Chapter 598: Incarnation

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After Wen Zhong's valiant effort a moment ago, the four of them still had lingering fears. So much so that they felt even Master would not be a match. How could it not be extremely dangerous?

As long as they could accompany Uncle-Master back to the Asura Blood Sea, it would be much safer there than in Xiliang.

However, they all understood that if they did not put themselves in the shoes of another, changing Master to Uncle-Master, he might not follow them. They thought that Uncle-Master was not willing to go with them. Even though this might offend their superiors, for the sake of Uncle-Master's safety, it was something they were unable to change.

When everything finally comes to an end, they were perfectly willing to bear the brunt of whatever punishment that may come their way.

With regards to their thoughts, no doubt Shen Lian understood all too well. Mana could be the representative of many things, and yet there were times where it represented nothing at all.

Yuan Xuefeng took the lead and drew his sword, “Uncle-Master, your disciple has committed a wrong so great even a thousand deaths would not do justice.”

He acquired the Black Turtle Demon Sword Incantation pa.s.sed down by Shen Lian. Recently the heat control was deeper, and the sword would be ferocious once it was unleashed as if time and s.p.a.ce were frozen.

The other three tacitly approved. With the particular characteristics of his sword freezing time and s.p.a.ce, they could then unhurriedly invite Uncle-Master to return to Asura Blood Sea. If Uncle-Master in his current condition could still be able to play them down and put them in their place, it would mean that he was not in critical condition yet, thus they were able to somewhat worry less.

Shen Lian gave a weak smile. With a move of his finger, he could manipulate the angled piercing of Yu Yingfa's sword, exchanging it with Yuan Xuefeng's sword body. The technique Yu Yingfa used was also pa.s.sed down by Shen Lian – the Vermillion Bird Clinging Fire Sword Incantation. As Shen Lian drew it in, Yuan Xuefeng's water and fire intersected. A large shaking power promptly puts an end to the das.h.i.+ng spirit of Liu Weiyi's White Tiger Seven Killings Sword.

Shen Lian walked leisurely. One step across and he placed his hands on Li Yuanliang's shoulder. Even before the sword Qi of his Azure Dragon Heaven Ascending Sword could flourish, Li Yuanliang felt the restriction of the whole of his sword Qi.

From beginning until the end, Shen Lian did not need to display any universally shocking mana. Without so much as a breath, he stifled them all.

The four of them bitterly smiled, dumbfounded as to whether the events that just unfolded was a good thing or not.

Shen Lian spoke, “The strength of all four of you are already ahead of ninety percent of the cultivators out there. Combine that strength, and you are on par with the cla.s.s of land immortals such as that of the Seven Disciples of Xuanzhen. If they were to battle with you for a short time, it would difficult to predict who will be the winner. With my current strength, however, it would not be easy for me to quickly and efficiently put them in their place during battle. And yet, when I face the four of you in my present condition, I can do so quite easily. Can anyone tell me why?”

Yu Yingfa was the first to reply, “When Uncle-Master manipulated my Vermilion Bird Clinging Fire Sword, I felt that Uncle-Master's conduct at the time was similar to when I usually spur my Qi of heaven and earth, with no difficulty. It was as if in Uncle-Master's eyes, the sword Qi that I refined was no different from the Qi of vitality that incessantly flowed in the heaven and earth.”

Shen Lian smiled and nodded, “Yingfa, do you know the precise reason why that is?”

Yu Yingfa had the lowest apt.i.tude among the four, but the most hardworking. The cultivation experience he had today was gained mostly from taking advantage of the Asura body. He could easily describe what he experienced, but he was not able to comprehend the reasons for experiencing it.

He shook his head and a reply came from Liu Weiyi, who was just beside Yu Yingfa, “The reason why we can drive the Qi of heaven and earth was that our power of the spirit was strong. The power enabled us to clearly see the whole sequence of events of the Qi of vitality that was all around us. From this, the divine thoughts spilt out, prompting our Qi of vitality, thereby using this as a pretext for the supernatural Dao techniques. A moment ago, Uncle-Master managed to accomplish this. That accomplishment was the natural result of seeing clearly Apprentice-Brother Yu's sword force.”

