Under One Person: I Opened the Age of Mythology

Chapter 596

Nezha clenched his fist, and the red lotus mark on his palm shone brightly. The projected images of mineral veins and springs became clearer and more vivid. The sense of power that connects people with the earth and interacts with it instantly dispelled the heavy gloom brought by Ao Guang's words.

The Dragon King stared blankly at the solemn faces of the miners and the devout eyes of the old woman in the projection. The worry in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep contemplation and a trace of indescribable emotion.

Just then, on the jade tablet in the star official's hand, a star representing the changing agenda suddenly shone brightly, instantly overshadowing the other agenda items.

With a flick of his finger, the star official projected the dazzling starlight onto the starry dome, and the scene rapidly changed and magnified—it was none other than the main hall of the "Mingfa Academy" established by Yang Jian in the Southern Continent of the mortal realm!
The hall was solemn and dignified, with the suspended silver scales emitting a cool glow.

At this moment, the hundreds of listeners below the hall—including great Confucian scholars, cultivators from various sects, and demon leaders with their demonic aura concealed—all held their breath and focused their attention on the scene.

A figure over ten feet tall, resembling a black iron tower, suddenly knelt down on the ground!
It was none other than the infamous Bear King, who had entrenched himself in Black Wind Ridge for many years!

His massive body trembled violently with excitement, his bulging muscles bulged, the veins on his forehead throbbed like earthworms, his eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down his face.

He slammed his head against the ground with a dull thud, his hoarse voice like the howl of a wounded beast.
"Master Yang! Master Mingfa! The bear is here!!!"

"After three days of lectures, every word was like thunder, shaking my very soul! I was in a daze before, my mind clouded by greed and malice! Below Black Wind Ridge, within a radius of hundreds of miles, there are seven human villages! Seven of them!"

He pounded his massive fist against his chest with a dull thud, as pain and regret nearly tore him apart.

"To seize the blood-sucking elixir, I... I regard human life as worthless! Women, children, the elderly, and the weak all become my food! Blood debts are countless, corpses pile up like mountains! My sins are heinous, a hundred deaths cannot atone for them! I... how am I any different from those ignorant, man-eating beasts in the mountains?!"

He abruptly raised his head, his face a mixture of tears and dust. The fierce rage in his eyes had been replaced by endless pain and a faint yet incredibly clear plea for release: "I beg you, Master! I beg you, True Lord! Enlighten the law and lead me into the Netherworld! Through mountains of knives and seas of fire, through boiling oil and being skinned alive, through countless cuts, I, the bear, will endure all the suffering! I only ask that with this crippled body, with this filthy demon soul, I atone for my past debts! I cleanse my sins! I beg for... peace of mind! I beg for... a chance to repay this debt in the next life as a cow or a horse!"

That mournful and desperate roar pierced through the barriers of space and echoed within the silent Qitian Palace.

All the gods and immortals held their breath, watching the once ferocious demon king in the projection, now as humble as dust, painfully repenting under the light of law and justice.

This is more impactful than any supernatural or magical method.

Yang Jian's calm voice echoed in the hall, carrying the unique insight and majesty of the Scales of the Heart, as if responding to the projected bear: "To turn back from the wrong path is the greatest virtue. Under the Scales of the Heart, sins are as clear as a mirror, and a path to redemption is also revealed."

Since you have such heart-wrenching remorse, I will grant your wish and give you the opportunity to confront your sins and repent.

As he finished speaking, the suspended silver scales in the projection suddenly shone brightly, and a talisman wrapped in pure silver light flew out from the center of the scales, as fast as lightning, and accurately entered the bear's massive body. The bear's huge body was instantly completely enveloped by a soft yet irresistible silver light, like a giant cocoon of light.

The cocoon of light flashed suddenly, leaving the spot empty. The heavy demonic body had been directly teleported to the judgment platform of the Netherworld.

The images faded, but no one spoke for a long time in the hall.

