Death (updated)

This time, there was no one to save him. No one could protect him, and even the array formation broke down. This situation was totally unexpected!

That's right, Ouyang Li was dead once again! It was shocking, and he was very indignant about it!

After all, he had so many plans. Not long ago, Ouyang Li accepted that he would become an Elder. Furthermore, he has just started his life in the sect. Now, everything turned out to be pointless.

All the things that he hasn't finished… Unfortunately, life was not a story. Even the disciples he hoodwinked died alongside him.

'How could it be?' He thought out loud while the Mysterious Bead did its best to protect his soul. At least, this treasure of his was still reliable. 'Even with my cheat and a rapidly growing cultivation base, I still died! I was supposed to be a protagonist, for Heavens' sake!'

However, who asked him to murmur these few words which ultimately sealed his fate? There were no ifs in this world. Likewise, there was no medicine for regret.

Or… was there one? After all, this was a cultivation world. Many seemingly impossible things could happen here. It was said that Heavens always left a way out.

Ouyang Li quickly realized that he was in much better shape when compared to the last time he died. After all, he wasn't a mortal anymore. Now, the Mysterious Bead encased and took hold of his partially nourished cultivator's soul!

'That's right!' He thought out loud. 'I'm already an Immortal Foundation cultivator. My divine senses are powerful, and my essence is of much higher quality now. That means I'm no longer a weakling! I should still have some control over my fate!'

He was desperately trying to console himself. After all, he was still capable of thought. Perhaps if he directed the Mysterious Bead to…

However, as if in response to his confidence, an unstoppable force took away all of his so-called control! The Mysterious Bead pulsated and stooped responding to his instructions.

Suddenly, it was as if the time stopped, and everything changed. He was sucked to another layer of space, it was like a different plane of existence!

A vague, hooded silhouette appeared there. Everything was covered by the darkness, but the figure started to preach the Tao.

'The Tao begets One. One Begets Two. Two begets Three. Three begets all things! Those of my seeds destined for Immortal Ascension shall receive three chances to achieve my ever-encompassing Tao! Attain the ultimate emptiness! Allow things to happen! Maintain the absolute tranquillity!'

Then, a mighty power originated from this figure. The silhouette made a connection to Ouyang Li's Mysterious Bead. Then, a forceful action emerged from it. However, although it was forceful, it was still supported by the rules of the Great Tao of Heaven and Earth. It was quick as lightning, sudden as a storm, and incredibly powerful too.

A small space bubble formed, and Ouyang Li's consciousness was ejected from the Mysterious Bead. Then, he and the bead were moved back. A structure of the Mortal World's reality pulsated and bent. It was because it couldn't withstand the strands of the mighty figure's Tao.

Then, Ouyang Li crossed some sort of a barrier. The crossing was painful and it felt as if the whole universe broke. He felt... forcefully stretched. However, the time was different now!

Shockingly, when Ouyang Li's consciousness re-emerged, he realized that he was alive again. He was standing in the Waste Disposal Pavilion just a moment just before he recklessly uttered a few fate-sealing words.

Furthermore, the siblings next to him were alive too!

'Taoist Frozen Sky, you old slut!' A terrifying voice resounded through their mountains. 'Come out quickly and face your doom! Otherwise, the blood will stain your Gentle Wind Valley's sacred grounds.'

Ouyang Li was dumbfounded. Was the Mysterious Bead really that powerful? It could actually move him through time and space, and reverse the death itself? 'This… this… how was that even possible!'

Unfortunately, Ouyang Li had no time to think about it. What mattered was that he was given one more chance at life!

The truth was right here. The mysterious figure's Tao was immensely powerful! Ouyang Li couldn't even begin to imagine the principles on which it was built! Also, he realized that the details of what happened were slowly slipping his mind.

And one must remember that he was an Immortal Cultivator! His mind was incomparable to the minds of mortals.

Still, he couldn't afford to analyze everything now. He quickly bit his tongue and directed all his energy into the Small Protective Array. Just in case, he also activated the pavilion's Small Sound Isolation Array.

