Chapter 655: Famous Throughout Luotian. Beyond Life and Death, There is Karma.

A complex look appeared in Sun Tai’s eyes as he gazed at Wang Lin, speechless for a long time. Although his cultivation had fallen to the Soul Transformation Stage, his eyesight remained, yet no matter how he looked, he could not see through Wang Lin’s cultivation.

A realization dawned in his eyes; the weak Soul Transformation Cultivator from the Immortal Realm, whom he had forced to abandon control, the low-level Cultivator who could only watch from the sidelines during his battle with Zhou Yi—that small figure from his memory could not possibly be the person before him now.

Back then, Wang Lin’s gaze, though sharp, still lacked a bit of cunning, and his cultivation was too low. Had it not been for Zhou Yi’s imprint, Sun Tai could have easily killed him with a single palm strike.

However, the Wang Lin before him now had a calm gaze, yet a casual glance from him immediately made Sun Tai’s mind tremble, his Primordial Spirit shaking as if struck by thunder, his body and mind convulsing. This intense disparity made it impossible for Sun Tai to accept this reality.

In those days, Wang Lin’s status was even more humble. Even on Vermilion Bird Star, he was merely a pawn, unnoticed by any Soul Transformation Cultivator.

Yet, this person now, upon his sudden appearance, immediately drew the attention of the Ran Family’s Soul Transformation Old Ancestor, who even sent an eighth-grade Spirit Pill. As for himself, he had been reduced to a Guest Elder of the Ran Family, with none of his former glory.

Back then, Wang Lin, facing life and death, still needed his assistance. If not for him, this person would have long been killed by the Giant Demon Race Old Ancestor.

But this person now had unfathomable cultivation, and the Qi emanating from him clearly made Sun Tai realize that Wang Lin had killed a fellow Cultivator of the same stage!

Killing a Soul Transformation Cultivator—that was a terrifying Concept!

The intense contrast caused an incomparably complex mix of emotions to surge within Sun Tai. In a few hundred years, the changes in the person before him felt like the world had been turned upside down in his heart.

In a daze, the weak, small figure from his memory who could only look up to him gradually vanished, replaced by the powerful presence before him now, one he dared not speak loudly to, dared not meet his gaze, and for whom he would have no complaints even if he became his servant!

Wang Lin did not know all of Sun Tai’s psychological changes, but from his expression, he understood them to some extent. He did not speak, merely gazing calmly at Sun Tai.

Sun Tai stared blankly at Wang Lin and whispered, “You… what is your current cultivation level?”

“Soul Transformation!” Wang Lin said calmly.

Sun Tai smiled bitterly. He didn’t believe Wang Lin’s cultivation was merely Soul Transformation. If it truly were Soul Transformation, he would surely be able to sense it to some degree, but in his opinion, even the Ran Family Old Ancestor was definitely no match for this former nobody before him.

He finally understood why the Ran Family Old Ancestor would send that eighth-grade Medicinal Pill to Wang Lin in such an auction-like manner.

“You still haven’t answered my question!” Wang Lin’s voice was extremely calm. He withdrew his gaze from Sun Tai and looked out the window of the mansion.

That simple sentence made Sun Tai’s body tremble, but it was immediately replaced by the complexity in his heart. How could that small figure from back then dare to speak to him in such a tone? Yet now, tragically, when Wang Lin spoke that way, his own mind actually trembled.

“When I… I was teleported into this Luotian Star Domain, it was near Donglin Star. I lived on Donglin Star for nearly a hundred years, working as a servant for the Lu Family for a hundred years, and finally, I gained my freedom and could leave.

My imprint was removed there by someone from the Lu Family, but… I didn’t expect the imprint to still exist in the end,” Sun Tai said bitterly.

“Lu Family?” Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened.

“Donglin Star has Three Strongest Families: the Xu, Lu, and Liu Families!” Sun Tai whispered.

Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with contemplation, and he slowly said, “How strong are these three families? What is different about Donglin Star?”

“Very strong. These three families are unfathomable. As for exactly how strong, with my status, I cannot know. But any Elder sent by these three families could annihilate Ran Yun Star… As for what’s different about Donglin Star, I can only say it’s a chaotic Hell, a bloody world.” As Sun Tai spoke, he recalled his memories of Donglin Star, and fear appeared in his eyes.

Wang Lin saw this trace of fear and sighed inwardly. The former Grand Elder of the Corpse Yin Sect on Vermilion Bird Star was gone forever. In this life, even if Sun Tai recovered to his former cultivation, he would be permanently stagnant, unable to advance further.

Because he had lost the Dao Heart a Cultivator should possess; his Dao Heart had been completely crushed by a hundred years on Donglin Star.

“Are there any Xiang Family members on Donglin Star?” Wang Lin suddenly asked.

“Xiang Family?” Sun Tai was startled. He thought carefully for a long time and shook his head, saying, “To my knowledge, there is no Xiang Family on Donglin Star. Of course, it’s also possible that my status was too low to know some hidden matters.”

Wang Lin fell silent. A moment later, he looked at Sun Tai and said, “As the Grand Elder of the Corpse Yin Sect on Vermilion Bird Star in the Alliance Star Domain, you must know about the Corpse Yin Sect. What kind of organization is the Corpse Yin Sect?”

