Chapter 1571: Reincarnation Tomb Keeper

Jiudao Yi spoke up, offering a public apology. "My apologies, everyone. This child has lacked proper guidance since he was young. He’s rebellious and often causes trouble. I'll certainly teach him a good lesson when we get back!" However, his words completely lacked sincerity. Was this really just a matter of "causing trouble"? What was particularly striking was how Jiudao Yi meticulously wiped down his bronze war spear, as if concerned its tip might have been damaged. The crowd was speechless. Many creatures on the Reincarnation Path had been utterly obliterated by Chu Feng's thrown bronze spear, yet here he was, cradling it as if in pain.

"Friend, isn't that a bit excessive?" a Celestial King from the Yuan clan called out from high in the sky.

"You're still here?!" the Dog Emperor snarled, baring his broken fangs, menacingly adding, "Do you want to leave another arm behind, just like that?"

From outside the heavens, the ancient ancestor of the Four Tribulation Sparrow clan also spoke, "Heh, the position of Heavenly Emperor will be decided very soon. No matter what, we must speak our minds and put forward the most suitable candidate!"

A sigh echoed, and from the collapsing, blurring Reincarnation Path, a shadowy figure emerged. It appeared incredibly frail, its body hunched and ancient, reduced to skin and bones like a living skeleton. It resembled a prehistoric specter returning to the world. As it grew clearer, one could see its hair was almost entirely gone, its facial skin and scalp withered and clinging to its skull.

"Everyone, this is truly unjust! Someone killed my disciples and followers, yet it's being brushed aside so lightly?" This old specter-like creature was formidable, at least a Celestial King. Jiudao Yi's expression turned grave as he scrutinized it intently.

"There is indeed some injustice!" the Four Tribulation Sparrow was the first to concur. The Yuan clan and the Renwang Mo family members also nodded in agreement.

"Everything has its karma!" Jiudao Yi's face darkened, and a red glow even flickered in the depths of his eye sockets. "Who established this Reincarnation Path?" he demanded.

Jiudao Yi was referring to *that* individual – the one who had left nine vermilion ancient coffins in the depths of this Reincarnation Path, even interring their own child there. Yet, the beings now emerging from this very place had betrayed their original purpose. They repeatedly obstructed that individual's later descendants, demonstrating hostility towards First Mountain and attempting to kill Chu Feng, among other things. A powerful killing intent thus continuously surged in Jiudao Yi's heart. He revered that individual above all else. Now, with everything left behind by them, even their child's burial place, being compromised, how could he not be enraged? This was why he had allowed Chu Feng to unleash his full deadly power!

Of course, he wasn't particularly worried about the Reincarnation Path or the nine vermilion ancient coffins left behind by that individual. This path was a realm of reincarnation, powerfully carved out by that individual when they couldn't find what they sought by excavating the ancient netherworld, making it distinct from the original netherworld. Jiudao Yi firmly believed that nothing could shake it. His indignation stemmed from the betrayal of the creatures residing within the Reincarnation Path.

Jiudao Yi surmised that these creatures were originally meant to be guardians, akin to tomb keepers. Instead, they had seized the place and claimed it as their own. This was egregious. Betraying the trust of that revered individual and then turning against their descendants in this lineage—such an act, upon careful consideration, warranted execution!

Jiudao Yi challenged them, "Have you forgotten your original purpose? Do you still remember the mission you were entrusted with? Although I don't know the specifics, I can fully surmise that this place does not belong to you. At the end of the Reincarnation Path are nine ancient coffins. If those within them awaken, can you withstand their fury?" He believed that some of the beings in the nine ancient coffins might indeed revive and reappear in the world one day.

He consistently believed that the child of that preeminent being could not truly perish. Given that individual's world-shaking power, unparalleled throughout ancient and modern times, how could they stand by and watch their own offspring descend into eternal oblivion? If their child could not be revived, it would be a fate too devastating, too cruel, and too desolate for that supreme being.

A sigh escaped the hunched, specter-like creature from the Reincarnation Path, who then spoke, "There are indeed tomb guardians, but I am not one of them."

Hearing this revelation, everyone was shocked. Jiudao Yi erupted in fury. "You dare to invade this place? You shall all be utterly annihilated!" he declared.

Who would dare such a thing? Even the bizarre, the inauspicious, and creatures from the sacrificial grounds dared not trespass here. Yet, others were so brazen? "Though I am not a tomb guardian, I do have a connection. This is not an invasion; I am qualified to reside on the outer periphery of this path," the old specter-like creature explained.

"Old Man Skin, should we step in and help you clean house, wiping him out together? Let's go for something big! If we excavate this path, we might unearth a treasure trove of good things!" The Dog Emperor, always eager for more excitement, egged them on.

"Everyone, please allow me to finish," the old specter-like creature earnestly explained, clearly not wanting a major conflict at this moment. "Who would dare enter the area designated by that supreme being? What you perceive is merely the outer, unrelated periphery. We ourselves only dwell in ownerless territories, regions outside the reincarnation path established by that individual. These are all subsequent, naturally formed 'reincarnation path spiderwebs' that developed around the path *they* opened!"

This explanation caused everyone to gasp in astonishment. Could the reincarnation path established by that individual truly be so immensely powerful? Even heaven and earth naturally coalesced around it, forming dense, spiderweb-like paths of reincarnation.

Did this imply it was now comparable to the ancient netherworld path from the most ancient era, which connected directly to the heavens? That path, predating even the most ancient era before the fall of emperors, was rumored by some to have manifested from the Great Dao itself, while others claimed it was forged by beings from an unrecorded celestial age.

Regardless, its origins were utterly terrifying. The bizarre creatures that first inhabited the ancient netherworld were mere parasites, far from being its true masters.

