Chapter Twenty-Four: The Cycle of Rebirth is Established; Hou Tu Becomes a Sage

  Many of the immortals in Honghuang had heard rumors about the siege of Red Cloud by the Heavenly Court. After learning that Red Cloud was injured, they were all watching the Heavenly Court's every move. They didn't care about Red Cloud's life or death; what they really cared about was the fate of the Hongmeng Purple Energy bestowed by the Dao Ancestor after Red Cloud died. Later, news came from a small demon who participated in the siege that the Hongmeng Purple Energy had disappeared along with Red Cloud's self-destructed primordial spirit. This made all the immortals breathe a sigh of relief; if it had fallen into the Heavenly Court's hands, they would have had no chance at all given the Heavenly Court's current strength.

  Afterwards, the immortals thought about it and were overjoyed. Previously, they only paid attention to the Hongmeng Purple Energy matter, and everyone didn't notice that Red Cloud's death also meant that his sacred position was vacated, which means their opportunities increased by one? The immortals drew this conclusion and were overjoyed, and even had a good impression of Emperor Jun Tiandi who killed Red Cloud. This made Emperor Jun Tiandi, who was always angry about this matter, feel much better. Only Zhunti Yuanzi, who had a relatively good relationship with Red Cloud, was somewhat dissatisfied with the Heavenly Court's actions. However, Zhunti Yuanzi has always been cautious and didn't take any extreme actions, so the matter slowly passed.

  Penglai Island, Tongtian was suddenly looking towards the gate while refining treasures in the great hall. A moment later, Hou Tu walked in. Tongtian immediately struck out a few hand seals and stopped what he was doing because he saw that Hou Tu's cultivation had reached the point of cutting off the three corpses. He eagerly asked Hou Tu: "Sister, are you about to cut off your obsession?" After sitting down, Hou Tu slowly said:

  "Yes, in another hundred years, I can cut off the obsession. Unfortunately, little sister won't be able to wait until that time." There was a resolute tone in his voice.

  "What do you mean, sister? A hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye, and by then we can cut off our attachments. Can't you wait?" Tongtian found Houtu's words strange, but he didn't take them to heart and spoke jokingly. Houtu ignored Tongtian's teasing, her expression solemn and serious as she looked straight at him and said:

  "Little sister naturally also wants to cut off her obsession, but the countless living beings of Honghuang are all waiting for little sister. How can little sister ignore the life and death of the many living beings in Honghuang because of her own private affairs?" Tongtian was stunned as soon as he heard it, and after thinking about it, he understood that Houtu now knew the opportunity for her to become a saint, which was also her mission.

  Houtu looked at Tongtian's appearance and said quietly, "It seems that brother has already known it, why didn't you tell your little sister?" Tongtian remained silent.

  "Alas, brother, why must you be so stubborn? Even if I were to become a saint, I could still cut off my worldly attachments. But if I don't establish the cycle of reincarnation for even one day, who knows how many people will lose their souls and turn to dust? Can you bear to see that?" Tongtian Gang tried to persuade Houtu again, but now he couldn't say a word. Houtu was doing it all for the sake of the world's creatures, and he really couldn't think of any reason to refute him. Compared to Houtu's selflessness, he felt somewhat ashamed.

  "Since my sister has made up her mind, I will naturally support her with all my might." Tong Tian said seriously.

  "The countless lives in Xiaohong's desolate land have thanked you, brother." Hou Tu immediately paid his respects and said.

  "Alas, no need for formalities, sister. Let's set off now." Tongtian sighed and understood in his heart that beheading a corpse before becoming a saint and after becoming a saint were vastly different, but he really didn't know how to advise Houtu to wait another hundred years.

  Houtu saw Tongtian and responded hastily. The two of them walked out of the grand hall, rode on clouds and left Penglai Island, heading straight for the Blood Sea.

  In an instant, they arrived at the Blood Sea, and now the two of them were standing above the dark and gloomy Blood Sea, looking around at the countless vengeful spirits wailing and howling as they swarmed towards the Blood Sea like a hive. The sky was a vast expanse of darkness, cold and stern.

  Tongtian and Houtu looked at this scene, both feeling unwell in their hearts. Especially Houtu, seeing this strengthened her determination to create reincarnation. Tongtian looked at the vast bloody sea of the underworld and said to Houtu: "This bloody sea is a combination of Pangu's navel and the turbid air from the bottom of the earth, born with yin nature, most attracting these souls and some ghostly creatures. Sister can establish reincarnation here."

