123: Touch of Samsara

The eruption of the Blood Soul Whirlpool gradually subsided, and the magnificent sight, like a reverse meteor shower, slowly vanished, leaving only the gigantic whirlpool at its center, rotating tirelessly, devouring everything around it, like a primordial beast feigning sleep after sating its hunger.

The Star Palace's harvest was unprecedented. Massive amounts of Blood Sea Soul Crystals piled up like mountains, emitting immense energy fluctuations, enough to elevate the sect's overall strength to another level. The dozen or so Hellish Nether Lotuses were even more priceless treasures, especially the one in Lin Xuan's hand with dark golden patterns on its edges, its value immeasurable.

Excitement and fatigue filled the disciples' faces, yet their eyes shone exceptionally bright. Repeated bloody battles, breakthroughs in desperate situations, and ultimately a great victory under the guidance of their Master—such experiences were an immense tempering for their character and cultivation.

Lin Xuan hovered in the air, the aura of the Chaos Demon Sovereign already reined in, but that profound, unfathomable majesty became even more deeply ingrained in people's hearts. He did not participate in clearing the battlefield but instead immersed most of his attention within his body, carefully sensing the changes after breaking through to Immortal Venerable, and... the peculiar sensations brought by the golden-patterned Nether Lotus.

He attempted to once again guide out a wisp of the power of reincarnation contained within the golden lotus. That wisp of power was cool and gentle, flowing through his Immortal Soul, bringing an indescribable sense of tranquility and clarity. The last trace of discomfort that had remained from forcibly peeking into the origin of Time Law completely dissipated. He could even vaguely sense that the essence of his Immortal Soul seemed to have undergone an extremely subtle transformation, evolving towards some more perfect state.

"Reincarnation... purification?" Lin Xuan seemed to grasp something. This golden lotus appeared to be able to cleanse impurities from the soul, consolidate its origin, and even touch upon a bit of the mystery of the true spirit's indestructibility. However, regarding the deeper 'Reincarnation' Law, such as how to control life and death, how to interfere with transmigration, how to truly control the Well of Reincarnation... he still felt a layer of impenetrable mist separating him from it.

That was a fundamental gap, like an ant trying to comprehend the operation of a galaxy; it wasn't a lack of power, but rather that his life level and cognitive dimension had not yet reached that realm. Forcibly prying would only invite the terrifying backlash he had experienced before.

"It seems that the mystery of reincarnation is far beyond what I can control right now." Lin Xuan understood this in his heart but was not discouraged. At the very least, this golden lotus was a key to that realm, or rather, an 'admission ticket,' allowing him to experience that power in advance and lay a foundation.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze once again cast towards the bottomless eye of the whirlpool. Although that cold Eye of Reincarnation had closed, the place still emitted a heart-pounding allure. He had a premonition that the true Well of Reincarnation projection held far more mysteries than this. Perhaps it connected to deeper secrets, about the ultimate nature of life, about the origin of the world, and even about... the system?

He shook his head, suppressing these distant thoughts. The most important task at hand was to digest what he had gained, consolidate his realm, and then leave this perilous Blood Sea Domain.

"Qing Yao, tally the casualties and gains, and prepare for evacuation," Lin Xuan instructed. "Yes, Master!" Yun Qingyao immediately acknowledged the command.

However, just as everyone was preparing to leave—

Buzz... an extremely faint, yet unusually familiar spatial fluctuation emanated from a certain edge of the whirlpool's eye below.

Lin Xuan frowned, his divine sense immediately sweeping over. He saw that on the cracked, energy-chaotic rock wall of the whirlpool, a tiny, almost imperceptible spatial rift was slowly closing. And just before the rift completely closed, an extremely weak Xuan Gu Remnant Soul, filled with intense resentment and the aura of Xuan Gu, zipped into it and disappeared!

"Xuan Gu?!" A cold glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. "What a cunning old dog! He still kept a wisp of his remnant soul!"

This old fellow was truly as tenacious as a cockroach, and he was clearly extremely familiar with the spatial structure of the Blood Sea Domain, even managing to find such a temporary spatial fissure to escape!

"Master, should we pursue him?" Ye Chen's figure appeared silently beside Lin Xuan, his tone cold. He had just broken through to Immortal Monarch, and his perception of the power of annihilation was even sharper, allowing him to capture that fleeting aura of resentment.

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Do not pursue a cornered foe. It's just a remnant soul; it won't stir up much trouble. Moreover, we don't know where that spatial rift leads, and rashly entering might be dangerous."

Although he was fearless, he did not want to create extra complications. The most pressing matter was to lead his disciples back safely.

But for some reason, as he watched the spatial rift completely close, a faint sense of unease rose in Lin Xuan's heart. Xuan Gu, that old dog, was insidious and cunning, holding grudges and seeking revenge. If this wisp of his remnant soul escaped, it would surely become a future calamity.

"Let's go." Lin Xuan suppressed his thoughts, waved his hand, and controlled the simply repaired Bone Boat, carrying everyone, towards the outer reaches of the Blood Sea Domain.

This time, no other force dared to obstruct them. Wherever they passed, whether scattered Asura Clan members, ghosts, or other cultivators, all fled in terror, giving wide berth to this newly ascended baleful Demon Sovereign and his formidable army.

The return journey was relatively smooth. Although the environment of the Blood Sea Domain remained harsh, with the experience gained on the way in and Lin Xuan's Immortal Venerable-level strength overseeing them, they encountered no major dangers.

