Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 213 It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake!

Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, was in deep seclusion, and even her clones were difficult to maintain, so she could no longer stay by Jiang Heng's side.

This period of seclusion is extremely important for Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, as it will directly determine whether she can advance further.

The reason why the Netherworld Blood Sea can make the Six Paths of Reincarnation more complete is naturally not without reason; there is a deep connection between the two.

When Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, chose to open the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Netherworld Blood Sea, it was not accidental, but inevitable.

The Netherworld Blood Sea is filled with boundless malevolent energy and resentment; it is a place where countless wronged souls gather in the primordial world.

It is no exaggeration to say that the characteristics of the Netherworld Blood Sea make it the most suitable place in the entire primordial world to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Because the Six Paths of Reincarnation was established in the Netherworld Blood Sea, the Six Paths of Reincarnation itself has a certain connection with the Netherworld Blood Sea.

Within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, there are traces of the Netherworld Blood Sea, such as the Asura Path within the Six Paths.

For example, the eighteen levels of hell and the endless malevolent energy in the Netherworld Blood Sea are actually from the same source.

Therefore, only after the origin of the Netherworld Blood Sea is integrated into the Six Paths of Reincarnation can the Six Paths of Reincarnation become more complete.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation is the foundation for Houtu Ancestral Witch's attainment of enlightenment. As the Six Paths of Reincarnation become more complete, Houtu Ancestral Witch's path can also become more complete.

Jiang Heng also benefited greatly from this. Houtu, the ancestral witch, once entrusted all her insights into the Six Paths of Reincarnation to Jiang Heng.

The foundation of the second form of the Emperor Fist lies in Jiang Heng's various insights into the Earthly Way and the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

However, these are only of reference value to Jiang Heng. By drawing inferences from one instance to another, he might be able to loosen up his own realm.

Jiang Heng's fundamental path was actually predetermined when he stepped into the realm of the Great Emperor; it was the ultimate path that encompassed all paths within him.

If Jiang Heng wants to truly take that crucial step, the most important thing is naturally to make a breakthrough in his fundamental principles.

To achieve this was incredibly difficult, and even during the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, Jiang Heng had no confidence whatsoever.

But Jiang Heng also knew in his heart that he didn't have much time left, as the Heavenly Dao had now entered the final stage of perfection.

Once the Heavenly Dao is perfected, if Jiang Heng still cannot take that step, he will have no other choice but to escape from the primordial world.

The Netherworld Blood Sea has been completely integrated into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. With a Saint-level powerhouse like Houtu Ancestral Witch present, the Styx Lord has no chance of being resurrected.

After the matter of the Netherworld Blood Sea was resolved, Tang Sanzang and his companions returned to Baoxiang Kingdom and resumed their journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

In the following period, Sanzang and his companions experienced several more hardships, first encountering the Golden Horn and Silver Horn Kings of Pingding Mountain.

These Golden Horn and Silver Horn were originally attendants of Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao). Their descent to the mortal realm to cause trouble was not to eat Tang Sanzang, but to earn merit.

In the Journey to the West tribulations, each time Tang Sanzang and his companions overcome a tribulation, the Journey to the West tribulation becomes one step closer to completion.

In the midst of the tribulations, all the beings who participated, whether good or evil, actually gained considerable merit.

The reason why Laozi's two attendants descended to the mortal realm was for this reason, but it was not something that Laozi did intentionally.

Laozi was originally the benevolent corpse of the Supreme Saint. Given the Supreme Saint's current level of attainment, he naturally wouldn't care about such a small amount of merit.

This was because the Great Sun Tathagata deliberately gave face to the Supreme Pure Sage, which led to the descent of two attendants from the Supreme Lord Laozi to the mortal realm.

The same tactics were frequently seen in the Journey to the West tribulations; the tribulations encountered by Tang Sanzang and his companions were basically all pre-arranged.

Those with connections come to make a brief appearance and earn some merit. The process may seem thrilling, but in the end, it benefits both of us.

As for beings without any background, they naturally died under Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang, without even the chance to be reincarnated.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn belong to those with powerful backgrounds. Although they are no match for Sun Wukong, they are not in any real danger.

