Within the Merit, a figure emerged amid a cry.
It was Pingxin. Now that she had lost her physical body, she appeared in another form.
Following the light of Merit, Pingxin descended beside Chen Yang once more. "Once I am no longer by your side, be careful in all things... Also, there is no need to suppress your cultivation. Break through when it is time to break through. Look at yourself—you have been suppressing it so painfully. Let me give you a hand..."
As Pingxin spoke, she tapped Chen Yang's forehead with a fingertip, and endless insights into the Great Path of Reincarnation poured in.
At that moment, Chen Yang's Primordial Spirit spun, rapidly forming a Reincarnation Formation Array.
The Reincarnation Formation Arrays intertwined, causing Chen Yang's Primordial Spirit to rise swiftly as it inscribed a Reincarnation Formation.
In the end, Reincarnation Formation Arrays formed within Chen Yang's Primordial Spirit, linking together and tempering his soul.
Chen Yang sensed the changes in his Primordial Spirit, and his aura surged as well, instantly stepping into the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
More than that, the Heaven Cauldron, one of the Three Cauldrons of Heaven, Earth, and Man within his body, emerged and bloomed with the Divine Flower, one of the Three Flowers.
At the same time, a special Dao Fruit condensed. It was a Great Luo Dao Fruit.
Chen Yang felt the changes in his cultivation. "You know what I want is not this."
"Someday, you and I will meet again. From the time I met you among the Human Clan, to relying on your wisdom to comprehend Reincarnation, we walked step by step until now. I came to feel a kind of affection beyond that of brothers and sisters. When I entered the Primordial Unity Realm, I, too, thought of changing things. Yet fate drove me onward, and I could only follow you through the final stretch of the road. Chen Yang... having you in these final moments was wonderful..." Pingxin murmured, her figure gradually fading away.
Chen Yang knew very well that it was Pingxin's aura being bound by Reincarnation. From now on, the Land of Reincarnation would be Pingxin's prison, a prison from which it would be difficult to escape.
Chen Yang's expression changed, grief and fury raging in his heart like blazing fire.
Chen Yang threw back his head and roared, venting the unwillingness and hatred within him as tears slid from the corners of his eyes.
From the memories of his future life, Chen Yang had long foreseen this day.
But after accompanying Pingxin for a million years, Chen Yang had come to regard her as one of his own through those long ages.
[You have received Pingxin's gift and comprehended the complete laws of the Great Path of Reincarnation]
"Today, I shall transform myself into Reincarnation!"
Using the Buddhist Sect's method of refining relics, Chen Yang fused in faith, tempered his Dao Fruit, and formed a Lesser Reincarnation.
Once the Dao Fruit had been refined, Chen Yang severed it. "Sever!"
In an instant, he severed the connection between his mind and his Dao Fruit. Chen Yang spat out blood wildly, spraying it across the land of the Blood Sea.
Yet even so, a faint smile remained on Chen Yang's face as he sent the bloodstained Dao Fruit into the Land of Reincarnation along the light of Merit. "Pingxin... you transformed your body into Reincarnation, while I use my own origin Dao Fruit to refine Reincarnation. You and I will never truly be apart..."
As he spoke, Chen Yang sent the Lesser Reincarnation refined from his own Dao Fruit into the Reincarnation Divine Wheel.
At that moment, Pingxin within the Merit received Chen Yang's Dao Fruit. Her expression held both pitiful tenderness and smiling tears. "Why must you put yourself through this..."
But Chen Yang gave no answer in the end. He merely watched quietly.
Reincarnation had taken shape, and Merit descended as well.
An ethereal voice came from nowhere.
"Reincarnation shall evolve into the upper three paths: the Heavenly Dao, the Human Dao, and the Asura Realm. The lower three paths: the Beast Realm, the Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell. All living beings shall be guided here and enter Reincarnation."
The ethereal voice rang out.
At that moment, countless souls flooded into the land of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
Souls were reborn, merging into the Grand Dao of the Primordial World, cycling endlessly round and round.
Now, many turned their gaze toward Reincarnation and the vast sea of Merit.
Eighty percent of the endless Merit flowed into Pingxin's True Spirit. Aided by the Merit, Pingxin's True Spirit ascended. Her cultivation soared, ultimately charging into the Primordial Unity Realm.
It was a Primordial Unity Realm nurtured by Merit. Reincarnation intertwined, and the heavens celebrated. It was the same feeling as the sages proving the Dao—the celebration of heaven and earth.
Many great powers were dumbstruck at the sight.
"Hiss~ Houtu relied on her True Spirit and Merit to achieve the Primordial Unity Realm."
"Unbelievable... Houtu first achieved the Primordial Unity Realm with her physical body, and now her True Spirit has transformed into a Primordial Spirit, achieving the Primordial Unity Realm once more."
"Too terrifying. This is equivalent to proving the Dao twice!"
As everyone pondered, rosy clouds filled the sky, countless auspicious rays shone forth, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.
Pingxin's achievement of the Primordial Unity Realm shocked many and drew their congratulations as well.
At the same time, half of the Merit flowed into Minghe.
Another fifteen percent of the Merit flowed into Chen Yang.
This sight made Minghe's expression shift as he stared at Chen Yang.
Though Chen Yang was presently steeped in grief, he looked back at Minghe without the slightest courtesy. Whoever you were among the great powers of the Primordial World, if you provoked Chen Yang, he would activate the killing formation and fight you to the bitter end.
Minghe remained silent, unwilling to pursue the question of who had received more or less Merit.
After absorbing the Merit, Minghe turned and departed.
The many people watching this place gradually withdrew their gazes as well.
