The vast holy might shrouding the Primordial World receded like the tide, and the suffocating pressure between heaven and earth abruptly vanished.
Countless mighty figures of the Primordial World, freed from the pressure, were briefly dazed and shaken. Then Dao Ancestor Hongjun's final words—"I shall expound the Great Dao at the Purple Heavens Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. All who are fated may come and listen"—ignited unprecedented fervor in them!
The path to becoming a saint! The opportunity to attain the Great Dao! In an instant, brilliant streaks of light shot up from every corner of the Primordial World. They tore through the void and raced impatiently toward the boundless Chaos beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.
The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Fuxi, Di Jun, Taiyi, Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun... One renowned mighty figure after another from later generations was among them.
By the Blood Sea, Minghe also straightened up beneath the protection of the phantom of Pangu. Feeling the surging power of a late-stage Golden Immortal within him, he looked toward Chaos, a burning light flashing in his eyes. Listening to the Dao at the Purple Heavens Palace was undoubtedly the greatest opportunity in the Primordial World right now!
Minghe turned to Di Jiang, whose aura had already settled. Di Jiang was thoughtfully studying the phantom of Pangu as it slowly faded behind him. Minghe cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, the holy might has passed, and the lecture at the Purple Heavens Palace is about to begin. Why don't we travel together to Chaos and listen to the Great Dao?"
Minghe thought that a powerhouse like Di Jiang would never pass up such a grand occasion. Traveling together would also let them look out for each other along the way. Chaos was dangerous, after all.
But Di Jiang's answer was completely beyond Minghe's expectations.
Di Jiang looked away and shook his head, his tone calm. "The Purple Heavens Palace? I have no interest in going."
"What?!"
Minghe could hardly believe his ears. Shock and disbelief filled the young man's face. "Fellow Daoist, you—you aren't going to listen to the Dao at the Purple Heavens Palace? A saint is giving the lecture—the first saint in the Primordial World! It may hold the key to becoming a saint!"
He simply couldn't understand how anyone could remain unmoved by a saint's Great Dao.
Di Jiang glanced at him. Knowing that this curious "young man of the Blood Sea" would keep asking unless he gave a reason, he thought for a moment. He didn't explain the system or the core secrets of his chosen Origin/Foundation. Instead, in a tone as if simply stating a fact, he said briefly and firmly:
"Hongjun is Hongjun, and I am Di Jiang. His Dao is not my Dao. I have my own path to walk. I have no need to go listen to his lecture."
His words were plain, yet carried absolute confidence and resolve!
Minghe: "..."
Minghe was completely stunned. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to respond. Looking into Di Jiang's calm eyes and sensing the unshakable conviction in his words, he felt as if a boulder had been thrown into his heart, raising storm waves!
"His Dao is different from a saint's? He has his own path? He doesn't need to listen?" The words echoed wildly in Minghe's mind.
What incredible confidence and pride! Faced with the opportunity to become a saint, Di Jiang had refused so casually simply because he believed in his own path!
Thinking of the terrifying strength Di Jiang had shown, the mysterious Pangu True Body, and the profound insight into the Laws he had casually given him, Minghe's heart began to pound against his will.
A thought took root and spread through his mind.
"Di Jiang and I are both descendants of Pangu, though his Origin/Foundation is purer and more orthodox than mine! If he dares to reject the path of the saints and believes in his own Dao, does that mean I, Minghe, must blindly follow the crowd and take that narrow bridge everyone is fighting over?"
"If he isn't going, then if I go, won't that make me look inferior to him? As if I think my Dao is beneath his?"
Defiance rising from the depths of his blood mingled with a young man's competitive spirit, churning in his chest like an undercurrent in the Blood Sea.
"In this life, I, Minghe, will be second to no one!"
In an instant, a resolute look flashed in Minghe's eyes. He suppressed his longing for the lecture at the Purple Heavens Palace and solemnly cupped his hands to Di Jiang, his voice firmer than ever:
"Your words have taught me, fellow Daoist! Since you aren't going, then I, Minghe, won't go to the Purple Heavens Palace either!"
He chose to trust Di Jiang's judgment, and to trust himself even more! He would follow his own Path of Laws, the path of the Blood Sea! He would never imitate others lightly—not even a saint!
Di Jiang raised his brows in mild surprise. Looking at the young Minghe, whose eyes burned with fighting spirit, he hadn't expected a single remark from him to make the boy give up listening to the Dao at the Purple Heavens Palace, a supposedly "standard plot point."
Di Jiang nodded casually and said nothing more than, "Suit yourself."
