The Samsara Halo was a magic treasure formed from the indestructible spiritual light of countless souls after the deaths of myriad living beings across all the heavens and myriad realms. It was immense beyond measure; seen from without, it was a ring-shaped object half aboveground and half beneath the earth, spanning roughly five thousand li from east to west and rising two thousand five hundred li high.
Approaching it, one could peer through the Samsara Halo to behold countless worlds and myriad living beings bowing in worship to it, offering their incense. One could also glimpse the various events of one's own past, and even things yet to happen in the future.
Born of heaven and earth and forged from the spiritual radiance of all sentient life, this treasure harbored immense power. From the destitute beggar below to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal above, all fell under its sway after death.
The Samsara Halo was truly miraculous; even the Samsara Female Emperor, a goddess born from this very treasure, could not fully unleash its might.
Both she and the halo were newly formed, with a history of only six hundred thousand years. Still in their infancy, they had yet to reach full maturity.
At this moment, the Female Emperor joined forces with the others to activate the halo, sending the Imperial Monarch's corpse into its depths to scrutinize every detail of his present life.
In life, the Imperial Monarch's cultivation had been too formidable, leaving his physical remains shielded by potent residual dharmic power even in death. Previously, the Female Emperor had been unable to pierce this lingering force, but with the aid of the underworld deities, she could now drive the treasure's power and break through the magic defending the corpse.
Xu Ying watched closely. Deep within the halo, countless images drifted—the silhouettes of souls sinking into the cycle of reincarnation. Yet they were far too numerous to discern which one belonged to the Imperial Monarch.
Lacking attainment in the Dao of Samsara, he could only stand by and watch the deities cast their spells.
'If this treasure matures, it will surely be something extraordinary in the future.'
Xu Ying appraised the Samsara Halo. The Nai River, formed from the spiritual light of countless souls, surged forward and poured into the ring. Within the cycle of reincarnation, the spirits dissolved into their three ethereal and seven corporeal souls, recombining with the spiritual radiance to form brand-new souls that drifted out of the halo and scattered across various worlds for rebirth.
This artifact was inherently impartial. Whether one was a beggar or a Grand Luo immortal, one's soul would disintegrate upon death, re-forming into a new soul with no ties remaining to the previous life.
'If one could control the Samsara Halo, one could manipulate reincarnation, preventing the souls from breaking down and thereby governing rebirth,' Xu Ying thought.
Before the Tide of the Three Realms appeared, the Immortal Realm was vastly distant from the myriad realms. Many immortals could not descend in person, so when they wished to enter the mortal realm to cultivate anew, they had no choice but to reincarnate. In those days, the gods of the Heavenly Dao world controlled reincarnation; terrified of offending immortals, a modest bribe was all it took to secure a favorable rebirth.
'If the Ancestral God retakes control of the Human Realm, the Underworld will inevitably expand to the Human Realm as well. When that happens, its scale will grow to ten times what it is now!'
Xu Ying felt a surge of yearning. Once the population of the Human Realm reached ten times that of the Earth Immortal Realm, the strength of the Underworld's Five Tycoons would likely increase tenfold as well!
And the Samsara Halo would probably expand tenfold too; by then, its might would rival that of a Supreme magic treasure.
'The Underworld holds immense potential. For the Primordial Monarch to seize control of it was indeed a brilliant move. It's just that her luck was wretched.'
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the auras of the Underworld's Five Tycoons and the Ten Hall Yamas suddenly shuddered. Muffled groans escaped their lips as their footing faltered; some stumbled back repeatedly, while others swayed from side to side like drunkards.
They all halted their activation of the Samsara Halo.
Xu Ying hurriedly asked, "Everyone, what happened?"
"We ran into a stubborn obstacle and suffered a backlash from the Samsara Halo," the Samsara Female Emperor said. "We searched for a long time, but found no past life for the Imperial Monarch."
Xu Ying's heart sank, and he murmured, "Is he truly dead?"
"Although we found no past life, we found no reincarnation either," she explained. "None of his reincarnations were genuine reincarnations. In truth, they are all his present life."
Disheartened as he was, Xu Ying blurted out in shock, "None of his reincarnations are genuine? What does that mean?"
The Samsara Female Emperor could not explain, so she looked to the Ten Hall Yamas. Though ten deities, they were in fact the ten Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirits of Taiyi Heavenly Venerable, seasoned and knowledgeable. While the Female Emperor had never witnessed such a phenomenon, they had encountered similar situations over the long ages.
King Yanluo said, "It means that none of the Imperial Monarch's reincarnations were true reincarnated selves. His so-called reincarnations were merely the rebirths of slivers of a divided soul."
