99: Chapter 99 Enlightenment in Chaos, First Glimpse of Reincarnation

Within the Chaos, Lin Ye's weak yet tenacious consciousness, like a drifting lonely boat, slowly "sank" into the interior of the "reincarnation seal" held tightly in his palm.

There was no vast influx of information, no terrifying pressure.

There was only an indescribable feeling, as if he were standing on the edge of an endless, slowly flowing "long river" composed of countless moments of "existence" and "extinction".

He "saw" the birth, glory, extinction, and return to stardust of a star, and after countless years, its re-condensation amidst gravity and Chaos... This was the Reincarnation of matter.

He "saw" a blade of grass sprout, grow, wither, turn into soil, and nourish new tender shoots... This was the Reincarnation of life.

He "saw" a Mortal being born, experiencing joys and sorrows, eventually aging, the Soul leaving the body, entering a confused and muddled state, then plunging into a bizarre tunnel, and being born again in a new form (not necessarily human)... This was the Reincarnation of the Soul, but the process was blurry, seemingly subject to many interferences and restraints, and was not perfect.

He "saw" a strand of Karma, where causes planted results, and results gave rise to new causes, interlocking, stretching endlessly, like an invisible net covering all things... This was the Reincarnation of Karma.

He also "saw" that his past choices, battles, gains, and losses had all left faint ripples in this "long river", interweaving and colliding with the ripples of many other living beings, producing new changes... This was his own small yet unique trajectory of "individual Reincarnation".

There were no specific Cultivation Techniques, no explicit Moves.

There was only an intuitive and primal feeling and understanding of the essence of "Reincarnation".

Life and death are not opposites, but two sides of a cycle.

Cause and effect are not isolated, but two ends of a chain.

Existence and extinction are not endings, but different states.

An individual in this grand "Reincarnation" is as insignificant as dust, yet because of their uniqueness, they become an irreplaceable link in this endless cycle.

Cultivation, perhaps, is making this "dust" tougher and brighter, and even... attempting to understand and influence this small segment of the "cycle" one is in.

Amidst this realization, Lin Ye felt his dried-up Meridians, withered vitality, and dim Divine Soul as if nourished by the vitality of "Reincarnation", beginning to regain a faint vitality at an extremely slow, yet incredibly firm, speed.

This was not a forced infusion of external power, but rather, originating from his own life Origin, under the guidance of the Dao rhythm of "Reincarnation", it began a slow "self-healing" and "Reincarnation regeneration".

At the same time, his control over the "reincarnation seal" also deepened imperceptibly.

Although he still could not actively activate its powerful might, he felt that the connection with the Seal was closer and more natural, as if it had become an extension of his own body.

He could even vaguely sense that inside the Seal, there seemed to be several powerful Seals, as well as a... faint "spirit" that seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber?

Time, in this chaotic realization, lost its meaning.

He did not know how much time had passed; perhaps it was an instant, perhaps ten thousand years.

Lin Ye's consciousness finally slowly awakened from that deep level of realization.

He still felt weak, but his body was no longer completely dead and silent; instead, there was a trace of faint vitality circulating, like the first glimmer of spring budding deep within the earth after a harsh winter.

His Divine Soul was no longer dim and on the verge of extinction, but had condensed a trace; although still fragile, it already had a "core".

He slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was the familiar, ice-blue ceiling of the Ice Palace, and a stunningly beautiful face filled with exhaustion and worry, which instantly burst into surprise upon seeing him open his eyes—Su Waner? No, it was Saintess Bingli.

"You... are awake?" Saintess Bingli's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling; she had been guarding this place, using her own ice spiritual power to help stabilize Lin Ye's condition.

"How... long have I been unconscious?" Lin Ye's voice was hoarse and dry. He tried to Move his fingers, feeling as if his body were filled with lead, heavy and incomparable, but fortunately, he could still Move.

"Seven days," Saintess Bingli said. "Your internal condition was extremely dire; you were already on the verge of Dao dissipation. But in these last three days, your vitality and Divine Soul have actually begun to slowly recover on their own, which is simply incredible. Is it the credit of the 'reincarnation seal'?"

