"Indeed, there is a concealed spatial gateway over there."
Hun Lao spotted it immediately and informed Ye Yunfei, pointing out the precise location.
"Yes, I can sense it now. This spatial gateway is incredibly well-hidden. Even I almost missed it."
Ye Yunfei focused his Soul Power and carefully scanned the area. Sure enough, he detected slight spatial fluctuations at that spot. As a Divine King, his current Soul Power far surpassed that of an ordinary Heavenly God, reaching the level of a Sovereign God. Yet even with his present Soul Power, he couldn't perceive the gateway instantly, a testament to its extreme concealment.
"I can sense it too. So this is the Reincarnation Cave. Do the beings of this world truly use this cave to reincarnate after death?" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked, somewhat surprised.
"Master, perhaps it's merely a legend. We've already explored several Reincarnation Passages before, and all were found to be abandoned. I suspect this Reincarnation Cave is similar—just another defunct reincarnation path," Hu Miao interjected.
"That is possible," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement. After all, all the reincarnation passages they had explored previously were indeed abandoned. Ye Yunfei suspected that all reincarnation passages in the current world were defunct. The Reincarnation Sect, which was said to govern the cycle of Samsara in ancient legends, had perished, and the passages followed into disuse. Legend stated that in antiquity, the Reincarnation Sect was primarily responsible for managing Samsara and maintaining its order. Once the sect perished, the Samsara order naturally vanished as well.
Just then.
"Eh? What are those? They seem to be heading towards the Reincarnation Cave."
Huang Shang suddenly exclaimed in astonishment.
Hearing this, Ye Yunfei immediately turned. In the distant space, four or five ethereal, faint silhouettes were slowly approaching. These figures were extremely illusory, flickering between existence and non-existence. If Huang Shang hadn't spotted them first and drawn Ye Yunfei's attention, Ye Yunfei likely wouldn't have noticed them specifically. Encountering a few remnant souls was quite normal; any world would contain many such lingering spirits.
Soon, those four or five illusory figures arrived before the Reincarnation Cave. They seemed completely unaware of Ye Yunfei's group. Moving in a swaying, slightly stiff manner, step by step, they proceeded towards the cave's gateway and walked inside. Their forward progression appeared somewhat peculiar and a bit rigid, moving with a pendulum-like motion, resembling zombies.
"Young man, these undead souls are preparing to enter the Reincarnation Cave for reincarnation. The deceased are to be respected. Unless there was some deep-seated hatred in life, we should not casually disturb their entry into the cave," the Ancient Sheep Tribe's Grand Chieftain sent a voice transmission to Ye Yunfei, obviously also seeing the ethereal figures.
"So these fellows are the undead? They are indeed filled with the aura of death, even seeming to lack much autonomous consciousness. Should we stop them for a thorough study?" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked curiously.
"No. There is no grievance between us. We should not interfere with them casually," Ye Yunfei immediately replied via voice transmission.
"The undead exist in a very special state. Compared to a Soul Body, the undead indeed possess little autonomous consciousness. They harbor subconsciousness—the instinctive consciousness imprinted deep within the Soul Body. One could say the undead are comprised of the essential elements extracted from the Soul Body, such as the subconscious, the soul's origin, or deep memories. In short, they belong to a more illusory category, yet they are also the essential components that make each living being a unique self," Huang Shang explained. As a ghost cultivator, he could distinguish between a Soul Body and the undead, but he momentarily struggled to find the precise words to describe it.
"Too complicated. I'll simply call them ghosts," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said, curling his lip.
"Exactly! The undead are closer to ghosts, or rather, they are a type of ghost. Most ghosts in the world are formed when undead souls fail to get an opportunity to reincarnate and remain lingering in the mortal realm," Huang Shang immediately nodded in agreement.
"Hmm, I understand. The undead before us are indeed quite different from a true Soul Body," Ye Yunfei nodded.
By then, those figures had already entered the Reincarnation Cave.
*Whoosh!* The cave suddenly emitted a strange light.
