176: Chapter 176 Three Lifetimes, Transmigration

Overlooking the Cangnan River Valley, the newly born Fengling Sect had shed its coldness, and every corner was overflowing with vigorous vitality.

Below the Guest-Welcoming Peak, the Ten Thousand Flower Heavenly Steps shimmered with flowing radiance.

Women of all kinds were striving to climb. There were daughters of noble families in luxurious clothing with swaying jewelry, and commoner girls in simple hairpins and cloth skirts with resolute gazes; there were enchanting beauties with seductive figures and flowing glances, as well as pure Fairies with cold temperaments and focused expressions.

The sounds of chatter, laughter, heavy breathing, and whispers of mutual encouragement intertwined into one.

"Look! That is the immortal mountain of the Fengling Sect. The Spiritual Qi is so abundant!" a round-faced girl pointed excitedly at the mist-shrouded peaks.

"I heard that as long as one can climb these Heavenly Steps, they will have the chance to join the immortal Sect and learn the method of longevity!" An older, beautiful woman beside her had eyes full of longing.

"Hmph, don't get happy too early! These Ten Thousand Flower Heavenly Steps are not that easy to climb!" An energetic woman dressed in martial attire with a long sword on her back snorted coldly, but her footsteps did not stop for a moment.

By the water pavilion at the peak, Zhang Baifeng stood side by side with the sisters Jiang Wangqing and person, overlooking the stream of people climbing below.

"Tsk tsk, Sister, look at the one in purple gauze. Her waist is twisting so much it's about to break; I'm afraid her intentions aren't pure."

person blinked her playful eyes and pouted.

Jiang Wangqing leaned lazily against the railing and chuckled charmingly, "What's the rush? The Ten Thousand Flower Heavenly Steps have the ability to discern. Those with impure intentions will eventually reveal themselves. Just focus on maintaining order."

With a slight movement of her fingertips, an invisible barrier quietly formed, gently pushing a woman who was trying to take a shortcut back onto the Righteous Path.

Zhang Baifeng's clear voice spread across the mountain steps: "Those who climb the steps should clear their minds and calm their Qi to sense their immortal fate. Taking shortcuts will only result in wasted effort!"

On Aoki Peak, the lush greenery was even more abundant.

Yun Yanran was directing a group of Disciples skilled in wood-element spiritual power to measure the ground Qi and drive stakes to mark lines. The prototype of a pill pavilion, built against the mountain and emitting the fresh scent of herbs, had already appeared.

"Over here! The Foundation must trigger the wood Spiritual Vein node below. The position of the pill fire room needs to be shifted another three inches to the east!"

By the cold pond on Xuanming Peak, the waterfall roared. Hua Youyou sat before the ancient Scripture Pavilion, her expression calm and indifferent.

New female Disciples, led by other veteran Disciples of the Moonshadow Sect, flipped through the Jade Slips in the pavilion with curiosity and awe.

"'Great Thunder Longevity Art', 'Thirty-Six Styles of Profound Cave'... Heaven Rank! There are actually so many Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques here?!"

Low cries of pleasant surprise rose and fell.

On the western Taibai Peak, Sword Qi hummed. Gu Chunnuan, in a purple dress, was leading the Sword Cultivator Disciples to use Sword Qi to carve stone and divert water, constructing a Sword-Tempering Pool. Amidst the crisscrossing Sword Qi, the hard rock was precisely sculpted.

On the southern Liming Peak, the aura of earth fire grew stronger. Chu Zhirou directed the Artifact Pavilion Disciples to transport spiritual materials and build the base for the Artifact Refining furnace.

"The runes of the fire-induction array must be carved precisely; a single mistake could cause the furnace to explode!" Her voice was cold, and her gaze was like a torch.

Chi Shuying stood in mid-air, her pink cloud-mist skirt dancing lightly in the wind. A bustling scene of construction unfolded before her eyes.

Her gaze swept across the peaks, occasionally sending voice transmissions to guide Yun Yanran on positions, reminding Hua Youyou about the zoning of Cultivation Techniques, or praising Gu Chunnuan's layout of the sword pool, managing the overall situation with ease.

Creation Floating Island · By the Spiritual River.

The Creation River meandered from the core of the floating island, turning into a brilliant waterfall of spiritual light at the edge, cascading down to join the rushing Lingxi River below.

At the shallow beach by the river, water splashed and laughter rang out.

Chi Wanhe was the most lively. Her pink dress was already soaked and clinging to her body, outlining her full and tempting curves. She scooped up a handful of clear Creation River water and laughingly splashed it toward the cold and independent Lin Xiwei. "Fifth Junior Sister, don't just stand there! Come play in the water!"

Lin Xiwei's moon-white shark-silk dress was soaked by the water, making her slender figure even more apparent. Her long legs, narrow hips, and the looming silver star-track patterns added a touch of mystery under the shimmering light. She frowned slightly to dodge the splash and spoke coldly:

"Eldest Senior Sister, do not fool around." Before her voice could fade, her waist was suddenly grabbed by Du Yuqing, who had quietly sneaked up behind her!

"Ah! Third Senior Sister, why are you also—"

Amidst her cry of surprise, Lin Xiwei was pulled into the water by Du Yuqing. Du Yuqing's black dress clung to her body after being soaked, and the 'great fruits' she usually kept bound and hidden were now liberated, swaying with heart-stopping curves in the water.

Water droplets slid down the full curves with great impact. The golden lotus mark on her forehead shone brightly under the light.

"Third Senior Sister!" Lu Changning also allowed herself a rare moment of relaxation. Her lotus-colored dress was soaked, further accentuating her slender and exquisite ankles. She sat in the shallow water, watching Du Yuqing and Lin Xiwei play with a gentle smile on her face.