"You could say so." Lin Ye did not explain further. He felt his internal condition and asked again, "Where are Senior Brother Chu and the others? Where is Senior Sister Su?"

Saintess Bingli's expression dimmed, and she briefly informed him of what happened after Lin Ye fell unconscious: the group had discussed and decided to split into two paths, with Su Waner heading alone into the depths of the "Eye of the Northern Deep" to search for the "Ice Soul Reincarnation Flower", and Chu Yun and the others escorting him back to the Sect.

"Senior Sister Su... went alone into the depths of the 'Eye of the Northern Deep'?!" Lin Ye's heart shook, and he struggled to sit up, but it aggravated his injuries, causing a fit of violent coughing.

"Don't Move!" Saintess Bingli quickly pressed him down. "In your current condition, it is difficult even to Move, let alone go find her. Furthermore, she has been gone for three days; she is likely already deep inside by now. Even if you went, you might not find her, and instead might drag her down, or even... lead pursuers to her."

Lin Ye was silent. He knew Saintess Bingli was right. In his current state, going would only be a burden. Moreover, Su Waner had the "soul-calming ancient lamp" and the "spirit-nourishing bead", so perhaps there was truly a glimmer of hope.

"Did Senior Brother Chu and the others... depart smoothly?" Lin Ye asked again.

"They departed three days ago, escorted by elite warriors of my tribe, taking a secret passage. By now, they should be far away from the core area of the Northern Deep. However..." Saintess Bingli furrowed her brows slightly. "Over these past two days, our tribe's scouts on the periphery have reported that many Cultivators of unknown identity and with cold, sinister auras have appeared throughout the Beiming Cold Abyss, appearing to be searching for something. I am worried that the Yinkui Sect, or rather other minions of Demon Lord Yinming, have already infiltrated on a large scale. Their road back to the Sect will likely not be peaceful."

Lin Ye's heart sank. As expected, the Demonic Lord had already taken action.

"I must recover as quickly as possible and return to the Sect!" A trace of anxiety flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. The Sect needed the "reincarnation seal" to complete the ritual, Chu Yun and the others needed support, and Su Waner's life or death was uncertain... there were too many things waiting for him to do.

"Your recovery is not a one-day task. Forcing it will likely damage your Origin, doing more harm than good," Saintess Bingli shook her head. "However, the 'Ice Marrow Spirit Liquid' at the bottom of our tribe's 'Ice Heart Lake' has miraculous effects on nourishing Meridians and moistening the Divine Soul, which might accelerate your recovery. But you must enter the center of the lake yourself and absorb it in the extreme cold; the process will be somewhat painful."

"No matter, take me there." Lin Ye did not hesitate. No amount of pain could compare to helplessly watching a crisis descend while being unable to do anything.

Saintess Bingli looked at Lin Ye's firm gaze and said no more. She helped him up (Lin Ye was almost unable to walk independently) and walked towards the depths of the Ice Palace.

Passing through layers of halls, they arrived before a cold pool guarded by heavy Formations. The pool water was crystal clear, yet it emitted a terrifying chill, and faint ice mist floated on the surface. At the bottom of the pool, milky white light could be vaguely seen circulating; that was the "Ice Marrow Spirit Liquid".

"Dive into the center of the lake and circulate your Cultivation Technique to absorb it. I will guard you from the outside," Saintess Bingli said.

"Thank you." Lin Ye bowed solemnly to Saintess Bingli, then took a deep breath and leaped into the cold pool.

The bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped him, as if it wanted to freeze his Soul. But he circulated the "Xuan Yang Cold-Resisting Technique" and "Mystic Jade Body", and used the trace of "Reincarnation" Dao rhythm he had just realized to protect his vitality, barely resisting it. He sank to the center of the lake, sat cross-legged, and began to guide the milky white "Ice Marrow Spirit Liquid" into his body.

As the spirit liquid entered his body, it was not gentle, but carried an extreme chill, washing over and penetrating his dried-up and damaged Meridians, Dantian, and even his Divine Soul. The pain was like ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart, and like ice blades scraping his bones. But Lin Ye gritted his teeth, held firmly to his Dao Heart, and guided this pure and icy energy, slowly circulating it along the paths of the "Great Sun Golden Flame Technique" and "Ice Soul Sword Art", repairing the damage and nourishing his vitality.

