Ultimate Series, Past Lives Revealed

168: Li Jianyi’s GrowthAt only ten years old, Li Jianyi suddenly became a lonely person.

However, he was not completely helpless, for there were those warm-hearted villagers who often cared for him and gave him warm comfort.

Li Jianyi inherited the mantle of his master, Daoist Master Li, becoming the new generation’s abbot of the Daoist temple, and at the same time, the youngest little Daoist Master Li.

Although young, he took on this important responsibility.

In addition to solving problems for familiar clients, Li Jianyi also established deep connections with the villagers at the foot of the mountain.

He often helped them solve difficulties and troubles that science could not explain, and thus was loved and respected by the villagers.

However, most of Li Jianyi’s time was still spent on his studies at school.

Even so, his focus remained on learning Daoist arts, because he firmly believed that becoming a Heavenly Master was his true dream.

Due to his persistent pursuit of Daoist arts, Li Jianyi often skipped classes to go to the Daoist temple to study and Cultivate.

Although the teachers were dissatisfied with his truancy, considering that his grades were always excellent, they could only choose to acquiesce.

More importantly, Li Jianyi was an orphan, which filled the teachers with sympathy for him.

Not only did they not blame him too much, but they also applied for full tuition exemption for him, hoping to reduce his financial burden.

Li Jianyi was grateful for everything the teachers did for him, but his truancy behavior remained unchanged.

After all, in his heart, the study of Daoist arts was the most important thing, and becoming a Heavenly Master was his lifelong pursuit.

Time flew by like a shuttle, and Li Jianyi’s life passed quietly in the busyness of attending school and occasionally taking on tasks such as Feng Shui adjustments, ghost catching, and performing rites for the dead.

Before he knew it, Li Jianyi had reached the moment of university graduation.

His classmates embarked on their respective life paths, some choosing to enter the workplace to strive, others continuing their studies as graduate students, each carrying yearnings and expectations for the future.

However, Li Jianyi was different from the others; he resolutely returned to his own Daoist temple to continue serving as the abbot.

For Li Jianyi, the Daoist temple was not only the place where he grew up but also his spiritual sustenance.

It carried the bits and pieces of his time with his master, as well as the unforgettable times they had spent together.

The first thing Li Jianyi did upon returning to the Daoist temple was to carefully take out his master’s spirit tablet, wipe it clean, and then solemnly place it on the altar table.

He lit a stick of incense, gazed at the curling blue smoke, and reported his recent situation and future plans to his master.

”Master, I have graduated from university. From now on, I will stay in the Daoist temple and continue being Daoist Master Li.” Li Jianyi looked at the spirit tablet in front of him and said softly.

His voice echoed in the empty Daoist temple, sounding somewhat lonely.

However, a smile appeared on his face, as if he were full of confidence in his decision.

Then, Li Jianyi joked, ”Maybe, by then, I will pick up another abandoned baby, just like you picked me up back then, and leave him with your disciple. Then I’ll give him the surname Li, and when he grows up, I’ll let him inherit the Daoist temple and also become Daoist Master Li.”

The more Li Jianyi spoke, the more excited he became, and finally, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The laughter seemed particularly abrupt in the silent Daoist temple, but he didn’t care, as if only in this way could he slightly alleviate the loneliness in his heart.

After laughing, Li Jianyi’s emotions gradually calmed down.

He sighed and continued, ”Master, do you think this is interesting? Will the title of Daoist Master Li be passed down like this forever?”

After a moment of silence, Li Jianyi added, ”However, Master, my Dao cultivation is still not as good as yours. You are always able to accurately calculate things, but I cannot.”

His voice carried a hint of disappointment; clearly, he was not satisfied with his own abilities.

Li Jianyi knew deeply that as a Daoist, the depth of one’s Dao cultivation was crucial.

However, no matter how hard he tried, it seemed he could not reach the Realm of his master.

”Master, do I not have good talent?” Li Jianyi finally couldn’t help but ask the doubt in his heart.

He looked quietly at his master’s spirit tablet, expecting to get an answer.