Moreover, after going through the formalities, one gains considerable merit. As long as one returns to seclusion and cultivates, it will not be difficult to further improve one's cultivation.

With Sun Wukong's strength, he could naturally kill Golden Horn and Silver Horn, but even if Sun Wukong was foolish, he knew that he couldn't afford to offend the Supreme Saint Taiqing.

The Sun Wukong of today is no longer the naive and unruly Great Sage Equal to Heaven he once was; he now knows a thing or two.

Sun Wukong knew very well that with his strength, he was definitely one of the top experts in the Three Realms.

However, while there aren't many powerful figures like the Lord of the Styx in the Three Realms, there are actually quite a few if you count them carefully.

Moreover, beyond the Three Realms, there are also high-ranking sages. No matter how arrogant Sun Wukong is, he would not dare to be presumptuous in front of the sages.

After surviving the ordeal at Pingdingshan, Tang Sanzang and his companions passed through Wuji Kingdom, Huoyun Cave, Blackwater River, and Chechi Kingdom.

The three calamities—the Kingdom of Wuji, the Fire Cloud Cave, and the Blackwater River—were preordained; it was merely a formality for both sides.

The Kingdom of Wuji was a calamity arranged by the Western Religion, the Fire Cloud Cave was a calamity arranged by the Heavenly Court, and the Kingdom of Blackwater was a calamity arranged by the Dragon Clan.

The events at Wuji Kingdom and Huoyun Cave were nothing unusual; they were just standard practices for accumulating merit. However, the Blackwater River calamity had its own set of stories.

During the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, both the Western Sect and the Heavenly Court were intentionally or unintentionally drawing the Dragon Clan into this tribulation.

Jiang Heng was well aware of what the Western Religion and the Heavenly Court were up to, and with Jiang Heng's reminder, the Dragon Clan also understood.

The Western Religion and the Heavenly Court are merely seeking an opportunity to separate the dragon race from the human race. If they can subdue the dragon race, their power will greatly increase.

Under Jiang Heng's arrangement, the dragon who participated in the Journey to the West Tribulation was actually the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie, who thus received the dragon clan's full support and training.

The one causing trouble in the Blackwater River was Ao Run's nephew, the Dragon King of the West Sea. This was not something that Jiang Heng and the Dragon Clan had arranged long ago.

Whether the Dragon King of the West Sea was involved or whether his nephew was merely a pawn is a question worth pondering.

Of course, these are matters concerning the dragon race. With the wisdom of the East Sea Dragon King, he is naturally able to handle this matter well and make the most correct choice.

Within the Kingdom of Chechi, only three demon clans were causing trouble. If nothing unexpected happened, this should be a calamity arranged by Lu Ya.

Although Lu Ya suffered repeated defeats and made countless shameful retreats without a fight, he remained second only to the emperor in the Heavenly Court.

Arranging for some demons to descend to the mortal realm to earn some merit would be something even the Jade Emperor Haotian wouldn't do to make things difficult for Lu Ya.

Logically speaking, this should just be a formality. But while Sun Wukong might give face to others, he would never give face to Lu Ya.

Therefore, it is not surprising that three demons died under Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang in Chechi Kingdom.

Although Lu Ya was furious about this, even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble for Sun Wukong.

After passing through Chechi Kingdom, Tang Sanzang and his companions encountered the Golden Fish Spirit of Tongtian River, the Green Ox of Jindu Cave, and finally arrived at the Women's Kingdom.

These tribulations are all just formalities, and with Sun Wukong's strength, overcoming them is not a difficult task.

Even the seemingly most difficult ordeal of the Women's Kingdom did not pose any obstacle because Tang Sanzang had awakened his memories of his past life.

However, the journey to the West will not be so smooth sailing. Tang Sanzang and his companions will not be able to safely reach the Western Paradise while traveling and enjoying the scenery.

Or rather, in the Journey to the West calamity, each side has its own calculations, which makes the Journey to the West calamity extremely complicated.

Not long after passing through the Kingdom of Women, Tang Sanzang and his companions encountered a new calamity, and a rather dangerous one at that.

