"Have you heard? Rumor has it there is a secret art within the Manor of Rebirth that can prevent a reincarnating true spirit from occupying a descendant's body!"
"Hmph, I had someone ask around, and it seems there truly is such a thing. But anyone can foresee that the cost to obtain this secret art will surely be astronomical. To keep the bloodlines of their scions 'pure,' those prominent clans will definitely do everything in their power, no matter how much it costs!"
"In my view, fellow Daoists needn't be so resistant! The existence of this Manor of Rebirth might actually be a good thing for the likes of us!"
"Oh? How so?"
"Think about it. We can revive after eighteen years anyway. If you feel your aptitude in this life is limited and cultivation is hopeless, you could just kill yourself outright. Perhaps in your next life you'll be born into a prominent family, and your new body will be extraordinarily gifted..."
Such naive talk immediately drew scoffing laughter from other cultivators.
"Has our fellow Daoist had too much spirit wine?"
"Never mind whether you'd have such good fortune. Didn't you stop to think why revival requires an eighteen-year wait? For the cultivators who die during those eighteen years, is the descent of their true spirits into the world truly completely random? I'd wager there's definitely some secret trickery going on!"
"I actually think he makes some sense. Think about it, everyone. Our talent is mediocre to begin with, with no hope of rising in this life. Even if we fathered descendants, they'd be fated to toil like beasts of burden and suffer oppression. That was precisely why I never considered raising children before. But now..."
"It might not be impossible to take a gamble. Never mind how brilliant the true spirit merging with my child was in its past life—just gaining an entire lifetime of cultivation experience out of thin air is already an invaluable fortune. And if our luck is even better and it happens to be the reincarnation of some mighty expert, then when the time comes, a father's status rises with his son's glory, heheh!"
"Hiss, now that you put it that way, fellow Daoist, it does seem to make sense."
...
Similar debates were taking place all across the Xuanhuang Realm.
Xu Bai, meanwhile, learned more details about the Manor of Rebirth through Nangong Shirong.
"The rumors are true. There really is a secret technique to prevent a newborn from being merged by a true spirit. However..."
"Eight million contribution points, and it must be cast in advance while the child is still in the womb."
"Truly damn exorbitant! This old man has toiled in Tianling Province for so many years, yet I haven't saved up anywhere near that much."
"There is also the Rebirth Mirror, which can peer into the memories of the true spirit merged with a newborn. If one isn't satisfied, hiss..."
"The True Spirit Beacon, placed upon a prepared flesh body, can increase the accuracy of one's reincarnating true spirit descending into a designated vessel."
"The Flawless Shell, which allows one to perfectly replicate their current physical body within the Manor of Rebirth to achieve a perfect resurrection in the next life."
"The Soul-Clearing Stabilizer, which enables a true spirit to retain its past-life emotions through eighteen years of cleansing in the Manor of Rebirth."
"The Rebirth Edict—no need to wait eighteen years. Upon falling, a mote of true spirit can revive immediately."
...
Xu Bai and Nangong Shirong looked over the contents of the jade slip before them, their expressions mixed.
"To think there are so many fancy gimmicks! Every single one costs an arm and a leg—ordinary people could never afford them!" Nangong Shirong cursed under his breath.
"Still, that Rebirth Edict is truly something extraordinary. Paired with a Flawless Shell, wouldn't that be equivalent to having another life? No, if one has enough contribution points, wouldn't they practically be immortal and indestructible, able to revive infinitely?" he marveled.
"It just remains to be seen whether there are other restrictions," Xu Bai agreed with a nod, eyes flickering.
"They've taken all sorts of situations into account. It seems the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals prepared for this long ago. It may cause a bit of commotion, but I believe the cultivators will adapt quickly." Having glanced over all the items listed on the jade slip, Xu Bai remarked.
"Attaining Longevity in a single stroke, turning heaven and earth upside down in an instant. This Heavenly Venerable Rebirth is truly formidable. The history of the Xuanhuang Realm is about to usher in a new era," Nangong Shirong said with deep sighing emotion.
"I just wonder what the situation is with the Five Elders Association. Can Heavenly Venerable Rebirth's divine power reach over to their side?" Xu Bai asked suddenly.
"This..." Nangong Shirong hesitated. "I am not certain either. However, I heard that some sort of deal was struck, running a trial in just a small area..."
Xu Bai's eyes flickered slightly.
From then on, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm gradually grew accustomed to the existence of the Manor of Rebirth in the firmament.
And before long, the first case of revival occurred.
A Golden Core cultivator named Ximen Yang self-detonated and died under the watchful eyes of the crowd, his soul completely shattered.
Yet not long after, he reappeared alive and well before the public eye.
His appearance and demeanor were exactly as before.
He even remembered his self-detonation, boasting to everyone he met about his experience of blowing himself up, dying, and being reborn.
The news spread quickly, and cultivators who had previously harbored doubts about rebirth now became firm believers.
And as cases of reborn cultivators continually emerged across the lands of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, the reality of rebirth was gradually accepted by the public.
Within the Essence-Devouring White Mist.
Even through the vast white mist, the three could faintly make out the looming outline of the Manor of Rebirth above.
"Damn it, cultivators are acting like they're completely unafraid of dying now. There are so many people even deep in the white mist," Dongfang Yao cursed. Before he could finish speaking, a Puxian True Boat roared past right beside them.
"Aren't you stating the obvious? With Heavenly Venerable Rebirth watching over us, everyone can revive, so who's afraid of death? At worst, eighteen years later you'll be a hearty hero once again!" Huangfu Song scoffed.
"I don't buy into that Manor of Rebirth nonsense; there's definitely something fishy going on. Think about it: they claim a mote of true spirit retains memories. But when you revive and merge with someone else, are you still you? Even if you have a pre-prepared body to achieve this so-called revival, you truly died back then. The one reborn is merely someone else who happens to share the same memories!" Dongfang Yao said, his face grave.
"Brothers, you mustn't be blinded by it! We must still be cautious and cherish our lives!" he admonished.
"Dongfang, when did your head get so sharp? What you're saying actually sounds somewhat reasonable," Huangfu Song said, frowning slightly in contemplation.
Listening to their argument, Li Fan was pondering an entirely different matter.
In the previous life, this Heavenly Venerable Rebirth never appeared in the world, let alone this Manor of Rebirth.
A reversed principle of Heaven and Earth should have naturally become an inherent law of the world, just like Heavenly Venerable Wuyou—effortlessly integrated, completely natural.
Now, this reversed Principle of Life and Death requires the aid of the Manor of Rebirth. Does this indicate that Heavenly Venerable Rebirth has not actually attained the most ideal, perfect state?
Was it merely a rushed, reluctant compromise forced by the interference of Blue Feather?
Chapter 723