NTR: Choice Based System

Ye Yang closed his eyes, the weight of his past lives pressing down on him.

In his first life, blinded by love, he had married Elara, a woman of breathtaking beauty.

He had believed her to be the embodiment of grace and virtue, his heart overflowing with adoration.

Yet, she had betrayed him, not only with her own fat uncle but also, he now suspected, with the assassins who had taken his life.

But was it just betrayal? In the agonizing years following his death, a chilling realization had dawned upon him.

His cultivation, his very essence as a cultivator, had been subtly eroded over time. He had become weaker, his body aging prematurely, his virility dwindling to a mere shadow of its former self.

He now believed these afflictions were not mere coincidences, but deliberate acts, subtle poisons woven into the fabric of their life together.

Elara, he now suspected, had not only betrayed his trust but also his very being, leaving him a hollow shell of the man he once was.

In his second life, consumed by rage and the need for vengeance, he had chosen the path of the Fire Demon.

He had dedicated himself to cultivating power, to becoming stronger than any of his enemies. Yet, this path had led him down a darker, more treacherous road.

The Fire Demon, his supposed mentor, had revealed himself to be a ruthless manipulator, seeking to exploit Ye Yang's power for his own immortality.

Both lives, a tragic symphony of misplaced trust and devastating consequences.

In his first life, he had prioritized emotion over reason, blinded by love and beauty. In his second life, consumed by anger and the need for vengeance, he had embraced a path of cultivation, only to find himself betrayed once more.

"What should I do?" Ye Yang whispered; his voice hoarse.

The elder's words resonated within him – "break the cycle of deceit." But how? How could he break a cycle that seemed to be ingrained in his very being?

He remembered the Fire Demon's chilling laughter, the betrayal that had shattered his world. But then, he remembered something else – the blinding light that had consumed them both, the intense pain followed by an unexpected return to the beginning.

"What was it? The only thing I can recall is the system that seemed to be woven into the fabric of my existence."

A new thought emerged, a radical departure from his previous choices. What if, instead of seeking power or succumbing to despair, he chose compassion? What if he chose to understand, to forgive, not for the sake of others, but for his own liberation?

He imagined himself confronting Elara, not with accusations and rage, but with understanding. He would try to understand the reasons for her betrayal, the forces that had driven her down that path. He would seek to understand the Fire Demon, to comprehend the desperation that had fuelled his ambition.

Perhaps, he thought, true strength did not lie in brute force or the accumulation of power, but in the ability to forgive, to understand, to break free from the chains of anger, resentment, and the need for vengeance.

Having made up his mind, Ye Yang decided not to participate in the competition of the brave. "In this life, there will be no relation between us," he declared.

Still, he knew that only if he was powerful, then only he could survive in this world of the jungle. With that, he remembered every teaching of the Fire Demon and his three cultivation and martial techniques.

"Let's find the place with abundant Yang energy," Ye Yang said, and went to the shop selling the map.

"What item are you looking for, sir?" the shop owner asked. He was a middle-aged man with experienced eyes; with one look, he could see that Ye Yang was here for something important.

"I need a map with information about places filled with abundant Yang energy, somewhere which has no restrictions," Ye Yang answered, feeling the old man's keen eyes on him.

The shopkeeper stroked his beard thoughtfully, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Ah, a young man seeking power," he chuckled, his voice a low rumble. "Such ambition is admirable, but also dangerous. The path of cultivation is fraught with peril, boy."

Ye Yang remained calm; his gaze unwavering. "I understand the risks. But I must grow stronger. My past… it haunts me."

The shopkeeper nodded slowly, his eyes studying Ye Yang intently. "Very well. I can help you. But you must understand, this map is not for the faint of heart. The places it leads to are… unpredictable. Powerful energies can corrupt even the strongest will."

He turned to a shelf overflowing with scrolls and maps, his fingers tracing the edges of a particularly worn-looking parchment. "This one," he said, extracting the map and handing it to Ye Yang.

"It's an ancient map, charting the ley lines of this continent. The lines where Yang energy converges are marked, along with warnings about the dangers that lurk in those places." Your next chapter is on empire

Ye Yang unfolded the map, his breath catching in his throat. It was a masterpiece, intricately drawn with vibrant inks.

Mountains, rivers, and forests were depicted in exquisite detail, and strange symbols marked the locations of powerful energy nodes.

"These places," the shopkeeper warned, his voice grave, "are guarded by powerful spirits, beasts, and even… other cultivators. You must be prepared to face them all. And remember, even the most powerful energy can be a double-edged sword. It can enhance your strength, but it can also consume you."

Ye Yang nodded solemnly; his eyes fixed on the map. He knew the shopkeeper was right.

He could even see the place where he had trained in his past life with the Fire Demon, the very place that had become his graveyard. "But this time, it would be different." With those thoughts swirling in his mind, he focused on other places on the map.

The path ahead would be arduous and perilous. But he was determined. He would not allow his past to define him. He would become stronger, wiser, and break free from the chains of his past lives.

He thanked the shopkeeper and paid for the map, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

He left the shop, the map tucked securely within his robes.