Chapter 101: Reincarnation Begins, Goddess Awakens
The earth-shattering aftermath of the explosion gradually subsided, and shattered ice fragments fell like snowflakes, blanketing the devastated battlefield in the center of the hall in a chilling white. The air was filled with the scorching smell of energy, the stench of blood, and a faint, divine aura of purification.
Deathly silence enveloped the entire main hall.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two figures supporting each other in front of the altar. Shock, awe, disbelief, and deep fear intertwined in the survivors' eyes.
Xuanyun Sect's Muyun Lay Buddhist was the first to break free of his opponent's clutches. He darted forward, his eyes filled with both fear and relief as he looked at Ye Li, who was bleeding from all seven orifices but still standing upright, and Qin Yixuan, who was leaning against her back, her breath weak but the divine pattern on her forehead still intact. He quickly unleashed several gentle bursts of spiritual energy to help stabilize the two women's injuries.
"Are you okay?" There was a barely perceptible tremor in Mr. Muyun's voice. God knows how anxious he was when he saw the two women being besieged.
Ye Li shook her head, enduring the excruciating pain of her sea of consciousness being torn apart and the weak feeling of her spiritual power being almost exhausted, and whispered, "It's okay, Master, it's just over-consumption." Her right hand was still tightly grasping the newly acquired fragment of the Samsara Mirror. The fragment was warm and cool, and was continuously emitting pure original power, nourishing her almost dried-up meridians and soul, and repairing the backlash caused by the forced use of time and space stagnation.
Qin Yixuan spoke weakly, her voice hoarse, "Thank you for your concern, senior. I can still hold on." She tried to stand up, but stumbled and almost collapsed. Ye Li subconsciously supported her arm with his backhand, but it was cold to the touch.
The elder leading the Bishui Pavilion also rushed over. Seeing that Qin Yixuan was fine, and especially sensing the sacred aura on her that had not yet completely subsided, his expression changed constantly, and finally turned into a long sigh and deep worry. He hurriedly took out the sect's secret medicine and gave it to Qin Yixuan to take.
The elders and disciples of the other factions finally recovered from their shock, their gazes toward Ye Li and Qin Yixuan completely changed. Especially those who had previously doubted or underestimated the two women's abilities now felt nothing but deep awe. To be able to confront and repel a peak-level Shadow Demon Envoy and an out-of-control late-stage Spiritual Mansion cultivator with their early and mid-stage Spiritual Mansion Realm cultivation was nothing short of miraculous! After this battle, the names of Ye Li and Qin Yixuan would surely resound throughout the younger generation of the Northern Territory!
Leng Ning, Su Qing, Xuan Tianzi, and the others gathered around, looking at Ye Li with complicated expressions. Leng Ning still had that cold expression, but a hint of recognition lingered in her eyes. Su Qing was unabashedly amazed and impressed. Xuan Tianzi nodded to Ye Li and said in a deep voice, "Junior Sister Ye, I admire you."
Huo Rong scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "Senior Sister Ye, you are too fierce! Just now, I thought you guys..." Before he finished speaking, Su Qing glared at him and he quickly shut up.
Ye Li nodded slightly to everyone in response. She was now too preoccupied with integrating the new fragments to say much.
Mu Yun looked around and saw the Shadow Demon Emissary flee, Gao Sheng subdued with his life or death uncertain, Shi Long and the others apprehended. The fighting had largely subsided, with only a few scattered Ice Crystal Guards still holding out, but they were no match for the enemy. He said in a deep voice, "We can't stay here any longer. Clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded as quickly as possible. We need to leave immediately!"
Upon hearing this, everyone sprang into action, rescuing their fellow disciples, collecting spoils, and confirming that the ruins core was no longer of value.
Under the protection of Mr. Muyun, Ye Li sat cross-legged and immersed his mind in the sea of consciousness.
Within his sea of consciousness, the smaller fragment of the Samsara Mirror hummed joyfully and excitedly, attracting the new, larger fragment. The moment the two fragments touched, a dazzling blue light erupted, illuminating the entire sea of consciousness.
A torrent of origin, far greater and purer than any before, imbued with the mysteries of endless time and space, surged into the depths of Ye Li's soul! Her cultivation, already elevated to the middle stage of the Spiritual Mansion Realm by the shards, was now, under the onslaught of this torrent, the barriers to her realm seemed like paper, instantly breaking through, reaching the peak of the middle stage of the Spiritual Mansion Realm! And her foundation was incredibly solid, without even the slightest sign of instability!
This is not just an improvement in spiritual power, but also a subtle leap in the level of life and an enhancement of the perception of the laws of heaven and earth!
More importantly, with the initial fusion of the fragments, a large number of clearer and more coherent memory fragments, like a flood bursting through a dam, broke through the blockade of time and space and poured into Ye Li's mind!