Xu Ying hesitated, then said, "Does Brother Dao mean that the Imperial Monarch never reincarnated at all? That he only had avatars reincarnate while his true body remained presiding over the Immortal Court?"
That would indeed be cunning, preventing enemies from seizing the opportunity to eliminate him while his true body reincarnated in the lower realms.
King Zhuanlun shook his head. "The Imperial Monarch's true body is not his true body either."
Xu Ying's eyes went wide.
King Pingdeng added, "This body of the Imperial Monarch is just like the others—an avatar, equal to all the rest."
The Ten Hall Yamas nodded in succession. "He too is merely the reincarnation of a divided soul."
The Samsara Female Emperor said, "What you brought is a body from a divided soul's reincarnation, not his true body. We cannot determine whether he has a past life."
She explained, "Reincarnation of a divided soul does not count as true reincarnation. As long as his true body has not died, even if he possesses a past life, it cannot be traced through the physical body of a divided soul."
Xu Ying's head buzzed. He stared blankly at the Imperial Monarch's corpse. This corpse was undeniably that of the Imperial Monarch of the Immortal Court.
Deities such as Cangwu and Beiyin could not help worrying over his condition. After a long silence, Xu Ying suddenly burst into roaring laughter.
His laughter bordered on madness, ringing out endlessly.
The Five Tycoons exchanged glances, and Granny Meng muttered anxiously to herself, 'Could all that Soup of Meng Po he drank back then be acting up today? We've been recruited by Old Heavenly Venerable Xu and belong to the Immortal Court now. Could Old Heavenly Venerable Xu make life difficult for this old woman on his son's account?'
The Imperial Monarch truly lived up to his name!
Filled with inexplicable exhilaration, Xu Ying sprang into the air, floating aloft as he laughed. "I must trouble you all to continue searching for the Imperial Monarch's true body! I'm off to Weixu!"
The Samsara Female Emperor and the other deities frowned. The Female Emperor turned to the Ten Hall Yamas and asked, "Is there any hope of finding him through the avatar?"
The Yamas shook their heads one after another. "The hope is slim, but we must try."
Weixu was hidden within the realm of Taixu, but Hua Cuoying had once guided Xu Ying there; one could enter simply by opening the Heavenly Abyss of Weixu.
Hua Cuoying was a female immortal residing within Xu Ying's Yingzhou cave abyss. When Xu Ying summoned her, she cast a divine power to open the Heavenly Abyss of Weixu, smiling. "Immortal Master, I shall go visit my father."
Xu Ying thought nothing of it and let her go, heading straight for the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain himself.
Hua Cuoying barged into the Hua household. Seeing that she dared show her face here, the Five Extremes Immortal King was seized with fury, murderous intent flaring up.
"You little wench! Colluding with outsiders to sack your own clan! Today I shall execute justice upon my own kin!"
Hua Cuoying sneered. "Father, I am now under the banner of Old Heavenly Venerable Xu of the Dou Department, and Young Heavenly Venerable Xu has also arrived in Weixu. As for your backer, Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong of the Tai Sui Department, whether he lives or dies is still unknown!"
The Five Extremes Immortal King's expression shifted slightly before melting into a fawning smile. "My worthy daughter, you must be weary from your journey. Come in, quickly! Men, serve tea to the exalted immortal! Right this way, please. You haven't come to kill me, have you, daughter?"
Hua Cuoying smiled. "Hard to say."
The Five Extremes Immortal King was left fraught with dread.
The Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain was serene and peaceful. Xu Ying's arrival came as a surprise to many. Here, he encountered the Heavenly Fiend Heavenly Venerable.
In his first lifetime, he had become sworn brothers with him; seeing his heavenly fiend here today stirred a flood of complex emotions.
He also met the Primordial Monarch. Heavenly Fiend Primordial Monarch must have known her true body was dead, for she looked at him with sorrowful resentment.
"Curse you to a thousand cuts! To think I had feelings for you back then!" she said to Xu Ying.
"I didn't kill her," Xu Ying explained.
"Then who did?" Heavenly Fiend Primordial Monarch asked.
Xu Ying shook his head. "I don't know yet, but it won't be long before the truth comes to light. Rest assured, I will track down the culprit for you."
Moved, Heavenly Fiend Primordial Monarch stepped forward and embraced him.
Parting from her, Xu Ying went straight to see the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch. The fiend possessed a complexion as warm and gentle as jade. Smiling faintly, he said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, it has been a long time."
Xu Ying sighed with feeling. "Indeed, it has been a long time. Now that we meet again, you are already a dead man."
