Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Alive in Death, the Reincarnation Ends

On the battlefield, Li Chang’an’s aura suddenly erupted, growing explosively. Streams of Qi surged along the meridians throughout his body and into his Dantian, coalescing into a vortex of Qi that seemed almost solid.

The vortex contracted and condensed continuously.

Finally, it became as solid as metal, emitting a brilliant golden light!

During this process, Li Chang’an’s power soared, reaching the Martial Saint Realm—a level many Martial Artists could never hope to touch in their lifetimes!

In truth, he was already on the verge of the late-stage Martial King Realm.

However, he had been held back by two obstacles: an insufficient accumulation of Qi and a lack of cultivation experience, preventing him from taking the next step.

It couldn’t be helped. He had been given too little time.

If the Imperial Court’s encirclement had been delayed by just another three to five years, he could have quickly broken through to become a Martial Saint.

But as things stood, he had been in this world for ten years at most—not enough time to accumulate the Qi required for a breakthrough to the Martial Saint Realm.

However, he had long anticipated this day and was not entirely unprepared.

Now, using his Heaven-defying Comprehension to imitate the Qi circulation pathways of the several Martial Saints around him and forcefully guiding the Qi in his own body, he was making a desperate, life-or-death gamble.

The consequence of this method was that he could only touch upon the Martial Saint Realm for a short time. Once his Qi dissipated, the excessive load on his meridians would cause his internal organs to fail, resulting in his death.

In other words, it was an all-or-nothing, suicidal gambit.

But the results were immediately apparent.

Watching Li Chang’an’s aura continue to soar before them, the expressions of the several Martial Saints from the Demon Qing Royal Court changed drastically. Clearly, they had never imagined he could achieve a breakthrough at a moment like this!

One of them couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice, “We should have wiped out all the Martial Saint inheritances in the Central Plains World! How could he possibly break through to become a Martial Saint?”

A ten-year-old Martial Saint, even a temporary one, was terrifying. If word of this got out, it would shock the world, completely shattering the record for the youngest person in history to ever become a Martial Saint!

However, although they were shocked, they felt little fear.

Never mind that Li Chang’an wasn’t a true Martial Saint. So what if he was?

The five of them combined were more than enough to surround and kill him.

The battle erupted in an instant!

But it was far from the earth-shattering clash everyone had anticipated.

Li Chang’an’s figure vanished. The moment he reappeared, he had already seized the Martial Saint with avian feathers growing from his back. With a vicious wrench of both hands, he tore the wings straight from the man’s body!

The Martial Saint’s face was a mask of horror. He stumbled back several hundred meters before managing to stop!

But Li Chang’an wasn’t finished. He hurled his blood-soaked longsword with a speed no one could react to, brutally pinning the Martial Saint to the ground!

After all that,

Li Chang’an’s figure seemed to have never left its original spot.

But in the next instant, the airborne Martial Saint whose hands were covered in bone spurs was struck as if by a cannonball. His entire body shot back several thousand meters, disappearing from view.

It had only been three moves. In the span of a single second, Li Chang’an had pinned one Martial Saint to the ground and sent another flying thousands of meters with a single punch.

His fate was unknown.

Although the remaining three had come to their senses and wanted to provide aid, Li Chang’an’s speed and explosive power were simply too terrifying.

They didn’t even have time to change tactics before their ranks were suddenly reduced by two.

Staring at the youth before them—his face boyish, yet his killing intent chilling—the three remaining men felt their hearts clench with deep apprehension and horror.

After taking down two of them, Li Chang’an’s body suddenly froze. He threw his head back and laughed. “A single spark can start a prairie fire! I may die today, but my Dao will endure! You can all wait for me in Hell!”

As his voice faded, blood cascaded from his body. His Qi flowed in reverse, and he died.

…0…

…

Li Chang’an felt his consciousness leave his body and return to that familiar yet alien pure white space.

[Ding! Host has been detected leaving the Rebirth World. First Defying Fate attempt has concluded!]

[Calculating final evaluation!]

[Fate Node 1: At five years old, you were strong and full of vitality, rewriting your fate of stunted growth and starvation. You made a name for yourself near Li Family Village, earning the title ’Child Prodigy’!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to E-Level. Additional reward: 3,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 2: You successfully survived for ten years in the chaotic era of the Yaoqing, overturning your original fate of dying at age six. Rebirth Evaluation increased to D- Level!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to D- Level. Reward: 5,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 3: When the Flood Dragon stirred the waters and caused widespread floods, you practiced medicine and provided relief across the land, saving tens of thousands of people. Rebirth Evaluation increased to C-Level!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to C-Level. Reward: 7,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 4: Enraged after your parents were taken by Master Wang and Magistrate Chai, you bathed the Three Yellow County Magistrate’s Office in a river of blood!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to C+ Level. Reward: 10,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 5: When the river waters surged and disaster struck anew, you strode upon the current and furiously slew the malevolent Flood Dragon. Its blood stained the river red, and you successfully averted a cataclysm that would have swept through Fengzhou.]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to B- Level. Reward: 15,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 6: You launched the Taiping Uprising, becoming the leader of the Taiping Uprising Army, and were revered throughout the land as the ’Taiping Immortal Master’!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to B-Level. Reward: 20,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 7: Your fame grew so great that the threatened Yaoqing Imperial Court dispatched an army of hundreds of thousands, along with six Martial Saints capable of subjugating the world. Riding out alone, you charged into the heart of the enemy army and slew two Martial Saints, buying the Taiping Army enough time to retreat.]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to A-Level. Reward: 30,000 Rebirth Points!]

[Fate Node 8: Though your body perished, your Will was not extinguished. The Taiping Uprising Army inherited your Will and spread your teachings across the land. From that day forward, the Martial Dao was no longer a secret held by a select few. Rebel armies throughout the world grew ever more numerous and powerful.]

[Ultimately, your disciple Li San carried on your legacy. Thirty years after your passing, he successfully overthrew the Yaoqing and established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom—an empire where the Martial Dao flourished and every person had the potential to become a dragon.]

[Your former disciples personally placed you upon a divine altar, and the world came to revere you as the ’Taiping Celestial Master’. For thousands of years thereafter, the Incense offered in your name never ceased!]

[Rebirth Evaluation increased to S-Level. Reward: 50,000 Rebirth Points, Rebirth Permissions x3!]

[Evaluation complete. Your life, though brief, was truly spectacular.]

[As the Host has exceeded the requirements for this rebirth mission, the Mark grants the following additional rewards: Innate Divine Techniques Draw x1, S-Class Origin Infusion x1, Grade A Cultivable Spiritual Field x5!]

A series of messages flashed across his vision.

Li Chang’an let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, a smile of immense relief spreading across his face.

’This rebirth was far from perfect, but in the end, it wasn’t a failure.’

All told, the final evaluation had earned him one Innate Divine Techniques draw, one S-Class Origin Infusion, five Upper-Grade Spiritual Fields, and a grand total of 140,000 Rebirth Points!

…