Chapter 776: Mysteries of the Reincarnation Well

“Golden Roc!”

Recalling their previous ordeal with the Phantom Ship—and determined to prevent the black mist from scattering them—Lu Changsheng immediately grasped Yun Wanshang’s delicate jade hand and Qian Zhuyan’s cold, rigid mechanical arm as he shouted toward the soaring Golden‐Winged Roc.

“Screech!”

The Golden‐Winged Roc shrieked, spreading its wings and diving down, trailing Lu Changsheng as it charged forcefully beyond the black mist.

Yet the endless black mist, like an invisible net, swiftly swallowed them, obscuring any path in every direction.

All around, nothing but swirling obsidian fog—resembling a barren, desolate wasteland—exuded an aura of deathly silence.

Lu Changsheng looked at Yun Wanshang with a grave expression and asked if she understood what was happening; however, she had no answer.

Despite having spent over twenty years in the Land of Eternal Night, she had never encountered anything like this.

“These Forbidden Mountains may harbor myriad spiritual objects, yet they are steeped in mysterious unknowns. It appears this is one such anomaly.”

Yun Wanshang said somberly.

Both she and Lu Changsheng believed that the strange, enigmatic phenomena of this realm were due to their insufficient power, preventing them from penetrating its secrets.

“Is there light ahead?”

At that moment, Qian Zhuyan noticed a faint glimmer emanating from where the black mist surged and remarked.

“Let’s go check it out.”

Lu Changsheng, his eyes aglow with interwoven golden luster, scanned the surroundings before deciding to move forward after a moment’s deliberation.

Every soft footstep rang clear in the profound silence and oppressive stillness of the fog.

Before long, they arrived at a point of brightness where Lu Changsheng spotted an ancient well standing silently.

The well, as if having endured endless ages, exuded an indescribable, mysterious antiquity with a faint light seeping from within.

“Reincarnation Well,”

Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath.

Though he had never seen it before, the moment he laid eyes on the well he inexplicably knew its name.

The Reincarnation Well was said to mirror one’s past, present, and future.

Furrowing his brow, Lu Changsheng marveled that such a phenomenal relic could exist in the Land of Eternal Night.

“Reincarnation?”

Could such a phenomenon be within reach of Core Formation or even Nascent Soul cultivators? Though he longed to witness his present and future, the system at his side—destined to elevate him to an ancestral status—made him instinctively wary.

Yet, surrounded by desolation and the ever-present black mist, he had no idea which way to retreat.

Moreover, he noticed that Yun Wanshang—the very hand he had been holding—had somehow moved to stand by the well, silently gazing at it. A sudden sense of unease gripped him.

His mind felt disordered. “What is happening?”

Observing the shifting expression on Yun Wanshang’s face, Lu Changsheng hesitated briefly before instinctively moving forward, his gaze fixed on the glowing Reincarnation Well.

In an instant, a rapid montage of images flashed before his eyes, as if he had glimpsed his present life and his future.

Having braved countless perils together to escape the Land of Eternal Night and break through to the Nascent Soul stage, Yun Wanshang exclaimed, “Lu Changsheng, it was thanks to you that I broke through to the Nascent Soul. How can I ever repay such a colossal debt?”

Over an endless sea, a gentle breeze stirred.

Yun Wanshang’s colorful palace robe billowed gracefully, outlining her flawless, enchanting figure. Her eyes, as deep as autumn waters, shone tenderly—part shy, part anticipatory—as she spoke.

“Between us, repayment is needless.”

Lu Changsheng cast a quick glance at the smooth curve of her waist and replied with a slight smile, “Back then, the immortal had promised a wedding for me and Xi Yue, but then vanished. As compensation—”

“Hmph, I knew you had ill intentions.”

With a light, playful chide, Yun Wanshang gave a subtle nod of agreement.

However, upon returning to Jiang Kingdom, they found that Bihu Mountain had been annihilated and the Immortal City of Damengze had crumbled into ruins. In that instant, Lu Changsheng was struck by a shock so severe it nearly drove him mad.

