Chapter 997: Self-Made Reincarnation

Chapter 997: Zi Cheng Lun Hui

The night was pitch-black, and the wind howled eerily.

The various departments of Tian Ting were all heading back on their journeys, but each one wore a look of deep sorrow.

A meticulously planned ambush had come to an end, with Zhu Xian Jian shattering the heavens and vanishing from Da Chu.

Yet, this battle had ended in utter devastation. Ye Xingchen and Xingyue Shengnv were dead, Hongchen and Chu Lingyu had also perished, and Chu Xuan was gone as well, leaving behind a world filled with scars and shattered fates.

Ye Chen was brought back to Hengyue Zong and fell into a deep slumber, no longer in his Xue Ji Xian Jie state, his hair now completely white and his face aged.

The matter with Hongchen was the most painful of all—he had killed the one he loved most with his own hands, that graceful woman in her seven-colored immortal robe. She could never be found in this life again, and the next cycle of reincarnation was far too distant.

At Yunu Peak,

Chu Linger stood quietly by the ice jade bed, as still as an ice sculpture, not moving an inch.

Her hair was also fully white, and with her pale jade-like hands, she gently combed through Ye Chen's disheveled hair, caressing his weary and weathered face.

She did not blame Ye Chen for killing her sister, for he had no idea it was Chu Xuan. If blame was to be placed, it was on Zhu Xian Jian, which had controlled her sister, causing them to miss each other time and again and leaving so many lovers with lifelong regrets.

Outside the door, Shangguan Yuer and Biyou were there too, but they all remained silent.

Even the usually playful Xiyan and Luoxi were quiet now, secretly wiping away their tears.

Little Ruoxi was well-behaved, occasionally lifting her small head to look at them, her clear and innocent eyes full of confusion, not understanding what was wrong with these adults or why no one was speaking.

Yunu Peak seemed to have become a forbidden ground, where no one dared to set foot, afraid of disturbing the necessary peace.

At the foot of the mountain, Xiong Er and Xie Yun were pacing back and forth. They tried several times to go up but stopped themselves each time. So much had happened that they were caught off guard and didn't know how to offer comfort.

Ah!

On a mountain peak, Taixu Gulong let out a quiet sigh. "What on earth is love in this world?"

"Love." Zixuan gazed quietly at the stars, her expression distant, the word encompassing endless years of hardship.

Taixu Gulong took a deep breath, lost in his thoughts, but he had forgotten the ancient story of Donghua Nvdi and Shengti Dihuang.

Though Zixuan was only a remnant soul, she had inherited many memories from Nvdi Yue Shang, including those of the empress's love. In some bygone era, the empress had watched helplessly as Dihuang fell in battle.

That pain, even after enduring countless changes through the ages, was still etched deeply into her soul, never to fade.

"Let's talk about Zhu Xian Jian instead!" After a moment of distraction, Taixu Gulong changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on love any longer.

"It's no longer in Da Chu." Zixuan gathered her thoughts. "It must have gone to some unknown realm."

"How much do you know about Da Chu?" Taixu Gulong turned his head, asking a question he had held back for a long time since knowing her. His words were laden with meaning—he lacked memories of Da Chu, but that didn't mean she did.

"In the memories I inherited, there's nothing about Da Chu," Zixuan replied softly.

"Then how do you see this land?" Taixu Gulong asked again.

"Very mysterious." Zixuan sighed lightly. "There are too many existences here that even you and I can't see through. Not just one Di Bing is suppressed here— even Zhun Di can be restrained. This land hides countless secrets."

"One thing is certain: Da Chu is a prison." Taixu Gulong stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's isolated from the myriad realms of the heavens. Outsiders can't enter, and people here can't leave."

"We're in agreement on that."

"Then have you ever been to Tianxuan Men?"

"I was turned away at the door." Zixuan gave a self-deprecating smile. "Only the successive Nine Emperors of Da Chu are qualified to know all the secrets. Unfortunately, neither you nor I can reach that Tianjing cultivation level."

"Both of us were Great Emperors in our past lives, but in this era, we'll ultimately just be supporting characters." Taixu Gulong shook his head with a laugh.

Zixuan said no more and quietly stepped into the void sky, heading deeper into Hengyue, perhaps seeking a secluded spot to mourn the unyielding figure from ancient times and ponder the true meaning of love.

Taixu Gulong remained standing on the mountaintop, gazing quietly toward Yunu Peak, as if he could see Ye Chen lying in slumber on the ice jade bed.

The night passed without incident, and dawn broke in the blink of an eye.

The morning light bathed the world, casting a splendid glow over Hengyue Zong.

The disciples continued their training as usual. The new generation of Hengyue disciples was truly a constellation of talents, and having a peaceful world was their good fortune, sparing them from trembling in chaos.

Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

On Yunu Peak, Ye Chen was still asleep, as motionless as a statue.

Perhaps he didn't know how to face reality, so he chose not to wake, preferring to wander in dreams of the past.

Chu Linger left, entering Chu Xuan's room to wipe away the scattered dust and tend to her belongings from life. In a few moments, she almost believed Chu Xuan was still in the world, but when she turned back, it was all emptiness.

Day and night alternated, the cycle of light and dark continuing.

