Qing Ling and Di Jun shared a relationship that was a blend of elder and sovereign, thus their interactions were naturally solemn and respectful.
However, with Tai Yi, a former friend and comrade with whom he had faced life and death, his demeanor naturally became more relaxed and casual.
This immortal elixir, preserved by Qing Ling for hundreds of Yuan Hui, might bring vitality to Tai Yi, or perhaps to Di Jun.
In any case, the chance of one of them, Di Jun or Tai Yi, surviving was significantly increased.
The price for this immortal elixir was Tai Yi’s Eastern Emperor Bell!
One immortal elixir, in exchange for a hundred Yuan Hui of usage rights to the Eastern Emperor Bell. If Tai Yi perished, the Eastern Emperor Bell would then belong to him.
In his pursuit of the Great Dao, Qing Ling harbored no emotions, nor would he allow himself to.
Just like his chess game with Yuan Shi, if Jian Mu were to fail, the four Guardian Spirits beneath Jian Mu would self-detonate, forcibly activating Jian Mu to suppress the Ancestral Witches and buy time.
Although Qing Ling had preserved their primordial spirits, should Qing Ling himself lose, these four would naturally perish.
Fortunately, Qing Ling's schemes surpassed those of the Saints!
This was achieved by virtue of his profound understanding of the Primordial World’s history, which was even clearer than the Saints', and his foresight into the shifts of the Primordial World's momentum, which he contemplated far more deeply than they.
Qing Ling raised his head and looked to the northwest. He felt a calling in his heart: Houtu was transforming into the cycle of reincarnation!
The heavens of the Primordial World no longer held the color of mystery, and the earth of the Primordial World remained yellow.
At this moment, upon the vast yellow earth, a great figure stood, facing the common people. She had a human body and a serpent's tail, with seven arms sprouting from her back and two in front, her nine hands grasping the destiny of all beings!
Her majestic figure stood in the northwest, piercing the heavens and earth, looking down upon all sentient beings. She gazed towards Mount Buzhou, her eyes filled with boundless tenderness, transforming into a final, profound look of affection. This was her last moment, as a member of the Wu clan, to behold the heavens and earth, to gaze upon Mount Buzhou!
The great beings throughout the heavens and earth felt a resonance, and the secrets of heaven revealed themselves: the cycle of reincarnation was to emerge, and someone was needed to fill its void! They all looked with shock towards Houtu. To transform into the cycle of reincarnation meant abandoning all past attachments, even dissipating entirely into the heavens and earth, leaving not a trace.
Houtu had no time to attend to the great beings, each with their own calculations. She then looked towards the southeast of the Primordial World. Houtu bowed her body and said, "Houtu of the Pangu lineage, I beg forgiveness from the Master of the Eastern Desolation! I pray for your compassion, that you may allow my elder brother and younger sister to return."
In the small pavilion beneath Jian Mu, Qing Ling sighed. Why this arduous path? He waved his hand, and the five Ancestral Witches were cast out of the Eastern Desolation. Di Jiang descended from the heavens, and the Ancestral Witches emerged from their seclusion in the Ancestral Witch Hall. All twelve Ancestral Witches were reunited.
Houtu tearfully bid farewell, gazing at her eleven brothers and sisters across Mount Buzhou. Each glance felt like an eternity, and the majestic form of Mount Buzhou seemed to transform into an insurmountable chasm. Henceforth, the twelve Ancestral Witches would never again be complete.
Not a single one of the twelve Ancestral Witches spoke. They feared that if they opened their mouths, they would not be able to stop, that they would regret their actions, and that they would rush forward to impede her!
Houtu’s tears fell into the yellow earth, scattering into dust. She raised three fingers to the heavens, three to the earth, and three to all sentient beings, proclaiming to the heavens, earth, and all creation:
"Hear ye: The heavens are mysterious, the earth is yellow; the cosmos is vast, the Primordial World is boundless:
May the Heavenly Dao be above, the Earthly Dao below, and all sentient beings before:
I am Houtu of the Pangu lineage, of the Wu clan. Having perceived the wandering souls of the deceased drifting through the heavens and earth, with nowhere to reside, and the Earthly Dao being incomplete, I am willing to emulate my Father God and transform myself into the cycle of reincarnation.
The Way of Heaven diminishes the abundant to supplement the insufficient.
The Way of Man diminishes the insufficient to serve the abundant.
The Way of Earth diminishes Houtu to supplement that which is lacking.
Once the cycle of reincarnation emerges, Houtu shall cease to be a Wu!"
"Rumble~~~"
"Roar~~~"
The heavens shook, the earth trembled, and all sentient beings were moved to prostrate themselves.
"Merciful Houtu Empress!"
"Merciful Houtu Empress!"
