After gaining a detailed understanding of what had transpired, Xu Bai's first thought was not about how to suppress the raging public outcry.
Instead, his true body tens of thousands of li away immediately checked his True Reversion panel.
The upper limit of his physiological age had not decreased.
Yet Xu Bai did not believe Peng Qing's dying words were mere ravings.
Heavenly Venerable Rebirth had originally attained the Dao amidst the white mist.
And as everyone knew, that mist was called the Essence-Devouring White Mist, capable of consuming the lifespan of cultivators.
Peng Qing had dropped dead without warning, and the ghastly state of his body before death was virtually identical to that of cultivators who died within the white mist.
Such a chain of details could not be explained away as coincidence.
Even so, to prevent the situation from escalating, Xu Bai first silenced every witness from that day through a mix of intimidation and inducements.
Next, he dispatched cultivators to circulate various even more bizarre, sensational rumors.
For instance: somewhere else, a cultivator had died in the same horrific manner as Peng Qing, shouting at the top of his lungs, "He who destroys the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable!"
Or that Peng Qing had never actually been Peng Qing at all. The real Peng Qing had supposedly perished years ago, and the one who died before everyone's eyes was merely an avatar created by the Five Elders Association cultivator known as the Thousand-Faced Demon Venerable, crafted with sinister motives to sow chaos throughout the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
...
In no time, opinions grew hopelessly divided, and truth blurred with fiction.
Gradually, though interest in the matter did not die down, few people paid any mind to the mad rant Peng Qing had actually uttered before his death.
Just like that, more than ten days slipped by.
The Peng Qing incident was slowly forgotten by the masses. Fewer and fewer people talked about it, and the public uproar eventually subsided entirely.
It was as though the whole affair had never happened at all.
Xu Bai had fulfilled his mission admirably, leaving Nangong Shirong exceedingly pleased.
In a rare show of generosity, Nangong Shirong awarded him a substantial sum of merits and contribution points.
Furthermore, he presented Xu Bai with a small statuette.
"This is..." Xu Bai rested the statuette in his palm, and a profound, marvelous sensation arose within him.
It felt just like holding a second body of his own.
"This is a Rebirth Edict," Nangong Shirong introduced with a pleased expression.
"Not long ago, I was rewarded with three of them by my superiors. Keeping one as a personal backup is enough; carrying the extras around serves no purpose. Seeing as you accomplished a great merit this time, I decided to simply bestow it upon you."
"With this item, even if you meet with misfortune and perish, you can reincarnate and resurrect immediately."
Delight showed on Xu Bai's face. "Thank you for your generous favor, My Lord!"
Ever since the Manor of Rebirth was established, despite being a provincial Liaison Emissary, Xu Bai had never managed to discover how one could acquire the various treasures within the manor.
Although the proclamation to the world had claimed that anyone could obtain them so long as they had sufficient contribution points, the gates of the Manors of Rebirth in every province remained tightly shut.
Never mind ordinary cultivators—even Xu Bai had no way of entering.
Still less could anyone exchange for the goods inside.
Though cultivators across the realm harbored deep grievances, the Manor of Rebirth was not subject to provincial control.
It simply turned away inquiries under the excuse that the treasures were not yet ready.
After solemnly putting away the Rebirth Edict, Xu Bai suddenly asked before taking his leave, "Lord Nangong, regarding what Peng Qing said before he died—that some villain was cutting away his lifespan..."
"Is there any truth to that?" Xu Bai lowered his voice.
"If it is true, this can only be suppressed for a time, not forever."
Nangong Shirong fell silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Since anyone can resurrect, lifespan and such matters are no longer so important."
"For the likes of us, attaining Longevity is nothing more than an unreachable fantasy. Since that is the case, why fuss over so much?"
Nangong Shirong paused, then shifted the conversation. "However, not every cultivator in the world can be as open-minded as I am. Sooner or later, people in other regions will notice. It cannot be kept under wraps forever."
