Chapter 256: One Palm Annihilates the Demon Clan, Six Dao Marks, Child of Heaven's Mandate, Sheltered by the Great Era!

All Things Hell.

It is formed from all resentful spirits between heaven and earth; in other words, this is the great power of heaven and earth.

It is something human power cannot defy.

All Things Hell can summon the dead from ancient times to the present; if one thinks a little, how many resentful spirits does a thousand-year dynasty have? And from ancient times to the present, it cannot be calculated in years.

The ancient era is perhaps only several tens of thousands of years away from now; this is because a great change occurred, and this era, relatively speaking, is weaker, belonging to the early period.

The entire ancient era may have a span of a million years.

Think about it—over this million years, how many resentful spirits are there?

The Yin soldiers are undying, with endless resentful spirits; no matter how you try to liberate them, you cannot completely purify them.

Therefore, All Things Hell can be called an unsolvable great catastrophe.

The ancient clans did not realize this, but they subconsciously believed that after the great era withers, this catastrophe will disappear, so they are not afraid; instead, they hope this calamity can resolve the beings of the great era.

This amounts to cleaning up the debris for them, so they don't have to act themselves.

Therefore, the great era must wither, and all beings under heaven must be buried in All Things Hell; this is the idea of the ancient clans.

And above the firmament.

Gu Jin Nian bears a solemn and dignified appearance; his gaze is exceptionally clear; he wears a white robe that surpasses snow; his pupils contain no stray thoughts; and beneath his feet, lotuses bloom step by step.

Everything around is evolving into a pure land.

No one knows what happened; they only feel that Gu Jin Nian's current change is astonishing, as if he is brewing something.

At the very moment when people are doubtful, a calm voice sounds.

"I am Gu Jin Nian."

"Today I establish an immortal great vow."

"Hell shall not be empty."

"I swear not to become a Buddha."

The faint voice sounded, without the grand resonance of heaven and earth, nor the blossoming of various portents.

But when these words were spoken,

heaven and earth fell into complete silence.

all things seemed to freeze.

Gu Jin Nian's surroundings completely transformed into a pure land; his appearance changed, filled with gentleness and compassion; he made the three dharma seals, attained supreme enlightenment; beneath his feet, myriad golden lotuses blossomed, and around him, countless ancient Buddhas chanted sutras.

Boom.

The sound of heaven and earth's music rang forth; the sun and moon, at this moment, emitted countless rays of light; Buddhas of past and present also manifested themselves at this moment.

This is an immortal great vow.

In the Western Desert.

Buddha Guangyuan and True Buddha Shangxing's gazes were utterly dimmed; they knew Gu Jin Nian had won, and won cleanly and decisively.

Hell shall not be empty.

I swear not to become a Buddha.

What overwhelming might, and what boundless compassion!

Within the Buddhist gate, countless monks seek to verify the Dao and attain enlightenment; is not a lifetime of arduous striving merely to become a Buddha? Yet Gu Jin Nian dares to make such a vow; for the beings of the world, he almost sacrifices everything.

Roar.

At this very moment, a divine elephant appeared, utterly holy, stepping on hell; with its roar, 108,000 worlds collapsed, endless hell shattered, countless resentful spirits wailed in succession, and even the ten great palaces were utterly shattered.

The Ten Hall Kings could not help but tremble.

"Heaven and Earth Divine Elephant."

"This is the Heaven and Earth Divine Elephant."

"The divine beast that suppresses hell, an existence formed by the condensation of heaven and earth—never did we expect it to appear."

"It is said that only a Buddha of immeasurable merit can possess such a divine beast as a companion; Holy Gu's great vow today is indeed worthy of it."

"The ancient Buddha's mount is the Heaven and Earth Divine Elephant."

Sound after sound rang forth, explaining the origin of this divine elephant.

Soon this divine elephant came before Gu Jin Nian; it is extremely fierce, capable of suppressing myriad divine prisons, yet in the presence of Gu Jin Nian it appears exceedingly obedient.

