So ti later, Lin Ge left. Xia Li stood alone by the lakeside, looking at the motionless surface of the water. He closed his eyes and could not help sinking into thought over everything that had happened so far. The confused him. The him who only wanted to earn spirit stones. The hot-blooded young him. The him who made mistakes. The him who could not let things go. The him who had begun to find a goal... In the nearly two years since awakening from cryosleep, many things had happened that he could never have imagined even in dreams. His fellow patient, Ning Ge, who had promised they would travel the new world together once they recovered, had died because she chose to resist. Ning Ge truly had courage. But the too-rigid always broke first. There was also her younger sister, Xia Shu. She too had courage.If she had not chosen to betray the corporations, then perhaps by now she would already be one of the high executives of a great corporate power. As one of the founding figures in Source Chip research, she too had once been a scholar, soone who could be discussed in the sa breath as Professor Yan Qing across different fields. Perhaps Xia Li himself would even have awakened in so luxurious room and lived out a lavish, joyful life under his younger sister's care.And then there was Yoren.Also because he could not let things go, also because he could not stomach what he saw, he had flown from the howorld in one burst of anger and crossed the sea of stars, choosing to live alone amid the wind and sand of an alien planet rather than return to Earth and enjoy endless praise. Perhaps in those years, countless marriage alliances had also been aid at Yoren. Why were the brave always treated this way?"Fine. If you want to put a hoop on , then I'll let you."The hoop was both restraint and certification, just as it had been for Mo Ye. Once it was placed, one had an identity.Very well, then.Let it beco a grand gamble. Let him see whether that hoop could truly bind him. The day he shattered it, he wanted everything to turn upside down. For now, he would settle for being Sun Wukong tending the heavenly horses. For now, he would set aside the unresolved bitterness of the past, walk the cultivation path again, and return inside the rules. If they wanted to borrow his fire, then they had better watch out for the electronic virus he secretly stuffed into it. And they had better not delude themselves into thinking they could change him."Heaven Chip, initiate personality backup."Xia Li activated one of the Heaven Chip's special functions. He wanted to record the heat in his heart and the state of his mind at this very mont, so that if one day his blood turned cold, he would not lack fuel to reignite it. When that ti ca, his past self would be the best firewood of all.[Beginning backup... Please na the current backup.][Lingering Ember.][Backing up...]After quite a long while...[Backup complete. You may at any ti fully re-experience your present emotions and thoughts. You may also load them into a cloned body equipped with an intelligent-brain system to create a clone incarnation.]Xia Li preserved a backup of himself as he was now. This way, he would no longer fear brainwashing, nor fear that his future self might beco weak. If necessary, he could even kill his future self and let the present self be the one in command. I will eventually cease to be myself? Then wipe your dog eyes clean and watch carefully. I am forever myself. Who says a person can never be young again? Xia Li backed up all the hot blood currently surging through him into a personality file nad Lingering Ember. It was the echo of a soul.Three days later...Inside Xia Li's lakeside cabin, he and Lin Ye were sharing a farewell drink. Lin Ye knew that once Xia Li went to Taiyi Holy Land, many things would no longer be under his own control, and chances for them to gather like this again would beco rare. The flying artifact of Taiyi Holy Land, the Taiyi Palace, was already approaching Lingxu Cave Heaven. It would probably arrive in another hour or two."Brother Xia, once you go to Taiyi Holy Land, you'll face endless challenges. If you choose to endure for a while and let the seas grow wide, that's fine. They want to borrow your fire, but perhaps you can also borrow their montum.""It's just that we probably won't have much ti to gather again. I don't know when we'll next et. Still, maybe it's good for you to return to the proper track."Taiyi Holy Land would only make Xia Li take part in contests among prodigies. Before the proper ti ca, they would not harm him, and still less would they let higher-realm cultivators hunt him down. From the Qi Refining stage onward, Xia Li had been targeted by stronger cultivators the entire way. It was about ti he got so rest. Though Lin Ye hated to see him go, his own rapid rise had been inseparable from Xia Li's help. But in this world, parting and reunion were only natural. He could hardly expect Xia Li's road to keep overlapping with his forever."Yeah. Return to the proper track."Xia Li deliberately stressed those four words. Even he found it hard to believe that the road he had walked until now counted as the "wrong track."
