Chapter 2149: From Past to Present

The black-armored army could only wait anxiously, for the Great Emperor was locked in battle with that mysterious force, yet they could do nothing!

The only good news was that the bronze bracelet on the Nine Nether Great Emperor's wrist was becoming more and more complete, its details growing ever more lifelike.

Lu Feiyan stared intently, unable to look away, and finally blurted out: "It's a snake!"

The bracelet had finally condensed into a head, resembling a snake's head, yet at the junction of head and neck there was a ring like whiskers yet like horns, swaying gently in the wind, exactly like the splendid tail of a goldfish spreading in water.

In just a few breaths, the snake's eyes also condensed, two points of crimson like agate.

As soon as those snake eyes formed, the snake bracelet seemed to come alive, brimming with vitality, even beginning to rotate slowly on its own atop the Nine Nether Great Emperor's hand.

At that very moment, the snake eyes flashed red light, and the golden light previously suppressed by karmic force and elemental force suddenly surged, enveloping the Nine Nether Great Emperor's entire body!

Everyone even saw the golden light seep into the surface of the Resonant Dragon Battle Armor, flowing gold and radiant colors, magnificent and splendid.

But this very beauty concealed infinite terror.

Even Luo Xie trembled as he said: "Great, Great Emperor!"

Now everyone knew these golden lights were no trifle; to be invaded by them throughout the body—how could there be any good outcome?

Lu Zhensheng could no longer suppress his joy, his face showing delight.

This Nine Nether Great Emperor was indeed unlike ordinary people; even the Immortal Ancestor's supreme treasure had failed to kill him instantly, causing Lu Zhensheng's heart to leap to his throat.

Seeing the golden light successfully counterattack, he knew it was beyond redemption.

Success!

As long as the Nine Nether Great Emperor dies, Bailie's crisis will resolve itself.

And as the golden light covered his body, He Lingchuan felt a wave of scorching heat all over, especially his palms burning hot, followed immediately by darkness before his eyes.

……

He Lingchuan blinked once, and the scene before him changed abruptly!

The ancient manor, the huge cauldron, the Chinese fir trees, and everyone inside and outside the Lu family ancestral hall—all vanished.

He found himself standing in a valley, vegetation sparse, the trees only as thick as a bowl, the canopy branches and leaves few, half-bald.

Thin mist floated in the valley.

This place indeed felt somewhat familiar; He Lingchuan's first thought was that he had been dragged back into the Misty Valley of the Panlong World.

But just a moment ago, wasn't he subduing the Lu family Immortal Ancestor's relic?

Yet he immediately dismissed that idea, for behind him stood a blue-green tower!

The tower's diameter exceeded thirty zhang, soaring into the clouds, doorless and windowless, strangest of all—no brick was visible, yet the tower bore the wrinkles of bark. He Lingchuan reached out to touch it, only to discover it was in fact a tree grown into a tower, the tower's body the tree's trunk.

The vermilion wood gate was ten zhang high, now tightly shut, lacking even a ring, and no matter how he pushed, it remained immovable.

He had just opened his eyes and found himself before the tower.

He Lingchuan had a strange thought: could he not have come out from inside the tower?

He pondered, then leapt onto the tower.

The tower body was very smooth, and the higher he climbed, the more fatigued his body became, as if bearing several thousand jin of weight. He Lingchuan hadn't climbed ten zhang before jumping down, deciding instead to look around first.

Three zhang away lay a small pool.

He Lingchuan approached the pool, lowered his head to look, and his pupils suddenly contracted, followed by two steps backward.

The water was very clear, its surface smooth as a mirror. Thus he saw his own reflection clearly.

No matter whether he looked in a mirror or at the water, he had not seen this face for a very long time.

This was his face before he crossed over into this world—the face belonging to "himself"!

That of a nine-to-five office worker, eyes devoid of light, pockets empty.

Since coming to this world, especially after leaving Yan Guo, He Lingchuan had rarely recalled his pre-crossing life. Occasionally remembering, it felt as distant as a past life.