As if having some realization, Gu Jin Nian smiled slightly, turned sideways and sat upon the divine elephant, then walked toward All Things Hell.

Bang! Bang! Bang! A tremendous explosion rang out; Gu Jin Nian's dignified manifestation sat upon the divine elephant, then slowly descended into All Things Hell.

At this moment, the entirety of All Things Hell trembled; myriad rays of divine light poured down, transmogrifying all evil.

This is terrifying, yet astonishing, drawing the attention of the world.

"From ancient times to the present, countless resentful spirits—can you truly resolve them?"

"Hell shall not be empty, I swear not to become a Buddha; this king admires your courage and praises your ambition, but endless resentful spirits—how will you resolve them?"

At this very moment, a figure appeared—one of the Ten Hall Kings, Qin Guang Wang—standing before Gu Jin Nian, he posed the question.

Roar.

The divine elephant roared, glaring at Qin Guang Wang, beneath its feet Buddhist light rippled for myriad miles.

Faced with this situation, Qin Guang Wang grasped the Ghost Seal, blocking this terrifying power of heaven and earth.

"I wish to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation for All Things Hell, to build the Eighteen Levels of Hell, seeking the cycle of cause and effect, endless rebirth, to transmute all myriad evils."

Gu Jin Nian spoke slowly; he knew that even such a terrifying vow could only temporarily suppress All Things Hell.

To truly resolve this crisis, there is only one way.

That is to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Only then can the crisis be truly resolved.

After all, it's better to guide than to block.

"What is the Six Paths of Reincarnation?"

At this moment, the Ten Hall Yama Kings appeared one after another; they were curious and did not understand what Gu Jin Nian meant.

Meanwhile, the people of the world were shocked; Gu Jin Nian was communicating with the Ten Hall Yama Kings of the mythic era, which was unbelievable.

"In the mythic era, all things slaughtered; you Yama Kings punished evil and removed wickedness, establishing the Saṃsāra Hell, seizing all who had erred, throwing them into hell to be tortured to death, to repay their evil deeds."

"This is the origin of the Saṃsāra Hell."

"But such conduct is hard to judge fairly; therefore, if we could use the power of heaven and earth to construct the Six Paths of Reincarnation, from now on, countless resentful souls, regardless of love or hatred, would enter hell, undergo rebirth, be judged by the Ten Halls, and enter one of the Six Paths."

"These Six Paths are respectively the Heavenly Path, the Asura Path, the Human Path, the Animal Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, and the Hell Path."

"The Human and Heavenly Paths are good paths; those in the Human Path can be reborn as humans, those in the Heavenly Path can receive blessings of fortune, enjoying wealth and honor, or in future cultivation step onto the path of longevity."

"The Animal, Evil Ghost, and Hell Paths are paths of evil thoughts; reborn as poultry and beasts, suffering evil ghost punishments, the eighteen layers of hell grind away, cleansing karmic sin."

"The Asura Path is the path of extreme evil; it should be punished with the utmost penalty, never to be reborn for eternity."

"If the Six Paths of Reincarnation are established, resentful spirits of heaven and earth will have no karma; the deceased will attain rebirth and liberation, while those who are evil spirits and malign influences will suffer terror, their karma offset, and the world will be at peace."

"I do not know what you, the Yama Kings, think."

Gu Jin Nian spoke lightly, conveying the concept of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to them.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Ten Hall Yama Kings suddenly changed.

They truly had not considered this method; upon careful listening, they found it extraordinarily wonderful.

The ten of them, in the mythic era, truly hated evil as enemies, establishing the Saṃsāra Hell solely to punish some evil existences between heaven and earth.

But they discovered that evil between heaven and earth is hard to eradicate; thus, in their later years, their grand aspiration could not be fulfilled, and they ultimately departed in anger.

Now, after several eras have passed, they have been reflected forth; naturally they wish to destroy this great age and then build a new world, with good and evil defined by them—that is why they seek to destroy the world.

