Chapter 1355: No Reincarnation in the World

The sound of weeping was eerie, rising and falling intermittently.

A blood-soaked whirlwind howled, kicking up vast amounts of dust and sand. Yet, not a single grain fell into the Soul River, whether blocked or simply unworthy of entry.

As the wind and sand cleared from the ground, a blood-stained, fragmented artifact emerged, a shocking sight. An immeasurably terrifying pressure emanated from it.

Chu Feng was certain that without the protection of the stone jar, they would be utterly defenseless.

Even as a Great God King, he couldn't withstand such immense pressure!

At this moment, the stone jar glowed with a soft, translucent light, infusing Chu Feng with its aura and warding off all discomfort.

He was certain he had seen this type of artifact before; its energy signature was remarkably similar to something he had encountered recently.

The weapon wielded by the owner of the big black dog, the man lying prostrate on the broken bell, had previously emitted energy just like this. Both were strikingly similar in appearance and uniform in style.

This was a fragment of a Heavenly Emperor's weapon, a piece of that great bell, broken off and left by the Soul River!

This proved that several Heavenly Emperors had indeed been here, fighting their way to the Soul River's edge, and had paid a heavy price.

For an Emperor's artifact to have been shattered in such an intense and unimaginable supreme battle, and then left behind during their retreat—did they not even have time to retrieve it?

Chu Feng felt a pang of sorrow, followed by a chill in his heart.

Even such powerful figures, arriving together, failed to fully explore the Soul River, only realizing afterward that there was another realm beyond its end, thus missing the chance to enter.

If one day he truly became powerful, becoming the ultimate Chu, could he fight his way to that place?

He mused that the so-called ultimate evolvers, even at their peak, were likely just Emperors, perhaps on par with Heavenly Emperors.

"If even they struggled so much united, then if I ever rise and explore it alone in the future, wouldn't I just be courting death?!"

Chu Feng realized that no matter how strong an individual became, there would be a point where human power reached its limit, a feeling of helplessness. How powerful would he truly need to become?

The thought that several beings who once stood at the pinnacle of existence had come here and failed to achieve full success sent a terrifying chill through him as he pondered deeply.

He stared intently at the fragmented bell, noticing blood and inscriptions upon its surface.

Were these words left by a Heavenly Emperor?

He was surprised again. When they retreated, this bell fragment seemed to have been deliberately left behind. Could a Heavenly Emperor go elsewhere and repair an Emperor's artifact?

Was it left so solemnly as a warning to future generations, or was it transmitting some special message or persistent obsession?

Chu Feng didn't recognize the blood-stained inscription, but as he gazed at it, he sensed a unique power, emanating strange fluctuations.

Though the script didn't belong to this epoch, the simplicity of the Great Dao allowed a common fluctuation to emanate, deciphering the meaning of the inscription.

This was the very method and ability of an Emperor!

"No beginning, no end, no reincarnation..."

The blood-stained inscription clearly appeared before his eyes, and he deciphered its ultimate meaning.

What was this? Chu Feng was deeply moved, a wave of shock washing over him.

No reincarnation? An Emperor denying it here was truly startling!

Chu Feng's mind raced. He had met Number Nine and the big black dog, both of whom had spoken about past reincarnations.

Yet now, an Emperor, in his own words, denied reincarnation.

A chill ran down Chu Feng's spine. He had traversed the Path of Reincarnation, and though he hadn't truly reincarnated himself, he had seen off friends and family on that journey. Who, then, were these people who had "reincarnated"?

While he didn't believe in reincarnation in its true sense, seeing it merely as a transformation of matter, he couldn't help but want to believe that his loved ones were truly being resurrected.

And now an Emperor was denying all of it?!

Soon, he recalled that individual who had sat alone on the bronze coffin, drifting into the distance, leaving behind a solitary silhouette. Observing the heavens stained with blood, that person had been sorrowful and alone, never to appear again.

Some said he had resurrected his old acquaintances, that he had found and reshaped reincarnation. But perhaps he eventually ceased to believe, setting off alone, which explained his desolate, sorrowful silhouette.

Was any of this true?

