The Opening of Samsara

The Primordial World.

Everywhere brimmed with flourishing life.

A pure white tiger, its fur without the slightest blemish, carried a young man through the clouds between the mountains.

"Master, do we have a destination for this journey?"

"No."

"Oh, alright."

The tiger nodded and continued onward.

As they walked, a blood-red hue spread from the horizon.

"Houtu, though your Witch Clan defeated the Demon Race and seized the heavens and earth of the Primordial World, the Blood Sea is my territory. If you leave now, I can let bygones be bygones!"

An enraged voice thundered across heaven and earth.

Those very words happened to reach the young man riding the White Tiger.

The White Tiger nodded slightly. "Master, it's Lady Houtu. Shall we go take a look?"

The young man nodded. "Let's take a look."

"Alright!"

A glint of gossip lit the White Tiger's eyes. Clouds rose beneath his paws as he flew toward the blood-red horizon.

There was drama to watch!

Minghe, dressed in a blood-red robe and wearing a grim expression, held Yuan Tu and Abi in his hands. His scarlet eyes burned with anger as he faced Houtu.

"I will compensate you afterward. Ask for whatever you want."

Seeing Minghe's fury, Houtu found the matter rather troublesome as well.

Her ten-thousand-year journey through the Primordial World had indeed allowed her to find an opportunity to attain the Dao. The only problem was that this opportunity lay within the Blood Sea.

The Blood Sea had formed from Pangu's navel. It carried the blood of countless Gods and Devils, as well as the blood of those Gods and Devils who had fallen in battle over the years, all of which had flowed into it.

Minghe had been born from the Blood Sea. After managing it for so many years, he had long regarded it as his private possession. If it had been any other great power, even if she could not persuade them, she could have summoned her elder brothers and sisters to reason with them. But Minghe was different. His own strength was formidable; he stood among the very strongest great powers beneath the Sages. Most troublesome of all, he possessed a Divine Ability called Blood Godlings.

He had refined four hundred and eighty million Blood Godlings. Every one of them was his incarnation, deeply bound to the Blood Sea. So long as even a single drop of Blood Sea water remained, he would be undying and indestructible.

Her place of attaining the Dao was in the Blood Sea, yet the Blood Sea was Minghe's territory. Without Minghe's permission, even entering the Blood Sea had become a problem for her.

Minghe felt much the same as Houtu. The Blood Sea was the foundation of his existence, so naturally he could not possibly surrender it. If it had been any other great power, he would not have wasted so many words. He would have simply cleaved them with his sword and let them taste the sharpness of Yuan Tu and Abi.

But Houtu stood before him, and he did not dare swing his sword. After all, the Twelve Ancestral Witches were reckless brutes with muscles for brains. They looked lightly upon life and death; if they refused to submit, they fought. Though he had the Blood Sea as his foundation and could not die, he had no desire to be beaten endlessly.

The sight of Pangu Phantom brutally thrashing Zhunti back then was still vivid in his mind.

Thus, the two remained locked in a stalemate.

Until...

"Lu Chen, why are you here?"

Sensing a familiar aura approaching, Houtu turned around, surprise flashing across her face.

"I had nothing to do, so I came down the mountain for a walk. Before I knew it, I had wandered near the Blood Sea. I happened to hear you confronting Fellow Daoist Minghe again, so I came to take a look."

"Fellow Daoist Minghe?"

Hearing how Lu Chen addressed him, Minghe's brow furrowed slightly. His scarlet eyes fixed tightly upon Lu Chen, killing intent flickering within them.

"Has Sage Tongtian never taught you the difference between superior and inferior?"

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, you and my master were both guests of Zixiao Palace in those days. Yet my master has now become a Sage. Though my cultivation is temporarily beneath yours, I am still on the same level as you. Tell me, can I call you Fellow Daoist, or can I not?"

Lu Chen stepped down from Bai Geng's back, took a step forward, and released a trace of Primordial Origin Golden Immortal aura.

Feeling the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal aura radiating from Lu Chen, Minghe's gaze shook violently.