At this moment, another explosion resounded somewhere in the Gentle Wind Valley. Ouyang Li could clearly sense strong fluctuations of rapidly failing arrays, even though he was deep underground. Fortunately, this time, it wasn't his pavilion. This time, he managed to survive this calamity!

It was because he was sensible and said nothing to offend the invading lord!

'A bunch of ants!' The voice of his would-be killer sounded again. His attention was on another Outer Sect pavilion. 'To dare curse the Lord of Heavens! Know your place and die!'

The whole Gentle Wind Valley shook. At this moment, three powerful auras slowly emerged from the Ancestral Peak.

'Fiery Thorn! How stupid of you to come here! It is true what they say. Ignorant is truly fearless! You will pay for annihilating our Gentle Wind Valley's disciples?'

'You and I both know that the Outer Sect is but a meat shield! And since you allowed me in, it would be of impolite me not to make use of that!'

'Shameless old thing! Even an extremely petty Heavenly Lord shouldn't pay attention to ants! Where did your dignity go?'

'Enough chatting! Me and Frozen Sky still have scores to settle! So, stop stalling for time and get this slut to come out. Otherwise, I don't guarantee that my hand won't slip again!'

'Hmm!' A cold snort could be heard resounding through the surrounding mountains. 'To think that I would still be implicated in this matter. Just you wait, Fiery Thorn! It won't be long till I personally make my move!' It was a woman who said this.

At this moment, Ouyang Li lost his footing and fell down, coughing out blood. It was because four Nascent Soul auras simultaneously pushed against the invading enemy. His divine consciousness nearly shattered because of the impact.

'This newcomer is definitely no simple Heavenly Lord,' Ouyang Li's mind was racing. Still, didn't dare open his mouth. 'However, why would the Patriarchs allow him to enter?' The boy mused.

He took a quick look at the siblings and was shocked to find out that they were fine. The girl was pale and shivering, but she didn't cough out any blood!

'What's happening?' She met his gaze and asked fearfully. 'Senior, are we being attacked?'

'You are both lucky that you decided to enter my Waste Pavilion. Also, be thankful you haven't developed divine consciousness yet. It's madness up there on the surface.' He quietly gesticulated for her to shut up.

'Could it be that it's an invasion of the Devil Tao?' The boy asked timidly. 'Then… Why is it that the Great Formation still hasn't been opened?'

'It's hard to say what's going on!' Ouyang Li looked at the siblings sternly. 'You've heard as much as I did. Now, be quiet. It's not appropriate for us to comment on the actions of those Heavenly Lords!'

The siblings quickly understood his meaning and nodded their heads. At the same time, Ouyang Li quietly moved a few array cores from the Waste Disposal Array to the pavilion's Small Protective Formation.

It didn't help much. However, the situation was dire, and if it wasn't for the Mysterious Bead, Ouyang Li would have already died here. So, he believed that he needed to do something! Anything, just to feel less nervous.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. At this point, one of the Patriarchs activated some hidden protection, and surging auras of Nascent Soul cultivators stopped raging in the Outer Sect.

Still, Ouyang Li didn't date to go out. Instead, he cautiously extended a very thin strand of his consciousness outward.

Soon, a terrifying view appeared in his mind. Hundreds of green-robed Outer Disciples were lying unconscious in different places across the valley.

Even the Stewards could be seen squatting and panting. They were hurriedly trying to mobilize their cultivation bases to protect against the powerful auras.

As for the Elders, most of them had long abandoned the Outer Sect and escaped behind the Inner Sect barrier. However, it could be seen that the Gentle Wind Valley was still one of the Great Five. At this moment of life and death, many hidden array cores were slowly emerging from the ground. Some old men disguised as sweeping servants also hurriedly went up to support them. The sect's foundation was truly here.

'Heavens!' Ouyang Li couldn't help but shiver. 'It seems that the Nascent Soul I faced back then was nothing compared to the powerhouses here,' he thought.

However, at this moment, Inner Sect's formation was started to pulsate dangerously.. Ouyang Li could also feel seven more powerful auras approaching from the West. What's more, each one of them was emitting strong demonic fluctuations!