Chapter 1349: Side Story

During his tribulation, three ancient venerated Immortals manifested. This was an unprecedented event in history, enough to be recorded for eternity and passed down through generations.

No one had anticipated such an occurrence during a tribulation. Although Li Haoran possessed extraordinary talent, he was only on par with Man Gu and Taoyao Ye, still not matching Lu Yang's innate abilities.

Even Lu Yang hadn't encountered the manifestation of the three Immortals during his own tribulation!

Many were puzzled, wondering why the Heaven-Responding Immortal hadn't manifested. Fortunately, Gu Junye provided an explanation, which enlightened everyone.

"So, it was because the Heaven-Responding Immortal was too weak."

"What an impressive junior!" the Nine Heavens Immortal exclaimed.

"He reminds me of an old friend."

"Are you thinking of the Heaven-Responding Immortal? Indeed, this junior possesses the potential to become the Heaven-Responding Immortal."

The three Immortals sighed repeatedly, striking even harder than before. Precisely because he was such an outstanding junior, they felt the need to personally refine him.

"That's enough! I am the Heaven-Responding Immortal!" Li Haoran finally seized the opportunity to shout in fury.

The three Immortals rushed to support Li Haoran, who was heavily injured from the tribulation.

"What? You're Heaven-Responding? You've changed so much we didn't even recognize you!" The Qilin Immortal stared at Li Haoran in shock, utterly astonished that Li Haoran was the reincarnation of the Heaven-Responding Immortal.

"You three... *cough, cough*... just you wait!" Li Haoran grimaced in pain. Those three scoundrels had truly hit him hard.

"Senior Brother Li said he's the Heaven-Responding Immortal?!"

"What's going on?"

The cultivators of the Dao Seeking Sect were utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation, as few among them knew about reincarnation.

"Haoran!" Su Yiren and Qin Yanran, seeing Li Haoran's injuries, quickly flew over to check on him.

The three ancient Immortals felt a bit awkward seeing the mother and daughter. In their excitement over Li Haoran awakening his past life memories, they had forgotten that Li Haoran's wife and child were also present.

"It's all your fault! Why did you strike him when he was fine?" The Years Immortal preemptively blamed the Nine Heavens Immortal for being unkind.

"Wasn't it *your* idea?" the Nine Heavens Immortal retorted angrily, exposing the Years Immortal's hypocrisy.

"Haoran, are you alright?" Su Yiren asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just minor injuries," Li Haoran said, patting the injured area, showing no concern.

"Former Dad, are you really the reincarnation of the Heaven-Responding Immortal?" Qin Yanran asked, her expression complicated.

Having spent so much time with Qin Yanran, Li Haoran naturally understood her thoughts. He smiled and explained, "You don't need to worry about my identity changing. Nine reincarnations have merged into one. Now, I am the Heaven-Responding Immortal, Qin Haoran, and also Li Haoran. Just treat me as you always have."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yanran's face brightened with a smile again.

The Qilin Immortal, standing nearby, chuckled mischievously, "Oh, I heard that in your fifth life, you reincarnated as a nun, and in your seventh, you were a palace maid in the Great Xia imperial palace, involved in schemes. Are those identities also you?"

"You... you... you... you're not allowed to mention that!" Li Haoran stammered excitedly. This was the dark stain of his entire life, and he would get angry at anyone who brought it up!

"It seems you've remembered your first life's experiences?" Lu Yang walked over, chuckling, to help Li Haoran out of the situation.

"Senior Brother Lu." Li Haoran bowed respectfully, cupping his hands. After regaining his first life's memories, he understood many things, such as why Senior Brother Lu rarely communicated with him after cultivating to the Spirit Transformation stage – it was all to protect him and prevent him from attracting the attention of the mastermind.

"Junior Brother Li, congratulations." Man Gu and Taoyao Ye came forward to offer their felicitations.

"Junior Brother Li possesses the embryonic form of a Reincarnation Dao Fruit. Does this mean he's now a Half-Immortal, just like me?" Meng Jingzhou chuckled. Previously, Li Haoran had the embryonic Reincarnation Dao Fruit but couldn't use it. Now that all nine lifetimes' memories had awakened, he could presumably activate the embryonic Dao Fruit, making him a true Half-Immortal.

It was a pity that both he and Li Haoran were Half-Immortals, so he couldn't show off his cultivation level to Junior Brother Li anymore.

"Senior Brother Meng, perhaps I might even become an Immortal today."

"Hm?"

Li Haoran turned to Yun Zhi, who had been silent, and bowed, "Senior Sister, may I consume the Immortal Ascension Grass?"

Lu Yang's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "The Immortal Ascension Grass! Yes, consuming the Immortal Ascension Grass is perfect for you!"

