290: Chapter 288 Yuehua's Liberation

The flying boat docked at the Star Port of the First District for an entire night.

Shen Nian did not leave.

He sat in front of the flying boat's control console, holding the Jade Slip left behind by the Guardian Patriarch in his hand, probing into it with his Divine Thought over and over again to feel the warmth contained within those words.

Those words were not Cultivation Techniques or Secret Manuals, but rather the lifelong insights of Shen Zhao — how he first knelt before the Monument of Heroes at the age of sixteen.

How he first felt the fear of death during the decisive battle against the Void Sovereign.

How he first learned to make sacrifices in the decisive battle against the Void Clan's homeworld.

How he first understood the meaning of protection before the core of the tree of civilization.

Every passage of text was like a footprint, recording every step of Shen Zhao from an inexperienced youth to the Guardian Patriarch.

Reading those words, Shen Nian seemed to see the Life of the Guardian Patriarch — those laughs, those tears, those sacrifices, and that perseverance.

When dawn broke, Shen Nian finally put away the Jade Slip and stood up to walk out of the cabin door.

The morning light sprinkled over the spiritual fields of the First District, making the golden ears of rice look even more brilliant.

Pan Lie stood at the entrance of the village, and seeing him come out, he waved.

"Kid, this old man has something to tell you."

Shen Nian walked over and sat down beside Pan Lie.

"Please speak, Senior."

Pan Lie was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"Yuehua... This Dominator is talking about Yuehua, the first Hall Master of the Reincarnation Hall."

"Her consciousness has not completely dissipated yet."

"She is among those rescued Souls, in the deepest depths of the Sea of Reincarnation, in that sea of light you lit up with your Life."

Shen Nian's hand suddenly paused.

"Senior Yuehua is still alive?"

Pan Lie shook his head, then nodded.

"Alive, but not quite alive either."

"Her Physical Body has already dissipated, but her consciousness still remains in this Void Realm, attached to the memories of those harvested Souls."

"As long as those Souls still remember her, she will never truly disappear."

Tears swirled in Shen Nian's eyes.

"Can this Disciple see her?"

Pan Lie was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

"But what you will see is not her actual self, but the lingering shadow of her consciousness."

"She is waiting for you, waiting for you to find her."

Shen Nian did not hesitate.

He stood up and walked toward the flying boat.

Yue Li was waiting for him on the flying boat, and seeing him walking over in a hurry, she quickly went to meet him.

"What is wrong?"

Shen Nian did not answer, but simply boarded the flying boat and flew toward the Gate of Reincarnation.

Yue Li followed behind him without asking too many questions.

Because she knew that he must have something important to do.

The flying boat sped through the sea of stars.

Shen Nian stood before the porthole, gazing at the sea of stars ahead, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

Senior Yuehua was waiting for him, in the deepest depths of the Sea of Reincarnation, within the memories of those harvested Souls.

How long had she waited for him?

Perhaps for a very long time, or perhaps she had been waiting ever since the moment he activated the core of rebirth.

When the flying boat landed before the Gate of Reincarnation, it was almost dark.

The setting sun sprinkled over those suspended broken timelines, coating every fractured piece of history in a layer of gold.

Shen Nian stepped out of the cabin door, hovering in the Void Realm.

Yue Li followed behind him, and the two walked side by side toward the Gate of Reincarnation.

The gate was already closed.

The dark red runes had dimmed, no longer glowing or flowing.

But the moment Shen Nian reached out and touched it, the runes on the gate lit up once again.

Fifteen-colored light — no, now it was sixteen-colored — surged out from the gate, condensing into a gate of light in the Void Realm.

The world behind the gate was different from before.

The sea of light was still there, but the points of light within it had all left.

They had gained new Physical Bodies, new homes, and new lives.

The sea of light had become empty, filled only with endless brilliance and boundless silence.

Yet in the deepest depths of the sea of light, a faint radiance flickered, like a person quietly waiting in the darkness.

Shen Nian flew toward that radiance.

Yue Li followed closely behind, the two of them moving one after the other through the sea of light.

The radiance grew closer and brighter.

When Shen Nian flew right before the radiance, he stopped in his tracks.

It was a woman with a slender figure and an exquisitely beautiful face, wearing a long white dress with her long hair draped over her shoulders.

Her eyes were closed, her expression serene, and a faint, elusive smile hung at the corners of her mouth, as if she were dreaming a wonderful dream.

Yuehua.

The first Hall Master of the Reincarnation Hall.

Yue Li's Master.

Shen Nian knelt in the Void Realm and kowtowed deeply toward that figure.

"Senior Yuehua, this Disciple has come."

Yuehua's eyes slowly opened.

Those eyes were dark red, the color of the Sea of Reincarnation, carrying a vicissitude that pierced through the ages.

