Depths of Samsara

"Who in this world could kill the Imperial Monarch and the Primordial Monarch?" Emperor Taixiao suddenly asked. Emperor Yanglong said, "The Immortal Emperor is trapped, and Jiugong, Taiyuan, and Saint Luo are also trapped in the Cosmic Dark Domain. Currently, the only ones in the Immortal Realm capable of killing the Imperial Monarch are that existence in the Grand Luo Heaven, the Ten Abandons Heavenly Monarch, and the nine of us." The nine emperors fell silent. That existence in the Grand Luo Heaven was transcendent and aloof from the mortal world, and would never be moved by such trivial affairs. As for the Ten Abandons Heavenly Monarch, he had been gravely wounded by that existence in the Grand Luo Heaven, and whether he was dead or alive remained unknown. The Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens were Grand Luo Golden Immortals, after all an entire realm higher than the Imperial Monarch and the Primordial Monarch. Even though the Imperial Monarch and Primordial Monarch had attained their own Dao fruits through Ginseng Dao fruits, their cultivation and strength still fell short compared to the emperors'. Emperor Luhe looked around the group. "Then the culprit is likely among the nine of us." A sense of mutual distrust began to spread among them. Meanwhile, Xu Ying was bustling about examining the corpses of the Imperial Monarch, inspecting every single one meticulously, refusing to let slip the faintest clue. Yet there were simply too many corpses, and none was complete. *The Imperial Monarch cannot be dead. He tormented me for so long; how could he get off so easily by simply dying like this?* He walked over to the traces left by the battle. Suddenly, with a low shout, he channeled the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Salvation Art, stamped his foot, and manifested the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Extermination Immortal Array to reenact the battle as it had unfolded! Judging from the marks of combat here, the Imperial Monarch must have unleashed his signature technique, the Twelve Dao Wheels! Yet to confront the Twelve Dao Wheels head-on and still slaughter over four hundred of his avatars without a single one escaping—even a Supreme might not be able to pull off such a feat! Simulating the Imperial Monarch, Xu Ying darted about to battle that invisible foe. Suddenly, his footwork fell into disarray, and he stumbled to a stop right beside the corpse of the Imperial Monarch's true body. He fell straight back, lying side by side with the corpse, staring up at the sky. He was thoroughly versed in the Imperial Monarch's techniques; though he had never reached the height of the Twelve Dao Wheels, his execution could almost pass for the real thing. *For the Imperial Monarch to die here, someone must have seen through the flaw in his technique.* Xu Ying sat up and murmured, "Just like the Primordial Monarch, he died from a flaw in his own cultivation technique and divine abilities." The Primordial Monarch's primordial spirit had been her greatest strength, yet her killer had struck specifically at her primordial spirit—attacking where she was strongest to take her life. The Imperial Monarch's cultivation technique had been his greatest asset, yet from the way he died, it appeared that under the enemy's assault, his technique went awry, his four hundred-plus avatars spun out of control, and all perished right here. Frowning in thought, he ignored the Nine Emperors around him and suddenly called out in a loud voice, "The Imperial Monarch had over four hundred reincarnations. Who was in charge of them? Immortal official, come here! Check who was responsible for the Imperial Monarch's reincarnations!" The immortal official tasked with collecting the bodies hurried over. Xu Ying instructed, "He was an Imperial Monarch. A matter as momentous as reincarnation must have had a Dao protector! Track down that Dao protector and have him verify whether the faces of these corpses match the Imperial Monarch's reincarnated bodies!" The immortal official showed an awkward expression and glanced toward the emperors. He recognized Xu Ying. Xu Ying was not an emperor of the Nine Heavens, yet he was ordering them around, putting ministers of the Nine Heavens like him in a very difficult position. Emperor Yanglong waved a hand. "Go do it." "Wait!" Xu Ying called the immortal official back and added, "You must check thoroughly whether the Imperial Monarch truly had only four hundred and eighty-two reincarnations! Find out if he had an extra reincarnation or two, understand? Compare the face of every single incarnation carefully against these corpses—there cannot be the slightest discrepancy! Once your investigation is complete, report to the nine emperors first, and then deliver a copy to me as well!" The immortal official acknowledged the order and hurried off. The nine immortal emperors each frowned. Xu Ying had overstepped his bounds, bossing these immortal officials around even more like a sovereign than they, the emperors of the Nine Heavens, did. Emperor Caiwei smiled and said, "Xu Ying, you aren't even a Heavenly Venerable yet, and already you're throwing your weight around." Xu Ying replied modestly, "Humble though my station may be, I never forget my duty to the Immortal Court. I am merely concerned that the culprit might claim more victims, which is why I am investigating so thoroughly." Emperor Caiwei, dressed as a young maiden, chuckled at his words. "I thought you simply couldn't bear to let the Imperial Monarch die so easily and still wanted to seek your revenge. When will you come visit my Xianhao Heaven? You haven't been there in quite a while." Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly recalled his mother, Lan Suying, mentioning proposing a marriage to Emperor Caiwei, only to dismiss the idea by saying Caiwei was no good because she couldn't beat her in a fight. *Could my first incarnation really have had a fling with Emperor Caiwei?* Xu Ying thought. Emperor Fuyue approached. Frosty-faced, the beautiful woman swept a cold glance over Xu Ying and said, "Celestial Venerable Xu overstepped this time, showing off right in front of the Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens. Do not let it happen again, understood?" Xu Ying bowed. "I shall heed your instruction." "Cad," Emperor Fuyue whispered under her breath. Xu Ying looked up in astonishment, only to see Emperor Fuyue giving him an ambiguous half-smile. A chill ran through Xu Ying, and he steadied his nerves. Taking in everyone's expressions, Emperor Changsheng smiled and said, "I wasn't the one who killed the Imperial Monarch and Primordial Monarch. Still, I understand—everyone had the capability to charge toward the Supreme realm, yet was forced to cultivate Grand Luo instead, so harboring resentment is only natural. Even so, murdering others to seize their treasures is crossing the line." Emperor Fuyue smiled. "It wasn't me either. I have no interest in the Supreme realm." Emperor Qinghua said, "I was wounded by the Ten Abandons Heavenly Monarch, and my injuries have yet to heal." They chimed in one after another, trying to clear themselves of suspicion. Suddenly, the Jiuyou Emperor remarked, "Since all of us are gathered here, we only need one more Heavenly Venerable to die to wash away our suspicion." At his words, the other eight emperors silently nodded in agreement. "Then where are the other Heavenly Venerables right now?" Emperor Caiwei asked. Emperor Yanglong immediately ordered an investigation, saying, "Bring back the whereabouts of Wei Xu, the Eastern King, and Ji Man as well." Before long, an immortal official reported, "The two Heavenly Venerables of Water and Fire have gone to the Demon Domain to quell a rebellion. Heavenly Venerable Taisui returned to his home region to visit kin. The Heavenly Venerable of the Wealth Department remains in the Wealth Department and has not stepped out. Ji Man is in the Grand Luo Heaven. The Eastern King's whereabouts are unknown. As for Wei Xu, he reportedly took his martial nephew Zhao Zheng to the Dao Burial Heavenly Abyss for tempering, and has yet to return." Emperor Lin laughed. "Then it all depends on who dies first. It takes only one death to clear our suspicion." These words were utterly cold and callous, yet coming from this immortal emperor, they sounded completely natural—as though the lives of those Heavenly Venerables were not lives at all. Disappointed, Xu Ying turned and left, rushing toward Weiyang Palace. *Mother is wonderfully resourceful; perhaps she has made some deductions,* he thought. Inside Weiyang Palace, Lan Suying, the Divine Mother, and the others sat upright, channeling the Dragon Heaven Dao-Confounding Numerology. Their foundations differed, as did the arts they had once cultivated, so the variations of the Dragon Heaven Dao-Confounding Numerology they had comprehended were distinct as well. Behind Lan Suying manifested incarnations of herself, aligned backward in a row like a divine dragon composed of her forms spanning across past and future time. Behind the Divine Mother, a celestial dipper manifested in the sky, within which various dragon-shaped runes shifted and numerological calculations unfolded. Xu Ying arrived before them, but seeing them engrossed in their work, he did not disturb them. After a moment, Lan Suying and the Divine Mother each withdrew their power. Lan Suying shook her head. "We cannot divine who killed the Imperial Monarch. This person is even more cautious than Ying'er. When Senior Sister Feng divined Ying'er, his sudden premonition made him resist her calculations, allowing me to take advantage of the opening to divine his thoughts. But this person is extraordinary. Even though Senior Sister Feng and I covered for one another, coordinating offense and defense, we still failed to calculate anything about him." The Divine Mother said, "This person is deep and scheming, even more meticulous than the Immortal Master." They too had caught wind of the deaths of the Imperial Monarch and Primordial Monarch, and knowing the gravity of the matter, had attempted to deduce the culprit. Xu Ying frowned slightly, turned around, and