Chapter 1329: With Reincarnation

"Have I begun?"

Kong Yuhen held the Shi Zu Ying Zhang, their powers merging seamlessly. It felt as though he had become perfectly one with the human path.

To those watching, it seemed as if he had vanished completely, yet his voice was clear and distinct.

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, words on the tip of his tongue but unsaid.

This is it? Starting already?

You have the Tian Zu inheritance, and I have the Tian Zu inheritance too. If we rush into this, how will the spirit of Tian Zu judge and choose...

"Begin."

Ba Zun An nodded slightly.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his mouth, then swallowed his doubts.

As Lao Ba said, even the spirit of the later Xu Kong Dao could be considered part of the Tian Zu spirit.

It must have some wisdom, knowing how to make the right choices.

A low hum echoed.

Without warning, a spatial essence array lit up beneath Kong Yuhen's feet.

The array was enormous!

Its hazy, indistinct patterns obscured the true dao marks within, yet it covered the entire Xu Kong Dao.

As it appeared, everyone looked up and saw, on the other side of the mirror world, countless massive beasts clawing at the space, eager to glimpse the outer island in a terrifying display.

"Jigu jigu!"

"Li! Li! Li!"

The chaotic, distant roars of the ghost beasts sent chills through their hearts, but everyone was already accustomed to such sensations.

It was Kong Yuhen's supreme spatial essence that truly defied belief.

"Is this the power of the Ten Zun Seats? The spatial essence of a... half-saint?" Zhu Yike muttered to himself in awe.

Before he could think further, the Shi Zu Ying Zhang glowed faintly, shifting from a phantom state to something more tangible.

In an instant, the essence array under Kong Yuhen's feet twisted and expanded, overlaying a faint layer of patterns.

The essence of time...

"Time essence?"

This startled not just Zhu Yike, but also Shui Gui, Mei Jiren, and the others.

They quickly realized, though, that this wasn't true essence power—just an mastery of the time dao that had reached perfection.

"It's not essence..." Shui Gui steadied his emotions, his face complex as he gazed at Kong Yuhen's back. "But it's already the prototype of essence."

As a half-saint of essence himself, he knew the hardships of this path.

Yet here was someone who not only possessed the supreme spatial attribute essence but also a prototype of time essence. How had he cultivated it?

Shui Gui knew little about Kong Yuhen, but he felt that even the greatest genius, starting from the womb or through ten lifetimes of reincarnation, might not grasp the true meaning of time.

"He's so enigmatic..."

Shui Gui furrowed his brow, struggling to describe the unique feeling he got from looking at Kong Yuhen.

A sudden thought crossed his mind: that Kong Yuhen didn't belong to this era, or perhaps didn't exist at all.

This intuition came from his keen senses as a half-saint of essence!

But as soon as he snapped back to reality, Shui Gui dismissed the idea as absurd and out of place.

He glanced at the others, paying special attention to Mei Jiren's expression.

Yet no one else showed anything similar, as if this secret—or illusion—was his alone.

Strange... Shui Gui suppressed his questions, unlike someone who would pester for answers out of curiosity.

Beside him, Ba Zun An's eyes showed a hint of surprise as he glanced at the special essence array under Kong Yuhen's feet.

Dual essence powers, even if one was just a prototype, were unheard of in the world.

"No wonder he agreed to act..."

"It seems watching the Xu Kong Dao battle helped him greatly."

"Was it because Xu Xiaoshou used the Shi Zu Ying Zhang's abilities, and he saw the space-time attributes of Huang Quan?"

Ba Zun An quickly averted his gaze.

Compared to the previous Kong Yuhen—the one from his own era among the Ten Zun Seats—this scholarly version had recovered his strength remarkably fast.

In fact, it surpassed the peak of that former Kong Yuhen, and this was just shortly after his emergence. He still had a long road ahead.

The factor of the era... Ba Zun An's gaze drifted briefly to Xu Xiaoshou.

He was certain his judgment was correct.

In this era, the one driving the course of history could only be Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou, who was trying his best to act composed, actually felt quite awkward and hadn't noticed the eyes on him.

"This is so uncomfortable, so tense..."

Kong Yuhen is restoring the outer island, Ba Zun An is contracting the inner island—what should I do?

Just stand here staring?

That would be too awkward...

Using his "perception" to confirm no one noticed his discomfort, Xu Xiaoshou continued pretending to be calm, deciding to stand like a pillar and think of nothing.

I've done my part already.

I'm at least a key player who fought and bled for the Xu Kong Dao and the Saint Slaves.

What's wrong with taking it easy now? This is a gift! Ba Zun An said so himself—who ever heard of the gift recipient having to do the work?

With that thought, he felt much better.

At some point, Kong Yuhen had produced a withered branch of the Phantom Hyacinth.

This spiritual plant from the You Ming Gui Du represented eternal bloom, yet it had lost all signs of life in the war between half-saints and Sheng Di.

"With the cycle of reincarnation."

Kong Yuhen stared into the void, his lips parting to utter the ethereal words.