The Immortal Ascension Grass was an ancient divine herb left over from antiquity. Its previous owner was the Kunlun Saint Son. After the Kunlun Saint Son was defeated by the Immortal Fairy, the herb's whereabouts became unknown.

It wasn't until Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, Taoyao Ye, Man Gu, and Li Haoran traveled to the East Sea that they unexpectedly encountered the divine herb and brought it back to the medicine garden.

The Immortal Ascension Grass possessed potent medicinal effects; consuming it could directly boost one's cultivation. However, such an action was akin to pulling up seedlings to help them grow, lacking the necessary insights into cultivation realms.

Therefore, despite the herb's preciousness, no one in the Dao Seeking Sect had consumed it.

However, for Li Haoran, there was no such drawback. After awakening his first life's memories, he absolutely did not lack insights into cultivation realms.

As for his comprehension of the embryonic Reincarnation Dao Fruit, it went without saying; nine lifetimes of reincarnation had already allowed him to grasp it to its limits.

***

"I've shed blood for the Dao Seeking Sect! I've bathed in the Dao Seeking Sect! You can't do this to me!"

In the medicine garden, the Immortal Ascension Grass was being pulled from the ground by the junior apothecaries, collectively howling like a pig awaiting slaughter. Lu Yang and the others formed a circle, observing the divine herb.

"Lu Yang, you're dishonorable! When we were in the East Sea, you swore by the name of the Heaven-Responding Immortal that you wouldn't consume all of me!" The Immortal Ascension Grass struggled, insisting this was not what had been agreed upon.

"Don't worry, the Heaven-Responding Immortal has no objections to this," Lu Yang said with a mischievous grin, reaching for the Immortal Ascension Grass.

The Immortal Ascension Grass despaired. Humanity's hearts were truly too dark. If it had known, it would have stayed hidden in the East Sea, living its carefree life. To allow someone who had just entered the Tribulation Transcending stage to advance to Grand Completion and become an Immortal – this would surely require consuming it entirely.

"Ah, my leaves! I'm going to be torn to pieces!" The Immortal Ascension Grass shrieked, closing its eyes.

"Stop yelling! You haven't lost any leaves," Meng Jingzhou said, covering his ears, unable to bear the noise.

"Haven't lost any?" The Immortal Ascension Grass opened its eyes and saw Lu Yang holding a leaf, yet its own foliage appeared completely intact.

What was going on?

This time, the Immortal Ascension Grass didn't close its eyes and saw clearly.

After Lu Yang plucked a leaf, a phantom image appeared where the leaf was missing. Immediately, the phantom solidified, transforming into a new leaf and replenishing its body.

This was Lu Yang using his Source Tracing Dao Fruit to restore the Immortal Ascension Grass's body.

Leaves, stems, roots... Lu Yang plucked various parts of the Immortal Ascension Grass's body, assembling them into another complete Immortal Ascension Grass.

The Immortal Ascension Grass watched, dumbfounded.

"It can be done like this?"

"Junior Brother Li, here," Lu Yang said, handing the assembled Immortal Ascension Grass to Li Haoran.

Li Haoran thanked him and swallowed it in one gulp.

***

"Why is it thundering again?"

The Dao Seeking Sect disciples were surprised by the sound of thunder. It hadn't been long since Li Haoran's tribulation, so why was there another heavenly tribulation?

"Is someone else about to advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage?"

"This heavenly tribulation's power looks off... No, this is an Immortal Tribulation!"

"An Immortal Tribulation?!"

"It's from the medicine garden!"

"The one undergoing tribulation is... Senior Brother Li Haoran?!"

Everyone stared blankly, rubbing their eyes in unison, thinking they were hallucinating. Hadn't Li Haoran just advanced to the Tribulation Transcending stage? How could he become an Immortal so quickly?

"Junye, you don't seem surprised?" Innate Daoist noticed that Gu Junye's expression was calm, showing no emotional fluctuation even after witnessing Li Haoran's ascension to immortality.

Upon hearing this, Gu Junye's lips curved into a meaningful smile.

"Didn't I just say it earlier? Senior Brother Li's immense power attracted the Immortals' trial. If he could pass it, he would gain an extraordinary opportunity."

Innate Daoist looked at Gu Junye with admiration; he had predicted everything!

***

Li Haoran's process of transcending the tribulation and becoming an Immortal was being broadcast live.

"Another Immortal has emerged?" Civilizations across the cosmos were astonished, constantly monitoring every move in the cultivation world.

"Who is becoming an Immortal this time?"

"I heard it's Sword Immortal Lu's junior brother."

Above the medicine garden, lightning flashed and thunder roared. The junior apothecaries, frightened, quickly followed Lu Yang and the others out of the garden, keeping a great distance from Li Haoran.

"Hmm? This strange feeling." Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, being the first to sense the change in the world.

