Reincarnation

"Lord!" Xie Jin presented Su Xia's head as he returned to report.

Fang Ming picked up the head and looked at Su Xia's once beautiful face, now pale and tear-streaked. He couldn't help but say, "I've heard of the Jade Maiden Temple in the Taoist Sect. They meditate on the allure of celestial maidens, transforming them into withered bones. This is to strengthen the disciples' Dao hearts, illustrating the transience of time and beauty turning to dust."

"But those are all illusions. Only in reality, witnessing this scene, can I truly understand my own pursuit and remain steadfast!"

He then turned to the side, "Don't you agree? Great Su Xia?"

Red qi surged, and a figure appeared from Su Xia's corpse. She was ethereally beautiful, her bloodstains gone, and it was Su Xia's soul. The yellow qi above her head had vanished, leaving only a faint red that was barely persisting, slowly dissipating.

Fang Ming nodded, knowing that upon death, fortune greatly diminishes. Even with Ghost Cultivation methods, Su Xia would need time to activate them. At this moment, she didn't even have one-tenth of her strength in the mortal realm.

With a wave of his hand, divine power surged, and a round bead appeared, sealing Su Xia's soul within. Fang Ming formed a hand seal and cast several divine abilities, completely sealing the bead. This was a divine ability from Mu Qing's previous life. Su Xia's soul within was like being encased in amber, unable to even move her thoughts, let alone cry for help. With a thought, his Grotto-Heaven opened, and he sent the bead inside. The power of the realm would act as a barrier. Even if there were any flaws, as the Lord of the Grotto-Heaven, Fang Ming could suppress them. Since he had already made an enemy of the Supreme Dao, he might as well detain this woman's soul and gather information.

At this moment, Wang Zhong had finished searching Su Xia's body and found a small cyan jade seal, which he presented on his knees.

Fang Ming took it and examined it. The seal was entirely cyan, with four seal script characters on the bottom. They vaguely read "Kai Shi Tai Ping."

"Kai, Shi, Tai, Ping."

Fang Ming savored the four characters and sighed, "This must have been the personal item of the Great Ancestor when he founded the nation. I wonder how it fell into the hands of the Supreme Dao! It truly benefits me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, something unexpected happened. The small seal flashed with cyan light. Its entire body dulled, and its previous lustrous jade-like color completely disappeared. It turned a dull grayish-cyan, unremarkable, and the four seal script characters on the bottom were no longer clearly visible.

If the seal had looked like an extraordinary item before, its current appearance made it seem like a cheap imitation, worthless.

"Oh? A divine artifact concealing itself?" Fang Ming wasn't particularly surprised. After all, a treasure of fortune wouldn't allow Su Xia to carry it around the world carelessly, fearing its loss.

The Supreme Dao had kept this item for many years, possessing numerous methods and being connected to its fortune, allowing for calculations. Fang Ming smiled, opened his Grotto-Heaven, and sent the small seal into it. This was an experience gained from Mu Qing's memories. Divination methods have three major taboos: one, the opponent's profound magical power; two, interference from incense and fire fortune; and three, being in different realms.

Fang Ming basically met all three conditions. He was a soul from another world, protected by incense and fire fortune, and by casting all traces into his Grotto-Heaven, he severed the clues for divination at the source. The Supreme Dao could only be furious...

Fang Ming smiled, but commanded, "You all go and clean up the battlefield, finish off any survivors, and kill all the wounded. Don't let a single wandering soul escape, annihilate them all! The fire at the post station is almost out. Gather all the corpses and any remaining traces, throw them into the Grotto-Heaven, and then set the place ablaze, reducing it to ashes!"

This was also to destroy evidence. Then, whether in the mortal or underworld, no one would be able to find any clues. This place was also on the border of Jing and Wu, a chaotic region with complex relationships, which would delay things. By the time the world descends into chaos, what would he have to fear?

After his subordinates had cleared the battlefield, Fang Ming commanded, "Emerge from your possession and kill them! Send their corpses and souls into the Grotto-Heaven. This venerable one will send them to reincarnate!"

These possessed farmhands were all strong young men from the vicinity. Fang Ming had brought them here to prevent the post station from receiving reinforcements or sending warnings. Killing them now was also a way to eliminate clues. As for the slaughter of innocents? In the struggle for the dragon throne, one does not shy away from bloodshed! In the future, many more innocent people than these will have to be killed!

Xie Jin and the others were soldiers and naturally acted without hesitation, swinging their blades, blood splashing everywhere. As for leaving their souls to be reincarnated, that was Fang Ming's small compensation.

