317: Fifth Incarnation: Heavenly Physician (109)

Xu Yuan's true spirit trembled violently!

"The handiwork of another existence"?

Traces that even this suspected remnant Soul of the Netherworld Reincarnation Dao Lord couldn't see through?

This... how could this be possible?

Wasn't his greatest secret this secret of Reincarnation?

No!

His greatest secret wasn't just Reincarnation!

If it were just Reincarnation, even if he could maintain an unclouded true spirit, it would be impossible to reach his current heights in just five short lives!

His greatest reliance, besides Reincarnation, was the stat points!

The Netherworld White Bone seemed to sense his shock and doubt, continuing in that eternally indifferent tone:

"If I hadn't been lucky enough back then to obtain that fragment of Reincarnation, giving me a perception of the Reincarnation Origin that exceeds the common sense of this world, even in my prime, I might not have been able to see through the roots of this mark deep within your true spirit at a single glance."

"Ordinary Dao Lords, or even existences like Shang Qing who have stepped half a step beyond, might only perceive your true spirit as peculiar and your Reincarnation as smooth—a heaven-and-earth anomaly—but it would be difficult for them to discern that its core is part of a 'complete mark.'"

"But that 'trace' hidden deeper within the mark, or rather, born alongside the mark... is entirely different."

The Soul fire of the Netherworld White Bone shrank slightly, revealing a hint of instinctive wariness.

"It is not a power within the Reincarnation system. Its mode of existence is... 'higher,' more 'transcendent.' It's as if... it's a mark left by some existence that reigns above the Dao of this world? Or perhaps... a backup plan?"

Xu Yuan remained silent for a long while before asking, "Since that's the case, I wonder why Senior has summoned me here?"

"Cooperation." The Netherworld White Bone's voice was low and solemn, echoing in the deathly silent Gui Xu Passage, carrying a weariness and resolution born from ages of vicissitudes.

"I summoned you here not for Possession, nor for exploitation, but for... a gift and an entrustment."

Before its voice finished, the skeletal hand resting on the armrest slowly lifted. In its palm, a faint but incredibly pure dark speck of light, seemingly containing all the mysteries of life, death, Reincarnation, and the final destination of the afterlife, slowly emerged.

The moment that speck of light appeared, the entire Gui Xu Passage trembled gently. The Reincarnation Laws permeating the void seemed to be summoned by their Origin, becoming exceptionally docile and active.

"This is... the fragment of the Reincarnation Origin I obtained back then, and it is also the Foundation of my 'Netherworld Reincarnation Dao'."

The Netherworld White Bone's voice carried a hint of reluctance, yet also an incredibly firm intent.

"Now, I... give it to you."

Xu Yuan's true spirit shook violently; he could hardly believe his own senses!

Instead of seizing his mark, the other party was actually giving him the Foundation of his own Dao, that precious Reincarnation fragment?!

"Why?"

Xu Yuan suppressed the stormy waves in his heart and asked in a dry voice, "What exactly... does Senior want?"

He absolutely did not believe there was such selfless generosity in the world, especially from an ancient Dao Lord who once stood at the Peak of heaven and earth!

In the hollow eye sockets of the Netherworld White Bone, the Soul fire burned quietly. After a moment of silence, it uttered two incredibly heavy words:

"Liberation."

"Liberation?"

Xu Yuan was stunned.

"Yes... liberation."

The Netherworld White Bone's voice was distant and ethereal, as if it had traveled through endless time.

"We have held the Dao... for too, too long. So long that... we have forgotten why we sought the Dao. So long that... our own existence has instead become a prison for the Dao, a burden to heaven and earth."

"I... have been dead for too long. My remnant Soul is trapped on this seat, coexisting with this Gui Xu. I appear transcendent, but in truth... I am also trapped in a self-imposed prison, unable to transcend. To witness Reincarnation and hold power over the final destination, yet be unable to see through my own end—how pathetic?"

"And this world..." Its tone revealed a deep sorrow, "has long been overburdened. From the Three Thousand Dao Provinces decaying into the Five Regions, the spiritual energy has withered, the Laws have stagnated, and all things are fading. It... is also nearing its limit."

"When things reach an extreme, they must reverse; when misfortune reaches its Peak, prosperity comes. Decay to the extreme is... the opportunity for rebirth. This is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth."

The Netherworld White Bone's voice suddenly rose, carrying a certainty that came from insight into the heavenly secrets.

"Right now is the final and only... Great Golden Age of this world! It is the final brilliance before destruction, and also the first dawn of rebirth!"

"Many existences who have already taken half a step and used various means to reach the threshold of 'Soul Transformation'—such as Shang Qing, those few ancient Dao Lords, and even some decayed existences returning from silence—are all secretly plotting. They use every means to step over countless bones in this final feast to reach the summit and become the sole ultimate king who wields all Daos and transcends!"

"And the invisible will of heaven and earth itself will also attempt self-preservation at the final moment. Perhaps it will give rise to a 'Child of Heavenly Mandate' born of fortune, or perhaps it will bring down an 'End-of-Dharma Tribulation' that destroys everything, seeking to nurture a thread of new life within annihilation."

"This Great Golden Age is destined to be incredibly tragic, sweeping through this world. All existences, whether active or passive, are part of the game!"

"In the end... there will only be one existence who can tread upon the corpses of all living beings, devour all Dao fruits, fuse the remnants of heaven and earth, and achieve that sole... Soul Transformation Divine Position!"

"Wielding every Dao and every Law of this realm, becoming the... Creator God of a new era? Or... the God of the End?"

The Netherworld White Bone's Soul fire "stared" intently at Xu Yuan: "I have survived until now with no intention and no strength to fight for that final throne. Lingering on, trapped here, is merely because I am unwilling. I wish to witness the arrival of this conclusion with my own eyes, and I also want to... find a perhaps different way out for this world that nurtured me and yet decayed because of us."

"And you..."

Its tone carried an indescribable expectation.

"You carry the core of a complete Reincarnation mark, and with my fragment to complete it, you may truly wield the full authority of Reincarnation! More importantly, that wisp of a 'higher trace' on you that even I cannot see through is the greatest variable! You... are the only anomaly in this dead game who might not play by the rules and could break the established fate!"

"I give you the fragment and help you complete the mark as an investment, and also... to seek liberation!"

"I hope you can survive and keep going in this Great Golden Age! With your Order of 'Humanity,' fused with the complete authority of 'Reincarnation,' go and open a new path—one that is not pure devouring and destruction, but a renewal of Order and a continuation of Reincarnation! If you succeed, perhaps... you can win a future for the living beings of this realm that is different from being devoured by a sole king or complete annihilation!"

"At that time, my remnant Soul, trapped for eternity, will witness the birth of a new Order and can also obtain great liberation and great freedom, peacefully dissipating into Reincarnation, or... merging into the new Order you open, becoming a part of its Foundation."

"This is the... liberation I seek!"