I Became My Father's Reincarnation?

"That's impossible!" Qin Tian was the first to object, but everyone present ignored him completely. The Soul Formation cultivator behind him felt killing intent stir, but killing Lu Yang and the other three here carried far too great a risk. After a moment's consideration, he abandoned the thought. The other party clearly showed no fear of him; as ancient geniuses, how could they not possess a few life-saving trump cards? If he failed to kill them now, and the Nine Nether Cult later formed an alliance with the Heavenly Court Cult, he would be the one in deep trouble. Lu Yang waved a hand dismissively, paying Lord Mi no heed at all. "You don't believe it? Your Nine Nether Cult has lost far too much of its heritage, so it's only natural that you wouldn't believe." "Very well. Then I shall find the thing Cult Master Qin hid." Lord Mi did not find Lu Yang arrogant in the slightest. The young man was a peerless ancient genius who had provoked Immortal Ying Tian into severing the path to immortality; why would he ever spare a glance for a mediocre Nascent Soul cultivator like himself? Not only Lu Yang, but Meng Jingzhou, Li Haoran, and Qin Yanyan behind him all wore the same disdainful expression. Among them, Qin Yanyan had the worst acting skills, having practiced all night yesterday. Whether by nature or influenced by his memory fragments, Li Haoran had nailed the attitude on his very first try, earning enthusiastic applause and praise from Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. Lu Yang turned and walked into the abandoned temple, leaving Lord Mi rather surprised. "Come in and see for yourselves. Your Nine Nether Cult has been suppressed by the righteous sects for far too long, forced into hiding everywhere. It's understandable that you don't trust others easily." Lu Yang strode directly into the main hall. Meng Jingzhou's group of three, along with Xiao Qi and the other two ghosts, followed close behind, while Lord Mi and Qin Tian brought up the rear. The main hall remained as dilapidated as ever: a half-shattered Buddha statue, aged doors and windows, cracked roof joists, and lifeless incense ashes on the altar table. The dust flaking from the mud-brick walls had long since obscured many patterns and inscriptions, causing the residents of Guhuai Town to forget the original purpose behind building the temple. Lu Yang stared blankly at the scene, as if stirred by memories of the Ancient Era—as if the Heavenly Court, like this forgotten temple, had also been lost to memory. "Thinking back to those days... who didn't know the renown of the Heavenly Court?" He murmured in a low voice, speaking just loudly enough for Lord Mi and the Soul Formation cultivator to hear. Lu Yang raised his arm. Sword light converged into a golden sword beam—a radiant blade once illustrious in the Ancient Era, yet now utterly unknown to anyone today. The golden sword beam swept down, slicing the wooden half-statue in two and revealing a wooden box plastered with aged sealing talismans. "Cult Master Qin's relic!" Lord Mi gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the treasure he had searched for in vain had been right under his nose all along! "Well?" Lu Yang hefted the wooden box. It was surprisingly light; he had no idea what was inside. Taking the opportunity, Li Haoran lamented, "Four hundred years ago, who could have guessed that after hiding the thing in a locust tree, the people of Guhuai Town would cut that very tree down to build a temple and carve it into a Buddha statue? Truly, fortune plays tricks on men." Naturally, this wasn't Li Haoran's own recollection, but the conclusion Lu Yang had deduced the night before. The reasoning was simple: since the Nine Nether Cult knew something belonging to Qin Haoran was here, they must have ploughed the land over and over like turning soil, burrowing underground like earthworms. Lu Yang even suspected that the fire in Guhuai Town had been set by the Nine Nether Cult, all to burn down the locust trees and uncover the wooden box. After all, the wooden box certainly wouldn't be destroyed by ordinary fire. Yet even so, the Nine Nether Cult had still failed to find it. That could only mean Qin Haoran's wooden box was hidden in a blind spot. For instance, a locust tree that had long since been carved into a Buddha statue. Why had Xiao Qi and the others stayed in this temple the entire time? Was it merely because no one visited? What a joke. This place sat on the outskirts of Guhuai Town, surrounded by barely any locust trees. Rather than lingering out here, they would have been far better off residing within Guhuai Town itself. The only reason they hadn't was that this half-Buddha statue in the main hall was made of ancient locust wood, which could nourish souls. Lu Yang applied force, but the box didn't open. *Just as I thought,* he mused. Qin Haoran had placed a seal upon the wooden box; unless someone was Qin Haoran himself, opening it was impossible. Forcing it open with brute strength would very likely destroy whatever lay within. "Kid, catch! Didn't you say you're Cult Master Qin's reincarnation? Give it a try!" Qin Tian jumped in fright. Catching it like a hot potato, he flailed in a panic and nearly dropped it. Whether he was Cult Master Qin's reincarnation was something he knew better than anyone. *What if? What if I really am?* Gritting his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, he exerted every ounce of his strength to pry the box open. The box didn't budge in the slightest. The Soul Formation cultivator looked at Qin Tian with exasperation. *Idiot! Who said you had to open it right here? Couldn't you take it back and open it later?* Lord Mi took the box and examined it closely. Knowing a bit about sealing arts, he could tell this was a seal Cult Master Qin had laid down with immense dharmic power. Only Cult Master Qin himself could undo it. Or Cult Master Qin's reincarnation. "Li Hao, you open it," Lu Yang said with a light chuckle, telling Li Haoran, the genuine former cult master, to open the box. As the former cult master and one who understood the mysteries of reincarnation—a figure worthy of standing on equal footing with ancient prodigies—Li Haoran naturally couldn't just walk up and grab it himself. That would completely ruin his lofty aura. And with Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou being at the Golden Core stage, it wasn't fitting for them either. Thus, the task of helping Li Haoran maintain his aura fell upon Qin Yanyan. Qin Yanyan stepped forward. Having just taken the box from Lord Mi, she moved to hand it over to Li Haoran. The instant the wooden box touched Qin Yanyan's fingers, the blood essence seal vanished in a flash, as if greeting its master. Qin Yanyan blinked, a look of complete bewilderment on her face. She had no idea what had just happened. Lu Yang didn't understand what had happened either, but fortunately, he had the Immortal Fairy inside him. With the Immortal Fairy's explanation, Lu Yang understood the truth. This was a blood essence seal left by Qin Haoran; only someone sharing the same blood as Qin Haoran could open it. Four hundred years ago, the only person who met that condition was Qin Haoran himself. Now, however, there was one more person who met that condition—his daughter. Lord Mi's eyes widened. Experienced and knowledgeable, he seemed to figure something out in an instant, wearing an expression of sudden enlightenment as if uncovering the ultimate truth. *Her surname is Qin.* *She can undo Cult Master Qin's seal.* *Her age aligns with the time Cult Master Qin fell.* *Astounding talent, cultivating to late Foundation Establishment at such a young age, and even defeating Qin Tian, who is also at late Foundation Establishment!* *It makes sense! Everything makes sense!* He pointed an excited, trembling finger at Qin Yanyan. "Y-You're Cult Master Qin's reincarnation!" *If she isn't Cult Master Qin's reincarnation, who is?!* *Though she is a woman, who said a man has to remain a man after reincarnating?* *Reincarnation is profoundly mysterious, a realm of pure unknowns. And since it is unknown, anything is possible!* *Didn't Lu Yang say it himself? Their Heavenly Court Cult found Cult Master Qin's reincarnation!* *Lu Yang deliberately had Qin Yanyan come over to take the box—he must have wanted me to witness Qin Yanyan breaking the seal with my own eyes, proving beyond doubt that they truly found Cult Master Qin's reincarnation!* Qin Yanyan: "..." *I became my father's reincarnation?*