"There is life, there is blood, when there is blood, there is me."
With those words, Shi Jian's whole body was vaporized into thin air as if it never existed, but his soul survived because of external help.
Sensing something, Shi Jian opened his eyes and found himself in a strange space. Being close to becoming a god, he could feel that he was inside the inner world of some powerhouse.
Then, he felt a familiar soul manifest in front of his eyes. With a respectful manner and regretful tone, he greeted him, "Senior."
Seeing Shi Jian in his state, the soul sighed. He was an old-looking man with long white hair and a white beard, giving off an aura of a god.
Looking at Shi Jian, he spoke, "I knew this would happen, but I still sent you to your demise. My greed to become God has cost you your life." There was regret and longing in his eyes.
Shi Jian spoke in a stern tone, "This was not only Senior's dream but mine too, and I knew what I was doing had risks. But I still chose to do that because I knew without external help, I would not be able to achieve my goal of becoming a God." There was no regret in his tone, only frustration.
"I would have achieved or at least would have found an answer, but those people came for my life when I hadn't touched a single hair of their people. I only hunted those beings who were either tyrants or those who had less time left in this world, but still."
Anger could be seen in his eyes. He was a few thousand years close to his goal but didn't even get a chance before he was hunted by Prime beings of the Immortal world.
The old man, with a low tone, said, "Those outcomes were within my reach, and I knew the path you had taken would lead to your demise if you hadn't succeeded in finding the answer."
Shi Jian could see the old man's soul crumbling, and then he looked at himself and saw the same thing happening to his own.
"What's going on?" he asked.
the old man didn't answer his question and continued, "I chose you in the hope of finding my last straw of hope, but it seems it was clear that I'm not destined to become a God."
"After my six reincarnations, this was the last one, and in desperation, I found this method to collect the blood of different beings and achieve the unimaginable feat." He looked at Shi Jian as a father would look at a son.
"But I still failed to do that, even after taking help from you," he sighed, eons of fatigue evident on his face.
He continued, "My time has come, and this being my seventh and last reincarnation, I want a favour from you so I won't have more regret at my last moment."
Shi Jian looked at the senior with sombre eyes. He knew that there are seven reincarnations for every human in this world.
He didn't know if this was his own last one or the first, as he didn't have a memory of his previous life, like many beings in the world. Only a few can remember their past life, like the old man in front of him.
Shi Jian said with a serious tone, "What can I do for you, Senior?" Then he looked at his own state, which was also crumbling, "With this state, I don't know if I can do anything more for you." The old man had helped Shi Jian when he was at his lowest.
The betrayal from his own people had led him to the path of becoming a God, but he failed every time until he met the soul of the old man.
The old man spoke, "I'm the one who cost you your life, and I have a method to repay you for that, but in exchange, I need you to look after my descendants."
He continued, "In my seven lives, I had a family every time, but in the process of becoming a God, I neglected them every time. I don't know where they are or how they are, but if you find them, then please take care of them like they are your own family." The old man said, his tone filled with regret and pain.
Shi Jian nodded. He didn't know how he would achieve this feat or even how he could survive from the impending disaster, but he still nodded in agreement. The old man in front of him had done something for him that he would never forget.
He had a simple motto, "I return favours ten times and revenge a hundred times."
He still asked, "But Senior, how and where can I find them, and with this condition?
As he spoke, the speed of the crumbling of their souls increased, and Shi Jian could see cracks on the sealed space, which was the senior's inner world.
The old man knew time had come, so he used his last bit of cultivation, and his soul changed into a shining ball and shot towards Shi Jian.
Shi Jian didn't have time to react before the old man's soul merged with his soul. He heard the old man's voice, "I'm not asking you to look for them, but in your next life, if you ever came across them, then help them like they are your own. This is this old man's request to you."
Shi Jian, "But-"
The old man spoke with an urgent tone, "We don't have time. I have used the last bit of my knowledge and cultivation to merge my soul power with you, which will slow the crumbling of your soul until you find a vessel."
"This old man has no malicious intention towards you or your descendants, but it was the only thing I could do to save your life."
Before Shi Jian could understand anything, the old man spoke, "Your soul will find a dying vessel, your own descendant whose life has ended. Only that vessel which has a connection with you can accommodate your soul without alerting the heavens' wrath, because this is also a forbidden technique which was created by me for a time like this."
"You may have to start from the beginning, and it's on your own hand how you live your life this time. I hope you achieve the goal which I couldn't and become a God who can rule the nine heavens."
Shi Jian felt a jolt in his own soul, and his soul shot towards the cracks on the space, breaking through them and starting to go in a certain direction.
While Shi Jian felt himself losing consciousness, he heard the old man's voice, "Once you are in proximity to my descendants, you'll know who they are."
With that, Shi Jian lost his consciousness, while his soul travelled through different realms and entered inside the lifeless body of a young boy who was covered in blood.