397: The Secrets of Reincarnation: Past and Future

Deep within the Great Dao Sacred Hall, an ancient stone gate stood quietly, its appearance starkly different from the flowing spiritual light of the surrounding Laws. The gate was constructed entirely from dark gold reincarnation stones, its surface covered in profound reincarnation runes. These runes flowed slowly like living creatures, forming closed-loop trajectories that emitted an aura both ancient and divine—this was the Reincarnation Gate, the core Secret Realm of the Great Dao Realm, which recorded the true essence of the Reincarnation of all things.

Standing before the Reincarnation Gate, Lu Chen and the other four could clearly feel a powerful Soul resonance emanating from within. Lu Chen, in particular, felt the eternal dao fruit inside him echoing the aura of the gate. The guardian mark on his forehead grew slightly warm, as if an invisible force were pulling him, making him instinctively want to push open the gate and explore the mysteries inside.

“Is this the Reincarnation Gate?” Yu Lan’s eyes were filled with curiosity. Her blue natal spirit crystal flickered as she attempted to analyze the reincarnation runes on the gate. “These runes contain the Laws of time and space, sharing the same Origin as the source runes left behind by the Creation Cultivator.”

The figure of the Dao Emissary appeared behind them, his eyes filled with reverence. “The Reincarnation Gate is the root of the Great Dao Realm, recording the entire trajectory of all things from birth to extinction, and from Reincarnation to Rebirth. Only those with a pure Dao Heart and who are in harmony with the Great Dao can glimpse fragments of the past and future within it. As Guardians chosen by destiny, perhaps you will find the answers you seek here.”

Lu Chen took a deep breath and reached out to push the Reincarnation Gate. The moment his fingertips touched the stone, the reincarnation runes erupted with brilliant light. The gate slowly opened, revealing a vast, boundaryless gray space. Within this space, there was no sky or earth, no light or shadow—only countless transparent bands of light flowing slowly, each recording a memory of Reincarnation.

“I’ll go in first and take a look.” Lu Chen stepped into the Reincarnation Gate. The stone gate closed automatically behind him, isolating the others outside.

The moment he entered the reincarnation space, countless light bands surged toward Lu Chen like a tide, flooding into his Sea of Consciousness. The scenes before him began to shift rapidly, and familiar images emerged:

He saw himself eons ago as an ordinary handyman in the Tianling Academy, dressed in coarse hemp clothes and working in the spiritual fields, yet never giving up hope of Cultivating. Later, he met Yu Lan, Zhu Rongyan, and the others, embarking together on the journey to protect the Four Realms. They fought bloodily against the Spirit Erosion Vanguard in Qinglan Valley and faced the Corroding Spirit Master in a final battle at the Spiritual Vein Nexus. Still later, he gave up the chance for transcendence, choosing to remain with the Five Realms, guarding them for ten thousand years, watching the Five Realms move from turmoil to prosperity, and seeing the New Guardians grow...

The images continued to trace back, and Lu Chen saw even earlier Reincarnations: he had been a Cultivator guarding a Spiritual Vein during the ancient era, dying after burning his Origin to Seal away filth; he had been a general in the Mortal Realm, dying on the battlefield to protect the common people; he had even been a spiritual plant in the Spirit Ruins Realm, silently nourishing a patch of land until he withered...

Countless Reincarnations and countless identities, yet they all shared a single choice—to guard. Whether as a Cultivator, a general, or a spiritual plant, his Dao Heart had never changed, always steadfast in the conviction to protect living beings and his home.

“So, my Reincarnation was destined for guarding from the very beginning.” Lu Chen felt a sudden sense of clarity. He finally understood why he could meet Yu Lan and the others again and again across Reincarnations, and why he could choose to protect the Five Realms without hesitation when facing the Corroding Spirit Master—because the heart of a Guardian was already branded deep within his Soul, spanning eternal Reincarnations without ever being erased.

The images suddenly shifted toward the future. Lu Chen saw that after the Five Realms and the Great Dao Realm were connected, all living beings lived in harmony, the system of cultivation became increasingly perfect, and there was no longer any interference from filth. He saw the New Guardians leading the Cultivators of both Realms, passing down the path of the Guardian and nurturing generation after generation of Guardians. He saw himself and Yu Lan’s group becoming part of the Great Dao, eternally guarding this land and witnessing cycle after cycle of Reincarnation and Rebirth.

“This is my future, and the future of the Five Realms.” Lu Chen smiled slightly, his Dao Heart firmer than ever before. He turned and walked out of the reincarnation space. At this moment, he had not only achieved a Breakthrough in the Mahayana Stage but also comprehended the true essence of Reincarnation—guarding was not a burden, but the destination of the Soul and an eternally unchanging Dao Heart.

As Lu Chen stepped out of the Reincarnation Gate, the stone gate opened once more, and Yu Lan stepped inside.

Entering the reincarnation space, the images Yu Lan saw were entirely different from Lu Chen’s. She saw herself meeting, knowing, and staying by Lu Chen’s side in every Reincarnation: in the ancient era, she was a runemaster and Lu Chen was a Guardian of the Spiritual Vein, together they laid down a runic array to Seal the filth; in the Mortal Realm, she was a physician and Lu Chen was a general, she healed his wounds while he protected their home; in the Spirit Ruins Realm, she was a Spirit Essence and Lu Chen was a spiritual plant, nourishing each other and growing together...