When his subordinates finished pouring the last of the oil on the ruins and setting it ablaze, Fang Ming looked at the sea of fire, laughed heartily, opened his Grotto-Heaven, loaded all the Yin Soldiers into it, and returned to Anchang County.

Meanwhile, deep within an unknown mountain range, pavilions and towers created a scene of immortal beauty.

In the central great hall, five Daoist priests sat in meditation, forming a circle.

An old Daoist suddenly opened his eyes, his expression greatly changed. He said, "I have a premonition, a calamity seems to have occurred!"

Another old Daoist performed a divination and exclaimed, "Not good, the fortune of our sect has been reduced by two-tenths!"

"Neither more nor less, exactly two-tenths. It must be that the supreme treasure of fortune has changed. Two of our sect's three supreme treasures are within the sect. The Taiping Seal on Su Xia must have had a problem!" a female Daoist frowned. Her voice was ancient, but her face was like a peach blossom, extremely alluring. Judging by her appearance alone, she seemed to be only in her early twenties.

"The Taiping Seal? Let me divine it!" The person in the middle was a young Daoist, but he seemed to hold the highest authority. He formed a hand seal and divined for a long time. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, saying, "Impossible, I can't divine it. Although the supreme treasure can conceal its heavenly secrets, the Taiping Seal has been offered sacrifices to by our sect for many years, and its fortune is connected. How could it be like this? Could it be that the opponent has already refined this treasure..."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. They divined for Su Xia again, but it was also a blur. Someone said, "What shall we do?"

The young Daoist said, "According to previous information, Su Xia is at the border of Jing and Wu. Meng Yun, Meng Mie, you two ride the Iron Beak Flying Crane immediately. If necessary, you can mobilize the power of the government. You must investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Watching the two True Persons accept their orders and leave, the young man let out a sigh.

Su Xia was a Saintess of the Supreme Dao, ordered to patrol the land, representing the Supreme Dao. Ordinary people dared not offend her authority, and with her official status, she was enough to deter evildoers.

To the major powers of the world, Su Xia herself was just a minor character. Only Su Xia and a few True Persons knew about the supreme treasure she carried. Even if it were coveted, the Supreme Dao could divine it, so why would they fear a fight to the death?

This plan, which should have been foolproof, ended up in such a state, making the young man feel even more reverence for the ethereal Heavenly Way. But immediately, his eyes turned fierce, "This great trend of dragon-contention concerns the foundation of our cultivation and immortal careers. We will not give up! Even if we suffer a temporary setback, we have backup plans!"

Fang Ming was in his Grotto-Heaven, playing with the Taiping Seal.

After returning to the City God's Law Domain and distributing rewards, Fang Ming decided to station this camp within the City God's Law Domain and rarely let them leave. Other patrol duties would be handed over to the new recruits to prevent the leakage of information.

As for the Four Great Families, only the Patriarchs knew that he had borrowed these things, and they didn't know what he intended to do with them. With their vast fertile land, they would naturally not leak any secrets. However, it would be better to erase this memory!

Although the Taiping Seal concealed its divine properties, Fang Ming, having set his sights on it, had his own ways to deal with it.

This absolute kill was a grand plan that Fang Ming had meticulously prepared for a long time.

As soon as Su Xia left Anchang County, Fang Ming ordered people to gather information. Once her whereabouts were known, he struck with a single blow and retreated, swift and decisive, demonstrating extreme wisdom and decisiveness. As for why he killed her, there were three major reasons.

First, the Supreme Dao intended to harm Fang Ming, so Fang Ming naturally struck first. As for those who, like Qingxu, feared the general trend of destiny and dared not defy it, nurturing a tiger that would later harm them, Fang Ming considered them fools.

Second, Fang Ming coveted the supreme treasure of fortune. As for others, either there was no news, or they were kept in the mountain gates of major sects. Only the Taiping Seal was easier to obtain.

Third, to avenge the destruction of his divine splitting consciousness last time. Fang Ming would not be as chuunibyo as in previous life novels, where he would completely destroy male enemies, go soft when encountering a beautiful woman, offer his other cheek after being slapped, and eventually fall in love, creating melodramatic plots that made Fang Ming nauseous.

At this moment, Fang Ming was communicating with the Taiping Seal using Heavenly Dao Merit. Other divine abilities and divine powers were too low in level. Only Heavenly Dao Merit, which was also cyan, was of the same level as the Taiping Seal.

As Heavenly Dao Merit flowed over the small seal, it caused the seal's cyan light to flicker, showing signs of gradual mastery.

