"Zhong, is there anything missing in this world?"
"Master, don't put too much pressure on yourself. What can be done has been done already; we just have to wait for the calamity to unfold... *BURP!*"
"What are you sneakily eating?"
"The pastries made by Young Master! His culinary skills are really not bad."
Wu Wang raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, "You haven't appeared before Young Master, have you?"
"Oh, right, this is tasting them in the future, tasting them in the future!"
Wu Wang couldn't help but facepalm. This fellow is becoming completely shaless!
If one were to look towards his Young Master now, they would see more than a dozen Celestial Court Goddesses gathered together... She was there too.
Calmly, Wu Wang avoided the question. With a slight movent of his thoughts, a small panel he had made decades earlier materialized before him, displaying rows of data:
Number of Great Daos governed by the Heavenly Dao: 2,349.
Fullness of the Power of Living Beings: 96.2%.
Stability Index of the Great Wilderness's Beings: Extrely Stable.
Expansion Speed of the Heavenly Dao in the Void: Slow.
...
Beside these figures was a special counter: an hourglass, within which flowed blood-red sand. When the sand in the hourglass ran out, the great calamity would descend.
Is there anything I haven't considered?
This was the question Wu Wang had asked himself most frequently of late.
He had deliberately obscured his perception of ti; otherwise, counting down the years to the calamity would bring unbearable pressure upon him. Even Wu Wang, who prided himself on his 'ntal fortitude' and could pilot a spaceship into a wormhole with little emotional disturbance, now sensed his own ntality gradually becoming unbalanced.
Previously, he hadn't thought so much, considering only how to fulfill his mission. Now, behind his mission, there were countless beings of the Great Wilderness—each a vibrant, living life.
The Eastern Emperor's Bell had advised him to seal away his emotional thinking, to view the final calamity through purely rational eyes, and to save as many as he could if the situation beca unsalvageable. But Wu Wang had his own plan, his own vision, and his thoughts were crystal clear.
There were two major problems now.
First, he did not know exactly how the calamity would unfold.
Second, he had not yet stepped onto the path of transcendence.
Comparatively, the second problem seed more fatal.
Should I go out for a walk?
Never mind.
Wu Wang looked down at his hands and slowly closed his eyes. Transforming into the Heavenly Dao, he observed all living beings in Heaven and Earth and gazed into the endless void. He had already explored the emptiness of the starry sky.
As the Eastern Emperor's Bell had said, the Star Gods were not wrong: the starry sky was rely a projection of the Great Dao. Yet, sohow, Wu Wang found traces here of his deeply held beliefs in the Big Bang theory and General Relativity.
The projection was not just a projection. It seed to be a guide given to him.
Emperor Fuxi had said the key to solving the predicant lay in the stars.
This starry sky...
Wu Wang's ethereal form appeared above the Celestial Court, seated at the highest point in the center of the Great Wilderness sky. He looked up at the stars, still sowhat distant, and remained motionless for a long ti.
「...」
「In the Human Domain, atop an Immortal Mountain enveloped in mist.」
Several figures arrived on clouds from the distant sky—two couples—and descended at a pavilion in the mountain forest.
The n were handso and dashing, having shed their youthful immaturity. Their every gesture exuded stability and maturity, along with an imposing air from years spent in high positions. They were Ji Mo and Lin Qi.
The two won were also dignified and graceful. Though strikingly beautiful, they restrained so of their allure when outside, careful not to overshadow their husbands.
As the four approached the immortal pavilion, they couldn't help but smile when they saw the banner hanging beside it:
[Casual Gathering of the Heaven-Annihilating Sect, the Dark Desire Sect, and the Lin Feng Great Demon Sect]
Inside the pavilion, a few people were already drinking; they quickly stood up to welco the arrivals. Thus, in this small immortal pavilion, the 'Friends of the Heavenly Emperor' gathered.
