Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 461 We can trust the wisdom of future generations.
Chen Ye had wanted to create a child himself for quite some time.

There are far too many dead people in this land of northern Xinjiang.

He originally thought that with the Huangquan Sect's City God system patrolling day and night, coupled with the establishment of Fengdu City, there should be no more mass deaths in the Northern Frontier in the next two or three years, except for those elderly people whose lifespans were about to end.

But as it turns out, he was oversimplifying things.

A sudden attack by a wild beast can kill people, a silent epidemic can kill people, and even internal tribal fights and feuds can continuously create new souls.

These are all troubles among mortals. No matter how powerful the City God system is, it is impossible to be in two places at once and to protect every life without any leaks.

So much so that even though Fengdu City had only been established for a short time, the number of newly captured souls in the city was already in the tens of thousands.

Although most of these deaths were due to the changing power dynamics and ongoing conflicts among the major forces in the Northern Frontier, Chen Ye was well aware that even if the Northern Frontier were to become completely stable in the future, the number of accidental deaths would only increase with the large increase in the population.

If we don't find a way to reincarnate those lost souls, Fengdu City will be overflowing sooner or later.

The problem is that the legendary Six Paths of Reincarnation have long since vanished into some unknown era. Chen Ye has a city full of dead souls, but no way to "reincarnate." Unexpectedly, today, he has found a glimmer of hope here, learning a "Furnace Body Refining Technique."

If we can use this furnace fire to refine other things into a physical body that can be inhabited by the soul, then perhaps we can temporarily solve the problem of reincarnation.

Although it wasn't a traditional ten-month pregnancy, it was enough to solve this urgent problem.

However, things are not that simple.

Repairing a damaged body and creating a completely new body from scratch are obviously two different things.

The essence of this "Furnace Body Refining Technique" is to use furnace fire to stimulate the body's own healing and growth characteristics, while also refining foreign bloodlines to offset the enormous consumption generated in the process.

Ultimately, the body itself is the one that heals.

Just like when Chen Ye created several moth clones for the Soulfire Lord, he used his own flesh and blood, only using the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts to transform their forms.

Ultimately, a "living body" must come first before a complete "physical body" can be crafted.

But you absolutely can't play around with "reincarnation".

If Chen Ye's own flesh and blood were used as the "catalyst" for refining his physical body, countless newborns after reincarnation would become his close relatives by blood. This relationship would be even closer than that between biological father and son, with their bloodlines almost completely identical.

Even if he were to distribute this authority to create physical bodies to others in the future, as long as the original flesh and blood are still needed as a catalyst, it would inevitably create a large number of people with similar bloodlines in the human world.

If this continues, it will inevitably lead to unpredictable ethical problems.

Therefore, only by addressing the issue of bloodline at its source can we truly achieve "reincarnation".

The only way is to use pure inanimate objects to create a physical body.

Chen Ye retrieved various materials, including bones, soil, and metal, and prepared to experiment with them.

Skeletons are the easiest to process, since they are a type of flesh and blood, only completely dead. Transforming them with this substance yields results similar to using living flesh and blood, only requiring many times more spiritual energy. However, this also brings the same problem as with refining living beings: the new life created will have the same bloodline as the original owner of the skeleton.

Chen Ye used a few animal bones to forge a large serpent with thick scales. Judging from its appearance, it was impossible to tell which year the monster was from, or if its bones were used to build this city of bones after it was killed.

The bones aren't good enough, and the soil doesn't seem to be suitable either.

Chen Ye expended a great deal of spiritual energy, only to transform a handful of soil into an indescribable mass that could wriggle on its own and whose surface was constantly bubbling. Not only was it disgusting to look at, but once Chen Ye stopped injecting spiritual energy, the mass would immediately "die" and turn back into a puddle of mud.

Needless to say, no matter how much Chen Ye urged the furnace fire and poured in spiritual energy, the hard metals showed no sign of turning into flesh and blood.

As for plants, fungi, and the like, this "furnace refining technique" seems to only be able to refine and accelerate growth within the scope of their own species, and cannot achieve cross-species transformation.