Sun Tai sighed lightly and said bitterly, “Although I am the Grand Elder of the Corpse Yin Sect on Vermilion Bird Star, you should know that there are many people with my status. I don’t know much about the Corpse Yin Sect’s secrets. I only know that the Corpse Yin Sect is one of the two major sects within the Alliance Star Domain.

The sects mentioned here are true sects, not confined to a single star or region, but are vast in scope, affecting the entire Alliance. There are many powerful Divine Ability Cultivators within it, and its power has even extended into the Cultivation Alliance itself.

It is rumored that the Sect Master of the Corpse Yin Sect is a person of extremely high status within the Cultivation Alliance, which is why the Corpse Yin Sect has existed for so long.

As for the other great sect that can contend with the Corpse Yin Sect, it is the Four Saints Sect. To be precise, Vermilion Bird Star can also be considered a trace of power branched off from a distant branch of the Four Saints Sect. It is rumored that the first generation Vermilion Bird Son was separated from the Four Saints Star.

And that Four Saints Star is merely a branch of the Four Saints Sect. In fact, if you calculate carefully, you could even be considered the outermost Disciple of the Four Saints Sect.”

Wang Lin’s gaze became solemn. After all, his Cultivation time was too short, and he simply couldn’t know such secret matters. Hearing this now, he gained a new understanding of the Alliance Star Domain.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Lin looked at Sun Tai and asked, “What is your status in the Ran Family?”

“I am merely a Guest Elder of the Ran Family, living out my days in the Baohe Tower in this city. This is only because the Ran Family Old Ancestor saw that I had some insights into Alchemy and Artifact Refining, which is why he took me in.” Sun Tai’s eyes showed a sense of decline. He hesitated, then added, “That eighth-grade Medicinal Pill, you… you shouldn’t have taken it. This is a conspiracy of the Ran Family Old Ancestor. Four years ago…”

Sun Tai spoke in great detail, revealing everything he knew about the events from four years ago, which largely matched what Sun Xi had said.

Outside, the sky was gradually darkening; it was already dusk. The setting sun shone through the window, falling upon Sun Tai, making him appear even older, as if in his twilight years.

Even on his body, as the lingering rays of the sunset illuminated him, a trace of Death Qi gradually emerged. Although faint, Wang Lin’s Concept was Life and Death Reincarnation, and he immediately saw the anomaly.

“Your Lifespan is not much…” Wang Lin withdrew his gaze and said calmly.

Sun Tai smiled bitterly, nodding, “It’s not much. I can feel that I only have twenty more years.”

“You, go back. In twenty years, if I am still on Ran Yun Star, I will personally see you off.” Wang Lin closed his eyes.

Sun Tai was silent. After a long while, he stood up, gazed at the sunset outside the window, and softly said, “Can you… promise me one thing?”

“Speak.” Wang Lin did not open his eyes, speaking calmly.

“In twenty years, if you truly see me off, please take my ashes back to Dark Moon Star in the Alliance Star Domain. There is a Heavenly Mountain there, and I remember a village at its foot. Please take my ashes there…”

Wang Lin sighed lightly, opened his eyes, looked at Sun Tai, and nodded.

Sun Tai smiled gratefully. At this moment, he was like an old Mortal, wanting to return to his roots before death, rather than becoming a foreign soul even after passing away.

He took out a Storage Pouch from his bosom, slowly placed it aside, and softly said, “Inside, there are some Immortal Jade that I prepared for one day to restore my cultivation. Seeing you, I feel I no longer need them. Take them. There are also my insights into Alchemy and Artifact Refining. Consider it my thanks for sending me back to my homeland.”

Facing the sunset, Sun Tai walked out falteringly. The lingering light cast an orange glow upon him, accompanying Sun Tai as he walked further and further away.

Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, it was hard to describe the emotions. Watching Sun Tai’s departing figure, in Wang Lin’s eyes, the Grand Elder of the Corpse Yin Sect who had fought Zhou Yi, snatched the female corpse, and dominated the world, gradually overlapped with this retreating back.

Sun Tai didn’t ask about the Demonic Child he had released back then, even until he left. Perhaps he had truly given up on everything, come to terms with it. For the remaining twenty years, he just wanted to live quietly and ordinarily.

Giving away the Storage Pouch was also a sign of resolving his inner conflict, indicating that he had given up on the possibility of recovery, given up on everything, including the unwillingness he had felt for hundreds of years since coming to this Luotian Star Domain.

He suffered this fate because of Wang Lin, but also because of Wang Lin, he gave up everything, freeing himself from hundreds of years of mental suffering. If there was truly Karma, this was it.

His only request was to return to his roots, to have Wang Lin send him back to his hometown, to that small village at the foot of Heavenly Mountain… As the lingering light fell, Wang Lin closed his eyes. Life and death, cause and effect, sometimes, it was just a single thought, just like yin and yang, illusion and reality.

Such is the way of the world… “Karma, another manifestation after the Life and Death Reincarnation Concept. One could even say that this Karma is the Origin of life and death, because with life, the fruit of death will be borne…” A glimmer of understanding appeared in Wang Lin’s eyes, but he still felt it was somewhat abstruse, as if he could see it but couldn’t grasp it.

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The next chapter will be late.