The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 110 Reincarnation and Mythology, True Dragon Technique and Qilin Cave (7K)

He died a violent death in the mountains, and his soul is reborn in a lake.

At this moment, the sunset painted the sky red, giving the lake a golden glow.

"Is this the Lake of Reincarnation you've been looking for?" Wang Hongwu turned around. It didn't seem to have anything special about it; it was just a slightly prettier lake.

Duan De carefully compared the map and then affirmed, "That's right, this is the Lake of Reincarnation."

The two circled the lake and discovered that varying degrees of imperial aura had remained there, indicating that some Dao-proving individuals had searched for this place, but for some reason, none of them had taken the item with them.

"This aura has a bit of the flavor of the Sea of ​​Reincarnation; this Dao trace is somewhat similar to the depths of the Ancient Emperor Mountain; and this layer, is it the aura of the Underworld? And these are quite similar to those royal families."

Duan De sensed the presence of many forbidden zones and traces of royalty here. Clearly, the Lake of Reincarnation was not a secret to those who had attained enlightenment. However, the fact that it still existed peacefully here after countless ages was enough to demonstrate its extraordinary nature.

Wang Hongwu paid no attention to these things, but instead gazed at a deep blue plant in the lake, flowing with a dreamlike radiance. It was a peerless medicinal herb that had been growing for over 20,000 years.

Upon seeing something good, Duan De immediately abandoned his exploration and ran over, rushing towards the lake to pick it. But just then, the lake roared loudly, and waves surged skyward.

A humanoid creature rushed out, its white hair as white as snow and its skin as pale as a zombie, devoid of any color. It stretched out its large claws to grab Duan De, scaring the fat Taoist priest so much that he rolled away in mid-air. Wang Hongwu followed up with a punch, the sacred power of the sun roaring and boiling, instantly igniting and sending the creature flying. As it fell, it continuously disintegrated and collapsed, eventually perishing completely.

But just then, the lake water surged violently, the iron chains rattled loudly, and below were terrifying creatures, one after another ancient corpses trying to rise up. Their clothing was very ancient, and there were even people from the mythological era, but now they were all tied to the bottom of the lake by strings of iron chains.

Deep in the heart of the lake, there was a huge shadow, which turned out to be a massive stone coffin, bound with iron chains, making it very eerie and frightening.

"This coffin is strange. Why does it give me the feeling that it's sealing something?" Wang Hongwu frowned. His Sun and Moon Heavenly Eyes saw some clues. This seal was suspected to have been left by a master of the Imperial Path. Why was it sunk to the bottom of the Lake of Reincarnation?

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept across the lake, eerie and dark, as if some being did not want them to approach, intentionally blocking their way.

Then came a sound like a tsunami, and a strange black wind that sent chills down people's spines. It made the mountains and valleys sway and uproot many ancient trees, causing them to swirl in the distance like a landslide.

Under this influence, shimmering ripples spread across the entire lake surface, like a place of reincarnation, allowing people to fall into slumber and forget everything.

Both of them narrowed their eyes, where the power of reincarnation and rebirth permeated the air, it was too strong.

Most importantly, this place makes one's primordial spirit want to leave the body, constantly resonating, as if revealing all sorts of things from past lives.

At the same time, strange chanting could be heard in this area, as if dusk had fallen in the underworld and the souls of the heavens were on their way to a certain place.

All signs point to this as the legendary Lake of Reincarnation.

Duan De ignored all of that and plunged into the lake, swimming around like a mermaid, as if searching for something.

A moment later, Wang Hongwu opened his eyes and found that the unscrupulous Taoist priest had thrown something at him, causing the Sun Tower inside his body to tremble slightly.

This is a blue scale, about the size of a palm, crystal clear and sparkling, with purple holy flames leaping and pulsating within it, emitting a wave that makes one's heart tremble.

"This supreme being may be related to a figure of imperial power. These are its scales. But from this, I can also confirm that this is indeed the Lake of Reincarnation, where one can see through one's past and future." Duan De did not go ashore, but stayed in the water, confirming his goal.

