At the back mountain of Dazhu Peak, Tai Chi Cave.
Inside the cave, all was silent. Tian Ling’er sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, fully immersed in her cultivation.
Ever since the Seven Peaks Tournament was about to begin, Dazhu Peak had entered a state of full preparation.
Except for the youngest disciple Zhang Xiaofan, who was responsible for daily meals, the rest had been ordered by Master Tian Buyi and Su Ru to enter seclusion at the back mountain.
Everyone hoped to improve their strength during this time and win honor for Dazhu Peak in the Seven Peaks Tournament.
And Tian Ling’er was especially entrusted with great expectations by Master Tian Buyi and Su Ru.
Though still young, her talent was exceptionally outstanding.
At such a tender age, she had already broken through to the Fourth Level of Jade Purity Realm, and now she was even nearing the threshold of the Fifth Level.
Previously, Lin Jingyu and Qi Hao had visited Dazhu Peak.
Tian Ling’er had crossed hands with Lin Jingyu.
Though she lost in the end, it was not due to her cultivation being inferior, but because of the magic weapon.
Her magic weapon was merely a top-grade artifact, vastly inferior to Lin Jingyu’s Divine Weapon of the Nine Heavens — the Dragon-Slaying Sword.
At this moment, while in seclusion, Tian Ling’er looked as pale as paper.
Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down her forehead nonstop, and she appeared to be in extreme pain.
No one knew how much time had passed when suddenly, a loud bang echoed within the Tai Chi Cave.
Immediately after, the aura around Tian Ling’er surged wildly — she had successfully broken through to the Fifth Level of Jade Purity Realm!
She slowly opened her eyes, and they were no longer the same.
The youthful brilliance that should have belonged to a teenage girl had vanished, replaced by a profound depth that came from experiencing the vicissitudes of life.
Surveying her familiar surroundings and recalling the memories that suddenly surged into her mind, she couldn’t help but murmur,
“Did I… reincarnate?”
It felt unbelievable to her.
In her previous life, she had lived for over two hundred years, ultimately dying from a cultivation bottleneck and inner demons caused by a broken state of mind.
She never imagined that upon opening her eyes again, she would return to her girlhood.
Recalling the events of her past life, Tian Ling’er’s gaze grew resolute.
“Father, Mother, this life, I will not let anything happen to you. And Xiaofan… this time, I absolutely won’t fail you.”
As she spoke, a glint of coldness flickered in her eyes.
She thought of her husband from her previous life — Qi Hao.
The infatuation she once had for Qi Hao in her youth had now long since disappeared without a trace, replaced only by intense hatred.
In her past life, the moment she first met Qi Hao, she was captivated by his sweet talk and handsome appearance. Ignoring her parents’ objections, she was determined to marry him.
When they first got married, life was still fairly happy.
But after her parents passed away, Qi Hao fully revealed his true face.
It turned out he had only married her to leverage her father Tian Buyi’s prestige and climb to the top position of Longshou Peak.
While her parents were alive, Qi Hao still treated her decently on the surface, but in truth, he had never been sincere.
During that time, Tian Ling’er could only silently endure.
Late at night, in the stillness, she would often think back to her days at Dazhu Peak.
Deep in her heart, there was always a figure she could never forget.
Only after marriage did she slowly come to understand — the one she truly loved had never been Qi Hao.
She had merely been drawn to Qi Hao’s appearance and fame. The one buried deepest in her heart… was the Seventh Junior Brother — Zhang Xiaofan.
Unfortunately, by then, she was already a married woman, and nothing could be changed.
After her parents passed, her life only grew more difficult.
Once they were gone, Tian Ling’er was cast aside.
Qi Hao immediately tore off his mask and revealed his true self completely.
She remembered when her parents had just passed away — Tian Ling’er had nearly collapsed, crying her eyes out every single day.
But Qi Hao acted like a complete stranger, not even bothering to put on an act. His gaze was as cold as ice.
From that point on, his attitude toward Tian Ling’er made a complete 180-degree turn. All his former gentleness and attentiveness vanished, replaced by nothing but disgust written all over his face.
It wasn’t until much later that Tian Ling’er finally realized — she had merely been a stepping stone for Qi Hao.
Qi Hao had married her solely to leverage her parents, Tian Buyi and Su Ru, in order to secure the position of Head of Longshou Peak.
Now that Tian Ling’er was of no further use, Qi Hao couldn’t even be bothered to keep up appearances. He treated her coldly, barely responding to her, and when angered, he would even hit her.
With her backing gone, Tian Ling’er could only grit her teeth and endure it all.
Although the current head of Dazhu Peak was Senior Brother Song Daren, she knew in her heart that Song Daren was no match for Qi Hao.
Not wanting to bring trouble to Dazhu Peak because of herself, she could only swallow her grievances in silence.
As for her junior brother Zhang Xiaofan — although she could have turned to him for help, Tian Ling’er always carried guilt in her heart.
She knew Zhang Xiaofan was incredibly powerful, but in her previous life, she had failed him.
Later, when Zhang Xiaofan left Qingyun, Tian Ling’er felt too ashamed to face him. She could only bury those feelings deep within her.
And so, Tian Ling’er endured decades of torment under Qi Hao… until the day news of his death finally came.
Qi Hao had possessed decent strength and could easily have lived for another hundred or two hundred years. But due to power struggles with Xiao Yicai, he was ambushed and killed by members of the demonic sect during an excursion.
Upon hearing the news, Tian Ling’er didn’t feel the slightest sadness. On the contrary — she felt a weight lifted from her chest.
Later, when Xiao Yicai came to discuss merging sects, she agreed without hesitation and even persuaded Senior Brother Song Daren to support the idea.
Impressed by her sense of the bigger picture, Xiao Yicai arranged a good position for her, allowing her to live out the rest of her life in peace.
Whenever she thought back on her previous life, Tian Ling’er was consumed with hatred for Qi Hao.
But now, with this chance at rebirth — and having broken through early to the Fifth Level of Jade Purity Realm — her mood improved significantly.
She hadn’t expected to advance even faster in this life than she had in the previous one, and that made her truly happy.
While stabilizing her cultivation, Tian Ling’er noticed something strange.
Her cultivation speed was significantly faster than before — several levels ahead, in fact.
She couldn’t help but ponder,
“Could it be that, after reincarnating, I brought my previous life’s talent with me? Now that I’ve combined the talents of two lifetimes, that’s why I’m this powerful?”
In her heart, she knew that although she had some talent in her previous life, she had only been slightly above average among the younger generation.
Moreover, being dragged down by Qi Hao, her cultivation progress had always lagged behind. She could never compare with the likes of Lu Xueqi or Qi Hao.