In other words, if you want to create a human being, you first have to put a piece of human flesh into the furnace.

The series of failures caused Chen Ye to fall into deep thought.

How exactly did the legendary goddess Nuwa create humans from a handful of clay?
If others heard this idea, they would most likely think Chen Ye was being overly ambitious and delusional. After all, that was an ancient creator saint; could mere mortals possibly imitate his supernatural powers?
But Chen Ye himself didn't think so.

The higher one's cultivation level, the better one can understand the essence of magic.

When magic was first created, it could be called a unique supernatural power, which only the creator knew and could use. But later, as more and more people studied it, some of the originally unique supernatural powers were broken down and summarized, and eventually became "magic" that could be inherited and learned.

Supernatural powers and spells are essentially the same, as are formations and spells.

You could argue that a spell cannot be cast due to the lack of certain key materials or conditions. But even the most powerful supernatural abilities can be understood and even imitated based on their fundamental principles.

Even if it's impossible to achieve the exact same result for various reasons, as long as you understand the underlying principles, you'll know what's feasible and why it's not.

This is the practice.

Throughout history, countless cultivators have devoted themselves to passing down this method of cultivation.

Nuwa could create humans from a handful of clay, which is a great supernatural power that rivals the creation of heaven and earth, but that doesn't mean Chen Ye couldn't learn it at all.

Especially after he mastered the "Furnace Body Refining Technique," he could clearly sense that this spell contained a hint of the mystery of "creating a person from clay." Chen Ye felt that as long as he was willing to spend the time, he could definitely study it thoroughly.

"It's a pity I didn't bring the Arrow of Time with me, otherwise I would have stabbed myself a few times and maybe I would have realized it by now."

Chen Ye was muttering to himself when Fei Lian Demon Lord appeared beside him without him noticing.

Looking at the indescribable creatures still wriggling in the furnace, the Demon Lord Feilian frowned and asked, "What are you busy with, kid?"

Without turning his head, Chen Ye replied, "I'm currently working on the Furnace Body Refining Technique."

The Demon Lord Feilian chuckled, "What's there to ponder? This spell, while having some merit, is far inferior to your Eight-Nine Arcane Arts. Just the ability to change at will is far more powerful than any furnace-based body tempering technique."

“Just now, that old demon of ten thousand bones came to me crying and complaining that you ruined his hundred years of hard work and wanted me to stand up for him. I thought you had suddenly changed your nature and wanted to learn from them to practice your skills by eating people.”

Chen Ye shook his head and explained, "I'm not interested in eating people, I just want to try creating people."

Then, Chen Ye told Fei Lian Demon Lord all about his thoughts on the souls of the dead in Fengdu City and reincarnation.

After hearing this, the great demon who had lived for hundreds of years showed unprecedented astonishment on his face.

"Chen Ye, do you really think you're the ruler of the world? You even want to interfere in matters like life and death, reincarnation? I thought my ambition was big enough; all I wanted was to be the number one in the world, to control both the righteous and demonic paths. But you, you actually want to control the birth, aging, sickness, and death of all living beings in the world! Aren't you afraid of incurring divine retribution?!"

Chen Ye was somewhat puzzled: "Where did this misunderstanding come from? It's just that there are too many souls in Fengdu City, and this can't go on forever. We have to find a way to reincarnate them. I don't have hundreds of thousands of fresh bodies for them to possess, so naturally I have to find a way to create them myself." Fei Lian Demon Lord sneered: "What difference does it make? Once you can mold people from clay, you'll have the power of life and death reincarnation. Today you only care about those hundreds of thousands of souls in Fengdu City, but what about tomorrow?"

Feilian Demon Lord stared into Chen Ye's clear eyes, but in his heart he thought that this kid was really good at pretending.

Once Chen Yezhen has truly mastered this "clay-making" magic, from now on, people all over the world will probably have to serve him as their master.

What do cultivators seek their entire lives? Isn't it simply the pursuit of "immortality"?

If Chen Ye could easily create a brand new body, allowing a person's soul to reincarnate continuously and even retain memories of their past life, how many people in the world could resist such a temptation?
At that time, there will be no need for any coercive measures; the hearts of the people will naturally be won over.

