Chapter 11

This journey was a rare opportunity for him.

He marveled at the vastness and abundance of the Primordial World.

The journey was long, and Xuandu would need hundreds or even thousands of years to reach Kunlun Mountain.

But to him, this was also a form of cultivation and tempering.

He leisurely traveled across the Primordial World, admiring the eternal heavens and earth, the splendid mountains and rivers.

As Xuandu traveled from Luoshan Mountain toward Kunlun, he discovered that the human race was more prosperous than he had expected.

Although humanity still appeared weak, they had already escaped the harsh struggle for survival of their earliest days.

To his surprise, certain Daoist arts and immortal methods among the humans had rapidly emerged, and Xuandu sensed traces of the Grand Pure lineage within them.

This made him suddenly realize that some great human sage must have grasped the essence of the Classic of Morality and organized immortal cultivation methods suited to humanity.

Such a legacy had slightly opened the door of cultivation for the human race.

Xuandu felt emotional. It would have been good if his master could establish the Human Sect, but the thought vanished as quickly as it came.

Xuandu did not fully understand why his master had not established the Human Sect, but he knew that, long ago, his master had discussed it with Nuwa, only for the matter to be abandoned for unknown reasons.

The full chain of events was now difficult to investigate.

Xuandu firmly believed that his master's decision had its reasons and did not delve any deeper into the matter.

He continued his travels and discovered that, aside from the already established Chan, Jie, and Western Three Sects, Ancestor Minghe of the Netherworld Blood Sea had also founded a sect called the Asura Sect, which had gained the recognition of the Heavenly Dao.

The rise of the Asura Sect brought down Heavenly Dao merit.

From then on, four sects stood side by side in the Primordial World.

Other than the Asura Sect, which accepted only beings of its own race, the other three sects attracted countless beings seeking discipleship, including many humans.

Where living beings gathered, conflict was inevitable.

Since the All Saints had established their sects, slaughter between the Witch Clan and demon race had never ceased. Coupled with the myriad beings' yearning for the Daoist Lineages of the All Saints, the conflicts only grew fiercer.

Though Xuandu had witnessed much life and death, he had long grown accustomed to it.

Having experienced the turbulence of their early days, humanity had long since become indifferent to life and death.

Yet the emergence of the Asura Sect caught Xuandu's attention. He discovered that after the beings of the Primordial World died, their souls and resentful spirits remained in the world, drawn to the Blood Sea, where they transformed into Asuras and joined the Asura Sect.

This gave rise to a question in his mind: why deprive all beings of peace after death? That thought changed his original route to Kunlun Mountain, and he turned toward the Blood Sea instead.

Just as Xuandu ventured deep into the Blood Sea, Houtu, one of the Witch Clan's Ancestral Witches, also left Pangu Hall to travel alone through the Primordial World.

By chance, Xuandu encountered Houtu.

Although the Grand Pure lineage had no dealings with the Witch Clan, Xuandu knew well that the Ancestral Witches had deep ties to his master's Pangu's Primordial Spirit. Thus, he took the initiative to pay his respects, leaving Houtu with a favorable impression.

Houtu saw through Xuandu's cultivation at a glance and smiled as she praised him for receiving the true teachings of the Grand Pure Saint.

Although Houtu, as an Ancestral Witch, possessed no primordial spirit, she was still a Quasi-Saint expert and could sense from Xuandu an aura similar to Li Er's.

What was even more surprising was that Xuandu had joined the Grand Pure lineage only ten thousand years ago, yet he already possessed the cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Even the Great Witches of Houtu's tribe felt ashamed by comparison.

After all, the Great Witches of their tribe had cultivated for far more than tens of millions of years, yet breaking through to become Ancestral Witches was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even now, the Witch Clan had only the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

The aura flowing around Xuandu seemed as though he had comprehended the essence of the Classic of Morality.

In terms of advancing his cultivation realm and comprehending the Dao to slay the Three Corpses, it was only a matter of time before he became a Quasi-Saint giant. There was no doubt about it.

So long as Xuandu did not perish in a kalpa, even if he merely cultivated quietly, becoming a Quasi-Saint giant would only be a matter of time.

Not to mention that he had a powerful master like Li Er behind him. For Xuandu, that was undoubtedly an enormous advantage.

Houtu held deep goodwill toward both Xuandu and his master, Li Er.