left, saying, "I'm going to see the Heavenly Venerable of the Wealth Department!" He immediately set off for Caitian Palace. Caitian Palace was resplendent and magnificent, filled everywhere with immortal treasuries, their treasure lights soaring straight into the clouds. This was where the wealth of the Immortal Realm was concentrated; in addition to all manner of immortal treasures, there were also various cave abysses abundant in immortal spirit qi. Yet at this moment, Caitian Palace was deathly silent, without a soul in sight. Sensing that something was amiss, Xu Ying charged all the way through. When he arrived at the central hall, he found Heavenly Venerable Guan of the Wealth Department sitting alone on the floor, going over the Immortal Court's ledgers. "Heavenly Venerable Guan, you're still alive? Where is everyone else?" Xu Ying asked in surprise. Heavenly Venerable Guan slowly looked up and said, "Upon learning of the deaths of the Imperial Monarch and Primordial Monarch, I dismissed everyone else in the Wealth Department. I alone remain stationed here." Xu Ying showed admiration. "You actually intend to fight the culprit to the death? How admirable!" Heavenly Venerable Guan chuckled. "Do you know what we who manage money care about the least? Money. Cave abysses are merely wealth too, and of little practical use to me. My Jukuzhou cave abyss was hung right above the immortal palace—whoever wants it can just take it!" Xu Ying walked out of the hall, looked up, and shook his head. "There is no Jukuzhou cave abyss above the hall!" Heavenly Venerable Guan of the Wealth Department paused for a moment and praised, "Quick hands indeed." Taking his leave, Xu Ying immediately headed toward the Grand Luo Heaven above the Nine Heavens. In Dao Monarch Jiugong's bodhimanda, the Yuanzhou cave abyss rotated quietly. Inside the cave abyss, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, Ji Man, cultivated day and night, his progress advancing by leaps and bounds. Back in the Yuanshou world, he had already cultivated to Human Immortal. Later, after taking Dao Monarch Jiugong's Nine Palaces All-Holy Pellet, he cleansed himself of all impurities, rendering his foundation incomparably profound and causing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. Dao Monarch Jiugong had further imparted to him the Nine Palaces All-Holy Mysterious Technique, supplemented by the Yuanzhou cave abyss. His cultivation advanced a thousand li a day, and he had now achieved the rank of Heavenly Immortal. Such speed was rare in the world. Just as his cultivation reached a critical juncture, Liu Ruyi's enraged shout suddenly rang out from outside: "Audacious thief!" Immediately after, the aura of the Ten Thousand Dao Golden Book erupted, followed by the ringing chime of the Nine Extremes Immortal Sword. The Son of Heaven of Zhou was startled. *Someone has broken into the Grand Luo Heaven and is contending with the Marvelous Realm Treasures!* Dao Monarch Jiugong possessed an Enlightenment treasure and a Marvelous Realm treasure. Both were astonishingly formidable, but having suffered severe damage one after the other, their might was far inferior to what it had once been. Soon after, the Yuanzhou cave abyss fluctuated violently, and Liu Ruyi's voice grew more and more distant. *Someone broke into the Grand Luo Heaven and seized the Yuanzhou cave abyss?* A chill seized the Son of Heaven of Zhou. Hastily reigning in all his aura, he flew deep into Yuanzhou to hide, thinking, *To dare charge into the Grand Luo Heaven and plunder the Yuanzhou cave abyss, this person's cultivation and strength must be at the very pinnacle! But he will most likely silence all witnesses!* Just as the thought crossed his mind, he sensed an incomparably profound divine consciousness sweeping across, delving even deep into the void inside Yuanzhou! The Son of Heaven of Zhou channeled the Nine Palaces All-Holy Mysterious Technique and laid down an array, merging himself with the immortal mountain and harmonizing with the Dao until he was indistinguishable from his surroundings. Had Liu Ruyi been here, she would have cried out in shock—though Ji Man had entered the sect only recently, he had comprehended it without instruction, bringing the Nine Palaces All-Holy Mysterious Technique to such an extraordinary level! The divine consciousness swept over him, followed by wave after wave of consciousness washing over the area like a tide. In the end, the divine consciousness receded. "Little thing, you hide rather well." Before Xu Ying could even reach the Grand Luo Heaven, he saw Liu Ruyi and other women charging aggressively in his direction. He quickly asked what happened, and Liu Ruyi replied, "A thief stole the Yuanzhou cave abyss! Junior Brother Zhou is still inside!" His heart shuddered. Instantly channeling his arts, his figure flashed, and he vanished from the Immortal Realm. Flying out from the Third Heavenly Pass, he arrived at the Ancestral Court. In the Ancestral Court, the Heavenly Venerables of Water and Fire were leading troops of the Water and Fire Departments on an expedition