Upon hearing Zhen Yuanzi’s simple reply, the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage couldn’t help but sigh:
“Several years faster than I anticipated. Truly, the ways of the world are unpredictable. Even at our level, the will of heaven remains inscrutable. What use is divination? What use is the study of change?”
With that, it turned and left, stepping out of the grand and solemn black hall. Rising through the dim underworld, it shed its ghostly aura, imperial demeanor, and authority over this realm, reverting to its true form as a Great Sage of the demon race. Breaking through layers of mist, it returned to the ancient Fusang Tree domain.
Originally, it had thought to spend several more years contemplating the mysteries of the afterlife, grasping some key insights into the final calamity. Who would have thought Zhen Yuanzi would arrive so swiftly and so forcefully!
Inside the hall, the black mist and deathly aura left by the Nine Spirits Primordial Sage churned endlessly, revealing indistinct Daoist runes that coalesced into a somber, bluish-gray imperial seal, landing in Zhen Yuanzi’s hand—the very symbol of authority over the underworld established by the Fengdu Emperor!
“Before this encounter, how could I have known of the arrangements within the celestial prison of the immortal realm…” Zhen Yuanzi also sighed.
It was as if everything had been preordained!
He stretched out his hand to catch the bluish-gray seal, opened his mouth, and exhaled a tranquil yet deathly glow, piercing through its layers of restrictions and leaving a mark at its core.
Boom!
The eerie underworld seemed to tremble with thunder as the artificially forged Yellow Springs surged forward, cutting through chaotic time to connect with a decayed and ancient netherworld, merging with the true Yellow Springs flowing above it.
This netherworld was divided into countless layers. At its deepest lay the Malevolent Sacrificial Pool from the dawn of the epoch; above it, the Deathly Swamp of Demon Gods from the battles of the Nine Nethers; the Graveyard of Gods from when the Heavenly Emperor unified the Nine Heavens; and the hellish realms attempted by generations of demons and humans. Layer upon layer, the new pressed down the old, the present overwriting the past, turning “history” into fossilized strata. Yet at the core of this netherworld, no matter how many layers accumulated, stood the unyielding, pitch-black Mount Luofeng, the current abode of the Profound Nether Ghost Emperor.
Yet now, even as rage darkened its cold eyes and its roars echoed everywhere, it could not stop the Fengdu Emperor’s underworld from linking with the realm of Mount Luofeng. Zhen Yuanzi, transformed into a Ghost Emperor through the Heavenly Emperor’s arrangements, was here as a pseudo-Venerable, standing toe-to-toe with the Profound Nether Ghost Emperor. Neither could overcome the other, especially since the Ghost Emperor’s focus remained on the Demon Emperor’s Claw, which teetered on the brink of losing control.
The underworld within the layers of mist seemed to expand infinitely. Ghostly soldiers and underworld officials gaped as their vision cleared, revealing an endless, desolate wasteland swept by fierce winds. High above, a black sun and a yellow moon hung, both exuding a sense of decay and pallor. Their spectral forms grew more solid, even adorned with shimmering silver armor.
As the underworld’s deficiencies were rectified, the Ghost Emperor—Zhen Yuanzi—gazed skyward and bowed solemnly, declaring: “I beseech the descent of the Vacuous Pure Land!”
“I beseech the descent of the Vacuous Pure Land!”
…
After repeating this nine times, his sleeves suddenly billowed. The underworld darkened from dim to pitch-black, its layers of mist torn by whirlwinds, descending like two colossal serpents. In the infinite distance, a faint glow appeared. Though it did not grow larger, it became clearer—a boundless, hazy realm exuding bliss and liberation, a place of eternal stillness, as if the original home and final destination of all living beings.
White lotuses bloomed in abundance, their radiance forming a mist. Within it, the Night Emperor and the divine envoys exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what was happening. Yet the supreme will faintly emanating from the depths of the Vacuous Pure Land left them no room for doubt, only reverence.
Boom!
The luminous point, carrying transcendent radiance, crashed into the core of the underworld, unleashing an endless storm that left the ghostly soldiers unharmed.
The storm transformed into countless white lotuses, each taking root in every corner of the underworld—some sinking into the netherworld below, others blooming outright.
Boom!
Streams of pure light, like true dragons, surged from the underworld’s core, enveloping the entire realm!
