269: Chapter 269 Yue Li Appears

Shen Nian's hand pressed against the hilt of the qinglian sword, his knuckles turning slightly pale.

Yue Li stood ten steps away, her white robes fluttering gently in the evening breeze, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her peerless face as cold as ice and frost.

In her hand, she held that black token, the samsara lotus on the token shimmering with a dark red glow under the setting sun, resembling dried bloodstains.

"You are Shen Zhao's Disciple?"

Her voice was very soft, yet it clearly entered Shen Nian's ears, carrying an indescribable indifference.

Shen Nian did not answer, only staring intently at her while the spiritual power within his body quietly circulated.

The Saintess of the Reincarnation Hall, an existence that had lived for countless years.

The Ancestor Shen Zhao had once mentioned her—saying she took away the demon god origin, saying she wanted to resurrect the founding Master of the Reincarnation Hall, and saying her whereabouts were unknown and she never appeared again.

Now, she had appeared.

In the first year after the Ancestor's death, deep within the Meteor Minor Realm, before this ancient ruin.

"Disciple Shen Nian, a student of Shen Zhao."

He finally spoke, his voice calmer than he had expected.

"Senior, why are you looking for this Disciple?"

The corners of Yue Li's mouth curved slightly upward, but there was no trace of a smile in those icy eyes.

"You are calmer than your Master."

"When he first met this seat, he drew his sword."

Shen Nian's hand did not leave the hilt.

"This Disciple is also considering whether to draw the sword."

"This Disciple has heard quite a few legends about Senior."

"The Saintess of the Reincarnation Hall, who did not hesitate to trade with demon gods in order to resurrect the founding Master."

"This Disciple dares not completely believe Senior's words."

Yue Li looked at him, the ice in her eyes seeming to melt by a fraction.

"You are indeed cautious."

"However, if this seat wants to kill you, whether you draw your sword or not makes no difference."

She raised her hand, the black token gently spinning in her palm, its dark red light casting flickering shadows across her face.

Shen Nian did not speak, because he knew what she said was the truth.

Yue Li's cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the Later Stage of Integration—a Realm that even the Ancestor Shen Zhao had not reached.

As an Early Stage Mahayana cultivator, he had no power to fight back in front of her at all.

"This seat brought you here not to fight."

Yue Li put away the token and turned to walk toward the stone door of the ruins.

"It is for a transaction."

"The transaction your Master promised this seat during his lifetime."

"Now that he is no longer here, this transaction shall be completed by you."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

A transaction promised by the Ancestor?

He had never heard anyone mention it.

Yue Li walked up to the stone door and gently touched it with her hand.

The runes on the door lit up, the silvery-white light intertwining with the dark red of the token, producing a muffled, thunderous roar.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing the passageway behind it.

The passageway was very narrow, allowing only one person to pass through. The walls on both sides were covered with densely packed runes, which glowed faintly in the darkness, illuminating the path ahead.

"Follow this seat."

Yue Li stepped into the passageway.

Shen Nian hesitated for a moment, then followed.

The qinglian sword swayed gently at his waist, its qinglian patterns reflecting the glow of the runes with a faint azure light.

The passageway was very long; the deeper they went, the stronger that ancient aura became.

The runes on the walls became denser and brighter, as if recounting some forgotten history.

As he walked and looked, Shen Nian did not recognize a single one of those runes, but he could feel the power contained within them—that was the aura of the Reincarnation power, identical to the aura on Yue Li's token.

"Senior, what is this place?"

His voice echoed in the passageway.

"The former site of the Reincarnation Hall."

"The headquarters of the first-generation Reincarnation Hall, even older than the Guardian Academy."

Without turning back, Yue Li's voice came from ahead.

"My Master—the founding Master of the Reincarnation Hall—attained enlightenment here, founded the Reincarnation Hall here, and swore the oath of resurrection here."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

The former site of the Reincarnation Hall?

Even older than the Guardian Academy?