Da Chu truly entered an era of prosperity. The remaining forces from Northern Chu had mostly been eliminated, and Tian Ting was stronger than any of the previous Nine Emperors. Even the lords of past generations dared not emerge to cause trouble.

In the blink of an eye, nine days had passed.

It was another peaceful night. Chu Linger wiped Ye Chen's face and then turned to leave, climbing to the top of Yunu Peak and gazing quietly at the stars, hoping to find that brightest moment.

On the ice jade bed, Ye Chen slept peacefully and serenely.

Suddenly, a hint of pain appeared between his brows, and his rigid body trembled slightly.

Heya!

In the next instant, he shouted lightly,

"This mountain is opened by me, this tree is planted by me. If you want to pass this road, leave behind the toll."

If anyone were there, they would be astonished. He clearly hadn't woken up, yet he spoke these words.

It wasn't strange to talk in his sleep, but what was odd was that, despite his emotional wounds, his expression was fiercely menacing, matching the words he blurted out. He seemed like a bloodthirsty bandit in the midst of a robbery.

"Congratulations, sir, your wife is with child."

He spoke again, his bold tone instantly turning meek and fawning, his menacing bandit's face shifting to that of a sycophantic servant, like a doctor who had just diagnosed a wealthy lady's pregnancy.

"Brave warrior, join the army to protect the homeland and defend the nation."

His tone changed once more, becoming resolute and powerful, his fawning expression turning to one of heroic resolve, like a general marching into battle with unyielding determination.

"May the winds be favorable and the rains timely; this year should bring a good harvest."

"The emperor I am shall expand the borders in my lifetime and establish an eternal dynasty."

"This good sir, are you here for a meal or to stay at the inn?"

"When I return in glory, I will come to marry you. Wait for me."

"Cross this mountain, and you'll reach Yunyang. Finish this escort mission, and I'll treat everyone to drinks—plenty for all."

Ye Chen kept speaking, uttering all sorts of bizarre phrases.

Moreover, with each sentence, his expression and tone changed completely, as if he were playing different roles—sometimes a bandit, sometimes a general, sometimes a doctor, sometimes an innkeeper.

Strangely, his eyes remained closed throughout, and those odd phrases came out like mere mumbling in his sleep.

"What's going on here?" Listening to Ye Chen's strange words and watching his shifting expressions, Fu Ya at the Tianxuan Men Huan Tian Water Curtain scratched his head in bewilderment. "Could it be that because of Chu Xuan's death, he's suffered such a blow that he's gone completely mad?"

"Look carefully at his body," Donghuang Tai Xin said softly.

"Is there something odd?" Fu Ya muttered, stepping closer and focusing on Ye Chen's body.

Upon closer inspection, he indeed noticed something wrong. Ye Chen's body was enveloped in faint strands of light, flickering in and out, containing an indescribable mysterious force that was weaving on its own, resembling something like a cycle of reincarnation.

"What is that?" Fu Ya stared at Donghuang Tai Xin in astonishment.

"The power of reincarnation."

"The power of reincarnation?" Fu Ya was stunned, his eyes wide.

"Haven't you always wondered why Ye Chen is beyond Da Chu's six paths of reincarnation?" Donghuang Tai Xin said leisurely. "Even the heavens' reincarnation can't reveal his past and present lives. The answer lies in him."

"Has he formed his own reincarnation?"

"That's right, his own reincarnation." Donghuang Tai Xin spoke softly. "He's absorbing the power of reincarnation from his past lives, and within that power are fragments of many past memories. For instance, in one life he was a bandit, in another a doctor, in another a general, in another an innkeeper. That's why he's spouting those strange words."

"This is truly unbelievable!" Fu Ya's mind was in turmoil as he looked at Donghuang Tai Xin. "What caused him to form his own reincarnation? Could it be that he comprehended the principles and mysteries of reincarnation?"

"It must be the future version of him who comprehended the mysteries of reincarnation." Donghuang Tai Xin pondered. "It's inseparable from the Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eye. I have a feeling that major changes will occur in the future heavens and myriad realms, forcing the future him to defy the heavens. Using the Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eye as a medium, he transmitted the power of reincarnation from his past and present lives to his body to handle any sudden upheavals."

"Goddes, if people from the future travel through time to this era, will it alter the course of history?"

"It will." Donghuang Tai Xin answered firmly. "The wheel of history deviated from its original path the moment Ye Xingchen and Hongchen arrived. All future events will change because of this."

"What exactly are the future Ye Chen and future Ye Xingchen doing in this time?"

"This matter—Ye Chen will tell us the answer soon enough." Donghuang Tai Xin took a deep breath. "Your task is to find the third person who transcends Da Chu's six paths of reincarnation in the shortest time possible. Shenxuan Feng and Hongchen are dead, so that third person who transcends Da Chu's reincarnation must be no ordinary figure. They might also be someone who traveled from the future."

"I understand." Fu Ya nodded and turned to leave, but after two steps, he came back.

"Goddes, there's something I'd like to ask."

"Speak."

"People like the deceased Shenxuan Feng and Hongchen—can they reincarnate in Da Chu?"

"Is that something you should be concerned about?" Donghuang Tai Xin replied sternly.

"I'm just asking." Fu Ya coughed awkwardly and left sheepishly.