At this moment, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse Ao Lie could only look at each other in bewilderment as they stared at the two identical Sun Wukongs before them.

With Sun Wukong's current peak Quasi-Saint strength, it would be virtually impossible for any being to impersonate him.

Unless a sage personally intervenes, even a top expert like Zhen Yuanzi, who is renowned throughout the Three Realms, would not be able to accomplish this.

But at this very moment, right in front of Tang Sanzang and his companions, there were two identical Sun Wukongs, whose strengths were also roughly the same.

With the same peak Quasi-Saint cultivation and the same Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff), Tang Sanzang and his companions simply couldn't tell who was real and who was fake.

"You dare to impersonate me, Old Sun? I have to admire your courage!" one of the Sun Wukongs said solemnly.

"That's what I, Old Sun, should be saying! What kind of monster are you that you dare to impersonate me?" another Sun Wukong said.

Without a word, the two Sun Wukongs clashed again. But these two Sun Wukongs seemed to be cut from the same mold, and neither could gain the upper hand.

"Hmph! You do have some skill. Since you dare to impersonate me, Old Sun, do you dare to distinguish the real from the fake?" Sun Wukong said in a deep voice.

"What's there to be afraid of? I, Old Sun, will make you reveal your true form!" another Sun Wukong said, not to be outdone, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Very well! Do you dare to come with me to meet the Human Emperor? At that time, it will be clear who is real and who is fake!" a Sun Wukong said in a deep voice.

"Hmph! I'm afraid you won't dare to go!" another Sun Wukong said without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang nodded unconsciously. In his opinion, going to see the Human Emperor was naturally the best solution at present.

Nowadays, many powerful figures in the Three Realms know that Sun Wukong's skills were actually secretly taught to him by Jiang Heng.

Moreover, the Ruyi Jingu Bang in Sun Wukong's hand was originally crafted by Jiang Heng and was once used as a pillar to suppress the sea eye.

Besides, Jiang Heng is a saint after all. Even if he is just an avatar, his insight is unmatched by any other powerful figure in the Three Realms.

No matter how powerful that fake Sun Wukong was, he probably wouldn't be able to hide his true colors completely when he was in front of Jiang Heng.

At that time, it will be immediately clear which of the two Sun Wukongs is real and which is fake, and there will be virtually no chance of escape.

Of course, if the fake Sun Wukong were afraid, even with the slightest hesitation, he would immediately reveal his true colors.

Neither of the two Sun Wukongs showed the slightest hesitation; both were confidently preparing to find Jiang Heng to distinguish the real from the fake.

Soon, Tang Sanzang and his group, along with two Sun Wukongs, arrived before Jiang Heng and told him the whole story.

Looking at the two identical Sun Wukongs in front of him, Jiang Heng remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was somewhat surprised.

Jiang Heng was naturally aware of the Six-Eared Macaque impersonating Sun Wukong, but in his opinion, this scene should not happen again.

Because of Jiang Heng, Sun Wukong is now a true peak Quasi-Saint, how could the Six-Eared Macaque possibly impersonate him?

But the two Sun Wukongs in front of them were both at the peak of the Quasi-Saint level, and their auras were equally strong.

Jiang Heng even sensed the aura of the Victory Strike Magic emanating from these two Sun Wukongs before him.

Even more outrageous is that the Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic cudgel) in the hands of the two Sun Wukongs are exactly the same, both being treasures of merit.

For a moment, even Jiang Heng, relying solely on the superficial clues, found it difficult to distinguish the real and fake Sun Wukongs before him.

In the Three Realms today, if even Jiang Heng cannot tell which of the two Sun Wukongs is real and which is fake, then it is even more impossible for others.

"That's certainly a clever tactic! You finally couldn't resist making a move!" Jiang Heng thought to himself.

In the entire primordial world, even a sage could not distinguish between the two Sun Wukongs, not even if Jiang Heng could tell the difference.

Only the intervention of Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun could create an identical Sun Wukong, making it impossible for Jiang Heng to distinguish between the real and the fake.

After all, no matter how strong Jiang Heng is now, he is only an incarnation and has not yet truly reached the level of a saint.

