C960 Reborn
"Three hundred years ago, my name was Hong Qi!"
"Three hundred years ago, I was known as Hong Qi!"
The voices of Yu Yuan echoed simultaneously from two different locations.
"Hong Qi!"
"The God of Medicine, Hong Qi!"
"The unparalleled alchemy prodigy of the Order of Healing from three hundred years ago! Hong Qi, who had not yet embarked on the path of cultivation, yet had already stirred up countless storms of bloodshed in the Everlands!"
"Yu Yuan is actually the reincarnation of Hong Qi!"
"..."
Outside the Moonfall Sanctuary, powerhouses from across the Everlands gasped in astonishment.
At the edge of the Serpent Spine Mountains, near the forbidden area, Chu Yao was seated atop a red copper cauldron, reeling as if struck by an immense force.
The cauldron beneath him trembled violently, spewing streams of flame and light.
The gleam in Chu Yao's eyes seemed to dissipate with the cauldron's quaking, leaving him in a daze, muttering to himself, "He... he didn't perish! The Reincarnation Pill actually worked! He... he succeeded!"
Chu Yao couldn't bear to gaze upon the wall any longer, nor could he bring himself to look at the phantom within. It was as if he was overwhelmed with shame and had no place to hide.
Whoosh!
The red copper cauldron, now his life-bound weapon, sensing the turmoil in his heart, drifted backwards, returning to the domain of the Sacred Hands.
"Hong Qi!"
On the Mountain of Flames, Mo Baichuan, usually a man of few words, uttered a deep, resonant call.
Within the depths of Mo Baichuan's eyes, wheels of burning sun seemed to form, as if he were trying to penetrate the wall and discern the true nature of Yu Yuan's soul.
It all made sense now; the reports he had received about a young man from Asvetaesi who appeared to have mastered the "Nine Glories Wheel"...
Three hundred years ago, he and Hong Qi had been friends. He had personally bestowed the "Nine Glories Wheel" spell to Hong Qi, forming a good bond over the exchange of the pill Hong Qi had crafted for him.
Since the "Nine Glories Wheel" was his own creation and not a teaching of the Sunlit Order, he had not violated any sect rules.
Now, with Yu Yuan's confession of being Hong Qi, Mo Baichuan's mouth twisted into an exceedingly bizarre expression.
"Hong Qi!"
Many of the venerable Sword Immortals from the Thunder Sect, Abyssal Dawn, Cloudwater Sect, and Ebon Star, along with others from the Sword Sect, gasped in astonishment. Each of them wore an expression as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes fixed on the silhouette within the barrier.
"Ji... Junior Sister Ji?"
Van Heqing, wielding the Shatterblade, spun around, his gaze locking onto the slightly trembling Stardust Blade. His voice was severe, "Regardless of who he once was, he is now a traitor to the Everlands! Ever since he rejected our terms and made his choice, his fate has been sealed; no one can alter it!"
"I... I need some time alone."
Ji Ningshuang inhaled deeply, her eyes brimming with unspoken words as she briefly met Yu Yuan's gaze. Then, she swiftly maneuvered the Stardust Blade and descended into the expansive Serpent Spine Mountains, vanishing in an instant.
It seemed she sought a secluded place beyond detection to clear her thoughts.
"Hong Qi!"
The Peacock Queen, now in human form, reacted as if she had been startled by a shot arrow, quickly folding her splendid tail feathers. "You wretched thief! I knew you weren't so easily defeated! After three hundred years, to see you again! You must return the Celestial Plume you swindled from me!"
"God of Medicine... Hong Qi!"
Zhou Cangmin and Faang Yao exchanged glances.
Then, defying the restraint of their leader Zhang Guanyu, the bald and one-armed Faang Yao rose into the air. Under Zhou Cangmin's astonished gaze, he bowed silently before Yu Yuan.
With utmost respect, he performed the gesture before retreating to stand behind Zhang Guanyu once more.
"The Venerable One once saved my life. Both my late master and I owe him a debt of gratitude," Faang Yao offered an apologetic explanation to Zhang Guanyu.
Zhang Guanyu sighed and nodded slightly in understanding. "I know."
"So, there's more to the story," Zhou Cangmin mused, enlightened.
A prodigy in his own right, Zhou Cangmin was much younger than Faang Yao, though they shared the same Solar Spirit rank.