Though Lu Chen's aura was faint and immature, it was unmistakably the aura of a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal, not the Quasi-Saint aura attained by severing the three corpses!

"In those years, Fellow Daoist Tongtian had trapped himself at Great Luo for many years. Then, with a single moment of enlightenment, he comprehended the Sword Dao and entered the realm of Primordial Origin Golden Immortal. I never expected that today, his disciple would also walk the path of Primordial Unity."

Minghe's face was full of emotion, and he was no longer so resistant to Lu Chen calling him Fellow Daoist.

After all, Primordial Origin Golden Immortals and Quasi-Saints belonged to the same level.

The Primordial World did not look at seniority, only cultivation.

The higher your cultivation, the more senior you were.

"What have you come here for?"

Minghe looked at Lu Chen with a trace of wariness in his eyes.

Lu Chen alone did not concern him. Even with Houtu added, he still was not afraid. After all, he had founded a sect and created the Asura; his realm had already reached the peak of Quasi-Saint, unable to advance any further. One more step would mean attaining the Dao and becoming a Sage.

What he feared was the Witch Clan and the Sword Sage Tongtian behind Lu Chen. One was the Primordial World's sole Tyrant Race; the other was the first in the Primordial World to prove the Dao through Primordial Unity.

"Houtu, why did you clash with Minghe?"

Lu Chen sent a voice transmission to Houtu.

He knew what the conflict between Houtu and Minghe was about, but knowing was one thing—he certainly could not say it outright.

"I realized that my opportunity to attain the Dao lies in the Blood Sea. But to attain the Dao, I need to draw upon a portion of the Blood Sea... I discussed it with Minghe, but he was unwilling."

Houtu helplessly explained the entire sequence of events.

She had always held a measure of trust and gratitude toward Lu Chen. Without him, she would never have seen through the greater currents of the Primordial World, nor discovered the foul dealings of the Heavenly Dao and the Sages.

"I see..."

After hearing her out, Lu Chen raised a hand to stroke his chin, pretending to ponder.

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, I believe there is a way for both sides to benefit."

Minghe paused, suspicion appearing in his eyes. He lowered Yuan Tu and Abi. "A way for both sides to benefit? Let's hear it."

"You can stop her from attaining the Dao for a time, but you cannot stop her forever. Once Dijiang and the others learn of this, do you believe that, with their temperaments, they will block your doorstep and beat you senseless? Even if the Blood Sea supports you and makes you undying and indestructible, you do not want to keep getting beaten, do you?"

"Besides, by helping Houtu attain the Dao, as the Lord of the Blood Sea, you will have the merit of aiding her Dao. And if she wishes to attain the Dao, she will surely need to establish great Merit. You will sacrifice a portion of the Blood Sea, and when Merit descends, you will certainly receive a share. Your strength is now only one step away from the threshold. Perhaps that Merit will help you push open the gate."

Lu Chen laid out the gains and losses.

After hearing Lu Chen's words, Minghe had to admit that he was somewhat tempted.

"I can help you, but when the time comes, I must not receive any less of the benefits."

Minghe looked at Houtu and spoke in a deep voice.

"Of course."

Houtu nodded.

"Then follow me."

Minghe turned around and cleared the path to the Blood Sea.

"Thank you."

Houtu turned her head toward Lu Chen and thanked him.

"No need to thank me."

Lu Chen smiled and shook his head.

The creation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation would benefit the entire Primordial World.

Lu Chen and Houtu followed Minghe into the Blood Sea.

Within the Blood Sea, resentment and Killing Intent combined to form Yin Baleful Energy. It permeated the entire Blood Sea. Anyone who remained there for long would have their Primordial Spirit tainted by it; even great powers could not avoid it.

Lu Chen cultivated the Devouring Path. Any Yin Baleful Energy that entered his Primordial Spirit was swallowed entirely.

Houtu possessed no Primordial Spirit by nature, so she was naturally unafraid of Yin Baleful Energy.

"So, opening Samsara is my Dao?"

After entering the Blood Sea, Houtu's realization grew ever deeper.