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

Chapter 97 The Western Religion Plots Another Reincarnation of the Six Paths! (Two Chapters Combined)

Jiang Heng's future arrangements for Gouchen Star are very likely to involve the Heavenly Court, and Jiang Heng has also discussed this matter in detail with the Sage Nuwa.

The Sage Nuwa was far more detached than Jiang Heng had imagined. This sage only wished for the demon race to survive, and had no other superfluous thoughts.

Speaking of the Heavenly Court, the current lives of Haotian and Yaochi are not very pleasant. The current state of the Heavenly Court is far from what they imagined.

Originally, Haotian and Yaochi, having left Dao Ancestor Hongjun and becoming the rulers of the Heavenly Court, thought they could live a carefree life.

Who would have thought that the Heavenly Court is now in such a state of devastation, with hardly any masters left, not even a handful of big cats or little cats.

Relying on the innate spiritual root of the peach tree, Haotian and Yaochi managed to win over some rogue cultivators, but the strength of these rogue cultivators was truly appalling.

Nowadays, apart from Haotian and Yaochi, the two quasi-saints, the Heavenly Court really has no other powerful figures to speak of.

Left with no other choice, Haotian and Yaochi had to lie low for the time being. Perhaps this foreshadowed the great calamity of the future Investiture of the Gods.

After obtaining the Fire Cloud Cave, Jiang Heng sent the returning human powerhouses to Gouchen Star in the Chaos Sea.

Because of the accurate location, Jiang Heng did not spend much time traveling to Gouchen Star this time; the round trip took only a few decades.

In the following period, Jiang Heng began to seclude himself in the Fire Cloud Cave, and he, the first leader of the human race, was gradually forgotten by the human race.

Time flies, and a thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. On this day, Jiang Heng, who had been in seclusion in the Fire Cloud Cave, suddenly opened his eyes.

"What's coming will come eventually. What tricks will you have up your sleeve this time?" Jiang Heng muttered to himself.

After being dormant for ten thousand years, the Western Sect has finally made a move again. The fact that they have been able to endure for so long without taking action is actually beyond Jiang Heng's expectations.

However, the reason why Jiang Heng was able to sense that the Western Sect was making a move again was not because his cultivation had reached the highest level after ten thousand years of seclusion.

Instead, while Jiang Heng was in seclusion cultivating, the divine sense of the Sage Taiqing broke through the void and informed Jiang Heng that the Western Sect was about to plan the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Now that the primordial world is not in the period of great calamity, it is not difficult for a sage to deduce the secrets of heaven in advance.

Even if the two saints of the Western religion tried to cover up the secrets of heaven at the same time, how could they hide it from the saint of Taiqing who possessed the innate treasure Taiji Diagram?

However, under the planning of the two Western saints, Jiang Heng had already gone into seclusion in the Fire Cloud Cave. Why did the Western Sect wait so long?

However, whatever the reason, it is absolutely impossible that Western religions have been idle for so long.

This time, the Western Religion has suddenly made a move again, which must be because they are absolutely certain that they have come to plan the cycle of reincarnation.

When they do not move, they do so with the force of thunder! This is common sense, and the Western Church cannot possibly be unaware of it! This also means that the Western Church must have ample confidence this time.

Of course, it was all wishful thinking on the part of the Western Religion. Whether the final result would be as they wished depended on Jiang Heng's opinion.

At this moment, near the Six Paths of Reincarnation, a large group of Western Sect disciples were gazing at the Six Paths of Reincarnation, their faces filled with complex expressions.

If Jiang Heng were here, he would certainly recognize the three disciples of the Western Sect who were leading the group; they were Maitreya, Bhaisajyaguru, and Ksitigarbha.

Ten thousand years ago, it was this group of Western Sect disciples who repeatedly returned in the cycle of reincarnation, becoming a laughing stock for countless powerful beings in the primordial world.

Not only did his plan to establish the cycle of reincarnation fail, but the two magical treasures of the Sage Zhunti were also taken away by Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru.

This is not just a matter of doing things poorly, but rather a disgrace to the Western Religion, bringing it utter shame. How could Ksitigarbha and his ilk have fared well over the next ten thousand years?

They became a laughing stock in the Western Sect, and other Western Sect disciples always looked at them with a hint of mockery.

Fortunately, the Sage Zhunti did not blame them, but instead encouraged them to persevere and devise another plan for reincarnation in the six realms to atone for their sins.

