Tonggu didn’t have a habit of complicating things, so she directly accepted Xuanyi as a disciple. Of course, if it was Tongtian herself, or any of the other temporal incarnations, they might delay and whet Xuanyi’s appetite first before pretending to reluctantly accept.
Joy filled across Xuanyi’s face as she said, “Disciple thanks Master.”
“From now on, you will be the third disciple of my lineage,” Tonggu said. “You have two older senior brothers. You will meet them in the future, but for now, you’re still too weak.”
“Okay.” At Tonggu’s urging, Xuanyi stood up. She looked curiously at Tonggu. “Master, which great immortal are you?”
A playful smile appeared on Tonggu’s lips. “What, you only asked that now? What if I’m some no-name immortal or an evil fiend?”
Instead of showing fear, Xuanyi only shook her head. “My heart is telling me that Master is lying to me.”
“Tsk, tsk. Your heart is quite accurate. However, even if that is the case, you should still question everything. Only by using your wisdom can you maximize your intuition. Of course, don’t let your wisdom be led astray by that same intuition. Sometimes, what you think is the truth is not the truth, and what you think is false might not be wholly false,” Tonggu said.
“I’ll try,” Xuanyi said, a bit confused.
“You’ll understand in the future.” Tonggu looked down at Xuanyi, and a majestic aura rolled off her body. “Listen well. I am Tonggu, the one who stands equal to the Saints of Heaven!”
“Saints of Heaven?” Xuanyi’s breath quickened. If it was any other title, Xuanyi really might not have known. But her new master mentioned the Saints of Heaven, the supreme venerables of heaven and earth. Even though humanity had forgotten many events and history, they still knew the exalted status of Saints.
Tonggu shrank until she was only 2 meters tall. She still towered over Xuanyi, but not as much as before. “As your master, I will let you choose one of two methods to cultivate. The first one is my Supreme Purity Scripture; it will allow you to embark on the Immortal Path. The second option is the Eight Source Ascension. It was created by my eldest disciple, Wutian, and cultivating it will allow you to embark on the Martial Path. So, which one will you select?”
Hesitation flitted across Xuanyi’s face. On one hand, one was the method created by the Heavenly Lord of the Immeasurable. On the other hand, the second was the Eight Source Ascension created by humanity’s greatest protector. Tonggu said nothing while an internal struggle raged in Xuanyi’s mind. She just waited patiently.
After what seemed like an eternity for Xuanyi, she made her choice. “I choose the Supreme Purity Scripture!”
Tonggu raised an eyebrow. Honestly, she expected Xuanyi to choose Wutian’s Eight Source Ascension. After all, she was a human and not an early heaven lifeform. Still, she wouldn’t delve into Xuanyi’s choice. Everyone had their own path, and she did not need to understand everything.
Instead, a pill that resembled a sphere carved out of a pure white jade appeared in Tonggu’s palm. “Before you start cultivating, you should purify your body of all filth. This is the Impurity Cleansing Pill. Once you eat it, your body will return to a state similar to when you were in your mother’s womb.”
Xuanyi took the pill and smelled it, but she couldn’t detect any odor. With a shrug, she swallowed it. Not a second later, she felt as if an infinite amount of worms were crawling out of her skin. It wasn’t painful, just uncomfortable. What was painful was the revolting stench.
Turbid liquid that looked like a cross between urine and feces flowed out of her pores, and just the slightest whiff caused her to gag and want to vomit. In fact, she did vomit, expunging the same type of liquid. For the first time in her life, tears streamed down Xuanyi’s face uncontrollably.
Tonggu watched all of this without a change of expression. Only after Xuanyi expunged all the impurities did she speak. “Now that the process is over, I’ll transmit the first few parts of the Supreme Purity Scripture.”
“Master, can’t you wait a second?” Xuanyi asked as she focused her resentful gaze on Tonggu. “It feels so disgusting and smells so bad. I can’t even concentrate.”
“Well, it did come out of your body.”
Xuanyi opened her mouth, but no words came out. Finally, she pouted with a huff. It would have looked cute were it not for the filth caked on her skin. “I’m going to wash first, then I’ll return.”
Tonggu shook her head and watched as Xuanyi ran toward the nearest body of water. She waved her hand and cleaned up the filth Xuanyi had expunged. Only then did she look at the gilded cage in her hand. ‘A golden cicada? Is it Jin Changzi?’
According to the Chinese Classic, Journey to the West, Tang Sanzang, one of the four protagonists, was actually the reincarnation of a golden cicada. The golden cicada, Jin Changzi, had been forced to undergo reincarnation by his master, Tathagata, after committing a mistake.
Was it really so coincidental?
The golden cicada in her hand was only at the Sky Immortal level. Although its cultivation base was weak, it didn’t matter. After all, during the events of Journey to the West, Tang Sanzang was just a regular mortal.