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch smiled. "Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the way of the world. Having lost the struggle in the Immortal Realm, I was destined to die."
Long ago, the Imperial Monarch had already realized this.
Xu Ying said, "You are the fiendish thoughts severed by the Imperial Monarch. Now the Imperial Monarch is dead, yet I suspect he is still alive. If you were to encounter him, could you sense him?"
A look of bewilderment crossed the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch's face as he shook his head. "I can only sense that he is dead. Could he truly still be alive?"
Xu Ying smiled. "He lives under another guise and may have shielded himself from your perception."
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "What if you encounter this disguised Imperial Monarch—could you return into his body?"
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch laughed. "He and I were originally one. I am part of him, so naturally I can return to his body. However, if he is on guard, I won't be able to enter!"
Xu Ying's eyes glinted. "Brother Dao, I need you to leave the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain and accompany me on a journey. But going on this trip, you might die."
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch said solemnly, "I am nothing more than a wisp of consciousness. What do I have to fear from life or death? I will go with you."
Xu Ying bowed deeply to the ground.
The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch returned the salute.
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong returned to his homeland. Fifty thousand years ago, he had risen from the Yunguan World, dazzling the Immortal Court in his youth before ascending step-by-step to the seat of Heavenly Venerable. Although he was the least powerful of the six Heavenly Venerables as head of the Tai Sui Department, who else could have cultivated to become a Heavenly Monarch in a mere fifty thousand years?
Even Xu Ying, who had similarly dazzled the Immortal Court, had only reached the level of Immortal Monarch at his peak.
Ning Zhong's family home was in Yizhou. Though none of his old kinsmen or elders remained upon his return to his native soil, he settled down nonetheless. With the passage of time and shifting eras, he could no longer recall the soaring ambitions he had harbored when ascending; his sharp edges had long been worn smooth by the Immortal Realm.
In the past, stranded far away in the Immortal Realm, returning home was an impossibility. Only now, with the Tide of the Three Realms, did he have the opportunity to set aside his status as Heavenly Venerable and come home.
These days had been leisurely, granting his heart unprecedented peace.
'I won't bother vying for things like the Immortal Emperor's throne,' he thought quietly to himself.
Just then, a voice rang out: "Heavenly Venerable Ning cultivated to Heavenly Monarch in fifty-odd thousand years. In terms of talent, you are not inferior in the least to those legends whose names are etched in history. Alas, you were born too late. In this current era, you have no chance to achieve your Dao."
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong looked toward the voice, surprised. "Your Highness, how do you have the leisure to visit my humble abode?"
The speaker was none other than the Eastern King, who had also come to Ning Zhong's hometown and was admiring its ancient architecture. The Eastern King said, "I was wandering about and found myself here before I knew it. Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong, had you been born six hundred thousand years ago, your accomplishments would surely far exceed this. Perhaps you might even have become a Supreme!"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong said impassively, "Even in this current era, with my talent and intellect, I could still become a Supreme."
The Eastern King laughed heartily, his voice booming and bold. "Quite so! I believe you have such talent! But the prerequisite is that you must have sufficient resources. Without sufficient resources, you will remain a Heavenly Monarch your entire life, never able to climb higher!"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong replied, "In the Immortal Court, there are plenty of people with aptitude and comprehension comparable to mine. Some are merely an Immortal Monarch, an Immortal King, or even just a Heavenly Immortal, Earth Immortal, or Human Immortal. Simply because they lack adequate resources, not to mention cultivating to become a Supreme, even their daily cultivation is a struggle."
The Eastern King laughed. "Immortals are no different from old peasants. Just to feed themselves, they toil and slave away, treading carefully to guess the desires of their superiors, constantly on guard against their peers, and wary lest their subordinates pull them down. After a grueling day of work, returning home means facing wives and children, all those mouths waiting for the meager immortal spiritual qi earned by their blood and sweat. It isn't half as carefree as living in the mortal realms."
Touched by his words, Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong said, "Indeed. They live without joy."
The Eastern King's gaze turned profound. "Which is why this world must be changed."
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong shook his head. "It cannot be changed. From its very inception, the Immortal Court was built upon compromise with the ancient era. Without thoroughly dismantling the ancient order, it can never be changed."
The Eastern King laughed. "It can be changed! Back then, Celestial Venerable Xu had me investigate Qingxuan, and I nearly lost my life for it. Yet that only piqued my curiosity. Lately, I've poured through ancient tomes and uncovered a secret dating back to the dawn of the Immortal Court—a secret concerning Qingxuan!"