  Houtu listened intently, nodding slightly, gazing at the vast expanse before her, where countless wronged souls lingered, and a holy aura emanated from her body.

  As soon as Tongtian and Houtu arrived at the Blood Sea of Youming, the Minghe Dao people in the Blood Sea also responded, rushing out of the Blood Sea. Seeing Tongtian and Houtu, they didn't dare to be slow, saluting: "Minghe has seen Tongtian Saint, Houtu Daoyou, I don't know what important matter you two have come to this Youming Blood Sea?" Tongtian glanced at Minghe Dao people with a calm expression, but didn't respond, standing quietly on the side.

  "The Taoist friends are polite, and Hou Tu sees the vast wilderness of the earth constantly fighting, with billions of lives dying every day. He cannot bear it in his heart, thinking of establishing a place for the reincarnation of life on this bloody sea, so that after death, the people of Honghuang can be reborn again to cultivate the Great Tao." Hou Tu said to the River of the Underworld, with a face full of compassion and kindness.

  The River of the Underworld was furious in his heart: You built the cycle of reincarnation, so that many souls had a place to return to and a chance to be reborn. All the souls ran into your cycle of reincarnation, what can I use to create the Asura tribe? Won't my Asura tribe be cut off from its roots? Looking at Tongtian beside him, the River of the Underworld still held back and didn't erupt on the spot. Although he had gained a lot of merit after establishing his teachings and had been in seclusion for some time, cultivating himself to become an almost-saintly expert who had cut off two corpses, compared to a saint, he was still far behind. If he were to start a fight, he would definitely be finished.

  Then, Minghe Dao Ren suppressed his anger and said: "Fellow Taoist, do you want to cut off the lifeblood of my Asura tribe? If so, wouldn't my Asura tribe be exterminated?"

  Houtu was taken aback by the words and didn't understand, so she asked Menghe: "Fellow Taoist, why did you say this? When did I ever say that I wanted to cut off the roots of your Asura tribe?"

  "I, the Asura tribe, cannot produce offspring through yin and yang, so we can only rely on soul transformation to increase our numbers. Now, you want to establish a place for all living beings to return after death, which means my Asura tribe will no longer have new members born. Isn't this equivalent to cutting off the roots of my Asura tribe?" The Underworld River asked in a low voice, and if it weren't for Tongtian by his side, he would have already scolded him loudly and wouldn't be so polite.

  Houtu hesitated in her heart as soon as she heard it. Just as she was about to respond, Tongtian calmly said to Minghe Dao Ren: "Fellow daoist, don't worry, the cycle of reincarnation will naturally allow the Asura tribe to thrive and multiply through reincarnation, there's no need to fear extinction." Minghe Dao Ren was overjoyed when he heard this, so he didn't have to worry about the Asura tribe's prosperity anymore, and hurriedly asked:

  "What the Immortal of Tongtian says is true."

  "It's only natural, so you shouldn't have any objections either, right?" Tongtian said this not only to explain to Minghe Daoren, but also to make him leave.

  Minghe Daoist also understood Tongtian's intention to send him off, and after a moment of thought, his eyes shifted as he said to Houtu: "This move is indeed a great virtue, allowing the countless living beings in Hongyuan to gain a thread of life. I admire it greatly. However, I'd like to see how you plan to establish this reincarnation." Minghe Daoist had gained significant merit and understanding through several previous deeds, and this time he wanted to share some of that merit.

  Just as the River of Forgetfulness Daoist finished speaking, he felt a chill all over his body, and his entire Qi mechanism was instantly locked in place, unable to move even slightly. Knowing that his actions this time had caused Tongtian's displeasure, he also silently cursed himself for being greedy for merit but not caring about his own life, stuttering as he said:

  "I was just thinking... there are still some things I need to take care of in the Blood Sea, so I won't disturb you with this big matter." As soon as he finished speaking, he found that his body could move again. He immediately said: "In that case, I'll take my leave." Without another word, he flew into the Blood Sea and slipped away unnoticed.