The most oblivious was Xia Yingying, who wore a light water-green gauze dress and was splashing in the water like a curious little deer.

"Senior... Senior Sister, I... I still don't know how to swim..."

On the shore, Ling Hao sat casually on a smooth pebble. Qin Zhaoxue sat next to him, the hem of her misty-blue silk dress pulled up to reveal her beautiful feet clad in thin black stockings.

Those feet were small and exquisite, with beautiful arches, appearing even more fair and delicate under the wrap of the black stockings.

She gently dipped her feet into the cool river water, her toes dabbing the surface and creating circles of tiny ripples. The black stockings were soaked through, clinging to her skin and showing the flawless lines of her feet.

Ling Hao withdrew his gaze from his Disciples playing in the water and let it fall on the gentle and quiet face of Qin Zhaoxue beside him. He pondered for a moment before finally asking:

"Xiaoxue, actually, I've wanted to ask for a long time... As a fellow Transmigrator, why do you have... well, no objections at all toward me and this huge 'Sect'?"

Hearing this, Qin Zhaoxue's toes paused slightly in the water. She turned her head, her eyes curving into crescents and a smile spreading across her lips as she looked into Ling Hao's eyes: "Because I like you."

Ling Hao was slightly stunned, meeting her clear yet deep eyes. The two stared at each other quietly for a moment before Qin Zhaoxue looked away first, gazing back at the shimmering river surface, her hand unconsciously playing with the current.

"Actually..." Her voice carried a hint of distance, as if traveling through time and space, "this is my third life."

"???"

Ling Hao's eyes widened instantly, his face full of unbelievable question marks.

Qin Zhaoxue did not look at him; carved window frames and a stifling courtyard seemed to flash before her eyes as she continued to herself.

"In my first life, I was a daughter of a secluded noble house. Because I was weak and sickly, I was trapped in a small corner of the world. All I saw was the 'harmony' between my father's wives and concubines and children gathered around. At that time, I felt that a man having several women around him was a responsibility, a rule, and a natural order."

"Also because of my weak health, my parents did not force me to marry."

"In my second life, I opened my eyes and saw an era that advocated for 'one and only true love'." She gave a light laugh.

"But I saw the naked price and deception in those marriages. I saw more resentful couples who were together only in name, and I saw how fragile and powerless promises were in the face of long years and the complexity of human nature."

"I loathed it, and I remained unmarried my whole life."

"That so-called 'exclusivity' was sometimes just another form of shackles and vanity. I began to understand that the value of a relationship lies in whether it can bring true harmonious coexistence."

"And in this life..." Qin Zhaoxue's gaze swept over her Junior Sisters playing in the river and then fell back on Ling Hao's face, "what we pursue is the Dao of eternal life. A hundred years of beauty is but a blink of an eye; romantic entanglements are as small as dust before eternity."

"You have the 'System'; you are destined to be the protagonist. Your strength is destined to attract followers like the stars. To bind you? That would be going against the Heavens and seeking trouble for oneself. Rather than resisting in vain, it is better to..."

She paused, her eyes flashing with the light of wisdom and tolerance, "...view it as part of the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, manage it with heart, and maintain this special 'harmony'. What I care about is being able to walk side by side with you on this path to longevity, rather than monopolizing every moment."

Ling Hao listened quietly as the experiences of three Reincarnations slowly unfolded before his eyes like a scroll.

There was a deep Foundation behind Qin Zhaoxue's seemingly 'generous' attitude. It wasn't that she didn't care, but that she stood at a higher, broader dimension to understand and embrace it.

Just as Ling Hao had a moment of realization, Qin Zhaoxue suddenly gave a sly smile. She withdrew her wet, black-stockinged feet from the water and, with a graceful swivel, actually sat directly across Ling Hao's lap!

"So..." She wrapped her arms around Ling Hao's neck, her warm breath carrying water vapor past his ear, her bright smile containing a hint of teasing charm,

"knowing that your Disciple is so 'reasonable and magnanimous', shouldn't you, Revered Master... compensate me properly?"

This sudden intimate gesture instantly ignited the entire Creation River!

"Second Junior Sister!" Chi Wanhe was the first to explode, jumping straight out of the water. Her soaked pink dress clung to her body, her full chest heaving violently as she pointed at Qin Zhaoxue, "Get down! No cheating to monopolize Revered Master!"

Lu Changning also grew anxious. Ignoring her usual reserve, she waded ashore, her small face flushed red:

"Second Senior Sister! You... it's wrong of you to monopolize Revered Master like this! Get up!"

Even the cold Lin Xiwei furrowed her brows.

"Second Senior Sister, please behave yourself."

Du Yuqing's reaction was the most direct. Without a word, she strode ashore through the water, carrying a body of crystalline droplets and a pair of heart-shaking curves, and suddenly lunged at the two entangled people!

"Revered Master is mine!"

Xia Yingying was oblivious but followed her Third Senior Sister's example, giving a delicate cry and lunging at Ling Hao's right leg, hugging it tightly.

The scene instantly spiraled out of control.

Chi Wanhe grabbed Ling Hao's left arm, Lu Changning grabbed his right arm, and Xia Yingying hugged his right leg. Du Yuqing, relying on her superior physical strength, directly tackled Ling Hao's upper body along with Qin Zhaoxue to the ground!

"Ugh!" Ling Hao only felt his vision go dark as two masses of warm, soft abundance pressed heavily against his face through the soaked black clothes, burying his entire head.

A suffocating sense of pressure and soft touch instantly flooded his senses.

Lin Xiwei was a step too late and could only stand aside helplessly, watching the chaotic scene.

"You all... get up... your teacher can't move..."

Ling Hao's strained voice came muffled from Du Yuqing's chest.