An amused smile appeared on Tonggu’s lips. ‘If he really is that Jin Chanzi, it’s quite ironic. Today, he tried to eat Xuanyi because of her flesh to increase his cultivation. Come several eons later, he would become the source of yearning for many demons for the exact same reason. If anything, he would be even more delectable.’
The gilded cage disappeared from Tonggu’s hand, along with the golden cicada. Right now, Jin Chanzi was just an inconspicuous demon, just one of many. Far from enough to attract the two western Saints’ attention. If used well, Tongtian would be able to absorb a large amount of luck during the events of Journey to the West. For now, she still needed to plan it carefully.
Speaking of plans, Tonggu couldn’t help but sigh. Tongtian had planned to capture Kong Xuan after the two worlds finished merging. After all, even if she had suspicions, her own power came first. Only, she never expected Kong Xuan to actually enter the Primordial Origin Realm so soon after the war of worlds ended.
Now that Kong Xuan had become a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin, Tongtian put her plans on dealing with him on hold. It was not that Tongtian couldn’t deal with him, she just couldn’t do it in the Three Realms. As the Jade Emperor, ruler of the Three Realms, she had to protect the stability and prosperity of the Three Realms. Capturing Kong Xuan would undoubtedly cause irreparable damage to the Three Realms, not to mention that the Allheaven Jianmu Tree hadn’t fully healed either.
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So, unless Kong Xuan willingly entered the chaos, Tongtian would not clash with him.
“Harmonious One of Blessed Wisdom, huh?” Tonggu whispered. Honestly, although she respected Kong Xuan’s persistence, she couldn’t bring herself to have a good impression of someone who went against his word so many times. First was the Violet Manor created by Dong Wanggong and Xi Wangmu, followed by betraying Haotian and forcing the latter to reincarnate.
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Inside the vast halls of Eminence Heaven Palace, Tongtian opened her eyes and stretched out her hand. Not even a second later, she held a gilded cage with a golden cicada. Unlike when it was in Tonggu’s hand, the golden cicada was frozen in midair, like an insect trapped in amber.
Tongtian brought the insect closer. She had frozen the spacetime around the golden cicada. Furthermore, she had already erased the memories the golden cicada had of Tonggu. Well, erasing the memories wasn’t exactly the correct term. To be more precise, she deleted the time of the golden cicada from the moment Tonggu appeared. This resulted in the golden cicada losing memories and karmic ties within the deleted timeframe.
She leaned back against the Throne of Heaven and deliberated what to do with the golden cicada. If she interfered too much, Jieyin and Zhunti might notice her traces on the demon. If that happened, all her plans would result in nothing, and she would lose the chance to gain a large amount of Karmic Luck after the events of Journey to the West.
But if Tongtian didn’t prepare enough, she would get nothing.
Slowly, a smile appeared on Tongtian’s face. Her smile was dazzling and made the entire throne hall feel as if it was in spring. “If it works out like that, not only would I be able to secure a large part of the West’s luck, but I can make up for the regrets of my previous life.”
As Tongtian’s power grew, she gradually ascertained her original identity. Especially after seeing them. Tongtian didn’t recall all the memories of her original life, but bits and pieces were enough. For now, her previous identity did not affect her much, but once she discovered more, it might hinder her way.
In order to prevent that, she had to make up for the regrets of her first life. Otherwise, she might be forever unable to break the limit of the Primordial Origin Realm.
Tongtian’s finger slipped through the cage’s bar and tapped the golden cicada on its forehead. Using her other hand, she unlocked the cage, but the golden cicada didn’t move. She waved her hand and the golden cicada disappeared, and the gilded cage dissipated into golden particles.
Next, a white-robed figure adorned in what appeared to be a silver shawl appeared in front of Tongtian. Shitian nodded and left the Heavenly Realm and descended to the Earthly Realm.
Alone once more, Tongtian leaned back on her throne and closed her eyes, intent on resuming her comprehension of the myriad laws. “Laozi, Yuanshi, I hope you don’t become my enemies.”
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While the Saints comprehended the myriad laws of heaven and earth, and Xuanyuan unified the humans of the East, a shocking change had occurred in the Blood Sea.
In the center of the Blood Sea floated an island. Unlike the miasma-filled air of the rest of the Blood Sea, the core of the Blood Sea was filled with a gentle red light that invigorated the life force of anyone who stepped in. Even compared to the Heavenly Realm, it was a rare land of cultivation. Anyone who cultivated the Strength Path would receive twice the results with half the effort.
Built atop the island was an ominous palace of dull red stone that resembled crystallized blood, Crimsonsap Palace. This was the base of Minghe, the master and first life of the Blood Sea. However, he was not standing in the grand hall of the palace but lying limp on the ground. In fact, the entire hall was in ruin, mirroring its owner’s state.
