The Birth of Universe 96

The veins on Qin Yue’s forehead throbbed violently. “Enough…! If you have no urgent business, we’ll take our leave now.”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld looked innocent. “Eh? Already angry? Young people should learn to be a little more humorous… You don’t want the Fire Mound Colt, either?”
Qin Yue remained silent. Luo Yu gritted his teeth and said, “We must have it!” This guy had made him afraid to log into the game; how could he let it go without some compensation for the trouble?
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld continued, “And what about the eye of the Netherworld Illusion Butterfly… Could you spare one?”
Qin Yue replied coldly, “We each have one, and none left over.”
Luo Yu kept a composed expression, but inwardly thought: So he’s after the butterfly’s eye… Didn’t he say it could see through illusions? No wonder my formation had no effect.
Rejected by Qin Yue, the Northern Emperor of the Underworld pursed his lips. “Stingy… Well, if you won’t, I won’t hold it against you. I won’t quarrel with children.” He produced a jade tablet from his person and tossed it to Qin Yue. “Here, the refining method for your reference. It’d be a shame to ruin it.”
Seeing such generosity, Luo Yu felt a bit embarrassed. “Um… If you really like the Fire Mound Colt, I won’t fight you for it.”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld beamed. “I was just teasing you. My officers said you were interested, so I used it as bait.”
Luo Yu instantly exploded. “You! Don’t just admit you were lying! It’s infuriating, you know?”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld propped his chin in his hand, his eyes twinkling. “But it’s precisely because angry people are entertaining that I say it.”
Luo Yu fumed, “You’re too wicked! No wonder you haven’t found a soulmate!”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld asked, “Would you consider ridding the world of evil and accepting me?”
Luo Yu replied, “I have a wife! I’m not interested in you!”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld said, “I could be your concubine.”
Qin Yue’s expression was dark as the bottom of a pot. He ground his teeth and said, “You’re too old for him, senior. I know a beauty who’d suit you perfectly. Let me introduce you.”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld was intrigued. “A beauty? Is she cute?”
Qin Yue’s voice grew gloomy. “Cheerful and lively, strikingly handsome, refined taste, loves photography and collecting—truly a match made in heaven for you.”

The Northern Emperor of the Underworld said, “Sounds good. Who is it?”
Qin Yue replied, “Wu Yun Manor in Phoenix Rest Valley—”
Before he could finish, Luo Yu leapt up and clamped a hand over his mouth, frantic. “Don’t drag Huang Xuan into this!”
The Northern Emperor of the Underworld nodded thoughtfully. “Wu Yun Manor in Phoenix Rest Valley… Huang Xuan? Got it.”
Luo Yu: “……”
Damn, why did he say the name aloud?!
A thousand miles away, Huang Xuan was rolling about in a pile of extravagant clothes, snapping selfies, when suddenly he sneezed.
He paused, sat up solemnly, and pondered for a long time. Finally, he murmured in confusion, “Hmm? Which gorgeous robe have I forgotten?”
Luo Yu and Qin Yue stayed in the Underworld for a few more days. After collecting the soul fire, they used the Northern Emperor of the Underworld as their backing to tour hell, visiting famous “attractions” like the Yellow Springs, the Bridge of Forgetfulness, the Stone of Three Lives, and the Pool of Reincarnation. These places were off-limits to the idle; without back-door access, entry was impossible.
Through this investigation, Luo Yu discovered that the Underworld’s work was not as busy as imagined. The Black and White Impermanence usually resided in the mortal realm, each with their own jurisdiction. Nationwide, about thirty new ghosts appeared daily. If the Black and White Impermanence couldn’t reach certain places, lone wandering spirits would be left behind. They caught ghosts according to the mortal household register; if someone died far from home, whoever’s territory it was would bring them back to the Underworld.
But even the Impermanence spirits’ energy was limited. They often only inquired about residents, and couldn’t keep track of transient populations. Newly dead ghosts, afraid of sunlight and unable to distinguish directions, would instinctively seek out places thick with yin energy. Once their soul stabilized, they’d usually wander into nearby homes, lingering there. Their spiritual sense was weak, so they’d invade people’s consciousness while asleep, asking them to relay messages to their families. Thus arose the legend of “ghosts who die away from home can’t return.”
Ghosts brought to the Underworld according to procedure had their souls searched for their life history, which was recorded and sent for the King of Hell’s judgment. These new ghosts were of the lowest rank; even a foundation-stage cultivator could handle the task, but errors often occurred, damaging the ghost’s spiritual sense and affecting intelligence in their next life. With so few ghosts, the King of Hell could finish all his trials each day.
Finally, the two witnessed a reincarnation. The ghost first drank a bowl of soup brewed from water of Forgetfulness and white otherworldly flowers, cleansing their yin energy and form, sealing their memories tight with the flower’s medicinal effect. Their shape became a tiny yellow light, smaller than a firefly, then they were sent dazed and foolish to the Reincarnation Platform. When the platform activated, it emitted golden light, and the soul disappeared.
Luo Yu was fascinated by the Reincarnation Platform and studied it closely. The Northern Emperor of the Underworld—who claimed his full name was “Dating Qingjia,” but by modern custom was “Yiqi Qingjia,” or simply “Yan Qingjia.” The first surname reflected clan, the second bloodline, the third ancestral name.
According to this Mr. Yiqi Qingjia, before a soul reincarnated, Underworld staff had already chosen their next life based on their history, and the platform had preselected a target pregnant woman using her bloodline as a guide. Rarely did souls end up in the wrong body. Upon entering the mother’s womb, the reincarnated soul merged with the newborn blank soul, repairing any damage from the soul search.
Newborns had a high chance of becoming smarter than before; if the soul was badly damaged, they might still be intellectually impaired even after merging. The child’s spiritual roots might remain the same as in the previous life or become ordinary; changes in spiritual roots were extremely rare—no more than three cases ever recorded.
Once Luo Yu understood the truth about reincarnation, the mystery of the Reincarnation Platform was solved: it was an ancient, advanced teleportation array. As long as the soul was sent near the pregnant woman, her biological magnetic field would automatically absorb it. Some ghosts, guilty of too many misdeeds, were sent into animal bodies, merging with them and suffering greatly reduced intelligence.
In the mortal world, many ghost beasts appeared daily, but the Impermanence spirits rarely bothered with them. The world’s yin energy was insufficient, they were less intelligent than human souls, and retained habits from their previous lives, not knowing to hide where yin was strong; soon enough, they would dissipate. If the Impermanence spirits were in a good mood, they’d collect ghost beasts, release them in the Netherworld, or exchange them at restaurants for a drink. These new ghost beasts had little yin energy and provided no “nutrition,” so their price was very cheap.
After visiting the Reincarnation Platform, Luo Yu began to wonder about his own soul: Was he a newly born soul, or an old soul reincarnated many times?
He asked Yiqi Qingjia, “Can I check my previous life?”