She looked at Shen Nian, a trace of relief flashing through her eyes.

"Child, you have come."

"This Dominator has waited for you for a very long time."

Shen Nian raised his head, looking into those dark red eyes.

"Senior, this Disciple has brought Senior Yue Li."

"She wants to see you."

Yuehua's gaze passed over Shen Nian and fell upon Yue Li.

A complex look flashed in her eyes — relief, guilt, and an indescribable reluctance to part.

"Lier."

Tears burst forth from Yue Li's eyes.

She rushed forward, wanting to embrace her Master, but her hands passed right through Yuehua's body, as if passing through an illusion.

Yuehua was not a physical entity.

She was merely a lingering shadow of consciousness, an existence condensed from the memories of those harvested Souls.

"Master... This Disciple misses you so much..."

Yuehua raised her hand, wanting to stroke Yue Li's face.

But her hand similarly passed through Yue Li's body.

She withdrew her hand and looked at Yue Li, her eyes filled with boundless compassion.

"Lier, Master misses you too."

"Master misses you every day."

"Master wants to see you, wants to talk with you, wants to give you a hug."

"But Master cannot get out. Master is trapped here, trapped within the memories of those Souls."

Yue Li knelt in the Void Realm and kowtowed deeply toward her Master's figure.

"Master, this Disciple will save you out of here."

"This Disciple will definitely save you out."

Yuehua shook her head.

"Lier, Master can no longer get out."

"Master's Physical Body has already dissipated, and Master's consciousness is also about to dissipate."

"Being able to wait for you both here is already a miracle."

Yue Li's tears flowed unstoppably.

"Master, this Disciple doesn't want you to leave."

"This Disciple has waited for you for countless years; this Disciple cannot live without you."

Yuehua looked at her, her eyes filled with boundless affection.

"Lier, Master has not left."

"Master is among those rescued Souls, within the heart of every protected person."

"Master will always accompany you, watch over you, and protect you."

"Master will not leave."

Yue Li knelt on the ground, hugging her own body, weeping silently.

She had waited for many years, waiting for someone who could save her Master.

Now, that person had come, but her Master could no longer return.

Shen Nian stood to the side, watching them, his eyes also turning red.

He remembered the Guardian Patriarch Shen Zhao, remembering the words he said when he dissipated — "Uncle, this Disciple has come."

He also remembered his uncle Shen Yuan, remembering the words he said before his death — "Zhaoer, Uncle will wait for you at the Monument of Heroes."

They were all like that, leaving the hope of Life to others and the end of death to themselves.

Yuehua turned her head to look at Shen Nian.

"Child, this Dominator has something to tell you."

Shen Nian stepped forward.

"Please speak, Senior."

Yuehua was silent for a moment.

"The core of the Gate of Reincarnation, that core of rebirth, has not been completely activated yet."

"It requires one thing to be thoroughly activated — Origin Power."

"Not your Origin Power, but this Dominator's Origin Power."

"This Dominator's Origin Power still remains in this sea of light, within the memories of those harvested Souls."

"Find it and use it to activate the core of rebirth."

"Those Souls will then be completely stabilized and will never dissipate again."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

"Where is Senior's Origin Power?"

Yuehua raised her hand, pointing toward the deepest depths of the sea of light.

"There."

"At the end of the Sea of Reincarnation, where everything begins and ends."

"This Dominator's Origin Power is right there."

Shen Nian turned around and flew toward that direction.

Yue Li wanted to follow, but Yuehua raised her hand to stop her.

"Lier, let him go alone."

"This is his mission."

Yue Li stopped in her tracks, watching Shen Nian's back grow further and further away as an indescribable emotion surged in her heart.

She wanted to follow, but her Master's words made her stop.

She knew that her Master was right; this was Shen Nian's mission.

The deepest depths of the sea of light were a void space.

There was no light, no sound, and no existence of any kind—only endless darkness and boundless silence.

In the darkness floated a tiny point of light, like a speck of dust, like a star, like a sleeping Life.

Yuehua's Origin Power.

Shen Nian flew before that point of light and stopped.

He reached out his hand, wanting to touch it.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch it, the point of light suddenly lit up.

Dark red radiance surged from the point of light, enveloping his entire body.

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

"Latecomer, you have finally come."

Shen Nian's hand paused slightly.

"Senior Yuehua?"

That voice chuckled, the laughter very soft, as light as wind blowing across withered branches.

"It is this Dominator."

"This Dominator's Origin Power has been waiting for you all along."

"Waiting for someone who can use it to activate the core of rebirth."

Tears swirled in Shen Nian's eyes.

"Senior, what should this Disciple do?"

That voice was silent for a moment.

"Hold it and use it to activate the core of rebirth."

"This is the only way."

Shen Nian did not hesitate, reaching out to grasp that point of light.