He produced fine wine, sat cross-legged on the ground, and invited Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong to sit opposite him. Pouring wine for Ning Zhong, he smiled. "Upon discovering this secret, I was thrilled, for I found the key to resolving the Immortal Court's predicament."
He tilted his head back, downed his cup, and said, "The name Qingxuan may be obscure and unknown to most, but he was actually the first Immortal Emperor of the Immortal Court!"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong had never heard of this either. Deeply moved, he took a sip of wine and asked, "Why has no one ever spoken of him?"
"He was overthrown and killed by the remnants of the ancient era," the Eastern King said. "That man possessed peerless genius and grand vision; he pioneered the Supreme realm, and only afterward did others follow in his footsteps to reach it. Those followers were heroes hailing from the ancient era. There were also those already at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal and Grand Luo Wondrous Realm levels who opportunistically joined his ranks. All of these factors contributed to his eventual downfall. But none of that matters to us now."
His eyes shone with fervor as he smiled. "The secret I uncovered is the very solution Qingxuan devised to address the predicament we face today! What a remarkable man—six hundred thousand years ago, he foresaw that the Immortal Realm's resources would eventually reach their limit, leaving immortals without cave abysses and spiritual energy, forcing them into brutal internal attrition just to cultivate. He realized that resources would inevitably concentrate in the hands of the magnates, completely crushing those who came after. Thus, he sought a way out!"
Stirred by his passion, Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong could not help asking, "What was his solution?"
The Eastern King took a sip and answered solemnly, "His solution was expansion—unceasing expansion."
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong froze in confusion. "What kind of solution is that?"
The Eastern King refilled Ning Zhong's cup, poured another for himself, and laid it out methodically. "His method is simple, comprising three facets. First: public ownership of cave abysses. Gather all cave abysses under heaven and pool their power to expand the realms, exploring what lies beyond the Supreme realm. Second: territorial expansion. Explore the Cosmic Dark Domain to locate the true Human Realm and Heavenly Immortal Realm, casting the Immortal Realm's dominion over the entire universe. Third: seek the other shore. Revive Emperor Haotian's method of summoning cave abysses to summon a vast number of them, alleviating the resource scarcity, cultivating a host of mighty masters, and ultimately reaching the other shore!"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong knew nothing of the second and third points. He knew nothing of the Human Realm or Heavenly Immortal Realm, nor did he know of the other shore or the technique for summoning cave abysses. He had never even heard of such things.
Yet regarding the first point, he resonated deeply. "Indeed. Concentrating the Immortal Realm's resources could allow more supreme powerhouses to emerge, giving hope of advancing into the next realm."
The Eastern King smiled. "You agree with that as well?"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong nodded.
The Eastern King downed his wine, and behind him, the Changzhou cave abyss slowly emerged.
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong's pupils shrank slightly. In the sky above the Eastern King's head, the Son of Heaven of Zhou's Yuanzhou, the Imperial Monarch's Linzhou, the Heavenly Venerable's Zuzhou, the Primordial Monarch's Liuzhou, Li Sixue's Yanzhou, Xie Qingshan's Xuanzhou, and the Treasury Department's Heavenly Venerable Guan's Jukuzhou emerged one by one.
Eight Heavenly Monarch–grade cave abysses rotated slowly above his head.
The Eastern King's gaze burned with fervor. "The Immortal Realm is already rotten to the core! Be it the Nine Heavens, the Grand Luo Heaven, or His Majesty—all are decayed! Under their rule, this Immortal Realm can only rot away with no end in sight! Ning Zhong, my father and the old monsters of the Grand Luo Heaven are trapped in the Cosmic Dark Domain. Now is the best opportunity to change everything! Only by gathering all ten Heavenly Monarch cave abysses can we change this rotten world! What do you think?"
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong fell silent for a moment. Then he asked, "What about the Imperial Monarch, the Primordial Monarch, Li Sixue, and Xie Qingshan? Are they alive or dead?"
The fervent passion on the Eastern King's face suddenly settled, replaced by absolute serenity. Smiling faintly, he said, "To remake heaven and earth, sacrifices must always be made."
Heavenly Venerable Ning Zhong drained the cup, his voice laced with bitterness. "Am I the next sacrifice?"
The Eastern King poured him another cup and said, "You are a genius; I truly do not wish to kill you. But when a new emperor ascends the throne, there can be no stain on his name. Someone must bear the infamy of murdering the Imperial Monarch, the Primordial Monarch, and the various Heavenly Venerables. Originally, I planned to let Xu Ying take the blame, but that boy is my adoptive sister's son after all, my nephew. As an uncle, I cannot harm him."
He added apologetically, "I can only wrong you instead."
Chapter 587