Chu Feng was bewildered, unable to discern truth from falsehood.

At this very moment, a shiver ran down his spine. He had only recently seen the Big Black Ox, the Old Donkey, and the Northeast Tiger. If there was no reincarnation, then who were they?!

The feeling was undeniably clear, just as it had been in the past. Chu Feng felt as if he had truly encountered the very same individuals from years ago!

Then, Chu Feng thought of himself, murmuring, "Am I still myself?"

He nodded firmly. "I haven't reincarnated," he asserted. "I smuggled myself over with my physical body. I am still myself. Whether it's a matter of material transformation and replication, or genuine reincarnation, I never experienced it. I merely passed through a terrifying tunnel."

Suddenly, Chu Feng's gaze sharpened. As the wind and sand rose, he saw that another part of the bell fragment buried by the Soul River also bore inscriptions!

"No beginning, no end, no reincarnation... But where did I come from?"

So it was!

Was even a Heavenly Emperor confused? That Emperor, too, had questions!

Was he questioning his own origins, doubting his own roots, interrogating his own past?

Was that Heavenly Emperor suspected of having reincarnated himself?!

Dust swirled, and the Soul River flowed silently. Why was this place so bizarre, holding so many secrets? The thick fog descended once more, concealing everything.

If there was no reincarnation in the world, then who were the old friends he had encountered? Was some entity interfering, replicating, or recreating similar beings?

Chu Feng's mind reeled with wild thoughts, leaving him momentarily shaken.

Yet, the Big Black Ox, the Northeast Tiger, the Old Donkey, and the others were too real. Moreover, they harbored the same genuine emotions from the past, with no discernible difference.

"Could what they said be true?"

Chu Feng recalled the hints and revelations from Number Nine and the big black dog. Regarding the existence of reincarnation, even the Heavenly Emperors themselves held differing views and had never reached a definitive conclusion.

Some Heavenly Emperors believed that reincarnation existed, encompassing everything from humans to insects, from the vast cosmos to a single grain of dust—all were subject to reincarnation.

They even believed that time itself, the world, and all past events were part of this cycle. Throughout history, in every phenomenon, similarities could be found, indicating that all had existed and occurred before.

Other Heavenly Emperors, however, denied this, asserting it was merely the transformation of matter. They believed nature was simply replicating old memories, like a machine repeatedly manufacturing identical products and filling them with the same information.

Essentially, they argued, it was no longer the original person, the original universe, the original grain of dust, or the original moment in time, nor the exact same events that had transpired before.

The Heavenly Emperors' ultimate disagreement implied that belief determined reality: if you believed, it existed; if you didn't, it didn't.

Chu Feng felt a headache brewing. He was deeply conflicted; sometimes he thought it was merely the transformation of matter, yet at other times, he believed his loved ones and old friends had truly been resurrected.

He strained to see into the distance. At that moment, perhaps sensing the stone jar, the Soul River abruptly erupted in a tempest of wind, rain, lightning, and thunder.

In an instant, much of the vast fog dissipated. Under the dim sky, dazzling lightning strikes suddenly illuminated the far end of the Soul River.

Then, Chu Feng was astonished to see a monument standing silently.

As he gazed, he saw an inscription upon it—characters like iron strokes and silver hooks, strong and vigorous. Faintly, the sound of a sword hum could be heard emanating from them.

In a flash, even the stone jar began to glow, and the sound of chanting emerged, warding off the invisible runic mysteries. Chu Feng's heart jolted with surprise!

Instantly, he knew who had left it. The inscription on the stone monument pulsed with sword intent, incredibly similar in aura to the sword light unleashed from the First Mountain in the Yang Realm!

Chu Feng was convinced that without the stone jar, he would be utterly overwhelmed if he gazed upon that monument. How many in this world could possibly withstand such a fluctuation?

"He left a message too," Chu Feng thought. "I want to know what he had to say!" He calmed his mind and concentrated, carefully observing and pondering the meaning of the ancient script.

Without the stone jar's protection, who could stand here? It would be utterly impossible to decipher the inscription!

That individual, who once cleaved through eternity with a single sword, surely left a message of immense significance!