Chapter 762: A New Order for Heaven and Earth
After Xu Bai had grasped the full extent of the situation, his first impulse wasn't to figure out how to quell the escalating public outcry.
Instead, his original self, thousands of miles away, immediately summoned his [Truth] panel.
The upper limit of his physiological age remained unchanged.
Yet Xu Bai didn't believe for a moment that Peng Qing's words were mere ravings.
The Rebirth Heavenly Venerate had first achieved their Dao within the white mist.
And it was common knowledge that the mist was called the "Life-Devouring White Mist," for it could consume a cultivator's lifespan.
Peng Qing's sudden, violent death and the horrific state of his body were nearly identical to those of cultivators who had perished in the white mist.
Such a series of events could hardly be dismissed as mere coincidence.
Nonetheless, to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, Xu Bai first used a combination of threats and incentives to silence every witness.
For instance, one story claimed that a cultivator in another region had died just as horribly as Peng Qing, crying out with his last breath: "The one who will destroy the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate!"
Another rumor suggested that the man who died wasn't the real Peng Qing at all. The true Peng Qing had perished years ago. The figure who collapsed before the crowd was supposedly a clone created by a member of the Five Elders Council known as the [Thousand Face Demon Lord], sent with the sinister purpose of sowing chaos within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
...
For a while, the stories swirled, a chaotic mix of fact and fiction that was impossible to untangle.
Gradually, while the incident remained a hot topic, the specifics of Peng Qing's actual dying words were lost in the noise. Few people paid them any mind.
This continued for more than ten days.
The Peng Qing incident slowly faded from public memory. The number of people discussing it dwindled until, eventually, the clamor died down completely.
It was as if the event had never happened at all.
Xu Bai had successfully carried out his orders, much to Nangong Shirong's satisfaction.
In a rare display of generosity, he rewarded Xu Bai with a substantial amount of merit and contribution points.
He even presented Xu Bai with a small statue.
"This is..." Xu Bai cradled the statue in his palm, a profound and mysterious sensation welling up within him.
It felt as though he were holding another one of his own bodies.
"That is a [Rebirth Edict]," Nangong Shirong explained, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Not long ago, I was awarded three of these by my superiors. I'm keeping one for myself, but there's no point in carrying the extras. Since you've rendered such a great service, I've decided to give this one to you."
"With this," he continued, "even if you meet an unfortunate end, you can be reincarnated and revived instantly."
A look of delight spread across Xu Bai's face. "Thank you for your immense generosity, my lord!"
Ever since the Rebirth Palace was established, Xu Bai, despite his position as a provincial liaison, had found no way to acquire any of its legendary treasures.
The initial proclamation had stated that anyone with enough contribution points could obtain them.
But the gates to the Rebirth Palaces in every province remained tightly sealed.
Never mind ordinary cultivators; even someone of Xu Bai's standing was barred from entry.
Redeeming any of the Rebirth Palace's resources was completely out of the question.
While cultivators across the land were voicing their discontent, the Rebirth Palace operated outside the jurisdiction of any province.
They simply dismissed all inquiries with the excuse that the treasures were "not yet ready."
After carefully stowing away the [Rebirth Edict], just as he was about to leave, Xu Bai suddenly turned and asked, "Lord Nangong, about what Peng Qing said before he died... that some fiend was cutting away his lifespan..."
"Is there any truth to it?" Xu Bai asked, his voice low.
"If it is true, then we can only suppress this for a time, not forever."
Nangong Shirong fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "Since everyone can be revived, things like lifespan are no longer so important."
"For cultivators like us, achieving true longevity is an impossible dream anyway. That being the case, why should we care about such trivialities?"
Nangong Shirong paused, his tone shifting. "However, not every cultivator in the world is as broad-minded as I am. Sooner or later, people will notice. It's impossible to keep it under wraps forever."
"What we must do," he declared, "is ensure that this revelation does not break out first in our Tianliang Province."
Nangong Shirong's voice was cold.
His words were a tacit confirmation of the truth behind Peng Qing's final words.
Xu Bai remained silent, giving a heavy nod.
As he walked away, thoughts churned in Xu Bai's mind. *Cutting away lifespan...*
*Is it a necessary consequence of the Rebirth Heavenly Venerate's incomplete reversal of natural law, a price that must be paid to resurrect a cultivator's true spirit?*
*Or...*
*Is he intentionally emulating the Ruo Mu of ancient times?*
From the moment this Rebirth Heavenly Venerate first appeared to the official reversal of natural law...
...everything about him had been laced with a thread of strangeness.
*"The Tianxuan Mirror seizes Heaven's place."*
*"The Rebirth Heavenly Venerate seizes the Ruo Mu's place."*
...
A sudden thought struck Xu Bai, and he froze mid-stride.
Like Immortal Sage Ziqiong before him, he cast an almost imperceptible glance toward the sky.
Then, just as quickly and without a trace, he lowered his head and hurried away.
--
In Tianquan Province, within Shuo Feng's private courtyard.
"Brother Li?"
Shuo Feng's voice held a note of surprise.
In the middle of their sparring match, Shuo Feng had just been getting into the rhythm of the fight.
But Li Fan had suddenly zoned out, allowing an attack he could have easily dodged to slam directly into him.
A torrent of sword energy swept across the field, obliterating the lower half of Li Fan's body.
Fortunately, in this era of the New Method...
...such a minor injury was of little consequence to a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Within a single breath, accompanied by a low hum from his grotto-heaven, Li Fan's body rapidly regenerated.
Li Fan looked apologetic. "My apologies. I've only recently mastered this life-cutting divine ability. After days of intense sparring with you, Brother Shuo, my mind has grown a little weary."
Shuo Feng's expression cleared with understanding. "Ah, that was my oversight. I got caught up in the moment and forgot that a divine ability of this caliber must be incredibly draining."
"Hahaha, it's my fault for getting too excited. It's been a long time since I've encountered a technique so miraculous."
"To think it can even affect my control over the very concept of the [Sword]..." Shuo Feng clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Please, Brother Li, rest for a while."
As he spoke, a flash of sword light flickered, and Shuo Feng neatly sliced away a few white strands that had appeared in his hair.
Then, with a sharp cry, his entire body seemed to shed its skin like a snake.
He sloughed off the slightly aged, worn-out form as if shrugging off a coat.
Restored to his youthful vigor, Shuo Feng flicked a finger, and the discarded husk dissolved into ash.
He sighed. "Fellow Daoist, this [Drawing Silk, Cutting Life] divine ability of yours is truly remarkable. In terms of pure combat effectiveness, I've never seen anything quite like it."
"If not for my unique constitution, I doubt I could have sparred with you so freely."
"Any ordinary cultivator struck by your ability would probably see their lifespan exhausted and die within half a day."
Li Fan put on a weary expression and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. I poured my heart and soul into creating it, but unfortunately, it seems the times have already left it behind."
"Now that the Rebirth Palace stands tall and everyone can be revived, my technique, as powerful as it is, has lost much of its deterrent effect. After all, if you can be revived, what does it matter if your body withers away?" Li Fan lamented with a long sigh.
Shuo Feng shook his head. "Brother Li, you needn't be so humble. As for this revival..."
He scoffed.
"Any truly powerful expert of this age would be a fool to ignore a technique like yours. With this ability alone, you've already surpassed countless self-proclaimed heroes of the realm."
"Hmm. Your status should be raised as well. A junior retainer... that hardly does you justice."
Shuo Feng mused, rubbing his chin.
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