There are three things in the world that are incredibly strange and mysterious: the Lake of Reincarnation, the Pool of Divine Souls, and the Flying Immortal Waterfall. In fact, they are all products left behind by the Supreme Beings in their pursuit of immortality.

However, he said to Wang Hongwu, "You can see your past and future, but you must not enter the lake, otherwise it will affect the state of the present world."

"So that's how it is," Wang Hongwu nodded slightly, and sat cross-legged in front of the lake. Immediately, many images appeared from there, resonating with his previous secret.

One is the Lake of Reincarnation, which can observe past lives and future lives; the other is the Secret of the Former Word, which can predict the future. The two seem to have some kind of inexplicable connection, which gradually immersed him in a dreamlike scene that seemed both real and unreal.

He didn't feel like he was facing a lake, but rather like he was in the middle of an ocean.

That sea is the mortal world, the past, the future, and everyone's experience. It's too strange. Looking at that world sea, all sorts of thoughts and endless distractions surge into my mind.

The rolling waves were filled with images: scenes of him going to the Ten Thousand Dragons Nest to deduce the True Dragon Technique; scenes of him going to the Fire Kirin Cave; scenes of him undergoing tribulation; and later, even his appearance as a saint appeared.

Scenes from the past are also emerging, revealing the features of the mythical era, where all spirits chase after immortals, and humans, immortals, ghosts, and gods worship together. The Heavenly Court reigns supreme, and the Underworld is all-powerful, presenting a magnificent and turbulent period.

He stared at the shimmering water and saw a mottled scene, but it was not a reflection; rather, it was a recollection of events from a bygone era.

Wang Hongwu frowned slightly. Could it be that he really had some kind of past life? This was somewhat overturning his understanding.

This person is a transmigrator, not a reincarnation of destiny. It's like a physical body being reconstructed. There shouldn't be any so-called past life, unless one reverses the future and creates it by their own hands.

But now, he saw an ancient scene, where his own being appeared, with a hexagonal bronze disc hanging behind his head, the sun and moon revolving around his body, causing the heavens and earth to collapse under his feet, and the surrounding stars falling in a flurry. His entire body was shrouded in chaotic energy, standing tall in the mythical era, looking down on the heavens. His eyes were so sharp that they seemed to shoot out through the water!
This caused him a burning pain, as if he had been struck by two bolts of lightning and burned by the strongest heavenly tribulation, which he could hardly bear.

That era was the most glorious period of the mythological age, with emperors coexisting, celestial beings rising and falling, and the Heavenly Court ruling over the rise and fall of the universe. That figure was exactly the same as the ancient celestial being of the Heavenly Court that was unearthed in the past. He led all the gods and generals, traversed the universe, broke through ancient ruins, and searched for the remnants of the ancient era.

He had seen the ancient creatures that remained in the forbidden zone; he had killed peerless powerhouses in the desolate wilderness at the edge of the universe; he had discussed the Dao with the Heavenly Venerable in the Nine Heavens; he had walked with the Emperor Venerable in the ruins; he had drunk with the Divine Phoenix on the phoenix tree; he had chatted and laughed with the Underworld Emperor on the path of reincarnation. Every scene and every figure was incredibly real.

Soaring myths, encompassing the universe, seeking the path to immortality!

Everyone was calling out the same name, a symbol of a glorious era: Ming! Zun!

Was that his past life, long ago?
Wang Hongwu was surprised. He recalled the corner of the roulette wheel he had obtained, which involved reincarnation, leading him to a bold deduction.

“Only in this world, the past and the future are all written by this world and move with this world. I exist first and then the Venerable One, not the other way around.”

His thoughts raced as he stared at the water. The crystal-clear pools within the Lake of Reincarnation resembled a terrifying world, deep and boundless. Though it didn't appear large, it gave the impression of vastness and a condensed universe.

In a daze, Wang Hongwu saw the sun, moon, and stars rotating, countless galaxies lining up, and galaxy clusters resonating, as if they were about to burst out of the marsh.

There, the Venerable One stood tall, as if looking down at something, or reminiscing about something, or mourning the past.

Unwittingly, that person's gaze swept across billions of time and space, arriving in this life, and landed on Wang Hongwu. The bronze wheels on both of them resonated and lit up at the same time.

