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

Chapter 99 The Seventh Saint Under the Heavenly Dao! (Two Chapters Combined)

Under the watchful eyes of the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Western Sect, Ksitigarbha hovered above the Six Paths of Reincarnation, his body radiating an unparalleled aura.

At this moment, Ksitigarbha seemed to merge into the cycle of rebirth, resonating with it in an incredible way.

The staff in Ksitigarbha's hand now radiates a holy light, and the beings of the six realms and the eighteen levels of hell on it are vividly depicted.

"This disciple of the Western Sect? What's going on?" Guang Chengzi asked, looking bewildered.

Although the disciples of the Chan Sect did not know what Ksitigarbha's current state meant, it seemed somewhat abnormal.

"That's the aura of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. What exactly did Ksitigarbha do to make the Six Paths of Reincarnation resonate with him?"

The Vice Leader of the Chan Sect, Daoist Randeng, who had not spoken until now, looked solemn and spoke with disbelief.

"This disciple of the Western Sect is named Ksitigarbha. In fact, he is the mastermind behind the Western Sect's plan to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He is a man of deep cunning."

"That must have been a grand vow made within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, which is why the entire Six Paths of Reincarnation trembled!" Yun Zhongzi said in a deep voice.

As the Emperor of Fengdu in the underworld, Yun Zhongzi obviously had a better understanding of the six realms of reincarnation and quickly understood Ksitigarbha's current state.

"He made a great vow? Is he imitating the two saints of the Western religion? Does that mean Ksitigarbha is about to attain enlightenment?" Guang Chengzi said with a look of astonishment.

Back then, the two saints of the Western Sect originally intended to emulate the Three Pure Ones and establish the Western Sect in order to become saints, but they did not expect that their merits were insufficient and they were still some distance from becoming saints.

Left with no other choice, the two saints of the Western religion could only borrow some merit from the Heavenly Dao by making a great vow.

This move was unprecedented; the creatures of the primordial world had never imagined that merit could be borrowed from the Heavenly Dao.

Currently, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of the Western Sect is emulating the two saints of the Western Sect, making a great vow in the cycle of reincarnation.

But while anyone can make grand pronouncements, achieving tangible results requires more than just anyone.

The two saints of the Western Sect were direct disciples of the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and were among the six saints ordained by Heaven. It was only because of their great vows that the Heavenly Dao was shaken.

Try it on someone else and see if Heaven will pay attention to you. Perhaps what Heaven sends down isn't merit, but a heavenly tribulation.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's ability to make great vows within the six realms of reincarnation and to cause tremors within those realms is quite extraordinary.

This undoubtedly indicates that Ksitigarbha's great vow is not only extraordinary, but also very likely plays a key role in the cycle of rebirth in the six realms.

Yun Zhongzi was both shocked and furious. Reminded by Jiang Heng, he even informed his teacher, Yuanshi Tianzun, about the matter of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Originally, Yun Zhongzi thought that with the strong support of his teacher, the Six Paths of Reincarnation was already foolproof.

Indeed, this is the case. Although the Western Sect was not directly subdued, the Chan Sect has undoubtedly gained the upper hand, and the Western Sect's hopes of planning the Six Paths of Reincarnation are slim.

Who would have thought that Ksitigarbha would pull off a feint at this crucial moment, while secretly advancing his own forces! This put Yun Zhongzi in an awkward position.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation is now the key to Yun Zhongzi's enlightenment, and its importance to the entire Chan Sect is self-evident.

Otherwise, why would Yuanshi Tianzun have so strongly supported Yun Zhongzi? The Western Sect wants the benefits of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but doesn't the Chan Sect want them too?

The disciples of the Chan Sect were astonished by Ksitigarbha's grand gesture, but the disciples of the Western Sect were no better off; they were equally shocked.

This time, the Western Sect plotted the Six Realms of Reincarnation. Only Ksitigarbha knew the complete plan; all the other disciples of the Western Sect were kept in the dark.

After the appearance of the disciples of the Chan Sect, many disciples of the Western Sect, though they did not say it, were already convinced that their plan was likely to fail again.

Even Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru, if they weren't afraid of being punished by the Sage Zhunti, would probably have retreated long ago, and would never have bothered to compete with the disciples of the Chan Sect.

