After being reborn, the villain comes with a spoiler tag.

"I came from the demon realm and accidentally fell into this realm. The spiritual power of this realm is very different from that of the demon realm. I can neither cultivate here nor return to the demon realm. My cultivation level has gradually dropped to the Transformation Realm."

The man in red slowly raised his hand and deftly seized a wisp of the red light that was constantly flowing into the firebird's body. The wisp of red light condensed in his palm, turning into a vermilion bead, and then vanished into the world in the blink of an eye.

"However, my race is born with the supernatural power of 'willpower,' which is what gave me a glimmer of hope."

"The power of wishes originates from those who make wishes to our clan. They form a pact with our clan and entrust their wishes to us. When the person who made the wish dies or the wish is fulfilled, the power of wishes will be transmitted to me through the Vermilion Bird Seal and transformed into my cultivation."

"A human without spiritual power, with an extremely ordinary wish, could not possibly contain such powerful willpower. It was only later that I realized that the seemingly ordinary human was actually extraordinary, and that the seemingly ordinary wish carried the will of the entire race."

"This explains why, even though my wish has not yet been fulfilled, such a vast force of desire surges into me; it also explains why, on that day on the battlefield, I imprisoned the souls of all the dead, yet could not find his alone."

"Without finding his soul, I cannot use my life-saving powers to revive him. So, I did one last thing I could for his city."

In the scene, as the soldiers with red armbands stormed into the palace and cheered for their hard-won victory, outside the city walls, a fiery spirit bird transformed into a dazzling red streak of light, soaring around the entire city and setting up a barrier.

This is what later became known as the Vermilion Bird Restriction.

"At that time, I was only at the Body Transformation Realm. The power of this restriction only applied to those with lower cultivation levels than me, that is, those below the Nascent Soul stage. After completing all this, I left this land. Twenty years have passed in a flash, and I never expected to feel the connection with the Vermilion Bird Seal again."

The man in red waved his hand gently, and the scene before Huo Yu's eyes vanished instantly. He continued his narration to himself:

“I found him again. It’s hard to believe, I’ve never heard of the Vermilion Bird Seal accompanying its host through reincarnation, but it was definitely him. Although his gender and appearance have changed, when I asked that question again, his wish was still: peace and prosperity for the country, and the stability of the mountains and rivers.”

"Since the Vermilion Bird Seal is still there, I need to help him fulfill his lifelong wish in this life. Thus, the scene that was almost exactly the same as twenty years ago was staged before my eyes once again."

The scene before Huo Yu's eyes changed once again.

This is a brand new battlefield. A woman clad in armor raises a large banner adorned with a Vermilion Bird pattern, bravely leading her soldiers into battle, ultimately falling amidst the smoke of war.

The same red gas as in the previous illusion flowed continuously from the young female general's body like a tide, surging into the body of the wailing fire spirit bird beside her.

“This scene repeated itself again and again, the third time, the fourth time… until the twentieth time, I stopped counting.”

“In every reincarnation, he would be born with the Vermilion Bird Seal. In times of war, he would fight on the battlefield, serving his country with his blood and sweat, and eventually die on the battlefield; in times of peace, he would work hard to govern the country, but he would exhaust his energy because of his hard work in national affairs.”

"And I broke through to the Void Breaking Realm, which is what you call the Mahayana stage, by relying on the vast power of his will that he gathered at the time of his death in each of his incarnations."

"It was only then that I finally realized that he was not of ordinary birth, but rather a product of destiny. He should have returned to fate after completing his first life's mission and not entered the cycle of reincarnation. It was my Vermilion Bird Seal that bound him to this world, subjecting him to the suffering of reincarnation."

“Through countless reincarnations, the Vermilion Bird Seal has become inextricably linked to his soul, fused into one with it, and I cannot take it back. But I can free him from the endless cycle of reincarnation that seems like a curse, as long as he willingly dissipates his fortune and returns it to the heavens.”

"However, he refused, for the sake of his country and for the greater good. Indeed, the reason I initially made a pact with him was because of his unwavering will and steadfast belief. Ultimately, it was also because of this that I could only watch helplessly as he repeatedly rejected my proposals and dedicated himself to this country generation after generation."

"Even after I concealed the Vermilion Bird Seal on his body, he always managed to enter officialdom through various means, only to die at the hands of treacherous officials. It was like an inescapable vicious cycle, and I was powerless to change it, so I could only let it continue."

Huo Yu listened quietly, remaining silent.

He already understood in his heart that in the past six hundred years, the Vermilion Bird Kingdom had not failed to have a true Son of Heaven descend into the world, but rather that the Vermilion Bird had concealed its seal, so that people could not recognize their true Son of Heaven.

"As early as six hundred years ago, my cultivation was enough to tear apart the barrier between the human realm and the demon realm, return to the demon realm, and even ascend to the demon immortal realm. But a part of me is forever trapped in this realm, imprisoned in this land, for all eternity, unable to transcend."

At this point, the man in red turned his head for the first time, his gaze seemingly piercing through time and illusion, meeting Huo Yu's eyes.

Although the two were only inches apart, the red-clad man's face seemed to be shrouded in a mist, making it indistinct.

"Everyone who steps into this illusion can witness the vicissitudes of Vermilion Bird City over three thousand years. However, the moment they are pulled out of this illusion, all their memories will vanish along with it."

"But you are different from them."

"Go back to your world, find him, find me, and find you."

……

Huo Yu suddenly came to his senses. The scenes in the illusion were still vivid in his mind, as if he had traveled through more than three thousand years, while in reality it was just a fleeting moment.

The resounding bells and drums had just ended, but the deafening echoes still lingered in my ears.

A token had appeared in Huo Yu's hand without his knowledge. The front of the token was clearly engraved with the words "Huo Yu," while the back was as smooth as ever, without a single character.

Along with this special Sacred Flame Token, Huo Yu's spiritual power also appeared.

However, a more pressing question also arose in my mind:

Where did Long Yucheng go?

The candle that Long Yucheng had lit earlier rolled to the ground, but fortunately, its hard outer shell protected it and prevented it from catching fire.

The strange white flame had extinguished itself, leaving only a candle dripping with red tears, lying there quietly.

Huo Yu's gaze settled on the spot where Long Yucheng had stood, and he saw a dog.

The dog's shoulder height was slightly above his knees. Its head shape was somewhat similar to that of a wolf, with a sharp muzzle and a slightly flat jaw. Its erect ears added to its wildness.

Bathed in the candlelight, its yellow fur, in varying shades, shimmered with a warm glow. Its body was compact and strong, with smooth and beautiful muscle lines. Its long, curled tail was wagging happily at Huo Yu.

When its eyes met Huo Yu's, it barked urgently a few times, then turned into a pitiful whimper, and its tail, which had been wagging wildly, drooped down.

Huo Yu seemed to catch a familiar expression in those amber eyes.

Even more strangely, Huo Yu could clearly sense that the Tongxin Jue was on the dog in front of him.

Once all impossible options have been eliminated, the remaining answer, no matter how illogical, must be the truth.

Huo Yu spoke to the dog:

"Junior brother?"