That person is very strong!
Wang Hongwu could clearly feel that even though the figure was blurry and separated by endless time and space, he felt a sense of empathy and witnessed the attack firsthand. The attack was swift as a god, with not only chaotic energy shooting out but also various immortal spirits surrounding him, making him appear like an immortal lord.

"**, having traversed darkness and waded through seas of light, from ignorance to enlightenment, I am now embarking on this path to correct your mistakes."

He whispered, his body surrounded by various immortal spirits such as the Azure Dragon, the Serpent, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Kunpeng. Each immortal spirit was a Dao, formed from the most ancient rune characters of the Emperor. He drove all the Daos, representing the will of heaven and earth, and slaughtered until all things were destroyed.

The scene in the lake and the figure there are dynamic, not simply presented; there is more to come, and it is still unfolding and developing.

"A bronze wheel!" He was certain he wasn't mistaken. In the image, chaotic energy surged, and he saw a bronze wheel with patterns on it.

Then he saw countless enormous planets in the swamp, all lifeless, barren, and desolate. The entire universe was like a graveyard, where an unimaginable war of immortals had broken out.

Then he saw himself, underwater, covered in blood, looking miserable, with disheveled hair and blood dripping from his eyes.

"**, everything in this world is in a cycle of reincarnation, including a grain of dust, a vast ocean, a blade of grass, an endless universe of stars, the six desires of the mortal world, the myriad realms and seas, you and I are all struggling in the dust of the sky, drifting in the long river of ancient and modern times, suffering from birth, old age and hardship, struggling in vain or rising up in a hundred boats racing against the current, how should we choose?"

This is only the halfway point. We failed, we fell halfway. You've stepped into darkness with no turning back. There's still half the journey to go, but in the future, I will eventually continue the broken path, fight my way through, and reach that true...!"

The sound came from beneath the water, and the person seemed to possess a sense of vicissitude, loneliness, and desolation.

The man's voice was deep, and then he suddenly looked up, exuding an aura of domineering confidence that looked down on the past, present, and future. His eyes were like two bolts of lightning, reflecting everything.

With a deafening roar, he unleashed a punch that shattered everything in its path, causing the entire Lake of Reincarnation to erupt in chaos. Countless images intertwined and swirled, engulfing Wang Hongwu's consciousness.

He was drawn into an endless cycle of reincarnation, being cleansed in different lives.

Until one lifetime, he sighed and broke free from this illusory sea, saying calmly, "What do these reincarnations and the past matter? All things in heaven and earth, every blade of grass and every tree, are in my heart. What has passed away is under my feet."

These paths and those scenes, in the eyes of sages and others, may be inescapable in a lifetime, requiring them to use their lives to comprehend, experience, and understand them. But Wang Hongwu had already experienced them when he crossed the Heavenly Gate of the Dao, and had gone through three thousand different historical possibilities and walked many different life trajectories. These, on the contrary, were like a fish in water for him.

"What a dream." He sighed softly, looking up at the sky, only to find himself wading into the lake, standing in the middle of the water, on the stone coffin. The corpses around him stared coldly at him, as if trying to drag him down with them.

However, he did not pay attention to this, because his primordial spirit power surged, becoming much stronger, even surpassing that of a half-saint. It possessed a special Daoist charm, as if he had entered the mortal world and his own Dao was burning eternally like a furnace, constantly sublimating.

In the instant he looked down, he saw a mark appear on his palm, mysterious beyond measure, like an immeasurable celestial tribulation emerging, or like a world in reincarnation. It was small, but very real; it was the Reincarnation Mark!

Now, a complete Reincarnation Seal exists in his palm, and his experience in the real Reincarnation Lake has completely completed the Reincarnation Seal that was only half complete before.

"After the completion, there is a mysterious feeling. Not only can the two mother scriptures of the sun and moon be cultivated in a balanced way, but there is also an indestructible sense that the primordial spirit can be integrated into it." Wang Hongwu murmured, thinking of many things. Some people have said that there is reincarnation, but not everyone can do it. Only a few peerless geniuses have the opportunity to be reincarnated, and some individuals have reincarnation marks to prove it.