If Li Haoran had the deepest comprehension of reincarnation, then Lu Yang was second.

Lu Yang whispered softly, "That's right. A Dao Fruit represents a rule. Junior Brother Li's Dao Fruit is perfectly formed, which means..."

"The rule of reincarnation is about to be established," Yun Zhi finished, sensing the subtle changes in the world as a Half-Step Dao Integration realm cultivator.

The appearance of the Reincarnation Dao Fruit had a groundbreaking impact on the world.

Before, when a person died, it was like a lamp extinguishing, with no afterlife. This world had no concept of reincarnation. Even the Underworld established by the Xinghuo Dynasty couldn't truly control life and death; it merely had similar functions.

Li Haoran was the only exception who had ever undergone reincarnation.

Now, with Li Haoran's ascension to immortality and the solidification of the Reincarnation Dao Fruit, the rule of life and death reincarnation began to outline the heavens and earth, bringing forth a true Underworld.

"So cold." Meng Jingzhou shivered. As a Half-Immortal and the strongest single spirit root holder in history, how could he feel cold? The source of this extraordinary chill was right before them.

What he felt was not coldness, but the innate fear of death that living beings possessed.

Meng Jingzhou looked at Li Haoran, bathed in the heavenly tribulation, as if seeing Li Haoran become the boundary between life and death, controlling the cycle of reincarnation.

"So, the rule of life and death reincarnation *will* be established, after all," the three ancient Immortals murmured. They hadn't expected the concept from the Xinghuo Dynasty era to be realized 300,000 years later.

Runes representing the rule of life and death surged from Li Haoran's chest, endless in number, forming an ocean of runes that engulfed the entire cultivation world.

"What are those symbols?!" The live stream chat exploded. Civilizations felt an inexplicable connection to the rule of life and death reincarnation, an intuition that was hard to articulate.

The runes descended to the ground, attaching themselves to various places in the cultivation world, like a heavy snowfall.

The life and death rule runes peeled away from the cultivation world, constructing a vast and boundless great world.

This great world was eerie and ghostly, empty, filled with strangeness and terror. The living felt repelled, while the deceased felt a kinship.

"The world of the dead, the Underworld. It seems all future deceased will appear here," Lu Yang revealed the great world's name, and his words were broadcast live.

Lu Yang glanced at Meng Jingzhou next to him, who was running the live stream.

"Film Junior Brother Li, not me," Lu Yang said, forcibly turning the camera away.

"What does Sword Immortal Lu mean by that? What is the world of the dead?!"

"Didn't he just explain? The deceased will all appear in the Underworld."

"That's the part I don't understand. Does it mean our consciousness won't disappear after we die?"

Civilizations were utterly shocked. The implications behind that statement were immense. Li Haoran had actually created a world for people after death, completely subverting their understanding.

After becoming an Immortal, Li Haoran felt completely different. He radiated vitality, possessing a subtle aura that could be sensed even through the screen.

Witnessing this scene, everyone praised Li Haoran's honored name.

He flew in the air, sensing the surge of faith power from all directions. His chin slightly raised, a myriad of thoughts filled his mind, ultimately culminating in a long sigh.

"Nine lifetimes of reincarnation have forged the Dao Fruit; only today do I truly know myself."

Although he had lost his Tribulation-Responding Dao Fruit, he had, step by step, reshaped the cosmos through his Reincarnation Dao Fruit, achieving the Immortal position and returning to his peak, even stronger than before!

It sounded simple, but only he could truly understand the solitude and suffering of nine reincarnations over 300,000 years...

"Junior Brother Li, come down. Old Meng has already turned off the live stream," Lu Yang called out.

"Alright."

With the live stream off, there was no need to maintain the pose.

"Come on, knowing you'd awaken your first life's memories, we specifically prepared a celebratory feast for you," Lu Yang said, putting an arm around Li Haoran's shoulder, clearly a good senior brother.

The group chatted and laughed, strolling leisurely until they reached Tianmen Peak.

"The fire's too high, turn it down."

"Third Boss, don't let your hand shake. Cooking requires boldness and meticulousness. Add salt when it's needed. Heaven-Responding has just ascended to Immortality and established the Underworld; he must be exhausted and in need of salt replenishment."

"We're running out of Wutong wood. Lianyin, get some more Wutong wood."

At the summit of Tianmen Peak, the Immortal Fairy commanded the female disciples with methodical precision, exhibiting the demeanor of a master chef. Under her guidance, dish after dish of exquisite, fragrant food was brought out from the kitchen.

"Fairy, I've brought the person back," Lu Yang called out, tightening his grip on Li Haoran's shoulder, as if fearing Li Haoran would escape.

Li Haoran's legs trembled, and his face turned pale. The Underworld had just been established – would he be the first one to move in?