I’ve Reloaded the Save File! [Transmigration] 1

1. Return to the Past

The once-bright sky was now obscured by dark clouds. A power reeking of destruction swept through, demolishing most of the Wen Dao Sect’s buildings. Many disciples of the sect, unable to evade in time, were caught in the onslaught and fell to the ground, filling the air with the faint scent of blood.

Mo Xiao, who was in secluded cultivation, sensed the disturbance in the world. She forcibly halted her breakthrough and emerged, only to be greeted by the sight of her fellow disciples lying injured on the ground.

Mo Xiao’s brows knitted together. She immediately erected a protective barrier in the center and brought the injured disciples within its safety.

“Martial Aunt Yunmu…” A flicker of joyous surprise flashed in the injured disciple’s eyes upon seeing Mo Xiao. Propping himself up with great effort, he said, “The Demon Clan has attacked! Martial Granduncle Xuan Min is overwhelmed… Please, Martial Aunt, you must intervene…”

“I understand. Meditate here and heal your wounds.” Mo Xiao’s lips thinned into a line. After leaving behind some healing elixirs, she rushed toward the sounds of battle.

Meanwhile, a woman in vibrant red robes hovered in the air, her crimson pupils filled with madness. The sword in her hand was plunged steadily through Xuan Min’s chest. “How many times have I told you? I’m not your love trial. Since you insist on using me to overcome some inner demon trial, then I have no choice but to strike first.”

As she spoke, the woman in red gave the spirit sword in her hand a vicious twist, causing Xuan Min to cough up even more blood.

[Warning! Warning! The World Pillar—the male lead—is about to die! Please remedy the situation immediately, Host! If the Pillar dies, the world will collapse!] A mechanical, electronic voice rang out in the red-robed woman’s sea of consciousness, repeating the warning over and over.

“Since she’s not here, then let it be destroyed. Who knows, maybe its destruction will let me go back to the way things were.” The woman in red had no intention of paying the system any mind. She pulled her sword out, only to stab Xuan Min again.

Xuan Min could clearly feel his life force draining away rapidly. A trace of defiance flashed in his eyes. “Killing me won’t be so easy.”

With that, Xuan Min decisively self-destructed. Even in death, he would drag this rebellious disciple down with him. Otherwise, he could not rest in peace!

Mo Xiao had yet to reach the place where the two were confronting each other when she discovered a pitch-black rift appearing beside her. A powerful suction force surged toward her, swallowing her body. As she lost consciousness, Mo Xiao vaguely made out the scene above her. There seemed to be a woman in a red dress, staring down at her in utter astonishment…

What greeted Mo Xiao after being swallowed by the rift was not death, but a wondrous space. Inside, a ball of light calling itself the Heavenly Dao hovered before her eyes.

That voice told her that the earlier celestial disturbance was because the World Pillar had died, causing the Heavenly Dao to collapse and the world to be on the verge of returning to chaos. She had been chosen by the Heavenly Dao because she was half a step away from ascension and was entrusted with the mission of saving the world.

“And what if I don’t want to save the world?” Mo Xiao looked up at the ball of light. “All things considered, I’ve lived for a very long time. It wouldn’t be a loss to die now.” Thirty years in her past life plus five hundred in this one—Mo Xiao felt she had more than lived her fill.

The Heavenly Dao fell silent for a moment. “Do you not wish to return to your original world? The reason you’ve cultivated so diligently, seeking ascension—wasn’t it all to go back?”

Mo Xiao was a little surprised, but she quickly understood. If this ball of light truly was the Heavenly Dao, then it was only natural for it to have discovered her identity as an outsider. “What’s the use of ascending? So much time has passed. Everything and everyone would have changed.”

The Heavenly Dao was silent for even longer this time. “As long as you successfully prevent the world from collapsing, after you ascend, I can use the power of the rules to send you back to any point in time you desire.”

Any point in time I desire? Mo Xiao was tempted. Although she had lived a long life here, at times it was a bit too placid. If she could go back, could she perhaps…

“Alright. It’s a deal.” Mo Xiao did not hesitate for long before making her decision. “What do I need to do?”

“It’s simple. All you have to do is…”

**

“Senior Sister! Senior Sister! Are you awake?” A familiar voice reached her ears as Mo Xiao’s consciousness slowly returned.

Mo Xiao held out her hand and looked at it. Sensing that her cultivation was only at the Golden Core stage, she frowned slightly. With this level of cultivation, just how far back have I returned?

“Senior Sister, the new disciples the sect is recruiting this time are about to arrive. Do you want to come see them with us?” Just as Mo Xiao was pondering, Yun He’s voice sounded again.

Mo Xiao quickly sorted through her memories. The Wen Dao Sect only recruited a new batch of disciples every ten years. Adding that to her late-stage Golden Core cultivation, this should be the seventy-eighth year since she transmigrated into the world of the book.

“Alright. Wait for me outside for a moment,” Mo Xiao replied. Since she had made a promise to the Heavenly Dao, there were certain things she could no longer ignore.

“Okay, Senior Sister! Please hurry, the new disciples will be here in half an hour.” Yun He was delighted to hear Mo Xiao agree. Yun He had become an apprentice at the same time as Mo Xiao. Although her talent couldn’t compare to Mo Xiao’s, she had also broken through to the Golden Core stage and was one of the most outstanding disciples of their generation.

