A being caught in the cycle of reincarnation has no control over life and death.
Li Xiuyun, lacking even the strength to bind a chicken and possessing a cowardly disposition, faced a situation where death seemed inevitable.
Wu Ming, however, sensed something “unusual” from this choice.
“An enemy? Or something else?”
Wu Ming’s eyes darkened, yet he did not immediately set off.
Even if Wu Qing and Wu Zhi had fallen into such a predicament, he wouldn’t recklessly plunge into an unfamiliar world without assessing the situation.
“Still… I must investigate this unknown matter!”
This wasn’t merely about rescuing someone, but about understanding the situation to respond accordingly. If there were other permission holders scheming behind the scenes, they must be identified and eliminated to prevent future calamities.
“They say ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ but that’s not really my style!”
Wu Ming shook his head and once again activated his authority as a Master of the Main God to obtain more information about the mission world.
His current authority level was extremely high—so high that even the Main Shrine couldn’t estimate it. The mysteries involved could only be explored through his own continuous experimentation.
At that thought, a prompt window from the Main God appeared:
[Judgment in progress… Permission granted! You will receive detailed information about the mission world!]
[World Name: Turmoil of the Great Shang!]
[World Description: In the late Shang dynasty, celestial phenomena drastically changed; ominous stars disturbed the world. The Shang Emperor ruled tyrannically, attempting to gather the golden essence of the world to cast twelve golden statues, seeking immortality and eternal dominion over the land. Millions of laborers were mobilized, and with help from strange individuals, the natural balance was disturbed, causing endless droughts and floods, widespread suffering, and the outbreak of rebellion across the land.]
[This mission is a team battle mission! Scenario size: Massive! Number of Reincarnators: Thirty!]
[Mission Difficulty: Yellow!]
[Note: This mission is a real-world mission; Reincarnators will physically manifest in the world! Factions will be evenly assigned!]
“The end of the Shang dynasty? Twelve golden statues?”
Wu Ming was well aware that this “Shang” likely wasn’t the same dynasty from his past life, as emperors back then hadn’t yet adopted the title of emperor, nor would they have sought twelve golden statues.
“This Shang dynasty must be the one preceding the Great Zhou world… I’ve heard of the legends of the twelve golden statues. It seems this Main Shrine has extracted a historical segment from the Great Zhou world?”
Wu Ming recalled historical records describing the Great Zhou world’s history, which was generally divided into three eras: ancient, middle ancient, and recent ancient.
In the ancient era, humans and deities coexisted. It was even rumored that people lived for hundreds of years, born with extraordinary divine abilities—able to grasp stars with their hands and carry mountains on their shoulders. This sounded much like the mythological tales of the primordial chaos from his previous life, which Wu Ming found hard to believe.
Then came the middle ancient era, marked by the rise of humanity. A dynasty called “Yan Han” ruled for thousands of years, creating a brilliant civilization. Its territory roughly corresponded to the Central Plains of the present Great Zhou dynasty, hence the common people often referred to themselves as “Han people,” a tradition with deep historical roots. Yet, for unknown reasons, the dynasty suddenly collapsed.
After Yan Han came the modern era, encompassing the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.
Following the Great Xia came the Great Shang. The last Shang Emperor ruled tyrannically, paving the way for the rise of the Great Zhou’s founding ancestor, who stabilized the Central Plains and established a dynasty that had lasted nearly three hundred years.
“Still, compared to my first mission in that small village, this is truly a grand undertaking by the Main Shrine… A team battle mission with a massive map—could it be the entire world?”
Wu Ming’s eyes darkened as he focused on the difficulty rating.
“Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow; Universe, Chaos, and Primordial—this time, it’s already reached the Yellow level!”
“The Great Zhou world is unfathomably profound, likely the deepest foundation I’ve ever encountered. In a time of imperial decline, all sorts of strange and terrifying beings will emerge, not to mention numerous earthly immortals at the level of land immortals…”
Wu Ming’s expression grew increasingly grim: “This level of difficulty… It’s a trap for newbies! A huge trap!! A deadly trap!!!”
Even Wu Ming himself would have to tread carefully in such chaos. Even Wu Zhi, despite her extraordinary talent, had only managed to operate within two provinces during the Great Zhou’s turmoil, never daring to interfere directly in the grand affairs of the realm.
“Could this be a trap designed to lure me in?”
He sensed a deep “malice.”
After all, even as a Master of the Main God, his physical body could still be killed, his true soul destroyed, and his permissions revoked!
“But… I have no choice but to go. Even if I escape this time, can I escape the next?”
Wu Ming murmured: “Concerning the struggle for permissions, my only advantage might be that my status as a Master of the Main God exceeds their expectations…”
He immediately focused his mind and communicated with the Main Shrine: “If I enter this mission, can I conceal my identity and number as a Reincarnator?”
Being dragged along by others’ plans was too pitiful; one misstep could lead into a trap. To break free, even if he couldn’t leap out of the chessboard, he should at least first extricate himself from the game.
[Yes!]
The Main Shrine thundered in response, displaying a reply.
“Good… but still not secure enough!”
Wu Ming sat cross-legged, his astral projection in the form of a feather-robed, star-crowned soul emerging, also reaching toward the gates of the Main Shrine: “Leave my physical body in the Main Shrine Space and only enter the mission with my astral form…”
This was a precaution he had prepared.
If things went awry, he could abandon his physical form in that world and escape with his soul, making things much easier.
As for the requirement of real-world manifestation in the mission? Hmph? For a permission holder, this rule could be completely ignored.
[Yes!]
The Main Shrine was merely a rigid program; after verification, it still provided a response.