Then he paid Minghe no further attention. Turning back toward the boundless Blood Sea, he began drawing on its baleful energy, intending to continue mastering his newly formed Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens. To him, mastering this trump card mattered far more than listening to some saint's lecture.
Seeing that Di Jiang had nothing more to say, Minghe looked at his back, then toward Chaos. At last, he settled his mind completely, found a place at the edge of the Blood Sea, and sat cross-legged to consolidate his newly advanced cultivation!
At the edge of the Blood Sea, two figures stood in stark contrast to the countless streaks of light rushing toward the Purple Heavens Palace. One practiced an unparalleled formation amid baleful energy that surged like a flood, while the other quietly contemplated his own Great Dao.
Having successfully summoned the Pangu True Body and withstood the holy might, Di Jiang had proven that his path was viable. His mind grew clearer, and his thoughts became more active and far-reaching. Hongjun's attainment of sainthood—a landmark event—served as a spark, prompting him to think more deeply about the future course of the Primordial World.
"Hongjun has become a saint. Next will come the lecture at the Purple Heavens Palace, the granting of the saintly positions, and the rise of the Witch-Demon Tribulation Cycle..." Di Jiang's thoughts flashed like lightning, instantly settling on a crucial turning point—Reincarnation!
In the legends of his previous life, Reincarnation had been created when the Ancestral Witch Houtu, moved by the plight of the souls of the Primordial World's beings who had nowhere to go after death, transformed herself into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. This deed earned immeasurable merit, but also directly led to Houtu's "fall." It left the Twelve Ancestral Witches' Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens incomplete, making it a pivotal step in shaping the course of the Witch-Demon Tribulation Cycle.
"Now that I've devoured Houtu's source, she can no longer transform into Reincarnation. That means the duty of creating Reincarnation—and this immense merit and fortune—will fall to me first!"
The more Di Jiang thought about it, the more feasible and significant it seemed! The Six Paths of Reincarnation were an indispensable part of the Primordial World's operation, the foundation of rebirth and the cycle of cause and effect. Their importance was self-evident.
If he could take control of Reincarnation, he would not only gain an endless supply of immeasurable merit but also claim immense authority and fortune that could shape the very foundations of the Primordial World!
"And if I remember correctly, Reincarnation was established beneath this Blood Sea!"
Di Jiang's gaze swept over the dark-red waters churning beneath him, and everything suddenly became clear!
"Right. The Blood Sea is the surface manifestation of a place of extreme yin and filth. Deep below it lies the Netherworld, the dark side of the Primordial World! The Six Paths of Reincarnation are the bridge connecting the Netherworld to the Primordial World!"
He also understood why, in the original course of events, Houtu's transformation into Reincarnation had required giving Minghe authority over the Asura Path. It wasn't only because the Blood Sea was Minghe's territory. It was also because establishing Reincarnation necessarily required drawing on the power of the Blood Sea and the Netherworld. They needed the cooperation—or, at least, the acquiescence—of Minghe, the local power. Granting him a share of that authority was both the price and a necessity for stabilizing Reincarnation.
"Still, the reasons behind this probably aren't so simple." Di Jiang was meticulous in his thinking and began to analyze the matter more deeply. "Why was it specifically the Ancestral Witch Houtu? Was it only because she was compassionate? I doubt it."
A bold conjecture surfaced in his mind. The Primordial World had been created by Pangu. Perhaps only someone bearing Pangu's bloodline could perfectly draw upon the world's source and establish an authority as fundamental as Reincarnation!
The idea thrilled him! Perhaps Houtu hadn't acted entirely of her own free will. Without an understanding of the Reincarnation Law, she had been left with only the most brutal option: transforming into the Dao. By sacrificing her entire Ancestral Witch source and her life, she had forcibly connected with the will of the Primordial World and succeeded in creating Reincarnation.
But he was different! A brilliant light flashed in Di Jiang's eyes, filled with confidence.
Di Jiang possessed the Pangu bloodline of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and his source was far more abundant than that of any single Ancestral Witch! More importantly, he had a Primordial Spirit and could comprehend and cultivate Laws! He could master the Reincarnation Law first!
As long as he grasped the essence of the Reincarnation Law, then offered up part of Pangu's source as the catalyst and foundation, he would have a good chance of establishing Reincarnation at far less cost and by his own choice! He wouldn't have to sacrifice himself completely as Houtu had.
With that, a clear path unfolded before Di Jiang: Comprehend the Reincarnation Law. That was the prerequisite. He had the potential to master several Laws and a powerful Primordial Spirit. Though the Reincarnation Law would be difficult to comprehend, it wasn't impossible.
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