No, something was wrong.

Jian Chou’s reaction and response, even the expression on her face – nothing was right!

Yue Ying’s eyelids immediately began to twitch.

He stared at Jian Chou, his eyes unmoving, but his mind was rapidly racing through everything from the Polar Domain of the Primordial Realm to this Pangu Desolate Domain, from beginning to end, every single detail…

Finally, a flash of inspiration struck through the confusion like lightning!

Strength!

Her strength!

Since Jian Chou had the strength to counter the deities and even destroy the Ancestral God, how could she possibly not have detected the methods he employed and tricks he used within Pangu’s dreamscape?

A trap!

This was a trap!

No matter what purpose this female cultivator had behind her actions, she had definitely deliberately let him steal that box containing the incense, and when he lit the incense earlier, she hadn’t stopped him either!

At this moment, Yue Ying was actually just as bewildered as the previous deities and Upper Void immortals, completely confused by Jian Chou’s wavering stance.

But the only thing he could determine was that his lighting of this incense was exactly what had fallen into Jian Chou’s trap!

So the moment he understood, Yue Ying’s heart was already ice-cold. In shock, he instinctively turned and flicked his finger toward the purple incense hanging in mid-air, wanting to extinguish it!

But how could Jian Chou not have anticipated this move? Without even withdrawing the cold smile on her face, she simply raised her five fingers from afar!

A resounding “hum” echoed.

A sheet of pale red-gold light suddenly covered the purple incense like a solid fortress.

When Yue Ying’s finger strike hit it, it didn’t even raise a speck of dust before shattering thunderously!

“My incense is not something you can take when you want or extinguish when you please!” Jian Chou’s palm quietly pressed against the hilt of the Thread of Heaven sword. Her previously raised five fingers lightly flicked, sending the one-armed Yue Ying in the void crashing to the ground. “I did indeed receive your care in the past, Friend Yue Ying, or should I call you Senior ‘Nine-Headed’?”

“It really was a scheme!”

Yue Ying, or more appropriately called “Nine-Headed Bird Yue Ying,” truly hadn’t expected that despite all his calculations and precautions against the deities, against the Upper Void, even against Xie Buchen who was being used as a chess piece, he hadn’t guarded against Jian Chou!

Under Jian Chou’s palm strike, He could barely move.

Having first lost more than half his strength in the great war over a thousand years ago, then having just fought fiercely with Xie Buchen, how could He possibly contend against Jian Chou with his meager remaining strength?

But the more it was so, the more unwilling he became!

“Just you – you also want to replace Great Lord Pangu? The entire universe, all cultivators, are the Great Lord’s subjects, with the Great Lord’s ancient blood flowing in their bodies. You’re just a junior – what gives you the right to replace Him?!”

“Ancient blood of the Great Lord flowing in their bodies?”

Jian Chou raised her head, gazing at the purple incense burning in the void – not fast but definitely not slow either. She estimated the time it would take to burn out, yet appeared unhurried on the surface, her voice neither urgent nor slow.

Only the mocking tone couldn’t be more obvious.

“If there were no reincarnation, saying the entire human race were Pangu’s subjects would still be appropriate. But after reincarnation was established, the power of the Six Paths’ rules forcibly absorbed part of the deities’ existence, making the good ones reincarnate into the upper three paths and the evil ones into the lower three paths. Previous life as deity, current life as human, next life might well become pigs or dogs. Pangu created reincarnation partly to draw chaotic power to forge new souls, but partly to use reincarnation’s rules to make the superior and strong among the deity race become human! Rather than saying all people now have the Great Lord’s ancient blood flowing in their bodies, why not say that among the human race, some souls were once deities?!”

What Pangu and deities, what human race and demon race!

All exist in this universe – who can be above whom?

Yet they insist on creating these tribal distinctions and alienating views – truly ridiculous!

Pangu’s creation of reincarnation was merely forced by the critical situation at the time, plus His momentary personal belief. He attempted to use reincarnation’s rules to place the human race at the apex of the Six Paths. Through such daily accumulation, this growing while that diminished, naturally He could surpass the hundred races and dominate the universe!

But compared to this universe, how insignificant is the mere human race?

What does it amount to?

Yue Ying probably never expected Jian Chou to understand all of this so clearly. Looking back, he had no idea when or where she had penetrated all of this, so his inner shock was enormous, even somewhat disbelieving: “You actually know…”

“How else would I have laid today’s scheme?”

As she spoke, Jian Chou had already stepped forward, walking toward Him.

“I not only know everything about the Long Night War from ancient times, but also know everything about your secret infiltration into the Primordial Realm to scheme with the deity race and plan for Pangu’s resurrection!”

The incense continued to burn.

Pangu’s skull had completely opened, while on the other side, Xie Buchen’s blood-red eyes showed countless changing storms!

Within the three drops of heart blood incense were hidden the insights and mental states of that old house’s owner from nine lifetimes!