For ten thousand years, Ksitigarbha and his group of Western Sect disciples had been holding their breath, constantly looking for a chance to get revenge.

Now, ten thousand years have passed, and Jiang Heng, the ruler of the human race, has retired to the Fire Cloud Cave and can no longer set foot in the primordial world. Who can stop them from plotting the Six Paths of Reincarnation?

"Brother Maitreya! Brother Medicine Buddha! Everything is ready. Let's enter the cycle of reincarnation!" Ksitigarbha said respectfully.

"The teacher has already given instructions that you will be in full charge of planning the Six Paths of Reincarnation this time. The two of us will back you up and will follow your arrangements!"

Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru, two disciples of the Western Sect, spoke in unison, their faces showing no sign of anything unusual.

Ksitigarbha nodded. He had never expected that after repeated failures, the Sage Zhunti would once again make him the person in charge of the Western Sect's plan for the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Ksitigarbha understood that Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru would surely be dissatisfied with this, but they dared not disobey the orders of the Sage Cundi.

"This time, we will surely win this battle!" Ksitigarbha thought with high spirits.

The human race's supreme ruler has already retired to the Fire Cloud Cave, and the witch race has completely declined. Who can stop the Western Religion from plotting reincarnation?

Furthermore, over these ten thousand years, no one knows how much effort Ksitigarbha secretly put in and how many schemes he devised for the six realms of reincarnation.

No one knows what trump cards the Western Religion had prepared over the past ten thousand years to ensure the success of its plan for the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

At this moment, Ksitigarbha's heart was filled with confidence. He even believed that even if the human race's supreme ruler reappeared in the primordial world, he would never lose again.

Ksitigarbha took the first step, leading many disciples of the Western Sect to stride confidently and spiritedly toward the cycle of rebirth in the six realms.

Since the Western Sect disciples made no attempt to conceal themselves, the Wu Clan within the Six Paths of Reincarnation had naturally already discovered them.

Ten thousand years ago, the remaining members of the Wu tribe from the Lich War were all sent to the Underworld under the leadership of the Xuanming Ancestral Witch.

With the boundless merit of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Wu Clan has managed to recover some of its vitality over the past ten thousand years.

But as I said before, after the fall of the Ancestral Witch, the Pangu essence blood of the Witch Clan was exhausted, and it was impossible for them to become strong again.

In the present underworld, the Witch Clan only has one Quasi-Saint level expert, the Xuanming Ancestral Witch, and there are not many Great Luo Golden Immortals.

At most, there are only a few dozen Great Luo Golden Immortals. Compared with the once incomparable Wu Clan, they are naturally no longer comparable.

Now that the disciples of the Western Sect are so openly heading towards the cycle of reincarnation, it is not hard to guess what their purpose is.

Upon receiving the news, the expression on the face of the Xuanming Ancestral Witch remained unchanged, still as cold as ice that had never melted.

From the moment the Lich War ended, the Xuanming Ancestral Witch has had this expression, unchanged for ten thousand years.

As the last surviving ancestral witch of the witch clan, Xuanming Ancestral Witch bears the responsibility of protecting the witch clan. The lively and playful girl from back then has completely disappeared.

"Inform Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi of this matter. The other members of the Wu Clan should each perform their duties. Without my order, they must not act rashly!" Xuanming Ancestral Witch said in a deep voice.

The Western religion still harbors treacherous intentions towards the Six Paths of Reincarnation, something the Xuanming Ancestral Witch knew about ten thousand years ago, so naturally she felt no surprise at this moment.

The Ancestral Witch of the Underworld arranged everything in an orderly manner, appearing extremely capable.

Indeed! Responsibility is the best catalyst for growth.

When the Western Buddhist disciples, including the local monks, entered the cycle of reincarnation, the underworld remained orderly, as if their arrival had not brought about any change.

The murderous witch clan they had imagined did not appear; only Ox-Head and Horse-Face occasionally escorted wronged souls past them.

These ox-headed and horse-faced demons seemed to completely ignore the group of Western sect disciples, showing neither panic nor anger.

This bizarre scene left many Western Sect disciples bewildered and uncertain. Even Ksitigarbha felt a chill run down his spine.

However, Ksitigarbha was no ordinary expert. After calming his mind, he disregarded the Wu Clan and led the Western Sect disciples into the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The goal of this group of Western Christian disciples was very clear: to target the core of the six realms of reincarnation, which is the location of the eighteen levels of hell.

