novelraw Chapter 645: Life and Death Revealed Beneath Reincarnation
Chapter 645: Life and Death Revealed Beneath Reincarnation
At the moment he saw this butterfly, Ning Fan’s entire body was filled with a trembling of his blood, as if resonating with this butterfly!
He seemed to be the butterfly, and the butterfly seemed to be him!
Ning Fan already understood who this butterfly truly was!
"This butterfly... is my past life! It is confused because it sees its own future life!"
Within the elder’s memories, Ning Fan unexpectedly encountered his past life!
The butterfly in his past life could see him in his future life.
He seemed to understand something, yet limited by his realm, he could not fully comprehend it.
This encounter seemed like a deliberate arrangement of reincarnation, but the essence of reincarnation was far beyond his understanding.
In Mu Weiliang’s memories, Ning Fan had also seen his past life, had also once stared at the butterfly, but it was not as shocking as this moment.
Back then, his cultivation was weak, far from as profound as it was now.
At this moment, staring at the butterfly, it seemed as if he had grasped a thread of reincarnation.
"Reincarnation, reincarnation..."
"The butterfly is born before me, I am born when the butterfly has already died... Past and present lives cannot coexist, separated by life and death, thus separated by two lifetimes. This, is reincarnation."
"I saw the butterfly, I saw the past life, because I peeked into someone else’s memories, which is not surprising. But the butterfly also saw me... Why? What is it relying on..."
"How can it see me... see the future life..."
Ning Fan’s spirit ached, and he forcefully withdrew from this memory.
His eyes gradually cleared, his mind gradually cleansed.
He seemed to have forgotten everything, even forgetting Zhou Nan beside him.
In his mind, he was repeatedly contemplating this encounter.
As if understanding something, yet unable to see through anything.
The first step in cultivation is to enlighten life and death.
The second step in cultivation is to enlighten the true way.
The third step in cultivation is to enlighten time and space.
The fourth step in cultivation is to fully comprehend reincarnation!
Transcending life and death, reversing true void, rewriting time and space... step by step cultivation, only then can reincarnation be fully comprehended.
Ning Fan originally did not know these, at this moment, he was in a peculiar state, this state was the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man!
Originally, he did not know what cultivation was, but at this moment, he suddenly enlightened as if by divine intervention.
It turns out step by step in cultivation, is ultimately to fully comprehend reincarnation.
It turns out what he comprehended about life and death in the Ascension Tower, was just the first stage of reincarnation.
At this moment, Ning Fan’s eyes were vast and comparable to the Great Dao.
At this moment, Ning Fan’s gaze was like reincarnation, able to penetrate all life and death.
Life and death are encompassed within reincarnation!
His gaze swept towards Zhou Nan beside him, and to his surprise, he found that himself at this moment could directly read all of Zhou Nan’s memories!
He saw how Zhou Nan was born!
At the same time, he also saw how Zhou Nan would die in the future!
Without using any extra means, he saw the scene of Zhou Nan’s death many years later!
"In thirty thousand years, you will cultivate to the Sixth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, then perish when your lifespan ends," Ning Fan said to Zhou Nan, his tone indifferent as if it were the Dao.
Zhou Nan’s face was greatly shocked, more shocked than at any other time!
Even when seeing Ning Fan possess the cultivation of the Void Fragmentation realm, emerge with Lifedeath Dao Light, and defeat three traces, he was never this shocked.
But at this moment, facing Ning Fan’s gaze, he felt a sense of absurdity.
He felt that Ning Fan’s eyes could penetrate life and death, could see his life, his death!
Ning Fan said he would die in thirty thousand years, he believed!
Because immediately, he saw his own future from Ning Fan’s eyes!
"This... what a terrifying gaze! His eyes contain the supreme Great Dao!"
"I will die, in thirty thousand years, I will die..."
Zhou Nan was just thinking this when suddenly his divine sense ached, and he actually fainted directly.
And the short memory of knowing his death was forcibly erased by the Power of Reincarnation. If he awakens, he would not remember Ning Fan’s shocking gaze, would not remember his own future.