Vague yet distinct, along with the light, came continuous, obscure, and difficult-to-decipher chants—like the incantations chanted by Taoist priests in the mortal world to liberate and transcend the deceased.
"The reincarnation passages we explored before were all abandoned. Yet, this reincarnation path before us appears to be functional," Hun Lao suddenly remarked.
"Yes. The fact that undead are entering indicates that this reincarnation passage might be operational. Can those undead truly reincarnate through this cave?" Hearing Hun Lao's words, Ye Yunfei's eyes couldn't help but light up. Because Su Qingluo was the palace master of the Reincarnation Palace and had disappeared within a reincarnation passage, Ye Yunfei always felt compelled to explore any reincarnation passage he encountered, naturally in the hope of finding clues to Su Qingluo's whereabouts.
"With this Grand Chieftain following us around, it's not very convenient to enter," Hun Lao, understanding Ye Yunfei's thoughts, sent a voice transmission.
"So this is the Reincarnation Cave. There doesn't seem to be much to see here. Grand Chieftain, I plan to find a place to meditate quietly and await the arrival of the reincarnation ceremony," Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said to the Ancient Sheep Tribe's Grand Chieftain.
"Very well, young man. I will arrange an advanced cultivation cave abode for you," the Grand Chieftain offered.
"That won't be necessary. I'll just find a random mountain range," Ye Yunfei replied, then turned and departed.
Elder Qi, along with a dozen or so True Gods from the Alliance Army, followed behind Ye Yunfei.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei found a valley in a nearby mountain range, entered it, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate and recuperate. Elder Qi and the dozen-plus True Gods from the Alliance Army also sat cross-legged nearby.
* * *
"Grand Chieftain, each of these outsiders possesses a formidable aura. Their strength seems... fearsome. Those beings following that young man—each one emanates an abyss-like profundity. Why do I feel they might all be... True Gods?"
At a distant location, the Ancient Sheep Tribe's Grand Chieftain led several trusted subordinates, observing Ye Yunfei's group from afar. Although the three major tribes now treated Ye Yunfei as an honored guest, this Small World had been sealed for a long time and maintained a vigilant wariness towards outsiders. This cautiousness towards outside beings was a trait passed down through generations and could not be changed in a short period.
"Each of these outsiders is a formidable expert. Moreover, they don't seem to harbor any ill will towards our world. On the contrary, they gifted a large batch of Divine Pills. Therefore, we must treat them well and should not casually disturb them."
The Grand Chieftain observed Ye Yunfei's group for a while longer. Finding nothing amiss, he gave instructions to his subordinates and then quietly departed.
* * *
However, the Ye Yunfei in the distant valley was merely a clone. His true self had long since left in secret and returned before the Reincarnation Cave.
Ye Yunfei employed a highly advanced invisibility secret art and used the jade ruyi to conceal his aura. Thus, although there were many patrols around the Reincarnation Cave, none detected him.
"Let's go in and take a look."
Ye Yunfei stood before the Reincarnation Cave, sensing it for a moment before whispering.
He was well aware that a living being entering the Reincarnation Cave would undoubtedly encounter various dangers. But as a Divine King, Ye Yunfei possessed the skills and daring.
Walking up to the cave entrance, Ye Yunfei took a step inside.
*Boom! Boom!…*
Immediately, a terrifying energy surged from within the Reincarnation Cave, pressing down upon Ye Yunfei.
Undeterred, Ye Yunfei strode forward, his internal energy erupting vigorously. Taking firm strides, he forced his way into the depths of the cave.
"It seems similar to those previous Reincarnation Passages. No real difference," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm remarked immediately.
Ye Yunfei had entered different reincarnation passages several times before. The circumstances inside were largely similar, and this Reincarnation Cave appeared identical.
Once inside, there was a passageway extending inward, filled with the energy of Samsara and the laws governing it.
*Boom! Boom!…*
Vast, rolling Samsara energy surged towards Ye Yunfei like a turbulent sea, seemingly attempting to repel and expel him.