With spring hills demurely silent, deep feelings are hard to express before others.

Aside from showing off some poetry to the young enchantress, Lu Xingzhou, whose mind was usually busy, rarely had time to think about such impractical literary verses.

But at this moment, countless shy verses from maidens naturally surged into his heart, originally…

Lin Yuan and Xiao Yue stood side by side on the main hall of the Gui-xu Sect, overlooking the nascent world taking shape below them. Mountains and rivers had stabilized, and spiritual energy flowed gently in the air, as if the entire world was breathing. The former black mist had been completely sealed, transforming into a faint speck of light, placed within the “Chaos Sealing Array” deep within the Gui-xu Sect, serving as a testament to their first encounter with the primal power from beyond fate’s world.

“It’s still moving,” Xiao Yue said softly, her gaze fixed on the sealing array in the distance. Although the speck of light was suppressed, it wasn’t entirely dormant, still slowly rotating, as if waiting for something.

Lin Yuan nodded, “It won’t completely disappear. This world has always existed; it’s just responding to our changes.”

“Then how should we deal with it?” Xiao Yue asked.

Lin Yuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Observe it, study it. Perhaps it’s not an enemy, but a challenge this world has given us.”

Xiao Yue looked at him, a flicker of tenderness and respect in her eyes. She knew that Lin Yuan was no longer just the young man who fought to protect, but someone who had truly begun to consider how to coexist with this world.

Just then, a figure hurried in from outside the hall; it was Ye Qing.

“Lin Yuan, Xiao Yue, something has happened.” Her expression was grave, and her tone urgent. “There’s a problem with the construction of the cycle of life and death; some souls in certain areas cannot return to their proper places, and there’s even been a phenomenon of ‘reverse rebirth’.”

“Reverse rebirth?” Xiao Yue frowned. “Are you saying that the souls of the deceased… have returned to their pre-death forms?”

“Not just their forms,” Ye Qing said in a deep voice. “Their memories, emotions, and even their powers are gradually recovering. This isn’t reincarnation; it’s a kind of… regression.”

Lin Yuan’s face changed slightly, immediately realizing the gravity of the problem.

“We must go to the main array of the cycle of life and death immediately,” he said decisively. “If this phenomenon continues to spread, the entire world will fall into chaos.”

The three immediately set off, flying towards the “Realm of Reincarnation” behind the Gui-xu Sect. That was the core of the laws of life and death they had established, a reincarnation array personally designed by Lin Yuan and jointly overseen by Xiao Yue and Ye Qing, which was supposed to ensure orderly reincarnation of souls and maintain the balance of the world.

However, when they arrived, the sight before them sent a shock through their hearts.

In the center of the reincarnation array, the formerly clear “Reincarnation Pool” had become turbid, with blurry figures continuously emerging from it. Those figures seemed to be struggling, crying, and even screaming. Their eyes held confusion and pain, as if they couldn’t understand why they had returned to this world again.

“This… isn’t reincarnation,” Ye Qing murmured. “This is chaos.”

Lin Yuan stepped forward and carefully observed the changes in the Reincarnation Pool. Suddenly, he detected a trace of an unusual aura—it was precisely the residual power of the black mist from before.

“It’s it,” Lin Yuan said in a deep voice. “It has affected the law of reincarnation, preventing souls from returning normally.”

“But it has been sealed,” Xiao Yue frowned.

“Perhaps it was never truly sealed,” Lin Yuan looked into the distance. “Perhaps it just found another way… to continue to exist.”

Ye Qing’s expression was grave: “Then what should we do? If the cycle of reincarnation cannot be repaired, the entire world’s order of life and death will collapse.”

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and said, “We must redefine reincarnation.”

“Redefine?” Xiao Yue was startled.

“Yes,” Lin Yuan nodded. “In our previous world, reincarnation was unidirectional, from life to death, then from death to life. But here it’s different; this is a world beyond fate; it shouldn’t be bound by past rules.”

