Chapter 558: Chapter 548: One Needs Not Return Home to Be Buried—Green Hills Are Everywhere in Life

He couldn’t describe things too absolutely.

Because the adult’s power is truly too strong, it’s no longer appropriate to just use the word "strong" to describe it; he is the brightest pearl on the path of Cultivation.

Therefore, even though he has become a mortal, he still has a premonition that with the adult’s ability, it could cover the entire Ten Thousand Realms, that even a single mortal could possibly find him....

It’s only that he is certain the adult won’t expend effort on a mere chess piece like him.

Because, he is just a chess piece under the adult, and the adult has many such chess pieces.

...

Jiang Li looked at the three Silver Fruits in front of him and sighed softly, "Bringing you onto this path was my mistake, I’ve tried my best to bring you back to your own path, I hope you don’t blame me..."

These three "Silver Fruits" were the teacher, brother, and important person who followed him all the way through Ascension and eventually joined the Divine Punishment Three Palaces.

Now they too have been "reborn," and all the causes and effects attached to them have been completely cleansed.

And correspondingly, all their cultivation has disappeared too, their lives are saved, but everything else is gone.

Jiang Li brought them to what he thought was the "right path," yet in the end, it only led to death; no matter how they struggled, no matter their efforts, they were just fish on the chopping block, chess pieces easily discarded.

He has followed the adult for many years; he knows well the adult’s temperament, he has never been regarded as one of their own from the beginning. No matter how much effort he put forth, bleeding heart and soul for the adult’s cause, it’s all for naught.

In that case, he would rather not have this path, rather give up the chance to follow by the adult’s side.

The essence of Cultivation is for freedom and immortality; to him, freedom is more important than immortality.

No matter how high one’s cultivation level, if they cannot control their own life and death, what is the meaning of it?

Aren’t they still just penned livestock in the pigsty?

Compared to other penned livestock, its pigsty is just a bit bigger, but in essence, isn’t it still just livestock?

He had thought, if the adult succeeded, reached the level he pursued, would he take himself to share a part of the eternal life?

He didn’t want to gamble on this remote possibility.

Actually, the vast majority under the adult share this thought.

The most typical is Yue Ying; he actually knows he’s a chess piece, yet refuses to admit it, vainly hopes he’s different from the others, vainly hopes to receive different treatment from the adult, vainly hopes the adult would "liberate" them after success.

This mentality is quite normal; Jiang Li once held it too, and was firm in it.

Right until the moment before he prepared to "feign death to shed his shell," he still had the slightest bit of thought, wondering if he was wrong.

Until he faced that River Guardian, that last wisp of thought within him vanished utterly, making his choice resolute.

Because he saw a "mountain" higher than the adult.

Before meeting that River Guardian, in his heart, the adult was the highest mountain. But after seeing that River Guardian, he suddenly realized there was an even more majestic mountain.

So, whether the adult can win is still a question, let alone what happens afterward?

And he has a premonition... that River Guardian will win, though he can’t say why, but he just has this premonition.

Because the despairing, minuscule feeling of being dust, when facing the River Guardian, was something he never experienced with the adult.

...

"A hundred years later, when the fruit falls, you will be reborn here."

"You are still you, only your cultivation has vanished, your memories dissipated, you won’t remember me, nor would you remember anything from before."

"I’m sorry, this is all I can do, I can only try to preserve your lives."

"Once you die on the River of Time, you may not even have the chance for Reincarnation."

With that, Jiang Li sighed softly, "After your rebirth, though your cultivation is gone, the talent within you remains; you might once again tread the path of cultivation."

"But, I hope this time, you choose your own path, live your own life, and not become someone’s chess piece; it’s meaningless."

"I hope you have your own forces, your own sects, your own descendants, and live freely...."

"I also hope this life, you will do more good deeds, for our hands have already stained with so much innocent creatures’ blood."

The words Jiang Li spoke, those three couldn’t hear.

Perhaps, he spoke these words just for himself to hear.

This life, Jiang Li intends to walk the path of Cultivation again, but the only difference is, he will walk his own path.

Using this life to help the weak, to rescue innocent creatures, to teach and pass on knowledge, to do what he originally wanted, to pursue the true intention behind his cultivation.

Even if his cultivation can no longer reach the heights of his previous life, it doesn’t matter to him, nor does he care.

At least he can control his own life and death, perhaps one day he might die of old age on a certain green mountain. At least he would face death easily, freely, with clarity.

To be buried in a green mountain, at least that mountain would be his own grave, not a mere particle buried in the sands under the River of Time, dark and sunless.

....

"Till we meet again."

"I hope in this life, we won’t have to meet again."

"I wish you all the best on the path of immortality...."

Jiang Li said with a smile to the three Silver Fruits on the tree.

With that, he laughed heartily to the sky and left, "Does one require a homeland for a grave? Life is full of green mountains everywhere."

The Ancient Forest echoed with the laughter of the youth, accompanied by the rippling stream, singing the praise of the green mountain.

Jiang Li, chose to fall from the peak, to start again from the plains, at least it wasn’t a deep pit, nor an abyss.

If he died in the River of Time, that would be an endless abyss without even entering Reincarnation.

......

This continent is very ordinary within the All Heavens and Myriad Realms, no one pays attention, nor can it affect the structure of the Myriad Realms.

However, Jiang Li wants to see a result.

He wants to see who will win in this match.

He just doesn’t know if he will live to see that day.