Walking in the cycle of reincarnation

Chapter 6 The Cycle Begins Again

An invisible force of attraction arose from nothingness, gentle yet irresistible, enveloping Zhang Nanfeng's soul and drifting away, sweeping across the vast天地 (heaven and earth).

He drifted aimlessly across the vast river. Fishing lights flickered on the surface, oars creaked softly, but he could neither touch the cold water nor grasp the gentle breeze; he simply drifted silently under the moonlight.

Then he traversed thousands of mountains and ridges, where tigers roared and monkeys cried, and birds roamed freely. He reached out to try to grasp the flowing clouds and catch the flying birds, but his fingers only slipped through his fingers, unable to hold onto even a fraction of them.

Grasslands, deserts, bustling city life... all sorts of scenery flash before your eyes like a revolving lantern.

A child cries, an old woman smiles, a scholar carries his books to take the imperial examination, a general lays down his armor and returns to his field. He observes all the ups and downs of life from the sidelines, not daring to step inside.

Suddenly, a giant mountain appeared from the far horizon.

The mountain stands majestically, piercing the sky, its upper half hidden in a sea of ​​clouds, making it difficult to see its true form.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, the pull suddenly intensified, dragging him away from this world.

When I opened my eyes again, all around me was in chaos.

There was no sky, no earth, no light, no wind; it was as if the world had abandoned it.

Zhang Nanfeng's soul floated, in a daze, unaware of the time. Until a sliver of light flickered from the depths of chaos, like a lone star in the dark night, becoming his only support.

He followed the light, and the closer he got, the brighter it became. Only when he was close enough did he realize that it was a solitary stone platform with no support on any side and no support above or below.

Zhang Nanfeng suddenly regained his senses.

He recognized the stage.

After his sudden death in his previous life, his soul drifted here in a daze. Although the details of that time were blurred, he only vaguely remembered being cast into the animal realm by this stone platform, but he could still recognize it at a glance.

Unexpectedly, after going around in circles, I have returned to this place and seen this platform.

He looked down at himself and saw that he was still a rat with brown fur and a long tail.

Unexpectedly, even in its spiritual form, it could not escape its animalistic nature.

Just as he was sighing to himself, he suddenly saw a figure standing on the edge of the platform.

He would never mistake the figure's outline and posture.

"Su Chan!"

He spoke without hesitation, his clear voice echoing through the chaos.

The figure did not turn around, but remained gazing intently at the center of the Reincarnation Platform.

"Su Chan!"

He called again, his voice a few decibels louder.

The figure finally moved.

Su Chan slowly turned around, her cold face still etched with sorrow.

She glanced at him indifferently, without surprise or resentment, as if she had not recognized him at all.

"I......"

Just as Zhang Nanfeng was about to speak again, Shi Tai did not give him the chance.

The six-wheeled wheel in the center of the platform spun, Su Chan's plain clothes fluttered, his black hair flowed freely, and finally he turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the cycle of reincarnation, leaving no trace.

Zhang Nanfeng's belated apology remained unspoken.

His emotions surged, and as he recalled his life as a rat, he felt only a sense of estrangement and alienation.

Could it be... that this rat's body has swayed my true nature?

In his previous life, although he wasn't particularly enthusiastic, he wasn't this suspicious and cold-hearted either.

Zhang Nanfeng sighed softly, shaking off distracting thoughts. This was not the time for self-reflection; he needed to first uncover the mysteries of this cycle of rebirth and find his own path.

With Su Chan gone, the chaos became even more deathly still, causing his soul to ache faintly.

He looked around and saw only boundless chaos, with this stone platform being the only solid entity.

The platform was already dilapidated and riddled with cracks, as if it had suffered a great calamity. The four realms of gods, asuras, hungry ghosts, and hell were dim and lifeless, with only the human realm and the animal realm still retaining a faint light, barely managing to keep it running.

Why are there only two paths left out of the six realms?

In the myths of his previous life, the six realms were complete, the underworld was strict, judges wrote, Yama judged cases, Meng Po soup and ghost messengers were all available.