The point of light pulsed gently in the palm of his hand, like a heartbeat, like a breath, like a sleeping Life waiting to be awakened.

He raised the point of light above his head, and Sixteen-Color Power surged from his palm, pouring into the point of light.

The point of light suddenly blazed with radiance.

Dark red light surged from the point of light, condensing into a massive pillar of light in the Void Realm.

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

The sea of light began to churn.

Those points of light that had already left — the rescued Souls — seemed to sense something, flying back from all corners of the sea of stars one after another and pouring into the pillar of light.

Within the pillar of light, they condensed into hazy figures, one after another, patch after patch, countless points of light condensing into physical entities amidst the brilliance.

Their faces began to grow clear.

Their bodies began to grow real.

Their lives began to grow complete.

Yuehua's Origin Power had activated the core of rebirth.

And those Souls, with the power of the core of rebirth, completely stabilized their Physical Bodies, never to dissipate again.

The pillar of light lasted for who knows how long — perhaps an hour, perhaps a day, perhaps a year.

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

But he did not withdraw his hand.

Because he knew he had to finish this task.

This was the opportunity Yuehua traded her Life for, the last hope of Rebirth for those Souls.

He gritted his teeth and poured his final strength into the point of light.

The point of light emitted a crisp hum, like a Phoenix singing.

The pillar of light surged wildly, growing from ten thousand zhang to one hundred thousand zhang, illuminating the entire sea of light.

Those Souls let out cheers within the pillar of light.

Laughter, cries, and shouts intertwined, merging into an eternal movement of music.

They were free.

Truly free.

Shen Nian withdrew his hand.

That point of light dimmed in the palm of his hand, no longer pulsing, no longer glowing.

Yuehua's Origin Power had completely merged into the core of rebirth, becoming an eternal part of it.

He knelt in the Void Realm and kowtowed deeply toward that dimmed point of light.

"Senior Yuehua, this Disciple has done it."

"The core of rebirth has been activated, and those Souls have stabilized."

"You can rest now."

The point of light pulsed gently once, as if responding to him.

Then, it completely dissipated, transforming into countless tiny specks of light that drifted across the Void Realm.

Those specks of light drifted toward the sea of light, toward those Souls, toward every person who needed protection.

Yuehua's voice sounded for the last time, very soft, very soft, as light as a sigh about to dissipate in the wind.

"Child, thank you."

"This Dominator has waited for countless years, waiting for someone who could inherit this Dominator's power."

"Now that I have waited for you, it is enough."

"This Dominator has no regrets."

Shen Nian knelt in the Void Realm, kowtowing deeply toward that dissipating radiance.

"Rest assured, Senior, this Disciple will certainly not fail this commission."

He stood up, wiped away his tears, and turned to fly toward the exit of the sea of light.

When he flew out of the sea of light, Yue Li was still waiting outside.

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

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

"Shen Nian, Master she..."

Shen Nian walked up to her, squatted down, and grasped her hands.

"Senior, Senior Yuehua has left."

"But she left very peacefully."

"She said she waited for countless years, waiting for someone who could inherit her power."

"She waited for you."

"She has no regrets."

Yue Li's tears gushed out once more.

But this time, a trace of a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.

"This Disciple knows."

"This Disciple has always known."

"Master... she can finally rest."

Shen Nian helped Yue Li up, and the two walked side by side toward the exit of the Gate of Reincarnation.

Behind them, the sea of light flowed slowly.

Those Souls laughed in the sea of light, sang in the sea of light, and celebrated their newfound lease on Life in the sea of light.

When they walked out of the Gate of Reincarnation, dawn had already broken.

The morning light sprinkled over those suspended broken timelines, coating every fractured piece of history in a layer of gold.

Those timelines, once "pruned" away as invalid history by the Tribunal, had now been repaired and filled with the memories of those rescued Souls.

They were no longer fragments, but complete stories.

Shen Nian stood before the Gate of Reincarnation, looking at those timelines, as an indescribable peace welled up in his heart.

He remembered the words Yuehua said when she dissipated — "This Dominator has waited for countless years, waiting for someone who could inherit this Dominator's power. Now that I have waited for you, it is enough."

He also remembered the words the Guardian Patriarch Shen Zhao said when he dissipated — "Uncle, this Disciple has come."

They were all like that, leaving hope to the latecomers.

"Senior, this Disciple wants to go back."

Yue Li nodded.

"Alright."

"This Dominator will accompany you back."

The two turned around and walked toward the flying boat.

The morning light sprinkled over them, drawing their shadows out very long.

The qinglian sword swayed gently at Shen Nian's waist, the Qinglian patterns on the sword body gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.

Yuehua was no longer there, but her will remained.

Among those rescued Souls, within the radiance of the core of rebirth, and in the heart of every protected person.