"Senior, what on earth do you want this Disciple to do by bringing me here?"

Yue Li stopped in her steps, turned around, and looked at him.

A trace of complex emotion flashed in her eyes, no longer icy, but carrying an indescribable exhaustion.

"This seat is going to tell you a truth."

"The truth about the demon god origin."

"The truth about the Reincarnation Hall."

"The truth your Master did not have time to tell you."

Shen Nian's heart sank abruptly.

Yue Li turned around and continued walking forward.

"There is more than one demon god origin."

"There are seven in total."

"When the Universe was born, seven consciousnesses appeared simultaneously."

"The Spirit of Creation is one of them, the Spirit of Nothingness is one of them, the Transporter is one of them, and four other paths are sealed in different dimensions."

"The demon god is merely a projection of one of them."

Shen Nian's hand was trembling slightly.

Seven demon god origins?

Seven sealed consciousnesses?

"This seat holds one, which was seized from True Monarch Xuehun back then."

"The other six are scattered across various periodic ruins."

"There is one in the First District, one in the Second District, one in the Third District, one in the Fourth District, one in the Fifth District, and one in the Sixth District."

"Once all seven are gathered, the Gate of Reincarnation can be opened."

"The Gate of Reincarnation?"

Shen Nian's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Yue Li nodded.

"The Gate of Reincarnation leads to the 'true layer' of the Universe."

"That place is where everything is created and also where everything ends."

"There, anyone who has died can be resurrected—as long as their Origin still exists."

Shen Nian's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Resurrect anyone who has died?

As long as their Origin still exists?

"Senior wants to resurrect the founding Master?"

Yue Li also stopped, turning back to look at him.

"Yes."

"And not just that."

"This seat wants to resurrect all harvested Souls."

"When your Master shattered the core of the tree of civilization, he released those Souls that had been imprisoned for countless epochs."

"However, their Physical Bodies had already been destroyed, and they could only exist in the form of points of light."

"They need new Physical Bodies and a new home."

"The Gate of Reincarnation can help them reshape their Physical Bodies."

Shen Nian fell silent.

He recalled the words the Ancestor Shen Zhao had spoken—'Those imprisoned Souls need nourishment and time to condense their Physical Bodies.'

"Perhaps a few years, perhaps a few decades, perhaps a few centuries."

If the Gate of Reincarnation could truly help them reshape their Physical Bodies, they would not need to wait that long.

"Senior, why do you want to help this Disciple?"

"You could completely go and collect the demon god origins yourself."

Yue Li looked at him, the exhaustion in her eyes growing heavier.

"Because this seat cannot beat those Guardians."

"Every demon god origin has a Guardian."

"Those Guardians are all mighty figures from ancient times, and their cultivation is not below this seat."

"Alone, this seat cannot get them."

Shen Nian furrowed his brows.

"Does Senior think this Disciple can beat those Guardians?"

Yue Li shook her head.

"You cannot beat them."

"But your Master could."

"Although your Master is no longer here, his power is still around."

"Inside the qinglian sword is the Origin imprint he left behind."

"Using the qinglian sword, you can temporarily borrow his power."

"That is a power surpassing the Mahayana stage."

Shen Nian lowered his head, looking at the qinglian sword at his waist.

The Ancestor's power was in this sword?

He drew the qinglian sword, its blade reflecting a faint azure glow under the illumination of the runes.

The qinglian patterns on the blade slowly flowed, as if they possessed Life.

He could feel that a powerful power was indeed slumbering within the sword—that was the Origin Power of the Ancestor Shen Zhao, the last trace he left behind in this world.

"What should this Disciple do?"

Yue Li turned around and continued walking forward.

"Follow this seat."

"This seat will take you to meet someone."

"Once you see her, you will know."

At the end of the passageway was a huge space.

In the center of the space hovered a huge crystal core, entirely dark red with endless light contained within its interior.

That light slowly flowed, resembling blood circulating in blood vessels.