That goodwill stemmed from Li Er's conduct when he had confronted the Heavenly Dao ten thousand years ago. Though Houtu and Li Er were not close, as descendants of Pangu's bloodline, they could not let go of their fixation on the Pangu Imprint.

Faced with Houtu's praise, Xuandu remained unhurried and modestly said that he was still far from mastering his teacher's true teachings.

Houtu merely chuckled at Xuandu's humility and said nothing more.

Then Houtu asked Xuandu why he had left Eight Sceneries Palace this time.

Xuandu frankly stated that he had come under his teacher's orders to Kunlun Mountain to congratulate his two martial uncles on attaining the Primordial Dao, while his arrival at the Netherworld Blood Sea had merely been coincidental.

Houtu's favorable impression of Xuandu deepened further, and she appreciated his frankness.

Thinking of the purpose of her own journey, Houtu also admitted that she had felt a vague prompting in her heart. Yet despite following that spark of inspiration all the way here, she had found nothing.

Thus, she invited Xuandu to travel with her. What Xuandu would face was Ancestor Minghe, the lord of the Blood Sea, an ancient powerhouse who had listened to the Dao alongside Li Er at the Purple Heaven Palace.

Although Ancestor Minghe's temperament was difficult to predict, Houtu hoped Xuandu would act together with her so she could protect him.

Xuandu was about to refuse Houtu's offer of protection. His disposition **, and he was unwilling to rely too heavily on others.

However, at that very moment—

A hazy voice drifted through the air, dancing by Xuandu's ear like ripples:

"Beneath the Blood Sea lies your opportunity."

Xuandu immediately bowed and replied, "Thank you for the guidance, Ancestral Witch Houtu."

Afterward, Xuandu traveled with Houtu through the Blood Sea.

One day, Houtu observed the scenes of the Primordial World through the Blood Sea and sighed at the dense aura of slaughter and the rivers of blood.

A thought arose in her heart:

"If there were a place to purify unjust souls, allowing all grudges to vanish after death, with dust returning to dust and earth returning to earth, how wonderful would that be?"

Xuandu deeply agreed upon hearing this. Inspired by Houtu, certain thoughts in his mind began to grow clearer.

He tentatively suggested, "Does what you mean, Ancestral Witch, refer to the reincarnation of heaven and earth?"

Houtu's eyes lit up. Xuandu's suggestion allowed her to seize upon a flash of inspiration.

Xuandu continued, "After all beings die, they can only vanish into heaven and earth.

"If there were a place of reincarnation, they could return dust to dust and earth to earth.

"In the future, they could have another chance at reincarnation, repaying karmic debts and settling old grievances.

"If such a place operated, perhaps it could greatly reduce the karmic burden and slaughter within heaven and earth."

These words gave Houtu a flash of insight, and she finally understood the guidance behind Xuandu's words.

Thus, she decided to establish reincarnation.

After coming to her senses, Houtu gave Xuandu a deep look. She realized that with Xuandu's cultivation, such guidance was beyond what he could have achieved on his own. There had to be an expert behind him.

In the entire Primordial World, the existence of such an expert filled her with both curiosity and wariness.

Only the Grand Pure Saint and his ** Xuandu knew of Houtu's decision to sacrifice herself and transform into reincarnation.

Other than the Grand Pure Saint, who else could support her through Xuandu? No matter what, Houtu had to remember this benevolent bond.

Houtu expressed her gratitude to Xuandu, but Xuandu merely replied that the Ancestral Witch need not say more.

Houtu then arrived at the center of the Blood Sea and sensed both her mission and the price of completing it.

Sacrificing herself to become reincarnation meant that there would no longer be any trace of her in the heaven and earth of the Primordial World.

At this thought, even the resolute Houtu could not help but fall silent.

After a long while, Houtu told Xuandu that she had a favor to ask.

Worried that Xuandu would be unwilling to become entangled in karma, she promised him a great opportunity if he could accomplish this matter.

But Xuandu had already learned of Houtu's decision from his master, Li Er. Moved by her selfless love for all beings, he rejected her promise and stated that he would help her fulfill any request, without needing anything in return.

Hearing this, Houtu sighed at Xuandu's broad-mindedness and at the profound depth of the Grand Pure lineage.

Then, using the power of an Ancestral Witch, she forced out a drop of her essence blood and handed it to Xuandu, preparing to sacrifice herself and establish reincarnation.

She knew that this act would undoubtedly lead to her death, but the other Ancestral Witches might not know of it because they could not deduce the secrets of heaven.

