Chapter 156: True Lord Reincarnated

This is indeed true; although Zhuge Qing once claimed he developed Qi sensation in just two days, and anyone who failed to do so within two weeks lacked talent, that was the worldview of One Below.

Lin Yu has confirmed that the world of One Below is far easier to develop Qi sensation than other worlds.

In other worlds, especially a non-magical one like the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang’s ability to enter the path in merely seven days proves his terrifying talent.

Of course, his success was also the result of the convergence of heaven’s timing, earth’s advantage, and human harmony.

Li Shimin gave him the most suitable scripture—Wu Hou Qi Men—planted a spiritual seed in him, lent him one of his only two supreme spirit stones, greatly improving his cultivation environment, and thus enabled him to develop Qi sensation.

Compared to him, the Zhuge Liang of One Below is clearly even more terrifying.

According to information revealed in the original work, this man likely reached the half-step Feathery Transformation realm when he left seclusion at age twenty-seven.

But this may also be an exaggerated rumor; after all, even modern San Yi Men and Zuo Ruotong have spread wildly exaggerated tales, let alone the Eastern Han dynasty two thousand years ago!

Returning to the matter at hand, upon hearing Li Shimin’s words, Zhuge Liang smiled, neither denying the emperor’s praise nor truly believing himself a prodigy, but replied humbly:

“Practice yields true knowledge—this is the phrase I have come to cherish most recently.”

“Without examples or investigation, I have no right to speak!”

Li Shimin laughed: “Are you accusing me of slandering our ancestors?”

“I dare not!” Zhuge Liang bowed with a smile, then paused, lowering his voice, “Yet I do have one question I must ask Your Majesty…”

“Please speak, my lord.”

“Is this Qi Men technique truly of ancient origin?”

Zhuge Liang asked this question slowly.

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and smiled: “If not created in antiquity, do you suspect I made it up?”

Zhuge Liang shook his head: “I do not doubt Your Majesty, but this Qi Men technique aligns perfectly with my own lifelong thoughts.”

“The deeper I study, the more I feel a mysterious resonance, as if conversing across time with my future self…”

So perceptive?

Li Shimin marveled inwardly, yet smiled outwardly: “My lord overthinks—you are simply brilliant, aligning with ancient wisdom, hence this profound sensation.”

“As for whether it existed in antiquity, I myself am the greatest proof!”

Oh?

Zhuge Liang’s expression shifted slightly, gazing at the emperor with faint surprise.

Li Shimin smiled gently and confessed: “My lord, do not be alarmed—I summoned you here specifically to reveal this truth.”

“With your wisdom, you must have noticed my recent drastic change in temperament and behavior, as if I had become a different person, occasionally producing artifacts far beyond this age to strengthen the royal army.”

“Every such act, every item, I have done openly, with no concealment.”

“Even the court officials outside your circle must have noticed by now, correct?”

Zhuge Liang gazed at him deeply, then rose and bowed deeply:

“This is the greatest mystery in my heart.”

“I beg to hear Your Majesty’s words, to soothe my inner dread!”

“My lord, rise.” Li Shimin stepped forward and helped Zhuge Liang up, then said solemnly: “What I speak today is my own experience—not mere ghostly tales.”

“Whether you believe it or not, you may judge for yourself.”

Zhuge Liang replied respectfully: “Your Majesty, please speak.”

Li Shimin spoke gravely: “Several months ago, as you marched north, I grew anxious and burned incense before the ancestral shrine, praying for your success. That night, I had a dream—I was soul-transmigrated a thousand years into the past, becoming the emperor of ancient Tang…”

This was half-truth, half-lie: Liu Chan did indeed burn incense and pray for Zhuge Liang’s northern campaign, but the reverse soul-transmigration was a lie fabricated by Li Shimin, reversing cause and effect.

“That dream lasted decades; when I awoke, I felt as if I had crossed lifetimes, unable to discern whether I was Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou.”

“I bathed, changed clothes, burned incense before the shrine, hoping Heaven would give me a clear answer.”

“But Heaven did not respond—I met instead a Lin Clan True Lord who descended to the mortal realm.”

“This man, with whom I had a spiritual bond in my dream, claimed to be my past-life friend. He revealed my past lives and told me I am a Celestial True Lord, destined to endure nine mortal incarnations before returning to the Celestial Palace…”

At first, Zhuge Liang was stunned.

But upon hearing this, he frowned slightly, beginning to harbor doubt about this so-called Lin Clan True Lord.

Li Shimin noticed Zhuge Liang’s suspicion and smiled: “My lord, do not worry—I had already been emperor twice. Would I be fooled by empty words?”

“…”

Zhuge Liang froze, then quickly understood and said gravely: “Those miraculous artifacts—all came from this Lin Clan True Lord?”

“Precisely!”

