Illusion Became Reality, First Mastery of Reincarnation

Spirit Pagoda Headquarters

Within the Illusion Space, everything had long since turned into a realm of utter darkness and deathly stillness.

There was not a shred of light or a single sound. Even the Soul Power drifting through the air had frozen like ice. An aura of deathly silence permeated the surroundings, like a desolate land at the edge of the Underworld, faintly resonating with the power within Li Chen.

This was the cultivation illusion specially adjusted for him by Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi.

Li Chen, who had originally been sitting cross-legged at the heart of the illusion, suddenly glowed with a layer of dark divine light that was gentle yet carried the ancient majesty of eternal deathly stillness.

The divine light flowed into his body through his pores like water. His body trembled almost imperceptibly, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

In the darkness, a flash of dark light passed through his eyes as doubts surged through his heart. His coronation in the Underworld, reshaping the order of Reincarnation, Electrolux enlightening him to comprehend the Great Dao... every experience had been etched into his bones. Yet only one day had passed on Douluo Continent. Could all of it have been a dream born from this deathly illusion?

He instinctively held his breath, focused his mind, and examined his own dantian sea.

The next second, a clear sensation struck his mind. Within his dantian, there was no longer merely the familiar vortex of Soul Power. A mysterious, intricate black-and-white ring slowly rotated there.

The black was Death Power in its purest form, cold and still yet not violent, carrying the weight of all things returning to silence. The white was Power of Life, gentle yet majestic. The two forces reinforced and restrained one another, merging perfectly without the slightest conflict to form a Power of Reincarnation, imposing and heavy, containing the profound principle of the cycle of karma.

The foundation of Soul Power throughout his limbs and bones was several times deeper than before, his meridians had nearly doubled in width, and his soul had become condensed enough to seem tangible.

Yet deep within his soul, that still-immature Death God Position remained dormant. Even so, it continuously emitted gentle waves of protection that echoed the power within his dantian from afar.

This was absolutely not an illusion!

The Death God Position had torn through the barriers between planes and distorted the flow of time, allowing him to spend a year in the Underworld while only one day passed on Douluo Continent upon his return.

This encounter in the Underworld, along with the supreme powers of Reincarnation and death, had all been genuine gifts!

"Do not be doubtful. Your soul, Soul Power, and foundation have all undergone a complete transformation. This is a heaven-defying opportunity, not some illusory fantasy."

A warm, steady voice sounded through the deathly darkness. Han Tianyi slowly approached, his gray robe outlining a calm figure in the dark. He raised a finger, and a thread of jade-white spiritual power slowly flowed out. It held no trace of aggression, only a gentle warmth that soothed the mind.

Li Chen restrained the disturbances around his body and bowed to Han Tianyi. "Li Chen greets Your Excellency."

"Rise and sit cross-legged." Han Tianyi's voice was calm, carrying an unquestionable guidance. "You possess the two origin powers of Netherworld death and life. Their rank far surpasses ordinary Beast Martial Souls, Tool Martial Souls, and even Body Martial Souls. Yet your current cultivation as a Soul Master remains shallow. Your strength, soul, and body have yet to become one, and your powers are restless and difficult to tame. One misstep could cause them to backlash against your meridians and draw the covetous attention of others."

As his words fell, that thread of jade-white spiritual power gently entered Li Chen's sea of consciousness through his brow. It transformed into a clear circulation path for Soul Power and branded itself upon his soul. "Follow my guidance. Settle your mind and guard your origin as one. First, use your spiritual power as a rope to bind the restless origin powers. Then use your Body Martial Soul Power as a bridge to guide them into your dantian and fully merge them with your own cultivation."

Li Chen followed his instructions and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes as his fingers naturally curled together upon his knees. He first calmed his mind.

At first, the black-and-white Reincarnation ring within his dantian began rotating faster.

The Power of Death crashed through his meridians with unruly ferocity, while the Power of Life was ethereal and scattered, spilling out freely. His skin grew faintly hot as dark motes of light seeped through it, making the deathly air around him tremble.

