Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 557 Returning to Ginkgo Village

Xiao Jie was secretly astonished, yet also seemed to understand something. Combining this with his understanding of the "population cap" mechanism, he suddenly realized that the "six realms of reincarnation" in this world was probably not a concept in the traditional religious sense, but rather a rule setting closer to that of a game world.

"Humanity" is the template for players and main NPCs.

"Heavenly Path" may correspond to a higher-level "Divine Realm" or "Celestial Realm" faction, but it seems that the version is not open or has been closed.

The "Asura Path" might be a reincarnation as an elite monster or even a dungeon boss.

The "animal realm" undoubtedly refers to being reborn as various monsters or wild beasts.

The "Hungry Ghost Realm" is most likely filled with undead monsters such as zombies and skeletons that roam the wilderness.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jie felt a surge of shock: This reincarnation mechanism was linked to the continuous life of all NPCs, monsters, and factions in the entire game world? It was simply... constructing a self-sustaining ecosystem!
"Immortal Master," the judge's voice pulled him back to reality, "have you thought it through? Are you sure you want to transition to the human realm?"

"Yes, that's fine, humane treatment is acceptable." Xiao Jie composed himself and answered confidently.

He turned to the waiting crowd: "Everyone, please enter the pool. See you again in Ginkgo Village."

Han Luo, An Ran, Jiu Jianxian, Xia Yi Wushuang, Wen Tian Wuji, Bai Ze, and others entered the pool one by one. Before stepping into the water, An Ran turned back and gave Xiao Jie a deep look, then glanced at Ye Luo, who was unable to reincarnate, and I, who wanted to become an immortal, standing by the pool, and asked softly, "Aren't those two... coming?"

“Their situation is special and requires further arrangements,” Xiao Jie explained gently. “You go first, and I will meet you at Ginkgo Village later.”

“You said it yourself,” An Ran’s voice carried a hint of dependence and admonition, “Don’t go back on your word.”

Xiao Jie nodded solemnly: "Definitely."

The judge pressed the rune again, and the vortex of the Rebirth Pool emerged, safely sending everyone's souls away.

Meanwhile, in Ginkgo Village—

On a grassy slope near the village entrance, the air became hazy, and the figure of a girl dressed in a simple linen dress and holding a thin wooden stick quietly appeared. She looked at the flock of sheep grazing not far away, her eyes somewhat confused, but then they became clear and lively.

Anran (Shepherdess): Level 1. Health: 100.

Near the blacksmith's shop, a shirtless, sweaty boy appeared, scratching his head. Looking at the furnace and anvil in front of him, he subconsciously clenched his fist.

Unparalleled Hero (Blacksmith Apprentice): Level 1. Health: 120.

Beside the wooden fence where the village militia were training, a figure stumbled and appeared. He instinctively reached out to steady himself on the training wooden gun standing next to him, and his sharp eyes swept around the surroundings.

Sword Immortal (Militia Recruit): Level 1. Health: 125.

Seeing that everyone had successfully reincarnated and appeared in Ginkgo Village with steady breaths, Xiao Jie nodded slightly, relieved.

"Your Excellency Judge, where is His Majesty Yama now? I need to bid him farewell in person before heading to Ginkgo Village to settle my friend," Xiao Jie asked, as he planned to leave for Guyun Prefecture after taking care of some trivial matters.

The judge quickly bowed and replied, "Immortal, there's no need for such formalities. Please just give me any instructions. His Majesty is currently in the Senluo Palace discussing military affairs with his generals and preparing for war, so he may not have any free time at the moment. His Majesty has already given instructions, saying that Immortal, your word is your bond and you will not break your promise. When to go to Guyun Prefecture to seek help is entirely up to you."

Xiao Jie sneered inwardly. This King Yama Qin Chuan truly understood the law of cause and effect, calculating that Xiao Jie would do his best to find reinforcements in order to avoid the backlash of mission failure, hence his "generosity." But this was fine too, saving him a lot of pretense and pretense.

“Then so be it.” Xiao Jie said no more, and turned to look at Ye Luo and Wo Yuchengxian. “My two friends have special identities and cannot be reborn. They need to stay in the Underworld for the time being. I ask Your Excellency Judge to make arrangements for them. Find them a sinecure in the Senluo Palace or the Samsara Department. Make sure to ensure their safety and do not send them to dangerous front lines.”

"Rest assured, Immortal Master, this is a trivial matter. I will arrange it properly and without any oversight!" The judge patted his chest and assured him.