Few could replicate that mark, yet he unexpectedly managed to cultivate a Reincarnation Seal using the miraculous power of the Reincarnation Lake. Just after Wang Hongwu completed the Reincarnation Seal, the bronze wheel he had obtained from the Divine Organization trembled, flying directly out of his body. As if in response, it stirred the entire Reincarnation Lake, causing it to erupt in chaos, splashing water everywhere. Duan De was even swept away, falling back to the shore, staring over in astonishment and confusion, not understanding what had happened.

Then, the stone coffin beneath the lake shook, as if it had been moved by some surging force. Subsequently, a wheel appeared in that direction, exuding the power of reincarnation, rising from the lake water and spinning continuously.

Buzz! In the next moment, a corner of the wheel, which was engraved with all kinds of scenes of the human world and the vastness of the mortal realm, flew over and merged with the incomplete piece in my hand, forming a whole. It appeared even more ancient and profound, and flowed with a mysterious power of reincarnation.

"There's something like this in the Lake of Reincarnation?" Duan De scratched his head, then took out the stone coffin from the bottom of the lake. The coffin lid was slightly off-center, revealing an empty interior. It was an empty coffin, with only a crystal-like object inside, displaying many words and images.

The unscrupulous Taoist priest had come for this purpose, and with utmost solemnity, he picked up the object and fused it into his brow.

Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, he seemed to have experienced countless lifetimes of vicissitudes. Many images surged in his eyes, and Wang Hongwu keenly captured some of them, including the figure of the Mingzun, the appearance of the Heavenly Court and the Emperor, the burial pit of the Underworld, and so many more, ancient and mysterious.

Duan De stood there, his mind echoing with many voices: "Master, I will do it. The whole sect will ascend to immortality. This is an unprecedented achievement."

“Master, I am not wrong. Power is the foundation. So-called mistakes are just nonsense. This is Nirvana.”

"Master, I told you, you were wrong!"

"Old Duan, our dream is about to come true. This era will become a legend because of us!"

"Old Duan, have you noticed that after that thing was dug out, everyone changed? The Heavenly Court has become corrupt."

"Old Duan, from now on, it's your turn to keep going. You must find..."

Scene after scene, figure after figure, accompanied by a torrent of words, caused Duan De to clutch his forehead in pain and groan involuntarily.

Seeing this, Wang Hongwu stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you?"

"You...you're back?" Duan De glanced at him, the person in front of him overlapping with a figure in his memory, making him feel dazed. He couldn't help but say, "We were all wrong. Digging that road caused a great disaster. Everyone was affected and their personalities changed drastically. This was a mistake that must be corrected."

What mistake? Wang Hongwu was taken aback, then suddenly remembered the words of the Mingzun in the past scene he had seen: "I will correct your mistake." Was that what he meant?

After a moment, Duan De shook his head and resumed his nonchalant demeanor, as if he had forgotten everything. He sighed to himself, "Reincarnation, ah, it's really difficult to see through this truth and break free from it."

Reincarnation is a very serious topic that has left countless geniuses bewildered and remains unsolved for millennia; no one can truly explain it.

Ordinary people are easily misled. Some are superstitious and believe in the existence of past and present lives. But why would a cultivator believe in such things? The more powerful a person is, the more they believe in themselves and not in so-called destiny or predestination. Cultivators go against the natural order to reverse cause and effect and defy fate.

Otherwise, how could cultivators achieve longevity, with lifespans far exceeding those of ordinary people? However, as time flows endlessly and countless ages pass, no one has ever been able to decipher the true meaning of reincarnation, and it remains uncertain whether it truly exists.

"Now that things here are done, and we're in the Eastern Wilderness, I might as well take care of another matter along the way." Wang Hongwu temporarily put aside these distracting thoughts and decided to go to the Myriad Dragon Nest in the Northern Region to deduce the True Dragon Technique. After all, having experienced the Underworld War, he had already collected enough Origin, so there was no need to delay.

Duan De naturally had no objection to this, and watched helplessly as Wang Hongwu transformed into the Heavenly Dragon King again, teleporting all the way to the Northern Region and arriving in the snowy mountains.

