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墨書 Inktalez
Was my soul sinking in the River of Despair? I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that grew stronger with each passing moment. The water of the River of Despair flowed endlessly, and I had no idea how long it truly was.
As for the so-called Reincarnation Tree, I hadn't even seen a shadow of it.
The river was black. Perhaps if I entered this river, I might find a trace of Ke'er.
Taking a deep breath, I felt my soul decaying, and without further hesitation, I jumped into the water. Don't ask me about breathing underwater; souls do not need to breathe.
Once submerged, I was immediately engulfed by the black water, and soon after, everything around me faded from sight.
In this River of Despair, there was no sensation of flowing water.
Above me, it flowed, but below felt like still lake water. Though I couldn't see anything in the depths, strangely enough, the decay of my soul had slowed down significantly.
It had nearly come to a halt. I swam deeper into the water, relying solely on my instincts since visibility was nonexistent.
I groped my way downward but could not sense Ke'er's presence.
I could only continue swimming downwards.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I encountered a tree. My soul was halted by this tree as I crawled out of the water onto a small riverbank located in the middle of the river. In this central spot grew a tree, and upon seeing it, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
I might have found the legendary Reincarnation Tree.
However, when I looked up, the Reincarnation Flower was nowhere to be seen.
Had someone truly taken it? But last time it had been confirmed that it was fake. So where exactly was the Reincarnation Flower?
It wasn't on this tree either. Yet this tree looked peculiar; its roots seemed not to be anchored in the riverbank but instead grew directly above it and spread down into the water. The tree had no leaves at all; it stood bare and desolate.
The tree beside me was not very tall, just over two meters, but it exuded an ancient aura that made me feel the weight of time as I stood next to it.
I stared at the tree for a moment before diving back into the water to search for Ke'er.
After swimming downstream for about fifteen minutes, I encountered another tree. This one was different from the last; it had leaves.
I took a quick glance at this tree. Aside from the leaves, there was nothing else that set it apart.
After observing it for a while, I continued my search underwater. I thought to myself that even if I couldn't find the Reincarnation Flower, I had to bring Ke'er away from here.
With my resolve firm, I searched diligently in the water until I reached the tenth tree, where I finally began to feel more rational because I could smell the fragrance of flowers.
My heart raced with excitement as I approached the tenth tree and finally spotted a flower. However, it was still a bud and had yet to bloom.
Yet, even in its unopened state, it already emitted a delightful scent.
This surprised me. As I stood next to the tree, I noticed that aside from some differences in the flowers and leaves, the trunks of these ten trees were otherwise identical.
As I inhaled the floral aroma, I suddenly felt a bit dazed. I had intended to reach out and touch the bud, and my hand was almost there when I hesitated and pulled it back.
If I were to pluck this bud, it might never bloom again, I thought to myself.
After gazing at it for a while longer, I submerged myself in the water again. However, this time, I couldn't help but wonder if there was some connection between these eleven trees.
From the previously bare trunks to now having buds—could this signify the beginning of reincarnation? From nothingness to existence? But Lin Li had mentioned seeing flowers bloom and wither.
Without hesitation, I continued swimming. Sure enough, my instincts were correct; I saw buds slowly beginning to open. By the time I reached the twelfth tree, the Reincarnation Flower had fully blossomed.
At that moment, I could no longer hide the excitement in my heart. I reached out to pluck the flower, but as I did, my hand grasped nothing but air, as if the flower didn't exist at all.
My hand passed through the blooming petals, and it felt like I was touching a mass of empty space.
Yet there was clearly a fragrance in the air, but I couldn't reach the flower. I stood in front of the tree, lost in thought. After exhausting all my tricks and methods, I still had no success.
Damn it, the flower was right in front of me; why couldn't I just grab it?
Suddenly, I recalled what Yiyan had told me: everything is an illusion, and one shouldn't be too attached. But if I let go of my attachment, would I lose the most important thing to me?
With a sigh, I thought that if I couldn't get the flower, perhaps I could at least do something with the tree. So I began to fiddle with it, but it was still useless.
My soul became a Light Spot drifting here. I intended to push the tree over, but ultimately found it pointless.
Was this Reincarnation Tree caught in an endless cycle? I pondered as my soul returned to my eyes.
