The improved female villains regained their memories.

It was raining outside the cave. Xiao Qitian breathed a sigh of relief and changed into a snow-white long robe that the school song cloud had specially woven for him. The edges of the robe were outlined with dragon patterns in silver silk thread. He looked so elegant when he wore it.

He suddenly said something to the rain, which drew Li Chumo's attention.

"What, regretting it?"

"How could I regret it? This was a step I was destined to take. The school song cloud blocked my way, and she brought this ending upon herself. What is there to regret?"

“That’s heartache,” Li Chumo said sarcastically. “You love her.”

Previously, she helped Xiao Qitian fend off Li Yaoyang and others, only to end up fleeing in a sorry state. Even now, she is wanted by the Kongling Sect and cannot see her master. Naturally, Li Chumo harbors resentment. She knows what her master cares about. Now that she has been exposed for joining the Demonic Sect, she can no longer live peacefully with her master.

"Yes," Xiao Qitian readily admitted, showing Li Chumo the clothes he was wearing. "If I didn't love her, why would I wear the clothes she made for me?"

The method of knowing destiny allows one to see the destiny of everyone except oneself.

But Xiao Qitian believed that he already knew his fate, and even more so, he knew his own heart.

He likes the school song, Yun.

Every day we spent together left a deep imprint on him, and although I didn't think much of it, it had a profound impact.

The school song is about this girl who's like a rabbit.

I may really never forget it.

“You took this opportunity to seriously injure her and force her to stay by your side. She knows everything, but she can’t say anything and has to watch helplessly as you destroy everything.” Li Chumo said with contempt, “You are really despicable.”

mean?

Xiao Qitian laughed and said, "I already know my fate, so naturally I know my weaknesses."

The school song is his weakness.

Perhaps, as he himself said, love is poison; once you choose to swallow it, the poison will take effect sooner or later.

"Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself. You know your master; he won't yield to you. So, in the end, you can only do the same thing as me."

Xiao Qitian smiled and walked past Li Chumo.

"Not to mention, you also have a nemesis to defeat."

It's fate.

Fate is a strange thing. Some say it's predetermined, while others say their fate is beyond their control.

After hearing so much, Xiao Qitian could always recall that day, that man, who drew his sword and said:

Everyone says, "Fate is a secret of Heaven, and heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." I say, "Bullshit!"

The man's eyes held the vastness of the stars and the sea, and his words commanded respect.

Let's see if the person named Li Chumo will accept his final fate.

Stepping out of the cave, the damp, cold air filled his lungs. Xiao Qitian waved his hand, raising a protective shield to block the rain. He calculated that the time was about right, then flew on his sword towards the Guardian Heaven Sect.

Everything went according to his plan. Ye Chufei was mentally challenged and unable to refute the accusations. He was thrown into the Kongling Sect's prison. The elders were indeed not so simple. Of course, they would not completely believe Xiao Qitian's one-sided story. However, the rules of review and Li Yaoyang's favoritism gave him time. It was this extra time that gave him the opportunity to take the final step and destroy the Kongling Sect.

As he pondered, he observed the environment of the Void Spirit Sect. He had grown up here, and every blade of grass and every flower was deeply etched in his mind.

Finally, he arrived at the depths of the Void Spirit Sect's summit. The Dragon-Subduing Tree stood tall between heaven and earth, its branches stretching towards the sky as if to touch the stars. Scattered around it were countless luminous flowers, shimmering with soft light, like stars descending to earth.

Then and now, it's exactly the same.

He touched the thick branches of the dragon tree. There was a time when he had also stood under the tree, contemplating the meaning of fate.

"Dragon Tree, Dragon Tree, tell me, what is fate?"

The tree was silent; it had been silent for many years.

Xiao Qitian walked to the center of the cave, where the stone ancestral shrine housed a stone statue of the Kongling Sect's ancestor, who wore a sword and held a whisk. Next to it hung a couplet that read, "Called Master, also called Ancestor; is it Taoism or Confucianism?"

"Ancestor, tell me, what is fate?"

The stone statue, like the dragon tree, remained silent; it too had been silent for many years.

Xiao Qitian stopped looking at him and strode inside.

Inside the cave, the spiritual energy was ethereal, and only the sect leader could enjoy such treatment—a private spiritual spring. Xiao Qitian took a deep breath and waved his hand to disperse the spiritual mist.

He looked into the pool.

Li Yaoyang sat upright in the water, his eyes tightly closed.

Threads connected his body, extending into the darkness.

“We can move now,” Xiao Qitian said.

Li Yaoyang's laughter rang out softly, but quickly changed in tone.

Ji-yeon emerged from the darkness.

“I can’t interfere any longer,” Zhiyuan said. “If you decide to take this step, then I will have to leave this world.”