Mo Xiao got out of bed, dressed, and cast a cleansing spell on herself. She tied her hair up simply and pushed open the door.

The Wen Dao Sect was one of the five great sects in the cultivation world. Because it dabbled in nearly every method of cultivation, and with three Mahayana-stage ancestors guarding the sect, it was subtly regarded as the number one sect of the righteous path.

Mo Xiao had transmigrated here when she was four years old. The moment she opened her eyes, she learned that her parents had encountered danger in a secret realm, suffered fatal injuries, and died. Since both her parents had been inner disciples of the Wen Dao Sect, Mo Xiao was raised within the sect from a young age.

At the age of six, Mo Xiao was tested and found to possess a supreme-grade Gold spiritual root. She was immediately accepted as a disciple by the inner sect elder, Xuan Shuang, and given the courtesy name Yunmu. In the blink of an eye, more than seventy years had passed. Mo Xiao had transformed from a little turnip with no cultivation into a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, becoming what many called a genius.

Mo Xiao and Yun He walked toward the main hall. When people on the path saw Mo Xiao, their eyes lit up. One after another, they stopped to greet her, hoping to leave a good impression.

“Greetings, Senior Sister!” These were her fellow disciples greeting her.

“Greetings, Senior Sister Yunmu!” These were ordinary disciples greeting Mo Xiao.

“Perfected Yunmu, your cultivation has deepened yet again.” This was an outer sect disciple trying to curry favor with Mo Xiao.

Aside from her fellow disciples under the same master, Mo Xiao had no impression of these people. She simply gave a nod of acknowledgment and continued on her way.

Mo Xiao and Yun He arrived at the hall just in the nick of time. Seeing that the new disciples had not yet arrived, the two of them made no fuss and quietly stood behind their master.

“How has your cultivation been recently?” Seeing her disciple arrive, Xuan Shuang turned her head to ask.

“I can faintly feel the threshold of breaking through to the late stage, but I always feel that something is missing,” Mo Xiao replied according to her current situation.

“There is no need to rush your cultivation. If you feel something is lacking, perhaps you should descend the mountain to gain some experience. You might have an epiphany,” Xuan Shuang advised gently. She was very fond of this disciple, Mo Xiao, which was why she had given her a courtesy name as soon as she joined and had always paid close attention to her cultivation progress.

“Alright,” Mo Xiao nodded in agreement.

After the master and disciple exchanged a few words, the newly recruited disciples were led in by an outer sect elder. They stood in groups roughly divided by their tested talent, waiting for the outer sect elder to introduce their situations.

Mo Xiao’s gaze fell upon the group at the very front as she tried hard to recall her few remaining memories.

Including her past life, she had already lived in this world for several hundred years. Mo Xiao couldn’t really remember the initial memories clearly, let alone the so-called plot. If the Heavenly Dao hadn’t told her a few things, she would have nearly forgotten who the male and female leads of the book even were.

If I remember correctly, today should be the day the female lead is taken as the male lead’s disciple, and their tragic romance begins? So the question is, what is the female lead like at this point in time?

Just as Mo Xiao was lost in thought, a little girl standing at the front was also discreetly surveying her surroundings. After her gaze lingered on Xuan Min for a moment, it landed on Mo Xiao as if she had sensed something.

“The general situation of the new disciples is as I have just described. If any elders have taken a fancy to one, you may begin.” After briefly describing each person’s situation, the outer sect elder took a step back, ceding the stage to the nine inner sect elders.

“What is your name? Are you willing to take me as your master?” When Xuan Min spoke, he quickly drew the attention of most of the people present.

The reason was simple: Xuan Min was famous for his reluctance to take on disciples. Nearly two hundred years had passed since he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, and though he had attended five or six new disciple recruitment ceremonies, he hadn’t accepted a single one.

Mo Xiao followed Xuan Min’s line of sight and saw a little girl in a blue dress. Variant Ice spiritual root, eight years old—that was the outer sect elder’s introduction from earlier.

“Thank you for your generous offer, Your Excellency. This disciple is Zuo Wuyi, and this disciple already has someone in mind for a master,” Zuo Wuyi said, neither servile nor overbearing.

Mo Xiao froze for a moment when she heard the name “Zuo Wuyi”. She remembered the male and female leads’ names, even if she couldn’t recall the plot. The male lead was Xuan Min, that was correct, but wasn’t the female lead named Rong Xue? When did it change to Zuo Wuyi? Logically speaking, the male lead only ever wanted to accept one disciple, and that was the female lead.

Wait, what’s this person’s name?

Zuo… Zuo Wuyi?

Mo Xiao’s heart tightened. She couldn’t help but shift her gaze to Zuo Wuyi’s face. After carefully examining her features, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

They don’t look the same. It seems I was overthinking things. It’s just a coincidence, the name is the same.

“And who is this master you have in mind?” Xuan Min’s brow furrowed, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

“Your Excellency Xuan Shuang, Wuyi wishes to take you as her master!” Zuo Wuyi’s actions were just as decisive. She knelt directly in Xuan Shuang’s direction. “Your Excellency may not remember, but Wuyi dares not forget. Three years ago, if Your Excellency had not acted to eliminate that demonic beast, I would surely not be alive today. Now that this disciple has been fortunate enough to enter the Wen Dao Sect, my only wish is to become Your Excellency’s disciple and serve you!”