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"Right, Lin Ye. Take this gun."Xia Li pulled out the Sirius Revolver and handed it to Lin Ye. It was not so much that he could no longer use it, only that its usefulness was not what it once had been. When Lin Ye saw the Sirius Revolver, he noted that the grip of the handgun still had the character for "Li" engraved on it, marking Xia Li as its true owner. But in Lin Ye's view, it would have been even better if Xia Li's full na had been engraved there. That would have made it feel even more like a token of friendship between close brothers."I'll take it. I've wanted this gun of yours for a long ti. I don't like a new one. I want the one you've used!"Lin Ye looked at Xia Li with a deadly serious expression. To him, those words were full of brotherly feeling. To Xia Li, however, they sounded a little off. What did he an, he specifically wanted the one Xia Li had used? No wonder Qiu Fu had been so wary of Lin Ye. Anyone would have been a little careful after hearing that."And then there are these things. See if you have a way to help dispose of them."Xia Li took out Mo Ye's storage ring as well. Once he entered Taiyi Holy Land, he would probably find it difficult to deal with these demonic items there. Lin Ye took the ring and examined it carefully. A lot of what was inside was indeed tricky to handle.But who was he?He really did have a connection. He knew a demonic-path enchantress, and they were on fairly good terms."Brother Xia, you've really co to the right person. I have a demonic friend who can help.""Good. As for your share after it's sold, give it to whenever we next et. If you're short right now, you can use it first.""No need! By the ti we et next, it might not even matter whether you still need it. Take this Primordial Source Fruit, Brother Xia. It should be worth the total value of all these demonic items."As he spoke, Lin Ye produced an old, weathered wooden box. When he opened it, inside was a mass of golden mist with no physical form, as though it had been woven out of morning glow. The golden mist shimred with flowing color, poised sowhere between substance and illusion. Though it was clearly gaseous, it held the stable shape of a fruit."Primordial Source Fruit?"Xia Li had never even heard of such a thing. It did not appear on any list of treasures he knew."A treasure that vanished after the Ancient era. Brother Xia, your innate condition is lacking and your spirit roots are incomplete. This thing can make up for missing roots. It doesn't an much to , but to those with high status and low talent, it's priceless.""Fine. I'll take it. Consider it bought."Using all the demonic items he did not need in exchange for a Primordial Source Fruit like this felt entirely worthwhile to Xia Li. Just because he did not currently need to cultivate his natural talent did not an he never would."Brother Xia, if you really want to buy it, then these things aren't enough. But I won't bother calculating it that way with you. I know your lineage probably doesn't value spirit roots all that highly. To you, this fruit is only the icing on the cake.""A light gift, but deep feelings. Just take it and don't let it weigh on you!"Lin Ye deliberately phrased it that way, which made Xia Li's eyelids twitch. If it was really "a light gift, but deep feelings," then maybe he should stop talking so much."Don't worry, I owe you one. If you want sothing, just say it. Taiyi Holy Land probably won't stop from sending things out through soone.""Heavenly stones. Taiyi Holy Land should have so in its collection. Fist-sized ones are enough.""teorites? Any kind is fine?"Xia Li was a little surprised. He had not expected Lin Ye to ask for teorites. There were many kinds of those. Which kind exactly did Lin Ye want?"Mm, any will do. As long as it's definitely a heavenly stone. Above the nine heavens there are fierce astral winds. Even if a mountain-sized heavenly stone fell through them, by the ti it hit the ground it would only be head-sized. For most people it's worth more as a curiosity than for any practical use, but for it happens to have a rather unique function.""Easy enough. Next ti I'll bring you a whole pile."On Earth, teorites were truly everywhere. If Xia Li was willing to spend money, he could even hire people to go fish fresh ones out of space before the atmosphere ablated them."Brother, say no more. Take the fruit!"Lin Ye pushed the wooden box over at once. Xia Li's promise was enough. If Xia Li said he would bring a pile, then it definitely would not be just a single piece. Lin Ye would simply wait."You little bastard. Playing mind gas with your brother, are you?""Brother Xia, rember it now. The more the better. And if there's one big enough that's still in one whole piece, even better.""All right."Next ti Xia Li returned to Earth, he would buy a larger Phase Ring and haul Lin Ye a full kiloter-wide cot intact. He really wondered what expression Lin Ye would make then.
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