A Grand Revelation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation! Sages Fight for Slots!
Houtu's voice carries its own warmth.
It gently plucks down the cold, lofty concept of "reincarnation," crushes it, and transforms it into a handful of warm seeds, scattering them into the hearts of all beings.
Those were seeds called "hope".
A deathly silence fell beneath the platform.
Neither the Three Pure Sages, who sit high in the clouds, nor the Founding Ancestors of the Three Tribes who once ruled the earth, have fully escaped from that unforgettable "Suffering of All Beings".
They were born extraordinary, standing at the pinnacle of all beings, overlooking the birth and death of eras.
They never truly stooped down to look at those tiny, insignificant creatures, and at the terrible price they paid for simply to "live."
Today, they saw it.
Therefore, they deeply understood how heavy the weight of Houtu right to "do it again" was, and how great the compassion it contained.
"Good!"
Taiqing Laozi opened his eyes.
Those eyes, which had witnessed countless births and deaths, were now as clear as ever.
He nodded almost imperceptibly Houtu, uttering only one word.
This single word represents the highest level of recognition of the Great Dao of Reincarnation by the Head of the Mystic Gate).
The lines of Yuanshi Tianzun's eternally unchanging, majestic face softened.
He still felt that the Witch Clan' preaching was improper, but what Houtu said coincided with the ultimate meaning of "order" and "balance" in his "Dao of Elucidating Heaven".
Birth corresponds to death, beginning corresponds to end.
Where suffering exists, there must be a way to find relief.
This in itself is a more magnificent and equitable order that transcends everything.
"Sister, sister!"
A child's innocent voice suddenly rang out, shattering the solemnity of the entire hall.
Lin Shen stared longingly at Houtu, his little face full of undisguised curiosity, just like the most eager student in a private school who loved to answer questions first.
"So, how does a little ant turn into a big eagle? Does it need to eat lots and lots of delicious food, and then 'bang!' it transforms?"
This question, though seemingly naive, is incisive and hits the nail on the head.
How exactly does reincarnation work?
In an instant, the divine senses of all the powerful beings tensed up.
Even the Tongtian Jiaozhu, who was boasting to the Ancestral Dragon just a moment ago about how powerful the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, shut his mouth and stared intently at Houtu.
Houtu looked at Lin Shen, smiled gently, her eyes full of approval.
"Little Lin Shen asked a good question."
"This is the second mystery of reincarnation—'the path'."
She raised her jade finger again and pointed it at the huge phantom of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disk behind her.
Boom--!
The roulette wheel, constructed from countless Dao Divine Script, suddenly accelerated!
Six enormous vortexes, each exuding a completely different aura, shone brightly on the roulette wheel, their outlines becoming incredibly clear!
"The cycle of reincarnation is not a chaotic mess, but rather each has its own path and its own destination."
"This is the Six Paths!"
Houtu's voice suddenly became solemn as she pointed to the highest point, to the vortex that flowed with pure celestial light and supreme majesty.
"This is the Way of Heaven!"
The moment the words fell, the scene shifted within the vortex.
A celestial being, clad in golden armor gleaming in the sun, wielding thunder in his hands, patrolled the nine heavens, and all laws obeyed his gaze.
Fairy maidens in flowing robes sprinkled sweet dew in the Immortal Realm of the Jade Pond, their celestial music echoing through the Thirty-three Heavens.
They have endless lifespans, possess supernatural powers, and enjoy the highest level of blessings in the world. However, they are also like puppets on strings, tightly bound by Heavenly Rules and Precepts. One wrong step will lead to eternal damnation.
"Those who enter this path must have accumulated Great Merit in their past lives to protect them, or perhaps they were immortals or deities who guarded heaven and earth. They enjoy the Blessings of Heaven and Man, but are also bound by the rules of heaven."
The eyes of Jieyin and Zhunti instantly turned red.
This is the will of Heaven! Isn't this the "top-of-the-line, supreme version" of their painstakingly envisioned Western Pure Land?
No! This is an incredible opportunity, with an endless source of customers; we must find a way to direct them to the West!
Houtu's finger pointed to the second vortex, her aura centered and peaceful, like the earth itself.
"This is humanity!"
The scene changes.
In an ordinary village, wisps of smoke rise from chimneys, and the sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing fill the air.
The children ran wildly on the ridges of the fields, getting covered in mud, but laughing more happily than anyone else.
An old man stood under the big banyan tree at the village entrance, squinting as he watched his children and grandchildren surround him, his wrinkled face smoothing out.
They didn't live past a hundred, their lives filled with Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Death, death, joy, sorrow, and separation.
