As Wang Wei walked through this desert, he began to review many of his memories, not all of them, but a few that had a deep impression on him–consciously or subconsciously–throughout his cultivation path.
The first memory he saw was his meeting with Li Jun. He watched how many young children of the sect bullied the little fatty, and the latter did not resist or complain. So, he asked him why he did not respond and fought back.
“What’s the point of fighting back besides adding more unnecessary injuries to me,” responded the three-year-old Li Jun. Wang Wei immediately noticed Li Jun’s wisdom as the young child understood his current state was due to his status in the sect. If he fought back, the only result would be more beating by retaliation. So, the best course of action is to accept his beating and bear with it.
“I remember that day,” muttered Wang Wei. “Li Jun’s wisdom at such a young age caught my attention.” Wang Wei knew the intelligence displayed at a young age was not because he was a prodigy but more of the result of the fact he was an adult in a child’s body.
However, Li Jun was different; he was genuinely a 3-year-old child.
“I also remember the unwillingness and desire in his eyes; that’s why I chose him.”
Wang Wei sighed as he reminisced about the past. He looked at the memory one last time before continuing. The following core memory he experienced was the first person he ever killed: a prisoner.
This was the first life he ever took, and to this day, he remembers how the sticky blood felt in his hand as he stabbed that prisoner; he remembered the moment life disappeared from the prisoner’s eye, the vivid emotions displayed on that prisoner’s life.
‘Is this the exact moment when life was no longer sacred to me?’ he analyzed. After the first kill, he had nightmares for days. But now, his hands were stained with trillions of lives, but he could still sleep peacefully.
“I felt something die inside me on that day. Was it my awe and reverence for the beautiful thing known as life?” Wang Wei sighed. “Although I know this was inevitable the moment I reincarnated in this world, it’s still sad to think how much I’ve changed from my Earth self.”
Wang Wei continued his journey. He saw the memory of when he ordered Wang Ju for the sect to experiment on Han Li for him to acquire a Heavenly Physique.
“This was my first act of pure selfishness where I ruthlessly trample on another person for benefit; the first opponent I step on for my rise on the Emperor Road.”
“I learn to never give up in this trial. I learn through hard work, intelligence, and unyielding Willpower, I can create miracles.”
Wang Wei’s eyes lit up as his aura became even more peaceful and restrained. He continued walking.
He then saw the young girl he killed during the Spirit Road Trial.
“The first innocent life I took,” he commented. The girl was a pampered Young Lady and came to the trial with guards probably as a marvel experience. Her parents were probably new to the cultivator world and did not know much about the trials’ rules and ruthlessness.
“Unfortunately, she was only one of the many innocent bystanders that suffered as a result of my Emperor Road.” He shook his head as he moved forward.
The following memory occurred not long after the girl’s death–it was a battle with a gladiator. This was the first real life and death battle he had, but this was not the reason it was a core memory.
“The world is truly unfair. I have spent more than 8 years as a gladiator, forced to kill every day to buy my freedom. It took me 8 long and painful years to summarize that dodging method, yet you learned it in less than 5 minutes. I’m not willing,” said the gladiator as he died, full of unwillingness.
“This is the first time I realize how unfair Fate can be,” commented Wang Wei. “Some people spend their entire life striving for something, but others are born with it. Some people have to struggle their entire life, but others are born destined to achieve greatness.”
As he reviewed these memories from a higher cultivation standpoint, he understood many things and saw these events in different lights.
So, he continued his journey.
The subsequent memory was his battle with Ji Song, where he almost died because of the latter’s mighty fleshly body.
“Truth be told, this is probably the second most difficult battle I experienced throughout my entire life,” he muttered as he watched his body lying on the ground with a shattered spine. Only two people of his generation pushed him to such a miserable state.
Wang Wei re-experienced that battle before continuing to walk. The memories in front of him changed to after the Spirit Road Trial as he stayed in a mortal village.
“This village is where I experience the vast difference between Mortals and Cultivators; it is the place where I awakened my ambitions to change this era,” muttered Wang Wei as he realized the importance of that village to him.
“Cause and effect, Karma,” he continued. “I planted a tree on a whim, but 300,000 years later, it turned into a precious World Tree. The villagers were friendly and welcoming, so I placed a Feng Shui Formation on their village to bless them with luck. Now, they are a Supreme Land with great potential to become an Emperor Lineage.
“Everything is connected, one way or the other.”
Wang Wei’s aura was utterly restrained inside his body; he now looked like an ordinary mortal with no cultivation. However, upon closer observation, people with keen observation could detect he was fusing with Heaven and Earth as if the two were the same.
The following core memory was a confrontation between him and Heavenly Dao when he entered the Duyi Realm. Heavenly Dao tried to stop him by influencing his Willpower. From the records he knew, the trial to enter the Duyi Realm should not have been so severe. Then, there is his odd black Qi Luck Dragon.
Wang Wei looked at this memory with a frown.
“This event might be the confrontation between my future self and Grand Dao,” he suddenly uttered. “No, the first confrontation was my battle with the Wrath of Heaven.”
Wang Wei knew many anomalous things that happened during his life, most of which were weird and unexplainable. But today, he had a theory on the reason.
“A battle that spawns across time and space,” he muttered before continuing; it was not time to care about these things that he could not control.
The next memory was a meeting in the Li Clan Mountains after entering the Divine Altar Realm.
He tasked Li Jun to suppress all the famous disciples in the sects, including the Contemporary Sacred Sons. Then, someone from the Li Clan called him, and he had a meeting with a beautiful middle-aged woman dressed in all white; she had a doting and motherly aura emanating from her body.
“I want to thank you,” said Qian Xifen, Li Jun’s mother, with a gentle and kind smile that could put people at ease.
“Thank me? For what?” asked Wang Wei as he placed his teacup on the table.
“For giving my son a chance to shine.”
“I thought you would blame me.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“After all, I could guarantee him a safe and peaceful life with my status. However, he will now follow me on a dangerous road with a high probability of death.”
Qian Xifen briefly paused, “As a mother, I also want my son to live a peaceful life. However, I also understand that strength is necessary to survive and have dignity in the cultivation world.
“So, I’m glad you showed the world he was no worse than any Heaven Chosens. As for the danger, this is unavoidable.”
“Since you don’t blame me, I’m relieve.”
Wang Wei calmly looked at this scene; he did not think this memory was this significant to him. Back then, he had some guilt about Li Jun following him. After all, he knew the Emperor Path he chose to walk on was full of danger and uncertainty. So, he often pondered that it may be better for Li Jun not to follow him and live a safer life.
“Madam Qian, I did not disappoint your expectation. I protected your son, and he is now one of the brightest stars in this generation,” muttered Wang Wei, who suddenly felt more peaceful.
He smiled before continuing his journey.