Division of Interests, Great Emperor Fengdu

Time flies, and a thousand years have passed since the last Chaos War.

This thousand-year period was the most peaceful time in the Primordial Wilderness. All forces and Great Powers stayed in their own dojos. Even the struggle for humanity seemed to have been put on hold. Everyone stopped and waited for the changes in the Primordial Wilderness.

The main reason is that the impact of the Chaos War was too great. The Hun Yuan War made everyone realize that the landscape of the Primordial Wilderness had completely changed.

The one who rules the Primordial Wilderness is the Hunyuan Saint, the Heavenly Court, and Donghua!

The Chaos War made everyone realize that Donghua's strength was unparalleled in the Primordial Wilderness. Putting aside the tactics in the Chaos War, Donghua's strength alone was enough to make people tremble.

After all, even the best tactics require strength to execute; without sufficient strength, it's all just talk.

Donghua first defeated Taishang, then sealed Taishang, and finally fought Tongtian Yuanshi alone, breaking the Immortal Slaying Sword Array and sealing Yuanshi.

Even completing just one of these tasks would be astonishing, but Donghua accomplished them all.

It can be said that Donghua fought against the Three Pure Ones single-handedly and won this battle.

In the Netherworld, Donghua, Nuwa, and Houtu sat quietly in a grand hall. Houtu's shoulder injury had healed, but upon closer inspection, one could still detect the Zhunti power left behind by Zhunti.

But it makes sense. The injuries left by Saint cannot be healed in a mere thousand years. It would be quite remarkable if they could be healed at all, considering that this was Hun Yuan who wielded a unique Dao.

In the Primordial Wilderness, Zhunti was the undisputed authority on the Great Dao of Karma and Effect!

"Fellow Daoists, now that the matter of reincarnation has come to an end, I wonder what your plans are?"

In the main hall, Donghua spoke first, and his words went straight to the point: it's time to divide the spoils. Tell us your demands, and we'll discuss and arrange it.

Both of them were intelligent and immediately understood Donghua's implication.

Houtu seemed to be deep in thought and did not speak. Among the three, she was the weakest and had contributed the least; her only advantage was that she occupied the cycle of reincarnation.

Now it all depends on how big Donghua and Nuwa's appetites are—whether they'll completely seize the fruits of victory or leave some for themselves.

Nuwa pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Tell me your thoughts first. You are the greatest contributor to this battle. If your conditions aren't too unreasonable, I can accept them."

Nuwa made concessions, after all, the core figure of their alliance was Donghua, and now was not the time for internal conflicts to erupt. It was better for her to step back and see how Donghua would arrange things.

Seeing the two of them like this, Donghua was quite pleased. As long as their eating manners weren't too unsightly, everything would be fine.

Donghua then expressed his thoughts. "Alright, since you two fellow Daoists trust me, then my idea is to let Houtu Daoist Houtu take charge of the reincarnation authority so that she can break through to the Third Heaven as soon as possible."

Nuwa asked in confusion, "How many percent?"

"Fifty percent!"

"Too many!" Nuwa blurted out without even thinking.

"It's not that I'm stingy, but if the power of reincarnation is divided among the Three Pure Ones with 20%, we're left with only 80%. If 50% is given to Houtu, what's the point of all our hard work in this battle?"

Donghua explained, "Senior Sister, don't be anxious, let me finish. During the Chaos Battle, I discovered that Yuanshi and Tongtian are about to break through to the Third Heaven."

"However, this is quite normal. Reaching the Third Heaven means perfecting one's cultivation of the Great Dao. The Three Pure Ones enjoy the Pangu's Legacy, and the first Third Heaven cannot stop their progress. Only advancing from the third to the fourth level is the most crucial step, since they need to pave their own way!"

"But what follows is the most crucial battle of humanity. If all Three Pure Ones break through to the Third Heaven, and the three of them work together, our chances of winning are very slim."

"Therefore, the only way now is to let Houtu concentrate a large amount of reincarnation authority, absorb merit and fortune, and break through to the Third Heaven as soon as possible, so as to make up for our shortcomings."

As Donghua finished speaking, Nuwa's expression softened slightly, but a hint of resentment was still clearly visible.

"How about this, Senior Sister? Since Houtu has given 50% of the Houtu authority, there's still 30% left. I'll only take 10%, and you'll still get 20%. What do you say?"

Hearing Donghua say this, Nuwa glanced at Houtu, then carefully examined Donghua, sensing that there was something wrong with the two of them. Otherwise, could Donghua really be so selfless?

Don't underestimate this one-tenth of the reincarnation authority; the fortune it grants is immense, and most importantly, it allows you to control reincarnation.

Without the power of reincarnation, they are destined to have less say in the Primordial Wilderness.

Faced with Nuwa's questioning gaze, Donghua accepted it calmly.

