Qin Li was deep in thought.
Little Bai bounced around excitedly, cheering:
“Master, I want to visit the ancient ruins!”
Little Dragon chimed in, “I want to see if my old lair is still there!”
“Alright!”
Qin Li nodded.
They spent some time at the old home.
Then they headed to the ancient ruins, where Little Bai and Little Dragon looked around with joy.
Mo Yao was also delighted, “This ruin was our stepping stone, completely changing our lives.”
Bai Ruyun secretly felt fortunate, “If it weren’t for the ruins, I wouldn’t have met Qin Li, and we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Blood Princess, with her hands on her hips, proudly raised her head and smiled, “Back then, I fell in love at first sight. It shows how sharp my judgment is.”
Qin Li felt a wave of emotion. The ancient ruins had brought him so many friends and loved ones.
He recalled how Mo Yao, once an assassin sent to kill him, had been won over and eventually became his wife. It was truly a twist of fate.
Unfortunately.
Returning to the old place, it was no longer the same.
With the Earth’s essence restored, the ancient ruins had merged with the Desolate Continent.
It had become a treasure land, rich in spiritual energy, and was now the capital of the Gentleman’s Country, bustling with people and traffic.
“My fox den has been demolished!”
“My dragon pool has been filled in!”
Little Bai and Little Dragon were furious but helpless.
This was where they had met Qin Li and where they had grown up.
Now it was gone, replaced by a bustling auction house, apparently hosting a top-tier auction.
What they considered treasures were mere trash in Qin Li’s eyes, though some items stirred memories.
“The final treasure of this auction is none other than the renowned ‘Nine Swords of the Heavenly Domain,’ a martial skill once used by the great Saint Qin. Today, we offer the first move, ‘Dragon Slash.’ Mastering it will make you invincible!”
Instantly.
The crowd went wild.
Various lower realm experts’ eyes turned red with desire.
They had come specifically for this legendary martial skill.
It was said that the high-ranking officials of the Gentleman’s Country had also prepared a hefty sum to acquire it, intending to enshrine it in the Sacred Academy as a symbol of reverence.
“Back then, I casually discarded many inheritances, including the ‘Nine Swords of the Heavenly Domain.’ It seems someone dug them up,” Qin Li chuckled.
Xia Yufei gently suggested, “Husband, should we bid for it?”
“No need!”
Qin Li shook his head:
“Let’s ascend to the Four Domains.”
Everyone nodded, and they teleported to the Southern Domain.
Qin Li watched the shrinking Desolate Continent, his doubts deepening.
If not for his good fortune in encountering the Desolate Continent’s opening, he might have been stuck on Earth, unaware of the world’s drastic changes.
“Beidou City!”
Zhao Tianyu danced with excitement.
This was her hometown and Qin Li’s ascension point.
“Such a dark history!” Qin Li recalled his post-ascension experience of being sold as a slave, feeling a wave of embarrassment.
However, after he rose to prominence in the Southern Domain, Beidou City became his subordinate force, and they began treating Earth’s ascenders well, ending the slave trade.
“Father!”
Zhao Tianyu waved excitedly.
The Zhao family head was stunned, hardly believing his eyes.
And when he saw Qin Li, his legs almost gave way, “Greetings, Lord of the Southern Domain.”
“No need for such formality. You two catch up!” Qin Li waved his hand, scanning Beidou City and spotting many familiar faces, including Zhao Mengru, who was now married with children. He couldn’t help but marvel at the passage of time.
The Zhao family head was overjoyed. He didn’t know about the myriad worlds, but he understood that Qin Li had reached an unimaginable level.
It was hard to believe that Qin Li had once been a bought slave. The best decision he ever made was allowing his daughter to pursue love freely.
Later.
A grand banquet was held.
Qin Li drank two cups of wine before excusing himself.
After all, the gap was too vast. His presence alone silenced the room.
The next day.
They set off again.
Starting from the Southern Domain, they toured the Four Domains.
Su Qingxue visited the ruins of the Earth Flame Sect, reminiscing about the hardships of the past.
Yun Shiyu stayed in the Floating Cloud Mountains, looking at the ruins of the Eastern Immortal Palace, meeting her father Lian Chengyu, and mourning her deceased mother in silence.
Ye Qingyu returned to the Demon Kingdom, now empty and perpetually snowy, with a cold climate.