And Chen Ye will naturally extend the rules of Fengdu and the Yellow Springs to the entire world. At that time, everyone will be in the cycle of reincarnation, and Chen Ye will be the sole ruler of the cycle of reincarnation, the supreme deity in the human world.

What lofty ambitions! What arrogant domineering spirit!

Most importantly, Chen Ye actually has a good chance of making this happen.

He is now considered the leader of the righteous path, and the Yellow Springs Sect is at its zenith, thriving ever since. Even the Great Sage Overturning the Sea has become his backer. In terms of martial prowess alone, he already surpasses all other sects in the world. If he were to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation system, he would have completely won over the hearts of the people, making him the most stable ruler of the world.

Reflecting on his centuries-long, bloody life, the Demon Lord Feilian couldn't help but secretly marvel at the formidable power of the younger generation. He had fought his entire life, never imagining he could unify the world through such a radical and decisive method.

In the past, Demon Lord Feilian would have not hesitated to strike and kill Chen Ye, this potentially huge threat, on the spot to prevent future troubles.

But now, he dares not make a move at all.

Otherwise, if he angered that powerful and unfathomable Great Sage Overturning the Sea, his cultivation level would probably be nothing more than an ant in his palm.

Chen Ye looked at the ever-changing expression on Fei Lian Demon Lord's face, sometimes sighing, sometimes shocked, and sometimes filled with regret... He couldn't help but say, "Lord, you're probably overthinking it. Even if I could comprehend this method of reincarnation, I wouldn't use it to unify the world."

The Demon Lord Feilian let out a mocking sneer: "Heh, it's easy for you to say. Does the Northern Frontier not obey the orders of your Yellow Springs Sect? Although you haven't declared yourself emperor, the entire Northern Frontier reveres you. What real difference is there between you and an emperor in the mortal realm?"

Titles are always meaningless; real power lies in what you hold in your hands. Chen Ye's control over the entire northern frontier was no different from that of an emperor.

Chen Ye shook his head and said seriously, "If the Six Paths of Reincarnation are truly established, then it will be a set of rules that everyone in the world can enjoy, rather than a private tool that I can control alone. No one will have to bow down to me in order to enter this cycle of reincarnation."

"When I first established Fengdu Yellow Springs, my original intention was simply to provide a resting place for the hundreds of thousands of souls who died unjustly, and it is the same now. Once this system of rules can operate on its own, I will naturally let go. Your Excellency has forgotten that I am destined to ascend to immortality and cannot waste my life in the mortal realm."

The Demon Lord Feilian stared intently at Chen Ye, as if trying to find even the slightest hint of hypocrisy on his face and expose his lies on the spot.

However, no matter how he looked at it, Chen Ye's face was full of sincerity, as if everything he said was the truth from the bottom of his heart.

"Is this true?"

The Demon Lord Feilian even went so far as to use his divine power of making words come true in an attempt to force Chen Ye to reveal the truth.

However, under the influence of the supernatural power, Chen Ye remained calm and nodded frankly: "Of course it's true. Who would bother to manage the Six Paths of Reincarnation? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble? I'm too lazy to even bother with the miscellaneous affairs of the Yellow Springs Sect now."

Chen Ye had one more thing he didn't say.

In a past life legend, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who had been in charge of reincarnation for so long, eventually turned himself into a madman who wanted to destroy Buddhism and immortals. He didn't want to follow in his footsteps and become the next madman.

Ultimately, from the moment he embarked on his spiritual path until today, everything he has done stems from the four words "unable to bear it in his heart."

The Demon Lord Feilian was still not giving up and continued to probe with his words: "Even if you are selfless, I admire you. But what about your successor? Can you guarantee that the next sect leader of the Yellow Springs Sect will still have the same mindset as you? In the end, the temptation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation is too great, and there are few people in this world who can resist it."

Chen Ye said, "Then why not just make this method of the Six Paths of Reincarnation public to everyone in the world? Everyone can reincarnate, everyone can live forever, then naturally no one will be able to use it to control the world."

Upon hearing this, Demon Lord Feilian was even more shocked. This time, he almost popped his eyes out of their sockets.