"Reincarnation... this is the power of reincarnation. Within my eyes, although only a trace of reincarnation power, Zhou Nan had no resistance..."
"To comprehend life and understand death, turns out to be just the first step in understanding reincarnation... life and death, true void, time and space, then reincarnation. At this moment, I can see one’s life, see one’s death..."
At this moment, Ning Fan did not emit a spirit sense, but his gaze could penetrate the entire Ascension Tower.
From the five-hundredth floor, sweeping all the way to the first floor!
All the cultivators in the cave dungeons, the cultivators outside the cave dungeons, at the moment they sensed this gaze, they felt a direct confrontation with Ning Fan!
Facing Ning Fan was like facing the entire Heaven and Earth, facing the Great Dao of Yin and Yang!
Their lives and deaths were all seen through with a single glance by Ning Fan!
"Fire Silkworm Tribe’s Canfeng, dies in twelve hundred years, cause of death is unsuccessful treasure snatching."
"Loose Cultivator Zhu Jun, dies in four hundred years, cause of death is Void Piece Stage heavenly tribulations."
"Elder Feng and Elder Lei, die in seven hundred years, cause of death is the battle of the Lightning Dragon Mountain ruins."
"Red Hall’s Chi Mei, dies in thirty thousand years, you have a chance to reach the Void Fragmentation realm, but you will die in the great calamity of the Red Hall while attempting turning broken bones into soldiers."
"Flying Sand Tribe’s Yangsha, dies in six hundred years, cause of death is the massacre of the Flying Sand Tribe..."
"Blue Wing Clan’s Wei Qing, dies in three thousand two hundred years, cause of death is being devoured by cold poison..."
"Pinwang Clan’s Xunlan, dies in fifty-seven years, cause of death is risking danger in a desperate situation..."
...
Ning Fan’s gaze swept through layers of caves, any cultivator swept by his gaze would instantly have their lives and deaths penetrated.
They would see their own death, and then faint on the ground, their memories erased.
Ning Fan’s gaze swept below the hundredth floor, golden sword lights and other Return to Origin Elder Fiend one by one fainted on the ground.
Each seeing their own death, their expressions showed extreme terror.
They knew that what they saw was not an illusion, but a true heavenly mandate!
They had not yet understood why they saw their own time of death, suddenly they were swept by Ning Fan’s gaze and fainted on the ground, memories erased.
Ascension Tower, the 35th floor!
Yun Youmu’s gaze changed dramatically, from the heavenly mandate, he saw he would die in a thousand years, cause of death is being devoured by Dao poison.
Without having reacted, he fainted on the ground, memories erased, still carrying a deep shock on his face.
Ascension Tower, the 29th floor!
Mox Tianjun just regained his cave, hadn’t even warmed his seat, his gaze turned fearful.
He was swept by an extremely terrifying gaze! Then he saw that in two thousand four hundred years, he would be dismembered and his tribe exterminated by enemies!
Without having reacted, Mox Tianjun similarly fainted on the ground, memories erased.
28th floor, 27th floor, 26th floor...
One by one, old monsters of the Void Fragmentation realm saw their own deaths, fainted on the ground, memories erased.
Whether cultivators of the Third Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, the Fourth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, or the Fifth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, no one could resist Ning Fan’s single glance!
Because Ning Fan’s eyes contained the Power of Reincarnation!
Ascension Tower’s 9th floor, "Sword Demon" Gong Yangzi saw himself dying in a year in the Immortal Burning Valley, his face showing great surprise.
Afterward, he fainted on the ground, memories erased.
Ascension Tower’s 8th floor, Xuanhuo Elder similarly saw he would die in the Immortal Burning Valley a year later.
He quickly fainted, losing this brief memory.
Ascension Tower’s 6th floor, Hex Shixiu sat cross-legged, suddenly swept by an extremely terrifying gaze.
In that gaze, he saw the heavenly mandate, saw his own death!
He was deeply shocked, shocked by his destiny and shocked by the gaze’s owner capable of peering into heavenly fate.
Hex Shixiu couldn’t think what realm of power would have such terrifying sight to see through heavenly fate.
Even the True Immortal Ancestor of the Qiongdao Sect absolutely didn’t possess such a dreadful gaze!