The stars in the starry dome slowly rotated, silently recording this soul-stirring redemption.

"Amitabha!"

An aged Buddhist chant broke the silence.

The Old Man of the South Pole, leaning on his dragon-carved staff, his long, snow-white eyebrows furrowed, looked at Yang Jian with deep concern: "The True Lord's scales of conscience clearly distinguish good from evil, which I admire greatly. However... if all such heinous demons are exempted from punishment and allowed to enter the cycle of reincarnation simply by showing repentance, wouldn't that give the wicked a false sense of security? If this continues, where will the authority of the law be? If some wicked people imitate this fiend, feigning remorse while actually seeking to avoid disaster, will the True Lord's scales of conscience be able to discern their falsehoods?"

His questioning reflects the hidden worries of a considerable number of immortals and gods.

The silver light of the Scales of the Heart pattern on Yang Jian's forehead flowed, his expression remaining calm and undisturbed. His voice clearly resounded throughout the hall: "The Immortal Elder's concerns are extremely valid. The judgment of the Scales of the Heart is not based on words, but on the true nature of one's soul. A heart that repents, whether genuine or false, can be as heavy as a thousand pounds or as light as a feather. Under the Scales of the Heart, every detail is revealed, leaving no room for escape. The weeping of a bear, piercing the soul, stems from the revival of conscience, causing even the very source of demons to tremble. This is true repentance, which can elicit a response from the Scales of the Heart, granting it a glimmer of hope. If one is a cunning and deceitful person, their thoughts will inevitably be fractured, their soul impure. The Scales of the Heart will warn them, not only without pardon but also by increasing their sins, imprisoning them forever in the deepest part of the Netherworld's Cold Prison, where they will suffer the agony of the backlash of falsehoods and lies! This is not a gate of luck, but a furnace for refining the heart, a prison for cleansing the soul."

His gaze swept over the immortals in the hall: "The majesty of the law lies not in its cruelty, but in its necessity, its clear discernment, and in providing a path to reform for those who sincerely repent. Only then can the order of the Three Realms flow like the starry sky, combining strength and gentleness, and endlessly renewing itself."

"What a perfect blend of strength and gentleness, a continuous source of vitality!"

A clear, melodious female voice, tinged with a hint of annoyance, rang out.

The fairy Yingluo gracefully stepped out from the ranks of immortals, holding a vibrant yet slightly wilted seven-colored lingzhi mushroom in her hand, pointing to a lush, aquatic landscape in the projection—the Bibo Pool.

"May I ask, Great Sage, True Lord! Harmony and coexistence among the Three Realms is the natural order. However, resources are limited, and territories are bounded! My Hundred Flowers Division's Immortal Flower and Spiritual Herb Garden is the foundation for nourishing the pure energy of the Star Curtain. Now, in the eastern region of the Southern Continent of the mortal realm, the human race is recuperating and cultivating without restraint, and is even competing with aquatic spirits for water, which has severely squeezed the expansion of my Immortal Garden and destroyed three coastal spiritual veins! This Seven-Colored Spiritual Ganoderma is proof of this! The spiritual energy is thin, and life is dim! If this continues, the Immortal Garden will wither, the pure energy will cease to grow, and the foundation of the Star Curtain will also be damaged! Myriad Saints Dragon King of the Azure Wave Pool, how do you explain your aquatic race driving away the creatures on the shore and enclosing land for your own enrichment?"

Her gaze, sharp as lightning, shot towards an old dragon king in the ranks of immortals, dressed in a turquoise dragon robe and looking embarrassed.

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Saints, having been singled out, had no choice but to step forward, his old face slightly flushed, and explained, "Fairy, please calm your anger! It is not that my aquatic race is domineering! The survival and reproduction of mortals is a natural process. However, their construction of water conservancy projects, building dams to block rivers, and diverting the flow of water have altered the downstream waters, greatly reducing the habitat and reproduction space for my aquatic children! What's worse, they discharge pollutants, contaminating the spiritual energy of the water! Fairy, please look—"

With a flick of his dragon claw, a beam of water entered the projection, revealing several areas of the Azure Wave Pool. Sure enough, turbid currents could be seen faintly, and the aquatic creatures looked listless.

