Nezha stood at the cave entrance, gazing at the unbroken mountains in the distance.
The wind blew his stray hair back, revealing that newly born face.
The features shaped from lotus root were a little more delicate than his former mortal body—boyish yet fair as a girl, with well-defined brow bones. Some of his childishness had faded, yet he still carried the contours of a twelve-year-old boy.
Nezha blinked hard twice, forcing the faint mist in his eyes back down.
Taiyi seemed to notice something. He dropped his grumbling posture and leaned over.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No."
Nezha raised his head to look at him. Those eyes were black as ink, so clear they did not seem to belong to someone who had just died.
"Martial Brother, the Tribulation hasn't even officially begun, and it's already taken one of my lives."
"Since I've come back to life and regained my memories, it's time I went to find the others."
Taiyi stopped Nezha.
"Don't rush yet."
He took out a roll of Jade Slip from his sleeve and spread it open. It was densely carved with characters.
All the information Taiyi had gathered over the years was recorded on it.
"You were able to recover your memories because of the shock at the brink of life and death."
He pointed to several marked places on the Jade Slip, his voice sinking.
"The other reincarnated disciples will also need similar opportunities."
Nezha listened in silence.
"Do you know why Sect Master arranged for us to reincarnate?"
"To temper our temperaments."
"Right. The Tribulation isn't something that ends after one fight.
"The Shang Dynasty, Chaoge City, Xiqi... tens of millions of lives are tangled together, and the karma is messier than a snarl of hemp, so don't rush."
Nezha still