At this moment, they all flowed with these three drifting wisps of incense fragrance into Xie Buchen’s tenth lifetime divine soul!

His entire person’s realm was visibly soaring!

In the blink of an eye, he broke through Holy Immortal and reached Celestial Venerable!

The too-rapid breakthrough speed caused blood vessels to appear on his face, but also endowed him with explosively growing power!

However, no matter how strong he became, those three wisps of incense fragrance still shrouded him. Even though his tightly gripped ink ruler had cut through his palm, blood flowing everywhere, he couldn’t break through this restriction even a tiny bit!

Jian Chou heard all this but didn’t turn back for even a glance.

She continued walking toward Yue Ying step by step.

Her light voice continued, laying out the other party’s past deeds one by one, so He would die thoroughly and clearly.

“You were originally Pangu’s mount, coming with Him to break through realms and arrive at this universe, migrating the human race. But unexpectedly, when this universe was first born, besides chaos, there was also the deity race fighting and killing within the chaos.”

“Great Lord Pangu created heaven and earth, tearing apart chaos.”

“But his relationship with the deity race changed from initial peaceful coexistence to mounting conflicts.”

“The human race needed to multiply and thrive, to master the various newly born rules of this universe. Those successful in cultivation then called themselves ‘immortals.’ The deities feared the human race’s gradually strengthening power, and also learned about so-called likes and dislikes, benefits and harms from the human race’s arrival – learning none of the good but all of the bad.”

Thus, soon there was the ancient Long Night War, the deity Mu Death who sacrificed himself in the war between the two races, and reincarnation.

“But Great Lord Pangu also exhausted his own power in this war.”

“He was not originally a being of this universe. Migrating to this realm yet having such a massive body, while we later cultivators are all so small in comparison, shows this universe truly cannot contain His existence, and He might not be able to obtain enough power from this universe to support His existence.”

“He fell into slumber, his shell becoming the Desolate Domain; but you did not.”

“You were Pangu’s mount – how could you watch Him sleep as if dead?”

“So first, to prevent the deity race’s conspiracy to overthrow reincarnation, and second, to find a shell that could contain Pangu’s divine soul and bear his transfer, you returned to the Primordial Realm.”

“Before the first Yin-Yang Realm War, the Six Paths reincarnation rules themselves actually gained will and gave birth to Lord Qin Guang. Though I don’t know whose handiwork this was, from later clues I suspect the deity race had already secretly infiltrated the Primordial Realm then, secretly interfering to give it will. So Lord Qin Guang, born from the Six Paths reincarnation rules, acted only to destroy reincarnation – that is, to destroy himself.”

“You couldn’t stop all this, and were even killed during the first Yin-Yang Realm War, leaving only a wisp of remnant soul lurking in the eighteen layers of hell.”

“But precisely because of this, you finally discovered that suitable person…”

Jian Chou blinked and finally turned again to look at Xie Buchen.

At this time, he was no longer trying to struggle, but had cast aside everything external, like a cultivator fallen into sudden enlightenment, actually closing his eyes.

She knew this wasn’t giving up.

On the contrary, he already knew his current power was limited, and the greatest crisis had yet to come. Everything would explode when the incense burned out – that would be his final chance!

“This person’s first lifetime was as emperor of a human island, possessing outstanding cultivation talent, skilled in formations. The Eight Palace Yama Kings all greatly appreciated him and wanted to promote him. But unexpectedly, this person was quite ungrateful, insisting on reincarnating again to be emperor.”

“All the Yama Kings discovered no clues.”

“But only you discovered that what this person intended to do was not so simple.”

“Because this person actually went to great lengths to obtain three drops of your heart’s blood from your battlefield remains, using them to make incense, wanting to preserve all his mental states and insights before entering reincarnation.”

In worldly affairs, how could there be no wind or leaked information?

Man acts, Heaven watches.

Schemes one thought perfectly planned and complete might have long fallen into others’ eyes, secretly manipulated without knowing.

“You were originally a nine-headed bird – when someone used your heart’s blood to make incense, how could you not know?”

“Especially since you were originally Pangu’s right-hand man. When Pangu’s shell was damaged, you had already taken His heart’s blood for later use, mixing it with your own. Otherwise, you couldn’t have passed through the Primordial Tribulation to return to the Primordial Realm, much less shuttle between Yin and Yang realms, carrying ghosts through reincarnation.”

“This was an opportunity that came to you.”

“So you began watching him.”

“After this person’s second lifetime ended, he returned to the Polar Domain, even back to that old house in the City of Unjust Deaths. Using the books and records left from his previous life, he continued his cultivation. Then he changed methods, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea, reincarnating as human again. Because the Six Paths reincarnation rules determined that only ‘people’ who died unjustly could enter the City of Unjust Deaths, only thus could he return to his old house time after time.”

“Finally, he reached his ninth lifetime.”