"I've helped you control Li Yaoyang for so many years, I've done my utmost, and I can now report back to the magistrate."

Who would have thought that Li Yaoyang, the sect leader of the Kongling Sect, the number one sect of the righteous path, has been a puppet for so many years?

When did it start? Perhaps it started when Li Yaoyang claimed to be in seclusion and not see his wife. Just as Xiao Qitian said, love is a poison that will take effect sooner or later. Li Yaoyang's Daoist partner has been with him for so long. If they met, how could she not see something was wrong?

It would be better to claim to be in seclusion and avoid being seen.

The only one he could see was Yang Pingsheng, but unfortunately, he was just a pawn in a game. Even if he sensed something was wrong, he could only follow the pace of the natural order.

Xiao Qitian once asked Zhiyuan, "Is Master really from beyond the heavens?"

Zhiyuan replied, "The information the master gave you should be quite detailed."

Then Xiao Qitian smiled.

Human chess pieces are a more pathetic existence than ants.

Even if you are exceptionally talented and full of ambition, you can only become a puppet of fate, manipulated by it and unable to break free.

Just like Li Yaoyang now, those threads have seeped into his soul, and he has no control over his every move.

“Although I don’t know why you attacked Li Chumo, I advise you not to go too far. You are no match for her now,” Zhiyuan said.

Xiao Qitian asked, "Didn't that lord also want to get rid of these villains?"

Zhiyuan nodded: "That's true."

"Then I'll help you get rid of the villain, sir," Xiao Qitian said with a smile. "Why must you embolden others, sir?"

Zhiyuan wanted to emphasize the horror of fate, but after thinking about it, he kept quiet.

Why not let him give it a try? After all, he has already left half of his soul in Taixu.

"Then it's up to you," Zhiyuan said. "But I still have to advise you, even though you left half of your soul in Taixu, try your best not to die."

The soul is still important to cultivators.

A cultivator's destiny and talent are often related to their soul. When the soul is affected, the talent will often fluctuate, and even the destiny will be affected—of course, not in a good way. When the soul is injured, the negative information originally contained in the destiny will erupt.

The main world is full of talented people and heroes. Xiao Qitian would not be enough to compete with it, let alone if he were missing half of his divine soul.

"Anyway, don't die." That was the last piece of advice Zhiyuan left behind.

"Don't worry, I'm not willing to die like this," Xiao Qitian replied with a smile.

He was once trapped by his inner demons, and he was also trapped by his destiny.

He used the method of knowing destiny to see the villains, the protagonists, and all the ordinary people.

"I will not die, and I cannot die."

Even if fate decrees my death, I cannot die.

"I want to live, not because of fate, not because of destiny, but because I, Xiao Qitian, want to live."

"Similarly, I joined the demonic path and harmed my fellow disciples not for any other reason, but because I, Xiao Qitian, wanted to do it."

"I think, I will do."

"A clear mind is like a mirror, facing one's true self."

"Only then can you truly know me, Xiao Qitian."

A strange light flashed in Zhiyuan's eyes, a sign that he was about to use a hidden immortal technique.

He saw the demonic nature in the boy, and he also saw the obsession in the boy's heart.

Unfortunately, he was destined to be a hero, not a villain.

[Although he understands Mingjing's true nature, it's a pity he's still a step short of becoming a villain.] Zhiyuan couldn't help but sigh.

Having an obsession doesn't automatically make you a villain; obsession is merely a basic requirement for becoming a villain.

[The villains, rather than being self-centered, are more accurately described as having very strong traits,] Zhiyuan thought silently. [Wen Shihan, Luo Benmo... they undoubtedly maximized their uniqueness while desperately trying to conceal their commonalities.]

In other words, they are different from ordinary people.

Xiao Qitian, however, was not extraordinary enough.

The things he wanted to do were also the things many ordinary people wanted to do. However, ordinary people are often bound by morality, rules and regulations, while Xiao Qitian faced his true self. Especially after comprehending the method of changing fate, he was even more determined to move forward, not caring about anyone's opinions or evaluations. But in this way, he can only be called a hero.

The Holy King, the protagonist, and the villain are ultimately fighting on another level. Even Xiao Qitian, a hero, is just a piece in the game.

He handed the puppet strings to Xiao Qitian and then disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was standing on the small hill where he had first met Xiao Qitian.

The girl stood beside him, having waited for him for quite some time.

She was staring blankly at a foxtail grass when Zhiyuan approached and said, "We should go," which brought her back to her senses.

"now?"

"Ah."

"I still want to see him."

"Don't waste your time. You know it's impossible. Besides, don't forget your own responsibilities."

Zhiyuan waved his hand casually, and a portal appeared: "Let's go."

The girl's face darkened, and she followed Zhiyuan as he strode in.

In this world, who can truly transcend their own destiny?