After all, Reincarnation had evolved, and the outcome was already set in stone.
Everyone withdrew their attention, but Chen Yang remained where he was, staring at Reincarnation for a long time, unwilling to leave.
On Golden Ao Island.
Duobao was watched by many eyes.
Duobao's expression was vaguely strange. At last, he said blankly, "Do not ask me. I do not know, and I am not sure..."
"Senior Brother Duobao... Junior Nephew Chen Yang ruthlessly severed his own Dao Fruit, fused it into the Reincarnation Formation Array, refined a Lesser Reincarnation, and sent it into Reincarnation to accompany Pingxin. With a relationship like that, you say you do not know?" Golden-Spirit Holy Mother sighed.
"Chen Yang and Houtu were quite a pair. What a pity they had to be separated like this. Still, that final scene was touching." Turtle-Spirit Holy Mother sighed as well.
"Our Junior Nephew Chen Yang is truly something. To think he had such a relationship with Houtu—our Jie Sect truly..." Holy Mother Wudang said.
The others also smiled.
Demon Court.
Donghuang Taiyi wore a golden divine robe and a tall crown, his long hair cascading down. "Big Brother... Houtu's evolution of Reincarnation has completely curbed the Demon Race's future."
"Within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the lower three paths—the Beast Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell—were clearly prepared for our Demon Race. After the Demon Race falls in the future, we will be controlled and reborn into the lower three paths. Over time, our Demon Race will thoroughly decline, and it will be difficult for powerful experts to emerge."
"The Six Paths of Reincarnation have already evolved. There is nothing we can change." Dijun spoke steadily.
"Houtu is quite interesting, finding herself a little lover. Perhaps he will become a breakthrough point for Reincarnation..." Taiyi pondered slightly.
"He is a disciple of the Jie Sect, possesses the Slaying Immortals Sword Formation, and is also the representative of the Three Teachings. Touching him is equivalent to touching the foundations of the Three Teachings." Dijun said.
"The Three Teachings. With our current strength, and the Heavenly Stellar Array, why should we fear the Three Pure Ones?" Taiyi said arrogantly.
"What I fear is not the Three Pure Ones, but Hongjun behind them, as well as the greater tide of the Primordial World." Dijun said gravely.
"That may be so... Yet now that Houtu has evolved Reincarnation, the twelve Ancestor Shamans are short one member, and the Heavenly Capital Divine Baleful Formation can no longer be formed. Thus, the outcome of the Wu-Demon War will also change." Taiyi said.
"Change? I believe the greater situation remains difficult to alter. At most, when the Demon Race declines, we will preserve a little more vitality. On the contrary, the Wu Tribe has already found a place to establish its roots." Dijun said silently.
Hearing this, Taiyi's gaze turned considerably colder.
Tens of thousands of years later.
Chen Yang prepared to leave the Land of Reincarnation.
"I will definitely return."
With those words, Chen Yang turned and left.
He walked out of the Blood Sea, away from this place of sorrow.
Yet just as he departed, Chen Yang sensed an inexplicable summons.
In the end, Chen Yang arrived at a place along the edge of the Blood Sea.
A streak of light flew toward him.
Chen Yang's expression shifted slightly. Looking at the object in his arms, he could not help drawing in a sharp breath. "Hiss... the Nine-Nine Soul-Shattering Gourd..."
Chen Yang looked at the gourd that had appeared out of nowhere, astonishment surfacing in his expression.
Chen Yang knew better than anyone what the Nine-Nine Soul-Shattering Gourd was. It was Hongyun's treasure, one of his few signature items.
Back at Five Villages Temple, Chen Yang had seen this gourd before and was very familiar with it.
After Hongyun was killed, the Nine-Nine Soul-Shattering Gourd had vanished as well. Who would have known it had fallen here?
Chen Yang stared at the gourd, observing the changes within. "Senior Hongyun..."
Faint cries sounded from within the gourd. Hongyun's voice did not emerge; only a trace of longing came through.
After pondering briefly, Chen Yang did not hesitate to take out many resources and place them into the gourd.
The Nine-Nine Soul-Shattering Gourd devoured the energy and gradually revived. "Young Master Chen Yang, long time no see..."
"Hiss... You are the gourd's artifact spirit? You were not destroyed?" Chen Yang asked in surprise.
"That is right. Before his death, Master used a spatial escape technique to send me away. That was why I did not perish alongside him," the gourd artifact spirit said.
Chen Yang's expression was thoughtful. "What about Senior Hongyun? Did he truly perish? Was nothing left behind?"
"Alas... Master faced pursuit from Dijun, Taiyi, and Kunpeng. He was simply unable to contend against them and was killed in the end. Even his origin was destroyed. Only a wisp of origin was gathered by me. Yet even this wisp of origin is faintly dissipating. I paid countless prices to protect it, but I could only maintain it," the gourd artifact spirit said solemnly.
"It is all right, it is all right... If even a wisp of origin remains, that means Senior Hongyun still has a chance of resurrection." Chen Yang asked doubtfully.
"Young Master Chen Yang... I beg you to send me to Five Villages Temple. I can only keep Master's origin from dissipating. To restore it, Lord Zhenyuanzi will have a way."
The gourd artifact spirit spoke pitifully.
Chen Yang did not refuse. "Very well. I will deliver you into Senior Zhenyuanzi's hands. No matter what, Senior Hongyun showed me kindness and guidance. I will certainly save him."
Repaying kindness was one of Chen Yang's principles.
Hongyun had shown him kindness, so Chen Yang had to lend him aid no matter what.
Chen Yang did not hesitate. Using numerous resources, he restored the weakened gourd artifact spirit and headed for Longevity Mountain.
Before you continue