But here... there's nothing there, only a dilapidated stone platform that looks like ruins.

Is this world without reincarnation, or did it collapse due to a cataclysmic event? But just now, Su Chan... clearly entered the cycle of reincarnation as well.

Unable to figure it out no matter how much he thought about it, he could only worry about his own fate.

In the center of the six-wheeled wheel, something seemed to be hidden, but it was too far away to see clearly. He wanted to go up on the platform to find out what it was, but he was also hesitant.

But if we don't go up, where can we go in this vast chaos?

This place is even more suffocating than the alchemy chamber. The alchemy chamber still has four walls and a faint fragrance of spiritual liquid, but this place is empty except for the Reincarnation Platform. Staying here for too long will surely cause one's soul to dissipate and return to nothingness.

Zhang Nanfeng steeled his resolve, pushed off with all four feet, and climbed toward the Wheel of Reincarnation Platform.

The closer you get to the platform, the more shocking the cracks become.

There was nothing unusual or dangerous on the stage, so he began to carefully observe everything.

In the center of the platform floated a perfectly round ancient mirror, its light dim, surrounded by six wheels of reincarnation, like stars around the moon. The lights of the human and animal realms flickered, seemingly awaiting his choice.

It seems I still have a chance to be reborn, but... should I enter or not?

If one does not enter, one's soul will be scattered in the chaos.

enter......

He feared being reborn as an animal.

He suddenly remembered a story he had read in a book during his previous life—

A butcher, having killed too many animals, was sentenced to be reborn as a pig for seven lifetimes, suffering the torment of being slaughtered in every life, until his death in the last life, when he would remember his past and repent. At the time, it seemed absurd, but now, thinking about it, it sends chills down my spine.

Am I destined to be a rat in one life, a pig in the second, a cow or a horse in the third, trapped in the animal realm for seven lifetimes, with no hope of ever escaping?

But upon further reflection, he gradually calmed down.

His wisdom has never faded.

In his first life as a human, he died suddenly and was reborn as a rat, yet he remembered his past life from beginning to end. This shows that although he was destined for an animal body in the cycle of reincarnation, his human intelligence was not extinguished.

If that's the case, he will most likely retain it in his next life.

He comforted himself in this way, while still harboring a sliver of hope deep down.

What if? What if this time, he can become a human being?

He longed to be a human being. Even if he couldn't cultivate supernatural powers or seek immortality, he would be content.

Without further hesitation, he climbed toward the Six Paths Wheel.

As he stood still, the ancient mirror's surface shifted with light and shadow, recalling his entire life as a rat—

Hidden in the grass, practicing under the night breeze, amidst the blazing flames of the alchemy chamber, and finally, that belated gust of yellow wind. Countless images overlapped and surged, condensing into a beam of eerie light that pinned him firmly to the spot, unable to move.

Zhang Nanfeng's soul trembled violently as he felt a gaze sweep from the mirror, reaching deep into his soul.

That gaze was devoid of sorrow or joy, yet it instilled in him a fear of being stripped bare and standing naked between heaven and earth.

The mirror's eerie light intensified, and a voice neither male nor female, neither old nor young, boomed deep within his soul:

They are naturally suspicious and secretive, protecting themselves while being oblivious to their own conscience. They do not repay kindness but instead harbor suspicion. They accumulate deep negative karma. Although they regret it at the end of their lives, they cannot eliminate all kinds of evil obstacles. They are sentenced to be reborn as animals, and their minds are bound to repay past debts.

Zhang Nanfeng was startled by this sudden verdict. He was indignant and wanted to explain that he had lost the hearts of the people because of his rat-like nature, but he could not utter a sound.

He then recalled the story of the butcher who had been a pig for seven lifetimes. In the end, the butcher eventually returned to humanity.

Could it be that my repentance was not sincere enough?

Before the thought was even finished, a series of suction forces surged from the animal realm.

Even though Zhang Nanfeng was filled with resentment, he could only let the suction force pull him down into the animal realm for reincarnation.