While traveling, the disciples of the Western Sect also silently recited the true scriptures, and the vast chanting gradually resounded throughout the six realms of reincarnation.

Reciting scriptures silently to convert wronged souls is a specialty of Western religions. Amidst the grand chanting, many wronged souls began to be converted.

But in the next moment, a mighty Taoist chant resounded, and countless wronged souls simultaneously knelt down, bowing three times and nine times in a certain direction in the underworld.

The overwhelming Taoist chanting instantly suppressed the sound of the Western Sect disciples reciting scriptures, and a young man dressed in a Taoist robe slowly appeared in the sky above the underworld.

"Fellow Daoists of the Western Sect, what brings you to the Six Paths of Reincarnation?" the young man in the Daoist robe said loudly.

"Who are you? Why are you trying to save wronged souls in this cycle of reincarnation?" Ksitigarbha asked in a deep voice, his expression turning extremely gloomy.

"So that fellow Daoists may know, I am Yun Zhongzi, a disciple of the Jade Purity Saint, and I have been saving wronged souls in the cycle of reincarnation for ten thousand years!" Yun Zhongzi said loudly.

The disciples of the Western Sect were all shocked. Converting wronged souls was their specialty, but they never expected that someone else would beat them to it.

Moreover, the person who came was no ordinary individual; he was a disciple of the Jade Purity Saint, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, and his background was no less impressive than that of these Western Sect disciples.

"My apologies! My apologies! I never expected that you, fellow Daoist, are a esteemed disciple of the Chan Sect. Our arrival here is exactly what we were thinking."

Our Western Religion, unable to bear the sight of the countless wronged souls burdened with sins in the six realms of reincarnation, has come with a compassionate heart to deliver them from suffering!

Ksitigarbha's expression returned to normal. Although Yun Zhongzi's identity made him somewhat wary, the Western Sect would never easily give up on this plan to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Everyone was trying to save wronged souls, but Ksitigarbha really didn't believe that a large group of Western Sect disciples were inferior to Yun Zhongzi.

"Fellow Daoist, your words are greatly mistaken! The Six Paths of Reincarnation are of utmost importance. How can anyone come here to deliver wronged souls just because they want to?"

"If everyone acted as recklessly as your Western religion, wouldn't the cycle of reincarnation be thrown into chaos?" Yun Zhongzi said in a deep voice.

Before Ksitigarbha could speak, a disciple of the Western Sect could no longer contain himself and spoke up angrily:

"Our Western religion's act of saving wronged souls from the cycle of reincarnation is an act of great compassion, which has immeasurable merit. What does it have to do with you?"

You keep saying that my Western Religion acts recklessly, so how come you are able to save wronged souls in the cycle of reincarnation?

Ksitigarbha frowned slightly. He was the person in charge of the Western Sect's plan for the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He hadn't even spoken yet, but this disciple spoke first.

Such behavior is a grave taboo! It shows that Ksitigarbha's control over the Western Paradise disciples is completely inadequate.

Ksitigarbha was well aware that the Western Sect was already rife with internal strife. With Bhaisajyaguru and Maitreya around, he simply couldn't completely control these Western Sect disciples.

But at such a crucial moment, wouldn't it be disrespectful for him to speak first, given that Western disciple was speaking first?

For the sake of the Western Religion's grand plan, Ksitigarbha had no choice but to quell his anger for now. If this scheme succeeded, there would be a time for reckoning.

"Hahaha! My teacher personally petitioned the Jade Emperor to appoint me as the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Underworld, in charge of saving all the wronged souls in the Underworld."

"You ask me why I'm here to save wronged souls? The Heavenly Court has personally appointed me, isn't that enough?" Yun Zhongzi laughed loudly, looking at the Western Sect disciples with disdain.

Just as Ksitigarbha was about to stop the Western Sect disciple, the disciple, already showing disdain, spoke again:

"What is the Heavenly Court? How could it possibly decide the matters of reincarnation in the six realms?"

"Shut up!" Ksitigarbha could no longer hold back and reprimanded the Western Sect disciple in a deep voice, which finally silenced the disciple.

Ksitigarbha turned to Yun Zhongzi, just as he was about to say something, but Yun Zhongzi spoke first:

"What is the Heavenly Court? It was personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor and is in charge of all kinds of affairs, big and small, in the prehistoric world. How dare you despise the Heavenly Court like this?"

Has your Western religion become so audacious that you dare to disregard even the Dao Ancestor's orders?

