Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

Leaving that land of fallen gods shrouded in death and obsession, Lin Xuan felt no relief whatsoever. The silent wails of those countless remnant souls of gods and demons, the lingering resentment and hatred that had plagued him for millennia, were like the heaviest shackles, weighing heavily on his heart and deeply imprinted on the depths of his senses.

He sat cross-legged on a huge meteorite far from the battlefield, closed his eyes, and tried to enter a state of cultivation where he could forget himself and the world around him. However, as soon as his consciousness calmed down, the countless chaotic, painful, and bewildered fluctuations of his soul that he had felt in the battlefield surged into his heart again like a tide.

These remnant souls are not illusions. They are formed from the undying obsessions of ancient powerful beings after their fall, mixed with their shattered divine souls. In a sense, they are a more enduring and painful form of existence. They are imprisoned in the eternal "present," repeating the regrets and anger of their previous lives, unable to find release.

The natural cycle of the universe should be their only destination, a hope for cleansing their past and being reborn. But on this ancient battlefield, the path to reincarnation seems to be blocked by some force, or perhaps the excessively strong malevolent energy and chaotic laws of this place are interfering with the guidance of reincarnation.

Lin Xuan's Eternal Nascent Soul possessed a perception of life and death, existence and nothingness far exceeding that of ordinary people. He could clearly "see" those powerful remnant souls, like insects trapped in amber, struggling futilely through endless years. Their essential power was slowly dissipating, and they would eventually completely merge into the baleful aura of this void, leaving not even a trace of their true spirit.

That is a more cruel end than the complete annihilation of body and soul—to utter nothingness in eternal torment.

A nameless compassion, like a gentle spring, quietly seeped from his rock-solid heart.

This is not womanly compassion, but a higher level of insight and lament about the inherent predicament of "existence." It is not wrong that Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all living beings like straw dogs. But those who cultivate themselves, defying Heaven, seek precisely a state of "transcendence," "freedom," and "my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of Heaven."

If one cannot even decide their own destiny after death, and is restricted by the rules of heaven and earth or external forces, unable to find peace, isn't this a greater form of "unfreedom"?

"Heaven and earth are subject to reincarnation, yet even reincarnation has its flaws." Lin Xuan opened his eyes from meditation, his gaze deep and unfathomable, reflecting the desolate battlefield in the distance. "All things have spirits, and all should have their destiny. When the strong fall, their souls should not suffer this eternal torment."

He thought of himself. If one day he were to perish, would he also end up like this? Transformed into a wisp of resentful, undying soul, drifting in a cold corner of the universe, awaiting final annihilation?

Do not!

His path is transcendence and control! Even in death, his fate should be in his own hands! How can it be left to the whims of heaven and earth or others?

This thought, like lightning, pierced through the fog in his mind.

Since the cycle of heaven and earth is flawed, and since the existing rules cannot protect these souls, then why... can't I redefine the rules? Why can't I create a new cycle of reincarnation?

This idea is so outrageous and shocking! Reincarnation is one of the fundamental laws of the universe, which has been governed by heaven and earth since ancient times. How can it be interfered with or shaped by human power?

However, at this moment, Lin Xuan's eyes became incredibly firm and intense!

Defying the heavens? The path he cultivates is inherently defying the heavens!

If one follows the rules and regulations in everything, how can one talk about transcendence? How can one talk about freedom?

He rose to his feet, his black robes billowing in the starry sky without wind. His gaze returned to the place where the gods had fallen, but this time, his eyes held not pity and sighs, but a resolute determination and majesty like that of a creator god.

He took a deep breath, a breath that seemed to draw upon the power of the stars in the heavens, causing the energy within a radius of ten thousand miles to stagnate.

Then, facing the endless void, facing the mysterious cosmic Dao, he made a vow in a clear, firm voice, imbued with his supreme Dao heart and boundless magical power:

"Heaven's will is above, and the Great Way is our witness!"

"Now, the cultivator Lin Xuan hereby swears an oath!"

"I see that the souls of all living beings are adrift, the lingering resentment of gods and demons persists, the cycle of reincarnation is incomplete, and there is no way to find a final resting place. My heart is filled with compassion, and I am also deeply saddened by this injustice!"