On the contrary, Houtu on the opposite side stared intently at Donghua with her bright eyes.

At that moment, a warm current flowed through Houtu's heart; it was a long-lost feeling of tenderness.

Regardless of Donghua's motives, he was genuinely good to her.

He then said, "Since that's the case, I will accept this 50% of the reincarnation authority with shame. After I break through to the Third Heaven, I will return the remaining 10% to Donghua."

"As for the power over the underworld, I will only take one-tenth, and the rest can be divided among you. How about that?"

Houtu finished speaking, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; this outcome was perhaps something no one had anticipated.

Donghua was certain that at this moment, the Western Two Saints, the Three Pure Ones, and some other Great Powers from the Primordial Wilderness were all waiting for the three of them to fight over the unequal distribution of benefits.

But to everyone's disappointment, the three of them backed down and became increasingly deferential.

Donghua thought for a moment and said, "Senior Sister Nuwa, what do you think of the power in the Underworld?"

Nuwa said thoughtfully, "The Underworld is the visible institution that operates the underground passages and the cycle of reincarnation. I believe in the Great Dao and don't place much importance on the authority of the Underworld. I'll take 20% and leave 50% for you, my junior brother!"

The authority of the underworld has already been granted to the Three Pure Ones by two-tenths, so by the time it reaches Donghua, it is half, or fifty percent of the authority.

Donghua bowed to Nuwa and said, "Very well, I am grateful for your kindness, Senior Sister. It is you who have been wronged this time."

"However, the power of the Underworld is crucial to the Heavenly Court's rule over the Heaven, Earth, and Human Daos, and it is also crucial to my imperial path. Therefore, Donghua will not shirk his duty. In the future, if Senior Sister ever asks for my help, Donghua will certainly lend a hand!"

Of the three, Nuwa received the least, making her the one who suffered the most. However, compared to the original trajectory, it was already much better.

At this point, the matter can be considered completely concluded. What remains is the specific structure of the underworld and how it should operate.

However, Donghua didn't even consider this aspect; he would definitely follow the underworld structure from his Previous Life's trajectory.

That underworld structure was very sophisticated. The Great Emperor Fengdu, who was in charge of everything, was the supreme deity of the underworld and the ruler of hell.

The Emperor of Fengdu is in charge of the underworld and is the ancestor of all ghosts in the world. All living beings enter hell after death, and their souls are all under the jurisdiction of the Great Emperor Fengdu.

Below them are the Great Emperor Dongyue the Bodhisattva Dizang, as well as the Ten Direction Heavenly Venerates save from suffering, and below that are the Five Ghost Emperors, which is the highest level of the underworld.

Next are the Ten Kings of Hell who run the daily affairs of the underworld: King Qin Guang of the First Court, King Chu Jiang Second Court, King Song Di of the Third Court, King Wu Guan of the Fourth Court, King Yama King Bian Cheng of the Sixth Court, King Tai Mount Tai of the Eighth Court, King Ping Deng of the Ninth Court, and King Zhuan Lun of the Tenth Court.

The Ten Kings of Hell are primarily responsible for managing the judgment of humankind after death and arranging their reincarnation. Specifically, they control the Book of Life and Death, recording the good and evil deeds each person performed in their lifetime, imposing appropriate punishments or rewards based on the severity and urgency of their actions, and deciding where the soul goes.

Of course, the Book of Life and Death controlled by the Ten Kings of Hell is only a copy, that is, a derivative of the Human Book held by Houtu. The real Book of Life and Death is Houtu's most precious treasure, and she would never give it to the Ten Kings of Hell.

Moreover, the Human Book can erase the lives of beings below the Golden Immortal level at will, without any karmic consequences. This is the true, authentic treasure.

The Ten Kings of Hell can probably only eliminate those below the celestial realm, and even then, they can't just kill them indiscriminately.

Following the Ten Kings of Hell are the Six Officials of the Underworld, which can be specifically divided into the Three Departments, the Department of Reincarnation, the Department of Judges, and the Department of Underworld Affairs.

The Department of Reincarnation is the department overseen by Meng Po. In the original timeline, Meng Po was an incarnation of Houtu, holding an extraordinary position.

The judges are divided into four departments: the Department of Good, the Department of Evil, the Department of Investigation, and the Department of Law, which are also the busiest places in the underworld.

The Underworld Office, also known as the City God Office, is in charge of various regions.

Following the Six Chief Clerks are the Ten Underworld Marshals, one of whom is the Ghost King, who assists Yama in managing the Eighteen Levels of Hell, responsible for punishments and escorting prisoners. The others assist the Five Ghost Emperors in managing different regions of the underworld.

