Murong Han, ignoring the swelling on his face, hurriedly scrambled up from the ground and said, "I beg Lord Ying Nian not to be angry. This humble official will go and summon them immediately!"
After speaking, Murong Han instantly vanished in a flash.
"A bunch of reincarnated individuals actually dare to put on airs before us! They truly don't know what's good for them!"
Immortal Noble Ying Nian said disdainfully, "They're nothing more than former-life Immortals. Now that they've reincarnated, they're just lowly mortals, yet they still dare to put on the airs of Immortals!"
"Hehe!"
Immortal Noble Ruo Lan also laughed. "Never mind that they were merely Immortals in their previous lives. Even if they cultivate back to Immortality after reincarnation, so what?"
In the minds of many, the existence of reincarnated individuals was lofty, sacred, inviolable, and awe-inspiring.
At the very least, this was the case for the countless cultivators kneeling all around, as well as for the members of the Immortal Estate kneeling before the Monument Stele. If it weren't so, they wouldn't respectfully address those reincarnated individuals as Great Powers.
Although everything starts anew after reincarnation, their souls are still the Immortal souls of their previous lives. Coupled with the cultivation experience from their past lives, attaining the Dao and becoming Immortals again is merely a matter of time. Immortal Second-Generation individuals, because their parents are Immortals, are born with an 'Immortal aura.' While their souls may not be Immortal souls, they are absolutely not far off. Similarly, reincarnated individuals, because they were Immortals in their previous lives, also carry an Immortal aura after reincarnation.
Viewed this way, reincarnated individuals and Immortal Second-Generation seem on par, essentially appearing to have little difference.
But that's only how it appears. The essential difference is vast, even incomparable.
Although the souls of reincarnated individuals are Immortal souls, they are extremely weak Immortal souls. No matter how powerful the Immortal soul of the previous life was, after reincarnation it becomes utterly feeble. This is because during reincarnation, they must pass through the Gate of Reincarnation. That place exhausts everything of the soul. Countless souls of Immortal Great Powers have turned to dust within the Gate of Reincarnation. Even if one is fortunate enough to reincarnate successfully, it is absolutely a narrow escape from death, leaving them utterly exhausted.
The soul is unlike other things; it is very fragile, so fragile that even Immortals dare not casually cultivate it. Therefore, a weakened soul can only recover through gradual accumulation over time—perhaps a hundred years, a thousand years, or even ten thousand years.
And that's not even the most important part. The most crucial point is that reincarnation itself is an original sin, a violation of the laws of heaven and earth, and something that can bring judgment at any moment. In other words, all reincarnated individuals act in defiance of heaven, surviving in adversity. The tribulations they encounter are unimaginable to ordinary people. Whether it's condensing a Golden Core or nurturing a Nascent Soul, it is far, far more difficult for them than for ordinary people. Even a minor tribulation of spirit transformation could lead to their complete annihilation.
This is also why there is the saying: cultivation is not easy, but reincarnation is even harder.
However.
Immortal Second-Generation are different.
If reincarnated individuals act in defiance of heaven, then the existence of Immortal Second-Generation is acting in accordance with heaven.
Because they absorb the essence, energy, and spirit of their Immortal parents even in the womb, they are born with Immortal Roots. Whether condensing a Golden Core or nurturing a Nascent Soul, it is not only much easier for them than for ordinary people but also results in far greater power.
One survives in adversity; the other grows in favorable circumstances.
The outcome is predictable.
Moreover, during the late ancient era, due to the collapse of the Immortal River, countless cultivators from the three thousand great worlds luckily became Immortals. Such pseudo-Immortals themselves attained Immortality by chance and do not possess the true realm and strength of Immortals. Even if they caught the Reincarnation Storm and reincarnated, they are merely hollow shells, empty vessels bearing the title of Great Power without the corresponding realm.
Of course.
Nothing in the world is absolute.
Not all reincarnated individuals were pseudo-Immortals in their previous lives. There are also True Immortals, and not only True Immortals—there may also be Ascendant Immortals, Celestial Immortals, Golden Immortals, and so on.
Nor are all reincarnated individuals struggling to survive in adversity. There are truly great reincarnated powers who remain invincible even in adversity. However, such individuals are exceedingly rare. Even if they exist, the Immortal Dynasty nobles present here have no fear of them.
They are all Immortal Second-Generation. They are not unfamiliar with Immortals; on the contrary, they frequently interact with them. Having been exposed to them so much, they naturally do not hold Immortals in high regard.
Think about it: if they don't even put Immortals in their eyes, how could they possibly regard those reincarnated individuals who might have been pseudo-Immortals in their previous lives?
"Ying Nian, we have just arrived in the Northwest. It would be best for you to restrain your temper somewhat."
The voice of Immortal Noble Xing Yao came through. The originally overbearing Immortal Noble Ying Nian immediately became much more subdued. Clearly, he did not dare to disobey Immortal Noble Xing Yao's words. He responded, "Brother Xing Yao, I understand your meaning. But precisely because we have just arrived in the Great Northwest, we must take action this time to teach those ignorant reincarnated individuals a lesson. We need to make them remember and let them know who truly rules this world."
Ruo Lan also chimed in, "Exactly, Brother Xing Yao. Those reincarnated individuals are really too disgusting. As envoys, we represent the Immortal Dynasty. Not only did they not come out to welcome us, they didn't even show their faces. They truly don't put us in their eyes at all, nor do they take the Immortal Dynasty seriously. If we don't kill a few reincarnated individuals today to establish our authority, how will we establish ourselves in the Northwest in the future?"
As she spoke, Ruo Lan stroked the spirit fox in her arms. "Moreover, my daughter has been hungry for a long time... It's time to give her something good to eat. I just don't know how many of the reincarnated trash residing in the Northwest Immortal Estate are actually True Immortals. True Immortal souls are much more delicious."
Immortal Noble Ying Nian laughed. "Ruo Lan, how many True Immortal reincarnations do you think a remote borderland like the Great Northwest could have?"
"Hmph! If they're all pseudo-Immortal reincarnations, this young lady isn't interested at all. Pseudo-Immortal souls are as garbage as they come. I'd find them disgusting even if given for free. I won't let my daughter eat garbage."
"Hahahaha..." Ying Nian laughed heartily. "Alright, when those reincarnated individuals come out later, I'll find you a few True Immortal souls to feed our precious daughter."
"Hey, Ying Nian, don't take advantage. Qiao'er is my precious daughter, not yours."
Ruo Lan shot Ying Nian a glare, then added, "Besides, even if we're going to take action, it should be this young lady who does it. I've already yielded to you several times on the journey here. This time, I won't let you have your way again."
Beneath the Monument Stele.
The members of the Immortal Estate remained kneeling reverently on the ground. Hearing that several Immortal Nobles intended to kill the reincarnated individuals residing in the estate, they were terrified, their faces pale with horror. What made their hair stand on end even more was that the purpose of killing the reincarnated individuals was simply because the spirit fox was hungry. Could they really be planning to use the souls of reincarnated individuals to feed that spirit fox?