The Taiping Seal had left the Great Gan and entered Fang Ming's Grotto-Heaven, isolated from external influences, becoming water without a source. It could be slowly worn down and eventually recognize him as its master.

Once it recognized him as its master, it would naturally have no connection to the Supreme Dao. It could then conceal its heavenly secrets and be taken out for his divine splitting consciousness to use.

"Huh? This seal actually contains a trace of dragon qi, which is perfect for me! Things have been going so smoothly lately. Could this be the influence of destiny guiding me?" Fang Ming made another discovery.

"Hmm! It seems this Taiping Seal isn't for Su Xia's self-defense, but for her to scout and invest in a Hidden Dragon! The Supreme Dao truly has deep reserves, using a supreme treasure right from the start. Their ambitions must be immense!" Fang Ming's thoughts raced as he deduced the truth.

After some time, Fang Ming spent his days refining the supreme treasure, striving to master the Taiping Seal as soon as possible.

One day, Fang Ming felt a great disturbance in his heart. He emerged from his Law Domain and witnessed a miraculous sight.

The sky turned dark and gloomy, and a solar eclipse appeared.

Using the last sliver of light, Fang Ming's Qi Observation Spiritual Power saw—

A black sun descended from the sky, landing directly on the ground and igniting black flames. Judging by the direction, it seemed to be in Shudi.

"This... is the will of heaven, a Ghost King reincarnation!" Fang Ming murmured to himself.

"Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs." This saying means that heaven and earth possess great benevolence, treating all living beings equally.

The human way, though seemingly vast, is also a part of the Heavenly Way.

In this world, there are many beings ostracized by humans, as well as the accumulated darkness of the human way. These are also within the Heavenly Way, giving rise to resentment.

When this Ghost King cultivates to its peak, it can transform extreme yin into yang and reincarnate. It is reborn with the resentment of the Heavenly Way, bound to cause endless conflict and slaughter countless lives, creating space for other beings to survive, repaying resentment with resentment.

In his previous life, he would have been a figure like Huang Chao or Zhu Can.

It has also received the mandate of heaven, corresponding to black virtue, which is water virtue. As long as it successfully slaughters more than half of the world, it can achieve the Ghost Emperor through black virtue.

This celestial phenomenon, visible to all with spiritual eyes, immediately caused ripples across the world.

In the vast grasslands north of Great Gan.

A Hu people tribe was holding a live sacrifice.

An old Hu person, dressed as a Great Shaman, stood at the forefront, praying, "Great Great Black Heaven! Please accept the offerings of my Blackwater Tribe and protect us..."

Unseen by the shaman, ghost qi gathered, and numerous fierce ghosts lined up like an army, with vengeful ghosts serving as centurions, managing the fierce ghosts.

In the center was a large tent. At the very top was a Hu person, with dark golden qi swirling above his head, exuding an imposing aura, possessing the cultivation of a Ghost King.

"Fengdu, my friend, have you chosen this path?" this Ghost King murmured, looking at the sky.

"Great Khan, the Fengdu Ghost King has reincarnated. Should we take this opportunity to attack Shudi?" a general below asked, his body shrouded in black qi, possessing the cultivation of a fierce ghost.

"There's no need. Fengdu must have left a contingency. His wife is also a Ghost King, and his Fengdu Army is quite formidable. Why should we risk the lives of our warriors? Great Gan is on the verge of chaos. We only need to support the Blackwater Tribe, unify the grasslands, and then invade from the south. We can slaughter all the southerners!" This was also a path to becoming a Ghost Emperor, similar in outcome to the Fengdu Ghost King's path.

Below, the shaman had already placed many bound living people on the altar.

The Hu Ghost King laughed heartily and said, "Warriors of the grasslands, enjoy yourselves to your heart's content!" His fierce ghost subordinates pounced, and the captives on the altar turned into dried corpses. The shaman seemed accustomed to this, his expression unchanged.

The Hu people's system was backward; they couldn't build cities for self-preservation but found another way.

Various tribes sacrificed to fierce ghosts, and some tribes even sacrificed to Ghost Kings. Of course, fierce ghosts were unwilling to be bound, so most offered sacrifices under the name of a certain deity.

Ghost Kings had spirits and would naturally restrain fierce ghosts from harming their own tribes' shepherds. They would also drive away external fierce ghosts, ensuring peace in their territory.

In return, the tribes had to offer live sacrifices on time, known as "blood sacrifices." These living people were mostly prisoners of war from various tribes.

Sometimes, when live people were insufficient, they would join forces to invade Great Gan from the south, plundering supplies and living people, causing immense harm.