This proposal is a hundred times more insane than Chen Ye single-handedly controlling the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"How can such a powerful artifact be so easily handed over?! Do you know that if you do, the world will be thrown into chaos! In order to continue the cycle of reincarnation, everyone will inevitably fall into endless strife, and in the end, rivers of blood will flow!"

The mere thought of that scene sent chills down Fei Lian Demon Lord's spine. If everyone could master the method of refining the Reincarnation Body, it would only lead to endless scrambling and slaughter. Resources would be quickly monopolized in the hands of a few powerful individuals, and chaos and endless war would be inevitable.

How is this any different from the end of the world?
Chen Ye shook his head: "Your Excellency speaks as if there is no strife in this world. The righteous and the demonic paths have been killing each other for hundreds of years. Mortal dynasties can kill each other for a mere inch of land. Conflict is inevitable, and I am not saying that I will make this method of the Six Paths of Reincarnation public at will."

"The foundation of Fengdu City lies in its incense offerings. The Crimson Dragon Buddha feeds on the resentment and discontent in the hearts of the people, while the divine powers of the Fengdu Emperor are specifically used to punish the wicked. From the day I created these two incense-offering deities of the Yellow Springs Sect, I carefully established rules to ensure that they can be completely impartial."

"Therefore, when I ascend to heaven in the future, the operation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation will be handed over to these two gods of incense offerings, so that they can naturally be impartial."

Upon hearing this, Demon Lord Feihan shook his head: "You're thinking too much. The god of incense can only guarantee temporary peace. What about hundreds or thousands of years later? Can you guarantee that the power of incense and prayers won't turn your Emperor Fengdu into a selfish and self-serving god? He rose and fell because of incense; even gods can fall into demonic ways one day."

She thought her rebuttal had hit Chen Ye's weak spot, but to her surprise, Chen Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing it.

He looked at the Demon Lord Feilian and said, "Lord, you now look more like a righteous cultivator who cares about the world and is selfless than I do."

Demon Lord Feilian cursed, "Bah! Stop beating around the bush! You still don't have a solution!"

Chen Ye's smile faded, and he nodded solemnly: "Indeed. I cannot guarantee that the Emperor of Fengdu will remain just and impartial a thousand years from now. But has Your Excellency ever heard of any country in this world whose laws are flawless, absolutely without any errors or omissions..."

Chen Ye changed the subject and asked in return, "Just because there are mistakes and omissions, does that mean we should abandon the law?"
"This is the way of the world: what is divided will eventually unite, and what is united will eventually divide. In the past, the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling ruled everything. Some people were unwilling to accept this, and eventually they fought a great battle that shook the heavens and the earth. The Heavenly Court was shattered, and all the Buddhas of Mount Ling perished. The same is true for mortal dynasties. When the people are suffering, naturally some people will rise up and overthrow the old order."

"The same principle applies to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. If you can achieve something today, it will be better than yesterday. If the Six Paths of Reincarnation truly becomes a harmful thing in the future, then naturally there will be successors to stand up and overthrow it."

"In this world today, there may only be one Chen Ye, but in the thousands of years to come, there will always be Zhao Ye and Li Ye. Why should I worry about the affairs of future generations?"

Even the Heavenly Court has been shattered, so what else in this world is impossible?
Nothing new can be perfect. But even the slightest progress is progress.

The same applies to the cycle of reincarnation. At least, it's better than the current chaotic system where evil goes unpunished and good goes unrewarded.

If anyone is unhappy about this in the future, they can stand up, overturn all of this, and teach this world to adopt a new set of rules.

At this point in the conversation, Chen Ye suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

What are the rules governing the operation of heaven and earth?
That seems to make sense.

How can soil be transformed into a person?
Grass grows in the soil, and when cattle and sheep eat it, it transforms into their flesh and blood. When humans eat this flesh and blood, it also transforms into their own flesh and blood.

Chen Ye clapped his hands and stood up, saying happily, "I understand where the problem lies. Forcing the transformation of soil won't work. We should follow nature to turn the soil into flesh and blood!"

(End of this chapter)