Inside the Ten Thousand Dragons Nest, Heavenly King Qianlun and Great Sage Wanlong were both in seclusion recuperating. They had both been seriously injured in the previous battle and had not recovered even after two years. Only the Dragon Girl came out to help them.

"After waiting for so long, I finally have the opportunity to glimpse the supreme inheritance." As he arrived at the depths of the dragon's nest, Wang Hongwu sighed with emotion. Then, the broken bowl at his waist lit up, and all the collected Saint-level essence was poured into it, including the essence of the Saint King and the remnants of the Great Saint. All of it burned up and turned into a divine light that fell on the chaotic dragon's nest.

"The mountains and rivers are majestic, the sky is vast; the sea is vast, the water is mighty; the emperor is majestic and powerful!"

The sacrificial voices of the ancestors came from it, extremely grand, mythical creatures were everywhere, and the gods were vague, all emitting brilliance and mysterious.

"Offer sacrifices to Heaven, to the Dao, to the past and present!" Wang Hongwu spoke indifferently, chanting the Great Dao Mantra. Then, the entire True Dragon Nest surged with chaotic energy as if returning to its ancestral origins, and even scenes belonging to the Chaotic Ancient Era appeared. Finally, a majestic dragon shadow emerged and clung to his body.

In Wang Hongwu's mind, a multitude of images suddenly appeared, like a dream. A great dragon pounced, extending a huge claw, its power overwhelming, drawing thousands of dragon shadows to follow. This was the Dragon-Guiding Hand, an incomplete move of the True Dragon Treasure Technique.

Then another enormous claw descended from a true dragon, its five claws covering the sky and the sun, its dense, scale-like dragon patterns intertwined, as if it could grasp the entire universe in its palm. Wang Hongwu also made a move, learning and applying what he had just learned. He used the True Dragon Claw while comprehending its power. The dragon roar shook the heavens, and a terrifying dragon claw appeared in front of him, grabbing forward and pulling down a meteorite from outer space.

This is the True Dragon Claw, a killing technique; then the dragon image in his mind transformed into a human form, and suddenly he threw a punch, the True Dragon roared, that was clearly the Dragon Fist, the invincible True Dragon Treasure Technique!

This is not a casual skill, but a truly flawless and unparalleled divine power.

Then, light emanated from behind the human form that the true dragon had transformed into, radiating auspicious brilliance. A huge dragon tail materialized, sweeping across the battlefield and directly tearing apart the starry sky. This was the incredibly powerful and unimaginable True Dragon Tail Swing. This great divine power was even greater than the Dragon Fist. Back then, when the True Dragon swung its tail, countless powerful figures fell to the ground with a crackling sound, like dumplings being boiled, and even the heavens were split open.

"This is the True Dragon Technique. When unleashed from the Eight-Nine Heavens Technique, it becomes even more terrifying. It can even be used to defeat saints." Wang Hongwu, having mastered this supreme technique, became excited and couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, the true dragon outside the body raised its head, attracting the power of all the stars in the sky and gathering supreme secret power.

Each dragon scale corresponds to a large star, and beams of light fall from the countless stars, connecting with the true dragon and allowing it to radiate immortal divine light.

It gathers the power of all the stars in the heavens; this sight is terrifying!
Finally, Wang Hongwu opened his mouth and inhaled, and the dragon shadow entered his body. He became radiant and his understanding of the True Dragon lineage deepened. Even if this lineage disappeared or became extinct, there would still be snakes, dragons, and other creatures that could evolve to that level in future generations, filling the void left by the True Dragon and becoming the only holders of the True Dragon title in the world.

Some say that even if dozens of offspring are born into this clan and live in the same era, various unexpected events will occur in the end, and only one can succeed, while the others will either perish or weaken.

Therefore, the only one was called the True Dragon, and the word 'True' was added before the original name of the Dragon Clan.

Then, Wang Hongwu had a feeling that as long as he raised his hand, the True Dragon Nest would fly away with him and become its true master.

If the people of Wanlong Nest knew about this scene, they would probably be dumbfounded. What even their ancestors couldn't do back then is now being presented so easily, and they seem to be eagerly following suit, which is truly amazing.