Qin Hao loved this place because his mother often brought him here, telling stories of how she met his father.
Finally!
They returned to the Western Domain’s academy.
The group of uncles was overjoyed and came to welcome them.
Qin Li was happy, chatting with the academy members about the myriad worlds and the Master.
Those were events from decades ago.
After a night of drinking.
Everyone returned to their rooms.
The bright moon hung high, and a thin mist enveloped the area.
Qin Li walked through the courtyard, gazing at the lonely wutong tree, his brows furrowed in thought.
“What’s wrong?”
Chu Qingyin floated over.
Xia Yufei softly asked, “You seem troubled.”
Qin Li pondered for a moment, then voiced his thoughts, “I have a small question.”
“Along the way, I’ve been wondering, did we help you, or did you shape me? If I hadn’t married Qingyin, perhaps I wouldn’t have become the Saint Emperor, renowned across the myriad worlds.”
“Perhaps it’s just circumstances creating heroes. If someone else had taken my place, the Saint Emperor could have been Zhang Li or Chen Li.”
Hearing this.
The women were astonished.
“This question is somewhat absurd.”
“The Saint Emperor can only be Qin Li, because you are unique!”
Chu Qingyin smiled, “I have a minor divine ability, a little trick called the ‘Mirror of Causality and Impermanence.’ It might offer some insight.”
“What does it do?”
Everyone was curious and asked.
Chu Qingyin raised her hand, conjuring a spacetime mirror:
“Infuse it with a soul mark, and the mirror can replay your life.”
“You can then adjust your life’s path in the mirror, usually to make up for regrets or see what different choices would lead to.”
The women were amazed, each eager to try the mirror’s power.
They each cast a soul mark, all asking the same question: what if they had never met Qin Li?
The results were grim.
Chu Qingyin’s will was devoured by the Heavenly Emperor.
Xia Yufei died of old age in the city, and Mo Yao perished during an assassination mission.
Bai Ruyun and Blood Princess, though they managed their sects, eventually declined with the revival of spiritual energy, dying in despair.
Zhao Tianyu committed suicide after losing a family struggle in the Beidou family; Su Qingxue was forced to death by the Earth Flame Sect elders; Yun Shiyu became a political marriage sacrifice; Ye Qingyu became the Northern Domain’s king, dying in loneliness.
“So tragic!”
“Thankfully, we met our husband!”
“Meeting amidst the vast sea of people is the greatest fortune.”
The women were all in a cold sweat, grateful to have met Qin Li and avoided such fates.
“Then let me see what would have happened if I hadn’t become a son-in-law, or if my parents hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep,” Qin Li cast his soul mark.
The mirror shimmered, reflecting a new life. If his parents had been alive, Qin Li would have been the young master of the hidden Qin family.
However, due to the family head’s oppression, his life would have been unhappy, even perilous. Later, traveling through China, he would have met Xia Yufei, married, and had children.
But with the altered circumstances, Qin Li would not have become the Saint Emperor. He might have been persecuted to death by the Qin family head or devoured by beasts in a secret realm.
“Indeed, it’s the convergence of circumstances that shaped me,” Qin Li sighed.
Xia Yufei chuckled, “But no matter what, we would have met and fallen in love. With your character, responsible and just, it’s hard not to fall for you.”
Mo Yao pouted, a bit sour, “Fate has too many coincidences, but many things are unchangeable.”
“Like your character. No matter how life changes, you’re still that silly, naive Qin Li. Even knowing the Qin family set traps, you’d risk your life to save your parents.”
Qin Li laughed, “Because that’s who I am! Even if I weren’t the Saint Emperor, hadn’t become a Supreme, I’d still be the earnest young Qin Li.”
As he spoke, he suddenly realized, “I must have been overthinking. Even without marrying into the family, without the Qiankun Pearl, without meeting Senior Dugu, without obtaining the broken wood, I’d still be Qin Li. The sincerity in my bones is unchangeable.”
Qin Li felt a wave of clarity, as if the clouds had parted, and laughed at his own overthinking.
“Wait, could it be…”
Suddenly.
A flash of insight.
His expression turned incredibly vivid.
“Could it be because of this? That would explain everything!”
Qin Li excitedly slapped his thigh, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He trembled with excitement, stood for a while, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