"What we must do is ensure that this matter absolutely does not erupt first in our Tianliang Province."
Nangong Shirong spoke in a chilled voice.
His words were tantamount to confirming the truth behind Peng Qing's dying claims.
Xu Bai said nothing more, nodding heavily.
On the path as he took his leave, thoughts churned through Xu Bai's mind. *Cutting away their lifespans...*
*Is it because Heavenly Venerable Rebirth's reversal of principles was incomplete, making this a necessary means to achieve the resurrection of cultivators' true spirits?*
*Or...*
*Is it a deliberate imitation of the ancient Ruomu?*
From the moment this Heavenly Venerable Rebirth first surfaced to his official reversal of principles, everything had carried a bizarre undertone.
*The Heavenly Profound Mirror usurps Heaven and takes its place.*
*Heavenly Venerable Rebirth usurps Ruomu and takes its place.*
...
A sudden realization struck Xu Bai, causing his steps and his entire body to freeze abruptly.
Just like Heavenly Venerable Ziqiong before him, he cast an almost imperceptible glance toward the sky.
Then, without leaving a trace, he quickly lowered his head and hurried off.
-----
Within Shuo Feng's villa in Tianquan Province.
"Brother Li?"
Shuo Feng's surprised voice rang out.
During their sparring match just now, Shuo Feng had been fighting to his heart's content.
Li Fan, however, had suddenly dazed off. An attack he could have easily evaded landed squarely on his body.
A vast expanse of sword qi swept across, slashing Li Fan's lower body into nothingness.
Fortunately, this was the era of the new method.
Such a minor injury posed no real threat to a Nascent Soul cultivator.
In just a single breath, amid the faint rumbling of his grotto-heaven, Li Fan's body rapidly regenerated.
Li Fan wore an apologetic look. "I only recently mastered this life-reducing divine ability, and after several days of bitter combat with you, Brother Shuo, my mind grew somewhat distracted."
Only then did understanding dawn on Shuo Feng. "It was my oversight. In my excitement, I forgot that a supreme divine ability like this must take an enormous toll."
"Hahaha, blame my own eagerness. It's been far too long since I encountered such miraculous methods."
"To think it can even interfere with my control over 'Sword'..." Shuo Feng clicked his tongue in praise.
"Brother Li, take a moment to rest."
As he spoke, a flash of sword light severed a few strands of white hair from Shuo Feng's head.
Then, with a low roar, his entire body shed its skin like a serpent.
As if peeling off a layer of clothing, he stripped away his aged, decaying body in one piece.
Restored once again to a youthful, vigorous state, Shuo Feng flicked his finger, reducing the discarded body to ashes.
He marveled aloud, "Fellow Daoist, this Silk Pulling Life Reduction divine ability of yours is truly extraordinary. In terms of sheer combat effectiveness alone, it is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life."
"If not for my unique constitution, I fear I could never have sparred with you so recklessly."
"Had an ordinary cultivator been struck by your technique, they would likely have died of exhausted lifespan within half a day."
Putting on an utterly exhausted appearance, Li Fan waved a hand. "Do not mention it. Though I poured my heart's blood into creating it, it sadly arrived out of step with the times."
"Now that the Manor of Rebirth towers over the sky, anyone can resurrect. Formidable as my divine ability may be, its deterrent effect has diminished several times over. If everyone can come back to life anyway, what does a ruined body matter?" Li Fan sighed repeatedly.
Shuo Feng shook his head. "Brother Li, there is no need for such modesty. Resurrection through Rebirth..."
"Hmph."
"The true powerhouses of this era will definitely not disregard your technique. On the strength of this move alone, you have already surpassed countless self-proclaimed heroes under heaven."
"Hmm, your compensation ought to be raised as well. Keeping you as a mere junior retainer is truly doing you a disservice."
Stroking his chin, Shuo Feng spoke in a measured tone.
Chapter 760