As soon as the idea of establishing Reincarnation arose, it quickly took root in Di Jiang's heart, growing into a flourishing tree. He didn't blindly follow the course of events from his past-life memories. Instead, he immediately began considering how to maximize the benefits of this opportunity and avoid any potential risks.
Establishing Reincarnation atop the Blood Sea would certainly be the path of least resistance, but it would also mean that Reincarnation's workings could never entirely escape Minghe and the Blood Sea's influence.
Even as its founder, Minghe could claim a considerable share of its fortune by relying on his home-ground advantage and that authority. He might even be able to interfere in certain matters. Di Jiang mused to himself. He didn't want a neighbor constantly sticking his nose into the foundation he'd worked so hard to establish.
Di Jiang turned his gaze toward the towering mountain in the distance, the foundation that pierced the heavens and earth—Mount Buzhou!
Mount Buzhou had been formed from Pangu's spine. It was the central pillar of the Primordial World, imbued with supreme authority and the power to suppress all things. If he could establish Reincarnation beneath Mount Buzhou, with the Thirty-Three Heavens Realm above and the Nine Netherworlds Reincarnation below, what an imposing arrangement that would be!
At the thought of that scene, Di Jiang's heart burned with excitement. Mount Buzhou would become the true pillar that held up the heavens and bridged the seas of the Primordial World! It could connect the Three Realms!
And as the master of Mount Buzhou and the founder of Reincarnation, he would hold this crucial authority entirely and independently. The fortune and merit he gained would be even greater and purer!
"As for the Netherworld..."
Di Jiang's thoughts turned to the key point. The Netherworld was indeed hidden beneath the Blood Sea, but it wasn't immovable. The Blood Sea was more like a layer of filth covering the entrance to the Netherworld.
Di Jiang wielded the Space Law. If he could find the spatial node connecting the Netherworld to the Primordial World, he could move the entire realm—or at least the entrance to the Reincarnation passage—beneath Mount Buzhou!
It was a bold plan! But after carefully thinking it through, Di Jiang felt it was highly feasible. The Netherworld had yet to emerge and had no master. Its spatial structure was relatively unstable, making this the perfect time to act.
Of course, one unavoidable factor was Minghe. The Blood Sea was Minghe's lair, and the entrance to the Netherworld was hidden within it. There was no way to investigate below or shift space without Minghe noticing.
Forcing his way in would create enmity. That didn't suit Di Jiang's way of doing things, nor did it align with his belief in protecting the Primordial World and avoiding unnecessary entanglements of cause and effect.
The system is gone, so I have to be more careful. I can't leave any obvious loose ends in cause and effect. Di Jiang understood that. Still, if he handled things properly, he could even build goodwill with Minghe and resolve this potential entanglement.
He looked toward Minghe, who was nearby, eyes closed as he consolidated his cultivation. A meaningful smile tugged at Di Jiang's lips. Minghe didn't know that in the future he might have gained a share of Reincarnation's authority through his home-ground advantage. That "future loss" did not exist in the present.
So Di Jiang had no need to compensate him for it. All he had to do was make a fair deal with Minghe for permission to use the route through the Blood Sea to the Netherworld.
Having made up his mind, Di Jiang walked over to Minghe, ready to secure his ticket into the Netherworld. He still didn't mention Reincarnation, though, choosing a vaguer and more palatable explanation instead.
"Fellow Daoist Minghe!" Di Jiang called out.
"I've sensed that something beneath your Blood Sea may be connected to me by fate. I'd like to investigate more closely, and will need to pass through your domain."
Di Jiang paused, then put forward his initial offer.
"In return, you may freely visit Mount Buzhou and be my guest at Pangu Divine Hall in the future. We can visit each other's domains. That seems fair, doesn't it?"
In Di Jiang's view, Mount Buzhou was one of the finest paradises in the Primordial World. Permission for Minghe to come and go freely, along with access to Pangu Divine Hall, ought to be enough to make up for the disturbance of investigating the depths of the Blood Sea.