In every Reincarnation, their identities and circumstances differed, yet they always managed to find each other in the vast sea of people, joining hands to protect a corner of peace. Tears welled up in Yu Lan’s eyes as she finally understood why there was such a deep bond between her and Lu Chen, and why they could remain inseparable regardless of the hardships they faced—because their Souls were already bound, their Guardian hearts echoing each other, spanning Reincarnation to never be parted.

“Lu Chen, so our meeting was destined long ago,” Yu Lan murmured softly, her heart filled with warmth. In the images of the future, she saw herself and Lu Chen becoming part of the Great Dao together, their runic power and eternal dao fruit fusing to guard the Reincarnation and peace of the two Realms. A happy smile appeared on her lips.

After Yu Lan emerged from the Reincarnation Gate, Green Sprout and Stone Dares All stepped in together.

The images Green Sprout saw were filled with vitality and hope. She saw herself in the future using the power of the Great Dao of Vitality to nourish the lands of the Five Realms and the Great Dao Realm, reviving withered Spiritual Veins and giving injured beings a new lease on life. She saw herself creating countless types of spiritual plants containing the power of Laws to assist the Cultivators of both Realms. She saw her descendants inheriting her power of vitality, continuing to guard spiritual plants and living beings, passing down the path of vitality.

“This is the path I must take.” A firm light flickered in Green Sprout’s eyes. She understood that her guarding was not just about fighting filth, but also about nurturing life so that all things could coexist and prosper.

The images Stone Dares All saw were filled with hot-blooded passion and battle. He saw himself in the future continuing to temper his Physical Body, training the Nine Revolutions Profound Yellow Body to the state of Perfection and achieving physical sainthood. He saw himself leading the Body Refiners of both Realms to guard their borders and resist any external threats. He saw himself becoming the spiritual leader of the Body Refiners in both Realms, combining Body Refining methods with the Laws of the Great Dao to create an even more powerful Body Refining system.

“Exhilarating! This is the future I want!” Stone Dares All laughed heartily, his eyes filled with Battle Intent and determination. He understood that his guarding was using his fists and Physical Body to hold up a sky of peace for the beings of both Realms.

The last to enter the Reincarnation Gate was Ling Che. The images he saw were a Fusion of pure spiritual qi and Laws. He saw himself in the future becoming the Guardian of spiritual qi for both Realms, controlling the flow of Spiritual Veins to ensure the purity of spiritual qi. He saw himself combining the Laws of spiritual qi with other cultivation systems to create more perfect methods of utilizing spiritual qi. He saw himself leading spiritual qi Cultivators to build spiritual qi channels between the two Realms, allowing spiritual qi to flow freely and nourish more living beings.

“My guarding is to protect the purity and balance of spiritual qi.” Ling Che realized in his heart, his Dao Heart becoming even more pure.

When all five had stepped out of the Reincarnation Gate, the gate suddenly erupted with ten thousand rays of light. Every Reincarnation rune on the stone gate lit up, converging into a golden pillar of light that shot straight into the clouds. Within the pillar of light, an ancient tome slowly condensed and fell into Lu Chen’s hands—it was the Record of the True Essence of Reincarnation.

The cover of the tome was inscribed with the four words “True Essence of Reincarnation.” Its pages detailed the Laws of Reincarnation, the bonds of the Soul, the inheritance of the Dao Heart, and the mysteries of how to use the Power of Reincarnation to protect living beings.

Lu Chen flipped through the Record of the True Essence of Reincarnation, his gaze landing on the final page, which held only one sentence: “Reincarnation never ends, guarding never ceases; the Dao Heart is never extinguished, enduring for eternity.”

The Dao Emissary stepped forward, his eyes full of awe. “That you could glimpse the past and future from the Reincarnation Gate shows that your Dao Hearts have perfectly harmonized with the Great Dao and Reincarnation. This Record of the True Essence of Reincarnation is the core Legacy of the Reincarnation Gate. It is gifted to you in the hope that you can use the Power of Reincarnation to better protect the beings of both Realms.”

The five of them looked at each other, their hearts filled with realization. They finally understood that the Creation Cultivator’ plan was not just for the Five Realms and the Great Dao Realm, but a Legacy of guarding that spanned across Reincarnation. Every Reincarnation was for the purpose of better guarding; every meeting was for the purpose of walking together.

At that moment, the foundation stone of the Reincarnation Gate lit up, and the six-character rune inscribed upon it, “Guarding is the Great Dao,” emerged, creating a powerful resonance with the guardian marks on their foreheads. A majestic power of the Great Dao surged from the foundation stone into their bodies, making their Dao Hearts even firmer and causing their cultivation to faintly show signs of a new Breakthrough.

“Guarding is the Great Dao...” Lu Chen murmured softly, his eyes full of enlightenment. He finally understood that the Great Dao he had always pursued was not some ethereal Law, but the tangible act of guarding. Guarding living beings, guarding his home, and guarding the peace of the two Realms—this was his Dao and the eternally unchanging true essence.

The five bid farewell to the Dao Emissary and, holding the Record of the True Essence of Reincarnation, stepped once more into the seven-colored realm gate to return to the Five Realms. They knew the secrets of the Reincarnation Gate had been revealed, and the bonds of the past and missions of the future were now clear. Next, what they had to do was pass down the true essence of Reincarnation and the Guardian’s Dao Heart, so that the beings of both Realms would understand that guarding was not just a responsibility, but the ultimate destination of the Great Dao.

In the skies of both the Five Realms and the Great Dao Realm, a seven-colored pillar of Reincarnation light appeared simultaneously, symbolizing the perfect harmony between Reincarnation and guarding. This pillar of light also heralded that the Fusion and inheritance of the two Realms were about to enter a new stage—a stage even more brilliant and more full of Perfection.