She saw more fragments of her past life:
It was no longer a blurry shadow, but a relatively clear scene - the majestic figure of Li Zun sat in the Nine Heavens Palace, with the immortals and gods below submitting to him; he drank and talked happily with Ling Hao and Mo Shang, discussing the great Dao, and their eyes were still sincere at that time; at an ancient starry sky altar, the four of them (she, Ling Hao, Mo Shang, and Xuan Cong) jointly discovered an ancient artifact emitting a chaotic aura, and that artifact... seemed to be related to the Samsara Mirror!
Then, the scene suddenly changed! It became eerie and strange!
It was no longer a simple betrayal scene; she saw more details: Ling Hao had quietly added a colorless and odorless exotic pollen to her daily enlightenment tea; Mo Shang had deliberately triggered an ancient forbidden barrier during a seemingly accidental expedition, causing her to suffer a hidden injury while trying to save him, a long-lasting injury; Xuan Cong had frequently entered and exited some hidden star regions, coming into contact with beings shrouded in shadows...
These fragments of memory, taken together, point to a deeper, longer-term conspiracy! Their betrayal wasn't a spur-of-the-moment act, but rather a premeditated plot! Furthermore, it seems to be connected to an ancient prophecy called the "Eclipse Realm" and a forbidden existence called the "Returning Ruins"!
"Erosion Realm...Returning to the Abyss..." Ye Li silently chanted these two unfamiliar words in her mind, an indescribable throbbing and icy hatred welling up from the depths of her soul. It turned out that the cause and effect behind her previous life's downfall were so vast! Ling Hao and the others might not be the ultimate culprits, but more like...executors? Or...pawns?
At the same time, more information about the Samsara Mirror has emerged. This new fragment not only enhances the mirror's ability to stabilize its foundation, improve its understanding, and sense special items, but also unlocks several new auxiliary functions:
The first was the "Time and Space Freeze" she reluctantly used in a critical moment. Although its range was limited, its energy consumption was terrifying, and it was extremely unstable, it was enough to turn the tide of life and death at a critical moment. As more fragments were collected, this ability would gradually increase in strength.
The second is a "mirror projection" ability that consumes the power of the soul to create a phantom clone with the same aura as the original body, which is used to confuse the enemy or detect danger, but the clone does not have the ability to attack.
Third, she has a faint sense of "causal connections." She can vaguely sense the existence of a causal connection between herself and certain specific people (such as Qin Yixuan, Muyun Jushi, and even Ling Hao in the distance). This ability is currently very weak, but its potential is limitless.
"Mirror of Reincarnation...how many secrets do you still hold?" Ye Li was shocked. The power of this ancient, supreme artifact far exceeded her initial imagination. Collecting all of it might reveal the secrets of reincarnation, or even...reverse time and space?
While Ye Li was immersed in fusing the fragments and digesting the memories, Qin Yixuan beside him was also silently regulating his breathing and digesting the sudden divine power in his body.
That power arrived suddenly and vanished just as quickly, yet it didn't vanish completely. Instead, like a dormant volcano, it lay dormant deep within her meridians and soul, strangely coexisting with her profound water spiritual power, even showing a faint tendency to merge. The divine pattern on her forehead had faded, but her eyes would occasionally flicker with a barely perceptible glint of azure divine light, lending her already cold demeanor an even more unattainable majesty.
She recalled the feeling of that burst of power—as if everything in the universe was under her control, a perspective that towered over all living things, cold and majestic, yet carrying a heavy responsibility to protect all living things. That feeling was both strange and familiar, leaving her heart pounding and confused.
"What exactly is that power? Why is it in my body?" Qin Yixuan gazed inward at the azure divine origin, her heart filled with confusion. She vaguely felt that this power was related to the "fate pull" and those bizarre dreams that Ye Li had mentioned earlier.
She unconsciously glanced at Ye Li, who was closing her eyes and regulating her breathing. Just now, at the critical moment of life and death, Ye Li's cry of "Trust me!" and his unwavering determination to turn his back on her, as well as the strange power that could influence time and space that erupted at the last moment, all made her heart surge with emotion.
How many secrets does this girl hold? Her power seems completely different from her own divine origin, yet it feels strangely... complementary.
At this moment, Ye Li slowly opened her eyes. Her face remained pale, but her gaze was deeper than ever, as if it held within it the immensity of the starry sky and the passage of time. The improvement of her cultivation and the completion of her memories had subtly transformed her demeanor, shedding some of her youthful zeal and gaining a certain calmness and unpredictability that comes with time.
Their eyes met.
Qin Yixuan saw the deep and unfathomable vicissitudes in Ye Li's eyes, and her heart trembled inexplicably. She subconsciously avoided her gaze, but then felt something was wrong. She met her gaze again and asked softly: "How is your injury...?"