I stared at the tree, my gaze shifting to the Reincarnation Flower. At that moment, the Reincarnation Flower resembled a plum; I could only long for it from afar—seeing it but unable to pluck it.
What exactly was this Reincarnation Tree? After struggling for so long, I still didn't understand. However, at that moment, I discovered a terrifying truth.
My soul had been pierced through; although the hole was small, it still caused pain. Overwhelmed by the sensation, I jumped into the River of Despair.
As I swam downstream, many trees appeared below me. But when I reached one particular tree, I suddenly fell silent.
Because it seemed that I had arrived at the first tree I had ever seen.
The tree had become bare, but I knew it was not the first tree I had seen. Suddenly, I realized that it felt as if I had already experienced a cycle of life and death.
From nothing to something, and then from something back to nothing, I stood before the last tree.
I was lost in thought when I suddenly remembered Lin Li. He had said that he had witnessed the blooming and withering of flowers many times, while ordinary people could only see one bloom or one fall. At this moment, I had seen both a bloom and a fall.
So, had I already gone through a cycle?
But a cycle should take a hundred years, so did that mean I had just experienced a hundred years?
I was puzzled, yet it was difficult to articulate my confusion because I hadn’t fully understood it. If I could see the blooming and withering of flowers, then why couldn’t I pick the Reincarnation Flower?
I stood still, and at that moment, the waters of the River of Despair seemed to become clearer.
At this time, my soul felt as if it had gained several more voids.
Whatever lay below, it no longer mattered to me. I had already experienced one cycle; whether or not I saw the next one was irrelevant.
If it were to repeat again, what significance would it hold?
Ke'er’s presence had not appeared at all, which left me feeling somewhat disheartened. In this dark place, I could not find Ke'er’s soul.
But just then, three souls emerged before my eyes—two were Ke'er’s wandering souls, and the other was the Seed of Souls that I had brought along.
Once the three souls emerged, they quickly floated on the surface of the River of Despair.
After a while, they began to hum softly, and soon I saw the once-bare tree undergo a transformation right before my eyes.
I watched as it slowly sprouted new leaves, then gradually formed flower buds, and finally, I witnessed the buds bloom. I saw the entire process unfold.
It felt magical; when the flower bloomed, the Seed of Souls floated toward me, seemingly beckoning me to come closer. I didn’t hesitate for long and approached it directly. However, once I got closer, I realized that this flower was not an illusion.
I reached out to pluck it, and it came into my hand.
Yet, upon holding the flower, I didn’t feel particularly joyful because I sensed a deep sadness emanating from it.
Affected by this emotion, I intended to return the flower to its original place, but it was already too late.
The flower could no longer go back to the tree. The mist of the River of Despair continued to rise around us. But in the next moment, the blooming flower in my hand began to change; its petals swiftly detached from the center and floated onto the River of Despair. Then I saw a shadow.
Just seeing that shadow made me feel exhilarated.
Because Ke'er had appeared.
Ke'er called out to me as Husband. I responded, but my heart was overwhelmed with excitement; countless emotions surged within me, yet all that escaped my lips was her name—Ke'er.
I suddenly sighed, feeling a twinge of sadness.
Ke'er's spirit floated in the air, petals swirling around her. She acknowledged me with a sound. Although I saw Ke'er, I didn’t rush toward her because I knew this wasn’t her true soul; just like last time, it was merely a fragment of her soul.
I stood still, my gaze fixed on Ke'er.
"Ke'er said, 'Husband, this is the Dark Land. If you come here, you must not stay too long; it's best if you don't come at all. If you do come and see my soul, leave immediately.'
I saw that soul, but I could not leave.
Even if I wanted to leave, it was not that easy. My soul had turned black. After staying in the River of Despair for so long, my once pure soul had become tainted.
Previously, I noticed that the decay of my soul was slow despite the blackness. However, at this moment, I realized it was no longer the case.
My soul had darkened, and I found that if I stayed away from the River of Despair for too long, my soul would involuntarily convulse, and the voids within me were clearly increasing. But when I entered the water, those symptoms would cease.
Initially, I entered the water to protect myself. Later, I discovered that while my soul decayed slowly outside, it would not decay at all once submerged in the water.
Yet upon emerging from it, my soul would accelerate its decay."
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