He did not directly believe the woman's words. Although he knew she was strong, what she said that could make him break through leaps and bounds in his cultivation should not be enough to tempt him.
After all, this was still Da Shikong, the Realm of Spacetime, wherein the strongest could only be the peak Saint Emperors and nothing beyond that.
He, who had long surpassed this level, should be able to carry out and complete this test quickly.
Feeling at ease, Yang Lujia felt like this test was much simpler than the previous one he had. It seemed like the gentleness of the Vermillion Bird was applied here. However, it was because of this that he did not dare let his guard down. Although he did not feel ill at ease, he still had to spare some skepticism.
Yang Lujia spared no word anymore and followed the woman in the way. When the both of them finally reached the Life Gorge, Yang Lujia was not surprised that the beasts did not detect any of their presence.
He could also naturally see that the upper echelons of the Life Controlling Beasts were trying their best to raise their cultivation realms. After all, there would really be an inevitable war between their side and the humans.
Therefore, this preparation came as a necessary turning point for them to at least save themselves in the upcoming war. All the other disciples and those who had not yet transformed were basically taken under their care. Meanwhile, those who they did not hold in high regard were disregarded, even those babies in their infant stage and whose talents were only so-so had been ruthlessly ignored.
All this was because Sheng Ming issued an order and the elders as well as those with the same level of status carried out this task without any delay. Eventually, the original one million lives had been cut down to a hundred thousand.
Sheng Ming, in this upcoming war, decided that quality would still be better than quantity. His sister who had held regard for every living beast of their kin had cried until she was left with no other choice but to mourn for their wasted lives. At this time, she was filled with hatred for the City Life Healer. If not for humans interfering with their affairs, could this scenario play out against them?
"What are they doing?"
Unbeknownst to him, the woman who he accompanied during this trip already flared. Her aura became even dense that Yang Lujia could roughly guess her cultivation realm. "A peak Saint Emperor…"
Just so-so.
He thought she was so strong to the point that he would be helpless against her. Thus, he did not show any resistance against her back then. Actually, he had already probed into her cultivation realm, but he was actually unable to.
He conjectured that unless she willfully released her aura, even he, Yang Lujia, would not know her actual cultivation level—even if he had to resort to his purple eyes to know the truth.
"What are you going to do?"
Yang Lujia was initially was against asking such a question. However, this concerned his test. Thus, he could not be that indifferent about this matter. Seeing her flare up like that could only mean that something must have gone wrong.
And if he failed such a simple test, wouldn't that be disgraceful to him and his father's reputation? Moreover, it could also mean that the divine beasts were looking at this situation at the moment.
That would incur some shame in his heart if he really did not make it.
"What else am I going to do? Should I not beat up these bastards? They really dared to kill all those lives just for defending themselves in case I attacked? What did their Life Ancestor tell them? Why are they in such a panic? I merely took several Tokens of Life to sustain the living of all the people in the city!"
Yang Lujia's face scrunched. He looked at the woman and found her last sentence disturbing. "You actually take their Tokens of Life as something insignificant? What do you mean by 'merely'?"
If it was in the past, Yang Lujia wouldn't take this as a very big deal. However, when she said it, it actually ignited the feeling again—because he was triggered and had suddenly recalled all the things he did to willfully kill innocent lives.
Yang Lujia's eyes had long become purple and his tone was akin to ice.
"Young Lord! These beasts are very despicable! You don't have to feel bad for them! Those Tokens of Life that I took—"
"Say no more. Lives are priceless. How dare you take it as something that is only measly?" Yang Lujia questioned, his aura soaring— eventually reaching the realm higher than the woman's. "Although you were angry about the higher echelons of these beasts slaughtering those who they find insignificant, it was an entirely different matter with you, forcefully stealing their hearts. Do you even hear yourself saying that?"
As much as Yang Lujia hated himself for killing people wantonly in the past, he hated it the most when others would do the same. He did not wish another being or human to do the same as he did. He was not righteous, but he was not evil either.
In this realm, although he could only utilize the rules of life, that was more than enough for him to dispose of the woman who did not take of other people's lives and those beasts who did not have any pity for their own kin.
He needed not to show any mercy.
The woman looked at Yang Lujia with a surprised expression. When she felt the aura of Yang Lujia rising above hers, she felt like something crawled out of her spine. As ominous as it would sound, she felt like a hundred thousand or a million of her would still not be able to budge this young man beside her.
That was because she touched his sore spot.
Yang Lujia was reminiscent of the past and when he found out that he killed that old lady's son. It was just a pity that the old lady already passed away. Otherwise, he would have fulfilled his promise to himself and the old lady—although she did know—to revive her son.
He snickered at the woman and trapped her with the rules of life that slowly sapped away her remaining life force. "You stay obediently here. I'm just going to filter out those who were innocent or not among these beasts."
Doing the same method as he did in the Blue Scale Sect when he turned to the bad side, he managed to uproot every upper echelon or member of the Life Controller Beasts who had chosen to willfully kill all their kin.
He also understood the fact that some of them did not have any other choice but to succumb to power. However, these spineless kind of creatures who could only fear would never have any stable principles in their lives. Like humans, once one's principles could be shaken just by mere suppression—especially in this world—could only make that person mediocre in his life forever.
Thinking of this, Yang Lujia seemed to have entered into an enlightenment. However, no one dared approach him as he suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground. They knew very well that he was so powerful—that even their leader had no other choice but to submit to this young man.
That was why… they waited.
On the other hand, the woman who was trapped inside Yang Lujia's cage made of the rules of life just smiled and there was even satisfaction that could be seen in her expression—especially her eyes. "The young lord is really not simple…"
Yang Lujia had grasped the important roles of life and how the lives of people were so important that no one could just forsake them. As he said, he was not evil—but unless he had no other choice, he would not kill another being or human at his own discretion—or just because for shallow reasons.
He had come this far.
Life is something he had never dared imagine that he would get in his second life. He thought he was already dead and his soul would depart to the depths of hell. Who could have thought that he would have this kind of opportunity despite the ruthless killings he did in the past?
Who would think that a notorious man like him who would do everything, even to the extent of killing innocent people or his relatives, could have a second life that was even very extravagant?
Who could have possibly given him this life?
His father?
No.
That was unlikely.
The creator of this world?
Unlikely, either.
But who?
As he pondered, he also understood that the rules of life were actually not enough to revive others because his previous never regarded the lives of others as important. Although he was protective of his disciples or the other people around him, it was still not up to the extent that he would be willing to give up his own life for them. After all, if it was for himself, the revenge he would do was always over the top. As for others who he thought were dear to him, he avenged or protected them—but it wasn't the same case.
Could this be the meaning of life?
To know your purpose.
For someone like him who had lost his purpose after coming to this world other than knowing who he really was, he slowly found his purpose—like knowing whose family he came from or uncovering the real identity of the creator of this world or for what reason his soul was sent here.
And to know who you are fighting for.
For someone like him who had not fought for someone else but for himself alone, this could be considered a breakthrough for him.
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