Chapter 256: The Reincarnation Stone Shattered

In the East, there was an immortal named Hua Qing. She was a divine official presiding over the wood element of the Eastern Star Domain, a primordial divine spirit, and a disciple of the Eastern Pole Emperor, who was also known as the Honored Mitigator of Suffering. She cultivated for 768,326 years, attained the Dao of Heavenly Immortal, and acquired the rank of Golden Immortal...

Preferring solitude, she avoided forming close relationships with others. She only maintained a deep personal friendship with Yunxiao of the Three Immortal Sisters, who responded to worldly fate.

Later, she guarded the Eastern Heavenly Gate and slew seventy-six powerful invaders from various star domains, uplifting the morale of the Heavenly Court's army. In the twelfth battle after emerging from the Immortal-Forbidden Land, she went to the battlefield while injured, killing powerful foes one after another, until she succumbed to critical wounds in battle.

All the immortals mourned her. They protected her divine soul and brought it back to this realm. Her divine soul was repaired within the Reincarnation Stone for a thousand years and has now reincarnated under the name Wanxuan.

After reading a few lines of tiny script, Xi Lian couldn't help but softly exclaim, "Immortal Hua Qing, a primordial divine spirit and disciple of the Eastern Pole Emperor! Wow, your previous life was incredible, Little Xuanxuan."

Wang Sheng couldn't help but suck in a breath. "Senior Sister, you're stepping on my foot."

"

O-oh!

"

Mu Wanxuan quickly withdrew her dainty foot from the tip of Wang Sheng's. She had been slightly nervous just now and wanted to be a little closer to her junior brother. Afterward, she stared blankly at the celestial tablet for a while, then pouted slightly.

Lifting Ice Crystal, Mu Wanxuan originally wanted to scratch out the text, but a layer of immortal light protected the celestial tablet. As a mere Golden Core Realm cultivator, she naturally couldn't damage the Immortal Record.

Wang Sheng chuckled. "Trying to destroy the evidence, Senior Sister?"

Mu Wanxuan glanced helplessly at Wang Sheng, a faint trace of frustration in her gaze. She took out her phone, forcibly powered it on despite being out of battery, and quickly pulled up a meme of someone standing with their hands on their hips.

I am who I am—a flower bud of a different color.

Wang Sheng squinted in amusement, while Xi Lian quietly read Wang Sheng's "past life record" to herself.

There were only four words.

"No past life recorded... Little Fei Yu, do you really not have a previous life?"

"What's so strange about that?" Wang Sheng asked calmly. "The Small Nether Realm hasn't operated for a thousand years. Has the Hua Republic's population increased or decreased in that time? Before the Heavenly Court returned, had the number of living beings on Earth gone up or down? Most people have neither a past life nor a future one. They simply live in the present."

Xi Lian frowned slightly, then nodded slightly. "You really do have a clear view of things."

Wang Sheng shrugged. He had already regarded the fact that his name was recorded in the Immortal Record as a chance to live again, but he wasn't willing to tell anyone about it.

Perhaps he would tell his senior sister one day, but only if their relationship grew to a level that transcended all else. Otherwise, it would just feel strange.

Wang Sheng solemnly said, "A certain elder once guided me. I've known for a long time that reincarnation truly exists, but not everyone is born through it. Most human souls are conceived during their mother's nine-month pregnancy. The reincarnation system in the Small Nether Realm is more like a backup path that immortals and gods left behind. If mortally wounded, they can reincarnate and start anew.

"In other words, when the immortals were still on Earth, the Small Nether Realm was probably used to quickly increase the mortal population, which in turn allowed the Heavenly Court to create heavenly soldiers more efficiently."

"Who's the elder who told you all this?" Xi Lian asked.

Wang Sheng looked at her calmly. "The formation spirit of the Shu Sword Sect. Big Sister, you've said something similar as well. Anyway, I think the Small Nether Realm got my name wrong. Otherwise, how could it say I have no past life?"

Xi Lian rolled her eyes and was just about to refute Wang Sheng's argument when Mu Wanxuan raised her small hand.

"Acknowledged!"

She had accepted the truth that she once had a previous life. Light flickered across the celestial tablet, and a soft cyan glow fully obscured her name and the small lines of text. No one else could see them anymore.

Wang Sheng blinked. "Acknowledged."

Another cyan glow appeared, hiding his name and the words beneath it.

The Heavenly Court's inventions were truly considerate. They had even taken personal privacy into account.

Mu Wanxuan sighed in relief, then thought for a moment. Afterward, she typed out a few lines on her phone, pondered, and then edited them several times.

Before she could hand it to Wang Sheng, her phone used up the last bit of power and shut off. She looked momentarily flustered.

Aware of what his senior sister was worried about, he leaned in and whispered, "It's fine, Senior Sister. No matter who you were in your past life, you are now Fairy Bu Yu, the most beautiful cultivator in the Hua Republic. You're our master's disciple and my senior sister."

"

Mm.

" Looking into Wang Sheng's eyes, Mu Wanxuan finally smiled. Her gaze faintly sparkled and grew ever gentler.

Off to the side, Xi Lian rolled her eyes. Walking to the back of the Immortal Record, she muttered, "You two aren't even officially together, yet you're already spreading sweet romance around. I'm going to get diabetes just from being around you."

