"Wait! Did I mishear? Houtu actually refused the Heavenly Dao's merit?"
"Is that the point? The key point is the coexistence of the Three Paths: Heaven, Earth, and Man. It turns out that besides the Heavenly and Earthly Paths, there's also a Human Path!"
"What happened today is truly shocking to my immortal life of ten thousand years. So, the Primordial Era holds such a hidden secret!"
The beings of the Primordial Era chattered amongst themselves. The emergence of the Earthly Path's merit was proof that Houtu had spoken no falsehood.
At this moment, everyone was astonished. It turned out that this Primordial Era was not solely governed by the Heavenly Dao, but rather, the Three Paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man coexisted!
Houtu refused the Heavenly Dao's merit, but it did not depart. Houtu, in turn, paid it no mind and focused entirely on absorbing the Earthly Path's merit.
Ultimately, under the watchful eyes of all beings in the Primordial Era, Houtu's cultivation realm surged, finally reaching the Saintly position.
A powerful Saintly aura erupted, instantly sweeping across the entire Primordial Era. Houtu's voice followed.
"I have now become a Saint of the Earthly Path, overseeing the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Henceforth, I am no longer Houtu, the Ancestral Witch of the Wu Clan, but Ping Xin."
The beings of the Primordial Era understood upon hearing this.
Ping Xin, Ping Xin, meant maintaining a normal heart towards all beings in the Primordial Era, treating life and death, and reincarnation with equality.
Thus, they all bowed deeply in the direction of the Underworld.
"We pay homage to Empress Ping Xin!"
From this day forward, the Primordial Era had life and death, and reincarnation. The world was complete. Houtu benefited all beings, worthy of the reverence of any creature.
However, as myriad beings paid homage to Ping Xin, Patriarch Minghe cried out in alarm.
"Disaster! My Sea of Blood!"
Indeed, the Sea of Blood had been split directly in two. One half flew into the Underworld and, beneath the Bridge of Helplessness, became a vast river, the River of Oblivion.
This River of Oblivion lay between the Yellow Springs Road and the Underworld, serving as a boundary. Its waters were blood-yellow and would later be filled with the lonely souls of those unable to reincarnate.
No matter how Patriarch Minghe used his divine abilities, he could not reclaim the half of the Sea of Blood. He stomped his feet in anger, filled with regret.
"Fellow Daoist Xu Fang, your…"
Patriarch Minghe wanted to complain to Xu Fang, but after speaking halfway, he sighed helplessly.
How could he blame Xu Fang? Although Xu Fang had brought Houtu to the Sea of Blood and established the Underworld on its edge, it was precisely because the Sea of Blood was a place to contain the world's filth that it was the best choice for the Underworld.
And Houtu, by transforming into reincarnation and absorbing merit to become a Saint, had harmed nothing of the Sea of Blood.
The mistake was his own, for speaking so smoothly and mockingly back then.
At any other time, it might have been dismissed as boasting, but before Houtu's transformation into reincarnation, his words had become a vow of heaven. How could he dare go back on his word to the heavens? How could he resist the power of the world?
Xu Fang also spread his hands, indicating his helplessness, saying it was his own doing, alas!
As Patriarch Minghe lamented, Houtu, or rather Ping Xin's voice, rang out.
"Patriarch Minghe has offered half of his Sea of Blood to complete the Underworld, a sacrifice of great magnitude. Merit shall be bestowed upon him!"
As Ping Xin spoke, she waved her hands, sending half of the lingering Heavenly Dao merit towards Patriarch Minghe.
Simultaneously, countless merits of the Earthly Path also flowed towards Patriarch Minghe.
Patriarch Minghe rejoiced. Without a word, he entered the realm enveloped by merit, absorbing it.
Since that half of the Sea of Blood was irrecoverable, he might as well accept the merit, for it would be a waste not to.
"Fellow Daoist Xu Fang assisted me in achieving enlightenment and completing the world. The remaining merit shall be yours as well."
Ping Xin spoke, and the remaining half of the Heavenly Dao merit surged towards Xu Fang, along with the merits of the Earthly Path.
Xu Fang did not stand on ceremony. He entered the merit with a host of treasures, absorbing it. He also took the opportunity to let his magic treasures absorb the aura of merit, hoping they might become merit-imbued artifacts.
The beings of the Primordial Era watched this scene with envy.
Ping Xin had considered bestowing this merit upon the Wu Clan, but they, apart from herself, had no direct involvement in this matter. Forcibly granting it would only bring disaster upon them.
The Ancestral Witches of the Wu Clan also understood this principle and did not dwell on it, immersed in the joy of Houtu's sainthood.
Ever since Nuwa of the Demon Clan became a Saint, they had been anxious, fearing that Saint Nuwa would interfere in the conflict between the Wu and Demon tribes.
Now, with Houtu becoming a Saint, the Wu Clan had a Saint. Saint against Saint, they canceled each other out, leveling the playing field.
The Demon Clan, on the other hand, was filled with apprehension. While others might not know, they understood that their clan's Saint, Nuwa, did not concern herself with worldly affairs.
Now that Houtu had become a Saint, and she was an Ancestral Witch, she would likely not remain aloof like Nuwa. This meant the future conflict between the Wu and Demon tribes would become even more unpredictable.
As the Wu and Demon tribes experienced joy and sorrow respectively, a majestic voice echoed through the heavens and earth.
"Houtu transformed into reincarnation, completing the world, a deed of supreme merit. However, the Underworld is yet incomplete and requires a Saint to oversee it, preventing any unforeseen changes."
"Therefore, the Heavenly Dao decrees that Ping Xin shall not easily leave the Underworld, nor shall she interfere with the affairs of the Heavenly Dao!"
The beings of the Primordial Era understood immediately.
This was the Heavenly Dao's anger, directly suppressing the Earthly Path and restricting Ping Xin's actions, locking her and the Earthly Path within the Underworld, forbidding their departure!
It was understandable. Houtu had refused the Heavenly Dao's merit and even distributed it to Patriarch Minghe and herself. How could the Heavenly Dao let her off so easily?
However, everyone understood that even without this incident, the Heavenly Dao would have found an excuse to suppress the Earthly Path and restrict Houtu.
After all, the Heavenly Dao was born earliest, possessed the strongest power, and held immense authority over the Primordial Era. How could the newly emerged Earthly Path contend with it?
Indeed, as these words fell, countless forces of the Heavenly Dao surged forth, tightly sealing the Underworld.
Above the Underworld, myriad laws and powers rose to counter the forces of the Heavenly Dao.
However, in the end, they were suppressed. Ping Xin's figure vanished above the Underworld, and the scene in the heavens and earth concluded.
The beings of the Primordial Era knew that in that brief moment, the Heavenly Dao and the Earthly Path had clashed countless times.
Yet, the power of the Earthly Path was ultimately no match for the Heavenly Dao. It retreated with Houtu into the depths of the Underworld.
Even so, now that the beings of the Primordial Era knew of the coexistence of the Three Paths, their understanding was profound.
As the Underworld operated, constantly facilitating the reincarnation of beings in the Primordial Era, its importance in the world grew. The Earthly Path of the Primordial Era might yet have a chance to rise.
When that time came, with the Heavenly Dao, the Earthly Path, and the yet-to-emerge Human Path, the struggle for dominion over the Primordial Era between these three forces would undoubtedly bring about unforeseen changes to the world.