First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1013 - Five Hundred Years, the Secrets of Reincarnation

The Netherworld King was initially a bit embarrassed, but then she exclaimed, “Wait, you recognize me?”

Su Yi couldn’t help but arch his brows as well. The Netherworld king had been imprisoned within the Great Chaos Ruins of the City of the Wrongfully Dead since antiquity. How could Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer possibly recognize her?

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer cleared his throat, then said, “There’s nothing in the Netherworld I do not know.”

The Netherworld King wanted to ask more questions, but Su Yi stopped her. “Step aside for now. I have some questions for this old-timer.”

The Netherworld King was obviously unwilling, but in the end, she agreed, got up, and left.

Su Yi, meanwhile, fixed his cold gaze upon Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer. “Old-timer, I could tell even then that there was something strange about you. If you really see me as a friend, tell me the truth. Just who are you?”

“I….” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer opened his mouth as if to speak.

However, Su Yi interjected. “I want to hear the truth.”

In his past life, he’d spent a long time exploring the Netherworld. He and Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer had bonded over a fight, and they were quite close.

Su Yi was naturally well aware that the old-timer hid numerous secrets.

But this old codger was far too slippery. Every time Su Yi asked, he avoided the question.

For instance, when Su Yi was first investigating the secrets of reincarnation, Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer provided useful leads that helped him find both the tombstone of the City of the Wrongfully Dead and the Reincarnation Grounds of the Mausoleum of the Gods.

Furthermore, not long ago, Su YI had learned from the Night Watchman that Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s Coffin of the Six Paths of Reincarnation dated back to ancient times. It was actually once the supreme divine artifact of the former Bureau of the Six Paths, the Disc of the Six Paths!

“Argh, why insist on learning that? All of that’s in the past. I really am just a lonely old ghost wandering this world.” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer let out a deep sigh, and he seemed utterly melancholy.

However, Su Yi laughed coldly. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine too. Cough up the Disc of the Six Paths you lost to me. Also, I saved that old life of yours. Don’t you think you ought to return that to me too?”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s expression froze. “Old Monster Su, are you trying to force me?”

“All I want is an answer,” Su Yi said expressionlessly. “As I’m sure you just saw, I almost died trying to save you, but you’re still avoiding my questions. Don’t you think that’s too much?”

“Err….” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s expression shifted erratically.

A long time passed before he took a deep breath and said, “Very well. There’s no real reason to hide this.”

His eyes shone with a complicated light. “My true name is Jun Ce, and in ancient times, I presided over the Infernal Palace. The people called me the Infernal Monarch.”

The Infernal Monarch!

Su Yi’s eyelids twitched, and he couldn’t help but re-examine Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer. “Truly?”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer grimaced, then mocked himself. “It’s true that I’ve been down and out lately, but I haven’t sunk so far as to impersonate the Infernal Monarch.”

With that, he flipped over his palm.

Weng!

A perfectly circular black disc floated into the air. Its surface was divided into six sections, each with totems representing one of the six paths of reincarnation.

“This is the Disc of Six Paths. In ancient times, it was under the control of the Bureau of the Six Paths. With it, they could control a portion of the natural order of reincarnation,” Old Ghost Coffin Bearer said in a low voice. “When the calamity they call the Burial of the Dao descended, I relied on this treasure to escape with my life. However, the Burial of the Dao completely destroyed the Reincarnation Grounds.”

Here, his gaze swept across the area. “I’m sure you can see it too. The skies of this hidden realm have shattered into countless fragments. Even the source energies of the Sacred Tree of Samsara and the Reincarnation Pool have been severely damaged. Both are the result of the Burial of the Dao. The natural order of reincarnation has been shattered ever since.”

He looked pained, and it seemed he was immersed in memories. Even his tone was a little bleak and disconsolate.

“As for what happened after the Burial of the Dao? I’m not sure either. My injuries were so severe that I could only hide within the Disc of the Six Paths and lie dormant. Countless years passed before I recovered some of my vitality and awakened within the disc.

“However, due to the damage to my soul, I’d lost many of my memories. It was only later, as I gradually recovered them, that I came to realize who I was.

“But all of that is in the past. What’s the use of discussing it now? The Infernal Palace has long since been consigned to the long river of history. Only I remain, but I’m just a rootless ghost drifting aimlessly throughout this world.”

Here, Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer looked at Su Yi. “Everything I did over the following years, I did to repair the Reincarnation Grounds. I hoped to restore the Reincarnation Pool to its former state and help revitalize the Sacred Tree of Samsara…

“But then, I bumped into you as you explored the Netherworld in search of the secrets of reincarnation.” Here, he grinned. “When I first met you, I really did have ulterior motives. I wanted to see if I could borrow your power to repair the Reincarnation Grounds. That was why I gradually guided you and shared leads regarding the secrets of reincarnation.

