Chapter 12

His eyes shone with divine light, making him seem even more imposing.

Xuandu had successfully broken through and entered the ranks of peak Grand Unity Golden Immortals.

He cultivated the Classic of Morality, possessed an innate Dao Body and the Grand Pure Immortal Method, and these advantages had made his Dao foundation incomparably solid.

Added to that was one-tenth of the merit aura from Six Paths Reincarnation. With heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony all gathered, he had soared to the heavens in a single step.

Empress Houtu Pingxin looked at the awakened Xuandu, astonishment appearing on her face. "Congratulations, young friend. You have received such a great fortune today. Your future is limitless."

Though she had already seen through Li Er's plans, the sheer magnitude of this opportunity still surprised her.

By now, she could be considered half a Saint, so she naturally saw that Xuandu's fortune had begun soaring skyward.

Xuandu possessed extraordinary potential and talent. Given enough time, he would surely become a peak Quasi-Saint powerhouse, equal to any great figure.

His fortune, cultivation realm, and origins were all exceptionally superior.

Today, he had encountered an unprecedented meritorious opportunity, enough to make up for every shortcoming and allow him to soar to the heavens in a single step.

If Li Er was invincible among Saints, then Xuandu could dominate among Grand Unity Golden Immortals.

Even Li Er, his powerful master, was surprised by Xuandu's performance.

Xuandu's display was unbelievable. Even he, who was always calm, was breathing rapidly now, overcome with excitement.

He understood why his master had sent him into the world: it was to grant him a heaven-defying opportunity.

At this moment, Xuandu had comprehended a ninth-grade Dao Fruit and possessed immense merit and fortune.

Within the Eight Sceneries Palace, Li Er seemed to sense Xuandu's gratitude. His gaze passed through the void and fell upon the Blood Sea.

He held Xuandu in extremely high regard, believing that his achievements would not stop at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. He would become a top Great Divine Power User who possessed both fortune and merit.

Such a Xuandu was already nearing the realm of being indestructible through ten thousand tribulations.

If Empress Houtu had been here and heard Li Er's assessment of Xuandu, she would likely have been utterly shocked.

To most people, Xuandu was already powerful enough. Yet in Li Er's eyes, he was merely "passable."

.

Such exacting standards were astonishing.

As the creator of this cosmic transformation, Li Er's intellect and capabilities were far from ordinary. Even if someone else were in his place, he could still create such changes.

This was the unique advantage of a transmigrator: foreknowledge and foresight.

He possessed more than enough qualifications and ability to carry out all this.

Li Er smiled faintly and did not disturb Xuandu. His gaze left Six Paths Reincarnation and instantly arrived at another scene.

Before him was a horrifying sight: yin and yang were inverted, and countless Asuras danced wildly.

He tacitly allowed it all to happen and watched in silence.

Just as Li Er had expected, Ancestor Minghe soon emerged from the Blood Sea in fury.

Establishing Six Paths Reincarnation upon the Blood Sea had severed the foundation of the Blood Sea lineage. He was deeply displeased by this.

Facing Ancestor Minghe's questioning, Empress Houtu Pingxin frowned tightly.

She knew that although establishing Six Paths Reincarnation in the Blood Sea was justified, on Ancestor Minghe's territory, reason was not entirely on her side.

Though Ancestor Minghe usually kept a low profile, his cultivation was unfathomable.

During the Red Cloud killing tribulation, his very first move had shocked all the Quasi-Saint mighty experts.

Houtu knew that while she could resist Ancestor Minghe in the Blood Sea, truly killing him would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Faced with Ancestor Minghe's forceful attitude, he made his demand: one of the Six Paths Reincarnation had to be opened for the Asura race, replenishing the source of Blood Sea Asuras, and he wanted a share of the merit.

This was clearly a clever strategy. He knew that Six Paths Reincarnation was far more efficient than transforming resentful souls into Asuras within the Blood Sea.

Empress Houtu Pingxin fell into deep thought in the face of Ancestor Minghe's request.

As for the Asura Path and the negotiations with Empress Houtu Pingxin, Ancestor Minghe was initially dissatisfied.

He tried to fight for greater rights, proposing that he oversee Six Paths Reincarnation and assist in controlling the underworld's power of judgment.

However, Empress Houtu Pingxin did not agree so readily. Instead, she was more inclined to have Xuandu take that position.

