Zhao Xing looked up at Han Chuchen, who was standing at the edge of the crater. Han Chuchen stared back at Zhao Xing. Both of them immediately recognized each other.
In the Primordial Realm, there weren't many battle-type Self-School Shennongs, and those with even a bit of strength were easy to remember. Moreover, Zhao Xing and Han Chuchen could sense a faint yet unbreakable karmic connection between them. This was the kind of cause and effect that naturally formed when people met and ended up in the same faction. The connection was weak but resilient.
"So, it's Brother Han. What a coincidence." Zhao Xing sensed that Han Chuchen's emotions were clearly off.
Of course, Han Chuchen wasn't going to feel 'right' at all!
"It's him? It's actually him!" Han Chuchen muttered to himself. Behind him, a pair of white wings woven from tree leaves spread open, whipping up a solar storm as he swiftly descended into the crater.
"Zhao Xing! Why are you here?!"
"What does Brother Han mean by this?" Zhao Xing played dumb. Han Chuchen seemed too agitated, so Zhao Xing thought it best to feign ignorance. "I came to the Primordial Ocean for a mission. Isn't it normal for me to be here?"
"Past debts, entangled karma—Zhao Xing, you and I need to have a talk." Han Chuchen's voice carried an undeniable edge.
Zhao Xing saw that he couldn't avoid this, so he sighed helplessly. "Alright, Brother Han, what do you want to ask?"
"Why did this happen?"
"I can't say. If you already know, then you know. If you don't, I can't tell you." Zhao Xing let out a sigh.
The Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom incident—he knew the truth, but he couldn't just say it outright. If Han Chuchen had died in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's grand ritual and was unaware of certain things, then Zhao Xing was not allowed to reveal them.
"You can't say? Why can't you say? What do you know?" Han Chuchen grew anxious.
Zhao Xing frowned at his reaction. "There's a reason why I can't say. Even if I dared to tell you, would you dare to listen?"
"Do you want to reincarnate again?"
Han Chuchen immediately shut his mouth.
"Why? Why would it be like this? The Three Divinities Destiny Palace is just a minor divine ability, not a Reincarnation divine ability—this should've been a minor issue."
"Zhao Xing, we had a deal. It was a fair transaction—gain and loss were both our responsibility. But why is it that out of all the people who have done this sort of thing, only I ended up like this?"
"I died without even knowing why."
Han Chuchen's tone carried deep frustration.
He wasn't here to blame Zhao Xing—he considered it his own bad luck. But he couldn't understand why he had to pay such a heavy price.
"Wait, you were punished by the Reincarnation Divine Palace and forced to reincarnate? I see… so you weren't actually…" Zhao Xing's expression changed. He suddenly realized that he might have misunderstood something.
Han Chuchen hadn't actually gone to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom for the ritual.
In other words, he was purely punished—made an example of.
The Reincarnation Divine Palace had singled him out and forced him to reincarnate.
And this was precisely what puzzled Han Chuchen the most.
"See! You do know something!" Han Chuchen keenly picked up on Zhao Xing's reaction and inferred that there was more to his reincarnation than he had been told.
At the very least, Zhao Xing was involved in some way.
"I don't know anything." Zhao Xing shook his head. "Brother Han, you were punished because you interfered in Reincarnation Divine Palace affairs and were made an example of. That's why the punishment was so severe."
If he wanted to explain the full story, he would have to start from stealing the Derivation Spirit Tablet from the Dongyan Ancient Clan, then move on to the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom grand ritual, his own involvement, and his connection to Qing Yuzi.
Only then would Han Chuchen understand why the Reincarnation Divine Palace had come down so hard on him.
The main reason was that while investigating Zhao Xing, they had discovered Han Chuchen was involved in the transaction.
The Reincarnation Divine Palace had three factions—none of them could deal with Qing Yuzi, but they certainly could deal with Han Chuchen.
Since they were already planning a purge, Han Chuchen was simply unlucky enough to be caught in it.
Because Han Chuchen hadn't died in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, he was fully aware that his reincarnation was forced upon him—an aftereffect of getting involved in Zhao Xing's business.
But since he wasn't an Emperor-tier cultivator, he didn't know the deeper truth, and the Reincarnation Divine Palace would never tell him.
That was why he couldn't figure it out.
He believed that the transaction itself was flawed.
To give a Nascent Realm cultivator the Three Divinities Destiny Palace was one thing. But to give it to someone who had reincarnated? That was a completely different matter.
Originally, Han Chuchen never thought along these lines, but the moment Ancient Luohe took Zhao Xing as a disciple, he began suspecting that Zhao Xing was a reincarnator.
"In this world, people value loyalty. I helped you out of kindness, yet you hid a critical fact from me, leading to my forced reincarnation—Zhao Xing, did you use Du Yun and me, or were you and Du Yun working together to set me up?!"
Zhao Xing: "…"
From Han Chuchen's perspective, his anger made sense.
