Ch 83: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Jiang Lin felt a bit of pressure in that moment. He knew what the two emperors in front of him wanted to know, but there were many things that even he himself was still in the dark about.

Suddenly, the system transmitted a large amount of information to him.

Jiang Lin was taken aback for a moment and then said, “Your Majesties, let’s discuss this inside.”

He led the two emperors into the celestial palace. Qingfeng and Qingyue were so frightened that they were trembling, serving tea and snacks with a cautious demeanor before retreating without daring to take another look.

Zong Yu seemed very uneasy, casting several glances at Jiang Lin but hesitating to approach directly, perhaps due to some concerns.

Emperor Qing noticed and asked curiously, “Taotie, aren’t you Jiang Lin’s Dao companion? Why are you acting so timid?”

Zong Yu glanced at Jiang Lin again, and seeing no reaction from him, he muttered, “You’ve misunderstood. The Dao companion contract between Jiang Lin and me was a mistake. We aren’t truly in a Dao companion relationship.”

But judging by his expression, it didn’t seem entirely so.

However, Emperor Yan and Emperor Qing were not the gossiping type, and even though they noticed this, they didn’t ask further.

Jiang Lin then said to Zong Yu, “You know some of the details, so you should sit with us.”

Zong Yu immediately brightened up with a smile.

The four of them sat down, and Jiang Lin spoke directly, “I have reincarnated many times and retain the memories from each of those lives.”

As soon as he said this, Emperor Qing and Emperor Yan exchanged glances.

This wasn’t particularly unusual. Many deities in the Celestial Court had experienced trials in the mortal realm, and the memories of these reincarnations often returned once they re-entered the Celestial Court.

They took this information in stride.

But then Jiang Lin looked at Emperor Yan and said, “Emperor Yan, you sensed that I carry your bloodline aura, likely because, in one of my reincarnations, I was your son.”

“Me?” Emperor Yan was truly surprised this time. “You encountered me in your reincarnations?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “To be precise, I encountered an Emperor Yan, but it wasn’t you in appearance, and the identity was not that of the Southern Celestial Court’s Emperor Yan.”

He briefly mentioned his identity and experiences in that world.

He wasn’t sure why the system suddenly prompted him that he could reveal this information about the mission.

When Jiang Lin mentioned that the Emperor Yan he encountered was a deity from ancient times, Emperor Yan’s expression grew even more serious.

This was completely different from the trials that deities of the Celestial Court underwent in the mortal realm.

In this realm, the five celestial courts are the highest authorities, governing everything. Below them are three thousand minor worlds, including the mundane human world with no cultivation foundation and cultivation worlds that have some exposure to cultivation.

But in those worlds, “deities” do not exist, let alone primordial deities like the Sun God.

What Jiang Lin experienced wasn’t like reincarnations within the three thousand minor worlds they knew of. Instead, it seemed more like he had encountered an entirely different dimension and civilization, something they had never come into contact with.

Emperor Yan suddenly looked at Jiang Lin, and his eyes lit up with a fire. Jiang Lin felt a tremor in his soul, as if everything was laid bare under that gaze.

The sensation disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“My apologies,” Emperor Yan said, his tone carrying a hint of regret as he looked at Jiang Lin, whose expression had darkened. He explained, “I didn’t probe your memories; I just wanted to see if you truly are Immortal Lord Liu.”

“According to what you’ve said, you shouldn’t be Liu Immortal Lord Liu,” Emperor Yan continued. “Yet, I can’t detect any discord between your soul and this body.”

However, for a deity, their soul might reincarnate within the same world, but how could it cross into entirely different worlds and still possess an identity without flaws?

Jiang Lin didn’t see this as anything unusual and replied, “I’m not lying. Zong Yu can vouch for me.”

Zong Yu nodded. “I’ve been with Jiang Lin through several worlds.”

Emperor Qing asked, “Did you also take on different identities?”

Taotie shook his head. “No, I’ve always been myself. I crossed spatial turbulence to enter different worlds.”

“That’s the key,” Emperor Qing said. “You physically traversed time and space, but Jiang Lin arrived with different identities.”

He added, “I’ve observed Immortal Lord Liu’s fate line; he’s a Celestial Lord of Central Heavenly Court, and his past fate was clear. But now…”

He shook his head. “I can’t see it anymore.”

