the Ninth-Grade Flawless Dao Foundation—the Ten Thousand Blades Facing Ancestor Dao Foundation. On the day of your Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, a deacon from the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion descended, and you were ranked 89th on the Southern Region elite rank, receiving an invitation to participate in the Southern Region Elite Battle ten years later.】

【For the Southern Region Elite Battle ten years later, you resolutely decided to go out for training. By coincidence, you killed an Elder of the Joyful Union Sect, obtained a map, and received the Legacy of Mo Qianji from the Eastern Region.】

【The Southern Region Elite Battle began. With your Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, relying on the Innate Blade Bone, Innate Blade Heart, and the Ten Thousand Blades Facing Ancestor Dao Foundation, you won consecutive victories, defeated various Prodigies of different Sects with your saber, and finally entered the top nine, shocking the Southern Region. The name "Ba Dao Chen Yuan" spread far and wide.】

【While gaining insights from the enlightenment tablet, you gained a lot. After returning to the Sect, you announced your seclusion. The Sect fully supported you, providing you with the best Cultivation environment.】

【During your seclusion, you focused on digesting the gains from the Elite Battle, combined with the insights from the wordless enlightenment tablet, continuously polishing your Saber Intent and Dao Foundation. Five years later, you reached Perfection. With a single Breakthrough, you triggered visions of heaven and earth, your saber resonated to the nine heavens, and you successfully promoted to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, with strength approaching Foundation Establishment Perfection.】

【On the day you came out of seclusion, your Revered Master, Qin Zhantian, announced in public that he would pass the position to you in three months, and you would succeed as the 28th Sect Master of the Overlord Blade Sect.】

【No one in the Sect had any objections; everyone believed you were the only candidate to revive the Sect.】

【On the day of the ceremony, forces from all over the Southern Region came to congratulate, and guests gathered. However, Ye Feng, who was the Reincarnation of a Golden Core True Person and had already cultivated to Foundation Establishment Perfection, suddenly appeared, intending to stir up Karma, condense the Human Luck Golden Core Karma, and re-prove his Golden Core position.】

【To break the situation, you resolutely burned your Innate Blade Bone to exchange for a brief touch of the power of the "Golden" Rank, and used the "Stored Saber Style" that you had been silently accumulating since your past wisdom awakened, slashing out a supreme saber strike that exceeded your own limits, severely injuring Ye Feng, and almost severing his "Karma" path.】

【However, True Person Xuanming's backup plan was beyond imagination. You were exhausted and dying. Although Ye Feng was severely injured, he was not dead and wanted to take the Opportunity to refine you alive as the final firewood for his re-condensation of the Human Luck Golden Core "Karma".】

【Just at the moment of life and death, a supreme existence, whom True Person Xuanming called "Daoist Monarch", tore through the Realm, ignored the chains of the Heavenly Dao Order, and descended into this world. He casually refined you and True Person Xuanming together, casting you into a special Magic Treasure containing Karma and Saber Intent.】

【Before your consciousness dissipated, you recognized this Daoist Monarch as the voice you had heard within the enlightenment tablet in the Eastern Region, and realized that your destiny entanglement with Ye Feng had long been within his calculations, just for the purpose of Artifact Refining.】

【The third life ended. With your Late Foundation Establishment Stage body, you were involved in the layout of a Golden Core Reincarnation and even a Daoist Monarch. Although you struggled hard, you eventually became a pawn and were refined into a weapon.】

【You died.】

【Commentary: The direction of the saber blade is the Dao you chose; the longitude and latitude of destiny are nothing but thorns waiting to be cut. Transplanting the Sword Bone at sixteen was not a sin, but a nomination paper for entering the Shura field. You used the Sect as a sheath and your arch-enemy as a whetstone, polishing your true self in the interweaving of blood and fire. Burning your bones and Dao Foundation was not helplessness, but the edge shown to a higher-level chess player. Even if a True Person holds the pieces and uses Karma as a board, you chose to split the cage with your body as the blade — pawns can also shatter the chessboard! Though this body has fallen, the Saber Intent endures!】

【Evaluation Rank: Middle-Grade B】

【Obtained attribute points: 240 (Realm * Evaluation Rank)】

"240 points?"

"So many?"

Seeing that the reward was as high as 240 attribute points, Xu Yuan could not help but flash a hint of surprise in his heart. However, the more attribute points, the better, and Xu Yuan naturally would not complain about having too many.

"Add points!"

After Xu Yuan thought about it, the attribute panel changed accordingly.

【Aptitude: 50】

【Comprehension Ability: 50】

【Luck: 140】

【Family Background: 100】

Aptitude and Comprehension Ability were actually enough in the previous life, so Xu Yuan did not add much this time. He mainly added Luck and Family Background.

Adding points to Family Background was for Xu Yuan to gamble on whether he could be reincarnated into a Golden Core Family or a Golden Core Sect, which could save him quite a bit of effort.

And adding points to Luck was to seek the Golden Core!

When he touched the "Golden" Rank in that final slash in the previous life, it had already made Xu Yuan vaguely realize that wanting to achieve the Golden Core Rank must be linked to Luck!

"I wonder if I can seek the Golden Core Rank in this life?"

Xu Yuan did not hesitate anymore, then with a thought, enveloped in a pale blue light, he was reincarnated again.