"Heavenly mandate! Heavenly mandate! I don’t want to die so miserably! But it is the heavenly mandate... Why does the mysterious strongman’s voice sound so familiar..."
"I remember now, this voice... is Baimu!"
Hex Shixiu’s heart surged with an immense wave, completely unable to believe that the person seeing through life and death would be Ning Fan.
The next moment, Hex Shixiu’s divine sense suffered pain, fainted on the ground, memories erased, all the shock forgotten.
5th floor, 4th floor, 3rd floor, 2nd floor...
One by one, the old monsters of the Fifth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm could not resist Ning Fan’s Power of Reincarnation in his eyes, fainted on the ground, memories erased.
Throughout the Ascension Tower, the only one not knocked out by Ning Fan’s gaze was the old monsters of the Seventh Heavenly Layer... Tan Longzi!
Though he wasn’t fainted by Ning Fan, the pain he suffered was countless times more than others.
Because while others fainted cleanly and swiftly, he tried to resist the Power of Reincarnation, thus the injuries in his divine sense worsened continuously.
What pained him the most was seeing his own death.
In his despair, Tan Longzi also started to be shaken.
He realized that within the Ascension Tower, entered an unparalleled character with the Divine Skills to peer into heavenly fate.
A single glance made him exhaust all his strength to no avail!
"Who is this person! Could it be a Fate Immortal or True Immortal from the Four Heavens?!"
While shocked, his expression suddenly changed.
He saw a young man in white, with eyes as penetrating as Tao, walking step by step toward the first-floor cave, approaching him.
"Tan Longzi, dies in twenty thousand years, cause of death is, failure in ascension to immortality..."
A mere glance from Ning Fan caused Tan Longzi, a cultivator with the power of the Seventh Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, to experience excruciating pain in his divine sense, almost making him faint.
He looked at Ning Fan in disbelief, finding it hard to accept that someone with such an extraordinary gaze was neither a True Immortal nor a Fate Immortal, but merely a junior at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm.
"To think that the one who revealed fate to me is just a cultivator at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm!" Tan Longzi’s gaze changed several times in just a few breaths.
He could see that Ning Fan’s cultivation was far inferior to his own.
But he also knew that at this moment, if Ning Fan wished to kill him, all it would take was a single glance.
Within that gaze, there existed a terrifying power he could not comprehend.
That power made him panic, made his heart and soul tremble, and filled him with dread, slowly eroding any will to resist.
That power could penetrate life and death, could glimpse into fate.
That power seemed to be the will of heaven itself!
"Young friend has shown this old man fate... Young friend’s divine skills are truly inconceivable." Tan Longzi said with a bitter smile.
He came to the Dragon Fish Gathering hoping to fish for a Dragon Ball, to slightly increase his cultivation, and to take a chance at becoming an immortal.
But after learning of his eventual failure and death two hundred centuries hence, his burning passion slowly cooled.
He had seen fate, and fate could not deceive...
Yet every time he closed his eyes, the image of his own death surfaced in his heart again, making him feel unwilling.
Fate had decreed that he would fall in two hundred centuries, but he was not resigned!
Having reached this stage of cultivation, Tan Longzi knew well that fate was inviolable and irreversible.
But amongst the powerful, who would willingly wait for death?
Even knowing fate could not be defied, they still wanted to fight, to struggle, to see if there was a chance to avert their destined tribulation!
"I am unwilling to fail in becoming an immortal, unwilling to fall with regret! But I know with my aptitude, becoming an immortal is already akin to surviving nine deaths... To fall is only natural... The will of heaven is hard to defy!"
Tan Longzi knew that with his own power, he could not contend against destiny.
His gaze suddenly fell on Ning Fan, and he was moved, shamelessly asking,
"Since young friend can penetrate the life and death of this old one, is there a way you can help me change my fate?"
"I cannot. Heaven arranges fate and likewise arranges a slim chance for survival. Whether fate can be changed, I do not know, but I lack the ability to help you change it," Ning Fan said indifferently.