Ice and fire, life and death, intertwined, contended, and slowly fused within his body. The "Ice-Fire Taiji" in his Dantian, under the nourishment of this "Ice Marrow Spirit Liquid", began to slowly rotate again; although it was still dim, it already had vitality.

Time flowed by in extreme pain and slow recovery.

One day, two days, three days...

When Lin Ye walked out of the cold pool again, although his face was still pale and his aura still weak (having recovered to approximately the level of the third or fourth stage of Qi Refining), his eyes had regained their former sharpness and spirit. His Meridians were basically unblocked, his vitality was stable, and his Divine Soul had become much more solid. More importantly, his resistance to and control over the power of ice cold had reached a higher level.

"How do you feel?" Saintess Bingli asked.

"I can Move now, but I have less than one-tenth of my strength remaining." Lin Ye felt his body and added, "However, it is enough. I must set off immediately to catch up with Senior Brother Chu and the others, and return to the Sect."

"Are you sure? In your current state, if you encounter a strong enemy..." Saintess Bingli was worried.

"Some things must be done." Lin Ye looked to the south, the direction of the Lingyun Sword Sect. "Moreover, I have the 'reincarnation seal' on me. Although I cannot unleash its might, the status suppression is still there, and ordinary Ghost Path Cultivators may not dare to approach me."

Saintess Bingli knew she could not stop him. She took out an ice crystal token and a map: "This is a token of my tribe; holding it will allow you to receive some help within our tribe's sphere of influence in the Northern Deep. The map marks the route of that secret passage, as well as several potential danger points and supply points. You... take care."

"Great kindness needs no words of thanks. If there is ever a day when you have need of me, Lin, I am at your command." Lin Ye took the token and the map, bowing deeply to Saintess Bingli. Had it not been for the help of the Snow Soul Tribe during this trip to the Beiming Cold Abyss, they would likely have been wiped out long ago.

"May the God of Ice and Snow protect you," Saintess Bingli said softly.

Lin Ye said nothing more, turned, and walked out of the ice palace, toward the endless wind and snow.

His figure was still somewhat unsteady, but his steps were incredibly firm.

He knew that the road ahead was perilous and the demonic tribulation had already begun.

But he had to return.

Carrying the "reincarnation seal" and carrying hope, he would return to complete that unfinished mission.

To protect what should be protected, and to destroy what should be destroyed.

This was his "Dao," and also his "Reincarnation."

Relying on the slight strength recovered from the "ice marrow spirit liquid" and the aura of the "reincarnation seal," Lin Ye trudged forward with difficulty through the wind and snow. He followed the map's guidance and set foot on the secret passage provided by the Snow Soul Tribe. The passage lay amidst the continuous crevices of the ice mountains and underground glaciers; it was extremely hidden but also far more dangerous, requiring constant vigilance against ice avalanches, Yao Beasts, and... potential pursuers.

Two days later, he arrived at the first supply point marked on the map—an abandoned snow cave. Inside the cave were traces of Chu Yun and the others having left in a hurry, as well as some scattered Medicinal Pill bottles (already empty). It seemed they had also rested briefly here.

Lin Ye drank a little melted snow water remaining in the cave, adjusted his breathing slightly, and continued on his way.

Another day passed, and as he passed through a narrow ice tunnel, he was about to leave the core area of the Beiming Cold Abyss.

Suddenly, from the tunnel exit ahead, came the sounds of intense fighting, the explosions of Spell, and... the angry roars of Chu Yun and the muffled groans of Gui Li!

Lin Ye was startled. He quickly concealed his aura, approached the exit silently, hid behind a massive ice rock, and looked out.

He saw that outside the exit was a relatively open ice field. At this moment, a fierce battle was erupting on the ice field!