With the methods of Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun, it would naturally not be difficult to deceive Jiang Heng's incarnation.

Of course, if Jiang Heng's avatar, which had already become a saint, were here, even the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun would find it difficult to hide from Jiang Heng.

The intervention of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao Society at this time was unexpected by Jiang Heng, but upon closer examination, it was also quite reasonable.

Although we are now at a crucial moment of the Heavenly Dao's perfection, and the Journey to the West's Great Tribulation seems to be developing according to the normal plot, the Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao are not truly at ease.

Jiang Heng made many moves during the Journey to the West: Great Tribulation, planning numerous events, especially the last time he refined the Netherworld Blood Sea.

How could Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao not be wary? Their intervention at this time was probably to ensure the successful completion of the Journey to the West calamity.

In later generations, many people have said that in the calamity of the Six-Eared Macaque, it was not actually the Six-Eared Macaque who died, but Sun Wukong.

There is a reason to doubt this. Looking at the entire Journey to the West arc, there are some clues that can be found.

Before the Six-Eared Macaque's calamity, Sun Wukong, though wearing a golden headband, was still the unruly Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

But after the Six-Eared Macaque's ordeal, Sun Wukong seemed like a different person. Not only did he frequently seek outside help when encountering monsters, but he also did so at the drop of a hat.

Moreover, Sun Wukong himself became much more docile and no longer disobeyed Tang Sanzang, truly becoming Tang Sanzang's eldest disciple.

Jiang Heng was naturally unaware whether Sun Wukong had been replaced by the Six-Eared Macaque in the original Journey to the West.

However, in the current Journey to the West tribulation, the appearance of two identical Sun Wukongs greatly increases the possibility that the Six-Eared Macaque will replace Sun Wukong.

Since Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun have chosen to take action, it is impossible that they are only trying to cause trouble for Jiang Heng; they must have some other purpose.

Replacing Sun Wukong quietly would undoubtedly ensure that the Journey to the West tribulation could conclude successfully according to the predetermined trajectory.

This is naturally the best outcome for the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun. As for Sun Wukong's life or death, why would the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun care?

"Human Emperor, I implore you to personally expose this imposter's true colors!" a Sun Wukong said angrily.

"Human Emperor, don't listen to his nonsense. I, Old Sun, am the real one. You should quickly take action and suppress this guy who dares to impersonate me!" said another Sun Wukong.

The two Sun Wukongs began to accuse each other, each claiming that the other was an imposter and that they were the real Sun Wukong.

"It is indeed quite interesting. Even I, the Emperor, might not be able to tell who is real and who is fake!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

Both Sun Wukongs stared at Jiang Heng in disbelief, and Tang Sanzang and his group exchanged bewildered glances, completely unable to believe what they had just heard.

The person before them was none other than the Human Emperor! Not to mention that he was a Saint-level powerhouse, they had all witnessed the strength displayed by Jiang Heng's avatar.

The incarnation of the Western Sage Bodhi was annihilated by the Human Emperor before him, and the ancient giant, the Lord of the Styx, was completely destroyed by Jiang Heng.

Even such an unparalleled powerhouse couldn't tell which of the two Sun Wukongs was the real one. Just how powerful was that imposter?

Moreover, if even Jiang Heng cannot distinguish between the real and the fake, who in the entire Three Realms could possibly tell the difference?

"What should we do then? If we can't tell which of the two Sun Wukongs is the real one, how can we complete the journey to the West to obtain the scriptures?" Tang Sanzang said anxiously.

If they cannot distinguish which of the two Sun Wukongs is real and which is fake, they will naturally be unable to overcome this calamity, and how can they continue their journey to the West to obtain the scriptures?

We can't send two Sun Wukongs to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures, can we? Even if they manage to obtain the true scriptures, this great calamity will probably not be considered complete.

Just as Jiang Heng was about to say something more, two powerful auras suddenly appeared in the distance and instantly arrived in front of him.

The visitor was no stranger to Jiang Heng; he was the incarnation of two saints from the Western Paradise: Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni.

Jiang Heng remained composed, but a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The arrival of the two saints from the Western Sect at this moment was truly opportune!

