Lin Ji, despite being a villain, didn’t have a penchant for slaughter. He usually ended things with a single sword strike, putting those people out of their misery.

“Now it’s your turn. One hundred and seventeen lives from my sect, it’s time for you to pay it back.”

Lin Ji closed his eyes and added, “They really died such a tragic death.”

With those words, there was no room for argument. The Qi Ling Sect Leader, unsure of how Lin Ji discovered the truth about his family’s annihilation, no longer pretended to be kind. He glared at Lin Ji with a look of disdain, scolding, “Do you think you, a mere mortal, can kill me?”

“Today, I will use your family’s treasures to make you, this ignorant fool, lose your mind!”

In the end, he hadn’t had the chance to test the effectiveness of the Mermaid Pearl, so it was perfect to use it on a person.

The Sect Leader activated the Mermaid Pearl with his spiritual power, and suddenly, a dark mist seeped out from the eerie blue light, invading his palm. This dark mist quickly spread throughout his body, as if a sharp blade was stirring his organs, making him experience the excruciating pain of having his bones and marrow sucked dry.

Lin Ji finally burst into wild laughter, “How does it feel to have demonic energy enter your body? I think it suits you perfectly!”

The Sect Leader’s face twisted in pain, his eyes filled with terror as he exclaimed, “Y-You are a demon cultivator?!”

In his previous life, he indeed was a demon cultivator, but according to his rank, he should be called a fallen immortal.

In this life, everything was reversed, and he had to rebuild his spiritual power. He couldn’t even use one-tenth of his previous strength.

However, he had learned quite a few demonic techniques later on, refining human malice into demonic energy, which was a piece of cake for him.

Lin Ji candidly stated that the demonic energy he was using was refined on the spot: “The atmosphere here is filled with greed and malice, especially you, Sect Leader.”

As the demonic energy poured into his heart, the Sect Leader quickly lost his sanity, his eyes turning crimson as he conjured a spiritual sword, slashing towards Lin Ji.

But in the next moment, he found himself trapped in a shimmering golden barrier, the blood moon in the sky covered by dark clouds, and soon a fierce wind began to blow.

Within three breaths, the sky suddenly erupted with thunder and lightning.

Lin Ji humbly remarked, “I know a thing or two about righteous path formations.”

It was quite fitting for a scheming righteous cultivator to end up struck by heavenly lightning.

Logically, he should have been struck by lightning in his last life, but here he was, having been reborn, and he hadn’t done anything yet.

As for the people he killed, they were the debts he came to collect. The saying “an eye for an eye” was only natural.

Lin Ji kicked the charred corpse aside and retrieved the Mermaid Pearl from his hand.

As expected of a treasure of the world, it remained unscathed after being struck by heavenly lightning for so long. But as Lin Ji held it, he fell into deep thought.

He didn’t know how long had passed when he suddenly crushed the Mermaid Pearl. The treasure, blessed by the heavens, was easily manipulated and damaged in human hands. Lin Ji dispersed all the spiritual energy within it, returning it to the heavens.

Now, the Qi Ling Sect was merely a small sect with just over a hundred disciples, but years later, it would become one of the three major sects in the cultivation world, the Ling Yun Sect, which was quite astonishing.

Perhaps this Sect Leader had gained fame by acquiring the mermaid’s cultivation, attracting talented individuals from all over, and coincidentally receiving a gifted disciple, allowing him to manage the Ling Yun Sect and expand it within just a few decades. This was all due to opportunity.

But behind this opportunity lay the countless bones of the Lin family.

In this life, he would never allow others to rise to power on the back of his family’s benefits.

Yet even if he reclaimed it, he might not be able to keep it; it would be better to destroy it altogether.

After all, this world had its favored children by the will of heaven.

“Lu Xiaobai, especially you, I won’t leave anything for you!”

Lin Ji spat out the name of the Dragon Ao Tian protagonist, leaving the Qi Ling Mountain with heavy steps.

Another day passed, and he changed into clean clothes, sitting under a shady tree to cool off, letting out a sigh.

In this life, there was only one grudge he had to settle, and now that it was done, what should he do next?

Lin Ji fell into a state of emptiness and confusion.

In his previous life, he had hated many people and made quite a few enemies. But aside from the tragedy of his family’s extermination, he didn’t want to seek revenge on the others, nor did he feel the need for a life-and-death struggle.

Wen Ling had said he could break free from the control of the plot and choose the life he wanted to live, but Lin Ji had gone too far in his last life and had long forgotten what his aspirations were in his youth.

One thing he was clear about was that he no longer wanted to join a sect.

Lin Ji wasn’t always so disheartened; on the contrary, he had spent several years after joining the sect living a life of being adored like a star.

Others either genuinely admired him or flattered him because of his talent and rapid advancement, which made him valued by the sect.

Lin Ji had forgotten that there was a saying in the world called “Shang Zhongyong,” that just because things started smoothly, it didn’t mean the future would be a smooth road.