But today, upon hearing Gu Jin Nian's established Six Paths of Reincarnation, they were indeed attracted and felt shocked.

"May I ask how to establish it?"

Qin Guang Wang spoke up, asking Gu Jin Nian, but his attitude had changed; initially it was contempt, and in their view Gu Jin Nian was merely a grain of light, utterly unable to obstruct the revival of the Saṃsāra Hell.

Yet as Gu Jin Nian recited the Buddhist 'Establishing Teaching Heart Sutra', they began to regard him seriously—though only seriously—and they still understood that Gu Jin Nian could not obstruct their revival.

Now, as Gu Jin Nian set forth his great vow, the Ten Hall Yama Kings still developed immense admiration for him.

Hell is not empty.

I vow not to become a Buddha.

Such words are very similar to the oath they once swore.

In other words, they and Gu Jin Nian are of the same kind; they merely use different methods.

Now, Gu Jin Nian again speaks of the Six Paths of Reincarnation—how could they not be shocked?

However, they do not know how to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

"Borrow the power of heaven and earth."

Gu Jin Nian spoke lightly.

Then he opened his hand, and several seals appeared; these are the Heaven's Mandate Seals.

"I possess the Heaven's Mandate Seal; with a sincere heart, I ask the heavens to comprehend, to grant the Six Paths of Reincarnation, to establish the yin-yang of the netherworld, for the ten Yama Lords to govern the underworld and maintain the world of resentful souls."

"But I also hope the ten Yama Lords will approve the Six Paths of Reincarnation, contributing their strength to the utmost good of heaven and earth."

Gu Jin Nian spoke out, his tone resonant and forceful.

He can make heaven and earth acknowledge the Six Paths of Reincarnation, but establishing it requires someone to oversee and someone to handle; he himself cannot do it, only the ten Yama Lords can step forward.

Each of them is an immortal existence, immensely powerful, capable of suppressing the eighteen layers of hell and commanding countless nether troops.

Indeed, they are the best choice.

Thus the initiative lies in their hands; if they are willing, the matter can be accomplished; if not, it is all empty talk.

The ten Yama Lords exchanged glances, saying nothing.

Thus heaven and earth fell silent.

The people were somewhat tense; everyone could see that if they agreed, this would be another supreme merit, with Gu Jin Nian leading the establishment of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, creating the netherworld, whose merit would likely not be inferior to spreading the Mahayana Dharma.

About half an incense stick later.

The Ten Hall Yama Lords finally turned their gaze to Gu Jin Nian, then all bowed to him together.

"Please, Sage Gu, establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

They bowed to Gu Jin Nian, acknowledging the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and at the same time they thoroughly admired Gu Jin Nian.

"Many thanks, Ten Hall Yama Lords."

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian hesitated not; he smiled slightly and bowed to the ten.

Then he waved his hand, radiating boundless Buddhist light.

"I, Gu Jin Nian, pray that heaven and earth acknowledge, establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and build the netherworld's government."

Gu Jin Nian gazed at the firmament, offering his own Heaven's Mandate as payment, earnestly pleading for heaven and earth's acknowledgment.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Strands of divine light pierced the darkness, pouring down from the firmament onto the Southern Barbarian lands, altogether six beams of light, opening up the six great mirrors of reincarnation.

The Saṃsāra Hell also underwent a tremendous change at that moment.

The ten palaces, at that moment, became the Yama Kings' halls; the ghostly seals burst forth with magical treasures, the registers of life and death, the judges' pens, corresponding to each Yama Lord.

All resentful spirits of heaven and earth gathered entirely toward the Saṃsāra Hell.

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation have arisen; all resentful spirits of heaven and earth may enter the netherworld's government, undergo rebirth, and all good and evil will be judged."

King Qin Guang's voice sounded.

He set the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Hundreds of millions of Yin soldiers also let out trembling, angry roars at this moment.

The Yin soldiers, empowered by the merit of virtue, transformed into guardian deities of the netherworld, upholding order.

Dong.

A deep, muffled voice rang through everything.

