In the vastness of the cosmos, within the universe's consciousness, a thought resonated: 'Rest here for a while. I will help you find your other reincarnation bodies shortly. You can begin merging them here.'
"No, I can't. There are still worlds awaiting my salvation. Reincarnation merging consumes too much time. I cannot afford to waste even a second here."
"Do not rush. I can tell you that the other party's strength will increase tremendously once they break free from the seal. Their current state is beyond your control. You also know why the seal was opened prematurely."
"The Evil Spirit Emperor has surpassed you by far, and has received help."
The universe consciousness's words trailed off. Chen Tian instantly understood. It was possible that Tian had aided the Evil Spirit Emperor in enhancing his power. He trusted the universe's will not to deceive him.
"But..."
"Let me finish. You must trust your friends. Believe that they will hold the line for you. Only through reincarnation merging will you possess the strength to resist, won't you?"
This statement struck a chord. Indeed, without the power to protect the world, without the strength to resist, his current self would be walking into certain death. This was not the outcome he desired.
"Alright, I believe you."
He sat down cross-legged to recuperate. The universe consciousness's figure departed. Under the shroud of evil spirit energy, the corpse gradually showed signs of life. The previously deceased body came alive. This scene stunned both Li Huan and Qing Yang. When the figure opened its eyes, it exploded, revealing a brand new form – a pure-blooded Evil Spirit. Evil spirit energy coiled around him as the man spoke, "As expected, two weaklings. It's fortunate that the 'that person' arranged for me to be here."
The two faced a formidable enemy. This individual was certainly beyond their ability to contend with. Judging by the aura alone, he had far surpassed them. How could they possibly resist? The Evil Spirit race man merely opened his eyes, and instantly, they were pinned to the ground by an overwhelming pressure. Against such power, any resistance was futile. Li Huan and Qing Yang unleashed their full might, attempting to counter the oppressive aura, only to find themselves completely unable to resist. The gap in strength was immense.
"Remember, the one who kills you is Evil General, Xie Yuan Yi!"
This was an Evil General, a being far surpassing ordinary Evil Spirits, operating on a completely different tier. Only Chen Tian knew the power of an Evil General; each one was capable of matching half of his own strength. For these two to encounter an Evil General meant certain death.
They nodded to each other, as if a decision had been made. Just as they were about to detonate their internal energy, a voice echoed from afar, "I do not need to be your opponent."
Yellow light shot directly towards the Evil General. The Evil General sensed the challenger's strength was equal to his own. A hint of interest flickered in his eyes. It was rare to find a cultivator of his caliber in this world, given the vast disparity in its overall level. The newcomer was none other than Sen Sha, whose strength had dramatically increased after receiving his inheritance. He had initially intended to find Chen Tian, but a mysterious voice in his mind had led him here. Having accepted the inheritance, he was aware of the secrets of the game "Shikong Jiyuan."
He possessed intimate knowledge of the Evil Spirit race – humanity's enemy. Without hesitation, he launched an attack. With a palm strike, his hand was enveloped by yellow sand, forming a colossal palm that swept forward with the ferocious winds of the desert. Xie Yuan Yi's initial disdain turned into solemnity. The opponent was of the same realm, and he could not afford to be careless. His goal in this world had yet to be achieved, and he could not afford to fail now.
Evil Spirit Claws flashed as he struck out, leaving claw marks in their wake. The sand palm was pierced through and exploded. The palm, composed of sand, was shattered. Having inherited the Sand King's legacy, his control over sand was unrivaled.
With a thought, the dispersed sand in the space condensed into countless blades, raining down like a torrential downpour. Witnessing this, Qing Yang and the others felt a surge of trypophobia. It was too overwhelming to look at. As the combat pressure lessened and Sen Sha arrived, they could barely move.
"You two, return to reality quickly. You are needed there."
"Do you need help here?"
"We can still fight."
"I am enough. Leave now."
Sen Sha's gaze was resolute. They could only nod reluctantly and exit the space.
Xie Yuan Yi faced the countless sand blades, his Evil Spirit Claws continuously slashing, breaking them down into scattered sand. The two figures faced each other.
"Not bad, young one. You possess the strength to contend with me. It's a pity you're still too green."
"You have the strength to do so."
Both spoke with an air of dominance. Their figures collided, the Sand King's legacy primarily focusing on control and self-transformation into sand, along with immense physical resilience. A body formed from countless grains of sand, individually insignificant and fragile, but when condensed into a single entity like a desert, its strength was beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
Their bodies clashed. Evil Spirit Claws met sand palms with continuous booming sounds, sending sand scattering between them.
Chen Tian, far away in the space, opened his eyes and exhaled. His injuries had recovered by seventy to eighty percent. In a short while, he would be completely healed. Recovery here was tens of times faster than elsewhere, which was a significant advantage. Otherwise, it would have taken days to recover.
The moment he opened his eyes, several figures appeared before him. These figures had distinct appearances. One of them spoke, "So weak. You are so weak in this life."
"Uh!!"
He was speechless, not knowing how to respond. He didn't need to think; these were his reincarnation bodies, the remaining ones.
"Chen Tian, I've found them for you. However, the fifth reincarnation is not within the reincarnation nexus. It seems there was an accident, and you'll have to find them yourself."
A young woman emerged, the materialized form of the universe consciousness. He expressed his gratitude, "Thank you very much."
The few reincarnation figures understood their purpose without a word. They transformed into beams of light and merged into his body. He closed his eyes, accepting the vast memories from several reincarnations. The sheer volume of memories was too much to process in a short time; it would require considerable effort. He could only hope that they could hold on during this period.
He had no choice but to choose this path. He was acutely aware that if the other party interfered, the Evil Spirit Emperor's strength would skyrocket. Even if he unleashed all his power in this lifetime's cultivation, it might only result in a draw. To achieve absolute victory, he needed to absorb all the memories, transform them into himself, and become an immensely powerful being to have the capital to fight.
Sand formed a cage that descended from the sky. Black light crisscrossed, and the cage instantly shattered. This was not the end. The sand, under control, formed a colossal palm intending to grasp Xie Yuan Yi's body. He would not let that happen. His figure flickered, escaping the grasp. When he reappeared, he was behind Sen Sha, a claw descending.
Just as he was about to succeed, countless grit particles behind Sen Sha formed a shield, blocking the attack. The claw struck and became embedded, as if hitting a sponge.
Seizing the opportunity, grit particles shot out as sharp sand spikes, heading straight for his face. Reluctantly, he chose to abandon the attack and evade, widening the distance. This human was proving troublesome, possessing the ability to control and generate sand. Coupled with the fact that this entire space was permeated with sand, victory seemed difficult.