Novels online

Chapter 1619: I Will Become the Venerable

Despite being scorned by a mere mortal, the voice held no anger. It was merely intrigued. "How so?"

Rinsing Moon Bai offered a weak smile. She was about to answer when her head gently drooped, no more words able to escape her lips. In that instant, the tentacle had drained the very last of her life force.

The tentacle seemed to stir in confusion. After prodding her lifeless form a few more times and receiving no response, it sullenly withdrew back into the void.

"I see my aunt was right. Your insight..."

"...is nothing special."

Just then, a voice resounded, appearing from nowhere within the Understanding Dao Infinite Wall.

The other cultivators, deep in their enlightenment, noticed nothing.

But the thousands of faintly visible tentacles began to tremble violently in shock.

"Who is it?"

Before his aunt, the entity could play at being mysterious and powerful, but Li Fan saw its true nature at a glance.

It was nothing more than one of the many immortal artifacts from the Immortal Realm, cast into the Rotten Axe Dojo long ago.

The kind of trifle Li Fan could obliterate with a casual wave of his hand.

"This kind of opportunity... is better left for my aunt."

During the twenty-second to twenty-fifth lives of the saint-making plan, Rinsing Moon Bai had spent nearly all her time within the Understanding Dao Infinite Wall.

She utilized its unique ability to absorb life force and catalyze enlightenment, shortening the duration of each life and accelerating the efficiency of her deductions.

However, upon entering her twenty-sixth life, Rinsing Moon Bai temporarily abandoned her plans to enter the Infinite Wall for contemplation.

The reason was simple: her accumulated knowledge from those lives had been utterly exhausted.

With her mind a blank slate, she could naturally make no further progress in her deductions.

Although she still hadn't comprehended the stages beyond the New Law's Nascent Soul, a vague shadow of the path forward had already formed in her mind.

"Heaven and earth are boundless; the mountains and seas are infinite. What a person can perceive is but a tiny square."

"To grasp the limits of heaven and earth, one must broaden one's perspective."

During her lifetimes meditating within the Infinite Wall, Rinsing Moon Bai would often engage in idle chat with the tentacle. Leveraging the advantage of her foreknowledge, she had surprisingly gained the upper hand in their philosophical debates.

Though she didn't know what the "Mountain and Sea" the Infinite Wall frequently mentioned truly referred to, she had a strong premonition that it wasn't simply the physical mountains and oceans of the world.

But that didn't stop her from putting the concept to use.

"Just as the Infinite Wall says, our perception is limited. A Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul, though it can clearly reflect everything it sees and feels, is ultimately just a single point in the primordial chaos. Therefore..."

"...one must let the spirit roam beyond the material world, entering and leaving the great void. Traverse heaven and earth in a single thought, journey the mountains and seas in a single thought."

Even with this faint direction, Rinsing Moon Bai had no clue how to actually achieve this state of a "spiritual journey into the great void."

"Perhaps I can find some clues among the countless secrets of the Xuanhuang Treasure Land."

After leaving the Infinite Wall, her first destination was the Mortal Spirit Transformation Wall, a place of equal renown.

A mortal's silhouette, becoming divine in a single step. The image was one of such captivating grace that it truly inspired yearning in the hearts of all who saw it.

But as Rinsing Moon Bai gazed at the blurred figure projected on the wall, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over her.

"This is no illusion."

"I have indeed come into contact with the power surrounding this figure. And more than once."

"But where...?"

Rinsing Moon Bai frowned, standing motionless before the wall for a long, long time.

This sort of thing happened often, so her stillness drew no attention from others.

She stood there for half a month.

Within her Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul, countless scenes from her past lives flashed by in a continuous stream.

Finally, Rinsing Moon Bai found her answer.

And it was one that far exceeded her expectations. "This feeling of familiarity... it comes from every time I was reborn, when I used the Five Spirits Qi Sensing Method to expel the Immortal-Mortal Miasma from my body?"

Rinsing Moon Bai was utterly stunned.

An ordinary person has only one chance in their entire life to purge the miasma from their body.

Either they succeed and embark on the path of cultivation, or they fail and are forever cut off from the immortal dao.

It was therefore nearly impossible for anyone else to notice the similarity between the power of the miasma and the figure on the wall.

But she, Rinsing Moon Bai, had repeated this process more than twenty times!

Combined with her terrifying, ever-accumulating aptitude, it was only natural that she could discern the connection.

"Could it be..."

"...that the mortal who achieved godhood in a single step is the very creator of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma?"

"Why would he do such a thing?"

"If it weren't for this miasma, my nephew and I wouldn't have had such a difficult time with our cultivation back then."