"If my aquatic people retreat any further, our foundation will be destroyed! Territorial disputes are truly a struggle for survival, not a matter of enclosing land for personal enrichment!"

The conflicts between immortals and mortals, between water and soil, and the resource predicament—these most pressing and pressing contradictions, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred ripples throughout the hall. The immortals and gods each held their own opinions, and the debate escalated. Just then, a clear and peaceful young voice rang out, carrying a comforting power: "Your Majesty, Great Sage, esteemed immortals, may I have the privilege of speaking?"

All the immortals turned their gaze to the young man dressed in a jade robe.

Xuanlu Tongzi remained calm and respectfully bowed slightly towards the direction of the illusory image of Taishang Laojun's spirit before turning to the center of the hall. In his hand was a pill the size of a pigeon egg, neither gold nor jade, radiating a warm, earthy yellow luster and vibrant vitality. It was the "Xirang Peiyuan Pill" that he had refined using Kunlun jade marrow as a base and incorporating the original aura of the star curtain.

"My revered master's purple fire spirit shines upon Kunlun, and I, your disciple, observe the cycle of life and death on earth, and occasionally gain some insights."

The boy from the Mysterious Furnace spoke in a calm and unhurried manner.

"The struggle between immortals and mortals for land, and the conflict between water and soil, stems from the finite nature of fertile and spiritually rich lands, while the needs of mortals for survival, reproduction, and the growth of all things are ever-increasing. Forced acquisition is not a sustainable path; constant concessions, on the other hand, damage the very foundation. This 'Breath-Nourishing Elixir' is made from the essence of Kunlun jade marrow, infused with the creative energy of the starry sky, and refined with the primordial energy of the earth's veins. Its effect lies not in turning stone into gold, but in 'nourishing the foundation and catalyzing life.'"

He tapped his finger lightly, and a beam of clear light shone onto the projection in the hall.

The projection quickly focused on a barren and cracked hilly area in Jambudvipa, which had been over-cultivated, with exposed rocks and sparse vegetation.

"Use this pill as a guide to deeply bury the earth's vein nodes." The Mystic Furnace Boy lightly pressed down the earth-yellow pill in his hand, and a small point of light in the projection sank into the center of that barren hill. "It can draw upon the power of the Star Curtain's creation, harmonize the earth's veins, and awaken the dormant earth element. It is not about forcibly plundering spiritual energy from elsewhere, but about stimulating the potential of this place itself, which has been depleted due to abuse, and restoring it to its former abundance."

A miracle occurred within the projection.

The barren hills seemed to awaken from a long slumber.

The dry, hardened soil began to soften and moisten, and tiny sprouts stubbornly pushed through the loose rocks, stretching out at a visible speed. Clear springs even seeped from the crevices of the barren mountain rocks, converging into trickles.

In a short while, a vibrant green covered the original barren land. Although it was not as grand as a celestial abode, it was enough to sustain mortal life and nurture low-grade spiritual herbs, exuding a pure earth spirit aura.

"The celestial herbs require pure and rich spiritual energy. They can draw power from the starry sky, condensing the essence of heaven and earth to cultivate in specific blessed lands, eliminating the need to compete with mortals for ordinary water and soil." Xuanlu Boy looked at the Hundred Flower Fairy, then at the Azure Wave Pool Dragon King. "The aquatic races are worried about pollution. The Mingfa Academy has already implemented the 'Water Purification Talisman Array' in the mortal realm. Furthermore, they can send spirits or cultivators who are knowledgeable in water to teach and guide mortals to use water resources wisely, creating a cycle. This pill is the key. Combined with the art of education and guidance, it can reclaim barren land, restore vitality, and regenerate resources, rather than plunder them. This is the true path to continuous life."

