“Thanks to my timely intervention, you get a chance at reincarnation. Since you had a mortal life and your body was still that of a mortal when you died, it is only fair that you should reincarnate by the edicts of the Reincarnation cycle set in this Universe. Alas, your soul is now too strong since you touched the Dao. If I were to send you back right now, your body would explode as soon as you gained awareness. First, I have to ask: Do you want to live again, travel the dust road again, and attempt to make something of your life?”

  What kind of question was that. Of course I wanted another chance. I wanted to live forever.

  "Of course, Judge. I still have family and children waiting for me at home. In fact, my 60th child was born just a few days ago,"

  He looked at me, his eyes squinting.

  “I know everything about you and your life. Everything was recorded in this book the moment you died. Reincarnation does not work quite the way you picture it. You will not return in the same body nor in the same place. You will be born again with no recollection of your previous life. This is not a second chance for your old self, but a fresh start for your soul“

  "Well, I guess beggars can’t be choosers," I remarked. "I’ll take what I can get, good Judge."

  "You sure are obnoxious even in death," he grumbled. "But let’s move on. I can’t send you back like this. First, I’m going to place a two-layered seal on your soul so your mortal body can withstand it. If you ever break through to the Foundation level, the first seal will shatter; if you reach Core Formation, the second one will break. Right now, your soul is as strong as a mid-stage Hegemon's."

  “I have no clue what you are talking about.“ I admitted.

  “These are energy cultivation levels!“

  “You know, I don’t like you very much. I will have to do a cleansing after I get rid of you you damn conman. These are energy cultivation levels! You know, I don’t like you very much. I’ll have to cleanse you after I’m done with you, you damned conman.“

  The judge started sifting through the big book. Taking his earlier outbursts in stride I began looking around. Focusing a bit I realized I could perceive more than met the eye, so to speak. I wasn’t sure souls still had eyes or was it just a metaphysical construct. I could apparently grasp the inner workings off the Universe now.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Hey uh, Judge, are those the laws of time? I never knew that space and time were just two sides of the same coin. Uh, Wow!"

  “Even here you’re stumbling into enlightenment. What on earth did you do to your soul?" the Judge barked, his temper flaring.

  I need to speed this up before you hit another breakthrough. Okay, let’s see. You sure lived quite the life—sixty children! You were a liar and a charlatan, but in the end, you did influence many lives for the better. You sowed some good karma, even though your methods were quite dubious. After weighing everything fairly, I might add, even though personally I find you insufferable, I’ve decided that you will be reborn into a respectable mortal family. You’ll have every comfort you need, and the rest will be up to you. I will now place the two soul seals on your soul" he announced.

  He began making odd gestures with his hands, I wanted to laugh, but suddenly four bands of golden light inscribed with runes encircled me. They crept closer until they touched me and merged with my body, I felt a peculiar sensation, as though my skin no longer fit.

  "Now for the second seal," he continued. The process repeated with different, even brighter runes, and a heavy pressure pressed against every cell of my being, presuming I even had cells in my current form.

  "Are you sure this is safe?" I finally asked losing my composure a bit.

  "It doesn’t feel alright at all."

  “Don’t worry about it. Once you find yourself back into a body of flesh and bones you won’t be aware of your soul. Now, it’s time to send you on your way. We’ve wasted enough time!“

  “Wait a minute Senior, before you send me back, I’ve got so many questions…“ He did not wait. Before I could protest more, a purple vortex, identical to the one that had transported me earlier, opened up and sucked me in without a chance to resist.

  This time the journey was much longer. I seemed to pass through countless barriers in a never-ending tunnel of light until everything abruptly stopped, and darkness swallowed my mind. When I regained awareness, I could only feel a sensation of enveloping warmth, as if I were floating just beneath the surface of a cozy ocean. But then something changed, and I was forcibly pushed out. I didn’t want to leave that comforting embrace, but I was too weak to resist. I was dragged from the warm cocoon into the harsh, cold air. The light was so intense it hurt my eyes.

  Then, at last, I inhaled my first mouthful of fresh air. My lungs burned, and I reverted to raw, primal instinct. I screamed until I nearly blacked out. Gradually, I got used to my new environment. I became aware that someone was holding me in a gentle, warm embrace, speaking in a language I didn’t recognize. It was then that I realized, it was my mother. I had just been born.

  Something went very wrong though. I could remember everything! Not only my past life, but the Courts of Death too. I was aware of the Dao, though it felt like a distant memory: something I sensed but couldn’t fully grasp. The very seals that had constrained my soul must have interfered with the reincarnation process, I presumed. Overwhelmed by the sudden torrent of new information and the strain of reentering life, I soon fell asleep in my mother’s warm embrace.