"I vow, by my own way, by my own method, and by my boundless will, to carve out a pure land beneath this vast starry sky and establish the order of reincarnation!"

"This land shall be the final resting place for souls, the ferry crossing for true spirits, the place that holds the order of life and death, and the place that judges merit and demerit!"

"My name is—'The Underworld'!"

"I vow to guide the wandering souls of all realms, dissolve their obsessions, cleanse their karmic burdens, and grant them a new lease on life!"

"This vow, witnessed by heaven and earth, heard by the stars. Though countless calamities befall me, and karma entangle my soul, I will bear it all, without regret, even unto death!"

"If I break this oath, may my cultivation vanish and my body perish, never to be reborn!"

Once the grand aspiration is made, the law will follow!

It is not the "words become law" that works on a small scale, but a grand technique that uses one's own Dao heart to resonate with the origin of the universe!

"Boom—!!!"

The entire ancient starry road seemed to tremble!

From the depths of the endless void came a deep and vast thunderclap—the response of the Great Dao's rules! It was not the destructive thunder of a heavenly tribulation, but a Daoist voice carrying a sense of scrutiny and witness!

Lin Xuan was surrounded by an indescribable, dazzling light that soared into the sky. This light was not from his own magical power, but rather from some kind of mysterious fortune and rule that he activated when he made his grand vow! He felt that at this moment, his own will seemed to intertwine with the will of some incomparably vast and ancient being.

The primordial spirit within him trembled violently, and the scenes of the universe's birth and death within his eyes flowed and evolved at an unprecedented speed. That cycle of birth and death, infused with the "Grand Vow of the Underworld," seemed to be given a clear direction and meaning! The end of life is death, and the end of death leads to the "Underworld" he vowed to create, thus beginning a new "birth"!

A vague, ethereal foundation began to slowly condense and take shape beneath his nascent soul. It was not a physical entity, but a nascent concept, a projection of the grand ambition of "Netherworld" onto his own Dao! Although it was still incredibly illusory at this moment, it existed in undeniable reality, closely connected to his future path.

Meanwhile, in the land of fallen gods, far beyond countless star fields, the billions of undying, resentful, and lingering souls seemed to sense something in the darkness.

The frenzied roars and resentment that filled the battlefield froze for a moment.

Some of the more powerful remnants of gods and demons seemed to have a faint glimmer of hope in their scarlet or chaotic eyes. They all, without prior agreement, cast some kind of invisible gaze in the direction of Lin Xuan.

Although they could not understand what had happened, the deep-seated longing for "peace" and "home" from the very core of their souls made them instinctively sense that something earth-shattering, related to their fate, had occurred.

The sound of grand aspirations echoed slowly in the starry sky before finally dissipating.

But that resolute will, that vow to create reincarnation, has been deeply imprinted in this void, imprinted in Lin Xuan's Dao heart and nascent soul, and can never be erased.

Lin Xuan could sense that the moment he made this grand vow, an invisible and immense force of cause and effect enveloped him. This cause and effect involved the reincarnation of all beings and the order of the universe; it was incredibly heavy and would inevitably bring countless calamities and trials in the future.

But his eyes remained firm, even brighter.

"Cause and effect? ​​Calamity?" he murmured to himself, a cold, stern smile curving his lips. "My path fears no cause and effect; my heart fears no calamity."

"I've decided to build this underworld!"

He knew perfectly well that opening up a true underworld of reincarnation was no easy task. It required immeasurable magical power, a deeper understanding of the laws of life, death, and reincarnation, a supreme treasure to suppress destiny, and, more importantly, the ability to deal with obstruction and attacks from the maintainers of the existing order (such as the Celestial Court).

The road ahead is long and fraught with difficulties.

But so what?

Having chosen this most difficult path, we need only be courageous and diligent, overcoming all obstacles, and slaying gods and Buddhas alike!

He took one last look at the silent land of fallen gods, as if making a promise to those lingering souls, or as if reaffirming his own beliefs.

Then, he turned around, took a step forward, and his figure merged into the starry sky as he continued his journey.

This time, however, his goal was no longer merely to improve his cultivation and explore the ancient path. On his shoulders lay a heavy responsibility, a monumental ambition for the Netherworld that would require him to dedicate his entire life to achieving!