In response to the answer, Shen Lian asked, “What must be done in order to see clearly?”

Li Yuanliang's restrictions were loosened. He rushed to answer first, “Uncle-Master's Primordial Spirit is strong. It is able to clearly understand everything within a short time. Therefore it is only natural to see clearly.”

Shen Lian shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and smiled, “I will go into solitary retreat. Wait until I advance. I will use the exact same state as I am using now to test you all one more time. When the moment comes, I hope you will not disappoint me.”

Li Yuanliang and co could do nothing but look at Shen Lian entering the city. Finally, he vanished into Zimu River.

After a long while, Yuan Xuefeng spoke, “My apprentice-brothers, a while ago, it was not because of Uncle-Master using the mighty strength of his Primordial Spirit that he was able to defeat it. Did you all not realize that it was like we were caught in a game that Uncle-Master created from the moment he first made his move? Everything was played by his rules. We were helplessly toyed around and there was nothing we could do about it.”

The hearts of the other three trembled. In the end, they acknowledged Yuan Xuefeng's view. Even if what he said was so, when Uncle-Master once again advanced, they were still without a way that would enable them to endure the test after Uncle-Master's advancement. As of now, that became their most pressing dilemma.

The four of them did not notice the tacit admission they simultaneously made – Uncle-Master would not be in any danger anymore.

As Shen Lian sank into the Zimu River, he heard the words of Yuan Xuefeng, and it seems that the latter could still be considered to have perception.

In fact, it was not only rules that Shen Lian could formulate. Inside his body, there was an embryonic form of a non-existent/illusory universe. The plan he wished to commence today was indeed akin to what Daoist Master Taishang said – all the things in the world are produced by being, and coming from non-being.

The so-called being was Taiyi, while the non-being was Taiyi.

Taiyi was indeed the soulful aura which led to the creation of heaven and earth and all living things.

The water from Zimu river, if drank, enabled the embryo to be born of the parent body with no foundation, not that it was a different kind of being from non-being. This was the reason why Shen Lian needed the essence of the Zimu River.

It was precisely because of this point, Shen Lian gradually understood something. From the beginning up until the end, not once did he escape from the plans fate had in store for him. He came to the Netherworld because Chen Jing had drunk the water from Zimu River to give birth to Xiliang, in the end, reliance on the river's water was still needed in order to achieve Taiyi. Everything was too coincidental.

Even Wen Zhong's sudden appearance with the use of the Mighty G.o.d of Thunder could not be as simple as just another plan. If there was no Wen Zhong, forgetting the principle would require a longer time and Shen Lian would definitely be unable to be in his current position with so quick a period of time.

Even though Shen Lian had earlier on established Zhou and caused Xia, Shang, and Zhou to coexist at the same time, there was still some uncertainty on whether he could achieve the desired outcome in the end.

He could not help but to miss Ye Liuyun. Among the both of them, there were empathy as fellow sufferers. If they were together, it would be more certain that they could join forces and collapse.

For Shen Lian, the quest for freedom contributed to the heightening of his power and state. Even though he seemed to be free, the truth was that it was all predetermined by fate. He and he alone could profoundly understand this.

Regardless of how much danger and torments he experienced, and how the complicated and touching story unfolded, ultimately he was still unable to break free of that unperceivable shadow.

Shen Lian slowly sank into the depths of the water. There was neither any light nor any sound. Even the flow of water was absent. It conjured up the thought of the self-divine aura that he still entrusted in the Realm of Dreams (databank uses Village of Nothingness).

Only after he thought about the aura did he feel a slight peace of mind. No matter what happens, he had already reached this step. Whatever the dangers were, he faced them all. Surely a chance would still exist for Dongshan to rise up again.

In another sense, from this day onwards any Shen Lian outside the Realm of Dreams (Village of Nothingness) would strictly, be an incarnation. Even if the incarnation was annihilated into scattered ashes and a puff of smoke, another Shen Lian would still appear in the world.