On one side of the conflict were Chu Yun, Gui Li, Ye Xiao, and three escorting Snow Soul Tribe warriors! But they were all injured by now, surrounded by over twenty Cultivators in black robes with cold, sinister auras! The Cultivation Technique style of these Cultivators was extremely similar to those core Cultivators of the Yinkui Sect they had encountered in the ice cave, but their strength was slightly weaker, mostly at the Foundation Establishment stage, with only three leaders at the Early Stage Golden Core.

Chu Yun and the other two had clearly been through continuous bitter battles and were in terrible condition; one of the Snow Soul Tribe warriors had already fallen. They stood back-to-back, desperately guarding a long, animal-skin-wrapped bundle in the center that emitted a faint fluctuation of Chaos—inside were the "reincarnation seal," the "command token of ten thousand ghosts," and other items!

"Hehehe, fighting a futile resistance! Hand over the Demonic Lord's sacred objects and that Seal, and we will spare your lives!" A Yinkui Sect leader at the Early Stage Golden Core cackled, his bone blade slashing repeatedly, forcing Chu Yun to retreat again and again.

"In your dreams!" Chu Yun spat out a mouthful of blood, the flames of his red dragon sword dim, but his eyes remained fierce.

"Since you seek death, we will grant it to you! Kill!" the Yinkui Sect leader shouted sharply, and the crowd's offensive intensified.

Seeing that Chu Yun and the others were about to collapse.

A cold light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes.

In his current state, charging out head-on would be no different from seeking death. But he could not watch his companions be killed and the treasures taken.

He had to use a strategy!

His gaze swept across the battlefield, then he looked at the "reincarnation seal" and the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" in his hands. A bold and risky plan quickly formed in his mind.

"Perhaps... I can gamble one more time."

He took a deep breath, slowly injecting his remaining spiritual power into the "command token of ten thousand ghosts," while simultaneously using the sliver of Divine Soul power he had just recovered to communicate with the "reincarnation seal," drawing out a trace of its extremely weak, yet high-status "Reincarnation" and "Command" aura.

Then, he suddenly appeared from behind the ice rock, but he did not charge toward the battlefield. Instead, toward the side and rear of the battlefield, at that seemingly unremarkable ice field, he used all his strength to hurl the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" with all his might!

At the same time, he mustered his remaining spiritual power, imitating the gloomy, hoarse voice of Elder Youming, and shouted sharply:

"What kind of petty thieves dare to covet my sacred object?! The 'command token of ten thousand ghosts' is here, ten thousand ghosts obey my command, for me—kill!"

As his voice fell, the thrown "command token of ten thousand ghosts" streaked through the air with a black light, landing exactly on that ice field. Because of the stimulation of Lin Ye's spiritual power, it emitted an aura of "commanding ten thousand ghosts" that, while not strong, was extremely pure and orthodox!

Immediately after, something even more hair-raising happened!

That seemingly ordinary ice field, under the stimulation of the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" aura, suddenly vibrated violently! The ice surface cracked, and countless black-as-ink phantoms of battle Souls, exuding dense Death Qi and resentment, roared as they crawled out from under the ice! These battle Souls seemed to be transformed from Cultivators or Yao Beasts buried here in ancient times. Over the years, nurtured by the Death Qi of the Beiming Cold Abyss, they had long lost their sanity, knowing only slaughter, and had an instinctive fear and... obedience toward the aura of sacred objects like the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" that governed ghosts?!

In an instant, hundreds of battle Souls, at least equivalent to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, with many having the aura of Foundation Establishment, rushed like a tidal wave toward the nearest living beings—those Yinkui Sect Cultivators—and attacked crazily!

"Not good! It's ancient battle Souls! They've been stirred up by the sacred object!"

"Quick, block them!"

The Yinkui Sect Cultivators fell into immediate Chaos! Although they also practiced the ghost path, these ancient battle Souls were filled with deep resentment and were numerous. Caught off guard, several people were immediately pounced upon by the battle Souls, screaming as their blood, essence, and Soul were drained dry.

Chu Yun and the others were also stunned, but they immediately realized this was an excellent opportunity!

"Break out!" Chu Yun roared, and together with Gui Li, Ye Xiao, and the Snow Soul Tribe warriors, they fought desperately toward the gap in the encirclement that had appeared due to the arrival of the battle Souls!