  Houtu also knew that Minghe Dao people just wanted to share some merits, seeing him being inconsistent, thinking it might be Tongtian secretly driving them away, and didn't bother to care. Now she only wants to establish the theory. She turned around and looked at Tongtian, who nodded slightly to her. Houtu immediately revealed the Qingyun Sanhua, from which a person jumped down, who was actually Houtu's Shanshi.

  "Fellow Taoist, I must take my leave. Please take care of yourself in the future." The benevolent corpse said.

  "Your actions are for the sake of all living things, with boundless merit. I, a humble Daoist, offer my gratitude to you." Hou Tu said solemnly to Shan Shi. Shan Shi smiled slightly and did not respond.

  The primordial goddess Houtu gazed deeply at her own corpse, then raised her head to the sky and shouted: "Today, I, Houtu of the Pan Gu clan, am willing to transform my corpse into a cycle of reincarnation, seeking to resolve the suffering in the world. From now on, all living beings will not become immortal, but will enter this cycle of reincarnation. There are six paths: the Heavenly Path, the Asura Path, the Human Path, the Animal Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, and the Hell Path. Those who have great merit in their past lives can ascend to the Heavenly Path, roaming freely and at ease. Those who have committed murder and violence will enter the Asura Path. Those with no merit or achievements will enter the Human Path. Those whose evil deeds exceed their good deeds will enter the Animal Path. Those whose evil deeds are extremely great will enter the Hungry Ghost Path. And those who have committed unforgivable sins will enter the Hell Path." As soon as she finished speaking, Houtu's corpse flew into the sky, high above the Blood Sea, and emitted a surge of black energy that filled the entire sky. The black energy then transformed into six rotating disks, which merged with Houtu's corpse. Houtu shouted again: "Six Paths of Reincarnation, manifest!" The six disks spun rapidly, absorbing all the black energy, and then disappeared. Houtu's corpse also vanished into the universe. In an instant, the eighteen layers of Hell appeared in the land of Jiuyou.

  The dark energy dissipated, and the six paths of reincarnation had been completed. At this time, thunder rumbled above the nine heavens, and the sky began to condense boundless merits, which then descended and fell upon Hou Tu's body. Hou Tu's entire body was enveloped by the merits, with a canopy of clouds appearing on top, and three flowers blooming above it. Above that was a precious pagoda - the Tian Di Ling Guang Xuan Huang Pagoda (Qian Kun Ding Bei had taken it to refine treasures). Hou Tu's body continuously absorbed the merits, and the previously obscure Great Dao now became crystal clear. Hou Tu stood quietly, feeling the evolution of the Great Dao.

  This time, the merit is the greatest since Pangu opened up the sky. Hou Tu couldn't absorb it all, so she let the Tian Di Linglong Xuan Huang Pagoda absorb the excess merit. A moment later, a flash of light enveloped Hou Tu's body, and someone jumped down from the Celebratory Clouds - it was Hou Tu, who had used the merit to cut off her obsession. At this time, the evil corpse also revealed its true form, absorbing the merit together with Hou Tu. Both Hou Tu and the evil corpse were completely surrounded by golden light infused with purple energy, which was the foundation of the Great Dao, the Hongmeng Purple Energy bestowed by the Dao Ancestor. Tongtian saw that Hou Tu had cut off her obsession and smiled slightly, thinking that although it wasn't achieved through her own understanding and determination, it was still not bad.

  Suddenly, Hou Tu's body emitted a powerful aura, the mighty power of the Great Dao arrived, and countless golden flowers fell from the sky. In the vast wilderness, all living things involuntarily knelt down to worship, for Hou Tu had become a saint, and all creatures congratulated her.

  After Hou Tu became a saint, his merits were still not exhausted. It can be seen that the merits are numerous and unimaginable, even Tong Tian looks at them with envy. Hou Tu waved his hand to collect the remaining merits. At this time, Hou Tu's figure also fully appeared, only to see a wheel of merit as big as a dipper on top of his head, shining the entire Honghuang world.

  "Congratulations, sister, on achieving enlightenment and becoming a saint. From now on, you will be indestructible for countless kalpas, free from worries and disasters."

  Houtu also returned with a polite phrase: "Brother, why must you be so courteous? You and I are siblings who have both attained the Dao, we should rejoice together."

