112: Chapter 112 Reincarnation Mirror Spirit, The Shadow of the End

The moment he stepped into the Samsara Residence, Lin Wan felt a wave of pure Spiritual Qi, so dense it seemed almost tangible and rich with star power, wash over him. The pores of his entire body opened involuntarily, greedily absorbing it. The density of Spiritual Qi in this Immortal Cave far surpassed any blessed land he had seen before, even several times stronger than the cultivation Secret Realm of the Eastern Wasteland Branch Alliance! Moreover, within this Spiritual Qi, there was a faint trace of purple Qi. This was the Ziwei Star Power unique to the core area of the Ziwei Enclosure, which could nourish the Divine Soul and stabilize one's Dao Foundation, offering immense benefits to the cultivation of Void Refining Cultivators.

"What a wonderful blessed grotto-heaven! Emperor Yan, Your Majesty, has indeed bestowed a generous gift," Lin Wan marveled in his heart as his Divine Thought swept across the entire immortal mountain.

The Samsara Residence spanned nearly a hundred miles, fully equipped with a main hall, side halls, a quiet cultivation room, a pill-refining room, an equipment-refining room, a Spirit Medicine garden, a Spirit Beast garden, and a martial arts arena. Brilliant spirit-gathering, defensive, and illusion Formations were arranged everywhere, presenting an ancient, grand, yet exquisite style. Above the main hall hung a plaque inscribed with the words 'Samsara Hall.' Written in powerful, elegant strokes, it flowed with Dao charm, faintly resonating with the Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit at the center of Lin Wan's brows.

Lin Wan arrived at the quiet cultivation room. Located at the core of the immortal mountain's Spiritual Vein and shrouded in layers of Formations, it was the place with the densest Spiritual Qi and the highest security in the entire mountain. He sat cross-legged, took out several healing Medicinal Pills to swallow, and set up a few warning and protective Restrictions. Only then did he calm his mind, look inward, and begin to inspect his gains and injuries from this trip to the Burning Heaven Purgatory.

His cultivation had stabilized at the Void Refining Early Stage, and his Foundation was incredibly solid without any signs of instability. This was thanks to the tempering from the burning heaven flame crystal and the Nirvana Creation True Fire, as well as the life-and-death pressure brought by the imprint of "the end."

The Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit was now more solid, profound, and complete in its Dao charm than when he had first made his Breakthrough. At the core of the Dao Fruit, the wisp of pale golden flame fused with the Nirvana Creation True Fire burned quietly, emitting a Concept of warmth, vitality, purification, and Nirvana. Beside the pale golden flame, the white jade-like fragment of the samsara mirror, which emitted a soft white light, floated quietly. It maintained a wonderful balance and integration with the pale golden flame. Wisps of pure energy containing the intent of 'purification' flowed from the fragment, merging into the pale golden flame and circulating throughout the Dao Fruit, nourishing his Dao Foundation and Divine Soul.

"This samsara mirror fragment is indeed miraculous. Just a preliminary Fusion is enough to help me heal, purify foreign energies, and stabilize my Dao Foundation. The power of 'purification' it contains is especially effective against the erosion of the end," Lin Wan thought to himself. He tried to communicate with the fragment using his Divine Thought, wishing to further refine and comprehend it.

However, the moment his Divine Thought touched the samsara mirror fragment, a sudden change occurred!

*Weng—!*

The samsara mirror fragment vibrated slightly, and a soft white light shone brilliantly. A vast, ancient, and pure consciousness—as if capable of cleansing the heavens and reflecting Reincarnation—surged like a tide along Lin Wan's Divine Thought and into his Sea of Consciousness!

Lin Wan felt his Divine Soul shake violently, and the scene before his eyes suddenly transformed!

It was no longer the quiet cultivation room, but a boundless, bizarre, and chaotic void!

Within the void, countless scenes rapidly flowed, shattered, and reorganized—the birth, evolution, and death of stars; the creation, prosperity, and decline of worlds; the birth, growth, aging, death, and Reincarnation of living beings; love, hatred, joys, sorrows, the rise and fall of civilizations, and the birth and destruction of the Great Dao... It was as if everything in the heavens, from ancient times to the present, was playing out and undergoing Reincarnation in this chaotic void at this very moment!