However, the spirit tablet still stood there quietly, without the slightest response.

Li Jianyi rambled on in front of his master’s spirit tablet for the whole night.

Until at last, his voice grew smaller and smaller, and his thoughts gradually became blurred.

Finally, after a long and exhausting day, his eyes gradually closed, and his consciousness began to fade.

In his daze, he seemed to have entered an illusory world, where everything around him became hazy and unclear.

Just then, he suddenly saw a familiar figure—it was his master!

Li Jianyi felt a surge of joy and hurriedly wanted to run over to greet his master, but before he could speak, his master looked at him with a serious face and began a lecture.

Li Jianyi was stunned; he didn’t understand why his master was like this, and could only stand there obediently, listening to his master’s instructions.

”Jianyi, you must know that your talent is not in numerology, but in offense. An excellent Heavenly Master is not only excellent in numerology, but more importantly, must be able to demonstrate their strength in actual action. As long as what you do can be recognized by the Heavenly Dao and can earn Karma, then no matter what method or process you use, it is not important. Just like the old saying goes, it doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat!”

Hearing his master’s words, Li Jianyi couldn’t help but feel a bit dumbfounded.

He felt that although his master’s words made sense, they were too blunt and too crude.

”Master, what you said is too crude!” Li Jianyi couldn’t help saying.

Daoist Master Li glared at him and said indignantly, ”Otherwise? How else can I say it? Anyway, as long as you don’t starve to death, that’s fine. I didn’t expect you to carry forward the Daoist temple!”

Seeing his master was angry, Li Jianyi quickly apologized with a smile, ”Okay, Master, with those words from you, I can rest assured.”

However, Li Jianyi muttered in a low voice, ”Anyway, it will be you who faces the crusade of the Old Ancestors then, not me!”

However, his muttering did not escape Daoist Master Li’s ears.

”What did you say?” Daoist Master Li suddenly asked loudly.

Li Jianyi was startled and quickly shook his head to deny, ”No... nothing!”

Daoist Master Li tapped Li Jianyi’s head, ”I’m leaving! In the future, talk less nonsense to me when there’s nothing to do. I don’t like listening to it. Don’t you know I’m also very busy underground?”

Li Jianyi: ”Master, it’s not like I don’t miss you, and I just graduated, why didn’t you bless me at all?”

Daoist Master Li: ”Alright, alright, alright, I’m leaving!”

The next day, Li Jianyi woke up. Thinking of last night’s dream, he got up and checked his forehead, ”Master really came to see me; it wasn’t a dream!”

[Silver Time-Space Zhang Fei: That Li Jianyi lives in the modern era, I thought it was ancient times!]

[Cao Cao: Didn’t you see their studies seem very different, it seems very difficult!]

[Iron Time-Space A Kou: Your focus is so strange!]

[Xia Mei: Yeah, do you love studying?]

[Silver Time-Space Zhang Fei: No, I don’t love studying!]

[Cao Cao: I just think the knowledge of the other world is very difficult!]

[Wang Yase: It’s alright!]

[Wang Dadong of the Gold Time Dimension: I also think it’s super difficult!]

[Gold Time-Space Rex: Dadong, you probably don’t know anything else besides the multiplication table, right?]

[Wang Dadong of the Gold Time Dimension: Who... who said that, I... I don’t!]

[Silver Time-Space Zhang Fei: Ah! Goodness, the multiplication table is the hardest, okay?]

Everyone from other dimensions...???

[Xia Mei: Hehe... you are so good at joking!]

[Wang Dadong of the Gold Time Dimension: Yeah, you can’t joke about me! Although I’m stupid, you can’t say I’m like an elementary school student, right? That’s too much!!]

[Cao Cao: Is it possible he’s telling the truth?]

[Huyan Jue Luo Xiu of the Iron Time Dimension: It seems the problem with the Silver Time-Space was mentioned from the beginning, right?]

[Wang Dadong of the Gold Time Dimension: Really?]

[Hao Jiaqi: Is the Silver Time-Space that fun?]