The Final Rebirth
Tian Zun stood alone atop the shattered peak of the Celestial Spire, a jagged throne of stone and starlight that pierced the endless void. His silver hair whipped in the astral winds, and his golden eyes burned with a resolve that had weathered nine trillion reincarnations. He was the Supreme of Heaven and Earth, a title no other being could claim, yet even that was not enough. For eons, he had clawed his way to the pinnacle of cultivation, only to find himself pressed against an invisible wall—a barrier that mocked his power, whispering of something beyond. A final frontier. A dimension unseen, or perhaps a truth so vast it defied comprehension.He could feel it, that trembling veil between worlds, a membrane pulsing with secrets. Nine trillion lives, each a cycle of blood and triumph, had brought him no closer to breaking through. His cultivation had reached its zenith, a peak so high that the heavens themselves bowed, yet the wall remained. "One last time," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that shook the firmament. "I will sever all ties—past, present, and future—and cast myself into the abyss of rebirth. If there is a pinnacle beyond this, I will claim it."With a breath that drew in the essence of stars, Tian Zun raised his hands. His dao path, a tapestry of infinite lives woven with threads of conquest and enlightenment, shimmered before him. Then, with a single thought, he slashed it apart. The threads burned, unraveling into ash that scattered across the void. His physical body, a vessel forged through countless trials, began to crack. Golden light bled from the fissures, and with a roar that echoed through the cosmos, he shattered it entirely. Flesh dissolved, bones turned to dust, and the universe itself seemed to scream—a primal wail of fear as the Supreme’s power ignited one final time.What remained was his soul, a radiant orb of silver flame, pulsing with the will of a being who had defied eternity. His left eye, even in this ethereal form, gleamed with purpose. Raising it to the void, he summoned the Door of Reincarnation. It materialized slowly, a towering archway of obsidian and mist, its surface rippling like liquid shadow. Ancient runes glowed along its frame, whispering of cycles and endings. Without hesitation, Tian Zun stepped through, the last vestiges of his cultivation burning away as he crossed the threshold.Darkness swallowed him.When his consciousness returned, the air was thick with the scent of dust and damp straw. Tian Zun’s soul flickered, adjusting to a new form—a body frail and unfamiliar. His golden eyes snapped open, and he found himself kneeling on a worn stone floor, a tattered rug clutched in his hands. He froze, taking in the scene. The room was vast, its high ceilings supported by pillars of polished jade, their surfaces etched with faded symbols of a forgotten age. Tapestries hung from the walls, their threads depicting celestial beasts and warriors locked in eternal combat, though the colors had dulled with time. Sunlight streamed through cracked windows, casting long shadows that danced across the floor.This was no celestial palace, yet it carried an air of faded grandeur, as if it had once been a seat of power. Tian Zun’s lips curled into a faint smirk. "Hongmeng World," he whispered, the name surfacing in his mind like a memory from the void. This was where the Door had cast him—a realm unknown, its essence raw and untamed compared to the polished heavens he once ruled. He could feel it in the air, a chaotic vitality that thrummed beneath the surface, untapped and wild. A world teetering on the edge of ruin or rebirth.His hands moved instinctively, folding the rug as if guided by muscle memory not his own. A servant’s task. He glanced down at his body—small, wiry, clad in rough-spun cloth stained with sweat and grime. A boy, no more than sixteen summers, with calloused hands and a frame untested by battle. "A fitting shell," he mused. "Weakness is the forge of strength."The sound of footsteps broke his reverie. A shadow loomed behind him, and before he could turn, a hand clapped onto his shoulder—firm, but not unkind. Tian Zun’s instincts flared, his soul coiling like a dragon ready to strike, yet he held still, curiosity outweighing reflex."Slacking again, are we, Lin Zun?" a voice rasped, rough as gravel but tinged with weary amusement. Tian Zun turned his head slightly, catching sight of a grizzled man in his periphery. The stranger wore a faded robe of deep blue, its hem frayed from years of wear. His face was lined with age, his eyes sharp despite the exhaustion that clung to him like a second skin. A steward, perhaps, or a caretaker of this decaying estate.Tian Zun said nothing, letting the name settle in his mind. Lin Zun. So that was the identity this body carried. He filed it away, his gaze drifting past the man to the room beyond. Through an arched doorway, he glimpsed a courtyard where vines choked the base of a broken fountain. The faint hum of energy pulsed from the stone, a remnant of some ancient formation now crumbling into disrepair. This world was old, scarred by time, yet alive with potential.The man’s grip tightened briefly before releasing. "Get back to work, boy. The mistress won’t tolerate idle hands, not with the clan gathering looming." He shuffled off, muttering under his breath about dust and neglect.Tian Zun rose to his feet, the rug forgotten. His soul thrummed within this fragile shell, testing its limits. The wall he had sensed in his past life was still there, distant but palpable, a challenge woven into the fabric of this Hongmeng World. He closed his eyes, letting the ambient energy of the realm wash over him. It was fractured—split between warring forces, decayed dynasties, and secrets buried in the earth. A perfect crucible."The pinnacle lies here," he said softly, a spark of anticipation igniting in his chest. "Let this tenth trillionth life be the one that shatters the wall."Outside, the wind howled through the courtyard, carrying the distant cry of a beast that shook the foundations of the house. Tian Zun smiled. Hongmeng World would not disappoint.