At the center of all these scenes floated an incredibly massive, ancient bronze mirror covered in cracks, looking as if it could shatter completely at any moment! The surface of the mirror was blurry, reflecting endless flowing light and shadow, while the back was engraved with countless mysterious and unfathomable patterns that seemed to contain the Origin of the Great Dao. Some of these patterns were identical to the ones on the fragment Lin Wan had obtained!

It was the samsara mirror! Or rather, it was the form of the samsara mirror when it was complete, a manifestation of its "Dao charm" or "True Spirit" within Lin Wan's Sea of Consciousness!

"Latecomer..."

A gentle, calm, and ancient voice—seemingly having weathered endless years and seen through the vicissitudes of the world, indistinguishable as male or female—resounded in this chaotic void. It did not echo directly in his ears, but vibrated deep within Lin Wan's Divine Soul.

"You bear the Dao Fruit of Reincarnation, have obtained a fragment of mine, and have even fused the Opportunity of Nirvana Creation, triggering a resonance with my Origin... You are qualified to know of my past and inherit... my mission."

Lin Wan's mind shook violently. Forcing down the feeling from his Divine Soul of being overwhelmed by this vast scene and ancient consciousness, he focused his mind and responded with his Divine Thought, "Senior... are you the artifact spirit of the samsara mirror?"

"Artifact spirit?" The ancient voice seemed to chuckle softly, carrying an inexplicable tone. "You may call me that. However, I am no ordinary artifact spirit. I am the manifestation of the samsara mirror's Dao charm, a trace of the True Spirit imprint remaining in this fragment after the samsara mirror shattered. My original body was shattered long ago, scattered across the heavens and myriad worlds, its whereabouts unknown. This fragment is but one of my shattered remains."

As expected! This fragment was not the complete samsara mirror, but merely one of its countless shards! Moreover, a trace of the samsara mirror's True Spirit imprint actually remained within this fragment!

"Junior Lin Wan was fortunate enough to obtain this fragment. I wonder what guidance Senior has for me?" Lin Wan asked respectfully. Facing the remnant True Spirit of such an ancient supreme treasure, even if it was just a trace of an imprint, he had to maintain sufficient respect.

"Guidance?" The ancient voice spoke slowly. "The purpose of my existence vanished long ago when my main body shattered. Remaining here now is merely a trick of Destiny, allowing me to be found by you. Having sensed your Dao Fruit of Reincarnation, which shares an affinity with me, I have manifested to meet you."

"I observe that your Dao Fruit, though based on Reincarnation, integrates many Dao charms such as Creation, Nirvana, Life, and Ending, and even carries... a trace of the intent of 'Transcendence.' Your potential is boundless, and your future is limitless. However, your Dao differs from the Reincarnation I once governed. My Reincarnation is the Great Reincarnation of heaven and earth, where all things have constancy, life and death follow order, reflecting the heavens and maintaining balance. Your Reincarnation, however, focuses more on the self, aiming for transcendence, wishing to leap out of Reincarnation to attain great freedom and absolute liberation."

"There is no right or wrong, only different Daos. Yet, all paths lead to the same destination. Perhaps your Dao is also a possibility to counter the end."

"Countering the end?" Lin Wan's heart stirred, and he quickly asked, "Senior, how much do you know about the end? What kind of existence is that 'Holy Lord' exactly? What is his relationship with the source of the end? Was the shattering of the samsara mirror related to the end?"

This had always been Lin Wan's doubt. What exactly was the end? The Holy Lord claimed to be the Incarnation of the source of the end, so what was his purpose? How did an ancient supreme treasure like the samsara mirror shatter?

"the end..." The ancient voice fell silent for a moment, as if lost in a distant memory, its tone carrying an indescribable weariness and... solemnity.

"That is a... mistake. A 'mistake' that should not exist, yet somehow does."

"Heaven and earth have constancy, and all things have order. Where there is life, there is death; where there is a beginning, there is an end. This is the cycle of the Great Dao, the Law of nature. However, the end is different. the end is not a natural termination, but a... distorted, extreme, 'erroneous will' that seeks to terminate everything, including termination itself, ultimately returning to absolute 'nothingness' and absolute 'void'."

"It is neither a living being nor a Law, but more like a... distortion of the Dao, a spreading virus, a 'cancer of the void' that seeks to devour and end all things. No one knows its source. Perhaps it is the distortion of a Dao fruit from some supreme existence who underwent Qi Deviation while pursuing 'ultimate void,' or perhaps it is a loophole and error generated by the Great Dao itself at some point. From the moment of its birth, it has had only one goal—to terminate all of the heavens and myriad worlds, endless time and space, and all existence, returning them to complete nothingness."