As he finished speaking, the Qirang Peiyuan Pill in his palm emitted a soft, earthy yellow halo, warm and substantial, as if containing the boundless embrace and hope of the earth.

The hall was silent. The smoke of the battle between immortals and mortals seemed to be quietly dispelled by this simple yet wise aura.

Ao Guang's eyes gleamed, the Hundred Flower Fairy gazed thoughtfully at the newly sprouted greenery in the projection, and the Ten Thousand Saints Dragon King stroked his dragon whiskers, his expression softening considerably.

"Wonderful!"

Sun Wukong's voice rang out, carrying an approving smile.

He sat upright on the throne formed from nebulae at the head of the hall, and the faint starlight flowing on his dark gold Taoist robe seemed to brighten even more.

"Nourish the vital essence and strengthen the foundation, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime! This elixir from the Mysterious Furnace Boy is profoundly imbued with the wonders of creation, transforming strife into symbiosis, and predicament into fertile soil! This path is feasible, and should be jointly promoted by the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, the Shennong Hall, and the Mingfa Academy. Mortal dynasties, mountain spirits, and blessed lands all need to work together!"

His golden eyes flashed like lightning as they swept over the immortals, demon kings, and ghost messengers in the hall, his voice as deep and resonant as the earth:
"The Starry Sky is above, not the palm of Buddha, capable of overturning the Three Realms with a mere flick of the wrist. It protects all living beings, yet they too need to be nourished and fed back with sincere hearts! The Heavenly Court assembly is not a place for seniority-based ranking!" He pointed to the ever-pulsating chaotic nebula in the dome, "From now on, in all palace discussions, all beings in the Three Realms, whether immortals, mortals, gods, demons, or ghosts, who offer wise counsel that benefits all living beings, maintains the Starry Sky, harmonizes the Five Elements, or balances Yin and Yang, may have their suggestions projected directly to this palace through the Starry Sky branch altars in various locations! The Heavenly Court is the pivot, and the Three Realms work together to make decisions!"

This announcement, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the newly renovated Qitian Hall, striking the hearts and minds of everyone present.

It is no longer an imperial edict from above, but the door that opens for all beings in the three realms to discuss the future together!

The immortals and gods looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw shock, contemplation, and a new glimmer of light called "responsibility".

Dragon King Ao Guang straightened his dragon body, and the worry between his brows was completely replaced by a solemnity of participating in a grand narrative.

The demon saints' eyes also lost some of their wildness and aloofness, and gained a more serious look of eager anticipation.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was becoming tense and brewing due to this unprecedented change, a sudden change occurred!

boom--!
A dull, indescribable pulse originating from the depths of the universe suddenly pierced through the solid walls of the palace, striking the hearts of every immortal and god!

Like a colossal, primordial god that had slumbered for billions of years, lazily turning over in the depths of the starry sky. The entire Qitian Palace trembled violently, not with the shaking of an earthquake, but with a heavy feeling as if space itself were being pounded by an invisible giant hammer!

On the palace floor, which was formed from pure starlight, the miniature projection of the Three Realms distorted and fluctuated violently, like the surface of water where a stone had been thrown in. The outlines of the Four Continents, the Milky Way, and the Netherworld were instantly blurred, stretched, and deformed!
Above the dome, the projection of that chaotic star screen was the first to be affected.

The billions of stars that were originally in constant flux and orderly flow suddenly burst forth with unimaginable light!

The light was no longer the gentle starlight, but a blindingly bright white, a molten gold-red, a deep and bottomless blue, a vibrant emerald green... all sorts of colors representing the most primordial chaotic energy surged, collided, and merged wildly!
Countless fine, pitch-black cracks, as if space had been forcibly torn apart, spread rapidly across the surface of the star curtain, appearing and disappearing, emitting a terrifying "crack" sound!

The violent aura of destruction and rebirth swept through the entire hall like a tangible hurricane!
(End of this chapter)