Minghe’s bloodshot eyes stared at the figure standing above him. “Impossible! How are you so powerful?”
The figure, a red-skinned shura with two arms and one face, stared at his creator with passionless eyes. No, there was emotion in those divine eyes: disdain.
The four arms on Sakra’s body merged into two, and his skin turned white, like that of a human. Lightning arced across his skin and transformed into golden robes and simultaneously healed his wounds.
Upon seeing that Sakra wouldn’t answer him, Minghe turned his glare toward a green-robed figure exuding a ferocious beast-like aura. The green-robed daoist had a hawk-like nose protruded over his gaunt body, his skin practically attached to his bones. “And you, Kunpeng, what exactly is your aim? What benefits do you hope to receive by teaming up with my traitorous creation?”
“Shut up!” Kunpeng shouted, anger bursting from his eyes. After Wutian injured him, Sakra had also wounded him. Even after the war of worlds, he hadn’t fully recovered. The battle with Minghe had even reversed what recovery he had made. Not to mention that Kunpeng hadn’t attacked Minghe out of his free will.
“Give it up, Minghe,” Sakra said, not even bothering to keep up the facade of respect for his creator. “Even Saints might have trouble killing you with your connection with the Blood Sea, but it isn’t impossible. Your lifesaving means are good, but there is only one reason you lost. That is because you are too weak.”
Minghe flinched back, as if Sakra had punched him. “Weak! I’m too weak!?”
“Hahaha!” he released a bitter laugh. “That’s right. In this world, strength reigns supreme. If I wasn’t so weak, I would not have allowed that bastard Kong Xuan to steal my Twelfth-Ranked Red Lotus of Karma and Yuanti and Abi Swords. If I wasn’t so weak, you would have never defeated me!”
Hatred spewed forth from Minghe’s eyes and bore into Sakra. “Sakra, oh Sakra. You may have won, but don’t think you can control the Blood Sea so easily. Even if you are born from the Blood Sea, you are not qualified to control it! As long as a bloodgod incarnation exists, as long as the Blood Sea exists, I, Minghe Ancestor, am eternal!”
Minghe’s skin turned red. His hair, robes, everything about him turned viscous. It was as if a terrifying heat was melting him.
Sakra didn’t show any surprise. He turned toward Kunpeng. “It’s your turn.”
Kunpeng didn’t hesitate. His eyes even showed a hint of desire. He opened his mouth and an illusionary kunpeng appeared behind him. The illusionary kunpeng unleashed a great suction force from its beak, and Minghe’s body flew inside of it.
For a few moments, silence filled the grand hall of Crimsonsap Palace. Then, a horrified scream filled the entire halls. “What did you do?!”
Sakra sneered. “Minghe, did you really think I don’t have a method to deal with you? I’m not stupid. If I didn’t have a method to cut off your connection with the Blood Sea, I would have never confronted you at this point in time, even if you are far weaker than me.”
“Sakra! You hateful cretin!” Minghe screamed. Although he was immortal, his immortality was based on whether his soul could survive or not.
To create his bloodgod incarnations, Minghe had cut off tiny pieces of his soul and used them as the foundation. If his main body died, his soul would disappear and transfer into the most suitable bloodgod incarnation, but in Kunpeng’s stomach, his soul was trapped. As long as Minghe died in Kunpeng’s stomach, most of his bloodgod incarnations would collapse without his main body’s soul to anchor them.
The only hope Minghe had was to gather all his bloodgod incarnations and merge them together into one before his main body died. Even then, he only had a slight chance of survival, and his strength would reduce dramatically. Minghe didn’t know if he would stay a Golden Immortal of the Great Unity, much less his Quasi-Saint Realm.
Despite Minghe’s resistance, Kunpeng digested him. Devouring Minghe was not without benefits to Kunpeng. He allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips as he felt his bodily injuries heal at an expedited rate. With nourishment from Minghe, he was sure to heal at least eighty percent of his injuries.
Sakra didn’t pay attention to Kunpeng and instead focused on the Blood Sea. When Kunpeng successfully devoured Minghe, he felt a change occur in the Blood Sea. Most life within didn’t sense it, and even Golden Immortals of the Great Firmament would have a hard time sensing it. They might feel something had changed, but not what.
He left Crimsonsap Palace and flew into the Blood Sea below the island. Aside from wanting to control the Shura Sect and secure a portion of the Three Realm’s Karmic Luck, Sakra also wanted to control the Blood Sea. Although Saints could kill him, mastery of the Blood Sea would give him substantial lifesaving abilities. Once he entered the Primordial Origin Realm, these methods would only magnify.
Years later, black thunderclouds congregated above the Crimsonsap Palace. Lightning struck, and thunder roared. From within the depths of the Blood Sea, an angry howl erupted. “Damn you, Minghe!”