The essence array at his feet rotated slightly with his words, soon merging into the heavenly dao and fading into nothingness.

At the same time, the withered branch in his hand trembled gently, releasing layers of ghostly blue petals that rolled like waves from the You Ming Gui Du.

Life was stirring!

Everyone behind him sensed the anomaly.

The rules of Xu Kong Dao seemed to enter a special order, as if time was flowing backward or the cycle of reincarnation was iterating.

Lifeless entities that had died began to revive, as if breaking and rebirth, much like the Phantom Hyacinth in Kong Yuhen's hand—able to end and dawn anew.

"Reconstructing life..."

Zhu Yike's voice trembled, as if witnessing a miracle, watching the Phantom Hyacinth complete a full cycle in an instant and burst into new life.

A breeze blew, and that ghostly blue of life danced with the wind, drifting toward all the war-torn places.

Zui Yi Dian, Xue Jie, You Ming Gui Du, Duo Yuan, Jue Jin Huo Yu...

The life petals of the Phantom Hyacinth first entered the most devastated forbidden zones, and as the blue vanished, those zones began their new cycles.

Shattered stones trembled, reassembled, and merged...

Ancient halls reformed, structured, and restored...

The earth's scars were soothed by flowing water...

Broken ancient trees were mended by the clear wind...

All the ruins, like spring after rain, burst with vibrant life.

Of course, some losses were irreversible, having endured Sheng Di's strikes, but Kong Yuhen didn't force it.

What couldn't be reversed drifted away with the wind, returning to the end of life—that was fate.

What could be restored was reclaimed with nostalgia, returning to its primal form—that was nature.

From the single Phantom Hyacinth in Kong Yuhen's hand, petals continued to emerge endlessly, floating to one place after another.

It was beautiful and awe-inspiring!

Xu Xiaoshou stared wide-eyed.

Was this Kong Yuhen?

The combination of time and space could repair the wounds of the entire Xu Kong Dao?

This was unbelievable!

"Is this a half-saint?" Zhu Yike couldn't help but whisper, turning to his old comrade Han Ye. "You're a half-saint too—are you capable of this?"

Han Ye pulled back his shocked gaze and glared at Zhu Yike from atop Lei Xier's head. "Are you insulting me?"

"He's definitely more than a half-saint..." Even Shui Gui couldn't help but shift his gaze.

"Then he must be a Sheng Di." Mei Jiren fanned himself rapidly, incredulous at this miracle of life.

"But it doesn't seem like it—he doesn't have that pure... Sheng Di power." Xu Xiaoshou instinctively stepped back, feeling out of place next to Kong Yuhen, and joined the group discussion.

He had fought a Sheng Di before and had a clear understanding of that power.

Lei Xier shook her head slightly, as if recalling something: "Low-realm Sheng Di and high-realm Sheng Di are different. If it's seven realms or above, there would be the power to seal gods and claim ancestry..."

Zu Yuan power?

Xu Xiaoshou perked up, realizing his perspective might be too narrow—he only knew a few types of Zu Yuan power.

Divine power, demonic power, evil god power, death god power...

Viewing Kong Yuhen's abilities through this lens, a term popped into Xu Xiaoshou's mind:

"Shi Zu power?"

This was the first time he'd seen Zu Yuan power displayed so subtly.

No flashy effects, no eye-catching colors—just simple and natural, like drinking water or eating.

And the world began to restore itself.

That was a realm in itself... Xu Xiaoshou pondered, wondering if this was Kong Yuhen's own high realm or the true power of the Shi Zu Ying Zhang.

No answer came.

Soon, his thoughts drifted back to the magnificent scene of the world's reconstruction, forgetting what he'd been pondering.

The reconstruction with the cycle was swift.

In just half a day outside, under the power of the Phantom Hyacinth, the nine forbidden zones were already mostly restored.

Even the main structure of Zui Yi Dian had returned.

Places like You Ming Gui Du, which had been upheaved and shattered by the Mo Di Black Dragon, were guided by the space-time dao to return, reorganize, and establish new orders.

Areas like Xue Jie, reshaped by Sheng Di's power through the storm belt, also reverted, though now with scenes of corpse mountains and blood seas as before.

"Even Sheng Di's power can be rewritten..."

Though Wang Ze Sheng Di was gone, the traces he left were erased by the cycle, indirectly proving something.

Everyone's gaze toward Kong Yuhen had changed.

This jade-faced scholar looked refined, like Ba Zun An—completely not to be trifled with!

"Very good, now it's my turn."

With the layout of Xu Kong Dao largely restored, any further details would just waste time and energy.

By now, Kong Yuhen's face had paled, clearly expending a great deal.

Ba Zun An moved.

He tossed the Ci Mian Zhi Men into the air, and a sword intent burst from his fingertip, piercing it fiercely.

"Command!"

With a resounding shout, a hum echoed, and Xu Kong Dao trembled violently.

Under the influence of the spatial essence array, the shadowy inner island world seemed to turn as fragile as paper, ready to be torn open.