Not only did the two saints from the Western religion arrive, but in the next instant, the Jade Emperor Haotian and Lu Ya from the Heavenly Court also arrived.

The incarnations of the Supreme Sage, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and the Master of the Heavenly Gate also manifested in that instant, and all the sages of the primordial world came together at once.

Apart from the Sage Nuwa and the Ancestral Witch Houtu, all the sages in the primordial world chose to descend at this moment.

Clearly, for these sages who have been paying close attention to the Journey to the West tribulation, the appearance of two Sun Wukongs would naturally attract their attention.

Moreover, since Jiang Heng admitted that he couldn't tell which of the two Sun Wukongs was real, these sages naturally understood the seriousness of the matter.

Just as Tang Sanzang said, if we cannot distinguish which of the two Sun Wukongs is real and which is fake, the Journey to the West tribulation cannot be truly completed.

The question of whether the Great Tribulation can be completed is a matter that even saints must treat with utmost care. It is not surprising that such a thing has come to Jiang Heng.

Of course, perhaps because they were too impatient, the two saints of the Western religion were completely unaware of what the problem was about their being the first to arrive.

But in Jiang Heng's eyes, the fact that the two saints of the Western Sect were the first to arrive already said something.

"Now that you have all arrived here, you must know the seriousness of this matter. Have any of you noticed anything?" Patriarch Bodhi spoke first.

Jiang Heng sneered again. The fact that Patriarch Bodhi was so eager to usurp the host's position only confirmed some of Jiang Heng's suspicions.

"Even the Human Emperor couldn't distinguish the real from the fake, so how could we possibly have that ability?" Jade Emperor Haotian said with a cold laugh.

"In my opinion, these two Sun Wukongs are exactly the same!" said the incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun.

The avatars of the Supreme Saint and the Master of Heaven remained silent. They had also seen it themselves and indeed could not distinguish which of the two Sun Wukongs was the real one.

"This matter concerns this great calamity. In any case, we must find a way out!" Patriarch Bodhi said again in a deep voice.

"Hmph! All of us saints are here in our incarnations. I really don't believe that with our abilities, we can't make a monster reveal itself."

"If this matter gets out, we will become a laughing stock in the entire prehistoric world!" the Tongtian Sect Leader said in a deep voice.

The Tongtian Sect Leader is right. If a group of saints gathered here and still can't tell which of the two Sun Wukongs is real, wouldn't they be laughed at?

That powerful figure who dared to impersonate Sun Wukong would be even more arrogant, as this matter concerns the reputation of all the saints.

"This matter is not simple. How could it be the work of an ordinary expert that could deceive our eyes?" As the Jade Emperor Haotian spoke, his gaze focused on Jiang Heng.

The Jade Emperor Haotian was clearly implying something, practically pointing at Jiang Heng and suggesting that this whole affair was actually Jiang Heng's doing.

Given the various methods Jiang Heng has demonstrated, you have to admit that the Jade Emperor Haotian's statement is not entirely without merit.

In the primordial world, apart from the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Jiang Heng was indeed the most likely powerful figure to accomplish this.

Moreover, Emperor Jiang Heng had many schemes planned during the Journey to the West calamity, so it was not impossible for him to create two identical Sun Wukongs.

"Further speculation is useless. The most important thing now is to figure out the real Sun Wukong from the fake one!" said the Sage Taiqing.

As soon as the Sage Taiqing finished speaking, Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Excellent words! Our Western religion does have something we can try!"

"What kind of treasure is this that possesses such miraculous abilities?" the Jade Emperor Haotian immediately inquired.

"In our Western religion, there is a mythical beast named Di Ting, which has the ability to recognize all things in the world. Perhaps we can give it a try!" said Shakyamuni.

"Very good! Please, Sage, bring out the spirit beast Di Ting!" said the Jade Emperor Haotian.

Shakyamuni nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a mythical beast with a tiger's head, a single horn, dog's ears, a dragon's body, a lion's tail, and a qilin's feet appeared.

Jiang Heng remained silent, watching everything with a cold smile. He wanted to see what tricks the Jade Emperor Haotian and the Western Sect were up to.

(End of this chapter)