“Today is a great day for the Immortal Venerable Yuanhuang of the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain to break through the barriers and achieve the state of Creation. Forward this message to three groups, and you will immediately receive one hundred Yuanhuang coins!”
When similar messages appeared in every corner of the All-Worlds Knowledge Network, those who saw them often scoffed, saying things like, “This scam is too old,” “Yuanhuang only proved his legend status a little over ten years ago—how could he achieve Creation so quickly?” or “Anyone who falls for this clearly needs to recharge their IQ.” However, when screenshots from those who had forwarded the message for various reasons and received Yuanhuang coins began circulating, the public was thrown into chaos.
Could they really receive one hundred Yuanhuang coins?
Had Immortal Venerable Yuanhuang truly advanced from legend to Creation in just over a decade, becoming a Great Divine Ability user?
Yet when they tried forwarding the message themselves, they received no Yuanhuang coins—only a notification:
“The All-Worlds Celebration Event has ended. Please look forward to the next one.”
Countless eyes stared blankly in disbelief. Meanwhile, inside the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, the Great Green Root let out a long sigh. “What a pity. We only managed to secure this much Yuanhuang currency.”
His voice carried three parts regret, three parts frustration, three parts satisfaction, and one part smugness.
While the mortal realm remained largely undisturbed, news of Meng Qi achieving Creation swept through the great Pure Lands and the heavenly realms formed by the Sea-Calming Pearls like a whirlwind.
In the Demon Emperor’s Palace, the massive Bull Demon King had just bid farewell to the Howling Celestial Dog when he suddenly sensed subtle fluctuations in certain Great Daos of the universe.
“Condensing illusory Daos? Yin-Yang… Life-Death… Void…” The Bull Demon King frowned, deeply puzzled. “Who is advancing to Creation?”
Why were there so many Dao fluctuations?
This was utterly unbelievable!
Still, this wasn’t the first time he had encountered such a situation. Back when his sworn brother, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, advanced from legend to Creation, he had also stirred numerous Daos, each of his Seventy-Two Transformations representing different aspects. Yet compared to today’s phenomenon, even that seemed slightly inferior.
—The Bull Demon King himself was renowned for his purity, having condensed only two illusory Daos, “Strength” and “Earth Travel,” during his own ascension to Creation. Thus, he lacked detailed knowledge of such matters.
“Merging into Chaos? Creation… Causality…” Just as the Bull Demon King was struck with realization amid his shock, the little fox Qingqiu pushed open the palace doors, carrying the Demon Saint Spear on her back. With a grave expression, she announced, “Great Sage Pacifier of Heaven, Su Meng has achieved Creation.”
“Him…” The Bull Demon King muttered, feeling a sense of inevitability.
Sensing the abnormal Dao fluctuations, the Roc Demon King and the Flood Dragon Demon King also gathered, hearing Qingqiu’s declaration. For a moment, they found it both unexpected and yet perfectly reasonable.
After news spread that Su Meng had refined part of the Origin of Life and Death, major factions knew it wouldn’t be long before he became a Great Divine Ability user. But who could have imagined it would happen so quickly? “Not long” was an understatement—there was practically no interval at all!
After a brief silence, the proud Roc Demon King suddenly sighed.
“When I first met Su Meng, he hadn’t even touched the threshold of legend, while we were all seasoned Great Sages with long-achieved Creation. Now, just as we’ve recovered from our weakened states and returned to our peaks, he’s already on equal footing with us.”
Aside from Sun Wukong, he and the Bull Demon King were stronger than the other Great Sages. Yet neither had glimpsed the end of the Sea of Bitterness, meaning they were not at the peak of Creation—only among the top of the middle tier, comparable to the genuine Nine Heavens Thunder God of old. Though Su Meng had just entered Creation, judging by the earlier commotion—the formation of Chaos and Non-Polarity, the intent of Creation, and the Causality of All Effects possessing faint characteristics of the Other Shore, allowing him to manipulate fate—in a one-on-one fight, the outcome would be hard to predict, depending on terrain and other external factors. For instance, in the Immortal Realm, where omnipresence was impossible, his absolute speed would likely give him the upper hand.
The Bull Demon King also sighed ruefully. “In just a few years, it feels like all our decades of hard cultivation were wasted. The last time I felt this frustrated was when our seventh brother advanced to Creation.”