Lin Ye took this opportunity to force himself through his weakness, using the "Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation" (barely), and rushed like a ghost toward the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" that had landed on the ice field. He had to retrieve the token; otherwise, if the battle Souls lost control, or if the Yinkui Sect Cultivators obtained it, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, just at the moment he was about to touch the token.

A new twist occurred!

Among the three Yinkui Sect Golden Core leaders, the one with the highest cultivation (Peak of Early Stage Golden Core) disregarded the attacks of the battle Souls, suddenly broke free from the entanglement, turned into a trail of black smoke, and with even greater speed, took a step forward to grab the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" on the ground!

At the same time, he looked at the charging Lin Ye with a hideous grin:

"Junior, playing tricks! This sacred object belongs to me now!"

The token was about to fall into the enemy's hands!

Lin Ye's pupils shrank; he was powerless to stop him now.

At the critical moment!

The "reincarnation seal" in his bosom seemed to sense that the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" was about to be taken, or perhaps because of Lin Ye's extreme crisis and will, it actually trembled slightly on its own!

A wisp of Chaos-colored light, more condensed and profound than when it had stirred the battle Souls earlier, shot out from the "reincarnation seal," arriving later but reaching first, gently sweeping across the palm of the Golden Core leader reaching for the token, as well as... his life-bound Magical Artifact (a bone dagger).

There was no earth-shattering momentum.

The moment the Golden Core leader's palm touched the Chaos light, it melted and vaporized silently, just like snow under the scorching sun! Along with the bone dagger, it all turned into flying ash!

"Ah—! My hand! My Magical Artifact!" The Golden Core leader let out a shrill scream, clutching his severed wrist, retreating in terror, and looking at the "reincarnation seal" in Lin Ye's bosom that was emitting the Chaos light, his eyes filled with unbelievable fear.

What kind of Seal is this?! To have such terrifying power?!

Taking this opportunity, Lin Ye had already rushed to the front, snatched up the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" from the ground, and at the same time, aimed the "reincarnation seal" at the Golden Core leader, who was in a state of mental disarray due to his severed hand, and shouted sharply:

"Under the reincarnation seal, all things are void! Die!"

He was naturally powerless to activate the "reincarnation seal" to kill the enemy, but that scene just now was enough to intimidate!

The Golden Core leader was indeed scared out of his wits; he dared not resist, let out a strange cry, turned into a trail of black smoke, and fled into the distance without looking back!

Once the leader fled, the morale of the remaining Yinkui Sect Cultivators collapsed completely. Under the combined attack of the battle Souls and Chu Yun and the others from inside and out, they suffered heavy casualties, and the rest fled in all directions.

A sure-kill situation had been miraculously broken by Lin Ye in this way.

But Lin Ye, having exhausted his last bit of strength from the continuous activation and bluffing, felt his vision go black and collapsed to the ground again. The "reincarnation seal" and the "command token of ten thousand ghosts" also slipped from his hands and landed beside him.

"Junior Brother Lin!"

"Acting Sect Master!"

Chu Yun and the others rushed over, lifted Lin Ye, and fed him a Medicinal Pill.

"I... I'm fine. Quick, leave here... the battle Souls... might lose control..." Lin Ye said weakly.

Everyone looked at the battle Souls, and sure enough, after losing the continuous stimulation and clear target of the "command token of ten thousand ghosts," they began to become chaotic and violent, slaughtering each other, and even turning their targets toward Chu Yun and the others who were closest.

"Go!" Chu Yun carried Lin Ye on his back, Gui Li picked up the "reincarnation seal" and the "command token of ten thousand ghosts," Ye Xiao and the Snow Soul Tribe warriors brought up the rear, and the group fled in a panic toward the south, soon disappearing into the wind and snow.

Behind them, only a devastated ice field, rampaging battle Souls, and the corpses of the Yinkui Sect Cultivators were left.

After this battle, although Lin Ye had fallen unconscious again, the terror and mystery of the "reincarnation seal" had been deeply imprinted in the hearts of every survivor.

And they also knew that the true tribulation might have only just begun.