Shui Miao knew that Laozi, the Supreme Elder, was the master of the thousand-year-old female ghost, and that Laozi had once transformed into a middle-aged scholar to manipulate her.
Later, when Shui Miao discovered that Laozi was actually a puppet controlled by Xuankong’er, she regarded Xuankong’er as the hidden mastermind manipulating her.
However, after Shui Miao obtained Xuankong’er’s memories, she learned from them a shocking truth—Laozi might have been pretending to be a puppet all along, using the situation to his advantage, and actually manipulating Xuankong’er instead. Laozi had been using Xuankong’er to fight against the Buddhist realm on behalf of the Immortal World. Once the Buddhist realm was gravely weakened, the real Laozi would reappear and restore the previous cosmic order of the Three Realms.
But clearly, the Buddhist realm was no pushover either. They had foreseen Laozi’s plan and decided to use it against him.
Thus emerged the figure of the old monk from Lingcheng.
The old monk of Lingcheng was actually a puppet forged by the Buddha himself. The Buddha could channel divine power into this puppet from afar and even control it in critical moments. However, the soul within this puppet was no ordinary one—it was the legendary Golden Buddha, Jinluo.
After Pangu split the heavens and earth, his primordial spirit divided into three parts. Hongjun Daoist Sage discovered them, enlightened them, and took them as his disciples. The eldest became Laozi, the Supreme Elder; the second was Yuanshi Tianzun; and the youngest was Tongtian Jiaozhu. They respectively became the leaders of the three great sects: Sanqing, Chan, and Jie. Tongtian resided in the Biyou Palace on Jin’ao Island, reaching the pinnacle of immortality, known as Hunyuan Daluo Jinxian, a Holy Being.
Hongjun bestowed upon Tongtian the Four Swords of Slaughter and the Diagram of the Slaughter Formation, entrusting him with martial affairs. Tongtian also obtained primordial treasures like the Hunyuan Golden Vat and the Golden Dragon Shears at the Treasured Cliff. As the true inheritor of Pangu, he founded the Jie Sect, which had the largest number of immortal disciples and was the most powerful sect among the three.
This was the most ancient legend of the Immortal Realm.
But in reality, Pangu’s primordial spirit did not split into three—it split into nine.
However, Hongjun Daoist Sage only discovered the three strongest fragments, so the remaining six were gradually forgotten.
These six fragments varied in strength and were scattered in different places. The Buddha, under the guise of reincarnation, located the remaining six fragments, brought them back to the Western Paradise, and refined them into one. Through enlightenment and cultivation, this unified spirit became the Golden Buddha Jinluo. In the Western Paradise, Jinluo was a reclusive and mysterious figure, never officially registered, never appearing in public, yet always entrusted with the most secretive and important tasks.
Xuankong’er had guessed Jinluo’s identity but was stopped by Jinluo himself before he could reveal it.
Xuankong’er also knew that Jinluo was extremely powerful, his cultivation and strength rivaling even that of Laozi.
But Xuankong’er was puzzled—why was Jinluo inside a puppet? Why did he seem so weak?
All these questions converged in Shui Miao’s mind, and as she pondered, she uncovered an even more shocking conspiracy: Laozi had used Xuankong’er to fight against the Buddhas of the Western Paradise, while the Buddha countered by deploying a puppet infused with Jinluo’s spirit. The Buddha intended to strike back by secretly influencing her, manipulating her into opposing Xuankong’er.
Meanwhile, Laozi had also been influencing her from his side.
“I’ve actually become another pawn in their struggle for power and interests!”
Shui Miao was deeply shocked.
At last, she understood—her existence was the result of countless manipulations and entanglements.
“Fascinating!”
“Truly fascinating!”
“Am I just a pawn? Ridiculous! They actually thought they could make me their pawn!”
“No! I belong to no one!”
After a pause, Shui Miao shook her head with a cold laugh, muttering a few words to herself. Then, her mind shifted—she immediately retracted the Soul-Stealing Mirror. Once Xuankong’er regained consciousness, she shared her realization with him.
“It fits! It all fits together perfectly!”
Xuankong’er, upon receiving Shui Miao’s insights, suddenly connected all the dots and understood everything at once.
Looking at Xuankong’er, Shui Miao said, “Brother, I want to swear a blood oath with you, to form our own sect, and stand against the Celestial Court and the Buddhist realm. Let’s no longer be their pawns—let’s be masters of our own fate. What do you think of this proposal?”
“Y-You’re serious?”
Xuankong’er felt a surge of emotion but doubted the sincerity of her words.
“Of course I’m serious—and I’m offering full trust. This Wheel of Reincarnation now belongs to both of us.” Shui Miao summoned the Wheel of Reincarnation before Xuankong’er and released her spiritual power over it. If Xuankong’er wished, he could take it at any moment.
It seemed as if Shui Miao was being naive and reckless.
But in truth, this was a high-stakes gamble—she was wagering the Wheel of Reincarnation on Xuankong’er.
Xuankong’er was momentarily stunned. He wasn’t a fool—he could feel the sincerity in her gesture.
“Alright!”
“Brother, I accept you as my brother!”
Xuankong’er grew more and more excited, finally rushing forward and extending his hand toward Shui Miao.