"And the Holy Lord..." The ancient voice paused, seemingly carrying a hint of wariness and... disgust. "He is one of the most powerful and 'intelligent' Incarnations condensed from the will of the end. He walks the heavens and myriad worlds, sowing the seeds of the end, eroding, corrupting, and terminating world after world to strengthen the end itself. He styles himself as the messenger of the end, seeking to bring void to all living beings. His essence is the extension of the will of the end—powerful, cunning, and extremely difficult to kill completely. For as long as the end is not extinguished, the Holy Lord can be reborn in other places eroded by the end."

"As for my shattering..." The ancient voice carried a trace of sadness and regret that could not be hidden. "It was indeed related to the end. At the end of the ancient era, a catastrophe that affected the heavens and myriad worlds erupted. The strongest Holy Lord in history allied with countless experts and forces eroded and distorted by the end to wage the War of the End, intending to completely terminate that epoch. My master, who wielded the samsara mirror, sought to maintain order and purify the end through the Dao of Reincarnation. He fought a fierce battle with that Holy Lord atop the river of time for ten thousand years... In the end, both my master and that Holy Lord vanished at the end of the river of time, their fates unknown. And I was also heavily damaged in that war, my main body shattered and scattered across the heavens..."

"Each of my fragments contains a portion of my Origin Dao charm. This fragment you obtained contains the power of 'purification' and has an extremely strong restraining effect on the erosion of the end. The other fragment, once obtained by the Flame Emperor and ultimately falling into your hands, contains the power of 'reflection,' allowing one to view the past and future and see through falsehoods. There are many more fragments scattered in various places, containing different Dao charms such as 'protection,' 'Reincarnation,' 'time and space,' and 'Karma.' Gathering all the fragments might allow the power of the samsara mirror to be restored, and perhaps even... find traces of my master. However, this task is as difficult as ascending to heaven, impossible without great Opportunity, immense perseverance, and great Luck."

"This is all I can tell you. This trace of my True Spirit imprint has very little remaining power, and this manifestation is already my limit. Hereafter, I will completely merge into this fragment to help you refine and master its power of 'purification.' Whether you can completely refine this fragment, find the other fragments, and walk your own path under the shadow of the end depends entirely on your own fortune."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Lastly, a reminder. The erosion of 'the end' is pervasive. The 'the end' Origin mark you sensed in the Earth's core... perhaps hides an even older, more obscure will within it, different from that 'Holy Master', so you must be careful. The 'samsara mirror' fragment is a key, and also... bait."

The ancient voice grew softer as it spoke, until finally, it was almost inaudible. In Lin Wan's Sea of Consciousness, the vast scene of the Chaos Void Realm and the massive, cracked bronze mirror also began to slowly dissipate and fade.

"Senior!" Lin Wan called out urgently. "What is that more ancient will? Is it the 'source of the end' itself? The 'samsara mirror' fragment is a key, but what does that mean? A key to open what?"

However, the ancient voice did not respond again. Only the last faint sliver of intent was transmitted into Lin Wan's mind: "Follow your heart, discern the false, remember... 'the end' fears 'hope'..."

As the voice fell, the scene of the Chaos Void Realm dissipated completely, and Lin Wan's Divine Thought returned to the cultivation chamber and back into his own body.

He opened his eyes abruptly, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. From the depths of his Divine Soul came waves of weakness and exhaustion, as if he had just experienced a great battle. Clearly, the communication with the ancient True Spirit imprint within the 'samsara mirror' fragment had placed a significant burden on his Divine Soul.

But Lin Wan's eyes were incredibly bright, filled with shock and deep thought.

The information revealed by the 'samsara mirror' True Spirit imprint was truly astonishing!

'the end' is not a Law of nature, but a kind of 'erroneous', 'nihilistic' will, a 'virus' that wants to devour everything! The 'Holy Master' is only one of its Incarnations; the true 'source of the end' may be even more terrifying and ancient.

The shattering of the 'samsara mirror' stemmed from the ancient 'War of the End', where it perished together with (or disappeared alongside) a most powerful 'Holy Master', and its owner's life or death remains unknown.

There is more than one 'samsara mirror' fragment, and each contains different Dao rhyme powers. The one he obtained is 'Purification', and another is 'Reflection'.

