Desolate Era (Book 1 - Book 5)

After many years, he had earned an enormous fortune.

But despite that, his illness constantly reminded him that he wouldn’t be able to live for much longer. As his parents didn’t need him to support them, he felt that leaving the money there would be a waste. Thus, before dying, he handed out all of his money, giving it to the poor and sick children throughout the country.

“I can’t change my own destiny, but I can change the destiny of those countless poor, sick children!”

This was the deepest desire in Ji Ning’s heart!

After handing out all of his money, he hadn’t expected that one day, while he was taking a walk in the streets outside the hospital with his parents, he had simply died.

“Your life was bitter since you were born,” Lord Cui said softly. “But bitterness didn’t twist you. Instead, it spurred you on to astonishing accomplishments. You not only made a huge sum of money, but more importantly… you gave it all away!”

“Eighteen years of age. Dead.” Lord Cui sighed. “For one to be willing to sacrifice one’s self to rescue a stranger is quite rare.”

Ji Ning said, “Palace Lord, you praise me too much. If I had lived a long life, I might not have been willing to do this. According to the doctors, at most I would’ve lived another three months. For me to trade those three months of life to allow a little girl to gain dozens of years in her life was worth it!”

Lord Cui laughed, then casually flipped open the Book of Life and Death. His gentle voice carried an infinite majesty. “Ji Ning, in your life, you saved over ten thousand people. Your merits are great. For your reincarnation, you shall be reborn into… the Heaven Realm!”

“The Heaven Realm.” Ji Ning murmured quietly.

Lord Cui sighed, “Only those who accumulate great karmic merit can enter the Heaven Realm. On Earth, it is very hard for one to reach this level. Knowingly or unknowingly, by giving up your vast fortune and helping all of those children, you accumulated enormous karmic merit. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t be able to enter the Heaven Realm.”

“Palace Lord, what do you mean?” Ji Ning was confused.

“People are born pure and without malice,” the Lord of Cui Palace replied. “Children are totally pure, but later on, the vagaries of life cause them to change… if you were to have helped adults, you might’ve helped some kind people, but it is hard to say who is kind and who is evil. If you had helped evil people, it would’ve reduced your karmic merit.”

Ji Ning now realized what he meant.

“The Book of Life and Death had preordained that you would only live to be sixteen. However, because of your accumulated merits, you were allowed to live until age eighteen.” Lord Cui sighed.

“What?” Ji Ning was shocked. “Are you saying that the fates contained within the Book of Life and Death can be changed?”

“Of course they can be changed. Why can’t they be changed?” Lord Cui laughed. “For me, adding a hundred years to a person’s life is nothing. Even if the Heavens wanted you dead, they would still give you a chance to survive, much less the Book of Life and Death. A person’s destiny is preordained, true, but it can be changed later on.”

Ji Ning now understood.

It was true.

The ancients said, “If Heaven commits a sinful act, one can go against it; but if you do a sinful act, then you will not be allowed to live.” If Heaven wanted you to die, it would still give you a chance at life. The Book of Life and Death was nothing more than preordained destiny, which one could try and change afterwards.

“I believe there are many people who accumulated great merit. Palace Lord, why did you summon me alone?” Ji Ning asked, puzzled.

Lord Cui laughed. “Because… you and I are from the same hometown.”

“From the same hometown?” Ji Ning was stunned. “Are you also from…”

“Right. According to the words you ‘modern’ people use, I’m also from Earth!” Lord Cui laughed. “But that was back in the era of the Sui and Tang dynasties.”

The Sui and Tang dynasties?

Ji Ning was extremely excited. “I heard those ghosts say that they were ‘princes’ or ‘devil kings’. None of them are from Earth.”

“It is normal for them to not be from Earth. In the infinite universe of space-time, there are three realms; the Heaven, the Netherworld, and the Mortal Realms.” Lord Cui explained, “Heaven refers to the Heaven Realm! The Netherworld refers to the underworld, the Netherworld Kingdom! Mortal, refers to the Mortal Realm. In the Mortal Realm, there are over three thousand major worlds and trillions of minor worlds…the three thousand major worlds are all extremely vast, and have Immortals and Devils hidden within them. As for the trillions of minor worlds, all of them are much smaller and have much lower populations. Our hometown, the Earth, is one of those minor worlds. Up until now, there are still only a couple billion people.”

“Every moment, in those three thousand major worlds and trillions of minor worlds, there are countless deaths, and the spirits all come here to the Netherworld Kingdom! Tell me, how many ghosts does the Netherworld Kingdom have?” The Lord of Cui Palace looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning was shocked.

My God!

Three Realms?

The Mortal Realm was enormous. The Earth was just one of a trillion minor worlds. As a human of Earth, in the past, he always thought the Earth was the center of the universe! But now, he realized… that the Earth was just one of a trillion minor worlds, and couldn’t even be considered one of the three thousand major worlds. In an instant, he had a sense of loss and disorientation.

“Three thousand major worlds, a trillion minor worlds. Of course there’s many people who have high merit. But it is rare that there is someone from my hometown who has accumulated such high merit, and what’s more, your preordained fate was a short life. For you to be able to reach such a level despite that is very rare! I just happened to have some free time, so I wanted to meet you, my fellow Earthling,” Lord Cui said. “You are going to reincarnate soon. Let me tell you about the Six States of Reincarnation.”

“The Six States of Reincarnation refers to Devas, Asuras, Humans, Animals, Preta Ghosts, and Hell Beings.”

Lord Cui explained, “Those who are born as Devas and Asuras are all considered to be in the ‘Heaven Realm’.”

“Humans and Animals are part of the Mortal Realm.”

“Preta Ghosts and Hell-beings are in the Netherworld Kingdom Realm.”

“The Heaven Realm is the place where you are about to be reborn in.” These words immediately caused Ji Ning to grow alert. The Lord of Cui Palace sighed, “This is the best place to be. When you are reborn into the Heaven Realm, nature itself will give birth to you as a Deva! Only someone who is born naturally by the heavens can be described as an ‘immaculate lifeform’.”

“Born by nature? Not by a mother?” Ji Ning was absolutely shocked.

“Of course.” Lord Cui laughed. “Otherwise, how could you be considered an ‘immaculate lifeform’? Strictly speaking, the heavens and the earth will be your parents!”

“After being born into the Heaven Realm, you will train at an astonishing pace. You will easily be able to enter the Celestial Court and become a soldier or a general of Heaven.” Lord Cui sighed emotionally.

Ji Ning rubbed his eyes.

A soldier or general of Heaven?

He was going to become a soldier or general of Heaven?

“Devas have another advantage; once you turn sixteen, you will regain all your memories of your previous lives.” Lord Cui sighed. “The only reason I met you this time was because you had high merit and are a fellow countryman. I didn’t expect that when you came here… you would’ve been spellbound by the painting of Nuwa, the creator of humans. Your insight and perception is indeed quite high. For the sake of helping you to become a stand-out soldier of Heaven, I’ll give you some help.”