Receiving the Ancestral Witch essence blood entrusted to him by Houtu, Xuandu solemnly promised, "Xuandu will certainly accomplish what Ancestral Witch Houtu has entrusted to me."

Hearing his response, Houtu felt greatly relieved.

Then Houtu declared in a low voice, "I am willing to abandon this body of an Ancestral Witch and transform into reincarnation, freeing the living beings of the Primordial World from the suffering of perishing after death."

She swore, "Today, I am willing to use my own body to establish the Great Reincarnation!"

Her words spread across the entire Primordial World, while the Law of Earth enveloped the Blood Sea.

As light flowed, passages of the Six Paths Wheel emerged. Endless Law of Earth wrapped around them, constructing the place of Six Paths Reincarnation.

Before long, Six Paths Reincarnation was complete. Immortal music descended from the void above, condensing into boundless merit.

This merit even surpassed the merit gained when Yuanshi, Tongtian, and the other four saints established their sects, as well as the merit Nuwa had received for creating humanity.

Houtu's Six Paths Reincarnation greatly benefited the entire Primordial World. More importantly, it was a source that would continuously generate merit.

As long as it existed, countless beings would be reincarnated every day, and merit would flow without end.

This was one of the greatest meritorious deeds in the Primordial World.

Boundless merit descended upon the Blood Sea.

Part of it stabilized Six Paths Reincarnation, while the rest merged into Houtu's body, which was about to dissipate.

The immense merit allowed Houtu to form a primordial spirit, using it to break through the shackles of Quasi-Sainthood and attain the status of a Saint.

Although Houtu's new realm possessed only magical power and lacked a corresponding Primordial Dao Fruit, she was still an exalted existence among Saints.

Within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, there existed a form of restraint and limitation.

Before the Immeasurable Kalpa, although Houtu possessed the status of a Saint, she was bound by Six Paths Reincarnation and could not enter or leave freely.

She had to remain here forever to guard it.

At that moment, the woman in palace robes formed from Houtu's primordial spirit smiled at Xuandu and addressed him as little friend.

Then the final tenth of the merit descended upon Xuandu.

In an instant, Xuandu's cultivation surged forward. He broke through the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm in one stroke and entered the path of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

A Grand Unity Dao Fruit condensed within his body.

Merit was a gift from heaven and earth, and it possessed many uses.

It could be used to refine meritorious spiritual treasures, to slay a meritorious Good Corpse, or to raise one's cultivation without any side effects.

Beyond that, it had endless wondrous uses.

Possessing merit meant possessing immense providence, allowing one to avoid the disturbances of great calamities and become difficult for all methods to destroy.

Within the Primordial World, everyone was drawn to merit, Saints included.

Xuandu had now obtained a tenth of the merit of Six Paths Reincarnation. What an incredible fortune that was!

Originally, Xuandu, at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, had been only one step away from becoming a Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Yet at this moment, he crossed that step directly.

The Grand Unity Dao Fruit he condensed was also different from that of ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals.

Li Er's calculations had directly sent Xuandu to an unparalleled height with a promising future, gathering the right time, place, and people.

A great opportunity, a great fortune! Empress Pingxin, formed from Houtu's primordial spirit, also noticed this. She told Xuandu to cultivate his Grand Unity Dao Fruit in peace, as she would guard this place.

Xuandu did not dare hesitate. He immediately sat cross-legged within the Blood Sea, circulated the Grand Pure Immortal Method, and brought his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak.

At this time, the vast merit illuminated the entire Blood Sea as it condensed his Dao Fruit.

After making every preparation, Xuandu began his breakthrough! Without question, thanks to his own merit, there was no danger at all in this breakthrough.

As Li Er's disciple, he possessed an innate Dao Body, and the Grand Pure Immortal Method he cultivated was also among the finest.

With so many advantages combined, the merit displayed its greatest potential in Xuandu's hands.

As time passed, the aura Xuandu emitted continued to rise, surpassing the level of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Vast amounts of merit gathered around Xuandu, covering the three flowers beneath his sea of consciousness like auspicious clouds.

The flowers bloomed in nine grades, displaying the most perfect form of Dao Fruit.

The Grand Unity Dao Fruit Xuandu attained at this moment was truly in its perfect state.

Suddenly, Xuandu's pressure erupted, and an earth-shaking roar rang out above the Blood Sea.