"If this old one were to pledge allegiance to young friend and follow you, could young friend teach me the divine skill to glimpse fate, allowing me to alter my own destiny?" Tan Longzi asked somewhat nervously.
"Pledge allegiance to me, follow me?"
Ning Fan was slightly surprised at that moment, and as soon as Tan Longzi spoke these words, Ning Fan noticed a slight shift in Tan Longzi’s destiny.
In Tan Longzi’s fate of a hundred deaths, there suddenly appeared the slightest chance of survival.
Ning Fan shook his head; he could not impart the Power of Reincarnation to Tan Longzi.
His entry into the state of Unity of Heaven and Man was an accident, yet it seemed as if it had been deliberately arranged by someone.
He could glimpse fate, borrowing the Power of Reincarnation, using the eyes of reincarnation to penetrate life and death.
This divine skill, Ning Fan himself did not truly grasp, so how could he teach it to others?
Once the state of Unity of Heaven and Man was lifted, the reincarnation in Ning Fan’s eyes would vanish.
"This divine skill, I only happen to perform once, without truly mastering it, let alone being able to teach it to you. But if you were to follow me, your fate might be slightly influenced, leading to changes... If you pledge allegiance to me, two hundred centuries later, you will not fail in becoming an immortal. However, limited by your aptitude, your cultivation will only stop at the Fate Immortal Realm in this life."
"What! If this old one pledges allegiance to young friend, there is actually a chance at immortality in this life!"
Tan Longzi’s eyes lit up.
In that moment, Ning Fan seemed to become a lifeline in his destiny.
He wanted to try to rewrite his own fate!
...
Outside the Ascension Tower, people remained unaware of the great changes occurring inside the tower.
The only thing they could see was Baimu’s ranking continuously rising, eventually soaring from the twenty-third position to the first!
"Ancestor Baimu actually managed to snatch the cave from Senior Tan Longzi! That is simply impossible! One must know, Senior Tan Longzi is a formidable expert at the Seventh Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, absolutely impossible to lose to Ancestor Baimu!"
Everyone was in shock.
At this moment, no one believed that Ning Fan, with his First Heavenly Layer cultivation, defeated Tan Longzi.
Surely something extraordinary must have happened, otherwise, with Ning Fan’s cultivation, it was impossible for him to take the cave dwelling.
The Yuan Emperor’s gaze grew heavy, wanting to understand what exactly transpired within the Ascension Tower.
Regrettably, for the sake of fairness, the struggles within the Ascension Tower were invisible to outsiders, and no one knew what had taken place inside.
The rankings on the demon tablet showed no anomalies except for Ning Fan’s continuous rise in rank; everything else remained normal.
The Yuan Emperor took out the soul plate of Great Elder Zhou Nan, sending a few messages to the plate.
The response was Zhou Nan’s thunderous snoring.
"Asleep?" The Yuan Emperor was taken aback.
Without Zhou Nan delivering information, entering the tower personally was the only way to ascertain what happened inside.
There was still half an hour until the competition ended.
The Yuan Emperor considered it and decided it was unnecessary to make another move to enter the tower. Once the competition was over and everyone came out, everything would become clear.
The Ape Emperor closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the moment the competition ended, while brewing murderous intent against Ning Fan in his heart.
Half an hour passed in a flash. The Ape Emperor suddenly opened his eyes, and at this moment, the gate of the Ascension Tower opened!
Countless Masters perked up their spirits, gazing toward the gate of the Ascension Tower.
Gradually, cultivators began to fly out one after another, all of them were in a sleepy state.
They had just awakened from their slumber, and upon waking, they couldn’t remember witnessing their own death scenarios.
These old monsters, upon emerging, were greeted by numerous disciples asking all kinds of questions.
These old monsters still remembered being ’fixed’ by Ning Fan, and upon glimpsing the first place on the demon tablet, all their faces showed shock, and their fatigue vanished.
"The one who seized the first layer of the cave... unexpectedly is Baimu!"
Whether aware of Ning Fan’s Void Fragmentation realm cultivations or not, all wore expressions of shock.
After all, no one expected that Ning Fan could seize the cave from Tan Longzi.
Tan Longzi only snatched the cave on the twentieth layer.