The Western Sect disciples never expected that Ksitigarbha had such a hidden trick up his sleeve, which was extremely crucial for the Western Sect.

Only Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru had mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, and their eyes were filled with complex emotions as they looked at Ksitigarbha.

The joy was that the Western Sect was able to turn the tide, and they had completed their mission, so they no longer had to worry about being punished by the Sage Zhunti.

What's worrying is that it was Ksitigarbha who allowed the Western Religion to turn the tide, yet they were completely unaware of this, which is quite extraordinary.

Moreover, Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru had their own ulterior motives in planning the Six Realms of Reincarnation, as the benefits it contained were truly tempting to them.

But now, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ksitigarbha will take all the benefits of the six realms of reincarnation. How could Maitreya and Bhaisajyaguru not have any thoughts about this?

At this moment, Jiang Heng, far away in the Thirty-Third Heaven, was also watching everything that was happening in the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

We can't ignore it! Not to mention that the Six Paths of Reincarnation is extremely important to Jiang Heng, the Supreme Sage is still watching from above!

If the Six Paths of Reincarnation were to be lost, Jiang Heng could hardly imagine how the unassuming and unassuming Sage Taiqing would react.

When Jiang Heng saw Ksitigarbha make a great vow within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, causing the Six Paths of Reincarnation to tremble, he was stunned for a moment.

Jiang Heng naturally knew that Ksitigarbha made the great vow, "I will not become a Buddha until the hells are emptied," thereby gaining boundless merit and establishing the name Ksitigarbha.

Jiang Heng had been preparing for this for a long time, which is why he gave some of the benefits of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to Yun Zhongzi, and even made Yun Zhongzi the Emperor of Fengdu.

This was originally intended to completely block Ksitigarbha's path forward. With the intervention of the Chan Sect, Jiang Heng did not believe that Ksitigarbha had any chance left.

Now, Ksitigarbha can still make great vows in the six realms of reincarnation, and can still cause tremors in the six realms of reincarnation, which is really beyond Jiang Heng's expectations.

With Jiang Heng's insight, it's not hard to see that if Ksitigarbha had only made a grand vow, the current situation would never have occurred.

After all, with Yun Zhongzi's masterpiece as a precedent, the current cycle of reincarnation does not lack the crucial role of guiding wronged souls.

The key lies in the staff that Ksitigarbha is holding at this moment, which is the fundamental reason why Ksitigarbha's great vow can cause a tremor in the six realms of reincarnation.

With Jiang Heng's discerning eye, it's not hard to see that the staff in Ksitigarbha's hand, though not a primordial magic weapon, is still extraordinary.

If I'm not mistaken, that staff must have been made by a sage, and it embodies an immense amount of spiritual power.

It is under the blessing of immense vow power that Ksitigarbha's great vow was able to cause a tremor in the six realms of reincarnation.

Once Heaven bestows merit, that staff will immediately become a treasure of acquired merit, even surpassing many innate spiritual treasures.

More importantly, this staff will become the instrument of authority in the six realms of reincarnation, capable of wielding the power to deliver all wronged souls within the six realms of reincarnation.

In this way, even though Yun Zhongzi is now the Fengdu Emperor appointed by the Heavenly Court, he still has to step aside in front of Ksitigarbha.

At that time, the authority over the Six Paths of Reincarnation will even be separated from the hands of the Ancestral Witch Houtu, with Ksitigarbha firmly occupying a crucial part of it.

Ksitigarbha will be like a nail, firmly fixed in the six realms of reincarnation, becoming a key piece in the Western religion's enjoyment of boundless merit in the six realms of reincarnation.

"Man proposes, God disposes; it seems Heaven has long had its eye on the Six Paths of Reincarnation!" Jiang Heng muttered to himself, his expression darkening.

That's true, and everything seems perfectly reasonable. But in Jiang Heng's opinion, it all feels somewhat far-fetched.

No matter how much Ksitigarbha's great vow aligns with the cycle of rebirth, and no matter how extraordinary that staff is, the cycle of rebirth is ultimately a manifestation of the ancestral witch Houtu.