Around the crystal core floated seven smaller crystal cores arranged in a ring, each emitting a different colored light—gold, silver, azure, green, blue, purple, black.

The seven demon god origins.

Shen Nian's pupils constricted.

Yue Li walked up to the crystal core and gently touched it with her hand.

That dark red crystal core lit up for a moment, and a figure slowly emerged from within it.

That was a woman whose appearance seemed to be just over twenty, with her long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a white long dress. Her face was seven parts similar to Yue Li's, but much softer and warmer.

Her eyes were closed, as if she were in a deep slumber.

"This is my Master—the founding Master of the Reincarnation Hall, Yue Hua."

Yue Li's voice was very soft, as light as a sigh.

"In order to Seal the seventh demon god origin, she turned her own Physical Body into a cage, trapping the Origin within her body."

"Her consciousness fell into a deep slumber, sleeping for countless years."

Shen Nian looked at that sleeping face, an indescribable emotion surging within his heart.

To sacrifice oneself in order to Seal the demon god origin and fall into an eternal slumber.

Wasn't this exactly what the Ancestor Shen Zhao had done?

Using his own lifespan to reinforce the Seal of the Void King.

Trading his own Life for the peace of the starry sea.

They were both the same kind of person—someone who would not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for the sake of guarding.

"Senior, what should this Disciple do to save her?"

Yue Li turned around and looked at him.

"Gather the seven demon god origins and open the Gate of Reincarnation."

"Then, use the power of the Gate of Reincarnation to awaken her."

"This is the only way."

Shen Nian fell silent for a long time.

He looked at those seven crystal cores, looked at that sleeping face, and looked at the exhaustion and expectation in Yue Li's eyes.

The transaction promised by the Ancestor Shen Zhao would be completed by him.

"This Disciple promises you."

"This Disciple will help you gather the seven demon god origins."

A trace of light flashed in Yue Li's eyes—that was the light of hope.

"Are you not afraid?"

Shen Nian shook his head.

"This Disciple is not afraid."

"This Disciple has the qinglian sword, the Ancestor's power, and the Disciples of the Guardian Academy."

"This Disciple is not alone."

Yue Li looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then, she smiled.

That was the first time Shen Nian had seen her smile—not a sneer, not sarcasm, but a heartfelt smile carrying a hint of warmth.

"You and your Master are truly very alike."

Tears swirled in Shen Nian's eye sockets, but he did not let them fall.

He was a Guardian; he could not shed tears in front of others.

He turned around and walked toward the direction of the passageway exit.

Yue Li followed behind, holding the black token in her hand, the samsara lotus on the token gently throbbing within the dark red light.

When they walked out of the ruins, the sky was already turning dark.

The setting sun shone on the spiritual fields, illuminating the golden rice ears even more brilliantly.

The Old Farmer was still sitting in front of the wooden house, smoking a dry pipe and squinting as he looked at those spiritual rice crops.

Seeing Shen Nian come out, he waved his hand.

"Kid, finished talking?"

Shen Nian walked over and sat down beside the Old Farmer.

"Finished talking."

The Old Farmer pulled out a coarse porcelain bowl from his bosom, poured a bowl of water, and handed it to him.

"Drink a bowl of water."

"Your Master also drank this old man's water back then."

Shen Nian took the bowl and drank it in one gulp.

The water was very cool and sweet, just like the one the Ancestor had drunk back then.

The Old Farmer put away his dry pipe and patted his shoulder.

"Kid, come back alive."

"Your Master promised this old man, but he did not fulfill it."

"Do not learn from him."

Shen Nian's tears finally fell.

"This Disciple will not."

"This Disciple will definitely come back alive."

He stood up, bowed deeply toward the Old Farmer, and then turned to walk in the direction of the flying boat.

The qinglian sword swayed gently at his waist, the qinglian patterns on the blade shining brilliantly under the setting sun, resembling a flower that would never wither.