The seventh brother was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong—the Heaven-Earth Spiritual Monkey, born a legend, unique across all realms, peerless and unrivaled. He had then achieved Creation in just a few short years, his fame spreading far and wide.
Hearing the Great Sages’ lamentations, Qingqiu’s lips twitched slightly, as if she’d been force-fed something unpleasant.
*I haven’t even reacted that much—do you all have to be like this?*
*When I first met that guy, I could tear apart ten of him with one hand. Now he’s achieved Creation, while I’m still a step away from legend!*
She cleared her throat, drawing their attention, then lowered her eyes and adopted a solemn, dignified expression. “The Demon Emperor has instructed me to inform you all that Su Meng’s ‘Causality of All Effects’ now possesses a trace of Half-Step Dao Fruit divinity. All oaths and contracts across the myriad realms will now be witnessed by him, and he will deliver retribution for their breach. You must guard against this.”
“What the—seriously?!” The Bull Demon King cursed, feeling as though Su Meng had become an Other Shore-level figure.
*All oaths and contracts across the myriad realms will be witnessed by him, with retribution delivered?* This was practically impossible to guard against!
The Great Sages exchanged glances, each feeling a chill.
Qingqiu produced a talisman shimmering with Xuanhuang radiance and said gravely, “From now on, whenever you swear an oath or make a contract, visualize the contents of this talisman. It will route the causal connection through the Demon Emperor first, obscuring the key details.”
Hearing this, the Bull Demon King exhaled slightly in relief. “Thank goodness for the Demon Emperor… and thank goodness that guy isn’t at the Other Shore yet…”
……
In the Earthly Buddha Kingdom, Maitreya sat cross-legged atop Mount Sumeru on a white lotus throne.
After a decade of arduous cultivation, coupled with Amitabha’s guidance and a certain opportunity, he had finally recovered from his severe injuries and regained his strength. However, the crystallization of his exploration of the Other Shore—the “Future Sariras”—had yet to reform.
But in Buddhism, one must let go to gain. Maitreya had instead used this opportunity to gain insight, waiting only for the right moment to make his great vow:
“Not to ferry sentient beings, not to save the apocalypse, not to seek the future!”
Around him, white light surged like rolling waves, his eyes half-open and half-closed as his spirit wandered unknown realms.
Suddenly, Maitreya slowly opened his eyes and gazed beyond the Earthly Buddha Kingdom, sighing softly.
“The Causality of All Effects has returned. The Ancient Buddha Dipamkara is in trouble…”
His voice echoed faintly atop Mount Sumeru, carrying complex emotions. After a long pause, he slowly rose, lotus flowers blooming beneath his feet as he resumed his jovial expression, preparing to depart for a certain Pure Land of perfection.
Buddhism had always emphasized causality—they would have to guard against Su Meng in this regard!
Moreover, he had now become a pivotal figure. It was time to seek Amitabha’s counsel.
……
In the Vacuum Hometown, the Night Emperor was consulting the Earthly Immortal Zhen Yuanzi on cultivation matters.
His Thousand Faces and Myriad Lifetimes Tribulation Method had reached great completion, granting him an alternative legend characteristic. Now, only the final step remained—proving his uniqueness—so he had no choice but to seek guidance.
Just then, Zhen Yuanzi before him suddenly stopped speaking, his gaze turning profound as he looked beyond the Vacuum Hometown and said calmly, “The Jade Void’s Su Meng has achieved Creation.”
“What? Su Meng has become a Great Divine Ability user?” The Night Emperor’s expression froze.
This was far too fast! The gap between them hadn’t narrowed—it had only widened!
Zhen Yuanzi stood expressionlessly and walked slowly deeper into the Vacuum Hometown, his voice echoing:
“Once you leave the Vacuum Hometown, do not swear oaths, do not make contracts, and do not utter Su Meng’s name. I shall now seek the Golden Emperor’s guidance on how to guard against this.”
……
In the Pure Land of the Maiden of the Moon, Liu Luo sat gracefully across from Nezha, her smile elegant and transcendent, exuding an immortal aura.
Suddenly, both of them stirred, looking toward the infinite heights where the Jade Void Palace resided.
“Truly worthy of the Causality of All Effects,” Liu Luo said lightly after a moment of silence. “He’s almost caught up to you.”
Nezha pursed his lips, somewhat defiantly saying, “If I hadn’t been reborn from the Chaos Green Lotus Seed—which is somewhat similar to an innate deity but comes with its own limitations—why would my progress be so slow?”