Secondly, there are the Day-Roaming Gods and the Night-Roaming Gods, who capture the wandering ghosts and spirits that linger in the human world. The Day-Roaming Gods patrol the human world during the day, while the Night-Roaming Gods patrol the human world at night.

The third are Black and White Impermanence, high-ranking deities under the Ten Kings of Hell. They not only share a position but also have a title: Soul Collectors. This name originates from their work; they are responsible for bringing the souls of the deceased back to the underworld, and are the most familiar to people.

Fourthly, there are the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guardians of the Ghost Gate Pass.

Fifthly, there are four Yin Generals: Bird Beak, Fish Gills, Wasp, and Leopard Tail. These four are responsible for managing the souls of animals, that is, unenlightened beings.

Therefore, Donghua University doesn't need to change anything at all; it can simply follow the established procedures step by step.

The only thing that needs to be changed is the strength of the underworld!

Now that the Witch Clan and the Heavenly Court have a large number of people, they can fill the Underworld and instantly get the entire Underworld running.

Let the world see what it means when the King of Hell decides you die at midnight and won't let you live until dawn.

What does it mean for a vengeful ghost to snatch a soul, or for the unpredictable force of death to claim a life?

After the important matters were settled, the atmosphere inside the main hall improved considerably and became much more relaxed.

Just then, Nuwa spoke up, saying, "In order to study the way of creation and life, I once subdued the Minotaur and the Horse-Face tribes, which were the two acquired races created by the Ancestor of Creation."

"Later I found it had no effect on me, but since I've already subdued them, I should give them a place to go. I wonder if you could arrange for them to be placed in the underworld, so they can earn some merit and good fortune?"

Donghua did not refuse Nuwa's suggestion, because she held 20% of the power in the underworld, and he had no reason to refuse her, either for the sake of justice or for personal reasons.

"Alright, then let these two clans guard the Ghost Gate Pass and protect the entrance to the Underworld. I can appoint their ancestors as Underworld Marshals, is that acceptable?"

Nuwa said softly, "Then thank you very much, Junior Brother. Unless something major happens in the Underworld, I will not get involved."

After finishing their conversation, the group began to discuss Daoist principles and chat, enjoying spiritual tea, wine Spirit Fruit.

At the summit of Mount Tai, Houtu and Donghua stood silently, gazing into the distance.

Now that the underground passage is complete, Mount Tai, the Netherworld, and the Blood Sea have been connected, forming a unique vast world, namely the Primordial Wilderness.

"You really gave birth to my child?" Donghua broke the silence and couldn't help but ask.

After he was pinned against the wall that day, Houtu revealed Houtu she had already given birth to his child, which was a fact and not the threat Xing Tian had made.

Houtu chuckled and said softly, "What, are you scared already?"

Donghua shook his head. There was nothing to be afraid of in this matter. The main thing was that he had calculated for a long time and had not found any offspring in the Primordial Wilderness, except for Xuan Ming and Xuan Qiong.

So he found it hard to believe, but he also felt that Houtu had no reason to lie to him, nor could she lie to him!

Houtu Donghua remained silent, Houtu also dropped her playful expression and calmly said, "At the time, I also hesitated about whether to let him be born. In the end, I chose to give up and did not let him be born."

"But when I understood my mission, I ultimately chose to give birth to him. I didn't want to die like this; I wanted to leave something behind for this Primordial Wilderness. I wanted him to inherit my Dao and continue it!"

Donghua paused for a moment, then asked, "Where is he now? Boy or girl? Why can't I sense his presence?"

Houtu said, "It's a boy. He's not in the Primordial Wilderness. I know you would know about this if you were Primordial Wilderness, but I wasn't ready for you to recognize each other."

"So I created a small world in the chaos, and then gave birth to him, and never brought him to the Primordial World."

Donghua fell silent upon hearing this. He didn't know what to say, and while he wanted to beat Houtu up, he felt it was unnecessary.

But he must acknowledge this child!

How could he not acknowledge Donghua's son?

And to be honest, he needed this child just in case, because he had no one in mind for the position of Great Emperor Fengdu, and he would raise this child to be a qualified emperor and become the ruler of the underworld.

"Take me to him!"

The two leaped into the air and instantly arrived at the primordial chaos beyond the heavens.

Before long, a world appeared in front of Donghua. The world was red and yellow, and its outer perimeter was surrounded by a large array.

Upon closer inspection, Donghua realized that the formation was a weakened version of the Twelve Heavenly Capitals, powered by twelve blood-red banners absorbing Chaos Qi, while simultaneously isolating all other forces—something even Donghua hadn't anticipated.

"Did you set up this formation?"

Houtu said, "Yes, according to the arrangement of the Twelve Heavenly Capitals, after my brothers perished, they left me the twelve great banners."

When Dijiang and the others were mentioned, Donghua didn't say anything, but instead stepped into the small world.