288: Chapter 286 The Choice in the Sea of ​​Reincarnation

The golden points of light left behind after the Tribunal Master dissipated were still floating in the Void Realm, like countless fireflies dancing in the darkness.

Those points of light were very faint, so faint they were almost imperceptible, but Shen Nian could feel them—every single point of light contained countless years of memories, countless years of pain, and countless years of remorse of the Tribunal Master.

He knelt in the ruins, not getting up for a long time.

Yue Li stood behind him without speaking or urging, quietly accompanying him.

She knew that this young man needed time, time to digest that information, time to accept the final entrustment of the Tribunal Master, and time to figure out what to do next.

After a long time, Shen Nian finally stood up.

His eye sockets were red, but there were no tears, because his tears had already dried up.

His complexion was pale and his body trembled slightly, but his gaze was even firmer than before.

"Senior, this Disciple has thought it through."

Yue Li looked at him.

"Thought what through?"

Shen Nian turned around, looking at the endless ruins, looking at the broken crystals and fractured pillars floating in the Void Realm.

"This Disciple wants to go to the deepest part of the Sea of Reincarnation, find the last Souls harvested by the Tribunal, and rescue them."

Yue Li's hand paused slightly.

"The deepest part of the Sea of Reincarnation? Even the Tribunal Master wouldn't dare easily enter there. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

Shen Nian shook his head.

"This Disciple is not alone. This Disciple has the power of the Tribunal Master, the fifteen-color power of Legacy, and the Primordial Origin Imprint of the Ancestor. This Disciple has the beliefs of countless martyrs supporting him from behind. This Disciple can do it."

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

"Fine. This seat will accompany you."

The two turned around and flew towards the direction of the flying boat.

The ruins grew farther and farther behind them, and those broken crystals and fractured pillars gradually disappeared into the darkness.

The Tribunal was gone, and the Higher Space was also gone, but the Sea of Reincarnation still remained—beneath all Universes, at the end of all time, at the source of all existence.

The flying boat sailed through the space-time channel for a full three months.

During these three months, Shen Nian almost never closed his eyes.

Every day he would Cultivate, and every day he would comprehend the powers left to him by the Tribunal Master—the power of order, the power of rules, and the power of cycles.

The three powers intertwined with the fifteen-color power within his body, fused with the Green Lotus Sword Intent, and resonated with the Power of Dao Protection.

His cultivation Realm had already stabilized at the Mahayana Perfection, only a step away from that legendary Realm, but he was not in a hurry, because he knew that Breakthrough required an opportunity and could not be forced.

Yue Li brought him tea and meals every day, but most of the time she remained silent, just quietly sitting by the porthole, watching the flowing light outside the window.

Her complexion was even paler than three months ago, and there were more bloodshot eyes, but she did not complain or say she was tired, because she knew this was the last thing she could do for those harvested Souls.

Three months later, the flying boat arrived at the deepest part of the Sea of Reincarnation.

The sight outside the porthole made Shen Nian stop breathing.

That was a boundless sea of light, not the kind of sea of light he had seen before—where those points of light gathered together and flowed slowly like a galaxy.

But another kind of sea of light—even more profound, even more ancient, and even more silent.

In the sea of light, there were no points of light, no Souls, no signs of Life, only endless light and boundless silence.

Those lights were grayish-white, like the faintest trace of light in the sky before dawn, or like the last streak of setting sun at dusk, carrying a vicissitude that pierced through the years.

They flowed slowly, like a river that never dried up, flowing quietly in the darkness.

Shen Nian walked out of the cabin door and floated in the Void Realm.

Yue Li followed behind him, and the two flew side by side toward the depths of the sea of light.

The deeper they went, the stronger that sense of oppression became—not the oppression of power, not the oppression of coercion, but an indescribable sense of existence, as if something was watching him in the darkness.

That was the Origin of the Sea of Reincarnation, the destination of all harvested Souls, and the place where everything began and ended.

After flying for a long time, a faint light appeared ahead.

That light was very faint, so faint it was almost imperceptible, but it was particularly striking in the sea of light, like a lonely star.

Floating within the light were countless tiny points of light, each of which was slowly rotating and emitting a faint glow.

Those points of light were the last batch of Souls harvested by the Tribunal—not six cycles, but countless cycles; not hundreds of millions, but countless numbers.

They were trapped here, trapped in the deepest part of the Sea of Reincarnation, trapped at the intersection of time and space, trapped at the source of all existence.

They had waited for countless years, waiting for someone who could save them.

Now, that person had come.

Shen Nian knelt in the Void Realm and kowtowed deeply toward those points of light.

"Seniors, this Disciple has arrived late. This Disciple has come to save you."

The sea of light beat slightly, as if responding to him.

Countless points of light flickered simultaneously, illuminating the entire Void Realm, as beautiful as a dream.

Yue Li stood behind him, looking at those points of light, her eye sockets turning red.