If he cultivated for a thousand years, then that is the amount that would be restored in his cultivation experience.

As this gradually happened, Shen Lian finally understood more on a deeper level why the State of Taiyi was this fearsome. If one's karma was bounded with a person possessing the Taiyi state, it would result in a lifetime of nightmares.

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Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The depths of the Zimu River were very cold, but the feedback to Shen Lian's mental state was that of warmth and abundance with Yang Qi. All that Yang Qi was like countless of fireflies, floating in the waters of the Zimu River.

Today, however, it was as if the fireflies had the same target – Shen Lian's 'spirit'.

They were the river's Qi of the essence. Any of them could cause a mortal virgin woman to conceive, creating new life out of nothing, to be born into the world.

Presently, they adhered themselves to Shen Lian's spirit, integrating with it, forming a new Primordial Spirit.

The pressure that originated from the Register of Life and Death was still present, but Shen Lian was able to experience the new 'Primordial Spirit' becoming more durable and firm. His Primordial Spirit even started to transform into properties. Now it had flesh and blood as well as muscles and arteries. The transformation even caused orifices to begin taking shape. Finally, the shape of a human being was born in the deep waters of Zimu River, continuously absorbing the essence of the river, perfecting its own body.

It was derived from the purest and concise of flesh that was constructed from Yang within Yin. The creation of every inch of skin, every single orifice, even each strand of hair, and each drop of blood – everything was completely and unequivocally controlled by Shen Lian's 'spirit'.

This was a complete process of creation. The new body could be said to be his Primordial Spirit and the entirety of him in the mortal world. As of now, he was thoroughly different from any living being that was intrinsically present in any other world. He was special, one of a kind.

As the days pa.s.sed, the essence present in the waters of Zimu River became lesser and lesser, while Shen Lian's new body gradually solidified. The depths of the Zimu River contained a pressure equivalent to at least millions upon millions of kilograms. Regardless, his body did not suffer any pressure.

Shen Lian was able to profoundly experience the storing of his own spirit by his flesh and blood, continuously taking in and sending out the bizarre energy present in the heavens and earth. There was not a time where his mana had not increased.

From this, he could feel a deeper connection with the evil of the Netherworld. The pressure started to mount.

Up until the point where Shen Lian felt the pressure was too hard to bear, he disconnected the mind from the body. The pressure became constant and the universe of nothingness that was present in his heart of Dao started to solidify. Finally, it turned into a seed.

Yet, Shen Lian was filled with joy. Today he truly achieved the State of Taiyi. The seed lay between what was true and what was false, nevertheless, it was the most important part of his whole body.

The seed slowly floated, finally reaching the s.p.a.ce between Shen Lian's eyes. Every square inch of his bier was dense with rising vapor. If an outsider had seen this, he or she would only be able to see a small point of light red cinnabar between Shen Lian's eyes, as if made by heaven.

Only Shen Lian and Shen Lian alone could truly fathom that the seed his red cinnabar was akin to an embryo, continuously absorbing the Qi of essence from every single part of his blood and flesh, gradually strengthening itself.

The embryo will grow, but what it became in the end, would not be a person.

Strictly speaking, the traces of the red cinnabar represented the Placenta of Heaven and Earth. As time pa.s.sed, it would grow to become and new world.

Up until now, Shen Lian did not truly understand why the three persons of the Netherworld were dissatisfied at the State of Taiyi. Now he did. It was because each of them represented an embryonic form in the world, continuously drawing nutrients from the Netherworld. If one day the world truly was born, the process would be identical to a woman who finally gave birth after being pregnant for ten months.

The difference was that the Netherworld did not have the motherly instincts inherent in every living being. It would be bitter and hateful towards those who took their essence away.

After all, when the world was truly formed, the end result would be detachment from the Netherworld. It would become its own body.

It would either exist like the formation of the Qing Xuan Star, or it would be like the Netherworld, possessing extraordinary properties and concealing many unknown places. However, after all, what was said and done, Shen Lian himself could not properly estimate how much Qi of vitality the world really possesses. In all seriousness, it required an amount so vast as to be completely unfathomable.