Hex Shixiu and his group exited the Ascension Tower, all turning their gaze to the demon tablet.
With one glance, apart from Yun Youmu, the other three had shocked expressions on their faces.
"Just Baimu, was able to seize the first layer of the cave! How is this possible!"
Soon after, Zhou Nan also emerged.
"Uncle Zhou!"
Tan Zixin suddenly called out because she saw Zhou Nan, an old man flying out of the Ascension Tower, yawning.
Zhou Nan was startled and smiled as he flew towards Tan Zixin, took out the jade scroll testing Ning Fan, and handed it to Tan Zixin.
Tan Zixin took the jade scroll and just glanced at it, her pretty face immediately turned joyous.
"He, he can save Grandpa! He can!"
"What! Baimu can heal old... heal that person’s injury!" Zhou Nan was so excited he almost misspoke.
Only then did he realize that Tan Zixin approached Ning Fan not for romantic reasons but to heal the Old Yuan Emperor.
Suddenly, all cultivators present held their breath!
A white-clothed young man flew out of the Ascension Tower together with Tan Longzi.
That young man was Ning Fan, who turned this competition into chaos!
"He is the Baimu Ancestor who won first place in this competition!" Countless low-level cultivators on the high platform cast respectful glances at Ning Fan.
Many young women saw Ning Fan’s youthful appearance and couldn’t help but secretly admire.
"Hmph! Are you Baimu then!"
A discordant voice suddenly exploded like thunder throughout the North City of Heavenly Origin!
The moment this voice came out, Ning Fan’s gaze turned sharp.
On the north high platform, the figure of the Ape Emperor gradually dissolved into a remnant shadow.
In an empty space ahead of Ning Fan, suddenly appeared a densely haired black-robed burly man, who, without a word, reached out with five fingers directly at Ning Fan’s neck.
It was the Ape Emperor!
Just as Ning Fan showed up, he wanted to capture Ning Fan!
Everyone was shocked by the sudden change on the field.
Hex Shixiu’s eyes showed shock, then he coldly laughed.
"No need to mention how Baimu took the first layer of the cave... haha, he seems to have offended the mighty Daokong Ape Emperor. Well, this is going to be interesting."
The Yuan Emperor was also greatly shocked. He naturally did not expect that Daokong Ape Emperor would be so disregarding of his own status and directly strike at Ning Fan.
The Yuan Emperor’s physical defense was at the Nirvana Seventh Heaven realm, while Ning Fan was only at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation realm. The vast difference in their realms made many think that Ning Fan would be easily captured by the Daokong Ape Emperor.
Tan Zixin was shocked, her face changing with concern, and immediately transmitted to her father, hoping he would come to Ning Fan’s aid.
Upon hearing that Ning Fan might be able to heal the Old Yuan Emperor, the current Yuan Emperor’s face changed drastically and, without a word, decided to intervene to save Ning Fan.
Unfortunately, his cultivation was far inferior to Daokong and his intervention was too late. Even if he intervened, it was unlikely he could save Ning Fan.
"Killing is not permitted within Tianyuan City, but come with me and we can have a talk, alright!"
Daokong, intimidated by the Old Yuan Emperor’s prestige, dared not kill Ning Fan on the spot, but planned to temporarily capture him, take him away from the perimeter of Earth Yuan Palace, and then eliminate him.
This capture was not with full force, yet enough to easily seize Ning Fan.
Unexpectedly, just before his grip reached Ning Fan’s neck, Tan Longzi stepped forward, blocking Ning Fan’s path,
Tan Longzi’s gaze was extremely cold, treating Daokong Ape Emperor as a formidable enemy.
To him, anyone who dared assault Ning Fan naturally became his sworn enemy!
He abruptly raised his robe sleeve and fiercely swept it towards Daokong.
Though the robe seemed soft, it contained astonishing demonic power, imbued with great divine skills.
"This Baimu, you shall not touch! Void Technique, Sleeve Universe!"
Known for his peculiar dressing style, Tan Longzi was called the "Barefoot Taoist."
His renowned technique was indeed the Sleeve Universe Technique! (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)