I Truly Am The Villian Chapter 2280 - 2279: The Reincarnated One, Deception

To harness the Force of Heavenly Rules and wield it for oneself is indeed a profound ability. However, this power is attained only by Dao Fruit Powerhouses. Yet, no matter its strength, it ultimately remains under the dominion of the Heavenly Dao, not truly one's own. This inherent limitation defines such power.

In stark contrast, the scroll employed by the White-Robed Scholar manifests rules that are not borrowed from the Force of Heavenly Rules. Instead, these are rules he personally formulates. Though the concepts sound similar, their essence is fundamentally different: one borrows power, the other dictates its own. But forging one's own rules requires a special qualification—acknowledgment by Heaven and Earth.

This acknowledgment signifies the world's essence recognizing the individual, entirely separate from the Great Dao. Thus, even with the Great Dao's favor, the White-Robed Scholar could not casually establish rules. Therefore, the rules he now creates appear through the leveraging of external power. Such established rules prove formidable, even for the Lord of the Dead Spirits.

Upon hearing the White-Robed Scholar's words, the Lord of the Dead Spirits' countenance darkened. He realized the true motive behind the deceiver's use of misinformation to lure these individuals into the Netherworld Realm: to utilize living beings to establish rules within the Land of Extreme Yin. He had been expertly ensnared in a carefully crafted scheme.

“Then, what is your objective?” the Lord of the Dead Spirits inquired, his tone now even.

“It cannot be said, it cannot be said,” the White-Robed Scholar replied with a slight shake of his head. He no longer harbored fear of death or the Lord of the Dead Spirits’ retribution. As he was not truly alive to begin with, his existence was solely to ensnare the Lord of the Dead Spirits. With his mission accomplished, his fate held no consequence. Whatever transpired next was for others to handle.

The Lord of the Dead Spirits let out a cold snort. “Luring the snake from its hole—a crude yet ingenious strategy. Having trapped me here, you must have dispatched individuals to probe my secrets, haven’t you? Yet, the Netherworld Realm is my domain; any intrusion would have alerted me. The absence of any anomaly suggests you’ve placed a mole within my ranks.”

Despite the Lord of the Dead Spirits accurately deducing most of the plan within moments, the White-Robed Scholar remained reticent. The Lord of the Dead Spirits continued, “Knowing you would seek my secrets, how can you be certain I haven't prepared a contingency?”

“What contingency?” the White-Robed Scholar countered, a hint of a frown appearing.

“An existence… far more dreadful awaits you,” the Lord of the Dead Spirits sneered.

“That is impossible,” the White-Robed Scholar immediately retorted. “If such a being resided within the Netherworld Realm, we would undoubtedly be aware.”

“So, you do have an informant among my people,” the Lord of the Dead Spirits stated plainly. “Tell me who it is, and I shall reveal my contingency.” He reassured, “Rest assured, as I am trapped, I cannot escape. There is no harm in disclosing certain truths now.”

The White-Robed Scholar paused before finally divulging, “Your adopted son.”

At this, the Lord of the Dead Spirits immediately shook his head. “That cannot be… You are attempting to sow discord in my mind. Ming Leng has been with me since childhood…”

“Lord of the Dead Spirits, for a realm master, you are remarkably naive,” the White-Robed Scholar chuckled. “Do you truly believe that merely because you watched him grow, he is trustworthy? What if reincarnation is involved?”

Seemingly relishing the Lord of the Dead Spirits’ predicament, the White-Robed Scholar grew more talkative. “The method of reincarnation is a closely guarded secret of our Holy Court. To date, only one individual has mastered it; over thirty thousand others who attempted it met failure. Thus, its secrecy is profound, known to very few, let alone you.”

“Reincarnation…” the Lord of the Dead Spirits murmured. The pursuit of reincarnation was not exclusive to the Holy Court; numerous powerful entities and factions had explored it, all in the quest for longevity. If eternal life in a single existence proved unattainable, perhaps rebirth through reincarnation offered a path. Each cycle promised renewal of life, body, and soul—a vision of enduring immortality. Through repeated reincarnations, one could strive towards an unyielding eternity.

However, reincarnation is ultimately just a concept.

Nobody could truly achieve it.

Yet, hearing the White-Robed Scholar's words now, it seems the Holy Court has succeeded.

Even if only one person succeeded, that was enough to fool even him, the Lord of the Dead Spirits.

The implications behind this are vast.

Ming Leng was the adopted son he took in, a hundred thousand years ago.

Back then, Ming Leng was born in the Netherworld Realm, the first successful fusion body of a Yin Fetus.

For the Netherworld Realm and for the Lord of the Dead Spirits himself, this held extraordinary significance.

In reality, for anyone who wishes to endure, reproduction is an unavoidable issue.

At that time, after using Netherworld Stone to absorb the Souls of the Nine Domains World, the Lord of the Dead Spirits had formed a similar conjecture.

If Souls could reproduce amongst themselves, the Lord of the Dead Spirits would undoubtedly ascend to a new level.

Thus, he nurtured this idea over countless years.

He failed countless times.

Until he finally succeeded.

Following the birth of the first Yin Fetus, it not only survived robustly, but its talent and Aptitude for Cultivation were one in ten thousand.

Overjoyed, the Lord of the Dead Spirits christened this infant Ming Leng and claimed him as an adopted son.

From this, one can gauge how much he cherished Ming Leng.

As the Lord of the Dead Spirits' adopted son, Ming Leng consistently excelled from his youth into adulthood.

His status never made him arrogant; every action he took was measured and polite.

As if he possessed innate knowledge.

The Lord of the Dead Spirits hadn't paid it much mind before, but upon reflection now, his expression drastically shifted.

Yes, possessing innate knowledge.

Carrying memories from his prior existence, Ming Leng would naturally comprehend more than anyone.

"Can reincarnation grant eternal life?"

At this juncture, rather than fury at being deceived, the Lord of the Dead Spirits was more preoccupied with the possibility of achieving immortality.

Before eternal life, nothing else holds any value.

Upon hearing this, the White-Robed Scholar became quiet once more.

He then shook his head.

He stated, "Reincarnation can indeed extend life, but it cannot bestow eternal life."

"Each successful reincarnation results in a scale appearing in Ming Leng's consciousness."

"That scale is intrinsically linked to time."

"In this world, nine represents the ultimate number. Once the scale is filled to nine, death becomes unavoidable, irrespective of how one reincarnates."

"Both the Holy Ancestor and the Immortal Lord have exhausted all methods to erase this scale, yet they failed."

On hearing this, the Lord of the Dead Spirits erupted into laughter.

"You, who act as lackeys for the Heavenly Dao, still cannot achieve eternal life—what purpose does any of it serve?"

"You are ignorant," the White-Robed Scholar retorted coldly.

"The Nine Domains World is distinct from the Heavenly Dao; they are separate concepts."

"The life and death of mortals are governed by the rules of Heaven and Earth."

"No one can alter these rules, not even the Heavenly Dao."