Memories from over two dozen lifetimes ago flashed through her mind, and she felt an instinctive dislike for this person.

Her intuition told her that this figure concealed a great secret.

"And... I feel like I've encountered him in other places as well."

A sense of alarm instinctively rose in Rinsing Moon Bai's heart.

She already carried the secret of rebirth. To now discover that a mysterious figure had been appearing in various places throughout her lives... how could she not feel a sense of dread?

To resolve this hidden danger, Rinsing Moon Bai began to hunt for this mysterious figure.

Relying on her keen perception, she used the similarities in power between the Infinite Wall and the miasma as a medium. Following the trail, she scoured the Xuanhuang Realm, searching for any other related presences.

The search yielded shocking results. She discovered that traces of this person were scattered everywhere throughout the Xuanhuang Realm!

Deep beneath Qiling Prefecture lay a source of ancient Immortal Miasma, an extremely dangerous place. Within a peculiar small world of beasts, she found traces of his sword qi.

He had transformed into the Soul of Heaven and Earth, hidden deep within the very foundation of the Xuanhuang Realm; even from the Fallen Immortal Realm, she could faintly sense his power.

But most crucially...

The Museum of Divine Treasures at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, and the skeleton treasured by Master Yin—said to be the remains of the very first cultivator to die from the Immortal-Mortal Miasma—all shared the exact same origin, the same source of power!

"He created the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, and he was the first to die from it. Could it be that his power was insufficient, and after committing such an atrocity against heaven and earth, he suffered a backlash and was consumed by his own creation?" Rinsing Moon Bai speculated.

However, after sharing this discovery with Master Yin, she received the correct answer.

"You mean to say, this person is both the Old Law Heavenly Venerate and the New Law Heavenly Venerate? And he used his own life to shake the very foundation of the Dharma Spreader?" Rinsing Moon Bai frowned.

As Su Bai's number one fan, Master Yin clutched the ribcage in his arms, nodding his head in profound sorrow.

Rinsing Moon Bai was at a loss for words.

"What nonsense about 'the immortal path ahead is blocked, the Dharma Spreader stands above'."

"Even if the Dharma Spreader truly dominated the era, to become both the Old and New Heavenly Venerates, his talent must have been extraordinary. How could he not even have the courage to fight, and just kill himself instead?" she grumbled internally.

However, out of consideration for Master Yin's feelings, she did not say this out loud.

Even after so many reincarnations, Rinsing Moon Bai still cherished her life and her nephew's.

After all, no one could be certain that their rebirth wouldn't suddenly cease.

To live each life as if it were the last—that was the proper way.

As if sensing her thoughts, Master Yin spoke with solemn conviction. "He must have had his reasons for doing so. I believe in him."

Seeing his unwavering faith, Rinsing Moon Bai found herself speechless.

"By the way, when you were looking at Su Bai's skull, did you get a particular feeling?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Of course! My blood boiled, it felt like I could hear my own heartbeat. His gentle, smiling face appeared right before my eyes..."

"That's not what I meant," Rinsing Moon Bai interrupted his performance.

After a moment of contemplation, she added, with some uncertainty, "I mean, it seems to have... a unique will condensed upon it. As if it's not just a simple skeleton."

Rinsing Moon Bai pointed to the ribcage in Master Yin's arms. "I don't get that feeling from this."

"You mean... Su Bai might still be alive?" Master Yin was suddenly overcome with excitement.

Rinsing Moon Bai looked a bit helpless. "Perhaps. It's just a feeling."

"Your feeling must be right! Yes, how could a person like Su Bai fall so easily?" In no time, Master Yin had convinced himself.

He shot to his feet. "No, I must go save him! It was one thing when I didn't know. But now that I do, I absolutely cannot allow him to remain on display like that, like some toy for people to gawk at!"

Rinsing Moon Bai quickly stopped him. "Don't be rash. Never mind that the skull is in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, which is heavily guarded and difficult to even enter. The mysterious curator of the Museum of Divine Treasures alone is more than either of us can handle."

Master Yin retorted fiercely, "I know that old fool. He's strong, yes, but he cherishes his life above all else. If we risk everything and he can't stop us, he won't fight to the death. As for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters..."

"Simple. I'll wreak such havoc that the Alliance won't have the time to deal with us!"

Rinsing Moon Bai eyed him with suspicion. "You?"

Master Yin puffed out his chest, patting it confidently. "Thanks to the new law you created, fellow Daoist Bai, I have recovered more of my memories."

"As I told you before, I am actually the residual ghost of the many realms the Xuanhuang World devoured. To put it simply, I'm the leftovers that the Xuanhuang Realm didn't want."