In the 'the end' mark in the Earth's core, there might be hidden a will even more ancient and obscure than the 'Holy Master'!

The 'samsara mirror' fragment is a 'key', but also 'bait'!

And that last somewhat inexplicable sentence—'the end' fears 'hope'?

'Hope'... what does it refer to? The hope to oppose 'the end'? Or... some specific existence or power?

Lin Wan frowned, digesting this information. Without a doubt, this information was extremely important, giving him a deeper understanding of 'the end', the 'samsara mirror', and the ancient secrets. But at the same time, it also brought more questions and pressure.

The nature of 'the end' was more bizarre and terrifying than he had imagined. The shattering of the 'samsara mirror' involved the ancient final war. The 'samsara mirror' fragment being a key and also bait meant that obtaining the fragment might unlock some secret, but it could also attract greater danger and make him a target for everyone.

And the more ancient, obscure will hidden within the 'the end' mark in the Earth's core cast a shadow over Lin Wan's heart. Even the 'samsara mirror's' True Spirit imprint specifically warned of it; its level of danger was likely even above that of the 'Holy Master'!

"It seems that the confrontation with 'the end' is far more complex and long-lasting than I imagined. The 'samsara mirror' fragment is both an Opportunity and a responsibility and danger." Lin Wan took a deep breath, suppressing the waves in his heart. "The most urgent matter is to refine this 'Purification' fragment as soon as possible and increase my strength. Then, search for other fragments. Perhaps, gathering all the fragments will truly reveal the truth of the ancient 'War of the End', and find a way to oppose 'the end', or even... transcend."

"As for that ancient will in the 'the end' mark... I can only remain vigilant for now, and return to investigate when my strength is sufficient in the future. For now, with the Seal placed by Senior Dan Dingzi and the others, it should be safe for the time being."

"And 'hope'..." Lin Wan pondered these two words, thoughtful. "Perhaps it refers to some power or treasure that can restrain 'the end', or... some kind of belief or Dao? I need to explore it slowly."

Putting these chaotic thoughts aside for the moment, Lin Wan refocused his attention on the 'Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit' between his brows, and the 'samsara mirror' fragment within it.

At this moment, the white light emitted by the fragment seemed softer and more restrained, and its Fusion with the pale golden flame at the core of the Dao Fruit was even tighter. After manifesting and telling Lin Wan that information, the ancient True Spirit imprint seemed to have truly exhausted its last bit of strength and completely merged into the fragment, or rather, actively combined with the fragment's Origin to help Lin Wan refine it.

Lin Wan could feel that his connection with this 'samsara mirror' fragment was tighter and clearer. A feeling of perfect integration, as if they were one from the beginning, arose spontaneously. With a thought, the fragment vibrated slightly, and a pure, cool energy containing powerful 'Purification' power surged out, merging into the Dao Fruit and circulating through his whole body.

"Refine!"

Lin Wan no longer hesitated, fully circulating the 'Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit', mobilizing his own mana and Divine Soul power to envelop this 'Purification' fragment, and began to perform a deeper level of refinement and imprint his own mark.

This time, there were no more obstacles. The fragment seemed to have long recognized him, allowing his power to penetrate and imprint. The pale golden 'Nirvana Creation' True Fire also assisted from the side, tempering the fragment to make its combination with Lin Wan's Dao Fruit even tighter.

Time quietly slipped away during cultivation.

Inside 'Samsara Residence', Spiritual Qi was dense, and Dao rhymes flowed. With the assistance of the 'Purification' power of the 'samsara mirror' fragment, Lin Wan's aura became increasingly solid and profound, and his injuries were recovering at an astonishing speed. Nourished by the ancient Dao rhymes of the 'samsara mirror' fragment, his Divine Soul became tougher and more transparent, and his insights into the 'Reincarnation' Dao continued to deepen.

While Lin Wan was in seclusion refining the 'samsara mirror' fragment and stabilizing his cultivation, the outside world was also stirred up by his trip to 'Burning Heaven Purgatory'.

The news spread like wildfire among the high-level members of the 'Samsara Immortal Alliance' and the major forces of the Central Province: Lin Wan, the newly promoted Core Elder of the 'Samsara Immortal Alliance', entered 'Burning Heaven Purgatory' with Soul Transformation cultivation, not only broke through to Void Refining, but also personally slew the 'Lord of Ashes', seized the ancient treasure 'samsara mirror' fragment, severely injured the 'Holy Master's' will projection, performed an unparalleled meritorious deed, was personally bestowed the title of 'Dao Child' by Emperor Yan, was rewarded with 1.45 billion contribution points, and was granted the top-tier Immortal Cave 'Samsara Residence' in 'Ziwei Enclosure'.