Seated in the main seat was a bald, muscular man who stood nine feet tall. This was Yang Wudi. Ever since returning from the Outer Sky, he had been living the glossy, prosperous life of a middle-aged Immortal. He possessed vast rits, had connections both inside and outside the Celestial Court, and had found a scenic mountain to build a villa, living a truly carefree and joyous life.
Recently, Yang Wudi had been at the forefront of the novel issue of 'intermarriage between the Demon clan and the Human race.' Having recently mingled with several won of the Demon clan, he looked ruddy and robust. However, his aura was slightly weak.
Beside Yang Wudi were two burly n who had no connection to the Annihilation Sect: Xing Tian and Da Yi. Their presence here today was for no particular reason other than having beco friends through a series of coincidental etings; over ti, their bond deepened, and they ca to regard each other as confidants.
Da Yi hadn't brought Heng'e along, and Xing Tian hadn't brought his Northern Wilderness attendant entourage today either. Yang Wudi, on the other hand, had brought two won of the Demon clan who were playing the zither and flute nearby, adding a touch of ambiance to the scene.
After Ji Mo and Lin Qi, his wife, took their seats, and the group had exchanged toasts and pleasantries for a few monts, Yang Wudi slapped his forehead and spoke up, adopting a particular tone, "How has everyone been lately?"
Lin Qi laughed. "With peace reigning under Heaven, we naturally live and work in contentnt. Every day is quite leisurely and carefree."
Ji Mo, however, shook his head and sighed, "Caught in the tides of events, wanting even a short period of tranquility is a luxury. I'm nowhere near as free-spirited and joyous as Brother Wudi."
"AHAHAHA! I'm just average, average." Yang Wudi waved his hands dismissively, then winked at Ji Mo and Lin Qi, his eyes holding a aningful look.
Ji Mo shook his head with a light laugh, picked up his wine goblet, t Lin Qi's gaze from across the way, and said softly, "Brother Lin, let's have a drink to this first."
"Mmm," Lin Qi replied, holding his goblet with both hands. He gently clinked it against Ji Mo's. As fine ripples spread across the surface of the wine, a faint, relieved smile touched Lin Qi's lips.
Xing Tian remarked from the side, "I've heard that your two families have now beco the leading prominent clans in the eastern and western parts of the Human Domain?"
"That is indeed the case," Lin Qi sighed. "But having reached such a position, it's difficult to maintain an untainted heart."
"Let's not speak of such things today!" Ji Mo said with a smile. "It's rare enough for us to get out, and even rarer for Brother Wudi to host. With Big Brother Xing Tian and Divine General Da Yi here, why should we discuss such vexing matters?"
"Indeed!" Lin Qi raised his cup in invitation. "Today, we won't return until we're thoroughly drunk!"
"It's a pity," Le Yao, beside Ji Mo, said with a laugh. "His Majesty the Eastern Emperor is overwheld with responsibilities, presiding over the great affairs of Heaven, Earth, and the Three Realms. Unfortunately, he cannot join us."
"AH!" Yang Wudi chuckled. "If the Sect Master were here, we'd probably have to be more restrained with our drinking. However, today I've invited a truly important figure!"
Ji Mo asked with a smile, "Don't tell you've invited the Lord of the Blood Sea?"
"HEHE, not the Lord of the Blood Sea, but his daughter—which is pretty much the sa," Yang Wudi said. "Elder Miao is now the chief steward of the Netherworld, responsible for coordinating the nurous miscellaneous affairs surrounding the Six Paths of Reincarnation. She answers directly to the Head Manager and the Young Master of the Celestial Court. It looks like she's about to beco the second-in-command of the Temple of Eternal Life! Let's eat and chat for now; Elder Miao will arrive shortly."
The crowd's interest grew even stronger.
Da Yi brought up a new topic—Chang Xi's solo dance under the moon—and imdiately, everyone's inner gossip enthusiast was awakened. After three catties of Immortal Wine had been consud, the conversation flowed freely.