This situation seemed more like a case of possession, but Jiang Lin’s case didn’t resemble possession at all. Unable to make sense of it, Emperor Qing shifted his focus. “So, how did you acquire the Nine Spirits Technique? Did you encounter another version of me during your reincarnations?”

Jiang Lin hesitated before shaking his head.

He slowly explained, “I obtained the Nine Spirits Technique in a mortal world. In that world, I had an ancestral artifact. By sheer chance, I inherited the technique from it.”

Emperor Qing asked, “The technique was inside that artifact?”

Jiang Lin nodded.

“Interesting,” Emperor Qing mused. “What was that world like? Were there any legends about me?”

Jiang Lin replied, “In that world, there were no demons or supernatural forces. No one could cultivate; everyone was an ordinary mortal with a lifespan not exceeding a century.”

Emperor Qing frowned. “Given that, how could the Nine Spirits Technique exist there?”

A suspicion arose in Jiang Lin’s mind.

He said, “In the reincarnation where I was with Emperor Yan, toward the end, human civilization advanced to the point where they no longer needed the governance of deities.”

Both Emperor Qing and Emperor Yan’s expressions shifted slightly.

Jiang Lin lowered his eyes. “In that world, I was the last deity in the human realm. In the end, I walked into the western ocean, said to be a divine land forbidden to humanity.”

But he never truly entered it and didn’t know what lay within that ocean, nor what the legendary divine land was like.

“And in the world where I obtained the Nine Spirits Technique, though there were no deities or demons, countless legends of gods and demons were passed down. Emperor Qing, Emperor Yan, both of you were included in those legends.”

Jiang Lin hesitated and said, “I used to think those were just fabricated legends, but now… I don’t think so anymore.”

Perhaps, those deities did exist once.

Emperor Qing slowly spoke, “You mean that maybe, in that world, there were once many deities, but for some unknown reason, they all disappeared or… perished?”

Jiang Lin nodded.

Emperor Yan frowned and rebuked, “That’s ridiculous! We Chaos Gods and Demons are as eternal as the heavens and earth; how could we disappear?”

But Jiang Lin responded, “I don’t see it that way.”

His gaze was bright and sharp as he quietly looked at Emperor Yan. “If that’s the case, then why, from the Chaos era, have so many gods and demons, who were also supposed to be as eternal as the heavens and earth, dwindled to just a few?”

Emperor Yan wanted to say it was because of wars, because of power struggles. Then he suddenly understood what Jiang Lin meant.

If Chaos Gods and Demons could fall due to wars, why couldn’t they die for other reasons as well?

He suddenly looked up at the sky.

Emperor Qing did the same.

Then, he stood up and said with a smile, “Well, thank you for enlightening us. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my old friend Emperor Yan; we should find some time to have a drink and catch up.”

Emperor Yan stood up as well.

Jiang Lin knew they probably had things to discuss, so he tactfully stood up to see them off.

As they were leaving, he casually asked, “How is the Heavenly Emperor?”

Emperor Qing suddenly laughed. “I almost forgot to tell you, you don’t have to worry about your situation with Zhinü anymore. The Heavenly Emperor is going into seclusion to cultivate and likely won’t be coming out for months.”

He and Emperor Yan hadn’t held back; they specifically targeted the face and left divine power that wouldn’t allow the marks to fade. A prideful Heavenly Emperor wouldn’t show himself in public.

After seeing the two Emperors off, Jiang Lin’s expression also grew serious.

He shut himself in a chamber and asked the system, “I used to think I was just living through an ordinary time-travel story, but now, tell me, what do you really want me to do?”

The system remained silent.

Jiang Lin sneered, “Not talking again? Do you believe I won’t just slack off? Sure, I want revenge and resurrection, but I’ve lived so long and had a much more exciting life than when I was a mortal. By any measure, I’ve already gained more than I lost.”

Hearing this, the system finally responded.

It replied seriously, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you; it’s that I don’t know.”

Jiang Lin: ?

The system continued, “But I can swear, all of this won’t harm you.”

“My creator only told me that when your mission is complete, everything will become clear to you.”

Jiang Lin wasn’t in the mood for vague answers. “You sound like you’re saying a lot, but in reality, you’re saying nothing.”

System: “…I swear I’m not lying! Even if you decide to slack off, I still don’t know anything!”