Volume One: The Calamity of the Lich Chapter 137: Birth of Equanimity, Emergence of the Netherworld

That’s right—Houtu transformed herself into the embodiment of reincarnation, thus fully comprehending the ultimate truth of the Dao of Reincarnation and attaining the rank of Hunyuan Daoluo Golden Immortal. In so doing, she became the sovereign of the Earthly Dao. Though her personal strength was that of a third-tier Hunyuan Daoluo Golden Immortal, within the wilderness she could call upon the power of the Earthly Dao, displaying strength that surpassed even that of a Hunyuan Daoluo Golden Immortal.

At that moment, within the Sea of Blood, the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk burst forth with immense might, radiating multicolored light. The Wheel of the Earthly Dao simultaneously connected to the source space and linked itself to the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. Deep in the Earthly Dao’s domain, Houtu’s heart stirred; drawing upon the profound power of the Earthly Dao, she conjured a manifestation of herself. This avatar was distinctly different from Qingxuan’s, yet not without similarities. It appeared, still insubstantial, then vanished in an instant.

Simultaneously, both Qingxuan and Minghe saw a figure step directly out of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. In the next moment, countless streams of merit cascaded down from the heavens, pouring into this figure’s body, pushing her cultivation swiftly to the late stage of Hunyuan Daoluo Golden Immortal. The power of the Law of Reincarnation surged from her.

"With the emergence of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, there shall be three paths of virtue: the Celestial Path, the Asura Path, and the Human Path; and three paths of suffering: the Hell Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, and the Animal Path.

"From this day forward, with the manifestation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Houtu is no longer of the Wu Tribe; henceforth, I am known only as Pingxin. No longer shall I bear the name Houtu of the Wu Tribe. From this day forth, Pingxin shall guard the Six Paths of Reincarnation—unless great calamity befalls the world, I will not leave this domain. Let the Great Dao and the Earthly Dao bear witness!"

Then, more streams of merit descended, most of which fell into the Sea of Blood, expanding it further. The remainder went to Minghe and the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. Only after this did the Eye of the Great Dao and the Wheel of the Earthly Dao fade away.

At this moment, countless mighty beings and myriad living creatures across the wilderness sensed Pingxin's boundless compassion and all turned to bow in gratitude toward the Sea of Blood.

"Thank you, Merciful Lady Pingxin!"

…

Even in the Zixiao Palace, all who had been listening to Hongjun’s teachings—the Three Pure Ones and the others—rose to their feet and saluted toward the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Sea of Blood.

Within the Sea of Blood, Lady Pingxin first concealed the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, then turned her gaze upon Minghe. Feeling the immense pressure from Pingxin, Minghe was about to offer the wheel of merit he had condensed, when Pingxin spoke first:

"Now that the Six Paths have emerged, there must be lords for each path. I, Pingxin, as the master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, hereby appoint Minghe of the Sea of Blood as the Lord of the Asura Path. You may draw upon the power of that path through the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

As Pingxin’s words fell, a golden light appeared above Minghe’s head, shining but not yet descending. Minghe understood and spoke:

"Minghe thanks Lady Pingxin for her compassion!"

Once he finished, the golden light fell upon Minghe, merging into his primordial spirit. Only then did Minghe realize this was the Dao Seal of the Lord of the Six Paths. With this seal, he could harness the power of the Asura Path and, with effort, wield the strength of an early-stage Sage.

Pingxin then turned away, and with the power of a late-stage Sage, she directly opened up the Nine Netherworlds. As the Netherworld was established, the source space of the Earthly Dao rapidly expanded, and the power of the Earthly Dao enveloping Houtu grew even stronger.

At that moment, the newly formed Nine Netherworlds were still barren. Pingxin went straight to the center of the Netherworld, Mount Yin, and recited a heavenly decree:

"With the birth of the Nine Netherworlds, the treasures of the Netherworld must also emerge!"

Immediately, a pen and a resplendent record book coalesced in midair above the Netherworld. These were the Book of Humanity from the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, now transformed into the Pen of Eternal Reincarnation and the Book of Life and Death, which records the fate of all living things in the wilderness. Both were supreme innate spiritual treasures, able to anchor the fortune of the Nine Netherworlds.

Pingxin gazed at this gray and desolate realm, devoid of even a glimmer of light. The Six Paths of Reincarnation appeared within the Netherworld. Then, a white light flew from Pingxin, transforming into an old woman who took her place before the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Surveying her surroundings, the old woman waved her hand, and a pavilion appeared, complete with a great cauldron for brewing the soup of forgetfulness.

Watching from the Sea of Blood, Qingxuan stepped forward, and from him emerged a youth clad in black robes, exuding an air of dominance.

"This Lord Huangquan greets the true self. I take my leave!"

After saluting Qingxuan, the youth—none other than Lord Huangquan—vanished. In the next instant, he appeared within the Nine Netherworlds. Pointing at the realm, he summoned forth countless streams of pitch-black, heavy water, which gathered into a long, black river stretching all the way to the Sea of Blood.

Lord Huangquan declared to the black river, "Since it is formed by me, let it be named the River of Yellow Springs! There is water, there is a river, but something is missing—otherwise, it would be too bland!"

He then conjured countless seeds from his hand and, with a wave, scattered them. The seeds took root instantly, spreading along both banks of the river. In moments, they matured and blossomed into countless flowers. Looking out, one saw both banks covered in flowers as red as fresh blood.

"These are the Flowers of the Other Shore of Reincarnation. Their fragrance can captivate souls, induce illusions, and make one forget all troubles and sorrows. Thus, this place shall be called the River of Forgetfulness—by its banks bloom the flowers of the Other Shore, whose scent guides souls home!"

Thus, the River of Forgetfulness was complete, beginning at the Sea of Blood, ending at the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and leading straight to Meng Po’s Bridge of Helplessness.

At this moment, Meng Po, Pingxin’s avatar, had just finished constructing the pavilion for brewing the soup of forgetfulness. Seeing the River of Forgetfulness flow by, she waved her hand, conjuring a bridge that linked the pavilion to the far bank.

The Bridge of Helplessness had finally appeared. Lord Huangquan, having completed his work, did not intervene further. That which was to be perfected would fall to one destined by fate—it was not yet time for their emergence. For now, the soul-guiding flowers and the soul-crossing River of Forgetfulness were complete.

The basic framework of the Six Paths of Reincarnation had taken shape; the souls of the dead finally had a home to return to.

Lord Huangquan then approached Minghe:

"The Asura Tribe has only just come into being, and the Six Paths of Reincarnation are still far from perfect. The souls of the wilderness cannot linger long in the Sea of Blood, so let them assist in the operation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation for now."

Hearing this, Minghe hesitated.

"Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. In the future, there will be others to manage the Six Paths of Reincarnation. For now, with all things new and lacking personnel, their help is needed. Besides, this is a matter of great merit—do it well, and the Asura Sect will have its share of merit."

Reassured by Huangquan’s words, Minghe agreed without further protest.

Thus, the matter of reincarnation was provisionally accomplished!

"As for the rest, that can be left for future planning."

With that, Qingxuan ceased paying attention to the Six Paths of Reincarnation and turned his gaze to Pingxin.

But in that instant, Qingxuan’s expression changed dramatically. Just as he tried to discern what was happening, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.