Innumerable beings, countless sentient creatures, great Da Luo, powerful cultivators, ancient ancestors, and even the walking dead, all marveled and bowed to her.
The countless pronouncements of "Merciful Houtu Empress" converged into a deafening roar, the voice of humanity shaking the heavens and earth.
Houtu's majestic form sank into the earth, from tail to head, inch by inch merging with the boundless earth and mountains. She cast one last look at the heavens and earth: the dawn and dusk, the setting sun and its afterglow, the stars, the moon, the seas, the mountains, forests, and earth, and the Wu, who were prostrating themselves on the ground, weeping tears of sorrow.
Determination flickered in Houtu's eyes. Her body sank into the Earthly Dao, merging with the Stone of Three Lives. Houtu's will was integrated into the will of the Earthly Dao, and Pangu's bloodline merged with the earth transformed by Pangu. The Earthly Dao was complete, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation were to emerge!
Houtu's will coalesced within the will of the Earthly Dao; she became the Earthly Dao, or rather, the Earthly Dao gained Houtu's will.
Houtu's voice, the voice of the Earthly Dao, resonated throughout the Primordial World, encompassing all directions and realms, gathering the light of countless sentient beings, her words becoming reality.
"Beneath the Nine Layers of Earth, boundless souls gather in the Netherworld. Collecting myriad souls, a path of reincarnation shall be opened, known as the Netherworld Dao!"
In the Netherworld, countless spirits rejoiced ecstatically and bowed in gratitude.
"Above the Nine Heavens reside the spirits of the gods who have forever wielded authority over the Primordial World. Representing the gods of the heavens and earth, a path of reincarnation shall be opened, known as the Heavenly God Dao."
The authority of the gods in the heavens rose, converging into a majestic divine light that descended into the Earthly Dao, forming the Heavenly God Dao!
"Upon the vast expanse of the earth, the human race, with their innate Dao bodies, procreates and flourishes. They are a race favored by the Great Prosperity of the Heavenly Dao. A path shall be opened, known as the Mortal Dao!"
Upon hearing this, all sentient beings were filled with doubt, even envy and jealousy towards the humans' destined great prosperity.
Qing Ling, however, understood that this was the Heavenly Dao forcefully suppressing the Earthly Dao, insisting on establishing the Mortal Dao.
Following this, the voice of the Earthly Dao sounded: "In the heavens and earth, all beings, whether Wu or Yao, shall belong to the Dao of Yao, thus a path shall be specially opened, known as the Myriad Yao Dao!"
Upon this declaration, the heavens were filled with rage, and the Heavenly Dao expressed its displeasure.
In the chaos, Nuwa raised an eyebrow. She had not expected Houtu to be able to secure fairness for the Yao clan, thus preventing their suppression by the Heavenly Dao.
In this way, Nuwa would naturally assist Houtu in establishing the Six Paths of Reincarnation, for once reincarnation was established, the Yao clan would no longer be relegated to the Beast Dao as decreed by the Heavenly Dao!
However, what followed next sent shockwaves throughout the entire Primordial World, even causing the Eye of Heavenly Punishment to appear.
"In the heavens and earth, all beings, whether Yao or Wu, shall belong to the Dao of Wu, thus a path shall be specially opened, known as the Pangu Dao!"
The Heavenly Punishment rolled in, and the terrifying Heavenly Punishment Order Lightning enveloped the Earthly Dao.
Countless beings within the Earthly Dao began to tremble.
But in the Blood Sea of the Netherworld, Ming He let out a cold snort. With a flick of his Asura Banner, myriad Asura tribesmen pointed their blades towards the heavens.
Endless dark clouds converged into divine forms. From the Stone of Three Lives, ten books flew out. The Divine Embodiment of Yin Virtue transformed into ten beings, each holding a book. Yin virtue flowed abundantly, protecting the Netherworld.
In the Ten Directions of the Netherworld, ten Kings of Hell stepped out in unison, their subordinate ghost and soul legions converging into a vast sea of yin and nether.
On the Bridge of Helplessness, Meng Po scooped a river of Meng Po Soup with her hand and cast it towards the heavens.
On the Yellow Springs Road, a hundred thousand Black and White Impermanence, with furious gazes, stood before the heavens, their long tongues forming an eight-character symbol.
On Mount Wanshou, Zhen Yuanzi swept his horsetail whisk, and ten thousand Earthly Immortals ascended into the sky, manifesting divine forms, the Ancestral Hall of Earthly Immortals on Mount Wanshou standing tall in the firmament.
In Fengdu City, the Ghost Ancestor, seeing that all the great beings of the Underworld had made their move, dared to raise his hand and wave. Boundless ghost energy enveloped him, forming a majestic ghost body that stood against the Heavenly Punishment.