Ancestor Minghe's greed and forceful attitude sparked an undercurrent-filled contest.

At that moment, the divine sense behind Xuandu suddenly flashed, and a Taiji yin-yang fish appeared, instantly stabilizing the situation.

As Li Er's leisurely voice rang out, the surging grand momentum within the Netherworld Blood Sea was instantly pacified and could no longer threaten Xuandu.

Xuandu asked in delighted surprise, "Master, you're here?"

This scene displayed Li Er's profound strength and extraordinary majesty.

Ancestor Minghe sensed the aura within the yin-yang fish opposite him. Shocked, he exclaimed, "Laozi?"

It showed his wariness toward the other's strength.

Although Ancestor Minghe had once been in the Purple Cloud Palace and knew well the fame of the Three Pure Ones, he still found it unbelievable when facing just a strand of Laozi's divine sense.

That divine sense had actually suppressed the grand momentum of his Blood Sea.

Ancestor Minghe had created the Asura race and the Asura Sect. Though he possessed much merit and fortune, because he had failed to attain the Dao through Merit, he was unwilling to let go of any opportunity to gain merit.

Before the divine sense of Laozi, who had not even appeared in person, Ancestor Minghe's confidence had already wavered.

Within Six Paths Reincarnation, Empress Houtu Pingxin greeted the divine sense before Xuandu, drawing a response from the Grand Pure Saint.

Li Er expressed admiration for Houtu's great compassion in embracing all living beings beneath heaven.

Then Li Er's divine sense turned toward Ancestor Minghe and questioned his conduct in using his peak Quasi-Saint strength to bully a disciple of his sect.

Ancestor Minghe responded with a question of his own, saying that by the other's logic, he too should have a reason to be bullied.

Ancestor Minghe sensed the profound Daoist Sect Grand Momentum between heaven and earth. He struggled, yet could not escape the crushing force.

From soul to flesh, he trembled. Unable to withstand the might of Li Er's divine sense, his body shattered and finally turned into blood.

Every word and action of Li Er contained the Daoist Sect Grand Momentum, and Ancestor Minghe's strength could not contend with it.

Though Ancestor Minghe, as lord of the Blood Sea, would not perish so easily and his Dao Body could recover within the Blood Sea, he still suffered immense humiliation.

Faced with Li Er's overwhelming momentum, Ancestor Minghe had no choice but to concede and leave the Blood Sea.

As he departed, his heart was filled with resentment and confusion, and he gained a new understanding of a Saint's power.

Before an absolute disparity in strength, Ancestor Minghe chose to leave and vanished above the Blood Sea.

As Ancestor Minghe retreated in defeat, Li Er's Saintly divine sense did not remain long.

After offering Xuandu a few words of encouragement, the power of his divine sense dissipated without a trace.

Xuandu looked at the calm Empress Houtu and decided to bid her farewell.

Though she bore no ill intent, he knew that his strength had not yet reached the level where he could stand alongside Empress Pingxin. In identity, status, and seniority, he was inferior in every regard.

Moreover, he still had the mission of delivering the ancestral witch blood essence to the Witch Clan. Remaining here any longer would only waste time.

Xuandu had just begun to say goodbye when Empress Houtu raised her hand, signaling for him not to be hasty.

She mentioned her earlier words: she would grant Xuandu an opportunity.

She looked toward Six Paths Reincarnation and smiled at Xuandu. "Would you be interested in becoming the lord of the underworld and managing it for me?"

Xuandu's heart stirred. He was filled with curiosity about the underworld of Six Paths Reincarnation.

Who would not want a lofty position of merit? Yet he knew that he was currently only a Grand Unity Golden Immortal and was not yet qualified to bear such responsibility.

Empress Houtu seemed to see his concerns and explained with a smile, "Six Paths Reincarnation has only just been established, and the underworld is still incomplete. Your Grand Unity cultivation is somewhat insufficient.

But I can reserve the position of Great Emperor Fengdu for you. When you later slay the Three Corpses and attain the Dao as a Quasi-Saint, I will have your Evil Corpse enter the underworld."

Empress Houtu Pingxin was full of confidence in Xuandu's Slaying the Three Corpses.

Upon hearing this, Xuandu froze. Then he asked somewhat confusedly, "Empress, are you so certain that I can successfully slay the Three Corpses?"