Shui Miao also extended her hand…
Though Xuankong’er was evil, Shui Miao believed that if he was willing to change, he would have a brilliant future and bring boundless blessings to all beings across the Three Realms.
“Whoosh!”
Just as Shui Miao and Xuankong’er were about to clasp hands and swear their brotherhood, a sudden flash of white light appeared near them, and a young Daoist in yellow robes appeared!
He had a noble face and an expression brimming with excitement.
The yellow-robed Daoist eagerly bowed to them both, saying, “Elder brothers, I am Ci’en Daoist, the final disciple taken in by Master Hongjun. My master once told me that if you two could reconcile your differences and unite for the sake of all beings in the Three Realms, I was to join you in brotherhood and assist you in restoring order to the Three Realms. Now that you two have turned enemies into friends for the sake of the world, I am deeply moved. Please, elder brothers, accept this humble younger brother’s bow!”
With a face full of youthful innocence yet genuine sincerity, Ci’en Daoist actually bowed deeply to Shui Miao and Xuankong’er.
“…”
Shui Miao and Xuankong’er were both shocked and surprised—never had they expected such an unexpected twist!
After exchanging a glance, Shui Miao quickly returned the bow: “Are you really the legendary disciple of Hongjun Daoist Sage?”
“Yes, indeed!”
Ci’en nodded immediately, excitedly replying, “Second elder brother Shui Miao, you are not just a pawn. My master has been watching you for a long time. He never intervened because he wanted to see how you would act when faced with special circumstances. Now that you’ve passed the test, my master has sent me to assist you. By the way, my master also said that once order is restored to the Three Realms, you will become the Supreme Saint of Fengshui, able to command the winds and waters of the Three Realms, blessing all beings and nurturing life.”
These words deeply moved them, and the praise heaped upon Shui Miao was immense.
Xuankong’er felt a slight pang of disappointment, feeling somewhat ashamed.
Turning to Xuankong’er, Ci’en continued excitedly, “Elder Brother Xuankong’er, you are actually my senior brother. Do you remember who taught you the art of forging? That mysterious figure was none other than our master, Hongjun Daoist Sage.”
“Wh-What!?”
Xuankong’er stood frozen, stunned. He had always been puzzled about the mysterious figure who visited him in dreams during childhood, teaching him the art of forging. Now that he knew the truth, he felt like breaking into tears.
“Senior Brother, I never lie. My master said I was a sacred child who had reincarnated a hundred times. Throughout those hundred lifetimes, I never once told a lie, which is why my master accepted me as a disciple. Elder Brother, you were born from a sacred stone of Yin energy. Long ago, Patriarch Pangu saw your extraordinary spirit and exhaled a breath into you, allowing you to grow and evolve. That breath gave you immense spiritual power. My master said that because your nature was dark, you needed to undergo trials. That’s why when you fought against Second Brother Shui Miao, who is the reincarnation of the Purple Cloud Spirit, you could never win. Now that your trials are nearly complete and your good nature has returned, like the moon emerging from behind dark clouds, please, elder brother, lead us in restoring order to the Three Realms!”
Ci’en spoke with a voice as clear and soothing as a mountain stream, stirring the soul.
Truly a sacred soul across a hundred lifetimes, his very aura exuded a holy light.
After hearing Ci’en’s words, Xuankong’er felt no doubt—only a flood of emotions. His eyes glistened as the image of his childhood dream-teacher appeared in his mind, just as kind and gentle as a father.
“Am I the reincarnation of the Purple Cloud Spirit?”
Shui Miao was somewhat taken aback, but upon reflection, it made sense—after all, being noticed by Hongjun meant she must have had an extraordinary origin.
Ci’en nodded eagerly, “Second elder brother Shui Miao, my master knows you have many questions, so he sent me to answer them one by one. First, my master shares the same mindset as Patriarch Pangu. When Pangu created the world, he transformed himself into all things, seeing all beings in the Three Realms as part of himself. His selfless sacrifice was the ultimate love. My master holds the same belief—he wishes for the Three Realms to thrive, but he does not wish to change them directly. Instead, he cultivates worthy individuals to bring blessings to the world. As for how the fate of the Three Realms will be changed—that rests in our own hands.”
“There’s also the matter of the universe and the Realm of Intentions. The universe is vast beyond imagination. The area we inhabit was originally just lifeless planets. Later, my master brought an Egg of Primordial Energy from his birthplace to this world. From that egg hatched Emperor Pangu, who then created heaven and earth, and the Three Realms. The Realm of Intentions is another layer of space within the universe—it is a real place, the birthplace of my master. But since he didn’t want us to ruin that beautiful world, he sealed and locked away the space beyond it. However, the power within the Realm of Intentions is accessible to you.”
With that, Ci’en answered all the questions lingering in Shui Miao and Xuankong’er’s hearts.
At that moment, Shui Miao felt a sudden shift, as if a great seal had been lifted. She immediately sensed the immense power of the Realm of Intentions.
Xuankong’er experienced the same.
Seeing the glow of enlightenment on their foreheads, Ci’en smiled knowingly.
“Hehe, elder brothers, now that your powers have greatly increased, shouldn’t we return to the Immortal Realm? The longer we delay here, the more suffering the beings of the Three Realms will endure.”
Ci’en’s heart was filled with compassion for all beings in the Three Realms. He spoke plainly and sincerely, his mind as clear and pure as a mirror.
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