“You mean… establish a completely new kind of reincarnation?” Ye Qing pondered.

“Exactly,” Lin Yuan’s gaze was firm. “Not a simple cycle of life and death, but a deeper balance. Souls will no longer just repeat reincarnation, but can choose their destination, choose whether to be reborn, and even choose their own destiny.”

Upon hearing this, a flicker of light appeared in Xiao Yue’s eyes: “So, you mean we are to give souls ‘will’?”

“Yes,” Lin Yuan nodded. “The third path of fate is not just about breaking fate, but about giving every being true freedom of choice.”

Ye Qing pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: “This is indeed a completely new direction. But how can it be achieved?”

Lin Yuan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the Reincarnation Pool, slowly extended his hand, and a faint stream of light emerged from his palm. That was the浩然之气 (hao-ran zhi qi) within him, a power interwoven with the laws of time and space.

“Let me try,” he murmured.

He slowly infused the stream of light into the Reincarnation Pool. Instantly, the pool water violently churned, as if countless voices echoed within. Then, the figures of souls gradually became clearer; their eyes were no longer confused but held an unprecedented clarity.

“Can I… choose for myself?” a soul’s voice asked.

Lin Yuan nodded: “Yes, you can choose whether to continue reincarnation, and you can also choose where to go.”

The soul was silent for a moment, then finally showed a faint smile: “I want to… return to my former homeland.”

Lin Yuan gently waved his hand, and the soul’s figure transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance.

“This… is truly possible?” Xiao Yue watched the scene in shock.

“Yes,” Lin Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, a trace of weariness on his face, but more importantly, relief. “We have given souls the right to choose, and this world… is also responding to our will.”

Ye Qing excitedly watched the changes in the Reincarnation Pool; the water gradually became clear again, and the souls’ struggles slowly subsided. In their eyes, there was no longer confusion and pain, but a new hope.

“This is… the third path of fate,” Xiao Yue whispered.

Lin Yuan nodded: “Yes. We are no longer merely recipients of fate, but shapers of fate. From today onwards, the world beyond fate will no longer be bound by the past, but defined by ourselves.”

Just then, the distant black mist sealing array suddenly vibrated, and the speck of light intensely flickered, as if responding to Lin Yuan’s words.

Lin Yuan and Xiao Yue exchanged glances, seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes.

“It seems this world… is also responding to us.”

They knew that the real challenge had only just begun. The world beyond fate was still full of unknowns, but this time, they were no longer afraid.

Because they had taken the first step, and the third path of fate would be paved by their own hands.

“The future has only just begun,” Lin Yuan said softly, his gaze firm, as if he could already see the world that belonged to them.

Lin Yuan stood on the high platform of the Gui-xu Sect’s main hall, gazing at the nascent world taking shape in the distance. The world beyond fate was no longer an void, but was gradually evolving into mountains, rivers, spiritual energy, and order. However, his brows remained furrowed.

“What are you thinking about?” Xiao Yue asked softly, standing beside him, her gaze gentle.

“I’m thinking, can we truly control this world?” Lin Yuan slowly began. “In the old world, there was the Lord of Fate, and all rules were predetermined. Now, we are making the rules ourselves, but does this mean that we, too, have become the new Lords of Fate?”

Xiao Yue was silent for a moment, then softly said, “Are you afraid that we will become the very beings we once fought against?”

Lin Yuan nodded: “Yes. We have given souls the right to choose, established new laws of time and space, and even redefined the cycle of life and death… but will these also become another form of bondage?”

Xiao Yue gently held his hand, her voice firm: “No, they won’t. Because we are not imposing rules, but engaging in dialogue with this world. We are not masters, but shapers.”

Lin Yuan looked at her, a hint of softness in his eyes. He knew Xiao Yue was right. They were not replicating the old path of the Lord of Fate, but exploring a brand new one. The third path of fate was not about escaping fate, nor about fighting fate, but about creating fate.

“Perhaps true freedom isn’t about escaping rules, but about having the right to choose rules,” Lin Yuan murmured.

Just then, a figure rushed from a distance, landing before them; it was Xiao Yuan.

“Lin Yuan, Xiao Yue, something’s happened,” Xiao Yuan said with a grave expression. “Outside the Gui-xu Sect, a group of… beings not belonging to this world have appeared.”

“Not belonging to this world?” Xiao Yue frowned.

“Yes,” Xiao Yuan nodded. “They are not souls, nor restorers, nor lives we created. They… seem to come from another world.”

Lin Yuan and Xiao Yue exchanged glances, both feeling a shock in their hearts.

“Take us to see,” Lin Yuan said immediately.

The three instantly ascended into the air, flying towards the outside of the Gui-xu Sect. Along the way, they traversed newly stabilized rule-bound areas, crossed mountains and rivers, and finally arrived at an as-yet-unfinished void zone.

In that void, a group of figures stood silently. They wore black robes, their faces blurry, and the aura emanating from them belonged neither to the Lord of Fate nor to the world beyond fate, but was a completely unfamiliar power.

“Who are you?” Lin Yuan stepped forward, asking in a deep voice.

One of them slowly raised their head, their voice low and hoarse: “We are the forgotten ones, the remnants of the old world, wanderers from beyond fate.”

“Remnants of the old world?” Xiao Yue frowned slightly. “You… come from the past world?”

“Yes,” the person nodded. “After the Lord of Fate fell, we were abandoned in the cracks of the world, adrift outside of rules. It wasn’t until you established a new order that we were able to perceive the existence of this world.”

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, “What do you want to do?”

“We don’t wish to destroy,” the person slowly said. “We merely… seek a home.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yue’s expression softened. She looked at Lin Yuan, gently saying, “They are not enemies, but exiles.”

Lin Yuan pondered for a long time, then finally nodded slowly: “If you are willing to abide by our rules, then this world can also become your home.”

The group of black-robed figures were silent for a moment, then bowed in unison: “We are willing.”

Lin Yuan sighed in relief, then turned to Xiao Yuan and said, “Take them to the Gui-xu Sect and arrange their accommodation.”

Xiao Yuan nodded, then immediately led the black-robed figures away.

Xiao Yue looked at their retreating backs, gently saying, “Lin Yuan, are you truly willing to accept them? They come from the past world, perhaps… still bearing the imprint of the old fate.”

Lin Yuan smiled faintly: “Precisely because they come from the past, they need a new beginning even more. We cannot just build a world for ourselves; we must also embrace those who were once forgotten.”

Xiao Yue looked at him, her eyes full of tenderness: “You’ve truly grown.”

Lin Yuan gently held her hand, his gaze firm: “The third path of fate has only just begun. And we must see it through to the end.”

Just then, the distant black mist sealing array vibrated again, and the speck of light slowly rotated, as if responding to Lin Yuan’s words.

“It… seems to be responding to us,” Xiao Yue said softly.

Lin Yuan looked at the speck of light, and slowly said, “Perhaps it is not an enemy, but a test this world has given us. Only by passing it can we truly understand the world beyond fate.”

Xiao Yue nodded: “Then how should we respond?”

Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, then said, “We need to communicate with it. Perhaps it doesn’t want to destroy our rules, but wants to tell us something.”

“Communicate?” Xiao Yue was surprised. “But it has no consciousness.”

“No,” Lin Yuan shook his head. “It has consciousness; we just haven’t truly understood it.”

Xiao Yue was silent, then finally nodded: “Then let’s go together.”

Lin Yuan smiled faintly, taking her hand, and together they walked towards the sealing array. They knew that the real challenge had only just begun. The world beyond fate was still full of unknowns, but this time, they were no longer afraid.

Because they had taken the first step, and the third path of fate would be paved by their own hands.

“The future has only just begun,” Lin Yuan said softly, his gaze firm, as if he could already see the world that belonged to them.