"The Nest of Ten Thousand Dragons, the Nest of True Dragons, what level of artifact is this power? Although it is related to true dragons, it is not an offensive weapon. It is somewhat similar to the Phoenix Nest."

He pondered to himself, but when he left, he found that the Dragon Girl had also gone into seclusion. So he left a message, in which he also included a Dragon-Summoning Hand technique that he had obtained, for the ancient princess to practice.

"What's next? Should we go to the Immortal Ascension Pool in Zhongzhou?" Duan De lazily crawled out of a hole in the ground. Since the royal mausoleum was not open to him, he was a little bored and dug a lot of holes around the area to expand it.

Just as Wang Hongwu was about to nod, he suddenly noticed that the blue scale inside his body trembled slightly, as if it had been revived, and pointed towards the direction of the Fire Scale Cave.

What does it mean?
A thought struck him: Could this scale be related to the Fire Kirin Cave? Perhaps the opportunity to perfect the Qilin's transformation lies there. Wang Hongwu suddenly realized this and coughed lightly, saying, "No rush to Zhongzhou, let's go to the Fire Kirin Cave first."

Fire Kirin Cave? Duan De was taken aback. How did it get involved with that powerful royal family?

However, since Wang Hongwu said so, he naturally followed along. The two traversed the mountains and soon arrived at the location of the Fire Scale Cave, rushing into the royal territory.

Visiting as the Heavenly Dragon King was naturally different from visiting as the Sun King. After a brief message, the ancient land was opened to them, and a path appeared.

This is a majestic ancient mountain, with ancient medicinal herbs everywhere, immortal vines growing among the stone peaks, and many strange birds and auspicious beasts, all shrouded in a mystical aura.

Especially in the very center, the mountain peaks there, though barren and filled with flickering flames, resembled a divine abode, radiating countless rays of light and auspicious colors, illuminating the heavens with an air of mystery, with Daoist patterns overflowing like ripples on water.

"This is truly a divine land!" Duan De exclaimed in amazement, constantly examining his surroundings, with a strong desire to enter this clan's cemetery and study it in detail.

Especially in the central area, the ancient caves spew forth auspicious clouds and mist, as if a colossal creature is coming back to life, while the Fire Scale Immortal Cave in the center is the most mysterious.

In just a short while, thousands of people rushed out of the ancient caves. They were all from the branches of the Fire Scale Cave. Among them were ancestral kings and many young people. They all stared at Wang Hongwu with different expressions, most of them showing surprise and reverence.

"Is that the forbidden king of all races? So young, yet he gives me the feeling of facing the ancestral king directly!"

"Too powerful! No wonder he could defeat even other ancient royal heirs and overcome the Dao traces of the emperors!"

"What is he doing here at Fire Kirin Cave this time? Is he trying to push for a merger between Dragon Nest and Fire Kirin Cave?"

"I don't know, but since Prince Huo Qizi is currently in the cave, could there be a great battle involving the ancient imperial heirs?"

"It's hard to say. As far as I know, this Heavenly Dragon King's realm is not low. At the level of an ancient imperial heir, even the first level of the Heavenly Rank is enough to change the course of the battle."

The young people from Huolin Cave were discussing, paying special attention to Wang Hongwu, since one of the two strongest young people in the current Beidou Five Regions was right here.

The other Sun King is now riding high with the Great Sage pulling his chariot. I wonder what fate awaits the Heavenly Dragon King.
Inside the Fire Kirin Cave, purple flames leaped, kirins lay prone, and ancient herbs exuded fragrance.

Huo Qizi, however, was unusually silent. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, his Primordial Battle Armor shone, and a special aura rose from it.

"Brother, what's wrong?" A voice suddenly sounded behind him, and another figure stood up, his aura no weaker than his.

Seeing this, Huo Qizi turned around and said, "I really want to join forces with you to fight him and break through the barrier, and then step into the forbidden realm of gods again."

In a sense, the Fire Kirin Cave is incredibly terrifying, as it houses two legitimate children of the ancient emperor, which is chilling. Both of them are of the ancient emperor's bloodline, and either of them would be unparalleled among their peers.

There are even rumors that if the two were to join forces, their combat power would increase several times over, allowing them to sweep across the world.

(End of this chapter)