The Empress replied with a smile, "If you cannot slay the Three Corpses, how could I entrust you with the lofty position of lord of the underworld?"

In the vast prehistoric world, only a small number of Great Divine Power Users could cross that boundary and become great powers.

Even those who had listened to the Dao in the Purple Cloud Palace faced the predicament of Slaying the Three Corpses.

Yet Empress Houtu Pingxin held great expectations for Xuandu.

She knew Xuandu had his reservations, but she did not explain much.

She merely chuckled. "You underestimate yourself, and you also underestimate your master."

She believed that becoming a Quasi-Saint would not be difficult for Xuandu.

Xuandu fell silent. He knew that none of this was without reason; Houtu had another purpose.

She not only appreciated him, but also wished to tie herself to him through this relationship and safeguard the interests of the Witch Clan.

At that moment, his master Li Er's voice sounded beside Xuandu's ear. "Accept it."

Since his master had already agreed, Xuandu decided to accept Houtu's proposal.

He thanked Houtu for her trust and decided to leave the Blood Sea.

After all, he still could not hold the position of lord of the underworld. He would have to wait until after Slaying the Three Corpses before he could truly take up the post.

He still had other tasks: delivering the ancestral witch blood essence to the Witch Clan and going to Kunlun Mountain to congratulate his two martial uncles on attaining the Dao and becoming Saints.

Therefore, he had to leave the Blood Sea to complete these tasks.

Xuandu was now worlds apart from when he had first entered Kunlun.

After his journey through the prehistoric world, he had finally understood the true meaning of cultivating through entering the world.

It turned out that simply cultivating and comprehending the Dao within the Eight Sceneries Palace was inferior to following opportunities and obtaining the power of a great fortune.

Rejoicing inwardly, he benefited from having a master like Li Er and being able to enter Kunlun Mountain's lineage.

As the void rippled, Xuandu's figure in Daoist robes finally appeared here.

However, when he arrived at Kunlun Mountain, the scene before him was beyond his expectations.

Kunlun Mountain was shrouded in hazy auras, as though it had been divided into two worlds.

With a slight sense, Xuandu knew that these auras came from the two Daoist Lineages of the Exposition Sect and the Interception Sect.

His two martial uncles, Yuanshi and Tongtian, had established their own palaces here. Though they looked ethereal and immortal, rather than imposing like ordinary palaces, they exuded a unique charm.

Xuandu looked at the two palaces, but an indescribable sense of strangeness arose in his heart.

He felt as though "one mountain could not hold two tigers."

Yet two Daoist Lineage palaces stood simultaneously atop Kunlun Mountain. The feeling was both strange and difficult to describe.

This only further strengthened his belief: even if the Exposition Sect and Interception Sect were presently living in peace, differences would inevitably arise between their Daoist Lineages, and one day they would part ways.

Xuandu's teachings and origins would become a point of friction between the Exposition Sect and the Interception Sect.

He had come to Kunlun Mountain by his master's order to offer congratulations, so there had to be some deeper meaning behind it.

Xuandu's figure flashed, and he headed toward the depths of Kunlun Mountain.

At this moment, Guangchengzi, the senior brother of the Exposition Sect, was already waiting here, while Daoist Duobao, the senior brother of the Interception Sect, had also appeared.

Their gazes met. Though neither spoke, a subtle tension showed between them.

Clearly, they were not close.

Suddenly, a figure appeared with transcendent bearing, like a Daoist immortal descending into the world. It was Xuandu.

At this sight, Guangchengzi and Daoist Duobao's eyes instantly narrowed, and turbulent waves surged in their hearts.

Before this, they had received instructions from their respective masters to welcome Senior Brother Xuandu of the Grand Pure lineage.

They had assumed their cultivation levels were comparable, but now that they faced Xuandu, they realized they might have overestimated themselves and underestimated him.

Guangchengzi and Daoist Duobao bowed to Xuandu. "Guangchengzi of the Exposition Sect greets Senior Brother Xuandu."

"Duobao of the Interception Sect greets Senior Brother Xuandu."

As Li Er's first disciple, Xuandu had undoubtedly entered the sect earliest and held greater seniority than Guangchengzi and Duobao.

He replied, "You two junior brothers are too courteous."

Xuandu's gaze was calm and indifferent, while his words revealed a modest and reserved temperament.

"Let us go in and see our two martial uncles first. We should not keep them waiting long."