But they possess hands that create, a torch to pass on, and a seemingly faint yet powerful hope that can ignite a prairie fire.
"Those who enter this path have largely balanced their past merits and demerits. They are tempered in the Mortal World and seek truth amidst Hundred Sufferings. Though their lifespan is short, they are the freest."
Nuwa watched silently, her mind reeling.
She felt that her own Creation Great Dao was resonating with this "human way" in an unprecedented and intense way.
A strong, almost irresistible urge grew within her—she wanted to create such a group of beings with her own hands!
Then, Houtu pointed to the third vortex, which was filled with boiling Battle Intent and pure Aura of Slaughter.
"This is the Asura Path!"
The scene depicts the Blood Sea "Arena" of the Ancestor Minghe.
Countless handsome men and alluring women are fighting fiercely, wielding bricks, slippers, and spiked clubs, for the sake of victory. The battle is chaotic, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
They enjoyed it, and though defeated, they were not discouraged. They got up again and were as brave as ever, with even greater Battle Intent in their eyes than before.
"Those who enter this path were often brave and warlike in their past lives, with abundant blessings, but also heavy Wrath and Hatred. Although they possess supernatural powers, they are forever at war, finding it difficult to enjoy a moment of peace."
The Tongtian Jiaozhu's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.
"Excellent! Excellent Asura Path! This is true righteousness and revenge, this is true nature! A thousand times more interesting than those pretentious guys in the Heavenly Path!"
He was already planning in his mind that as soon as the sermon ended, he would go to Brother Minghe to discuss a collaboration and create an in-depth experience package of "Biyou Palace - Asura Path" so that his combative disciples could also enjoy the fun of "unlimited resurrection" in battle.
Houtu's fingers continued to move downwards.
The fourth vortex, its aura murky and unsettling, was filled with a wild, fishy smell.
"This is the Animal Path!"
The scene is filled with birds and beasts, scaled creatures and insects, covering mountains, rivers, lakes and seas.
Their lives are driven by only the most primal instincts: hunting, escaping, and reproducing.
"Those who enter this path have often acted foolishly in their past lives, or are burdened with karmic debts. They are transformed into animals to repay these debts. Although they lose their intelligence, they are spared the suffering of the human heart."
The three powerful figures, Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, Primordial Kirin, all had extremely solemn expressions.
Although these three races are Innate Divine Beasts with noble bloodlines, they are still classified as belonging to the "Animal Path" when traced back to their origins.
The cycle of reincarnation has begun; what does the future hold for the three races?
This problem weighed heavily on their minds, like a mountain.
The fifth vortex exuded a hunger and greed that could devour everything.
"This is the Hungry Ghost Path!"
The scene depicts countless monsters with bellies as large as mountains and throats as thin as needles.
They are forever enduring the most extreme hunger. Any Nectar and Jade Liquid or delicacies that reach their mouths will instantly turn into scorching flames, causing them immense pain.
"Those who enter this path have committed many sins of stinginess, jealousy, and greed in their past lives. Once they fall into this path, they will suffer the Torment of Hunger and Thirst forever, unable to obtain even a single meal or a single drink."
Seeing this, even the Tongtian Jiaozhu could no longer laugh; his brows furrowed.
This kind of torment is worse than death.
Finally, Houtu pointed her finger to the very bottom.
That vortex was as black as an abyss, seemingly capable of swallowing even light and divine thought, leaving only pure, extreme pain and despair overflowing from it.
"This is the Hell Path!"
The scene flashed by in an instant, and all the powerful beings present felt a sharp, needle-like pain in their primordial spirits.
Mountains of knives, seas of fire, cauldrons of boiling oil, pools of blood... countless forms of torture, endless and without end.
That was the purest, eternal pain, stripped bare of everything.
"Those who enter this path are all Sins in their past lives. In hell, they suffer all kinds of punishments to wash away their sins until their karma is completely worn away, only then can they re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."
The Six Paths of Reincarnation are laid out one by one.
A complete, rigorous, reward-and-punishment-clear, and logically closed-loop afterlife was presented to all the top beings of the Primordial World in an incredibly shocking way.
The entire Zixiao Palace was completely silent.
All the powerful beings were stunned Divine Soul by this unimaginably magnificent concept.
"Sister, sister!"
Lin Shen raised his little hand high again, his face full of curiosity like a child's.
"Then, who decides which child goes which path? Is it like when we distribute candy, where good behavior goes to the Heavenly Path and disobedience goes to the Hell Path?"
Houtu gave him an approving look.
This question once again touches upon the very essence of reincarnation.
"No."
She shook her head, her voice becoming deeper than ever before.
"It is neither I nor the will of Heaven that decides which path they take."
"But instead..."
"Themselves."