They recounted the romantic histories of the various gods in the Celestial Court and bantered about the many strange and interesting facets of life. Their discussions ranged from the Heavenly Emperor's family affairs above to the reincarnation cycles of the Blood Sea below, from the Human Immortal cultivators in between to the clans returning from the Outer Sky far away.
Before long, a crimson cloud approached from the south. Several of them went out to welco the arrival, calling out "Elder Miao!" with laughter.
And what an arrival she was. She was dressed in a red gown, her makeup light yet strikingly beautiful. The long garnt enveloped her graceful figure, and a trace of weariness she couldn't quite shake off lingered in her eyes.
It was, indeed, Miao Cuijiao.
Upon Elder Miao's arrival, Yang Wudi and Xing Tian beca extraordinarily animated and much more talkative than before.
Yang Wudi was purely interested in inquiring about the unusual occurrences in the Netherworld; everyone knew it was the place where souls were reborn and understood the imnse significance of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. And now, Miao Cuijiao and her father (another elder of the Miao clan), this father-daughter pair, were the Immortal Gods closest to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. It was also evident how much the Heavenly Emperor trusted them.
After Miao Cuijiao took her seat, she first sighed three tis, then poured herself a jug of wine, procured a bowl and chopsticks, and focused on eating and drinking.
Ji Mo asked, "Elder Miao, what is the Netherworld like now? We are quite curious."
"It's still much the sa. We've constructed the Ten Halls of Yama upon the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc, all according to the decree of His Majesty the Eastern Emperor... Here, let give you a look."
Miao Cuijiao waved her fair hand. Beside the immortal pavilion, mist swirled, and within it, the silhouette of a colossal wheel erged. This wheel displayed six colors—red, green, orange, yellow, black, and white—corresponding to the Heavenly Dao's cycle of reincarnation.
As the image sharpened, one could see the ring had a diater exceeding several tens of thousands of feet. At its center was a blue vortex, surrounded by the rich power of the Heavenly Dao. The wheel itself bore various intricate patterns. These patterns were not re carvings; they contained the mature Dao of Heaven and Earth, establishing a connection between the entire wheel and Heaven and Earth itself.
Beneath the Reincarnation Disc was the roiling Blood Sea, its dense, viscous substance like cooling magma. Around the Reincarnation Disc, pitch-black chains, each thicker than the body of an Azure Dragon, extended towards the ten great halls surrounding it. One could see shimring points of light converging from all directions towards the outskirts of these halls—these were, naturally, the souls of the beings constantly passing away in the Great Wilderness.
Yang Wudi exclaid in admiration, "With this Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc, the population of living beings in the Great Wilderness can triple within a thousand years!"
"It's more than just that," Miao Cuijiao sighed softly. "Previously, beings could only live once between Heaven and Earth; after death, their souls would dissipate. Now, all beings are branded by the Heavenly Dao. After death, their remnant souls are imperishable. They enter the Netherworld to have their mories cleansed and their rits and derits judged. Then, they are either cast into the Blood Sea to suffer or placed into the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc to be reborn.
"This ans the sa soul, after its mories are wiped, can live between six to twelve tis in Heaven and Earth. This not only increases the number of living beings in the short term and enhances the Power of Living Beings between Heaven and Earth, but it also gives that soul more opportunities to embark on the path of cultivation.
"I just don't understand why His Majesty the Eastern Emperor is in such a rush, insisting on increasing the population of living beings so dramatically. Heaven and Earth have a limited carrying capacity."
"I have heard sothing about this," Da Yi mused. "Tianlan City, which lies beneath the Celestial Court, has recently been abuzz with talk of a great calamity. It seems there may be trouble ahead."
"What trouble could there possibly be?" Xing Tian patted his long neck. "With the Celestial Court as it is now, what enemy can't we destroy? No need to worry."
Everyone smiled faintly, yet they all felt there was so truth to his reasoning.
"Drink up, eat up!" Yang Wudi raised an eyebrow, finally ready to reveal what he wanted to show off. "Everyone, take a look at those two young won playing the zither and flute over there. Have you noticed anything peculiar about them?"