His greatest worry during his absence had been the dangers at home—especially after his earlier divinations had foretold calamities.

Now, this devastating scene pierced his very soul!

“This cannot be!”

Lu Changsheng bellowed, his eyes bloodshot and wild as if the crimson hue threatened to spread across his face, plunging him into intense agony and guilt.

At that moment, a surge of pristine spiritual energy materialized out of nowhere, steadying his mind and soul.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”

He felt the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror upon his chest quiver uncontrollably while a torrent of ice and fire coursed through him, as if reawakening his reason.

“Master! Master!”

Ah Wu’s emotionless, resonant voice echoed in his mind like a tolling bell.

A sudden shudder ran through Lu Changsheng as he sensed something amiss; his qi and blood surged, and the blood tint in his eyes visibly faded.

Surveying his surroundings,

he realized he was trapped in a cramped, pitch-black space.

A ghostly, smoky fog swirled around him—creeping like a malignant disease determined to consume him—yet the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror held it at bay.

“What sort of eerie force can create such a lifelike illusion, trapping me here without my noticing?”

Horrified, Lu Changsheng understood that the images of the Reincarnation Well and the oppressive darkness had all been illusions.

They had emerged silently from the deep, deathly black fog, ensnaring him without warning.

And it wasn’t just an illusion.

This space was slowly corroding his flesh and soul, intent on enslaving him and turning him into a mere husk.

With a grim visage, Lu Changsheng clutched the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror in his left hand while the Great Luo Sword Embryo materialized in his right, his qi and magical energy surging like a crashing tsunami.

In an instant, the unadorned Great Luo Sword Embryo interwove with dazzling, resplendent light, unleashing a torrent of sword qi as it cleaved forward.

“Pfft!”

A fissure appeared in the stifling darkness like a torn curtain. Seizing the moment, Lu Changsheng vaulted upward, using the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror to shatter layer after layer of black mist.

His Fiery Eyes of Truth gleamed brilliantly, emitting twin beams of radiance.

The boundless black fog began to recede like a tide, withdrawing toward the depths of the mountains.

Deep within the mountains, the darkness that once smothered all was no more.

In its place, towering columns of pitch-black, ink-like light shot skyward.

They resembled ancient serpents from the depths of hell, roaring as if eager to tear the heavens apart.

Above, a hazy, multicolored cloud of mist intertwined and clashed with the ebony pillars, generating an indescribably terrifying aura.

Even from a hundred miles away, Lu Changsheng found himself momentarily breathless under the immense pressure.

“This…”

A chill ran down his spine as he realized that the area ahead was fraught with danger—a genuine forbidden realm!

Gazing at the receding black fog deep within the mountains, Lu Changsheng shouted, “Qian Zhuyan, Golden Roc, Caiyun Zhenren!?”

Bound by a soul pact, he sensed that they were still trapped within the dense mist.

The Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror trembled slightly, its reflective surface revealing three silhouettes shrouded in darkness.

It was Qian Zhuyan, Yun Wanshang, and the Golden‐Winged Roc.

“Let them go!”

Panicked, Lu Changsheng surged toward the black mist, his Great Luo Sword Embryo vibrating wildly as it unleashed a burst of brilliant sword light, suspecting that this dreadful mist was an entity of unspeakable terror.

After all, he had nearly fallen prey to its silent, deceptive illusion moments before.

The black fog remained silent, only enveloping the three figures like an advancing tide that receded into the mountains’ depths.

Recalling how the mist not only crafted lifelike illusions but also eroded his flesh and soul, Lu Changsheng dared not waste another moment; his gaze hardened as he swung the Great Luo Sword Embryo at the fog and signaled Ah Wu to act.

Even though the Dao-Comprehending Artifact’s spiritual energy was suppressed in this realm,

the remaining High-Grade Spirit Stones on him were enough for Ah Wu to deliver a Nascent Soul–level burst of Sun Profound Light.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!!!”

The Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror suddenly leapt from Lu Changsheng’s hand, trembling as it incinerated the nearby High-Grade Spirit Stones into dust, then exploded like a rising sun, radiating boundless, dazzling light that illuminated the dark realm.

Immediately, a divine radiance imbued with unending brilliance and heat shot forth from the mirror, shattering the layers of mist and helping Yun Wanshang, Qian Zhuyan, and the Golden‐Winged Roc break free of their dark confines.

Yet none of them—man, puppet, or beast—stirred.

Suspecting they were still ensnared in an illusion, Lu Changsheng conjured a rope and hurled it toward the black fog, aiming to rescue the trio.

However, the furious mist suppressed the spiritual energy of his rope artifact, preventing it from operating as intended.

“Damn it!”

Seeing no other choice, Lu Changsheng gritted his teeth, signaled Ah Wu to hold on, then ignited his vital blood energy with the Great Luo Sword Embryo and plunged into the black mist with a single, determined thought—to save the man, the puppet, and the bird.

At that moment, the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror began burning its own Dao-Comprehending Artifact essence as if a blazing sun had taken command, dispelling the surrounding mist and making Lu Changsheng seem utterly invincible.

With a single, mighty slash, he severed Qian Zhuyan’s dark cocoon, entangled her massive puppet body with his rope, and then bound Yun Wanshang and the Golden‐Winged Roc, dragging them free from the mist.

Were it not for his Fourth-Rank Physique—and not to mention the sheer weight of Qian Zhuyan and the Golden‐Winged Roc—no ordinary person could have managed such a feat.

As the black fog receded like a tide, Lu Changsheng’s face grew pale and he panted heavily, utterly spent.

In the Land of Eternal Night, his accessible qi and magical energy were limited; his condition was less than peak. Thus, the earlier consumption of vital blood energy to fuel the Great Luo Sword Embryo had drained him tremendously.

“Ah Wu, thank you for your efforts.”

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Lu Changsheng looked at the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror cradled in his arms with deep sorrow.

The burning of the final High-Grade Spirit Stones had left insufficient support for this Celestial Treasure, forcing it to consume its own artifact essence.

Even though it was only a slight burn, it inevitably affected the true power of this Celestial Treasure.

Ah Wu remained silent.

It was merely an emotionless spirit entity.

“Young Friend, who are your elders? How did they entrust you with such a precious treasure for the exorcism?”

At that moment, a frail, ancient voice echoed from deep within the mountains.

“Hmm? Exorcism? What on earth does that mean?”

Lu Changsheng was taken aback, puzzled in his heart.

Yet, still wary from the bizarre illusion of the black mist, he chose to ignore the query and focus solely on leaving this dangerous place.

These Forbidden Mountains were indeed perilous and uncanny—it seemed he had been far too confident.

Lu Changsheng administered a pill to Yun Wanshang and then signaled for the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror to help dispel the sinister qi within her and Qian Zhuyan.

“Aren’t you here for the exorcism, Young Friend?”

“Since you possess such a precious treasure, would you be willing to help?”

The ancient voice continued, but Lu Changsheng chose to block it out, severing the connection.

Moments later, Qian Zhuyan abruptly awoke, her eyes aflame with a dim, soulful light as if in a daze.

“Master.”

She looked up at Lu Changsheng, her hoarse, eerie voice trembling as if she had witnessed something dreadful.

“Qian, when that black mist appeared, you must have been trapped in an illusion.”

Realizing she had likely seen horrifying visions within the illusion, Lu Changsheng gently comforted her.

“Illusion.”

Qian Zhuyan shuddered and nodded in agreement.

After a short while, Yun Wanshang’s long lashes fluttered as she slowly woke up, her expression dazed as if from a long dream, with lingering traces of confusion and fear in her eyes.

The moment she saw Lu Changsheng, she gasped with joy, “Lu Changsheng, you’re still alive!”

“Master, did you see me die in the illusion?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow and asked.