Yet the reflection in the water reminded him: the past remained, never having departed.

He Lingchuan casually picked up a branch, traced a few lines on the water surface. Ripples spread, appearing nothing special.

But this place grew increasingly strange.

When the water surface calmed again, he went to look at his reflection, and saw still the face of his former self.

Finding this pool eerie, He Lingchuan stopped staring at the water, instead casually condensing a water-mirror technique in the air.

Again, that face!

The water mirror he himself condensed still showed the face of his former self—did that not mean——

That he currently indeed bore this appearance?

This valley was surely not reality, yet neither was it the Panlong World.

Could it be a small world opened by the Lu family Immortal Ancestor's relic?

He Lingchuan stepped forward, passing several drooping, listless small trees, their leaves half-green, half-yellow. Yet on the treetop of one such small tree, something hung.

He Lingchuan glanced over, his gaze again fixed.

He had practiced imperial arts for a long time, able to keep joy and anger from showing on his face. But today he had failed twice.

This was a pendant necklace, its charm a small wood carving.

The carving was simple, yet one could see it depicted a ring, or further, a snake swallowing its own tail!

This snake, at the head-joining point, had whiskers.

He Lingchuan recognized this pendant, because——

Among the items Lady Ying had He Yue bring over to gift to He Lingchuan, it was included!

This was one of He Lingchuan's childhood toys; later, Lady Ying had stored it away as an old object. He Yue, on this special mission to Cangyan, was instructed by He Chunhua to have Lady Ying produce the old item, hoping He Lingchuan would see it and think of people, thus agreeing to Shen Guo's request.

When the two brothers first met, He Yue had even asked about the origin of this toy.

The former owner of this body had deep memories of the serpent pendant, for it was personally given to "He Lingchuan" by the Manshan Great Shaman.

He Lingchuan entered the original owner's memories, having seen that scene:

When the original host turned five, He Chunhua and his wife were still living in a shabby little house, and Zhao Man Da Sa Man came uninvited.

This Da Sa Man was known for his mystery—outsiders could spend a fortune and still not see him, yet he came to He Chunhua on his own initiative and gave He Xiao a serpent-ring necklace as a birthday gift.

He Chunhua humbly asked for advice, wondering what the necklace truly meant.

He knew Zhao Man would not do anything pointless.

"In another world, it represents 'fate,'" Zhao Man Da Sa Man said, pointing to the pendant. "So-called fate, when probed to the core, is nothing but the present self devouring the past self, and the future self replacing the present."

He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, then wearing a white robe, with a gentle face and voice.

At that time, He Lingchuan's original self was still naive: "Is fate useful to me?"

"Of course it is," Zhao Man Da Sa Man smiled. "Fate rules all."

It was on that day that He Chunhua, following Zhao Man Da Sa Man's advice, renamed He Xiao to He Lingchuan.

Now, He Lingchuan unexpectedly saw the serpent-ring necklace in this unknown valley—needless to say, he was greatly startled.

Seeing the necklace spinning wildly in the wind, he instinctively walked over, wanting to reach out and take it down.

But from behind the low slope, a shadow darted out and snatched the serpent-ring necklace!

He Lingchuan got a clear look at the person's face and was momentarily speechless.

The person turned his head, saw him, and also let out a loud "Ah!" before stumbling back three large steps.

"You, you..."

The person who snatched the serpent-ring necklace was actually "He Lingchuan"!

Yes, it was the original owner of this body—the one who had completely vanished after He Lingchuan's second entry into Panlong Ancient City and his confrontation with He Chunhua.

He Lingchuan wore the face of his former self, gazing at the original self who should have vanished, feeling only that nothing in the world could be more absurd than this.

At this moment, he even felt a hint of "Who am I really?" doubt.

But he immediately came to his senses.

The original self's gaze toward him, which had begun with shock and doubt, gradually turned into anger and hatred!

"It's you, it's you, you impostor!" he pointed at He Lingchuan and roared, even making the ring on his finger tremble, "You actually came in!"