"Eh? Are those mbers of the Demon clan from the Outer Sky?"
"Their cultivation levels are quite decent. It's only been a few hundred years; how have they beco so common?"
The group then turned their discussion to matters concerning the Demon clan.
However, they overlooked the logical connection between the rise of the Demon clan and Wu Wang's establishnt of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc.
To increase the Power of Living Beings, to cultivate a stronger Heavenly Dao.
Or perhaps, they simply didn't dare to contemplate such matters.
「...」
「At the edge of Heaven and Earth, a white cloud drifted leisurely across the horizon.」
This was the true edge of the Great Wilderness. Looking down, one could see the frontier of the East Sea, waterfalls that stretched boundlessly downward, and at their base, the Secret River connected to the East Sea's abyssal eye. This place held many wondrous and enchanting sights, though ordinary people had no chance to witness them.
Upon the cloud, a Daoist with a Longsword on his back stood with his hands clasped behind him. He occasionally stroked his beard, his gaze wandering in the void. The Daoist had silver-white temples and a lean face. A sword-like radiance emanated from his eyes. It was Xiao Jian, who had not been seen for a long ti.
Xiao Jian was now a capable Divine General in the Celestial Court, responsible for guarding the border region of Heaven and Earth, east of the East Sea. Although Xiao Jian didn't know what here was worth guarding, he still dared not slack off. He patrolled the border under his command daily, ready to mobilize his one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers at the first sign of anything unusual.
In truth, Xiao Jian had a faint, unsettling feeling in his heart that sothing was wrong. It had been so ti since Emperor Shun and the Candle Dragon had died, yet no one in the Celestial Court, from the highest to the lowest ranks, had relaxed. They maintained an appearance of calm while remaining internally vigilant. As he was responsible for guarding this territory, he felt this tension most acutely.
Take, for instance, the changes in how the Celestial Court mobilized troops. Initially, the Celestial Court would choose one of three thods: ssenger soldiers, standard communication Jade Talismans, or instant-communication Jade Talismans. For ordinary deploynt orders, a ssenger soldier would be dispatched, as the costly instant-communication Jade Talismans were used least. After all, these things incurred costs. But within the last hundred years, the Celestial Court had continuously 'upgraded' its troop mobilization thods. Now, the instant-communication Jade Talismans were even enhanced with the power of the Heavenly Dao. It was as if a great war lood on the horizon.
Xiao Jian Daoist chuckled softly and shook his head. His mind drifted to fond mories of his ti with His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, a nostalgic look appearing in his eyes.
Suddenly...
Xiao Jian Daoist let out a soft sound of surprise, his brow furrowing as he gazed into the void.
The void should be empty.
Yet, at that mont, a tiny point of light seed to be twinkling in the void, like the gleam of so treasure.
Xiao Jian Daoist instinctively moved to rush over and investigate, but a warning suddenly flared in his heart, reminding him of the 'Code of Conduct' he had reviewed.
Without hesitation, Xiao Jian imdiately grabbed a Jade Talisman. Yet, before he could crush it, the space before him seed to tear open like a rift, and Wu Wang, clad in a black robe, stepped out.
Heaven and Earth remained utterly undisturbed, without the slightest ripple.
What level of cultivation is this?
Xiao Jian Daoist's Dao Heart trembled. He quickly moved forward and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty!"
"Brother Daoist, deploy the Heavenly Soldiers and set up a defensive formation."
Wu Wang turned his head slightly, his expression grave.
"Your servant obeys!"
Xiao Jian Daoist dared not delay. He turned into a streak of light and flew towards the Heavenly Soldiers' barracks.
With a wave of his large hand, Wu Wang caused a thin, golden mbrane of light to appear, enveloping the outer layer of the Great Wilderness World.
An enemy?
Have they appeared already?
「anwhile...」
In the southwestern corner of the Great Wilderness, at a place called Land's End, built by several Strong Gods at the edge of what was once the territory of the Outer Sky world.