against the Zhenwu Temple, only to be blocked by the Four Imperial Monarchs, including Imperial Monarch Cangtian and Imperial Monarch Zhenwu. Both sides were drawn up in battle arrays facing off at the Dao Revelation Ground. The Ancestral Court did not submit to the Immortal Realm and was referred to as the Demon Domain, so the two Heavenly Venerables of Water and Fire had come on an expedition to claim merit. Speeding like lightning, Xu Ying rushed to the battle site, only to be met with the soldiers of the Water and Fire Departments in full retreat. A rout of panicked immortals flooded past, fleeing for their lives. Sensing that disaster had struck, Xu Ying pushed through the routed soldiers. Arriving at the encampment of the Immortal Court's army, he found the grand hall of the immortal palace in utter shambles. Xu Ying entered the hall and saw the corpses of Li Sixue and Xie Qingshan. His gaze fell upon Li Sixue, and a faint sadness welled up in his heart. *The memories of my first incarnation are intruding upon me again, beyond the power of seals to hold back.* Xu Ying examined their corpses. The grief that had just surged forth must have stemmed from a past relationship between his first incarnation and Li Sixue, making the sorrow impossible to suppress. The fatal wounds on Li Sixue and Xie Qingshan had also been dealt by someone discovering the flaws in their cultivation techniques and divine abilities—a single, lethal strike. Xu Ying walked out of the hall and went over to the opposite Zhenwu Temple to pay his respects to the Four Saints of the Northern Culmen. The Four Saints returned his greeting. Xu Ying said, "I ask the four of you Dao brothers to go with Young Master Ning Qing to his ancestral home and protect Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong." The Four Saints of the Northern Culmen were puzzled. They were currently at war with the Immortal Court, which had dispatched Heavenly Venerables to subjugate them; why did Xu Ying want them to protect another Heavenly Venerable of the Immortal Court? "I cannot share the same sky with that traitorous father of mine!" Young Master Ning Qing declared to Xu Ying. Xu Ying, distracted, waved a hand and walked off on his own. The Four Saints of the Northern Culmen and Young Master Ning Qing set out immediately as well, heading for Ning Zhong's ancestral land. Xu Ying returned to the Imperial Monarch's residence. The Nine Emperors of the Nine Heavens were still standing there, unmoved. Xu Ying said, "Heavenly Venerable Xie Qingshan of the Water Department and Heavenly Venerable Li Sixue of the Fire Department are dead, their cave abysses gone. Furthermore, the Yuanzhou cave abyss and Jukuzhou cave abyss have also been lost." Hearing this, the nine emperors all let out a sigh of relief, smiles spreading across their faces as if a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Suddenly, an immortal official arrived to report, "Your Majesties, it has been confirmed that the Imperial Monarch reincarnated four hundred and eighty-two times under four hundred and eighty-two surnames. Their true identities have been verified, without a single discrepancy." Xu Ying stood in a melancholic daze. The nine emperors rose one after another, and Emperor Yanglong said, "Now only the Eastern King's Changzhou, Heavenly Venerable Taisui's Shengzhou, and Xu Ying's Yingzhou remain. We shall divide into two groups: one will search for the Eastern King's whereabouts, and the other will go protect Ning Zhong." The nine emperors departed. Xu Ying came beside the Imperial Monarch's corpse. Unwilling to accept it, he said, "I just don't believe you would die like this. The goal of all my years of struggle, my sole purpose, was to strike you down and avenge myself! But how could you just die like this..." Suddenly, a thought struck him. He rose to his feet, swept his sleeve to stow the Imperial Monarch's corpse, stamped his foot, and sank into the Underworld. He hurried to the Place of Samsara, met the Samsara Female Emperor, and asked, "Dao Brother, could you help me check whether this person is in his first life?" Upon clearly seeing the Imperial Monarch's face, the Samsara Female Emperor was startled. She raised her hand lightly, sending the corpse into the halo of samsara to inspect his past and present lives. After a moment, the Samsara Female Emperor frowned slightly. "Young Master Xu, his cultivation surpasses mine by far. I likely cannot accomplish this on my own; I will need a few helpers." Xu Ying nodded gently. Two days later, Great Emperor Dongyue, Great Emperor Beiyin, and Great Emperor Cangwu arrived, followed one after another by the Ten Hall Yamas. A moment later, Meng Po also hurried over. The Samsara Female Emperor said solemnly, "Fellow Daoists, I have run into a bit of trouble, and I ask you all to lend me a hand!" The deities sat around the Samsara Female Emperor, joining their powers to drive the halo of samsara. A colossal ring of samsara rotated half above ground and half beneath the earth, and the corpse of the Imperial Monarch gradually sank into the depths of samsara.