I will report this matter to my teacher, and perhaps my teacher will have to personally meet with the Dao Ancestor to discuss the matter of the two Western sages showing contempt for him!

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha's expression changed drastically, and the other disciples of the Western Sect were completely dumbfounded.

Even the usually composed Pharmacist and Maitreya frowned slightly, and their gazes toward Yun Zhongzi had completely changed.

In the current prehistoric world, the Heavenly Court is nothing special, just a few big cats and small cats. Who would take the Heavenly Court seriously?

But it's fine to keep this to yourself; once it's brought up in public, it can be a big or small matter.

No matter how incompetent the Heavenly Court may be now, it was still created by the Dao Ancestor. The Jade Emperor's position as the ruler of the Three Realms was also personally established by the Dao Ancestor.

For the disciples of the Western Sect to say that the Heavenly Court is nothing is to slap the face of the Dao Ancestor. Do they really think they haven't lived long enough?

Of course, the most crucial factor is Yun Zhongzi's identity. If he were to say these words to an ordinary person, it wouldn't matter; who could do anything to the Western Religion?

However, Yun Zhongzi is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. If the sage were to personally complain to the Dao Ancestor, the two Western sages would likely lose face.

It was an unintentional mistake, but Yun Zhongzi seized upon it, putting the Western Religion in a passive position.

Ksitigarbha pondered for a moment and realized that his group of Western Sect disciples seemed to have fallen into a trap the moment they saw Yun Zhongzi.

From the very first sentence he uttered, Yun Zhongzi was intentionally or unintentionally guiding the disciples of the Western Sect, which led to the Western Sect's current passive situation.

Ksitigarbha stared at Yun Zhongzi with a gloomy expression. If the other party thought that this would make their Western Sect submit, then they were underestimating them too much.

For this day, Ksitigarbha has endured countless hardships and considered all possibilities over the past ten thousand years. How could he give up so easily?

"Fellow Daoist, please calm down. This disciple of the Western Sect spoke recklessly, but it was an unintentional mistake. He did not question the Dao Ancestor. I will punish him when I return."

The Dao Ancestor appointed the Heavenly Court to manage the primordial world, and our Western Sect naturally obeys. Since you, fellow Daoist, are the Great Emperor of Fengdu, personally appointed by the Heavenly Court, it is only natural for you to save wronged souls in the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

But did the Dao Ancestor ever say that the Western Sect was not allowed to use the Six Paths of Reincarnation to save wronged souls? Even the Heavenly Court did not issue such a decree.

"Our Western religion is compassionate, and coming to this cycle of reincarnation to save wronged souls is a great act of merit. Why should you, fellow Daoist, stop us?" Ksitigarbha said in a deep voice.

Ksitigarbha would not give up his plan for the Six Paths of Reincarnation just because of Yun Zhongzi's few words, and he let the matter drop in a few words.

Yun Zhongzi understood that although what he said was true, neither the Heavenly Court nor the Dao Ancestor would pay attention to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

He said this simply to gain the upper hand in terms of "reason." As long as he held this ground, he would have nothing to fear.

"I am the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Underworld, in charge of the salvation of all wronged souls. If your Western Sect wants to save wronged souls in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, you must ask me first!"

"If you insist on acting recklessly, I might have to fight you, and let me see what the Western Sect's methods are like!" Yun Zhongzi said in a deep voice.

Yun Zhongzi spoke with utmost confidence. Having spent millennia guiding wronged souls through the cycle of reincarnation, he was no longer the same person he once was.

Ten thousand years ago, because of his work of saving wronged souls, Yun Zhongzi received merit from the Heavenly Dao and had already entered the realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

At that time, Yun Zhongzi had already awakened the memories of his previous life, the Old Ancestor Hongyun. With the experience of his previous life, Yun Zhongzi's cultivation was naturally twice as effective.

Continuously saving wronged souls in the six realms of reincarnation is itself an act of immeasurable merit. Over these ten thousand years, Yun Zhongzi has accumulated quite a bit of merit.

All of these factors have enabled Yun Zhongzi to reach the Quasi-Saint realm, becoming a true powerhouse in the primordial world.

Because of his breakthrough in cultivation, Yuanshi Tianzun paid more and more attention to Yun Zhongzi, and his status in the Chan Sect rose higher and higher.

With a sage backing him up and his own strength, Yun Zhongzi, though alone, showed no fear when facing the large group of disciples from the Western Sect.