“Now then…”
A faint smile appeared on Wu Ming’s face: “Of course… I won’t go in person!”
This situation was too suspicious; only a fool would risk himself directly!
Instantly, his soul returned to his body. He made a hand seal, and a golden talisman flew out, vibrating anxiously, yet having nowhere to hide or escape.
Golden divine energy radiated in waves, displaying its power, yet at the center, a hint of black qi lingered.
“Main Shrine, identify and appraise!”
A column of light descended, and the Main Shrine, impartial and swift, displayed:
[Item Name: The Divine Edict of the City God of Chufeng Prefecture]
[Quality: Imperial Fifth-Rank Golden Edict]
[Effect: A credential for the authority of a local city god. If refined into one’s body, there is a small chance of ascending to the rank of a true deity!]
[Restriction: Great Zhou World, Chufeng Prefecture, Prefectural Capital!]
[This item can be recycled for 500 Tian Merits. Do you wish to submit it to the Main Shrine?]
“Just as I thought!”
Wu Ming smiled. This divine edict was precisely what he had seized from Wang Zhong after defeating him, snatching it before Ao Nu could intervene.
He had originally planned to bestow this blessing upon the spirit of an ancestor from the Wu family, but with the current urgency, he naturally used it now.
“Five hundred Tian Merits? That’s worth more than the land god’s edict!”
Wu Ming stepped forward, tapped the screen, and sighed in frustration upon finding the price couldn’t be increased: “Must be already boosted by my permissions. Well then! Exchange it!”
Boom!
The golden divine edict vanished under the column of light, and Wu Ming’s Tian Merits instantly increased by five hundred, bringing his total to five hundred and fifty!
“From the previous mission, I gained one hundred Tian Merits! The Canghai Yue Ming Pearl and the Su Hou Pearl were of equal value, originally costing one hundred Tian Merits. With my permissions, I paid fifty, leaving me with fifty…”
Wu Ming estimated and then pulled up the exchange list: “Search for techniques and treasures that can assist in forming an external incarnation and a second soul, preferably something quick to master…”
Since his soul could go as well, there was no need for his primary soul to take risks; he could send his second soul instead.
This method was inspired by what he had seen from Ye Bai during his last mission.
Unfortunately, Ye Bai’s permissions hadn’t yet reached the level of a Master, otherwise he could have sent only one incarnation into each mission, sitting safely while reaping the rewards.
“Still… Last time was a battle for permissions, so the Main Shrine probably wouldn’t have let Ye Bai exploit any loopholes. It would have required all three souls to participate, otherwise how could it strip away permissions? This mission is different, and my permissions are far beyond Ye Bai’s, giving me room to maneuver…”
Swish!
A curtain of light descended, displaying a dense list of exchange options:
[《One Qi Manifests the Three Pure Ones》: A Primordial Great Technique, capable of splitting into Tai Qing, Shang Qing, and Yu Qing’s three incarnations. They can gather into forms or disperse into energy, generating all things from three, endless and beginningless. If an incarnation is destroyed, it can be reborn in an instant! Exchange Requirement: 500,000 Tian Merits! (Out of Stock)]
[Chaos Bell: A Primordial Chaos Treasure! Its power is vast; shaking it can unleash earthquakes, fire, water, and wind, reshaping the primordial world! It can serve as a vessel for the soul and an external incarnation! Exchange Requirement: 600,000 Tian Merits! (Out of Stock)]
…
Wu Ming looked embarrassed: “Remove all the out-of-stock items…”
A flash of light, and the first few dozen entries vanished, leaving more practical options below.
[《Buddhist Three Lifetimes Dharma Body》: A Buddhist technique that uses great vows and perseverance to collect incense and prayer power, forging a golden body for three lifetimes! It can endure calamities and possesses profound mysteries! Exchange Requirement: 10,000 Tian Merits!]
[《Three Corpses and Seven Killings Soul Division Method》: Cultivates seven killing souls, splits them into three, attaches them to the three corpses, employing brutal methods that easily invite heavenly punishment! Exchange Requirement: 300 Tian Merits!]
…
“No quick techniques… Let’s look at the treasures instead…”
[Xuanpin Pearl: A century’s worth of a cultivator’s essence, can serve as a vessel for the soul! Exchange Requirement: 100 Tian Merits!]
[Thousand-Year Fire Spider Core: A strange fire spider that forms a core after a thousand years, can become a second soul, with fire elemental abilities! Exchange Requirement: 300 Tian Merits!]
[Yuanpin Tian Pearl: A ten-thousand-year-old giant clam, born from the essence of heaven and earth. Consumed raw, it can transform marrow and blood, resist all diseases, prolong life, and serve as a vessel for a second soul, granting an innate primordial energy body! Exchange Requirement: 500 Tian Merits!]
[Xuepo Pearl:…]
…
“To create a simple external incarnation, the Xuanpin Pearl would suffice… though it’s a product of the demonic path, there are still some taboos…”
Wu Ming rubbed his chin: “Besides… I’m not that desperate!”
He immediately said: “Main Shrine, exchange for Yuanpin Tian Pearl…”
With his permissions, it only cost 250 Tian Merits. The remaining merits naturally went toward techniques and materials for soul division and primordial energy nourishment.
He also used his Master of the Main God permissions to slow the flow of time within the Main Shrine Space to the minimum, quietly cultivating.
“I’ve done all I can. If Li Xiuyun can’t even survive this short time, then it’s just his fate!”
…
Boom!!
Who knows how long passed, within the Main Shrine Space, a layer of clouds appeared, wrapping around a pearl, which then transformed into a human figure.
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