Xiao Jie then gave Ye Luo and Wo Yuchengxian detailed instructions, telling them to wait patiently and try to sense their own power using the Netherworld environment. He promised that once this matter was resolved, he would find them suitable cultivation methods as soon as possible. After bidding farewell, Xiao Jie didn't linger. With a flash, he broke through the Yin-Yang boundary, transforming into a beam of light and heading straight for Ginkgo Village in the Yang Realm.

……

At the familiar village entrance, the enormous ginkgo tree still stands lush and verdant, casting golden dappled sunlight across the ground. The air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth, a stark contrast to the cold, deathly stillness of the underworld.

Xiao Jie's figure appeared silently not far from the village. He was ethereal and graceful, with a faint, ethereal glow emanating from him, which seemed somewhat out of place in this simple village.

"Huh? There are new players again." He noticed a few novice players dressed in rough cloth near the village entrance, clumsily trying to cut down trees.

The newcomers quickly noticed Xiao Jie as well. The moment their eyes fell on him, they froze on the spot as if they had been frozen in place, their eyes wide open.

"Holy crap! What is that?"

"A glowing NPC? No! That aura... is it a deity?"

"Is the model really this handsome? No! This feels... like a real god!"

They whispered among themselves, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. They wanted to approach and strike up a conversation, but were intimidated by the extraordinary aura emanating from him, and hesitated to get close, only daring to observe him from afar with awe and curiosity.

Xiao Jie ignored the novice players and strolled into the village. Familiar scenery greeted him, and his gaze immediately fell on the blacksmith's shop with its roaring furnace.

Wang Kai was still shirtless, his bronze muscles glistening with sweat, intently wielding a hammer, striking the red-hot iron bar with a steady and powerful rhythm.

“Wow, Brother Wang Kai,” Xiao Jie couldn’t help but say, his tone a mix of mockery and感慨, “It’s been more than half a year, and you’ve actually stayed in this newbie village all this time, standing firm?” Wang Kai looked up at the sound of the voice, and when he saw that it was Xiao Jie, and especially when he felt the unfathomable aura emanating from the other party, which was completely different from the “players” or “NPCs” he knew, he was struck dumb, and the iron hammer in his hand clattered onto the chopping board.

"You...you...you..." He opened his mouth wide, pointed at Xiao Jie, and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"What's wrong, Brother Wang Kai? It's only been a short time since we last met, and you don't recognize your old friend?" Xiao Jie said with a smile.

"You...you actually...became an immortal?!" Wang Kai finally managed to utter these words, his voice filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and a hint of bitterness that even he himself was unaware of.

At this moment, Wang Kai's heart was in turmoil. He looked at Xiao Jie, who was surrounded by celestial light and had an extraordinary temperament, and then recalled how he had spent the past three or four years earning money by forging iron in the blacksmith shop in this small beginner village.

But deep down, he had always dreamed of going out and making a name for himself. However, for safety reasons, he never actually took that step. Every time he saw a newcomer die tragically or a player perish, it reinforced this idea in his mind.

However, witnessing firsthand how some players had ascended to immortality in a single leap, the stark contrast plunged him into deep self-doubt: what had been the point of his years of perseverance? If he had bravely stepped out of the beginner's area back then, with his experience as a "first-test player" and his understanding of the game, would things be different now? Once this thought arose, it grew wildly in his mind like weeds, impossible to suppress. He shook his head violently, trying to clear his mind of these chaotic thoughts, unwilling to dwell on this frustrating question any longer.

At least I'm still alive, aren't I? He comforted himself, thinking about all those newbies who died in all sorts of creative ways back then, this wasn't such a bad outcome after all.

"Hey? Brother Suifeng! You've finally arrived!" At this moment, Xia Yi Wushuang came out of the inner room carrying a basket of freshly burned charcoal. Upon seeing Xiao Jie, he exclaimed with delight, breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere. Although he had transformed into a young apprentice, his cheerful personality remained unchanged.

"Let's go to the square." Xiao Jie nodded to Xia Yi Wushuang, then said to Wang Kai, "Brother Wang Kai, let's chat again when we have time." After saying that, he led Xia Yi Wushuang toward the small square in the center of the village.

As soon as he reached the vicinity of the square, he saw the Drunken Sword Immortal carrying a wooden spear, patrolling with two other militiamen in a very professional manner. Upon seeing Xiao Jie, he immediately ran over excitedly.

