Jing Yi couldn’t help but laugh. He really liked Xiao Dong’s way of looking at this! A coincidence made it seem like everything relied on luck while ‘fate’ was a word that he had come to hate thanks to his own unique experience. But according to what Xiao Dong just said, it was neither of the two. Instead, it was his own strength that allowed him to have this opportunity. Who wouldn’t like to hear something like this?

For a moment, he just happily indulged in that fantasy while his gaze brushed over the landscape that was rushing past below them. Some of it seemed familiar while he hardly recognized other parts. But then, it wasn’t like he had gone to the Hei Dian Sect often so this was to be expected, even if it hadn’t been more than a thousand years already.

He retracted his gaze and then couldn’t help but wonder about this difference in intuition between the ascended deities and the dragons. “Well, I could imagine that that is the case.

“Although, you know, it’s still strange. I’ve been with Qiu Ling for so long and I’ve heard a lot more things about the dragons and the immortal realms than I knew in the beginning. And yet, I’m still not sure if I really get it. Maybe it’s because I was born mortal. Sometimes, it just feels so difficult to wrap my mind around it, you know?”

Xiao Dong nodded. “No, I do understand that. It’s that there are so many differences that you have trouble putting yourself into somebody else’s shoes. No matter how much you listen, it will still stay a foreign concept.

“Honestly, it’s the same whether it’s the dragons and the mortals or the dragons and the gods. Some differences are just so big that it’s difficult to deal with them. That is just the way it is. Well, I guess it does make for some interesting conversations.”

Jing Yi gave a hum and then couldn’t help but think that maybe the second time around when he woke up, he would have an easier time. After all, at that time, he would’ve had the experience of both being a human who cultivated into an ascended deity, as well as the identity of a trueborn god. That should count for something, right?

Come to think of it, this experience might be even more valuable thanks to Jing He’s relationship with Qiu Ling. After all, when Jing He woke up after his trial ended, he would regain the memories of that time. Thus, he would also have the experience of being a mortal for some time.

Surely, he wouldn’t just do nothing with that knowledge. No, knowing him, when he spent time with Qiu Ling he might ask some questions because of the things he had noticed, making the two of them closer.

In and of itself made Jing Yi a little reluctant to hand over his soul. After all, he didn’t want to give any advantages to the person he perceived as his rival in love. But he also knew by now that, ultimately, he was the one who would benefit from this.

When he finally woke up again, the understanding Jing He developed would be at the tip of his hands. That would make his own relationship with Qiu Ling smooth sailing. So yes, maybe this trial hadn’t all been bad. He would also gain a lot from it. Not to mention that at that time, that ‘rival’ would be old news.

For a moment, Jing Yi couldn’t help but feel stunned. Since the moment Xiao Dong mentioned the possibility of him returning after Jing He’s death, he had always thought of how he would receive a second chance. Jing He’s demise itself had only registered as him finally having the last laugh. But he had never really thought about what that really meant. Now, he started to realize.

At that time, Jing He would be gone for real. There wouldn’t be any chance of him returning in the far future. At that time, there would be he, Jing Yi, and only he alone. At that time, Qiu Ling would only be with him, not pining for a lover he currently couldn’t have. No, at that time, he would be the only lover for him, and one day, Jing He would become a distant memory.

Just imagining such a day made him become dazed. For his whole life since he found out about Jing He, he had felt like he was second best. Now, he realized that one day, there would also be a situation where he could finally overcome him.

No, not just that.

Jing Yi’s eyes widened with a start. If he thought about this the other way around, then Jing He’s experience after he woke up from his trial would be the same as his right now, wouldn’t it?

Yes, at that time, while he might be living at Qiu Ling’s side, there would always be the thought of that ‘other person’. He didn’t believe that Jing He would see it any other way. After all, he hadn’t been able to shake that thought and Jing He had been more sensitive than him, right? So after he woke up, that thought would be a thorn in his mind.

Jing Yi gulped, trying not to get excited about this. He had sworn that he wouldn’t do anything to Jing He and he also knew that it was ridiculous to hold so much hate for him but he just couldn’t help himself. Knowing that Jing He wouldn’t have a good time after waking up, he suddenly felt excited.

He rubbed his forehead, silently cursing under his breath. Thankfully, Qiu Ling wasn’t currently at his side. If he knew what was going on in his mind, he certainly would have been disappointed and that would only ruin the relationship between the two of them. That was something he couldn’t allow to happen.

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