The countless runes that had filled the chamber glowed with an ancient brilliance.
Each rune was no larger than a palm, yet together they formed an immeasurable web that sealed heaven and earth alike. The space around Lin Sheng had become as solid as steel. Even breathing felt difficult.
His muscles instinctively tensed.
Every strand of Gang Qi within his body was suppressed.
Not even his mental field could spread beyond three feet.
The Chip continuously sounded warnings within his consciousness.
> Warning.
Unknown high-grade formation detected.
Space locked.
True Essence circulation restricted.
Danger level: Extreme.
Lin Sheng silently dismissed every notification.
The old man standing before him appeared completely ordinary.
Yet beneath his feet, countless formation lines intertwined into patterns so profound that even the Chip could not fully analyze them.
This was no Rank Four formation.
It was far beyond that.
Lin Sheng slowly exhaled.
Rather than struggling, he clasped his hands respectfully.
"Elder... what do you want?"
His voice remained calm.
Panic would accomplish nothing.
The old man did not immediately answer.
Instead, he merely stared.
His cloudy eyes seemed capable of seeing through flesh, blood, meridians, and even the deepest recesses of one's soul.
Several breaths passed.
Then several dozen.
To Lin Sheng, every passing second stretched into an eternity.
Even with his calm temperament, cold sweat gradually soaked the back of his robes.
Finally—
The old man nodded faintly.
"So..."
"It is reincarnation."
"It is not possession."
He slowly stroked his beard.
"No trace of demonic qi."
The moment those words left his mouth—
The countless sealing runes surrounding Lin Sheng dissolved like mist beneath the morning sun.
The terrifying pressure vanished.
Lin Sheng's stiff body instantly regained control.
Without the support of the formation, he nearly stumbled before catching himself.
Only then did he realize how tense his entire body had become.
The old man's imposing aura also receded.
He once again resembled nothing more than a gentle elder enjoying retirement.
Looking at Lin Sheng's soaked robes, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Little fellow, you truly believed this old man intended to kill you."
Lin Sheng forced a bitter smile.
"With Elder's cultivation..."
"If you truly wished to kill this junior, resistance would be meaningless."
The old man nodded approvingly.
"At least you possess some self-awareness."
He slowly walked forward.
"The moment I sensed your soul, I suspected three possibilities."
"First..."
"A demon from the Demon Realm."
"Second..."
"A Nascent Soul cultivator possessing another body."
"Third..."
"A visitor from beyond."
Lin Sheng listened silently.
The old man continued.
"If you had been the first..."
"I would have destroyed your soul immediately."
"If you had been the second..."
"I would have destroyed your soul just the same."
Lin Sheng remained expressionless.
The old man smiled.
"But after observing carefully..."
"I discovered something interesting."
"You possess no demonic qi."
"Nor does your soul show the signs of forcefully devouring another."
"Instead..."
"It has completely fused with this body."
He pointed toward Lin Sheng's chest.
"This body recognizes you."
"This soul recognizes this body."
"There is no conflict."
"Only complete harmony."
He shook his head.
"That can only happen through true reincarnation."
Lin Sheng finally asked,
"Elder... what exactly is the difference?"
The old man slowly paced through the hall.
"Possession is theft."
"The soul seizes another's body."
"No matter how perfect the technique appears, there will always remain traces."
"The flesh resists."
"The soul rejects."
"The Heavenly Laws remember."
"But reincarnation..."
He raised a finger.
"...is rebirth."
"The previous life has ended."
"The next life has begun."
"The soul grows together with the body."
"They become one."
"There is no rejection."
"There is no conflict."
Lin Sheng quietly absorbed every word.
The Chip faithfully recorded everything.
The old man continued.
"Nascent Soul cultivators occasionally prepare reincarnation as a final contingency."
"When their physical bodies are destroyed, they may choose to leave behind arrangements."
"Should fate permit..."
"They are reborn."
"But..."
He smiled knowingly.
"Such cultivators awaken none of their former memories."
"They begin life anew."
"Only after cultivating back to the Nascent Soul Realm do the seals upon those memories gradually loosen."
Lin Sheng's pupils narrowed slightly.
"So even they forget?"
"They must."
The old man nodded.
"It is one of the fundamental laws governing reincarnation."
"No soul may freely carry the complete memories of its previous existence."
"Otherwise..."
"The balance of samsara would long since have collapsed."
He turned and looked directly at Lin Sheng.
"But you..."
His eyes became incomparably deep.
"You are different."
"You retained everything."
"Your memories."
"Your experiences."
"Your knowledge."
"You crossed worlds carrying all of them."
He sighed softly.
"I have lived for thousands of years."
"I have witnessed countless prodigies."
"I have even seen reincarnated cultivators."
"But someone like you..."
"You are the first."
Silence filled the ancient hall.
Lin Sheng's expression remained calm, but inwardly, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
The old man's gaze drifted toward the distant ceiling.
"There are countless worlds throughout the universe."
"Minor Thousand Worlds."
"Middle Thousand Worlds."
"Major Thousand Worlds."
"Our realm is merely one among countless stars."
He looked back at Lin Sheng.
"From the aura surrounding your soul..."
"You do not belong here."
"You are what ancient records referred to as..."
"A visitor from beyond."
The words echoed quietly throughout the inheritance hall.
Neither spoke again for a long time. Only the ancient formation beneath their feet continued to emit a soft, rhythmic hum, as though acknowledging truths that had remained hidden for countless millennia.
---
Lin Sheng's heart tightened.
The formation spirit looked directly into his eyes.
"What... do you mean?"
The old man sighed.
"When your previous life's memories awakened..."
"When your soul retained memories that should have been erased by the River of Reincarnation..."
"You became an anomaly."
"The Heavenly Dao noticed that anomaly the instant it was born."
Lin Sheng immediately asked,
"If it has already noticed me... then why am I still alive?"
The old man nodded.
"A good question."
"Because the Heavenly Dao cannot simply erase everything it notices."
"It follows rules."
"It first observes."
"It verifies."
"It judges."
"It then decides whether the anomaly threatens the balance of Heaven and Earth."
Lin Sheng remained silent.
The formation spirit continued,
"If you were a demon..."
"It would have erased you immediately."
"If you had seized another person's body through possession..."
"It would have destroyed your soul."
"If you attempted to overturn the order of this world through foreign power..."
"It would descend Heavenly Punishment."
"But you..."
"You merely awakened memories that should not exist."
"So it watches."
"It waits."
"It judges."
Lin Sheng frowned.
"So I'm under observation?"
The old man slowly nodded.
"Precisely."
"The Heavenly Dao has no eyes."
"It has no consciousness like ours."
"It observes through the operation of the world's laws."
"The more you interfere with destiny..."
"The clearer your existence becomes."
He pointed at Lin Sheng's chest.
"Every action that exceeds the world's natural order..."
"Pushes you further into the Heavenly Dao's sight."
Lin Sheng's expression became grave.
Silence filled the inheritance hall.
Finally, Lin Sheng asked the question weighing on his heart.
"What happens... when the Heavenly Dao finishes judging me?"
The formation spirit slowly closed his eyes.
"When that day comes..."
"It will send a Tribulation."
"Not one for cultivation."
"But one..."
"Meant solely to erase your existence."