Liu Luo covered her mouth and laughed. “This is far less restrictive than an innate deity’s body—there are many ways to resolve it. Isn’t it more about your own…”
Nezha narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing, as if unwilling to discuss the matter further. Liu Luo tactfully changed the subject, smiling. “The Final Tribulation has arrived—this is your chance to break through your limitations.”
Nezha nodded. “During the Final Tribulation, the heavens and earth loosen, making breakthroughs relatively easier.”
Liu Luo shook her head and sighed. “Even in the Final Tribulation, even with the loosening of the heavens and earth, it still depends on oneself. Su Meng’s generation was truly a gathering of stars. Though few have fallen, only a handful—three or four at most—have kept pace with the times. Su Meng is one, the Demon Emperor is another, and if Gu Xiaosang successfully revives, she’ll count as well. Wang Siyuan and Jiang Zhiwei might be considered half each. The rest have fallen behind, and figures like He Jiu, Wang Zai, Cao E, and Liusu have long been left in the dust.”
After seeing Nezha off, Liu Luo—once the Maiden of the Nine Heavens—suddenly turned serious and instructed her attendant: “From this moment onward, critical matters shall not be recorded in writing or sworn as oaths. Additionally, when discussing the Jade Void’s Su Meng, do not use his name.”
……
In a hidden realm, Han Guang, seated on a half-sacred, half-defiled lotus throne with the Bodhi Wonderful Tree in his hands, slowly opened his eyes and murmured, “The Causality of All Effects…”
It was as though he had awakened from a long slumber.
……
In a hazy, indistinct place, Wang Siyuan coughed a few times and smirked. “Even faster than I predicted…”
Above his head floated a piece of tortoise shell—none other than the long-lost Luo Shu!
At some point, by some means, he had quietly retrieved this treasure!
……
At the Eyebrow-Painting Villa, inside a thatched hut beside a grave.
Senior Lu was wholly focused on refining himself, contemplating his true nature and the mysteries of the infinite heights.
Suddenly, his vision shifted dramatically. It was as though he had been abruptly elevated, gazing down upon the world from the infinite heights—points forming lines, lines forming planes, planes forming voids, voids overlapping to create the infinite heights, interwoven with time to form the heavens and earth…
All his past doubts dissipated as he witnessed this. Senior Lu had finally discerned his own position.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked toward the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, a faint smile appearing on his face.
……
In the true Jade Void Palace, Meng Qi waited for the Green Emperor to deliver the List of Deification to Gao Lan. He felt little joy over his breakthrough to Creation, nor any desire to flaunt his achievement.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t pleased—it was just that the closer he drew to the Other Shore, the more acutely he felt his own powerlessness.
When he severed his past and future, freeing himself from the Demonic Buddha, he had been exhilarated and relieved, as though unshackled from all constraints. When he proved his uniqueness, it was a breakthrough achieved just ahead of crisis and abandonment, filling him with immense satisfaction. But during those stages, his affairs had been far removed from the concerns of the Other Shore figures—beneath their notice—granting him relative freedom and the unrestrained vengeance he had once desired.
Now, as he approached Creation, the matters he dealt with increasingly involved the Other Shore, and his powerlessness grew ever more apparent. He felt keenly the helplessness of being a pawn and the agony of being entangled in karma.
Many things could no longer be perfectly balanced with his current abilities. He could only barely protect what he held dear. As for the whims of the heavens, they were impossible to predict or resist.
Thus, achieving Creation was but a small step toward reaching the Other Shore—nothing to exult over. Only by transcending the Sea of Bitterness and becoming an Other Shore figure could he leap off the board and become a player. Even then, there would still be trade-offs, but at least he wouldn’t be as powerless as he was now.
(Note: “权衡” is translated as “trade-offs” to convey the sense of balancing pros and cons in decision-making. The term “Other Shore” is retained as a philosophical concept, and “Sea of Bitterness” is similarly preserved as a metaphor. The translation maintains the original’s contemplative tone while ensuring natural English phrasing.)
Call it lofty ambition or overreach—regardless, his gaze was fixed solely on the end of the Sea of Bitterness, on the Other Shore and beyond!
Meng Qi’s thoughts swirled, coalescing into a silent sigh:
“No wonder so many Great Divine Ability users call the Creation realm the Sea of Bitterness…”
“It truly is a sea of bitterness…”
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