At this moment, Yun Zhongzi was even somewhat eager to try his luck, impatient to have a good match with the many disciples of the Western Sect.

"Since that's the case! My Western Sect will have a fight with you, fellow Daoist. I hope that after you are defeated, you will not pursue this matter any further!" Ksitigarbha said in a deep voice.

Giving up the Six Paths of Reincarnation is absolutely impossible! Although Yun Zhongzi is a Quasi-Saint, does the Western Sect not have any Quasi-Saints?

Their Western religion not only has quasi-saints, but also two quasi-saints, so why would they be afraid of Yun Zhongzi being alone?

But at that moment, a powerful aura came rapidly from the entrance of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, approaching this place from afar.

"Brother Yun Zhongzi, I'm here to lend you a hand!" The booming voice could be heard even before anyone was seen.

However, besides Zhen Yuanzi, there is no one else who could call out "Brother Zhen Yuanzi" and arrive at the Six Paths of Reincarnation at this time.

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Zhen Yuanzi appeared and quickly arrived at Yun Zhongzi's side.

"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist!" Yun Zhongzi said gratefully.

The Western sect disciples looked solemn as Zhen Yuanzi appeared just in time; this was no ordinary expert.

Zhen Yuanzi's strength is self-evident. Even if Maitreya and the Medicine Master of the Western Sect joined forces, they would probably only be able to barely fight Zhen Yuanzi to a draw.

This is a peak Quasi-Saint, who has existed since ancient times. He is of the same generation as the Saints and has listened to the Dao in Zixiao Palace. How could he be an ordinary person?

With Zhen Yuanzi's assistance, Yun Zhongzi's side has two Quasi-Saint level experts, while the Western Sect only has two Quasi-Saints.

Ksitigarbha remained calm. Zhen Yuanzi had appeared when the Western Sect plotted the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Although Yun Zhongzi's appearance was unexpected, Zhen Yuanzi's appearance in the Six Paths of Reincarnation was already within Ksitigarbha's expectations.

"Please, Lord Styx, lend a hand!" Ksitigarbha suddenly shouted.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a powerful aura rose once more from the entrance to the Six Paths of Reincarnation, indicating that the Lord of the Styx had arrived from the Netherworld Blood Sea.

"Hahaha! Zhen Yuanzi, let's have another match this time!" The Styx Master laughed heartily as he quickly arrived in the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"Hmph! Master of the Styx, you narrowly escaped last time. What? Long time no see, and you've become a lackey of the Western Sect?" Zhen Yuanzi said with sarcasm.

Ten thousand years ago, Zhen Yuanzi fought against the Lord of the Styx. Although he came with anger, it was indeed difficult for him to do anything to the Lord of the Styx in the Netherworld Blood Sea.

That battle could only be considered a draw, and the Styx Cult Leader did not want to get entangled with Zhen Yuanzi any further, so in the end, it could only be left unresolved.

"Hmph! I, the Lord of the Styx River Sect, am the Lord of the Netherworld Blood Sea. How could I possibly submit to the Western Sect? It's nothing more than a transaction!"

"It is you, Zhen Yuanzi, who have repeatedly harassed me. If I don't teach you a lesson, wouldn't that mean I, your ancestor, am afraid of you?" the Styx Master said in a deep voice.

This is not the first time that the Styx Cult has cooperated with the Western Cult; the two sides have been in cahoots. It is normal for the Styx Cult to take action again.

However, with the arrival of the Styx Cult Master, Yun Zhongzi's side has inevitably fallen into a disadvantageous position.

The Lord of the Styx and Zhen Yuanzi were evenly matched, neither able to defeat the other. This also meant that Yun Zhongzi would have to fight against numerous Western Sect disciples alone.

"Fellow Daoists, if you stop now, perhaps we can still save face. Otherwise, once we start fighting, you'll likely lose all face!"

Ksitigarbha was now extremely pleased with himself. The Western Sect had been planning for ten thousand years. Without absolute certainty, how could they have acted so easily?

Although there are some deviations, everything is proceeding according to Ksitigarbha's plan. Just wait a little longer, and everything will be settled.

"Hmph! You Western religions really go to great lengths to plan the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but how could I be unprepared?"

"Fellow disciples, please show yourselves and lend a hand!" Yun Zhongzi said loudly, his expression unchanged.

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha's expression changed drastically, and he quickly looked towards the entrance to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

(End of this chapter)