Chapter 321

There was no so-called “transmigration”; she was simply the “Ning Ning” of this world, reborn time and again through countless cycles, desperately trying to change her inevitable fate of death.

The first question she asked that demon cultivator was why he specifically wanted her dead.

The man, trembling, told Ning Ning that the demon clan intended to corrupt Pei Ji, using her death as the ideal catalyst to shatter the Two Element Dust Formation.

By that logic, it might imply, as the misty figure had said, that the system was a guide Ning Ning had set up in her own mind to escape this death trap.

If she simply continued to stir up trouble and prevented Pei Ji from having any affection for her, she could prevent this calamity from happening.

But that logic didn’t hold.

First, if she had truly reincarnated multiple times and retained her memories each time, why would she suddenly have no recollection in this cycle, with not even a trace of her past experiences?

The more memories and experiences she retained, the better her chances of survival.

Going through this world so cluelessly, there was no telling when she’d unwittingly send herself straight to death’s door.

Moreover, the system had kept silent during numerous life-threatening crises before, always vague and hiding all information about the demon cultivators.

It seemed to favor the demon side over righteous cultivators.

Secondly, if the goal was to thwart this conspiracy, the solution couldn’t have been simpler:

Just inform the elders of the demon realm disturbance in advance, let the major sects handle it, and place Pei Ji under the care of the Xuanxu Sword Sect.

With their power, the demon clan wouldn’t stand a chance.

Thirdly, during the time in the Demon Refining Tower’s secret realm, when she abandoned Pei Ji to grab the Lingshu Herb, she clearly heard the system let out a cold laugh.

That laugh was filled with scorn and disdain—if the system were her own consciousness, it wouldn’t react that way.

And fourthly, the most crucial point:

Her identity as a transmigrator was undoubtedly real.

He Zhizhou also came from the 21st century.

If she had always been a native of the cultivation world, how could she have fabricated a world exactly the same as the one he lived in, filled with things like computers, televisions, refrigerators, and air conditioners?

These were objects ancient people could never have imagined.

This left only one possible explanation:

She and the “Ning Ning” who had cycled through endless reincarnations were two entirely different individuals.

The crevice was deep, with white light shooting out like scattered sparks.

Ning Ning restrained her sword energy as her feet touched the ground.

She smelled thick dust as she slowly advanced, her sword illuminating the way.

Back in the Ziwei realm, a sword spirit in the form of mist had told her that something had unexpectedly entered her body, something that might help her avoid her fatal destiny.

At the time, Ning Ning had naturally assumed that she was referring to the system.

But she’d overlooked one very important point.

The sword spirit couldn’t detect the so-called “system”—the only thing it could sense was the consciousness of each individual.

If there was “something extra” within her, it meant that there were two consciousnesses inside her body.

Raising her Xinghen Sword, Ning Ning spotted a scattered skeleton in the dim light.

The “unexpected presence” wasn’t the system at all.

It was, quite clearly… her own soul from another world.

Ning Ning recalled her second question for the demon cultivator.

It was about the curse on her.

The man didn’t know much and only hesitantly said that it was a long-lost spell called the “curse of life theft.”

For some unknown reason, though she was still young, Ning Ning bore an unimaginable burden of deathly energy and karmic retribution.

She probably wouldn’t have long to live.

Karmic retribution.

Back in Luan City, the owner of that evil craft shop had inadvertently mentioned that the demon clan had a spell for “life replacement.”

She hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but now it was clear: it was about transferring karma—exchanging one life for another.

Why did the system always push her to commit evil deeds without caring about the consequences?

Because as long as she harbored malicious intent and acted on it, she would automatically shoulder that karma.

Why was the “original story” in her mind so incomplete, often inconsistent with reality?

Because the person who’d gone through multiple cycles had grown fuzzy on the memories of her first life.

To perform a life replacement spell, one likely had to use the original karmic entanglements as the basis.

Why did both she and He Zhizhou possess systems with conflicting functions?

Because her “villainess system” was fake, its inspiration likely came from He Zhizhou’s “whetstone” system, which had been crafted by Heaven.

The original “Ning Ning” had perished inexplicably in the desert, cycling through countless lives in a bid to break her death trap, but to no avail.

Finally, in perhaps her last cycle, she discovered the life-replacement method: to let another soul bear her doomed fate and karma, then reclaim her body once that person died.

The one who’d cycled through endless lives was ‘that person.

The one who’d had endless conversations with the misty figure was ‘that person.

The one who ultimately wanted to be saved by this scheme was also ‘that person.’

As for her, she was just the shield to ensure that ‘that person’ could survive.

All that “feigned death to escape” talk was a lie.

Once she took on that fatal karma, she would be doomed to die.

Ning Ning moved forward and found a yellowed old book lying beside the skeleton.

The cover was blank, but she knew exactly what it was.

Years ago, when the real “Ning Ning” fell here after a demon attack, she had luckily survived and, by sheer chance, discovered the remains of a long-dead demon cultivator.

And a manual with the spell to reverse time.

She had found the method to reverse time—karma had come full circle, and it all ended here.

What awaited her was nothing but death.

“How many cycles have you gone through?”

Ning Ning kneeled, picking up the book as her eyes lowered.

“When you fell into darkness during one of those cycles, you learned the entire demon realm’s layout and everyone in it, and that’s why you’re so close to Huo Qiao, isn’t it?”

A gust of wind howled past, like the wails of ghosts.

“What should I call you? System?”

She tried to laugh but couldn’t summon the energy, only whispering in her mind: “Or… should I call you ‘Ning Ning’?”

No response came.

Ning Ning didn’t mind and smiled faintly.

Perhaps she’d already expected it.

Now that she knew the whole truth, she didn’t feel the sorrow or despair she had anticipated.

She paused for a long moment, then quietly asked again, her voice soft and calm: “So, after I inherit your fate, I’m bound to die, aren’t I?”

The silence stretched on, vast and empty.

Suddenly, something shifted in her chest.

A breeze brushed her cheek, tickling her earlobe.

And Ning Ning heard a voice.

No longer that dry, indifferent mechanical tone, but a gentle, soft voice like her own.

“…Yes.”

Something clicked into place within her, and, surprisingly, she didn’t cry or rage.

After a long silence, she felt as though the massive weight on her heart had shattered to pieces, and she sighed, speaking with a faint smile: “Those dreams about Huo Qiao… you love him, don’t you?”

The voice replied evasively: “I thought you’d figured everything out and wouldn’t enter the crevice.”

Ning Ning opened the old book, squinting as dust flew into her eyes.

The spell to reverse time required a soul born on a Yin year, month, day, and hour, and it could only be activated at the moment of near death, driven by sheer willpower.

How unfortunate—the original host met the conditions, but her own birth date was far off. Time wouldn’t flow back for her.

“In that case, wouldn’t I have been killed on the spot for disobeying the system’s orders? After my death, with no shield for your fate, you’d probably die too—you thought I’d choose mutual destruction?”

Ning Ning’s tone was remarkably calm.

She paused, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Pei Ji is still caught in the demon clan’s trap, you know.”

In the endless darkness, the girl clutched her sword and finally let out a soft laugh.

“Even if I can’t live… he still deserves a good life.”

—

“She escaped?”

Huo Qiao surveyed the chaos in the cave as Qing Heng stammered apologetically, “She somehow broke free from the binding rope, and her sword skills were so swift I couldn’t respond in time, so she… she just—”

“No harm done.”

The young demon lord only smiled.

“Although she’s vanished… don’t we still have the puppet?”