But he clenched his teeth and followed the guidance, driving his spiritual power into fine threads that wrapped around the restless Power of Death. He discarded any thought of forcibly suppressing it and, with the state of mind he had cultivated in the Underworld—guarding Reincarnation and protecting the departed—comprehended its origin of returning to stillness.

In an instant, the Power of Death obediently flowed back into place, no longer resisting in the slightest.

He then controlled the Power of Reincarnation, using Pluto's will to echo the Death God Position deep within his soul.

The God Position trembled faintly, and its protective waves locked onto the ethereal Power of Reincarnation. Both origin powers flowed entirely into his dantian, merging with his own Soul Power and transforming into three-colored currents that circulated through his meridians.

The Netherworld pressure leaking from his body was completely drawn inward. The dark glow over his skin faded, and his aura returned to steady calm.

As his power settled into place, Li Chen slightly curled his fingers. With a thought, a thread of Death Power precisely gathered at his fingertip, revealing only a hair-thin glimmer of dark light before vanishing in an instant, without disturbing even the slightest airflow. Then he lightly tapped the air, allowing the Power of Reincarnation to flow out soundlessly and soothe the stagnant Soul Power around him. With another small curl of his finger, all the power returned at once, accurate to the finest degree.

He slowly clenched and opened his fist. The strength between his fingers was steady, every flex and extension followed his will without the slightest delay. A flash of black-and-white light passed through his eyes, and his soul and power had become wholly unified. He could now release and withdraw them freely, with no danger of losing control again.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Chen slowly opened his eyes. They were clear and profound, without a ripple of disturbance.

"Very good." Han Tianyi withdrew his spiritual power, his eyes full of approval. "You have now initially mastered your own strength. Remember this in your future cultivation: use your heart to control power and your soul to uphold righteousness. No matter how strong your power becomes, you must remain true to yourself, punish evil, and uphold good. Only then can you be a righteous Soul Master."

Li Chen rose to his feet, his aura restrained and steady. He gave Han Tianyi a deep bow, his understanding of power and the path of cultivation now completely clear.

After bidding farewell to Han Tianyi, Li Chen headed straight for the depths of the Spirit Pagoda. Through his connection with Heavenly Phoenix, the deputy tower master, he successfully became an apprentice under an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman within the Spirit Pagoda to study forging.

This Eight-Star Saint Craftsman was a leading authority in the forging world. His instruction was strict, and his words were concise. At the beginning, he did not teach Li Chen any profound techniques, only making him strengthen his arms, condense his Soul Power, and diligently practice basic hammering and fire control.

Li Chen never slacked off. Every day at dawn, he entered the forging room and wielded a heavy hammer to repeatedly strike the billets. He precisely controlled the force and rhythm of his hammering as well as the temperature of the flames, quietly building a solid foundation.

When the Saint Craftsman observed him, he would occasionally offer guidance. Just a few words would strike at the core of forging, teaching him to merge his Soul Power with the forging hammer, sense the texture of metal, and reduce the consumption of Soul Power.

Li Chen possessed exceptional comprehension, and with Han Tianyi's earlier guidance, he soon fully grasped the fundamentals. He then moved on to advanced techniques such as engraving spirit patterns and fusing metals.

He devoted himself to rigorous cultivation day and night, keeping hammer and flame as his companions. Even when calluses formed on his palms, he never stopped.

In just one month, he had thoroughly mastered the foundations of what he had learned. His forging techniques became increasingly skilled and steady, his control of Soul Power refined to the smallest detail. He completely shed his inexperience, his forging cultivation advanced rapidly, and he officially entered the ranks of forgers.

While Li Chen studied forging, Gu Yue and Na'er also rapidly grasped the techniques of mecha manufacturing and its common pitfalls under Leng Yaozhu's guidance. Gu Yue, in particular, quickly gained considerable support among the lower-level Spirit Pagoda members through her family's innate advantages.