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan quickly averted their eyes. Wang Sheng looked slightly embarrassed, and Mu Wanxuan's cheeks turned a soft red. Nothing was sweeter than the first stirrings of affection—when two people met each other's gaze and something began to bloom in their hearts.

Behind the jade-green celestial tablet were two open gates. Beyond them was a faintly visible path leading to the Hall of Reincarnation, which was located in the central region of the Ten Yanluo Halls. It housed the Reincarnation Stone. Since they were already here, they had to at least go take a look.

As a precautionary measure, the trio exited from the entrance of the Hall of Rebirth, circled around, and flew toward the central Hall of Reincarnation.

On the way, Wang Sheng couldn't help but ask, "I've heard of Great Eastern Pole Emperor Qinghua. What was your divine role in your past life, Senior Sister?"

After pondering for a moment, the corners of Mu Wanxuan's mouth twitched..

Xi Lian laughed. "Probably in charge of afforestation and reforestation across the star domain. Basically the forest goddess of her region."

Wang Sheng was filled with admiration.

Xi Lian then tossed out a statement that immediately put pressure on Wang Sheng. "You have to work really hard, Little Fei Yu. Someone as outstanding as Little Xuanxuan must have plenty of suitors. Don't end up needing her to protect you, or people will call you a kept man."

"Well..." Wang Sheng smiled wryly, unsure of what to say. A more serious concern then crossed his mind.

Senior Sister probably didn't have any romantic history in her past life... right? She preferred solitude, and her only close friend was Yunxiao of the Three Immortal Sisters, who responded to worldly fate.

It seemed her past life followed a cool and aloof path that was free of romance. If she had any partners, the Immortal Record would have mentioned it.

"The Three Immortal Sisters are real, huh?" Wang Sheng murmured.

"Of course they are, but they're probably not what you think they are. In the Daoist sects, there is no division of the Three Teachings[1]. The Three Pure Ones are manifestations of the Great Dao," Xi Lian explained.

Wang Sheng and Xi Lian began discussing the ranks of divine positions in the Heavenly Court. Mu Wanxuan quietly listened beside them. From time to time, she would gaze at Wang Sheng from the side, briefly lost in thought.

The three soon entered the Hall of Reincarnation, but they left with grim expressions just two minutes later. They rode their swords back to the outskirts of Fengdu City, where they rejoined their allies.

"Master," Wang Sheng called as soon as he landed. "The Reincarnation Stone has been shattered."

The two elders of the Hidden Earth Sect immediately opened their eyes, stood up from meditation, and flew off toward the Hall of Reincarnation.

"Let's go take a look, too," Qing Yanzi instructed. The group stopped meditating and quickly followed.

***

At the center of the Hall of Reincarnation was a pool that had dried up, and in the middle of it stood a two-meter-tall strange stone—the Reincarnation Stone, a corner of the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, and the very foundation of the Small Nether Realm.

The stone was covered in cracks that converged at the small palm print at its center. If someone were to poke it with a finger, the stone would completely disintegrate.

It had indeed been irreparably shattered.

Qing Yanzi frowned. "Did the female immortal hit it?"

The two elders from the Hidden Earth Sect kept shaking their heads and sighing.

Xi Lian muttered, "Maybe she lashed out in anger. Was it because the Immortal Record only showed Little Fei Yu and Little Xuanxuan's names? Or perhaps because she couldn't reincarnate?"

Her assumptions brought forth a great deal of implications. The Golden Core Realm cultivators contemplated, then looked at Mu Wanxuan and Wang Sheng in shock.

The martial sibling immediately put on well-behaved, dignified expressions but remained silent.

Qing Yanzi looked at Wang Sheng in surprise. "You as well, Little Sheng?"

"My situation is a bit unique, Master..." Wang Sheng immediately threw Mu Wanxuan under the bus. "She's the real immortal, with a proper divine post and everything."

Xi Lian clicked her tongue. "Little Xuanxuan's past life only involved planting trees. Little Fei Yu is the truly remarkable one."

Though everyone listened intently, no more explanation followed. The Daoist masters and high monks' imaginations immediately ran wild.

Wang Sheng glared at Xi Lian, who just looked at him mischievously and smiled at him smugly.

Yan Zhengnan chuckled. "Fei Yu, were you a divine general of the Heavenly Court in your past life?"

"You weren't one of the famous deities from the Lingxiao Temple, were you?"

"

Hiss...

Could it be someone really important?"

Zhang Zikuang's eyes widened. "Fei Yu, don't tell me you're the reincarnation of Emperor Ziwei? Your sword style does resemble someone who leads the stars from Ziwei's position!"

Wang Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Qing Yanzi couldn't help but laugh out loud as well.

Wang Sheng quickly said, "My past life was probably obscure and unknown. I was lucky to get the chance to reincarnate here. The Immortal Record doesn't mention me having any divine post."

Qing Yanzi smiled. "Emperor Ziwei simply passed down the Ziwei Sword Art to my lineage. It's not enough to conclude anything. Anyway, if we don't have anything else to investigate here, then let's head to the Eighteen Levels of Hell. We must not forget our main purpose."

The Daoist masters and Buddhist elders assented. They then pulled out their phones to take photos of the Hall of Reincarnation. After some quiet discussion, they headed to the entrance to the Eighteen Levels of Hell below.

Someone in the group seemed to have leaked the news about Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan being reincarnated immortals. Before they even reached the Eighteen Levels of Hell, the news had already spread throughout the Nether Gate.

1. Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism. ☜