Helping a Nascent Realm cultivator was one thing. Helping a reincarnated cultivator was something entirely different.
But the truth was, Zhao Xing had never intended to set him up.
As for 'using Du Yun and Han Chuchen'? That was pure nonsense.
Zhao Xing didn't consider himself a reincarnator. After all, who had ever truly experienced past and future reincarnations?
Besides, he had no memories of any Reincarnation Divine Armament or Reincarnation Techniques.
So, when faced with Han Chuchen's questioning, Zhao Xing was genuinely at a loss for words.
Since he couldn't explain it clearly, he simply chose not to.
"Brother Han, this is really a misunderstanding."
"I have a life-and-death bond with Du Yun, and you were someone he invited. But… I can see that you won't believe me."
"In that case, just make your move."
"Whether it's gratitude or resentment, I'll accept it all. This has nothing to do with Du Yun."
After saying that, Zhao Xing simply stood there, silently looking at Han Chuchen.
The latter fell into a brief silence.
At this moment, Han Chuchen looked at Zhao Xing in a way that felt oddly similar to how Zhao Xing had once regarded Wu Tian.
If he had to sum it up in two words: mysterious!
Everything was unspeakable, everything was forbidden to be said. The most frustrating part was that Han Chuchen could vaguely sense that Zhao Xing really couldn't speak of it, and even if he did, knowing the truth might not be beneficial to him.
Otherwise, in that entire incident, why had they only punished him and not Zhao Xing?
Logically speaking, Zhao Xing had dared to seek out a way to escape judgment. Shouldn't he have been the one punished more severely?
Yet, Han Chuchen had been forced to reincarnate, while Zhao Xing had remained completely untouched!
Not only that, but he had even been taken in as a disciple by Ancient Luohe.
All of this made Han Chuchen feel that Zhao Xing was shrouded in an air of secrecy.
And now, Zhao Xing was here, lying inside a massive crater. Could it be…
Thinking along these lines, Han Chuchen suddenly said, "Zhao Xing, since you refuse to speak, I'll just take it as my bad luck. I was fated to die an unjust death. I won't ask about this matter anymore, nor will I go after Du Yun."
"Hmm?" Zhao Xing hadn't expected Han Chuchen's attitude to shift so quickly.
"Brother Han, though it was unintentional, my actions did implicate you. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, as long as it's within my power, just say the word."
He wasn't particularly afraid of making enemies, but if he could avoid making one, he would rather not. After all, Du Yun was caught in the middle of this situation. If he could resolve this karma and gain another ally, Zhao Xing would much prefer that.
"Zhao Xing, you're straightforward." Han Chuchen smiled. "Then I'll be direct as well."
"I once sought out a Fate Master to calculate my future. He told me that my 87th reincarnation would be of utmost importance."
"If I can survive that cycle, the road ahead will be smooth, and I will have the chance to become a Reincarnation Emperor."
Zhao Xing nodded slightly. Reincarnators often sought out powerful Fate Masters to predict their futures.
After all, true souls reincarnating over and over again was an act of defying the heavens, a violation of the natural balance of life and death in the universe.
If they couldn't overcome their heavenly tribulation, they would face true death.
If they succeeded, they would gain another lifetime, extending their existence.
"Right now, I am in my 86th reincarnation."
"I had made a lot of preparations for this life, but I was completely stripped by the Reincarnation Divine Palace. Now, all I have left is my Life-bound Reincarnation Dao Soldier."
Zhao Xing suddenly understood.
No wonder this guy had been willing to accept such a small job—he had been preparing for this reincarnation all along.
A Tribulation Life was something that could never be overprepared for.
If it were him, and he had suddenly been reduced to a pauper, he would probably be just as furious.
Zhao Xing now understood why the karmic thread between him and Han Chuchen, though faint, was so resilient.
He had interfered with Han Chuchen's Tribulation Life.
"I didn't realize this had caused Brother Han such trouble." Zhao Xing cupped his hands apologetically.
Han Chuchen waved a hand dismissively and shook his head. "A Tribulation Life is unpredictable—that's precisely why it's called a tribulation."
"Even without you, I would have encountered other disasters."
Zhao Xing's expression became solemn. "That may be true, but since I was involved, I owe you a debt."
Han Chuchen saw Zhao Xing's sincerity and finally revealed his true request. He cupped his hands and said, "Zhao Xing, the Fate Master who calculated my destiny once told me: The lifeline of my Tribulation Life will be found on an island, in a pit."
"At first, I didn't understand what that meant. But now, seeing you here, I realize it must be connected to you."
"In this lifetime, I am bound to encounter great tribulation. When the time comes, I ask for your help."
"If you aid me, I will owe you a great favor."
Zhao Xing looked at Han Chuchen with a complicated expression.
No wonder Han Chuchen had reacted the way he did upon seeing him—his emotional turmoil wasn't just about the past karma between them.
"So that's why… When he saw me lying in the pit, he was so shocked that he instinctively asked why I was here."