She thought of Master Yuehua, thought of her back when she walked into the formation, thought of what she said— "Lier, Master is not going to die. Master is just living in another way."

Now, she believed it.

Master was not dead; she was in these points of light, in every harvested Soul, in the heart of every person who needs protection.

"Shen Nian, how do you plan to save them?"

Shen Nian stood up and looked at that sea of light.

"This Disciple wants to pull them out of the Sea of Reincarnation, using the power of the Tribunal Master, the fifteen-color power of Legacy, and the Primordial Origin Imprint of the Ancestor. This is the only way."

Yue Li's brows knitted together.

"Pull them out of the Sea of Reincarnation? Do you know what price that requires?"

Shen Nian nodded.

"This Disciple knows. It requires this Disciple's full power, and it requires this Disciple's entire lifespan. After this Disciple rescues them all, this Disciple will die."

Yue Li's hands were trembling slightly.

"Then you still want to go?"

Shen Nian looked at her, his gaze calm.

"This Disciple must go. Because this is this Disciple's mission. This Disciple is a Guardian, a Disciple of the Guardian Academy, and a student of Shen Zhao. This Disciple cannot watch them be trapped here forever."

Yue Li's tears burst out of her eyes.

"You and your Master are truly very much alike. You are both the kind of people who can exhaust yourselves for the sake of others."

Shen Nian smiled, smiling as lightly as a breeze.

"This Disciple is inferior to the Ancestor. This Disciple is merely doing what ought to be done."

He turned around and flew toward that sea of light.

Yue Li wanted to follow him, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

That was the power of the Sea of Reincarnation, the will of those harvested Souls—they were protecting her, not letting her go in to throw away her Life.

"Shen Nian!"

Shen Nian did not look back, merely waving his hand.

"Senior, this Disciple is going. If this Disciple cannot return, tell Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi on this Disciple's behalf—the Starry Sea is entrusted to you all."

Yue Li knelt in the Void Realm, watching his back grow farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, and finally disappearing into the sea of light.

Her tears flowed endlessly, but she did not chase after him, because she knew she could neither catch up nor help.

This was Shen Nian's choice, something he had to face alone.

Deep within the sea of light, Shen Nian floated in the Void Realm, surrounded by countless points of light, countless Souls that had waited for countless years.

He closed his eyes and sank his mind into the qinglian sword.

The Primordial Origin Imprint of the Ancestor was dormant within the sword, and he needed to wake it up.

"Ancestor, this Disciple needs your power."

Light lit up.

The Primordial Origin Imprint within the qinglian sword began to beat, growing brighter and brighter.

A faint voice sounded in his mind, very soft, very distant, as if coming from another world.

"Xiao Nian, are you certain? Do you know what consequences doing this will have?"

Shen Nian did not hesitate.

"This Disciple is certain. This Disciple knows the consequences. But this Disciple must do it."

The voice was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"Fine, go ahead. This Disciple waits for you here."

The light dimmed, and the voice of Shen Zhao also disappeared.

Shen Nian opened his eyes, wiped away the tears on his face, and raised the qinglian sword.

Fifteen-color light surged from the blade, condensing into a huge pillar of light in the Void Realm—no, now it was sixteen colors, adding the power of order of the Tribunal Master.

Sixteen powers, sixteen wills, intertwined within his body, resonating with the Power of Dao Protection.

The pillar of light soared into the sky, illuminating the entire sea of light.

Those points of light began to beat, began to flicker, and began to close in on him.

Not because he summoned them, but because they perceived his power—the power of protection, the power of hope, the power of Rebirth.

Shen Nian inserted the pillar of light deep into the sea of light, and those points of light climbed upward along the pillar of light, one by one, patch by patch, countless points of light condensing into blurry figures within the light.

Their faces were still blurry and could not be seen clearly, but their silhouettes had already emerged—some human, some of the Yao Race, and some of countless races he had never seen before.

Some tall, some short, some fat, some thin, some old, some young.

Some were smiling, some were crying, some were silent.

They were all looking at Shen Nian.

In those eyes, there was surprise, gratitude, hope, and also fear—fear of this unfamiliar world, fear of this unfamiliar era, fear of those people they did not know.

But Shen Nian was not afraid.

Because he knew they would adapt.

Someone would teach them, someone would help them, someone would accompany them.

The Disciples of the Guardian Academy would, the common people of the various Realms would, and he would too—if he were still around.

The pillar of light lasted for I do not know how long—perhaps an hour, perhaps a day, perhaps a year.

Shen Nian's spiritual power was rapidly depleting, his complexion was growing paler and paler, and his body was trembling slightly.

His hair began to turn white, the wrinkles on his face began to deepen, and his lifespan was rapidly consuming.

But he did not withdraw the pillar of light, because he knew he had to rescue all these Souls.

Otherwise, they would be trapped here forever.

He clenched his teeth and poured his final power into the pillar of light.