The scenes of the inner island, filled with countless ghost beasts, became clearly visible.

Yet none dared to act out, no beast misbehaved.

The inner island ghost beasts that should have been clawing at the mirror world, drooling over the outside, now cowered like prey before a fierce tiger, staying obediently in their places.

"We greet Lord Ba Zun An!"

"We greet Lord Ba Zun An!"

Voices rang out unevenly but with effort to synchronize, some excited, some fearful, some reverent, emanating from the inner island through the power of the Ci Mian Zhi Men to the outside.

Han Ye instinctively leaped up from Lei Xier's head, cupping his hands and bowing.

"We gre—"

Lei Xier caught him, stopping his words as he trembled.

This reverence came from their very roots and couldn't be changed.

Xu Xiaoshou watched the scene, feeling both envious and shocked.

He realized he might have misunderstood something.

Even if the inner island ghost beasts were released, would they really dare to cause trouble?

Fear was etched into their bones. Even if Ba Zun An were just a skin left on a chair, all the ghost beasts would likely submit immediately.

Force couldn't truly subdue hearts.

But absolute force could lead to another outcome...

"Do you inner island beings have to do this every time you see Ba Zun An? No exceptions?"

"No."

"What about Bai Mai San Zu or Mo Di Black Dragon?"

"They don't have to bow, but they must bend at the waist."

"Is Ba Zun An really that formidable in your eyes?"

"He is a god."

The sword intent invaded the Ci Mian Zhi Men, forcing submission without any subtlety.

Soon, the Ci Mian Zhi Men trembled and yielded, enveloping Ba Zun An in a mysterious, divine light.

He seemed to transform into a god, slowly floating upward under the light's pull.

"Dispel."

Ba Zun An didn't indulge in such external forces, calmly uttering the word, and a massive rift tore open in the sky.

It was a great gate.

The gate to the inner island.

Countless black, interlocking chains sealed it, infused with Sheng Di power, clearly sturdy yet rapidly crumbling.

With a boom, the sealed gate burst open, and roars of ghost beasts echoed from within, filled with excitement.

At this moment, all inner island inhabitants knew Ba Zun An's grand plan had succeeded, and Xu Kong Dao was within reach.

"We welcome Lord Ba Zun An!"

"We welcome Lord Ba Zun An!"

Through the massive Ci Mian Zhi Men, the outer island people could now glimpse the inner island.

On the desolate, ancient yellow sands, dust rolled as massive beasts lined up in perfect order, bowing on either side of the gate.

Some towered into the clouds, others were knee-high to a human; some had three heads and six arms curled up, others had wings that shrouded the sky.

All were restrained!

All were disciplined!

The light of power from contracting the Ci Mian Zhi Men was fading from Ba Zun An.

"Black Dragon." Ba Zun An called softly.

A resounding dragon roar echoed from the Ci Mian Zhi Men, darkening the sky as Mo Di Black Dragon emerged, extending part of its body.

This time, it didn't glance at Xu Xiaoshou but lowered its dragon head, catching the unsteady Ba Zun An and pulling back to welcome him into the inner island.

"The passage between the outer and inner islands is fully open..." Xu Xiaoshou turned to Shui Gui, surprised at how easily it happened.

Shui Gui understood Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts and replied softly:

"Actually, Xu Kong Dao doesn't need to descend to Sheng Shen Continent at all. The Sheng Shen Dian Tang couldn't have intervened in time to disrupt our actions."

"Ba Zun An could have communicated with the inner island right after we got the Ci Mian Zhi Men."

"The Sheng Jie and Di Jie powers to connect the islands could have been replaced with other methods."

"But he went to all that trouble to eliminate some of Sheng Shen Dian Tang's forces here, and if we're lucky, trap part of some unknown Sheng Di power."

Shui Gui smiled and continued:

"The plan sounded lofty back then, and no one believed it—they only cooperated out of submission to force. Now, it's all come to fruition."

"So everything you're seeing is what Ba Zun An deserves. The inner island ghost beasts weren't this respectful before."

Not to mention watching Mo Di Black Dragon rush out at the mere call of "Black Dragon" to greet him, which left Shui Gui sighing.

He knew Mo Di Black Dragon's pride—even when Ba Zun An wanted to ride it before, it put up a fierce struggle.

Now...

Well, Ba Zun An was truly Ba Zun An!

"Wait a moment." Standing on the dragon's head, leaving only his back as he entered the Ci Mian Zhi Men, Ba Zun An left these final words for Xu Xiaoshou.

Soon, as the darkness faded, Mo Di Black Dragon's body vanished, and the Ci Mian Zhi Men followed suit.

The world returned to calm.

As if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, from the clouds above, a thunderous voice crashed down like lightning:

"Break!"

The ground shook with smoke rising three feet, birds scattering like snapped strings.

Xu Xiaoshou's vision went dark, evoking the feeling from when he once drew "Sword Technique Mastery," as his spirit was drawn into another world.