Honghuang: Creation of the Green Lotus, the beginning of the Three Pure Ones

Yu Ding Zhenren received the decree from Yuanshi Tianzun and led Sun Wukong out of Taiqing Palace.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, Sun Wukong scratched his head and asked, "Master, I've heard that Grandmaster Houtu is the representative of the Earthly Dao."

"Does that mean that once we arrive in the Netherworld, it will feel like we've come home? Could this disciple ask Grandmaster Houtu to grant my monkey descendants from Flower Fruit Mountain immortality?"

Master Yu Ding glared at Sun Wukong and said, "Stop making such a fuss. Even I, your master, dare not interfere with reincarnation. Otherwise, I will inevitably be entangled in boundless karma."

Sun Wukong blinked and said with a disappointed look, "Master, don't worry. Since this matter cannot be mentioned, then this disciple will not bring it up again."

Master Yu Ding shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself that it would be strange if this monkey were obedient. However, time was of the essence, and he couldn't worry about anything else. He immediately made a hand seal and chanted an incantation, and a cloud of auspiciousness rose from beneath his feet.

Auspicious clouds rose into the sky, instantly covering tens of thousands of miles. Sun Wukong stood atop the cloud, watching the mountains and rivers rush past below, and excitedly scratched his ears and cheeks.

Although Sun Wukong had long possessed the cultivation level of a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal, he never revealed this fact by flying through the clouds or mist in order to conceal it from the world.

Now, seeing the vast wilderness from the air for the first time, I couldn't help but feel overjoyed. For a moment, I was practically dancing with excitement.

Before long, the master and his disciple arrived at Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak. There they saw Jiang Ziya standing under a lantern pole.

Looking at Jiang Ziya's disheveled face, Master Yuding sighed, "If only you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."

Hearing someone mocking him, Jiang Ziya couldn't help but look up. Upon discovering that the person was none other than Jade Cauldron Immortal, he asked weakly.

"Fellow Daoist Yuding, you didn't cultivate on Qinglian Island, but instead came to my Eastern Peak, Mount Tai. Surely you didn't come just to tease me?"

Master Yu Ding shook his head. "I don't have the time for that. I need to enter the Netherworld. Please open the entrance to the Netherworld."

Since the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, Mount Tai has become the entrance to the Netherworld. All souls entering the Netherworld must pass through Mount Tai.

Jiang Ziya thus became the gatekeeper of the Nine Netherworld. His daily duty of welcoming the gods of the Nine Netherworld was, to say the least, a thankless task.

Upon hearing that Jade Cauldron Immortal was going to enter the Netherworld, Jiang Ziya did not hesitate for a moment and immediately opened the entrance to the Netherworld.

After all, it's better to send Master Yuding away sooner rather than later, so he doesn't stay here and make a fool of himself.

Entering the Netherworld entrance marks the beginning of the Road to the Underworld. Only by traversing the Road to the Underworld can one reach the Nine Netherworld Realm.

As for how long the road to the underworld is, that varies from person to person. Some people need to walk for years, while others may only need to walk for a short while.

How long one travels on the road to the underworld depends on whether one did good or evil in life.

For those who do good deeds, the journey to the underworld is merely a process. But for those who are utterly wicked, the journey to the underworld is their first tribulation after death.

Of course, Jade Cauldron Immortal and Sun Wukong didn't need to travel the long road to the underworld. They arrived outside Senluo City simply by passing through the entrance to the netherworld.

Immediately, the ghostly soldiers guarding the city blocked their path and asked, "Who goes there?"

Master Yu Ding remained calm and unhurried, taking out a jade slip and displaying it: "This humble Daoist is Yu Ding, and has come to pay my respects to my Uncle-Master Houtu on my master's orders."

Upon seeing the jade slip, the old man's expression immediately became respectful. He gestured to Jade Cauldron Immortal, saying, "Please, Immortal, accompany me to our Yama Palace to see the Ten Kings of Hell."

Before long, Jade Cauldron Immortal and Sun Wukong arrived at the Yama King's Palace. After paying their respects to the Ten Kings of Hell, they explained the purpose of their visit. Zhu Jiuyin nodded and personally led Jade Cauldron Immortal and Sun Wukong toward the Peaceful Heart Palace next to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Upon arriving at the Pingxin Hall, Master Yuding hurriedly knelt down and bowed deeply to Houtu, saying, "Disciple Yuding greets Uncle Houtu."

Sun Wukong followed suit and knelt down, kowtowing to Houtu as he said, "Grand-disciple Sun Wukong greets Grand-aunt Houtu."

Houtu waved her hand and helped the two up, saying kindly, "Did Senior Brother Yuanshi send you to collect the essence blood of the Ancestral Witch?"

Master Yuding replied truthfully, "Master wishes to lay the foundation for Sun Wukong's Primordial Dao, which requires the essence and blood of the Ancestral Witches as a guide."

Houtu nodded, then looked at Sun Wukong, "I wonder which Ancestral Witch's essence blood you want? After all, each Ancestral Witch's essence blood possesses different Great Dao Laws."

Sun Wukong had heard Wuzhiqi and the others mention the Twelve Ancestral Witches, so he naturally knew what laws the Twelve Ancestral Witches were good at.

So he directly said, "This disciple desires the essence blood of the Ancestral God Zhurong, the Ancestral God of Fire."

Upon hearing this, Houtu Niangniang's eyes flashed with surprise. After all, the Great Dao of Fire was far too ordinary for the disciples of Qinglian Island.

Compared to the spatial laws of the Great Dao that I, Dijiang, have mastered, and the temporal laws of the Great Dao that Zhujiuyin has mastered, there is indeed a great gap.

So he immediately said, "You only have one chance to choose. Once you choose, there's no way to change it."

Sun Wukong nodded. "Reporting to Grandmaster Houtu, Wukong's element is fire, so the Great Dao's law of fire is absolutely the most suitable for Wukong."

"If given the chance, Wukong will definitely collect all the fire elements in this primordial world into his body, and then Wukong's Great Dao will naturally be achieved."

No sooner had Sun Wukong finished speaking than a hearty laugh came from outside the Pingxin Hall, “Yu Ding, it seems you’ve taken on another good disciple.”

"This monkey knows what suits it best, and doesn't blindly pursue what's better. Just for that, it's far superior to those three monkeys."

The speaker was none other than Tongtian, who had been banished to the Netherworld by Chen Xuan.

Upon hearing Tongtian's voice, Jade Cauldron Immortal hurriedly pulled Sun Wukong to kneel down and pay homage to Tongtian.

Tongtian waved his hand and helped the master and disciple to their feet. Then he touched Sun Wukong's forehead, and a flame entered his brow.

"This is the Fire of the Array. Although it cannot compare to the Six Ding and Six Jia Fire of your Grandmaster, it is not much different from the Five Elements Fire of your Second Master."

Sun Wukong was deeply grateful upon hearing this, and he knelt down once again to bow deeply to Tongtian in thanks.

At the same time, Houtu also flicked her wrist, and a stream of Netherworld Fire entered Sun Wukong's brow.

At the same time, Zhu Rong appeared in the Ancestral Witch Hall. He laughed and said, "I never expected you, you monkey, to have such good taste, choosing my Ancestral Witch essence blood."

As he spoke, he had already arrived beside Sun Wukong. He then reached out his large hand and patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder.

Immediately afterwards, he forced out a drop of the Ancestral Witch's essence blood and sent it directly to Sun Wukong.

Wukong did not absorb it directly, but instead passed it on to his master, Jade Cauldron Immortal. (End of Chapter)