The qinglian sword emitted a clear sword hum, like a Phoenix singing.

The pillar of light surged, from a thousand zhang to ten thousand zhang, from ten thousand zhang to a hundred thousand zhang.

The entire sea of light was illuminated.

The speed at which those points of light climbed became faster and faster, rushing out of the sea of light one by one, flying toward the exit of the Sea of Reincarnation.

Their figures became clearer and more real in the light.

Some looked back at Shen Nian, some did not even turn their heads, but they all engraved this name in their hearts—Shen Nian.

A Disciple of the Guardian Academy, a student of Shen Zhao, the person who saved them.

Shen Nian stood in the center of the pillar of light, watching those figures disappear one by one, an indescribable emotion surging in his heart.

He thought of what the Ancestor Shen Zhao had said— "To live is to have hope."

Now, these people were alive.

They had waited for countless years, waiting for someone who could save them.

That person had come, but was no longer around.

It was his Disciple who fulfilled this promise for him.

"Ancestor, have you seen this? This Disciple has done it."

The pillar of light began to shrink.

From a hundred thousand zhang to ten thousand zhang, from ten thousand zhang to a thousand zhang, from a thousand zhang to a hundred zhang.

Shen Nian's power was exhausted, and the light of the qinglian sword had also dimmed, but he was still standing, still alive, still keeping his eyes open, looking at those figures drifting away.

When the last point of light rushed out of the sea of light, the pillar of light completely extinguished.

Shen Nian collapsed in the Void Realm, panting heavily.

His hair was completely white, the wrinkles on his face were as deep as knife carvings, and his body trembled slightly, but his gaze remained firm.

He had done it.

He had truly done it.

All those Souls trapped in the deepest part of the Sea of Reincarnation had been rescued.

He got up and flew toward the direction of the exit of the sea of light.

His legs were turning soft and his body was swaying, but he did not fall, because he knew he could not fall.

He had promised Yue Li that he would return alive.

He had promised Guardian Ancestor Ling Xi that he would return alive.

He had promised those names on the Monument of Heroes that he would guard the Starry Sea.

The moment he flew out of the sea of light, Yue Li was still waiting outside for him.

She knelt in the Void Realm, supporting the ground with both hands, her tears long since dried up.

Seeing Shen Nian's figure emerge from the sea of light, her eye sockets turned red again.

"You... you're still alive..."

Shen Nian smiled weakly.

"This Disciple promised Senior to return alive. This Disciple did not break his word."

Yue Li rushed forward, supporting his swaying and crumbling body.

"You did it... You did it..."

Shen Nian leaned against her shoulder and closed his eyes.

"This Disciple is tired. This Disciple wants to sleep for a while."

Yue Li hugged him, her tears dripping onto his shoulder.

"Go to sleep. I will guard you."

Shen Nian smiled, smiling as lightly as a breeze.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

This sleep lasted for a full seven days and seven nights.

When he woke up, he found himself lying in the small courtyard in Yongning City.

Sunlight spilled in through the lattice window, falling on his face, warm and soft.

His hair was still white, and the wrinkles on his face had not disappeared, but his spirit was much better than seven days ago.

Yue Li sat by the bed, holding the reincarnation token in her hand. The lotus flower on the token was glowing slightly—it was bright again, because those rescued Souls were nourishing it with their gratitude.

"You're awake."

Shen Nian nodded, struggling to sit up.

"How long has this Disciple slept?"

"Seven days."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

"Seven days? Those rescued Souls..."

Yue Li raised her hand to interrupt him.

"They have all been settled in the various Realms. Pan Lie, Yi Xing, Grandma Nong, Xuanyuan Po, and the Realm Masters of the various Realms are all helping them. Rest assured."

Shen Nian let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the head of the bed and looking at the sunlight outside the window.

"Senior, this Disciple wants to go see them."

Yue Li shook her head.

"You still cannot get out of bed right now. Your body hasn't recovered yet."

Shen Nian wanted to refute, but Yue Li's gaze left him unable to speak.

That gaze was very calm, very firm, carrying an unquestionable power.

He nodded.

"Fine. This Disciple will lie down a bit longer."

Yue Li stood up, walked out of the room, and gently closed the door.

Shen Nian lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, an indescribable peace surging in his heart.

Everything was over, truly over.

The Tribunal was gone, the harvest system had collapsed, and those harvested Souls had also been rescued.

He could rest, could sleep soundly, and no longer had to worry about what new threats might descend tomorrow.

But he knew that the path of safeguarding the Dao was not yet over.

Not because he still needed to continue fighting, but because he had to pave this road well, leave the Legacy behind, and let those who came after know what to do.

He still had parents to take care of, Disciples of the Guardian Academy to teach, and common people of the various Realms to guard.

This was not a burden; this was his choice, and also his happiness.

He closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

This night, he slept deeply and peacefully, without dreaming.