In the chaos, Nuwa's eyes hesitated for a moment before she made up her mind. She waved her sleeve, and the vast landscape of mountains and rivers was encompassed. She stood before the Heavenly Dao.
Even though the Pangu Dao was established, and the Wu clan had a fallback, the Yao clan also had a fallback. When viewed from another perspective, if the Wu clan had a fallback, the Yao clan should also have this fallback, lest they fall behind the Wu clan.
Therefore, even though Nuwa disliked the Wu clan, she stood before the reincarnation of the Myriad Yao.
At this very moment, the voice of the Earthly Dao sounded again.
"In the Boundless Pure Land, there are those of great wisdom who ferry all beings but do not solely pursue the Human Dao. They possess the relics of a Buddha's heart without shame before the heavens and earth, and are called Buddhas.
Thus, a path shall be opened, known as the Buddha Child Dao!"
As the words were spoken, the Two Sages of the West rejoiced and moved, both exclaiming, "Excellent!"
In an instant, under the Heavenly Punishment, bodhi leaves unfurled, and white lotuses bloomed. The two Sages of the West stood before the Buddha Child Dao.
The Heavenly Punishment Lightning was furious, yet Lao Zi sat serenely on Mount Shouyang, at peace.
Tongtian merely clapped his hands and laughed, remaining motionless.
Yuanshi Tianzun remained silent for a long time, hesitating, then retracted the step he had taken.
It was not due to timidity in facing three Saints that he faltered, but rather the two words "Pangu Dao" in the path established by the Earthly Dao that stopped him.
Despite the Heavenly Dao's extreme rage, it could do nothing.
The Earthly Dao was not a newly formed entity with nothing; it was an Earthly Dao that was only one step away from perfection, with the cycle of reincarnation.
The Earthly Dao had not deviated from its intended course. The three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Man were established, but the latter three had changed, and the Heavenly Dao had been given face.
The latter three Daos of the Earthly Dao also garnered the support of Nuwa and the Two Sages of the West, half of the hearts of the Six Saints.
Furthermore, there was the Wu clan's reincarnation, bearing the name Pangu Dao. Houtu had not used the Wu Dao or the Myriad Wu Dao, but had instead used the name Pangu Dao!
This world could be called the Pangu World, this Mount Buzhou could be Pangu's Mount Buzhou, and these sentient beings could be Pangu's sentient beings. Therefore, even though the Wu clan's path to reincarnation was almost impossible, it still became possible, and even the Great Heavenly Dao would not object.
The Heavenly Dao retreated in anger, and from that day forth, the Lord of Reincarnation could no longer see the light of day.
The Six Paths of Reincarnation of the Earthly Dao were established, greatly benefiting the heavens and earth by completing them. Innumerable merits descended from the will of the heavens and earth. The Heavenly Dao did not have the authority for this; only the Great Heavenly Dao, which represented the will of the heavens and earth, could do so.
Amidst the countless merits, an old will was forged, manifesting as Empress Houtu. She was officially enfeoffed by the heavens and earth as: "Emulating Heaven, Houtu Huang Di Chi!"
From that moment on, the Earthly Dao was complete, the Netherworld operated perfectly, and reincarnation began!
The great beings of the Netherworld all received merits. The Black and White Impermanence manifested millions of avatars, traversing the heavens and earth, escorting souls, leading them to the Yellow Springs Road, passing through the Three Ways River, and then through the ten regions corresponding to the earthly realms. They were then escorted by the Ox-Head and Horse-Face to one of the Ten Palaces. The Divine Embodiment of Yin Virtue managed the Book of Life and Death, determining the level of yin virtue, dividing the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and then sending them to the Bridge of Helplessness for Meng Po's soup, where they would forget their past lives and be reborn into a new world!
The Wu clan, from then on, would have reincarnation and rebirth. After their physical bodies returned to the heavens and earth, their ethereal wills would be directly drawn into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. As they were formless and intangible, they did not require the soul's judgment like other sentient beings to enter reincarnation.
Therefore, once a Wu, always a Wu!
The Wu clan, borrowing the fortune of Houtu transforming into the cycle of reincarnation, saw their already depleted clan fortune flourish once more. The Wu clan universally revered Houtu as the Mother of Earth.
The human race, on the other hand, revered Empress Nuwa as the Mother of Earth.
As the Earthly Dao was already largely complete, Houtu did not completely dissipate into the heavens and earth. A portion of her will merged with the Earthly Dao, becoming the present "Emulating Heaven, Houtu Huang Di Chi!"
Houtu became the new Lord of the Earthly Dao, the Lord of Reincarnation, yet she could never again set foot on the earth. This was the price for daring to defy heaven and establish the Wu Dao!
However, Houtu never regretted her actions. She had been true to the Wu clan, to all sentient beings, and to the heavens and earth.
The only one she might have wronged was perhaps the Heavenly Dao.