Chapter 129: Natal Magical Artifact, The Reincarnation Paradox

Uprooting a mountain and using it, along with the earth's veins, to duel with others is quite an intriguing idea. A mountain spanning tens of miles, connected to veins stretching for thousands, weighs well over hundreds of millions of tons—it would certainly "persuade" (physically) many an opponent. However, magical artifacts are not meant for brute force alone; their purpose is to significantly amplify the user's various Daoist techniques during combat and even assist in their cultivation. A mere mountain peak naturally lacks such efficacy.

Luo Zu’s current artifact, the Juque, possesses such capabilities and could even be called the premier artifact of the "Pot World." Yet, for Luo Zu at his current stage, it has little practical use. It would only become truly valuable once refined to seventy-two forbidden seals or more, reaching perfection and ascending to the rank of a "Dharma Treasure." The problem is that Luo Zu’s cultivation has progressed too rapidly, leaving his artifacts—and indeed, most people around him—far behind. Refining an artifact is a tedious, grinding process; it cannot be accomplished overnight. Thus, he must find another way.

After some deliberation, Luo Zu recalled a refinement method from the Pot World. Although he had forcefully overhauled the artifact refinement techniques to prevent them from affecting the user’s psyche, the old-era methods still existed. He considered using these archaic techniques, which allowed an artifact to grow alongside its master. In the Pot World, to distinguish them from the new methods, these are now referred to as "Life-Bound Artifacts." Luo Zu decided to refine the Juque into one. History is a cycle, after all; things once discarded can be refurbished and put to use again. It is fortunate that the Wu tribe passed down new forging technologies; otherwise, these tasks would be truly difficult.

Ironically, even the newer forging technologies are currently being phased out by the Wu tribe’s methods. This is an inevitable trend; when a new technology benefits the vast majority of the small-statured humans, it sweeps across the world with incredible speed. Only the talismans that emerged from the research into new artifacts persist, thriving to such an extent that they have birthed a new path of cultivation: the Dao of Talismans. Practitioners refine their spirit into talismans, which then transmute into their own cultivation base. Through repeated cycles, they refine their physical bodies into talismans, achieving a unity of body and soul. They forge a "Talismanic Primordial Spirit," where one talisman becomes the fundamental unit, cycling and renewing until one reaches the state of a "True Primordial Spirit." Of course, no such being has been born yet; after all, the inventor of these talismans is already dead, having departed to the Nine Netherworlds to begin their second life.

Time is ruthless, claiming many lives in the blink of an eye. A year has passed in the snap of a finger. Time moves with a leisurely, stealthy gait, and Luo Zu could not stop it. When one is busy, the passage of time goes unnoticed; it is only in moments of idleness that one perceives it. Much has happened this year, though little of real consequence. The "Cave Dwellers" have been consistently fulfilling commissions from the Hot-Wu tribe, forging artifacts day after day in rotating shifts. This has deepened everyone's understanding of fire-attribute arts, which pleases Luo Zu.

The "Cave Dwellers" are wise and capable; they cannot simply become assembly-line workers. Moreover, forging artifacts is not a simple assembly line—everyone crafts individual components, refining them repeatedly. To forge a component to the standard of a thousand hammerings required by the Hot-Wu is no easy feat. Given the varying cultivation levels of the tribe, Luo Zu made adjustments: the more advanced could forge components independently, while those with lower cultivation worked in groups of two, three, or four to share the burden and improve efficiency. Additionally, Luo Zu had some tribespeople specialize in related talismans to assist the forgers—such as the Rejuvenation Talisman to restore stamina, the Fire-Qi Talisman to boost the power of fire arts, and the Heart-Frenzy Talisman to unleash two to three times the strength in a short burst.

Consequently, the tribe's talisman industry is steadily rising. While it cannot compare to the "time-accelerated" Pot World, Luo Zu does not compare the two; instead, he cross-pollinates their ideas, acting as a bridge for a clandestine exchange of knowledge. He does not bring the "Cave Dwellers" into the Pot World for time acceleration because their lifespans are limited; such acceleration would cause them to wither and die rapidly. Furthermore, the spiritual energy required to sustain so many "giants" within the Pot World would significantly hinder Luo Zu's own cultivation. He is restrained, refusing to treat his tribespeople as mere private property or expendable resources like the small-statured humans.

However, short-term "advanced training" in the Pot World is feasible. In the future, Luo Zu intends to send the most outstanding tribespeople there to experience the "time acceleration" package. There is another way to use this: Luo Zu can manifest a physical body within the Pot World, transfer a person's consciousness into it, and thus allow them to accelerate their thoughts and "extend their lives." Since current lifespans are tied to the physical body, the spirit—which lasts longer—perishes when the body dies. By granting their spirits a second life, Luo Zu effectively extends their existence.

"Manipulation of Creation combined with spiritual recreation... does this count as reincarnation?" Luo Zu mused. Certainly not; true reincarnation requires the intervention of the "Heavenly Dao" and numerous other factors. Otherwise, crafting a body for a dead soul is merely granting them a second life. True reincarnation involves entering the embryo of a newborn. However, Luo Zu discovered a major problem: a newborn embryo naturally births its own soul. Would reincarnation not be a form of possession? Because of this paradox, Luo Zu has left the wandering ghosts in the Nine Netherworlds untouched. Otherwise, he would have cast them all back into the human realm long ago. Furthermore, reincarnation requires the erasure of memories—but memories are an essential component of the soul. If they are wiped, it would be better to let the newborn develop its own soul. These paradoxes make implementing a reincarnation plan exceedingly difficult. One wonders if the Goddess Houtu, when she eventually establishes the cycle of reincarnation, will simply act on a whim, or if she too will grapple with these profound dilemmas.