Ye Li saw the lingering confusion and worry in Qin Yixuan's eyes, and her heart stirred. After sharing life and death just now, she felt a different feeling towards this fairy from the Bishui Pavilion. It was a trust and... concern that transcended calculations of personal gain.
"It's okay, the power of the fragments is being restored." Ye Li's voice became much calmer, no longer as cold as before. "What about you? That power..."
Qin Yixuan shook her head and smiled bitterly: "I don't know what it is. It just broke out suddenly and now it has subsided. Ye Li, do you... know something?" She looked at Ye Li with a hint of expectation, always feeling that this mysterious girl might be able to give her some answers.
Ye Li pondered for a moment. The speculation about the reincarnation of the Queen Mother of the Nine Heavens was too shocking. Without solid evidence, she couldn't speak out. But she could offer a different reminder.
"I once saw a description of this in an extremely ancient fragment," Ye Li said, choosing her words carefully. "Some individuals with great fortune and great karma may harbor the dormant imprint of the origin of powerful ancient beings within their bodies. Under certain circumstances, such as a life-or-death crisis or encountering a crucial object, this imprint may be activated, granting the host unimaginable power, but it also comes with corresponding missions and responsibilities."
She looked into Qin Yixuan's eyes and said seriously, "The power that Senior Sister Qin just unleashed was pure and sacred, far beyond the scope of ordinary spiritual power. Perhaps this is related to it. Blessings and disasters are intertwined. This power is an opportunity, but it can also be a shackle. Senior Sister needs to prepare early and carefully experience it, so that she can control it, rather than be controlled by it."
Qin Yixuan listened, stunned. Ye Li's words resonated with her own perceptions. The imprint of an ancient being? Mission and responsibility? This explained the source of her power, but it also brought deeper concerns.
"Control... rather than being controlled by it..." She murmured these words, her eyes gradually becoming firmer. "I understand. Thank you for letting me know."
At this moment, the voice of Lay Buddhist Mu Yun was heard: "Li'er, Junior-Martial Brother Qin, we should leave. The space here is starting to become unstable and there's a risk of collapse."
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan looked up and saw that tiny ice crystals had indeed begun to fall from the dome of the hall, and more cracks had appeared on the surrounding icicles. Clearly, with the removal of the core fragments, coupled with the impact of the previous battle, this ancient Xuan Palace ruins was on the verge of collapse.
"Yes, Master (Senior)." The two responded in unison.
Led by Lay Buddhist Muyun and the elders of the Bishui Pavilion, the surviving monks from various factions, carrying the wounded and captives, quickly evacuated along the way they had come. They encountered several small space shocks and ice avalanches along the way, but they escaped without any danger.
When everyone finally rushed out of the entrance of the Bingpo Xuan Palace ruins and returned to the relatively normal world of ice and snow in the Soul Burial Mountains, they all felt as if they were in another world.
It was already late at night outside, the sky was full of stars, and the cold moonlight fell on the snow, reflecting a bright light.
Each sect counted its number of people, revealing heavy losses and a solemn atmosphere. However, as they looked at Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, who were being carefully guarded by the Xuanyun Sect and the Bishui Pavilion, their gazes were filled with complexities. The biggest winners of this ruins exploration were undoubtedly these two young women. They gained not only physical treasures but also immeasurable growth and fame.
Mr. Muyun and the elders of Bishui Pavilion whispered a few words and decided to return to the sect immediately to avoid any further complications.
Ye Li stood in the snow, looking back at the Xuan Palace entrance gradually obscured by the wind and snow, a flood of emotion filling her heart. This trip to the Bingpo Xuan Palace had been a near-death experience, but the rewards were immense. Not only had she obtained the crucial fragment of the Samsara Mirror, her cultivation had greatly improved, and she had gained new abilities. More importantly, her relationship with Qin Yixuan had undergone a qualitative leap, and she had a clearer understanding of the hatred from her past life.
The road ahead is still foggy and full of dangers, but her faith is even stronger.
She felt a pair of eyes on her and turned her head, only to meet Qin Yixuan's gaze. In the moonlight, Qin Yixuan's face was still a little pale, but her eyes were clear, and she nodded slightly at her.
Ye Li also nodded.
Needless to say, a trust called "sharing life and death" has taken root in the hearts of the two.
"Let's go." Mr. Muyun patted Ye Li's shoulder.
Ye Li withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath of the cold air, turned around and followed the sect team, her figure blending into the vast night. In her hand, the newly acquired fragment of the Samsara Mirror was slightly warm, as if foreshadowing that a more magnificent journey was about to begin.
The cycle of reincarnation begins to appear, the goddess awakens, and the gears of fate begin to turn faster.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