Now, to their astonishment, people learned that the path established by that supreme being resonated with all the heavens, causing countless new, spiderweb-like reincarnation paths to spontaneously form around it—a truly awe-inspiring phenomenon.

"Friends, do you intend to kill me?" the old specter-like creature calmly stated. "Though I am not a tomb guardian, I am certainly not weak, and there are more than just one or two of us!"

"Believe it or not," Jiudao Yi sneered, "I will cleave you alive right now and then exterminate every single traitor on your path!" He firmly believed that some of the tomb guardians must have defected.

"Friend, let's refrain from fighting," the old specter-like creature advised. "We truly wish to avoid a major conflict. So many years have passed; the world has seen great changes. Some individuals have long since grown into powerful magnates. You, it would be best not to shout such threats."

"Friend, there's no need for conflict!" At this moment, voices began to chime in. Among them were individuals from the Four Tribulation Sparrow clan, as well as those who leaned towards Jiudao Yi, such as the ancient ancestor of the Six-Eared Macaque clan.

None of them wished for any unexpected developments. The former group feared Jiudao Yi might activate some hidden stratagem left by that supreme being, while the latter worried that a truly unparalleled entity might emerge and slay Jiudao Yi.

"Everyone, the greater good is paramount; we cannot afford internal strife. Our goal must be grand unification!" "Indeed, fellow Daoist Jiudao Yi, you yourself said that the situation is dire, the end of the world is nigh, and we are at a critical juncture for the survival of our races. We cannot afford further depletion. We must unite as quickly as possible; grand unification is of utmost importance!"

Several figures stepped forward, including fallen Celestial Kings and Celestial Kings from other great worlds, jointly urging Jiudao Yi to desist. The Dog Emperor and the Corrupted Corpse also spoke up privately. After all, if the tomb guardians were truly individuals who had survived from that ancient era until now, it was plausible that some had attained the supreme cultivation level!

These beings had, all along, resided in the peripheral regions of reincarnation—such entities were simply unfathomable. Having just endured the battle of the Soul River, the Dog Emperor and others were still somewhat apprehensive and had no desire to confront supreme beings again.

"Alright, let's put this aside for now," Jiudao Yi sneered. "We'll settle all accounts when the time comes. If any tomb guardians truly betrayed, I won't even need to lift a finger; someone will clean house on their own, heh!" His words sent shivers down many spines, even causing Celestial Kings to feel a profound, soul-deep terror.

Certain individuals, certain domains, were simply untouchable and could not be betrayed; otherwise, colossal karmic repercussions would follow! This was a shared understanding among all the ancient monsters. After all, even the bizarre and the inauspicious entities were unwilling to actively meddle with anything related to that supreme being.

Jiudao Yi nodded. "Since that is settled, let us discuss important matters. Let the non-essential individuals withdraw, like those disgusting, strange, and inauspicious monsters. If they are still lurking, fellow Daoists, let us unite and eradicate them!" He then added, glancing at Chu Feng, "And of course, someone like you should also depart soon."

"Why?" Chu Feng asked, taken aback.

"You're just getting in the way here and can't offer any real help," Jiudao Yi calmly stated. "We'll reach a conclusion quickly. Go get some experience!"

Clearly, he was being dismissed. Chu Feng was speechless; ultimately, he held no real authority, and no one would heed his opinion if he remained.

"No rush," Chu Feng began, trying to stall. "I want to catch up with Sister Yaoyao, and I have many things to discuss with Senior Yu Shang. I also have important matters to talk about with Zhou Xi, and accounts to settle with Ouyang Dalong, and secret discussions with Old Gu, I..." He continued to make excuses, reluctant to leave, but Jiudao Yi cut him off directly.

"What 'you what you'?" Jiudao Yi interjected. "Go, now!" After that, he turned to the old specter emerging from the Reincarnation Path and added, "As long as you and I don't personally intervene, you can handle the others as you see fit. You can pursue and hunt down Chu Feng—yes, you are permitted to do that! Of course, True Immortals are not allowed to interfere indiscriminately, and decayed cosmic beings are to remain out of the fray!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished. As expected... First Mountain lived up to its notorious reputation as a treacherous sect. It seemed none of its disciples throughout history had survived, save for Li, who had feigned death for eons. How had they all perished? They must have all been cunningly led to their deaths this way!

This lineage, though ostensibly dedicated to cultivating the most powerful individuals and providing the most rigorous and terrifying trials, was in truth prone to exceptionally high attrition rates. The mortality rate among its disciples was simply horrifying.

After so many years, where were the members of this lineage? All had vanished. Some claimed the entire lineage had been wiped out, while others speculated its disciples had been dispatched to a vast battlefield to fight in another realm.

Chu Feng, standing like a statue carved from mud and wood, inwardly longed to curse. His status as a nominal disciple was nothing more than a title, devoid of any real significance or connection to First Mountain. Yet, this old scoundrel actually intended to set him up for such a fate.

The old specter-like creature immediately chuckled. "Heh heh, very well. I've already heard that this child is exceptionally gifted and formidable. On my Reincarnation Path, we have an abundance of one thing: geniuses. Heroes from past eras are countless, accumulated over generations. Many were once the strongest of their time, sealed away in the Reincarnation Hall for countless years. It’s high time they were released!"

Many present were instantly gripped by terror, as they realized a profoundly serious and horrifying implication.

Throughout history, certain peerless geniuses and invincible mythical figures had mysteriously vanished, not due to old age or battle, but simply disappearing without a trace, becoming insoluble riddles and cold cases. Could it be that all of them had ended up on the Reincarnation Path?!

"Damn it all! Come on then, come, come, come! I, Emperor Chu, can take on a hundred, kill a thousand, annihilate ten thousand! I, the invincible Chu, look down upon the world—who dares to contend with me?!"