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the Skeleton Demon City.

This was an absolute forbidden zone that even the Ghost Clan rarely dared to approach. There were no bone palaces here, no soul fire for illumination, only an endless, icy darkness. Within the darkness, floated an immense, unimaginably ancient... coffin.

The coffin was entirely crafted from an unknown dark golden material, neither metal nor wood, carved with countless long-lost, twisted primordial ghost writings and forbidden patterns, emitting a heavy aura that made all things fall silent, as if even Time Law itself had solidified.

The Nether Skull Ghost King's true body was respectfully prostrating before this ancient coffin, his normally majestic face now filled with awe and even a hint of fear. His aura was still somewhat unstable, clearly indicating that the backlash from his projection's destruction had not yet fully recovered.

"Great Ancient Burial Lord..." The Nether Skull Ghost King's voice trembled slightly, echoing in the dead silence of the darkness, "Your loyal servant disturbs your slumber, a sin worthy of death... But now, a great upheaval has occurred in the Immortal Realm. A human boy, named Ye Chen, possesses a Chaos Demonic Body, is suspected of wielding Time Law, and... may even possess the key to touching the origin of reincarnation... He disrupted our plans, stole the golden-patterned Nether Lotus, and even destroyed your servant's projection..."

He meticulously reported everything that had happened at the Blood Soul Whirlpool, especially emphasizing Lin Xuan's uniqueness and the potential significance of the golden lotus.

In the darkness, only his trembling voice echoed. The ancient coffin remained unresponsive, as if it were merely an inanimate object.

But the Nether Skull Ghost King dared not show the slightest disrespect, remaining prostrate, his forehead pressed against the cold ground.

For a long, long time.

Just as the Nether Skull Ghost King almost believed this summoning had failed—

Buzz... on the massive ancient coffin, the most ancient and complex ghost inscription, very faintly... lit up with a wisp of light.

Immediately after, like a chain reaction, the second, the third... more and more ghost inscriptions lit up in sequence, as if slumbering stars were being awakened one by one.

An indescribable, terrifying will, countless times more powerful and vast than the Nether Skull Ghost King, like a prehistoric beast that had slept for eons, slowly, slowly... awakened!

The darkness boiled, space twisted, and even laws wailed and retreated!

An ancient,vicissitudes of life, icy voice, as if containing endless death and annihilation, directly sounded in the deepest part of the Nether Skull Ghost King's soul, each word like a tolling death knell:

"Time... Chaos... Key of Reincarnation..."

"An interesting variable..."

The lid of the ancient coffin let out a grating "creak" and slowly... opened a tiny crack!

Just a crack, and a more pure, more terrifying aura of annihilation and death permeated out, making even a Ghost Emperor like the Nether Skull Ghost King feel his soul about to crack, almost disintegrating on the spot!

"Keep a close eye on him... investigate everything about him... especially... that 'key'..."

"When this Sovereign... fully awakens..."

"Reincarnation... shall return to eternal silence..."

The voice gradually faded, the crack in the coffin lid slowly closed, the lit ghost inscriptions dimmed one by one again, and that terrifying will receded like a tide, falling back into a deep slumber.

As if nothing had happened.

But the Nether Skull Ghost King was as if pulled from water, his entire body soaked in cold soul sweat, gasping on the ground, yet his eyes were filled with ecstasy and awe!

"I respectfully obey Ancient Burial Lord's decree!" He prostrated heavily before the ancient coffin.

He knew that the long-slumbering, forbidden existence from an era even more distant and ancient than the Netherworld, had finally been stirred! Although only a wisp of its will had awakened, this meant that true power was about to intervene!

He stood up, his eyes gleaming with cold and resentful light.

"Lin Xuan... your good days are over!"

On the other side, Lin Xuan led the Star Palace members, finally breaking through the oppressive boundary of the Blood Sea Domain, returning to the relatively "normal" Immortal Realm void.

Feeling the Immortal Spirit Qi around them, no longer filled with resentment, all the disciples let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if they had seen daylight again.

"Finally out..." Mo Sha plopped down on the deck of the bone boat, ungracefully panting. "This trip to the Blood Sea, though fraught with danger, yielded immense rewards. Our cultivation has greatly advanced; it was worth it!" Yun Qingyao also had a relieved smile on her face.

Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back at the bow, gazing at the boundless starry sky, his eyes profound. The experience in the Blood Sea Domain made him more deeply aware of the vastness and mystery of the Immortal Realm, as well as the countless crises and opportunities hidden beneath its surface.

Immortal Venerable was not the end, perhaps just a new beginning. The mystery of reincarnation, the enigma of the system, the many hidden manipulators behind the scenes... the road ahead was still long.

But at this moment, his heart was filled with confidence.

No matter what difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, he would break through them with his own strength!

"Home." He spoke faintly, yet his voice carried an undeniable firmness and power.

The Bone Boat adjusted its direction, transforming into a streak of light, speeding towards the Star Palace.

However, neither Lin Xuan nor the Nether Skull Ghost King knew at this moment that the escaping Xuan Gu Remnant Soul, contrary to Lin Xuan's prediction of finding a place to linger, had, in an extremely peculiar way, merged into an ancient artifact that traversed various realms, engaging in gray market transactions, and was quietly heading in a direction no one could have foreseen.