Without the support of the Heavenly Dao, how could the grand vow made by Ksitigarbha alone cause such a violent fluctuation in the cycle of reincarnation?

The Western religion believed that it had accumulated enough power over thousands of years to successfully scheme against everyone and ultimately succeed in its plan to establish the cycle of reincarnation.

Little did they know that from beginning to end, the Western Religion was merely a pawn in the hands of Heaven. The success of the Western Religion was simply what Heaven desired for them to succeed.

Jiang Heng stared at the Six Paths of Reincarnation with a gloomy expression. Once the move was made, there was no going back; everything was already set in stone. It was too late for Jiang Heng to do anything now.

As Jiang Heng had predicted, after Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva held his staff and made a great vow, the Heavenly Dao finally reacted.

Heaven, moved by the great vow made by Ksitigarbha, bestowed boundless merit upon him. Judging from the merit that fell, it was far more than the merit that Yun Zhongzi received last time.

Once this merit falls into Ksitigarbha's body, Ksitigarbha will be able to attain enlightenment and become a quasi-saint level powerhouse. Not to mention, severing his own corpse would probably not be difficult.

Moreover, once Heaven bestows merit, the matter becomes a foregone conclusion, and even a sage cannot change it.

Ksitigarbha gazed triumphantly at the boundless merits that were slowly descending, his face beaming with the smile of a victor.

After ten thousand years of silence, becoming a laughing stock of the Western Sect and looked down upon by countless Western Sect disciples, Ksitigarbha was not discouraged in the slightest.

All the sacrifices were for this moment! In the end, Ksitigarbha triumphed, and this time he has finally gotten his revenge for what happened ten thousand years ago.

If possible, Ksitigarbha would love to see what kind of expression the current ruler of the human race has; it would surely be very interesting.

Just as Ksitigarbha was feeling triumphant, at this moment, in the void beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Two Western Saints also stood with smiles on their faces opposite the gloomy-faced Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

"Brother Yuanshi, in this round, our Western Sect has ultimately prevailed! The matter is settled, and it's time for both of us to stop!" Sage Zhunti said with a smile.

"snort!"

Yuanshi Tianzun stared at Zhunti Saint with a gloomy expression. If looks could kill, Zhunti Saint would probably be dead a thousand times over.

Yuanshi Tianzun gave the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, a deep look, then turned and left without saying a word.

The sage Yuanshi Tianzun never indulged in verbal sparring, but this sage was not magnanimous, and he must have thoroughly taken the Western religion to heart this time.

The two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, were not bothered at all; they were currently in a state of great pride and satisfaction. After all, just as Saint Zhunti had said, this round had been won by their Western Religion.

With the boundless merit of the Six Realms of Reincarnation, the Western Sect is one step closer to its great prosperity. How could the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, not be complacent and elated?

All the merits bestowed by Heaven will be integrated into Ksitigarbha's body. Everything is already set in stone. What unexpected possibility could there be?

But in the next moment, the two saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, were stunned, staring incredulously into the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"Boom!"

Just as the Heavenly Dao bestowed its merit, a violent shockwave suddenly emanated from the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The six realms of reincarnation had originally formed a mysterious resonance with Ksitigarbha, but at this moment, this resonance inexplicably and completely disappeared.

The merit bestowed by Heaven was about to fall upon Ksitigarbha's head, but at that moment, the boundless merit that was falling came to an abrupt halt.

The two saints of the Western Sect were stunned! Ksitigarbha was stunned! The disciples of the Western Sect were stunned! The disciples of the Chan Sect were also stunned.

All eyes were focused on Ksitigarbha, and on the boundless merit that floated in mid-air, motionless.

What's going on? It seems like Ksitigarbha was about to receive boundless merit, but then the heavenly bestowal of merit suddenly stopped?

Ksitigarbha was also stunned. In the past ten thousand years, he had thought of countless possibilities, but he never thought that an accident could happen at the very last moment.

At this moment, outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, the two sages, Jieyin and Zhunti, exchanged a glance and softly uttered two words: "Houtu!"

Similarly, outside the thirty-three levels, the Taiqing Saint, who had been meditating in the Taiqing Realm, showed a rare smile on his face.

The Sage Taiqing's gaze pierced through layers of space and landed on Jiang Heng in the Fire Cloud Cave, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

At this moment, Yuanshi Tianzun, who had just returned to Yuxu Palace, also looked in the direction of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, his face full of sneers.

Sensing that familiar fluctuation, Jiang Heng, who was in the Fire Cloud Cave, knew exactly what was causing the anomaly in the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"Finally awake!" Jiang Heng murmured to himself.

Although he could no longer suppress his excitement, Jiang Heng did not forget the prohibition of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and did not step out of Huoyun Cave.

If love between two people is meant to last, why should they be together every day? There may be sacrifices today, but they are for a better future!

"I ask my fellow disciples for your help!" Ksitigarbha said in a deep voice, his face full of determination.

Although Ksitigarbha did not understand what had happened, he was unwilling to fail. It was only one step away from victory, so how could he give up?

Ksitigarbha sat cross-legged above the six realms of reincarnation and began to silently recite the true scriptures, which were the great vows he had just made in the six realms of reincarnation.

As the chanting began, the staff in Ksitigarbha's hand vibrated once more, and its holy radiance shone forth again, spreading throughout the entire cycle of rebirth.

Other Western Buddhist disciples also realized what was happening and quickly sat cross-legged on the ground, silently reciting the scriptures with Ksitigarbha.

The pure power of vows rose from the Western Sect disciples and slowly converged on Ksitigarbha, making his holy radiance even more dazzling.

"Stop those Western Sect disciples immediately!" Yun Zhongzi's expression changed drastically, and he quickly shouted.

The other disciples of the Chan Sect then realized what was happening and immediately charged towards the Western Sect disciples with murderous intent.

But by then, it was too late; the power of the Western Buddhist disciples' vows had already been bestowed upon Ksitigarbha.

It was with this powerful vow that Ksitigarbha, with his staff, once again caused a tremor in the cycle of rebirth.

The boundless merit that was originally suspended in mid-air also began to vibrate, gradually approaching the top of Ksitigarbha's head.

A hint of joy appeared on Ksitigarbha's face. He had indeed made the right bet. As long as his willpower was sufficient, he would surely succeed this time.

But just as Ksitigarbha was preparing to press on, empowering himself with boundless vows and fully merging into the cycle of rebirth, nine-colored light emerged from the depths of the cycle of rebirth.

"Boom!"

The entire Six Paths of Reincarnation began to vibrate continuously, and nine-colored light filled the entire Six Paths of Reincarnation, instantly dispersing the holy radiance that Ksitigarbha had condensed.

At the same time, an incredible aura rose from the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, causing the entire primordial world to tremble.

Enveloped in nine-colored light, a woman rose into the air from the Bridge of Helplessness in the Six Paths of Reincarnation and flew into the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

This woman was none other than Meng Po, who had been serving Meng Po soup to countless wronged souls by the Bridge of Helplessness, and was also a wisp of Houtu, the ancestral witch.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

A heartbeat signaled, and a divine embryo slowly emerged from the nine-colored light. At that moment, Meng Po directly entered the divine embryo.

The next instant, the divine embryo exploded, and the figure of a woman slowly appeared in the Six Paths of Reincarnation. It was none other than Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, who had already transformed into the cycle of reincarnation.

At this moment, divine might permeated the heavens and earth, and all living beings in the primordial world sensed it. The disciples of the Chan Sect and the Western Sect, who were in the cycle of reincarnation, were already kneeling on the ground.

Looking at Ksitigarbha, whose expression had changed drastically, Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, slowly spoke: "I am the master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation; you should not interfere! Disperse!"

With a furious shout, an invisible force spread out, and the boundless merit that had been gathered above Ksitigarbha's head instantly dissipated.

In the instant that the boundless merit dissipated, Ksitigarbha seemed to be struck by an invisible force, and his body instantly fell from the sky above the six realms of reincarnation.

As Ksitigarbha fell, the staff in his hand began to crumble inch by inch, and his immense vow power dissipated along with it.

Ksitigarbha fell outside the cycle of reincarnation, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with disbelief.

After painstaking efforts and planning for millennia, success seemed within reach, but who could have imagined that it would end like this?

Despite his deep resentment, Ksitigarbha had no chance of resisting Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, who had transformed into a being of reincarnation.