Li Shimin nodded, continuing: “According to this Lin Clan True Lord, the last emperor of Shu Han is my ninth mortal incarnation. After enduring this life’s trials, I shall return to Heaven and reclaim my celestial throne.”

“Now, as my nine incarnations near completion, I awakened memories of my past lives and experienced another lifetime in a dream.”

“Thus, my nine mortal trials were completed prematurely—I am now half-step toward True Lordhood, yet bound by this mortal body, unable to return to the Celestial Palace with the Lin Clan True Lord.”

“I am torn—I wish to reclaim my True Lord status, yet I cannot abandon my lord and my great cause—so I sought counsel from this Lin Clan True Lord.”

“The True Lord believes I have completed my nine mortal trials, and since we were close in my past life, he bestowed upon me these miraculous artifacts and decided to breach the barrier between worlds, allowing me to travel between this realm and the Celestial Palace in my mortal form…”

What?!

Zhuge Liang’s pupils dilated sharply, then he calmed, his mind clearing.

The emperor summoned him here today precisely for this matter of interworld connection!

So these seemingly baseless ghost stories… are they true?!

Li Shimin glanced at the hidden chamber and smiled: “Shall this path to Heaven open right here?”

Zhuge Liang snapped back to attention and bowed deeply: “As Your Majesty decrees!”

Li Shimin nodded with a smile: “Then let my lord and I witness it together!”

He then sent a message in the group chat, informing Lin Yu of the True Lord reincarnation story, aligning their stories, then declared he was ready.

Lin Yu immediately activated his authority and opened a new teleportation gate in the Wheel of Reincarnation Hall.

In an instant, silver light burst forth, weaving into a silver portal with golden edges within the hidden chamber.

Even though he had anticipated it, Zhuge Liang could not suppress his shock at the sight.

The next moment, a tall figure stepped out of the portal, firmly planting his feet on the chamber floor.

Li Shimin smiled and bowed deeply to the figure:

“Your humble brother, Tian Li, welcomes my elder brother!”

Tian Li was the Dao name Li Shimin had chosen during prior group discussions.

Group members had suggested more fitting names, like ‘Yu Xiao’—the highest of the Thirty-Three Heavens—or ‘Zi Wei,’ the Emperor Star.

But after realizing the multiverse might truly contain a Celestial Realm, Li Shimin suddenly became humble.

He refused to wear such lofty titles and chose a modest Dao name instead.

Yet even a modest Dao name must be chosen wisely.

As the Li trigram represents fire, and fire combined with Li becomes the Phoenix.

Tian Li actually means Heavenly Phoenix—fitting Li Shimin’s self-proclaimed Phoenix persona.

But “Tian Feng” sounded too soft, so he replaced it with Tian Li Zhen Jun.

Lin Yu had already coordinated the story and immediately understood—he must now appear as the Universal True Lord!

“No need for such formalities.”

Lin Yu swiftly assumed his role, calmly helping Li Shimin rise, then turned to the tall, elegant middle-aged man beside him with feather fan and silk headband:

“Are you Zhuge Kongming?”

“Kongming dares not accept such honorifics from a True Lord.”

Zhuge Liang responded swiftly, tone neither subservient nor disrespectful, yet perfectly respectful.

Li Shimin smiled beside him: “My lord, do not humble yourself—my elder brother says you deserve it, so you do!”

Lin Yu regarded Zhuge Liang with approval and praised: “In this late age of Dao, you have developed Qi sensation. With such talent, had you been born before the Dao’s decline, you would surely have achieved Feathery Transformation.”

“…”

Zhuge Liang paused, then blurted: “Can Qi Men technique also lead to Heaven?”

Lin Yu nodded: “Naturally.”

He turned to Li Shimin: “Celestial affairs are busy—I cannot linger in this realm. Come with me.”

“Yes… My lord, wait a moment!”

Li Shimin nodded, gave Zhuge Liang a brief instruction, then stepped into the portal with Lin Yu.

As their figures vanished into the silver ripples, Zhuge Liang came to himself, frowned, and circled the silver portal, finding no hidden mechanisms or tricks.

“Could it be… that gods and immortals truly exist?”

“If so, why do these artifacts contain so many mutually contradictory doctrines?”

He recalled concepts like historical materialism, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

…

Meanwhile, Li Shimin followed Lin Yu into the inner universe.

The inner universe now differed greatly from before.

Beyond the Wheel of Reincarnation Hall, pure energy mist spread across the platform below the stairs, layered like gauze, swirling around the mountain peaks and palaces into a vast white sea of clouds.

Between the clouds rose a chain of mountains and grand palaces, tiered and uneven.

The greatest elevation difference reached several kilometers, with the Wheel of Reincarnation Hall perched atop the highest peak.

From above, one could see the boundless sea of clouds and the palace complexes nestled among the mountains.

Gazing at the fairyland of clouds and mountains, Li Shimin could not hide his awe.

“Is this your Dao seat, Brother Lin?”

(End of chapter)