“But later on… How do I put this? After I truly got to know you, I had to admit that your breadth of spirit, demeanor, and majestic bearing had won me over. In the end, I decided to lead you to the Reincarnation Grounds. I wanted to see if you could realize your ambitions.”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Not even I would have guessed that you’d successfully open the Path of Samsara within the Reincarnation Pool, or that you’d successfully achieve rebirth!

“Ever since, I realized that although the natural order of reincarnation had been severely damaged, it hadn’t truly dissipated!”

Su Yi interrupted him here, and he didn’t sound at all friendly. “But you told me that so long as I grasped the mysteries of the Reincarnation Pool, I’d be able to achieve rebirth!”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer was instantly sheepish, but he fired back, “Is that important? You really did grasp the secrets of reincarnation and open the Path of Samsara!”

There was no arguing with that.

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. “No wonder so many unexpected developments arose after I reincarnated five hundred years ago. I almost failed completely, and I didn’t even have time to finish making arrangements before my rebirth.

“That’s why I was trapped in the Path of Samsara for hundreds of years before finally achieving rebirth. So, the path was incomplete this whole time!”

Hearing this made Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer increasingly ill at ease. He coughed dryly, “Despite some dangerous twists and turns along the way, you still succeeded in the end, didn’t you?”

Su Yi didn’t fault Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer any further. Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer had warned him that the Path of Samsara was full of unknowns, and he’d warned him to think it over carefully.

But in the end, Su Yi resolutely chose to pursue reincarnation anyway.

“Right, what exactly did you experience during your years trapped in the Path of Samsara?” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer couldn’t help but ask.

Su Yi’s eyes flashed, and for a moment, he turned silent.

“Slaughter. Eternal, endless slaughter. The path was full of utterly vicious, malevolent supernatural entities and spirits of the dead. Their ranks stretched as far as the eye could see. I killed and killed and killed some more, but there was no end to them. To survive, I had no choice but to devour them to replenish my exhausted power.”

Su Yi’s gaze was distant. “That lasted until one day, I arrived in a chaotic stretch of path. It was covered in indescribable misty light and shadows. Amidst the chaos, there grew a single, towering tree.”

Here, Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s expression shifted. He seemed excited, but also overcome with disbelief.

But in the end, he didn’t interrupt Su Yi’s tale.action

Su Yi continued, “It was certainly a distinctive kind of tree, but it was also somewhat similar to the Sacred Tree of Samsara growing in the Reincarnation Grounds. What made it different was that this tree emanated a mysterious, incomprehensible aura, and its branches were like paths extending endlessly into space. Even its leaves were unbelievable. Each reflected strange and varied visions of other worlds.”

Here, Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer could no longer suppress his excitement. He muttered, “That must be it! It has to be! The Tree of the Ten Thousand Worlds of Samsara born of the Netherworld’s source!”

Su Yi was stunned. “You know the tree’s origins?”

He’d never discussed his experiences on the Path of Samsara with anyone before. This was his first time speaking of them since his rebirth.

Who’d have thought that Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer, the first person he shared this with, would be able to discern that strange tree’s origins?

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer said impatiently, “Don’t ask questions yet. Keep going.”

Su Yi nodded. “At the time, I sensed how wondrous the tree was, and I attempted to sense and grasp its aura. It took over a hundred years of effort before I finally discovered the power of reincarnation and rebirth within the tree.

“Furthermore, as I contemplated, I refined much of the ambient chaotic energy. To my surprise, I discovered that my control over the profundities of reincarnation improved, reaching completion.”

Here, Su Yi sighed. “Alas, before I could refine any more of that chaotic energy, something happened. Comprehending the tree’s profundities triggered a resonance with its aura, and all awareness left me.

“By the time I regained awareness, I had already been reborn into my current body, and I had become the scorned live-in son-in-law of a clan in a remote city of the Azure Continent.”

Here, Su Yi’s lips curved into a smile. “As a man of two lives, all of my memories really do seem like they happened a lifetime ago.”

He recalled his lively, beautiful former little sister-in-law, Wen Lingxue, and all the friends he’d made during his time on the Azure Continent.

Almost two years had passed since he’d regained his memories.

“There’s no mistaking it. What you saw then was surely the legendary Tree of the Ten Thousand Worlds of Samsara!” Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer’s chest heaved with excitement, and even his lips quivered. “I would never have guessed that the Record of the Netherworld was right! The natural order of reincarnation might have been severely damaged, but the most primordial power of reincarnation still grows within the Netherworld’s source!

“That means that so long as I can find the Netherworld’s source, I can bring the complete power of reincarnation back with me and restore the Reincarnation Grounds!”

Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer was almost incoherent with excitement. He’d completely lost control of himself.

There was no doubt about it. The secrets Su Yi had just shared came as a massive shock, but also as an unexpected delight.

As Old Ghost Coffin-Bearer gradually calmed down, Su Yi asked as if all of this were perfectly normal, “Don’t you think it’s your turn to answer some of my questions now?”

This time, the old-timer didn’t even pause to think before straightforwardly agreeing.