For a time, the name of Lin Wan shook the Central Province!

The reactions of various forces were mixed. Inside the Alliance, they were naturally overjoyed, especially Dan Dingzi, Tian Shu Zi, Fairy Yaoxi, and others who were on good terms with Lin Wan, who were even more delighted. But there were also veteran forces and veteran powerhouses who held a wait-and-see attitude, or even felt a hint of jealousy and wariness towards this young 'Dao Child' who had suddenly risen and was currently unrivaled in the spotlight. After all, the title of 'Dao Child' and the tilt of resources meant that Lin Wan would take away part of the resources and attention that originally belonged to them.

Outside the Alliance, some forces with delicate relationships with the 'Samsara Immortal Alliance', or those who secretly coveted the 'samsara mirror' fragment, also cast their gazes toward 'Samsara Residence', toward this newly promoted Void Refining 'Dao Child' who carried a precious treasure. However, under the might of Emperor Yan and the strict protection of the 'Samsara Immortal Alliance', no one dared to act rashly in Samsara Immortal City.

As for the 'Void Church', after the 'Lord of Ashes' fell, the 'the end' mark was sealed, and the 'samsara mirror' fragment was seized, they seemed to have fallen into a brief silence and had not taken any further retaliatory actions. But everyone knew that this was just the calm before the storm. The 'Holy Master's' will projection being scattered was a loss that the 'Void Church', given its style, would never let go. The next strike would surely be more ruthless and more deadly.

However, these external storms were temporarily isolated by the powerful 'Zhou Tian Star Dou Formation' outside 'Samsara Residence'. Lin Wan was single-minded, devoting himself entirely to the seclusion of refining the 'samsara mirror' fragment and stabilizing his cultivation.

He knew that the real challenge was still to come. Before he completely refined the 'Purification' fragment and advanced his strength further, he needed this tranquility.

Cultivation has no Concept of time; in the blink of an eye, three years passed in a hurry.

On this day, in the cultivation chamber of 'Samsara Residence', Lin Wan, who had been keeping his eyes closed with a calm aura, finally opened his eyes slowly.

In an instant, inside the chamber, it was as if Chaos was beginning, life was sprouting, Nirvana was being reborn, and the end was bringing extinction, and there was even a flash of pure, holy, cleansing light that washed away everything.

Lin Wan's aura was deeper and more restrained than three years ago, yet it gave people a feeling of being unfathomable, as if it could contain everything. Between his brows, the phantom of the 'Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit' flickered in and out of existence, and within it, the pale golden 'Nirvana Creation' True Fire and the white jade-like 'Purification' fragment had perfectly merged, indistinguishable from each other, together forming the core of the Dao Fruit.

Void Refining Early Stage Peak! Moreover, it was a Void Refining Early Stage Peak that far exceeded peers, with an incredibly solid Foundation, a perfected Dao Fruit, and the Fusion of 'Nirvana Creation True Fire' and 'samsara mirror · Purification fragment'!

In three years of seclusion, Lin Wan not only completely refined the 'samsara mirror · Purification fragment' and fully integrated it into his own Dao Fruit, but also, with the assistance of the fragment's 'Purification' power, completely digested what he had gained in 'Burning Heaven Purgatory', advancing his cultivation further to the Void Refining Early Stage Peak, only one step away from the Void Refining Middle Stage!

"Hoo—"

Lin Wan stood up, his aura rounded and unobstructed, his eyes containing inner divine light. The three years of seclusion had yielded huge gains.

"It's time to come out of seclusion. Wanqing and the others should be arriving at Samsara Immortal City soon. Also, with the 'Dao Child' authority and 1.45 billion contribution points, it's time to exchange for some urgently needed resources to prepare for the road ahead."

"And... Fairy Yaoxi once said that when I come out of seclusion, she has important matters to discuss. I fear it is related to 'the end' and the Heavens Battlefield..."

Lin Wan looked outside the chamber, as if piercing through layers of Formations, seeing the vast and boundless Immortal City, and outside the Immortal City, the even broader and more dangerous... Heavens and Myriad Realms.

New challenges are coming.