It turned out that Han Chuchen had never planned to cause trouble for him. He simply wanted to figure out how to survive his Tribulation Life.
And he had already consulted a Fate Master, who had foreseen that his answer lay with Zhao Xing.
But… was that truly the case?
"I was protected by Old Qing, and now I've become the disciple of Ancient Luohe. That involves one god and one demi-god. Who could have predicted my fate so long ago?"
Zhao Xing looked at Han Chuchen, who was bowing deeply, but he did not immediately agree.
"Brother Han, do you know the origins of the Fate Master you consulted?"
"I don't know where he came from. I only met him eight eras ago at Ten Directions Mountain. He called himself the Diviner in Linen Robes."
"Ten Directions Mountain, the Diviner in Linen Robes?" Zhao Xing repeated the name, pondering it carefully.
Ten Directions Mountain was one of the Ten Great Miraculous Lands of the Xuanling Star Domain.
The Black Sky Barren Domain, where Wu Tian was heading, was also one of those ten.
However, Ten Directions Mountain was strongly associated with Fate Masters.
It had several unique characteristics:
1. It appeared only once per era.
2. Any Fate Master who cast a divination there paid no price, suffered no backlash, and their readings could not be traced.
3. Within a limited time, the first Fate Master to set foot on the mountain had a 100% success rate in their divination.
"If one obtains the first divination of Ten Directions Mountain, even becoming a god is not out of reach."
"It is said that the first divination performed on Ten Directions Mountain can reveal the key to godhood. Though this claim has never been confirmed, there have been verified cases of divining artifacts of great power."
"The Diviner in Linen Robes… That name sounds oddly familiar, but I can't recall why."
A deep doubt arose in Zhao Xing's mind.
Originally, he had only intended to help Han Chuchen as a small favor to settle their karmic entanglement.
But now, this matter had piqued his curiosity.
And there weren't many things that could truly make Zhao Xing curious.
"This is either a massive pitfall… or a great fortune!"
Zhao Xing thought to himself.
After a moment, he asked, "Can you still find that Diviner in Linen Robes?"
"Not necessarily," Han Chuchen replied.
"Not necessarily?"
"Brother Zhao, you should know that Ten Directions Mountain is a sacred land for Fate Masters. Those who go there to divine their fate usually carry secrets they wish to keep hidden and fear retaliation. That's why most use fake names."
Zhao Xing nodded slightly. That made sense.
A place where no price had to be paid, no backlash was suffered, and the success rate was incredibly high, with the first divination being 100% accurate—
The benefits were enormous!
Of course, those who went there would hide their true identities and use false names.
"I met the Diviner in Linen Robes twice."
"The first time, I was only halfway up the mountain when I met him. We exchanged a few words, and I even gifted him some treasures. At the time, I didn't think much of it because, in that visit alone, I handed out treasures to over 800,000 Fate Masters."
"There were too many people, too many aliases, and too many hidden identities. It was impossible to keep track of them all."
"The second time I saw him was three eras later. He recognized me and said he wanted to repay an old favor."
Han Chuchen recalled, "It was at the same location as before, but the feeling was different. I had used an alias, yet he recognized me at first glance."
Zhao Xing listened silently to Han Chuchen's strange encounter.
"And that was when he gave me a few things and told me something."
"Thirty years later, as we parted ways, he performed a divination for me. That was when he foresaw my Tribulation Life."
"But at the time, I didn't take it seriously. Ten Directions Mountain has plenty of frauds… or perhaps not frauds, just incompetent diviners."
"I had just become a Senior Reincarnator back then. I didn't even know what a Tribulation Life was, so I didn't pay it any mind. It wasn't until much later, when his predictions started coming true, that I realized… and believed."
Zhao Xing nodded, reaching out to help Han Chuchen up.
"Brother Han, this matter is too important. This isn't the place to discuss it further."
"I will do what I can to help you survive this tribulation, but—"
"You must tell me everything about the Diviner in Linen Robes in the future and keep all the items he gave you safe."
Han Chuchen was overjoyed. "Thank you, Brother Zhao! It's a deal!"
Having received Zhao Xing's promise, Han Chuchen immediately left, not lingering in the Primordial Ocean any longer.
Zhao Xing watched his figure disappear into the distance before jumping out of the crater, standing tall as he gazed after him.
"Han Chuchen… I wonder if what he said is really true."
"This is the Primordial Realm, under the eyes of countless powerful figures. It's unlikely this was some elaborate scheme against me. It's probably just a coincidence."
"The same way our meeting and acquaintance were merely circumstances of fate."
From Zhao Xing's perspective, Han Chuchen's situation was more opportunity than pitfall.
"But this is something to think about later. Ten Directions Mountain won't open for a long time yet."
"The Diviner in Linen Robes… Could he be a true powerhouse…?"
Zhao Xing pondered this thought, then set it aside, focusing once more on his path of advancement.