When Tianyi had been reborn in the Huang Realm, although it took some time to adjust to the way of living, Tianyi still found it quite easy.
One, because he was an ABC back on Earth, an American born Chinese, and the culture and language was shockingly similar to China. Thus it only took some time to integrate himself into the world.
Two, because he read many novels and his parents had raised him with Chinese cartoons and dramas, thus he was very familiar with the world.
Although it was strange the Huang Realm seemed so homogeneous in race, aside from the magic beasts. Tianyi found no hints of Caucasians, Africans, or even other Asians. He had disregarded the incongruity into the back of his mind, simply accepting that this world was different. But now that he saw this mural, he knew that Caucasians existed.
Maybe not in the Huang Realm, but what of the other realms? After all, the Huang Realm wasn’t the only realm to exist.
Tianyi felt a burning desire to gather more information and so with vigilance, he stepped onto the steps and climbed the pagoda.
The first level had Zeus and the Olympian gods, the Greek Pantheon.
The second level had numerous Japanese gods and goddesses, the Shinto Pantheon. Unlike the Greek Pantheon, the gods and goddesses seemed to be split into three factions: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo.
The third level was led by a bird head humanoid and several other gods and goddesses, with many of them having non human heads. This was the Egyptian Pantheon.
The fourth level had many demons and beasts, with many numerous factions. Tianyi didn’t recognize what mythology of Earth they were from. Perhaps they weren’t even in Earth’s mythology.
The fifth and sixth level, Tianyi didn’t recognize them either.
But with each level Tianyi stepped into, the confusion in his mind grew even further.
Earth definitely wasn’t a simple place. Although the surface area was even smaller than the Huang Realm and there was no cultivation or anything similar, it was like a mixing pot of various religions and cultures.
Is it possible that the people of various realms had all visited Earth or all the realms originated from transmigrators that came from Earth? Tianyi thought.
Many of the murals depicted wars and fights between the experts of the Chinese Pantheon and other Pantheons.
The seventh level depicted an old man in a traditional wizard hat wielding a spear and only one eye and many other humanoid gods and goddesses of varying size, this was the Norse Pantheon.
The eighth level depicted the various Hindu gods and goddesses such as Indra and Shiva. This was the strangest one by far and most of the gods and goddesses were like humanoid shaped concepts.
Tianyi paused on the eighth level as he pondered.
“Considering how prevalent Buddhism was in China, I’d expected to see a level dedicated to the Buddhist Pantheon.” Tianyi said.
Tianyi couldn’t help but also be a little disappointed as well, he was a huge fan of the Victorious Fighting Buddha.
Who else could the Victorious Fighting Buddha be but Sun Wukong?
The Beautiful Monkey King, the monkey born of stone, the Lord of Flower Fruit Mountain, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Tianyi had grown up watching shows about him and a natural sense of wonder and worship was born of it.
Yet in these murals, there was no mention of the stone monkey.
“Perhaps because Sun Wukong destroyed and caused a huge ruckus in heaven like the legends, so they erased all mention of him in shame?” Tianyi muttered, before a strange smile appeared on his face. “Hehe, forget it.”
Although he said that, Tianyi’s eyes were shining brightly. A small aspiration had formed in his heart as he remembered the strength of the Monkey King as he challenged the Immortal Court’s Heavenly Army by himself.
Walking to the ninth level, Tianyi was stunned.
The mural extended all the way from the walls to the ceiling, covering every inch of the ninth and final level.
On the walls were all the Pantheons, but they were not fighting amongst each other but the central figure on the ceiling.
It was a strange painting, although Tianyi said it was a painting, the figure looked closer to a 3D hologram. Actually all the painted figures had depth that resembled 3D.
The figure on the ceiling had white skin and had long tunic embroidered with delicate gold features. His face was indistinct yet seemed to have every sort of facial features and faces at the same time, young and old, ugly and beautiful, masculine and feminine. And on his head he wore a crown of thorns made of light.
Surrounding him were numerous humans with varying numbers of wings, all of them had a single halo atop their head. Some had six fiery burning wings, some weren’t actually even humanoid in form and resemble a flaming wheel, and others had a lion head, ox head, human head, and eagle head all on a single body.
The central figure wasn’t fighting but just floating there with a holy glow. Instead the various pantheons were warring it out with the numerous angels.
Tianyi had found it strange that there was no mention of the god of Christianity in the murals even though it was the number one religion on Earth. It turned out that even in the myriad realms, the number one religion was actually the strongest force.
Tianyi walked around the ninth level observing the murals. He saw many figures that weren’t on the other eight levels and to his joy he found the Great Sage Equal to Heaven in his glimmering golden armor and a phoenix feather cap wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Oh and there were also many Buddhist figures as well, but they seemed to be a different force with Sun Wukong.
After admiring the murals, although his questions have yet to be answered, Tianyi placed the questions into the back of his mind. He hadn’t exactly expected to figure it out anyways. It was another question he would have to find the answer too later.
The biggest obstacle was the simple fact that he was too weak.
Perhaps he would ask his mother when he returned. But for now, the mural added fuel to the fire in Tianyi’s heart as his efforts into finding a correct method to cultivate doubled.
But Tianyi didn’t recklessly rush forward and continued to roam the pagoda, hoping to find a fortuitous encounter.