When he was at his peak, a child of destiny suddenly emerged from nowhere, shining brightly and quickly surpassing everyone, becoming an extraordinary genius in cultivation, leaving others far behind, with endless opportunities and treasures.

The moment Lin Ji learned from Wen Ling what Dragon Ao Tian and the aura of destiny were, he immediately understood who the protagonist of this world was, without needing anyone to remind him.

As for Lu Xiaobai, Lin Ji was unwilling to let it go, feeling indignant, and even wished he could kill him.

He couldn’t accept losing to him in several comparisons, with all the opportunities he valued being snatched away by him, and the best chances for advancement always belonging to the protagonist!

You shine brightly, but why do you have to steal from me?

With this mindset, Lin Ji had gone against the protagonist many times, even leading himself to madness and a tragic end.

In this life, he decided to let it go. Ever since Lin Ji learned that he was just a character in a story, with his life being predetermined, the last obsession from his previous life had dissipated.

In the past, striving for something had at least given him a sense of purpose, but now, what was there to struggle for?

Even if he broke free from the control of the plot, it was impossible to surpass the protagonist. It would be better to find a beautiful place to live in seclusion, lounging in a rocking chair under the sun.

As long as he didn’t encounter the protagonist again, it would be heaven’s favor upon him.

Lin Ji patted his clothes and stood up, a flash of inspiration struck him, and his thoughts gradually became clear as he mounted his horse and rode away.

He didn’t want to live a miserable life in seclusion; traveling the world required funds. Although his family had been wiped out, there should still be plenty of shops and properties left to sort through.

In his previous life, he hadn’t returned to clarify that he was still alive, foolishly handing over his assets to the government and distant relatives with no connection. What a miscalculation!

Lin Ji urged his horse to hurry back to his old haunts, but after a night of rushing without rest since his rebirth, he felt exhausted halfway through and remembered that he was no longer the immortal body from his previous life.

The horse was tired too. Lin Ji had no choice but to let the horse rest and walked to the stream to drink some water.

However, he didn’t expect that even a half-hour break would lead to trouble.

The mountain path was already narrow, and someone was blocking his way. Lin Ji couldn’t lead his horse around, and why should he take a detour?

The few dogs blocking the road were wearing the white clothes Lin Ji hated the most, with spiritual swords hanging at their waists, gathered in a circle, seemingly doing something.

Lin Ji was puzzled about how he had run into a few cultivators by chance when he heard the person standing at the front say, “I’ll say it again, one hundred spirit stones for the spiritual herb in your hand. If I regret it, you won’t get a single coin.”

“Speaking of which, the quality of the spiritual herb in your hand is just average, but it looks nice when it blooms, just right to make my junior sister smile.”

Lin Ji: “……”

So it was strong-arming.

What a weak situation. It seemed the person being surrounded was definitely a weakling with low cultivation.

Lin Ji didn’t want to meddle, so he leaned against a tree and waited for a while.

The dogs were blocking too tightly; he couldn’t see the person in the middle. He only heard a clear, youthful voice ring out, not loud but very firm: “But I don’t want to sell it to you.”

“Good! Get him!”

“I’ve long disliked you! You useless waste, still can’t cultivate spiritual energy after years of joining, what right do you have to be taken in by a good master?”

Strong-arming escalated into a brawl, and Lin Ji finally lost his patience.

He initiated a killing formation; even with little spiritual power, he succeeded. A blood-red pattern rose from the ground, quickly crawling towards the crowd.

At that moment, the leader suddenly slapped his forehead as if realizing something: “Oh no, the time set by the master to return to the sect is approaching. I’ll leave first; don’t waste your breath on him!”

With the leader gone, the others naturally rushed to grab the herb, but their movements suddenly froze, their minds stalling.

Lin Ji’s habit from his previous life was to strike first and ask questions later. He suddenly remembered that the sect behind these people might not be small, and killing them would definitely bring trouble. Since he didn’t want to cultivate anymore, he was too lazy to make enemies, so he changed his mind at the last moment.

Lin Ji snatched the coveted spiritual herb from the white-clothed disciple’s hand and smashed it onto the weakling trying to get up, saying, “Let me teach you how to fight back.”

After saying that, Lin Ji threw punches, landing two on each person, forcing them back into the thorny bushes by the roadside, then satisfied, he led his horse and kicked the remaining ones aside: “You too, get out of the way.”

In the end, it was because he couldn’t beat these people that he was bullied; Lin Ji didn’t have any extra sympathy to spare.

He lifted his foot to leave when suddenly, his hand was grabbed.

Lin Ji instinctively swung his palm. If it were in his previous life, he would have used spiritual power to throw the person away, but when he turned to see the person’s face, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

What a pretty boy.

The youth looked to be only fourteen or fifteen, with delicate features, giving off a friendly and clean first impression.

No further description could capture it, yet he somehow looked inexplicably endearing.

The other party completely ignored Lin Ji’s resistance, using his hand for support to stand up, then grinning widely, revealing a set of small white teeth.