  Tongtian smiled and said, "Yes, it's only natural to be happy together, but brother is being too cautious." Tongtian continued, "Sister has always been worried about the Witch tribe. Now, this six-way reincarnation cycle is actually a place where the Witch tribe can take refuge. Sister can leave some of the Witch tribe here to manage the reincarnation cycle, and the Witch tribe will naturally avoid the disaster of extinction. Moreover, managing the reincarnation cycle also has merits that can be obtained, which can increase the Witch tribe's luck." Tongtian immediately offered a suggestion, thus resolving one of Houtu's worries. Now he didn't care whether it would disrupt the balance between witches and demons, knowing the true origin of cause and effect, he wasn't so concerned, everything has its own way to be resolved by heaven, no need for him to worry about it.

  Houtu heard this and was overjoyed, saying: "Brother's words are indeed correct, sister will now call the Wu tribe to send someone over."

  Then the Eleventh Ancestor Witch sent a message to Chi Lixian. In less than a moment, the Eleventh Ancestor Witch brought over ten million people from the witch tribe who had been selected. The Eleventh Ancestor Witch saw Hou Tu and naturally congratulated him, but only nodded at Tong Tian. Tong Tian helped the demon clan establish the Heavenly Court, and the Eleventh Ancestor Witch was also aware of this, so he didn't attack him with his fists, and naturally wouldn't give him a good face either. Tong Tian didn't mind this either. Hou Tu saw that the witches brought by the Eleventh Ancestor Witch were all people with great potential from various tribes, and was delighted. He looked at Tong Tian and asked: "Brother, how should we manage this reincarnation? Please advise."

  Tongtian thought for a moment and said, "The Wu tribe doesn't have a yuan Shen, so they must not be good at summoning souls. In the vast expanse of the Hong Huang, the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced tribes are the most honest and simple-minded. Their cultivation is also passable, so let them take charge of the small tasks in the underworld, such as summoning souls, judging officials, and ghost messengers. As for the ten temples of Yanluo and the position of Emperor Pingdeng, they require real power, regardless of whether they have a yuan Shen or not. Sister can choose a few great witches from among the 100,000 Wu tribe to take on these roles. The rest of the Wu tribe can be left to guard the wheel of reincarnation. How does that sound, sister?" The Eleventh Ancestor Wu was dissatisfied with Tongtian's suggestion to use demons, but she also knew the shortcomings of her own tribe not cultivating yuan Shen, so she didn't say anything else.

  Houtu listened to Tongtian's suggestion and immediately said, "Brother's words are indeed correct, let's do it this way." After finishing speaking, she selected several powerful witches from the witch tribe and appointed them as the Ten Halls of Yanluo and Pingdu Emperor. Then, she summoned the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced tribes from the Primordial Chaos to work in the underworld. The Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced tribes did not have any objections to this, as they were demonic tribes that had not participated in the Great Witch War and did not hold any prejudices against the witch tribe. Moreover, managing the affairs of the underworld would bring them merit, so they naturally would not refuse. Then, Houtu divided the 100,000 witches into five divisions, garrisoning the five directions.

  Everything was arranged and ready, and the underworld had already been built. At this time, the heavenly way once again bestowed merit, but this time it was much less, not even a third of what Hou Tu had obtained from the wheel of reincarnation. After the merit was bestowed, one-third went to Hou Tu, one-third went to Tong Tian, and the rest was divided between the Wu tribe and the Ox-Headed Horse-Faced tribes. Everyone was overjoyed, especially the Wu tribe, who had been constantly at war, but this time they obtained merit that could eliminate a lot of karma. Hou Tu was also extremely happy, as the Wu tribe's fortune would surely be prolonged after this event, and he had also resolved one of his heart's desires. Afterward, the several people chatted for a while before dispersing. The 11th ancestor of the Wu tribe returned to the Pangu Hall, while Tong Tian and Hou Tu also returned to the Penglai Island.

  The underworld was established, and all living beings had a place to reincarnate. The creatures of the vast wilderness were grateful for Hou Tu's kindness and revered her as 'Hou Tu Zhi Shan Niang Niang'.

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  (Here's the second update, a new week has arrived, everyone please continue to support me, Xiaocai will definitely keep working hard. Also, I'm thick-skinned and asking for votes from everyone, Xiaocai's collection is 2000 now, but the votes are still severely unbalanced! Everyone please pity Xiaocai ———— Requesting votes, requesting collection, requesting recommendation, requesting evaluation.)