“Hundreds of years passed. He had thoroughly understood everything learnable and cultivatable in the entire Polar Domain, even developing various mysterious and wonderful techniques. He set up a scheme in the old house, waiting for later arrivals to light incense for him. What remained was to return to reincarnation, return to the human island, just waiting for a suitable opportunity. When that later arrival lit the incense, he could obtain all the experiences and mental states from his previous nine lifetimes. Even ascending to immortality in one step might be possible.”

“Such painstaking effort, deceiving heaven and cheating the dao, could truly be called a generation’s hero.”

“Only pity that he didn’t know that when he chose to make incense with nine-headed bird heart’s blood, his hundreds of years of scheming had all fallen into others’ eyes.”

Speaking to this point, Jian Chou slightly closed her eyes, as if emotional tides were surging.

“What you needed was a shell strong enough to contain Pangu’s divine soul and a divine soul able to bear his power. But the deity race’s conspiracy to destroy reincarnation was implemented quickly. Even Lord Qin Guang became an existence that would destroy reincarnation. Though you could directly light the incense, you dared not appear within the range of the Polar Domain’s seventy-two cities. Because once you appeared, you might expose your tracks, causing all this to fail.”

“So you found another way.”

“After this person once again left the old house to enter reincarnation, you painstakingly schemed, targeting the most prosperous immortal sect on the Nineteen Provinces’ lands at that time – Kunwu.”

Those bloody scenes from the past immediately rolled in memory.

Jian Chou had reached Yue Ying’s presence.

Their gazes met, crashing together with deep sea-like wave sounds, equally obscure and calm, with only swift undercurrents!

“Master Hengxu clearly hadn’t opened the Zhou Tian Star Array, yet calculated Kunwu’s hundred-year calamity. It was you behind the scenes who made him have a dream he himself didn’t know about.”

“Because you wanted this person to become Kunwu’s Dao child, receiving the best cultivation.”

“But Hengxu, holding this prophecy obtained from dreams, deeply feared the four words ‘replace and substitute’ in it. When going to the human island to take him as disciple, he deliberately incited this person to kill his wife to prove the dao, only to plant inner demons in this person’s heart, so he could never truly replace himself in the future.”

“And that person who was killed was me, standing before you!”

Speaking to this point, Jian Chou’s overwhelming killing intent finally poured out!

“Whether you or him, who doesn’t scheme to the utmost? Only pity that all actions in this world produce reactions! When you discovered such a special existence capable of bearing Pangu’s divine soul from myriad lifetimes of reincarnation, another special existence would inevitably be born as balance! This existence is also me!”

In other words, Xie Buchen’s ten-lifetime scheming had fallen into His trap; Master Hengxu’s great mistake was due to His deception; and her originally peaceful, tranquil life was also broken by this person, from then on stepping onto a path she originally would never have walked!

Until today, raising this butcher’s blade!

“Hahahaha, your guess is absolutely correct, but so what?” Even knowing Jian Chou still had follow-up moves, and knowing that after Jian Chou had clarified all these grievances, he probably could no longer live, Yue Ying still burst into laughter. “The Great Lord’s life equals the universe’s – immortal and indestructible. Even if you know the whole story, you absolutely cannot replace Him! You all are just small chess pieces! He is Pangu, this universe’s only Great Lord!”

What fine words – “just small chess pieces,” “only Great Lord,” and even better, “absolutely cannot”!

How many times must she say it?

In her world, among all possibilities, the only one that didn’t exist was the possibility of “impossible”!

“So what if he’s Pangu?”

Jian Chou’s frozen eyes already overflowed with fierce, murderous malice. The moment she drew her sword, a long sword cry resonated through heaven and earth!

“What I want to kill is precisely Pangu!”

Yue Ying was ultimately unwilling to die, at this moment transforming into moonlight-like snow radiance to flee outward!

The purple incense in the void had already burned to its final half-inch!

He actually wanted to rush over in these final moments to extinguish it!

But Jian Chou seemed to have anticipated his move. She raised her leg in a Heaven-Overturning Seal, already stepping him underfoot, sword rising and falling!

“Swish!”

Head and body immediately separated!

Brilliant purple blood gushed out, splashing all over her!

She held the sword in one hand and threw Yue Ying’s head to the ground with the other. The originally quite handsome human head actually transformed into a huge, snow-white bird head the moment it hit the ground!

Nine-headed bird – ten necks, nine heads.

This bird head was the head that should have grown on the nine-headed bird’s tenth neck!

The final half-inch of purple incense finally burned out.

In the Primordial Realm, Zhang Tang also seemed to sense something, raising his hand to cast a seal technique!

“Rumble!”

All the reincarnation pool water above the eighteen layers of hell surged, and the Heaven-Opening Ghost Axe hanging above the pool actually collapsed thunderously after intense flickering!

What also collapsed was the final reincarnation of this universe!