"But, even if we are leftovers, when enough of us gather and cause a ruckus all at once..." Master Yin scoffed.

"When I first descended, the ghosts of many worlds gathered, and a strange power enveloped an entire province of the Xuanhuang Realm, converting all its laws into something akin to our ghostly nature. Back then, countless versions of me fell from the sky like raindrops."

"It took the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance a great deal of effort to quell that disturbance. And we were only using a fraction of our power back then!"

"A centipede, long dead, still twitches. The more remnant realms the Xuanhuang World devours, the stronger we become. In the past, we were a headless swarm, unable to achieve much. But now, I might be able to command them by force!" A bizarre aura began to emanate from him.

Rinsing Moon Bai was not particularly concerned about Master Yin's true identity.

If one were to compare, her own experience of constant reincarnation was far more bizarre.

Besides, she was genuinely curious about the power lingering on Su Bai's skull. There was even an imperceptible craving deep within her.

After some thought, she asked in a low voice, "What are the odds of success?"

"Thirty percent!" Master Yin declared with an air of pride.

"Thirty percent... those are good odds." After only a moment's consideration, Rinsing Moon Bai made her decision.

Though she cherished her life, one who constantly reincarnates is also the least afraid to risk it all!

After a period of careful preparation, Rinsing Moon Bai set the time to act.

"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council will soon be at war over the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven. We will secretly fan the flames to escalate the conflict. Then, you will strike from the outside, adding more fuel to the fire. As for Su Bai's skull inside the Museum of Divine Treasures, leave it to me," she instructed.

"Be careful!" they said to each other, and then settled in to wait for the opportune moment.

As for how Rinsing Moon Bai knew about the future conflict over the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, Master Yin did not ask.

Right now, his only thought was to get his hands on Su Bai's skull.

Just as Rinsing Moon Bai had predicted, with the discovery of the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, a great war erupted.

Master Yin and Rinsing Moon Bai each fanned the flames from the shadows.

The situation grew more tense and volatile.

Seeing that the time was right, Master Yin prepared to make his move. "Let me give you a taste of the resentment we have accumulated over countless years!"

He gazed at the sky of the Xuanhuang Realm and let out a few sinister, cackling laughs.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Streaks of green lightning inexplicably flashed across the skies all over the Xuanhuang Realm.

Like writhing dragons, they tore open the firmament.

From within the rifts, a torrent of sinister, gloomy energy poured out.

In an instant, the Xuanhuang Realm was transformed into a ghostly domain.

Chunks of flesh began to rain from the sky, as countless versions of Master Yin, laughing maniacally, descended upon the world.

Their clothes and body types were all different, but they all shared the same head.

"Xuanhuang Realm! Give me back my life!"

Their voices were like the wailing of ghosts and the howling of wolves.

They launched indiscriminate attacks on every cultivator they encountered.

"An invasion of otherworldly demons?"

This sudden scene caught the cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance completely off guard.

They hastily organized a defense.

But these Master Yins feared no death. And as long as they weren't completely obliterated, even a tiny remaining piece of tissue could retain its consciousness and rise to attack again. They were exceedingly difficult to deal with.

More importantly, every single Master Yin possessed the power of the Nascent Soul stage.

A single Nascent Soul cultivator could be ignored.

But an endless, swarming tide of them, covering the mountains and fields...

...was truly terrifying.

Even a Dao Integration cultivator would have to retreat before such an onslaught.

The defensive lines of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance began to crumble, while the Five Elders Council chose to watch from the sidelines.

The Dharma Spreaders finally decided to act.

And at this very moment, Rinsing Moon Bai had successfully reached Su Bai's skull.

"Dissociation Disc!"

A treasured mirror appeared in her palm, shooting a faint green light toward Su Bai's skull.

Wherever the green light passed, the restrictive formations broke apart, layer by layer!

Rinsing Moon Bai snatched the skull and retreated rapidly.

To ensure the plan's success, she had gone to great lengths to earn a Dissociation Disc as a reward from the Alliance. Little did they know that moments later, she would use it to steal one of the Alliance's greatest treasures!

A figure suddenly appeared, blocking her path.

Without a single word, Rinsing Moon Bai began to burn her own lifeblood and vitality.

An ancient, primal statue of herself materialized behind her, staring intently at the one who blocked her path—Emperor Sanmo.

"Try and stop me!"

Her Spirit Mirror Nascent Soul stood at the statue's chest.

On its mirror-like body, the true face of Emperor Sanmo was faintly reflected!

Rinsing Moon Bai did not slow down. Emperor Sanmo hesitated for a fraction of a second, then sidestepped, letting her pass.