Qingjia replied, “What previous life? Aren’t you a phoenix? Who could find phoenix blood as a guide for reincarnation? If you want to lay an egg, I could help you.”
Luo Yu was stunned. “Lay… lay an egg? I’m a man! How could I lay an egg?!”
Qingjia answered slyly, “You don’t know about ‘nectar’? It’s an extremely pure water that generates life… Here’s a secret: in ancient times, the divine ancestor Nuwa used it to soak the five elements from mud and create eastern species! It’s rich in vitality, able to harmonize spiritual energy, restore body and soul, resurrect the dead, and birth life. If you want to lay an egg, you could refine nectar with your own blood… add another person’s ‘seed,’ and it’ll sprout… heh heh.”
Luo Yu stammered, “Men don’t have wombs, how is that possible?”
Qingjia shrugged. “That’s just a human perspective… Humans have already discovered thirteen kinds of genders in nature… each with different reproduction methods. We’re direct descendants of the divine, inheriting many ancient reproductive methods in our genes. Every stage of advancement brings us closer to our ancestors’ constitution. Once you pass the Great Heavenly Tribulation, you won’t need any external aid to lay eggs.”
Luo Yu grew mysterious. “So you mean Qin Yue could have children too?”
Qingjia glanced at the composed Qin Yue. “He… in theory, yes, but it’s much harder. He cultivated from a mortal body, so he’d have to wait until after the Great Heavenly Tribulation.”
Luo Yu was disappointed, and asked, “Those ancient divine ancestors… Where are they now? Did they perish?”
Qingjia shook his head. “According to ancestral teachings, the ancient divine ancestors weren’t born on Earth.”
Luo Yu said, “Is the story of Pangu creating the world true?”
Qingjia replied, “Based on ancestral records and modern research, the universe isn’t absolutely stable. It’s a vast space, with all spatial attributes. Space collapses, and so does the universe. The ancestors said that countless years ago, somewhere, there was a cosmic collapse—a ‘world-ending’ event.
Pangu, Nuwa, and other ancient divine ancestors survived that destruction. After the collapse, a new void star formed. Pangu and the surviving divine ancestors detonated it, creating the space we live in now. That’s the origin of the ‘Big Bang’—today’s planets are just impurities from that void star.
Most of those divine ancestors perished after the explosion; Pangu was gravely wounded and died on Earth. Only Nuwa, as a woman, and some less powerful, non-participating divine ancestors remained. They are our ancestors. But so few survived that Nuwa, in sadness, proposed creating new life forms in imitation of the divine ancestors.”
Luo Yu was awestruck. “That’s incredible! If they could survive cosmic collapse, how could they die on Earth…?”
Qingjia nodded. “The new space’s shell was unstable, and Nuwa used five-colored stones to repair it… all true. As for where they are now… I suspect they went to other planets, continuing the work they started on Earth… Perhaps it’s a longing for their own kind.”
Cultivator’s Chronicle of Friendship 96—Universe’s Birth updated and complete!