But like the Pill Hall, there was nothing for Tianyi to discover.
Having given up Tianyi began to descend down onto the first floor. But just as he began to descend, the pagoda began to vibrate and numerous tiny balls of light appeared out of the mural. It created a beautiful illusion that Tianyi was standing in a sea of stars, but Tianyi wasn’t happy at all.
He knew that he had nothing to do with the change in the pagoda. If he hadn’t done it then it meant that someone else triggered the changes. Tianyi quickened his descent and once he entered the first level once more, he stilled.
Enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.
Who else could it be but Lei Jingye?
Upon seeing Lei Jingye, Tianyi’s first reaction wasn’t to question why Lei Jingye was able to enter the Immortal Court fragment ruins that was opened by the three hegemonic sects of the Huang Realm.
No, Tianyi’s mind instantly recalled Daoyi’s shriveled husk of a body from the experience and Lei Jingye’s blood red, hatred filled eyes.
Lei Jingye also noticed Tianyi and instantly hatred colored his vision.
Tianyi averted his eyes towards the space above Lei Jingye’s head. Although he was not the one who committed those sins, Xi Longyi’s actions truly were too much.
The space above Lei Jingye’s head had stars congregating into a beast with four legs.
But Tianyi didn’t have any intention of staying, perhaps he would have a fortuitous encounter if he stayed but staying in one space with Lei JIngye was extremely uncomfortable to the current Tianyi. Others might want to take a chance to fight, but Tianyi wasn’t interested. He would rather find a treasure or manual that would aid in his current problems.
Lei Jingye watched in half shock as Tianyi, who had seen him but decided to ignore him and walk away.
This was the third time he had met his arch nemesis in this life. Although his arch nemesis’ appearance was slightly different than the one in his memories, Lei Jingye would never fail to recognize him.
He couldn’t forget the death of his clansmen, nor could he forget the tragedy of Daoyi.
How could he forget his grudge filled history with the son of the Sword Empress. Once he gained strength, he would wipe Tianyi from the face of the world. It could be said the person who paid the most attention to Tianyi would be Lei Jinye.
But how did Tianyi react?
Tianyi just walked away, like he did not care for Lei Jingye. It was a complete contrast to Tianyi’s action in the capital of the Xi Dynasty.
Lei Jingye expected many things when he saw Tianyi, he expected Tianyi to be blinded by envy and try to snatch the starlight above him, he expected Tianyi to ridicule him, but he did not expect Tianyi to just directly ignore him.
“Xi Longyi!” Lei Jingye knew it was foolish.
He was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm but Tianyi was at the Core Formation realm.
Not only that, he was still in the process of forming his Stellar Avatar from the Heaven and Man Connection Pagoda. If he moved now it would negatively affect the final formation.
Logically speaking, Lei Jingye should be happy that Tianyi ignored him. If Tianyi continued to ignore him, he would be able to silently gather his strength and grow to take revenge on Tianyi.
But Lei Jingye couldn’t contain the anger within him at how Tianyi ignored him like an inconsequential speck of dust. It was as if Tianyi was telling Lei Jingye that no matter what he did, he would never be able to affect Tianyi.
Tianyi frowned as he turned around to see Lei Jingye come slashing at him with his sword. He could see that the half finished beast made of stars become blurry as if the stabilizing element in it was gone.
Tianyi unsheathed his own sword clashed against Lei Jingye’s sword. He was surprised that Lei Jingye’s sword was able to clash unharmed against his own sword. Tianyi’s sword only looked like an artifact at the Core Formation realm, in truth even Tianyi himself didn’t know what realm of artifact it was at. His mother had placed a sealing formation that would unlock with each realm he ascended to.
But even so the power of his sword was able to unleash power beyond its current realm.
Yet Lei Jingye’s sword was able to contend against it. Either it was a treasure at the Nascent Soul realm or higher, or the material that made it was not simple. Or it could be both.
However, what did that matter to Tianyi?
So what if he was reincarnated, he wasn’t Xi Longyi but he wasn’t someone who anyone could just offend. He walked away, because he felt he owed Lei Jingye some compensation but if Lei Jingye insisted on clashing against him then don’t blame him for not being merciful.
Lei Jingye was knocked back. Although his sword was able to contend against Tianyi, everything else he was below Tianyi be it in spiritual or martial cultivation.
Even the techniques he practiced were inferior to Tianyi.
Lei Jingye glared warily at Tianyi, he had retreated back to the center of the pagoda and his destabilized Stellar Avatar was now returning to normal, now resembling a wolf.
Tianyi saw the star formed wolf and couldn’t help think of the Heavenly Wolf*
“Xi Tianyi.”
Lei Jingye furrowed his brows at Tianyi’s words.
“Don’t get it wrong next time. My name is Xi Tianyi.” Tianyi smiled, his smile could be compared to a blossoming flower but that flower was a man eating flower. “Perhaps, that’s the last name you’ll remember before you die.”
The air around Tianyi instantly changed.
Lei Jingye felt as if there was a sphere around Tianyi and within the sphere it was a complete void where nothing existed.
At this moment just as Tianyi displayed his Heartless Sword Art, Sword Formation as the World, starlight instantly began to gather inside the illusionary void created by Tianyi.
Each starlight became like a glittering star inside the void, with each passing moment the number of stars increased forming the Heavenly River**.