But at his words, Minghe's crimson eyes flickered slightly, and a thoughtful look crossed his handsome face. He didn't agree right away. He was astute enough to immediately sense that the deal was uneven.
What was the Blood Sea? It was his home, his foundation, and the greatest guarantee behind the saying, "As long as the Blood Sea endures, Minghe will never die!" Letting a formidable, unfathomable powerhouse like Di Jiang into its depths was nearly the same as throwing open the doors to his innermost vault and letting someone wander around. Though he trusted Di Jiang's character, it was still a risk—one that placed his life in another's hands.
Permission to enter Mount Buzhou was certainly precious, but it was someone else's home. However beautiful the scenery, he would still be a guest. And since he was weaker than Di Jiang, it could never compare to the safety of his own lair.
"Fellow Daoist Di Jiang," Minghe said respectfully, carefully choosing his words.
"The Blood Sea is the foundation of my existence, and my life depends on it. If you wish to investigate its depths, I should of course make things convenient for you. But the value of access to Mount Buzhou and the importance of the Blood Sea's foundation seem a little...uneven."
Minghe didn't refuse outright, but his meaning was clear: You'll have to sweeten the deal!
From Minghe's perspective, the offer did seem a little like getting something for nothing. Permission to enter Mount Buzhou would be a welcome bonus, but opening the depths of the Blood Sea to Di Jiang involved a real risk.
"I didn't consider the matter carefully enough."
Di Jiang readily admitted it. After a moment's thought, he remembered the gourd treasures on Mount Buzhou that had yet to mature, along with the other treasures he might find in the future. He immediately felt more confident.
"Then I'll add another bargaining chip. Besides permission to enter Mount Buzhou, I'll give you an Innate Spiritual Treasure of at least high grade. How does that sound?"
An Innate Spiritual Treasure of at least high grade!
Even in the Primordial World of this era, it was a precious treasure that could make Golden Immortals fight tooth and nail over it! Minghe already had Yuantu, Abi, and the Karma Fire Red Lotus, but who ever complained about having too many treasures? A spiritual treasure of this grade would be excellent, whether he used it himself or bestowed it upon future disciples.
Minghe carefully sensed the depths of the Blood Sea once more, confirming that there was no opportunity there that tugged at his heart and belonged to him alone. Of course, he couldn't sense one, because the opportunity was Reincarnation, which didn't belong to him in the first place. His scales tipped immediately.
He would be trading an opportunity he couldn't use—and didn't even know the location of—for permission to enter Mount Buzhou and Pangu Divine Hall at will, plus a genuine high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!
It was an incredible bargain! Minghe's face brightened at once, and he hurriedly clasped his hands in salute with a radiant smile. "You're too kind, Daoist. Since you've sensed an opportunity connected to you by fate, how could I possibly stand in your way? Investigate to your heart's content! There'll be no obstruction in the Blood Sea! And as for the spiritual treasure, I'll accept it without hesitation!"
Minghe agreed readily, afraid that Di Jiang might change his mind. Seeing him agree, Di Jiang nodded as well. In his view, trading a future gourd treasure for the chance to enter the Netherworld without trouble—and settling this entanglement of cause and effect—was well worth it.
"Good. In that case, I'll be on my way. As for the spiritual treasure, I'll give it to you when you visit Pangu Divine Hall in the future!"
With the deal settled, Di Jiang didn't delay. He didn't have any spare spiritual treasures to give Minghe right now, so his form blurred and transformed into an invisible ripple of space. He pierced through layer upon layer of bloody waves and sped toward the hidden entrance to the Netherworld in the deepest part of the Blood Sea.
Watching the place where Di Jiang had vanished, Minghe stroked his chin, his crimson eyes full of anticipation. "An Innate Spiritual Treasure of at least high grade... I wonder what kind of treasure it'll be. Given Di Jiang's generosity, it might even be a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. I've really made a killing this time!"
Minghe savored the thought, completely unaware of what he had missed. He simply felt that making this deal had been a brilliant decision.
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