Recalling the eerie visions, he deduced that the illusion functioned like one’s inner demons, revealing and magnifying hidden fears and shortcomings.

“Illusion?”

Once it became clear it was only an illusion, Yun Wanshang exhaled deeply before asking what had just happened and why she had been trapped.

“While you and Qian were resting, a mass of black mist appeared. I spotted the Reincarnation Well and realized I’d unknowingly been caught in an illusion, so I struggled to break free.”

Lu Changsheng said gravely.

After the ordeal, he understood that the Land of Eternal Night was far more complex than he had imagined.

Previously, even the mutated creatures and bizarre entities of the Land of Eternal Night had been within his capacity to deal with—he had assumed the realm held little threat.

But the sudden emergence of such a terrifying presence had caught him completely off guard.

“Are you alright?” Yun Wanshang asked, noticing his pale, exhausted face—a clear sign of excessive energy drain.

“I’m badly depleted. If we want to return safely, it’s going to be very risky.”

Earlier, both he and Yun Wanshang had maintained an air of ease and assured confidence.

But now, a heavy burden weighed on his heart.

Ever vigilant, Yun Wanshang scanned the area; the towering columns of light deep within the mountains warned her that they were in an extremely dangerous, forbidden zone.

One careless misstep could be fatal.

Especially with Lu Changsheng weakened, any attempt to leave safely was fraught with danger.

“Master, do you remember that Soul Dao dream? You said our situation now is akin to that crisis in the Ten Thousand Mountains.”

Seeing Yun Wanshang’s increasingly serious expression as she recalled how the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror had helped dispel the gloom from the Golden-Winged Roc, Lu Changsheng tried to lighten the mood with a teasing remark.

“…”

Yun Wanshang paused, wondering if Lu Changsheng was alluding to the time they escaped by dual cultivation through her Jade Phoenix Marrow Body—a method that had healed their wounds.

Now, with danger looming, resorting to dual cultivation to stimulate the Golden Core Dao Foundation seemed like the perfect solution.

But unlike before, when Lu Changsheng shut off all his senses, she could no longer delude herself.

This left her feeling conflicted, filled with both shame and indecision.

“Master, if we return alive, I’ll propose to the Azure Cloud Sect. How about that?”

Seeing the look on her face, Lu Changsheng paused, then looked at her sincerely, seizing the moment to confess his feelings in a teasing tone.

Yun Wanshang remained silent.

Gazing at his pale, exhausted face and remembering the visions from the illusion, she finally lowered her head with a soft sigh and said, “Let’s give it a try.”

Lu Changsheng, thinking she had agreed, hesitated and asked, “Give it a try?”

“Nothing.”

Her expression, once composed, suddenly turned icy as she retorted, “After all that we’ve been through, you dare tease me? Do you really think you can control me so easily?” A rush of shame, grievance, and anger welled up in her, and though Lu Changsheng was momentarily taken aback, he quickly replied, “Then let’s give it a try!”

Though his Chaos Body boasted incredible self-healing, dual cultivation for recovery was only moderately effective for him at this stage.

But since she had expressed her heart this way, how could he refuse?

Once he took that step, everything would naturally follow.

Moreover, as fate would have it, Lu Ancestor hadn’t engaged in dual cultivation for two and a half years since arriving in the Land of Eternal Night.

“???”,

Qian Zhuyan watched the awkward scene of the man and woman entering the tent together, her eyes alight with inner fire as confusion reigned within her.

“Lu Changsheng, this is just for healing,”

Yun Wanshang stated in a refined, emotionless tone, her exquisite beauty exuding noble grace.

“Naturally.”

Lu Changsheng nodded firmly, striving to keep his composure.

“???”,

Qian Zhuyan observed the peculiar atmosphere as the man and woman entered the tent, her eyes burning with inner fire and filled with perplexity.

Moments later, inside the tent, the mirror of the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror revealed the gradual slipping of their garments, while the spirit entity Ah Wu’s youthful, impassive face appeared to betray a hint of emotion.