Even so, Shen Lian understood one thing from this – the cultivation of the State of Taiyi may not have any limits. Even if there was no breakthrough in the state, the mana that was acc.u.mulated will unceasingly continue to increase.

Regardless of how much Qi of heaven and earth was taken in and sent out when merged with the seed, it could still be completely absorbed. There was simply no limit.

In the past, much was said about how those among the deities were borderless. That actually meant that they and the heavens were one, able to manipulate the vast powers of heaven and earth. It was not because of genuine acc.u.mulation of mana did they become boundless.

However, when released in specific places, these advantages became absolutely meaningless. Just like the crossover of a void, if it was discovered midway that there was a star capable of being replenished, it was similarly possible for a heavenly immortal to finally meet a dull and lonely demise in the emptiness of the void.

With this Placenta of Heaven and Earth, however, the mana a.s.similated with those bearing the State of Taiyi could be without boundaries. Along with the added depth in age limit for cultivators, there would be more and more advantages a.s.sociated with it.

Shen Lian even thought that if a person could open up the beginning of a universe, it would mark the achievement of the State of Taiyi. If throughout the course of everything there were no disasters or calamities, one could only imagine how tremendous one's mana could be if one continuously cultivated. The mere thought of this was frightening for Shen Lian.

Even without cultivating any exquisite supernatural powers, that kind of person could cause every enemy to yield with only the mere raising of a hand or the lifting of a foot.

The reality was that such a person did exist. He commanded the attention of Daoist Master and Buddha, even though he did not reach either of the states.

Even during the time where pressure was unexpectedly exerted by Emperor and the Lord Emperor, that person could still maintain his independent nature.

Yinshang's capital city was called Zhaoge. It was bigger and grander than the city of Diqiu. It was also the largest trade hub in all of the Netherworld. Day and night, Daoist cultivators from various sects came to the heart of the city. They bartered Dao formulae and spiritual items, as well as various important ingredients needed in the process of cultivation.

The largest attraction in Zhaoge was a Simuwu ding. It was Zujia of Yinshang's royal bloodline who spent his whole life's savings to create it. n.o.body knew how heavy the Simuwu ding was. It stood silently at the core of Zhaoge City. Day and night, a Universal Qi of Virtue wound and encircled it.

It was rumored that if the Universal Qi of Virtue was absent, the Simuwu ding would sink into the ground, so much so that it would pa.s.s through the Netherworld.

Zujia once tried to test the strength of the Simuwu ding. He invited twenty land immortals to attack the Simuwu ding with a display of their spells. This lasted for about a year. In the end, there was not even the slightest scratch on the Simuwu ding.

If anyone was put down inside the Simuwu ding, they might not even be able to turn their body for the rest of their lives – this was a common understanding held by many.

Twenty years prior, Zujia, the creator of the Simuwu ding, did not leave the Simuwu ding even by a step. Even when Tianyi was forced into Diqiu to become its prisoner, Zujia did not budge.

Tianyi was the only one who understood what Zujia wanted to do – refine the Simuwu ding to become his own Lingbao. By then, any strong enemy could easily be suppressed by calling upon this treasure.

Refinement of the Simuwu ding depended on the Universal Qi of Virtue. Twenty years on, Zujia still only managed to incorporate only a fraction of the Universal Qi of Virtue into his body.

“Never in my life have I ever seen a person with such an unstable mind and spirit as you. Tell me, why is that?” Vicissitude could be heard in Zujia's voice, and yet he looked just like a person that just entered his fifties.

The person who walked to face him was Yinshang's Monarch: Tianyi – one of the greatest and strongest persons of this world.

Tianyi spoke, “You should know, the likes of you and I can 'die and be reborn' in this marvelous world. After all, how precious is it, really? Of course, if the mission cannot be completed, you and I would not have the opportunity to relive another life. In fact, life and death are things both you and I have already understood clearly since a long time ago. However, neither you nor 'I' can ever let 'Yinshang' go because the both of us understand that its existence bears more 'significance' than ours. And yet today, Yinshang may well be eliminated by my hand and yours. How could I be at peace, then?”