With a "pfft," Ksitigarbha spat out a mouthful of blood, filled with resentment, and finally fainted.

On the one hand, it was the backlash from the failed attempt to establish the six realms of reincarnation; on the other hand, Ksitigarbha simply could not accept such an outcome.

It is foreseeable that after this blow, Ksitigarbha's path is completely destroyed. Even if he doesn't die, it's questionable whether he can retain his cultivation as a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"Greetings to the Great Virtuous Houtu!" The disciples of the Chan Sect stepped forward to pay their respects to the Ancestral Witch Houtu, for the aura emanating from her was truly incredible.

The disciples of the Chan Sect had only ever experienced this feeling with their own teachers. This made them wonder what kind of being this Houtu Ancestral Witch was.

"Greetings, Ancestral Witch Houtu!" Upon seeing the Ancestral Witch Houtu, the Witch Clan was naturally overjoyed and all knelt on the ground.

When Xuanming Ancestral Witch looked at Houtu Ancestral Witch, the eternally unyielding iciness on her face finally dissipated, replaced by an irrepressible excitement.

"Sister!" Xuanming Ancestral Witch said with deep sorrow, walking step by step towards Houtu Ancestral Witch.

Just then, a vast aura descended outside the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and the figure of an old Taoist slowly emerged.

Upon seeing the old Taoist priest, Houtu Ancestral Witch remained unfazed, seemingly unsurprised by his appearance. Instead, she took a step forward and stood opposite him.

"The Dao Ancestor has personally come to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Please forgive Houtu for not being able to greet me properly!" Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, said slowly.

Only then did the disciples of the Western Sect and the Chan Sect realize that the old Taoist in front of them was actually the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and they quickly knelt down again to pay their respects to the Dao Ancestor.

"I never imagined you'd get this far!"

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's gaze remained fixed on Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, and a rare hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"Just a fluke!" Houtu, the ancestral witch, said calmly.

"Since you are able to miraculously give birth to new life, you can become the seventh saint under the Heavenly Dao. Are you willing?" Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly spoke.

"Alright!" Houtu Ancestral Witch said softly.

Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, did not react in any particular way, but the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Western Sect nearby were filled with turbulent waves of emotion.

What did they hear? It was said by Dao Ancestor Hongjun himself that Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, was the seventh saint under the Heavenly Dao.

Doesn't this mean that Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, is already a saint? And that another saint will be added to the world? Or is it that the Ancestral Witch has become a saint?

Before the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Western Sect could recover from their shock, Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke again:

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation are of paramount importance, an inseparable part of the primordial world. From this day forward, you must not step outside the Six Paths of Reincarnation, even half a step, is that acceptable?"

This time, faced with the request from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Houtu Ancestral Witch pondered for a long time, seemingly hesitant, but finally said, "Alright!"

Dao Ancestor Hongjun nodded in satisfaction, took another deep look at Houtu Ancestral Witch, and his figure slowly dissipated outside the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

If you observe carefully, you will find that Houtu Zuwu never stepped out of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and Daozu never entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation either.

Just as Dao Ancestor Hongjun's figure vanished, a mighty voice resounded throughout the entire prehistoric world.

"Houtu has been reincarnated and has performed great deeds in the primordial world. Now that her merits are complete, she shall become the seventh saint under the Heavenly Dao!"

From this day forward, the ancestral witch Houtu will serve as a model for the virtuous and benevolent sage Houtu, emulating Heaven's will!

As this mighty voice resounded, countless sages knelt on the ground, proclaiming loudly towards the direction of the Six Paths of Reincarnation: "Congratulations to the Ancestral Witch Houtu on becoming a sage! May your sage live forever!"

From this moment on, a new sage was added to the primordial world, increasing the number of sages in the primordial world from six to seven.

Leaving aside the impact of this event on the primordial world, countless powerful figures still understand that it is no longer possible for anyone to plot the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, looked up at the Thirty-Three Heavens and seemed to see a familiar figure. She remained lost in thought for a long time.

After a long while, Houtu waved her hand and led the many extremely excited Wu tribe members back into the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

As for the disciples of the Western Sect and the Chan Sect, they exchanged glances and could only disperse.

(End of this chapter)