He was aware that the Order of Healing had once boasted a member named Hong Qi three centuries prior.
But since Hong Qi lacked the aptitude for cultivation and didn't live past a century, Zhou Cangmin was unfamiliar with the finer details of his story.
When Yu Yuan boldly proclaimed himself to be the God of Medicine, Hong Qi, within the barrier, Zhou Cangmin was astonished to discover that everyone from the Peacock Queen to Faang Yao, including the Golden Elephant God and Yao Huangqi, quickly overcame their initial shock. They all chose to believe him, convinced that he was indeed Hong Qi, the God of Medicine from three centuries ago. Did this young man possess such enchantment?
"Hong Qi!" Mo Yan, atop the Abyssal Winged Lizard, was struck with realization and found some solace, "I suffered defeat in the Embers Sea, and couldn't kill him in the Sundering Isles. Having been gravely wounded in the Land of Terror, at last, there's a logical explanation! He is Hong Qi, who, even without cultivating, caused turmoil and harmed countless individuals!"
Mo Yan, a practitioner of the Life Transformation Wheel dark arts, was in truth over fifty years old. Repeatedly outmaneuvered by Yu Yuan, he harbored resentment and began to question his own abilities. However, upon learning that Yu Yuan was the reincarnation of the God of Medicine and Poison God from three hundred years ago, Mo Yan suddenly felt that his losses were not in vain.
"Since he is Hong Qi, my defeat doesn't seem so dire. I imagine my father won't fault me for my shortcomings once he learns the truth," he mused.
Yao Huangqi and the King of Wraiths, along with the two Unbound cultivators from the Devil Palace, were visibly moved, yet they remained silent.
Upon learning that Yu Yuan within the barrier was the God of Medicine from three hundred years ago, many followers from the Poison Cult and the Binders of Shadows wore peculiar expressions. Numerous elders from both groups had deep connections with Yu Yuan and had benefited from his guidance and favors. Thus, after facing the truth, those who were already indecisive found themselves hesitating once more.
"Congratulations on your successful rebirth," offered the Golden Elephant God from the summit of Gold Mountain, addressing Yu Yuan in human form. He, too, was an acquaintance of Yu Yuan from three hundred years prior, having had dealings that left them on amicable terms. It was this recognition, upon Yu Yuan's revelation and demonstration of his true self, that brought an instant rush of familiarity to him, leaving no room for doubt in his belief of Yu Yuan's claim.
Yu Yuan was convinced that he was indeed Hong Qi!
"Regardless of your identity, you've made your choice," the Golden Elephant God said with a hint of regret, shaking his head gently. "And that choice has sealed the outcome of your life."
"What a waste of a divine ingredient for alchemy," Yao Huangqi lamented.
Within the barrier, Yu Yuan observed the Golden Elephant God, the Peacock Queen, Faang Yao, Zhou Cangmin, and the others.
His gaze finally settled on Yao Huangqi. "Don't be so sure of your victory. Don't assume the Dark Herald can turn the tide."
With those words, his real body and the Crucible of Evil vanished from within the barrier.
Whoosh!
The dark cauldron soared out, materializing in the night sky of the forbidden area. He stood within the cauldron, eye-level with the Dark Herald who was disseminating the Blighttoxin.
"It's been a while," he greeted her first.
He seemed oblivious to the fact that the Blighttoxin emanating from the Dark Herald could silently engulf both him and the Crucible of Evil.
The Blighttoxin preyed upon all souls and spirited bodies, eroding everything in its path, including the Bane.
"It's been a while," the Dark Herald responded softly. Her eyes, a mosaic of rainbow clouds, appeared to be a collective of thousands of souls in contemplation. "My mission here is not to confront you, but to target the Soulforge Matrix you wield. Soon, every life and soul within this forbidden area will be permeated by the Blighttoxin."
"This realm will become akin to the land of my birth within the Rainbow Ocean. With the spread of the Soul Plague, there's no need for the matrix to shatter; all beings here will perish. My power and the plague I spread will also ravage the Soulforge Pool and the stone effigy of the Sword Prison."
"In the end, I will usurp you as the sovereign of the Moonfall Sanctuary!"
"This domain will forge me, allowing me to master the dark arts, merge with the forbidden area, and attain supreme liberation—a feat the Terra Fiend has never achieved."
"I will forge a miracle!"