"Hahaha! Brother Feng! I'm finally alive again! Although it doesn't feel quite the same as when I was a player, at least I have the feeling of a real body now. I can run and jump, and I can feel pain and hunger. This is what it means to be alive!" He excitedly waved his fist.

"Gather everyone together, I have something to say," Xiao Jie instructed.

Soon, thanks to the spreading of the word by the Drunken Swordsman and the Peerless Hero, all the friends who had just been reincarnated into Ginkgo Village were gathered in the square. Although they had all become level 1 villager NPCs, dressed in simple clothes, everyone's face was filled with the joy and excitement of being "alive" again. They looked each other over their new identities, and bursts of laughter would occasionally erupt.

Only Wen Tian Wuji remained calm, his gaze towards Xiao Jie carrying both envy and a hint of scrutiny.

Xiao Jie understood the meaning behind that gaze, and he gave Wentian Wuji a subtle nod.

Then look at the others.

After the initial joy, concerns about reality surfaced. This world was fraught with peril, and level 1 strength was utterly insignificant. Moreover, their initial decision to follow Xiao Jie to challenge the Mortal Daoist stemmed not only from friendship but also from a yearning and investment in the "path to immortality" and "extraordinary power." Now that Xiao Jie had successfully ascended to immortality, they naturally hoped that "when one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

All eyes were fixed eagerly on Xiao Jie, awaiting his instructions. Only Han Luo, Wo Yu Feng Tian, ​​and Ting Yu, whose memories were damaged, seemed somewhat bewildered and stood quietly to the side.

"How are you feeling? Do you still have the skills you had before you died?" Xiao Jie asked first.

Wen Tian Wuji nodded, then shook his head: "Strictly speaking, the skill list is still there, but they've all turned gray and unusable. I guess they need to reach a certain level, attribute, or complete a certain task to unlock them gradually."

Level 1, though weak, also signifies immense growth potential and malleability. Looking back to when we first entered the game, everyone was figuring things out as they went, many choosing classes haphazardly and even taking many detours. Most chose easy-to-learn physical classes, considered "low-tier," and those who successfully switched to magic classes were extremely lucky. Even Bai Ze only switched to a swordsman at level 10 and only by chance obtained the Taoist class after reaching level 20.

But things are different now! With Xiao Jie, a powerful figure who has already become an immortal, leading the team, and with the experience from their previous life, as long as the plan is proper, everyone can be guided onto the path of becoming a mage, or at least a more powerful and promising one!

"You guys can still access the attribute panel now? See the experience bar and skill bar?" Xiao Jie confirmed.

"Okay!" Everyone nodded.

Xiao Jie then looked at Yuan Bai (in his youthful form): "Brother Yuan, what about you? Can you see this?"

"What attribute panel? Experience bar?" Yuan Bai looked blank, completely not understanding what Xiao Jie was talking about.

Xiao Jie understood immediately: "Just as I thought." Yuan Bai was a native NPC in his previous life; the concept of "system functions" simply didn't exist in his cognitive system. After reincarnation, he still existed according to the native rules of this world. As for the Drunken Sword Immortal and the others, because they retained their player consciousness, they could still see the game system interface. As for himself, as an immortal, he was already able to perceive and even interfere with these underlying rules to a certain extent.

"Can you gain experience and level up by fighting monsters?"

"It should work!" the Drunken Sword Immortal answered quickly. "The experience bar and attribute points are still there. I just killed a chicken and got 5 experience points. The functions don't seem to be broken!"

"That's good." Xiao Jie felt reassured. "I need to set off for Guyun Prefecture immediately to find reinforcements for the Underworld and also to explore suitable paths for your advancement. If we're lucky, we might find a shortcut to immortality."

As for the safety of everyone at this stage—

Xiao Jie smiled slightly, made a hand seal, and shouted in a low voice: "Immortal Technique - External Avatar!"

puff!
With a soft sound, a cloud of white mist burst open beside him, quickly condensing into another "Xiao Jie" who looked exactly like him. His appearance, temperament, and even the faint celestial light flowing around him were identical, except that his eyes were slightly indifferent and lacked the lively spirit of the original.

"You stay here," Xiao Jie instructed his avatar. "Take good care of everyone. Before I return, do not rashly lead them out to level up, lest something unexpected happen."

"Yes," the avatar replied succinctly, its voice identical to that of the original.

With the arrangements made, Xiao Jie no longer hesitated. He nodded to everyone, then his figure transformed into a dazzling azure rainbow, soaring into the sky, tearing through the clouds, and speeding towards the direction of Guyun Prefecture overseas, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

(End of this chapter)