Lin Ji couldn’t understand what a radiant smile was; in his eyes, someone who smiled like that was undoubtedly foolish.

He froze for a moment and quickly turned to leave, afraid of being stuck with him.

But the youth, lacking any sense of the situation, chased after him, “Meeting is fate; you helped me, and I haven’t thanked you yet.”

Lin Ji scoffed, “I just cleared the obstacles; don’t get the wrong idea.”

“That still counts as helping me. How about I give you this spiritual herb? It’s great for healing and restoring energy.”

As he spoke, he raised the spiritual herb, still wearing that silly smile.

Lin Ji thought for a moment and accepted it, immediately catalyzing it into spiritual power, and the fatigue in his body was indeed swept away.

Not wanting to be ungrateful, after finishing it, he crossed his arms and said leisurely, “Just now you said you wouldn’t sell it, and now you’re giving it to me for free?”

He wanted to see the youth’s expression of regret and annoyance, thinking that his politeness had been taken seriously.

But unexpectedly, the other party blinked in surprise and still smiled, then immediately changed his expression, letting out a long sigh: “Being robbed and giving it away are two different things. I have nothing on me while out, so I can only return the favor.”

“Since we’re at it, why not be friends? My name is Xiao Bai; may I ask your esteemed name?”

…Xiao Bai?

Lin Ji had only heard such a casual name for pets.

He looked at Xiao Bai with disdain; initially, he found the boy’s face not unpleasant and didn’t mind chatting with him, but upon hearing that name, he lost all interest.

He perfunctorily cupped his hands, “I have urgent matters to attend to; perhaps we can talk another time.”

Xiao Bai’s eyes lit up at this, “Where are you going? Do you want me to escort you? Your horse is no match for a cultivator’s sword!”

As he spoke, he suddenly became eager to try, drawing out the sword he carried with him. The hand gestures he made for the technique were quite standard, but after trying for a long time, the sword barely hovered three inches off the ground.

Xiao Bai’s eyes showed a glimmer of joy as he quickly jumped, only to fall back to the ground along with the sword.

Lin Ji realized he was indeed bored, having watched the whole thing, and casually clapped his hands: “Hmm, not bad for a performance.”

Xiao Bai shook his head with a smile, surprisingly not embarrassed: “It seems I can’t control the sword today. This senior brother just now could condense spiritual power with a finger; may I ask which sect you belong to?”

Lin Ji was taken aback by his address, unsure of what he was thinking, and after a moment of silence, he raised his hand and said, “I just casually practice, and I have spiritual power; I don’t know anything about sects.”

Xiao Bai: “……”

Lin Ji deliberately referred to the immortal sect as a sect, but unexpectedly, the other party still wouldn’t let it go, enthusiastically suggesting, “If that’s the case, you’re a loose cultivator? I heard that a major sect in Xuanzhou is recruiting disciples; why not give it a try?”

Lin Ji followed Xiao Bai’s pointing finger and looked… wasn’t that the direction of his home?

There are two ways for immortal sects to recruit disciples. During unified recruitment, they won’t personally descend to the mortal realm but will set regulations, opening the mountain gates every few years to allow those who know the way to come seeking.

Even if one enters the mountain gate, they must pass tests to assess their qualifications, and only after overcoming numerous obstacles can they choose a master and a path to join the immortal sect.

The second way is that some bored elders from the sect wander around, looking for talented mortals to bring into the sect.

In his previous life, Lin Ji had been chosen by an elder when he was at his wit’s end. At that time, he was filled with hatred and naturally knelt down to worship the master without thinking much, which later became his greatest regret.

His home was located in the border city between the East and Xuanzhou. After pretending to be dead and fleeing, he had been hiding everywhere, being a mere mortal, and hadn’t run far.

Based on the time he was chosen in his previous life, it was likely that the sect recruiting disciples now was the same one he had joined in his last life.

The Yunshang Immortal Sect, meaning the immortals reside at the peak of the clouds, was considered the number one sect in the cultivation world. The later Ling Yun Sect likely changed its name to imply it was on par with it.

Of course, the glory of the Yunshang Immortal Sect came to a halt after the protagonist’s rise. Later, as the protagonist ascended, everyone around him naturally surpassed everything with ease.

Lin Ji’s eyes darkened; the stone that had weighed on his chest in his previous life seemed to have followed him into this life.

Coming back to his senses, he couldn’t be bothered to greet anyone and mounted his horse to leave.

Xiao Bai, fearing he had urgent matters, didn’t try to keep him and waved his hand behind him: “You must go take a look; I hope we can reunite in the immortal sect in the future!”

Hearing this, Lin Ji quickened his pace.

He was well aware of his own qualifications. Thinking about returning home, he might be “strong-armed” by the Yunshang Immortal Sect, and at this moment, he had no possibility of resisting. Lin Ji ultimately went to the shops and properties his family had elsewhere, stayed for a few days, sold them off, and packed up the money earned from years of management and land sales.

Then, he headed in the opposite direction of the immortal sect’s recruitment.