The Martial God, the Water God, and the Wood God—a trio of leisurely old-tirs from the Celestial Court—were gathered here, drinking tea, chatting, and reminiscing about their departed old friends.
The Martial God's loyalty to his friends was beyond question. Although the Goddess of Fortune, Xiao Nu, had passed away many years ago, whenever the Martial God and his companions gathered for tea, he still kept the Crystal coffin holding her body nearby. The Goddess's body showed no signs of decay. Her lips held a serene, relieved smile, and she looked so lifelike it seed she might awaken at any mont.
The Martial God was lanting that he was practically rusting and gathering mold from idleness in the Celestial Court.
The Water God chuckled, gently chastising the Martial God and urging him to learn the aning of contentnt.
The Wood God's already creased brow furrowed further as he sighed, "You two are actually doing quite well. In the current Celestial Court, I'm in the most awkward position—not accomplished enough to rise, not willing enough to settle for less. It seems my rank in the Heavenly Dao sequence is firmly stuck, with no way to advance. If it weren't for the Gold God holding the absolute last place, I, this old man, would be the most disgraced among us Five Elents Gods."
"AHAHAHA! *BURP!*" The Martial God's eyebrows danced as he retorted sarcastically, "Why don't you consider this: back then, you were so adept at playing all sides, always managing to accrue neither rit nor fault. How was Qing Shan supposed to acknowledge any achievents for you?"
The Water God spoke gently, "There are always gains and losses. Why indulge in self-pity? We've all lived for so many years; squabbling over such things is... Eh?"
The Water God looked up at the sky.
The pale golden mbrane of light solidified in an instant, enveloping the entire Heaven and Earth with the power of the Heavenly Dao.
The three Strong Gods imdiately rose to their feet, their expressions turning solemn as they sensed that sothing unexpected had occurred. They were all intelligent gods—though one might playfully question the Martial God's astuteness. For years, they had all sensed that the Celestial Court faced an as-yet-unseen enemy. Core figures of power like the Eastern Emperor, Yun Zhongjun, and the Head Manager were extrely tense.
Such an anomaly, such a massive fluctuation in the power of the Heavenly Dao—this was definitely no ordinary matter!
Just then!
CRACK... CRACKLE...
"Old Water, Old Wood," the Martial God's Adam's apple bobbed a few tis. "Did you guys hear sothing?"
The gazes of the three Strong Gods simultaneously shifted to the Crystal coffin, upon which several cracks had just appeared.
BANG!
The Goddess of Fortune's coffin lid suddenly blasted off!
The Martial God's expression changed drastically. He lunged forward in a single bound, his power suppressing Heaven and Earth as his Divine Light flared. He slamd the Crystal coffin's lid back down, simultaneously pinning the Goddess who was trying to sit up.
The Water God cried out, "Wait! Don't be rash!"
The Wood God hurriedly shouted, "Martial God, don't attack!"
The Goddess of Fortune, her eyes still closed, cursed, "You just try and touch !"
The Martial God froze, holding the coffin lid, caught in a dilemma.
Inside the Crystal coffin, the Goddess of Fortune slowly opened her eyes—which were, shockingly, entirely pitch black. She forcefully exhaled a mouthful of gray breath, appearing as if she had just crawled out from the depths of the sea—her face was deathly pale, and her body trembled. However, the blackness in her eyes quickly receded, solidifying into a pair of dull, dim pupils.
No aura?
No discernible Dao charm?
The Water God and the Wood God rushed forward, their eyes filled with astonishnt.
But the Goddess of Fortune showed no intention of explaining further. Instead, she said in a firm voice, "Quick, take to Qing Shan! I don't know how long I can maintain this state; I could collapse and perish at any mont."
"Wait, what's going on?" the Martial God stamred.
"Sothing has happened," Xiao Nu said, her voice urgent. "There's an anomaly deep in the void. Life and death are being reversed, and the flow of ti is in disarray." She bit her lip tightly. "The corpse of the Third God King is about to revive."
The three Strong Gods were profoundly shocked.
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