Boom!
In the true primordial chaos, at the heart of the Pure Land Buddha Realm spanning infinite calamities, stood a colossal Bodhi Tree, its branches as the Dao, its leaves as the rules, reaching everywhere.
At this moment, the “Chart of Ghostly and Divine True Spirits” hanging from the Bodhi Tree was activated, suddenly radiating brilliant light.
Where the light shone, an obscure, illusory, blissful, and pristine ancient will emerged from the Bodhi Tree.
Boom!
In the Western Pure Land, at its center, dreamlike mist and bubbles remained eternal, surrounded by pools of eight treasures. These pools, devoid of ripples and unfathomably deep, seemed to lead to bizarre and inexplicable universes.
Suddenly, beams of light shot skyward from these pools—azure as glass, translucent as dreams—coalescing into an ancient blue lotus.
The lotus descended, piercing through the dreamlike bubbles and layers of mist.
Boom!
Before Zhen Yuanzi, pure light swirled as the Vacuous Pure Land merged with the underworld. Deep within, petals of white lotuses bloomed one after another, revealing a towering, sacred deity adorned in intricate yet ethereal robes, ancient yet elegant. Its face was obscured by endless time and space, indistinct save for its eyes, which surpassed all in the world.
Zhen Yuanzi immediately prostrated and solemnly declared:
“We welcome the return of the Old Mother!”
The Night Emperor and the other envoys prostrated as well, chanting in unison:
“We welcome the return of the Old Mother!”
The deity gazed down at them, a faint smile on its lips, and said, “The will of heaven has changed.”
…
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Tushita Palace, spiritual springs flowed, exotic flowers bloomed, and auspicious beasts roamed freely.
The Golden Horn Boy, bored, watched as the Silver Horn Boy expounded the Dao to Chonghe. Suddenly, he sensed something and looked outside. There, seated on a pristine lotus throne, was a slightly gaunt golden Buddha—neither entering nor leaving, standing sixteen feet tall, its face filled with compassion, its presence suffusing heaven and earth.
“Amitabha!” the Golden Horn Boy exclaimed.
…
In the mystical realm connected to the Sea Eye, the Demon Emperor’s Palace stood silently. The little fox Qingqiu seized every moment to cultivate, striving to awaken the Demon Saint Spear further.
Suddenly, she saw the palace’s doors swing open of their own accord, admitting a Daoist with twin topknots.
The Daoist, sallow-faced with a wispy beard, exuded an air of serene detachment. He glanced at Qingqiu with a smile before proceeding deeper into the palace.
“He can enter the innermost depths of the palace, where even we cannot go…” Qingqiu murmured, stunned.
…
In the boundless Pure Land, the Ancient Lamp Buddha pondered every detail, divining each critical juncture.
Abruptly, it saw the shadow of Ananda turn its gaze outward once more.
“Our opportunity has come,” Ananda said with a meaningful smile.
Opportunity? The Ancient Lamp Buddha was bewildered.
…
Within the Absolute Saber, an endless sea of lightning flickered.
Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang each held one side of the “Jade Disc of Creation,” channeling their respective concepts of primordial chaos to gradually erode and assimilate it.
After an immeasurable time, ripples spread like a forming river, and the Jade Disc of Creation crumbled into dust.
“Donghuang truly deserves his title as the Emperor of Antiquity…” Meng Qi couldn’t help but marvel. Merely absorbing the fragmented Dao and rules from the Jade Disc had propelled him to the mid-stage of Creation. Gu Xiaoshan, with her ample reserves, needed only to fully integrate it to break through multiple barriers.
Of course, directly absorbing another’s condensed Dao risked conflict with one’s own path, destabilizing the foundation and requiring extensive refinement later. Were it not for the all-encompassing nature of primordial chaos, Meng Qi might have exploded on the spot. But with the calamity looming, he had to reach the pinnacle of Creation swiftly to eradicate Donghuang’s lingering will. There was no time for caution—only hope that there would be time to mend the damage after the calamity.
Gu Xiaoshan opened her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, but her expression suddenly shifted. A look of shock—unprecedented in Meng Qi’s eyes—crossed her face as she blurted:
“The Old Mother has returned!”
The Old Mother has returned? Already? Meng Qi’s mind reeled with the same astonishment.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage