Chapter 4: The Past

Li Tian organized all his memories of his past to blend it with his mind and started to meditate once again. His countenance clearly reflected the unmistakable sentiment of self-reproach, as if he were metaphorically wanting to beat himself up. 

In this reincarnation Li Tian was a cold-hearted person just like other cultivators of the cultivation world. living alone to only pursue his cultivation and because of that from when he was a little child till now, he has lived like an emotionless bastard who just focused on his cultivation, someone who doesn't take others' emotions into consideration at all.

Which ultimately leaves him to question himself as to why the heck was, I even cultivating so hard for?

Now that he thinks about it a little bit hard then he recalls that he once in his childhood had a dream to become a higher stage cultivator just like the clan's ancestors and to become a being who holds enough power to do anything in this cruel world and protect his father, mother, little sister and his brother but as he continued to cultivate his behavior slowly but surely started to change and he who once was a kid with emotions became a emotionless cultivator and slowly forget his dream and then his family to in his pursuit of cultivation.

Li Tian scratched his head in annoyance. "I've become a cold-blooded cultivator who only focuses on cultivation. I never even lived the life of a young master. I never flaunted my wealth, never dined in a fancy restaurant and most important is that I'm still a virgin " he said, chuckling at himself, though his voice was tinged with bitterness.

"How laughable," he continued, his tone growing melancholic. "I, Li Tian, in my past life, was born into a poor family. Despite my intelligence and hard work, all I could manage was a simple job. Meanwhile, the boys from my college, born into rich families, effortlessly secured the jobs they desired. I excelled in college, but it all seemed in vain."

Li Tian shook his head, reminiscing about his past life's struggles. "I never had the opportunity to enjoy life because I had to take care of my only family member, my little sister. As for my father and mother, they passed away in a car accident when my sister was only ten years old. From that time on I was the only remaining family member of her and she was the whole world to me.

"But ironically I couldn't even provide her with the things she desired and wanted like a normal little girl of her age could want but with the less amount of money that get by doing part time jobs, I cannot give her a good life." As he recalled the past life, Li Tian's eyes started to swell up with tears.

In the depths of Li Tian's mind, a tumultuous whirlwind of thoughts engulfed him, contemplating the potential fate his younger sister would have after his death. The vivid imagination painted a picture of her in which he can imagine his sister in the night soaked in tears mourning his loss.

The weight of this contemplation bore heavily upon Li Tian's soul, and in a moment of sheer desperation, he erupted into an audible scream, a visceral manifestation of his anguish "NO". The prospect of leaving his sister by herself in the harsh world alone was unbearable for him to even think about, fueling a surge of determination within him.

"I cannot allow my sister to endure such suffering after my passing. There has to be a way, anyway, to change her fate, to return to Earth and bring her with me," Li Tian fervently declared into the empty space of the cultivation room around him.

Driven by an intense desire to find a solution, Li Tian delved into the recesses of his thoughts, exploring every possibility within the memories and also searched in the memories that he inherited from the jade pendant—an heirloom bearing the legacy of an Immortal Emperor stage expert. The vast wealth of knowledge and experiences embedded in this inheritance began to unravel and he found a way not a hidden pathway to do so, that can be even compared to ancient secrets.

As Li Tian sifted through the trove of information, a glimmer of hope emerged. He discovered a method, a means to traverse back to the earth at the time soon after his death but this method required one to open a temporal gate using the powers of laws of space and time to the extent of controlling them to a degree of unimaginable level which can only be possible to do so by of a True Immortal realm cultivator. 

The realization flooded him with relief and gratitude, toward that ancient expert who gave him this inheritance and now he holds a key to rewrite the fate of his sister's destiny.

"Thank the heavens," Li Tian exhaled, his heart now pulsating with a renewed sense of purpose. "With the memories of the Immortal Emperor, I have found a way to revisit time and space to make a temporal gate for myself to appear on the earth after that of my death happened on earth. And then I can retrieve my sister and return to this world through the same temporal gate and because of this I will not have an eternal regret."

He could recall the cramped, run-down house where he grew up and took care of his only family, his beloved little sister. It was a place filled with love, but also marked by scarcity. He remembered the nights when he and his little sister, Mei, would huddle together under threadbare blankets to ward off the cold, their stomachs empty more often than no.

He let out a deep sigh. "I even proposed to a beautiful girl I had liked since my school years, only to receive a slap in the face and a humiliating lecture about being a poor bastard lusting after a swan."

Li Tian's voice grew heavy with regret as he contrasted his past and present lives. "But in this life, I had everything I ever wanted and more than I could have imagined. A loving family, caring elders who looked after me, two goddess-like wives who cherished me wholeheartedly, a brother, and a little sister. Yet, I never once appreciated any of it.

…..

The piercing scream cut through the air like a chilling gust, prompting the attention of the clan members who were scattered throughout the Li Clan's vast territory around the clan's ancestral ground. Heads turned, eyes narrowed, and the flow of daily activities ground to a temporary halt as the collective focus shifted toward the clan's ancestral grounds.

Amidst the curious murmurs and exchanged glances, a conversation unfolded between two clan members, their voices hushed but laden with a sense of intrigue.

One person, leaning in with a furrowed brow, questioned another, "Brother, who could be the one audacious enough to let out such a scream within the confines of the great Li Clan's ancestral grounds? That's where our three Ascension realm cultivators are in seclusion. Whoever it is must be recklessly disregarding not only the sanctity of our ancestors but also courting their own demise. Such a scream within those revered walls, he must desire the annihilation of his entire family for generations to come."

The second person, his gaze still fixed on the distant ancestral grounds, pondered the possibilities. "Indeed," he responded, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation. "Whoever dares to disturb the sanctity of our ancestral space must possess formidable power. This is no ordinary trespasser. Let us observe, for a person who screams within the precincts of a clan's ancestral ground is either incredibly brave or recklessly foolish. Either way, we are in for quite a spectacle."

The air within the clan's domain crackled with a mixture of curiosity, tension, and the subtle thrill of the unknown. The ancestral grounds, usually a realm of solemn reverence and now everyone wanted to see who is that audacious individual who had dared to disturb the ancestors' seclusion.