The dim heavens and earth at that moment became completely bright, golden‑yellow ether covering the whole world, and boundless merit manifested.

The world was shocked, yet also showed signs of relief, and there was the excitement of those who survived the calamity.

Having endured such a great disaster, they could not remain calm.

"Gu Sheng, this is the Ghost Seal Decree; the true Ghost Seal cannot be given to you, but this Ghost Seal Decree can still command all Yin soldiers under heaven."

"Establishing the Six Paths of Reincarnation now is the supreme merit; we do not desire this merit, we give it all to Gu Sheng, hoping Gu Sheng will act for ten thousand years of peace."

"If you need assistance from the ten of us, Gu Sheng, feel free to ask; as long as it does not go against Heaven's will, we brothers will never stand by idly."

The Ten Yan Lords spoke, and they performed grand bows toward Gu Jin Nian, heartfelt.

At the same time they handed a Ghost Seal Decree to Gu Jin Nian, granting command over all Yin soldiers.

"The netherworld is another realm; to be precise, this netherworld still requires ten brothers to manage properly. As for other matters, I, the humble younger brother, will certainly not trouble the ten brothers."

"Just follow Heaven's will."

Gu Jin Nian was not arrogant; he did not think that establishing the Six Paths of Reincarnation entitled him to any reward. Solving this great matter was also beneficial to him.

Why force anything? Indeed, when he said that, the Ten Yan Lords gasped in amazement, and not only them—every major ancient clan turned pale in astonishment.

This is a Ghost Seal Decree that can command all Yin soldiers, yet Gu Jin Nian refused? If they received it, they would have endless benefits.

In their eyes, Gu Jin Nian was simply squandering a heavenly treasure.

"Gu Sheng should still accept the Ghost Seal Decree; it may prove useful in the future."

"We admire Gu Sheng's spirit; since Gu Sheng called us brothers, why not become sworn brothers?"

King Qin Guang's voice sounded; he was straightforward, highly valued Gu Jin Nian's character, and proactively proposed a brotherly oath.

When the oath was spoken, a massive shock rippled instantly, and the ancient clans turned pale one by one.

These are mythic figures, the Ten Yan Lords; their power is unfathomable. Now they have established the Six Paths of Reincarnation and founded the netherworld, in other words, they are kings of the underworld.

Such beings swearing brotherhood with Gu Jin Nian, if a conflict ever arose with him in the future, would not be a good thing for them.

As for the Da Xia Dynasty and the Zhongzhou Dynasty, countless people showed delight, unable to hide their smiles; the better Gu Jin Nian becomes, the greater protection they naturally receive.

"Humble younger brother pays respects to all the brothers."

Gu Jin Nian said nothing superfluous and bowed once toward the ten.

The ten laughed, then walked straight toward Gu Jin Nian and said.

"Jin Nian, virtuous junior, we ten have nothing valuable to pass to you; we give you the Great Wild True Demon Scripture, and within the myriad hells lies the Forgetful River. Go to the Forgetful River to temper yourself; it will cleanse all your impurities and elevate your physique."

Emperor Song's voice sounded; he was straightforward, presenting a scripture—the supreme Demon Path text—and also opening the Forgetful River, allowing Gu Jin Nian to temper his flesh within it.

"The Forgetful River can wash away all past remnants; a single drop can return a person to their original purity—this is a heavenly opportunity!"

"The Great Wild True Demon Scripture, the supreme Demon Path text—who would have thought it ended up in the hands of the Ten Yan Lords?"

"Demon Path scripture? Is this meant to lead Gu Jin Nian into demonic cultivation?"

Some shocked voices rose, astonished by the Forgetful River; others were surprised, thinking the Ten Yan Lords shouldn't give anything bad, insisting on the Demon Path scripture—could there be a problem? Yet a voice immediately answered.

"What are you thinking? The supreme Demon Path text is not an evil demon scripture; true Demon Path originally meant following one's heart, transforming power and body. In mythic times, 'demon' was not pejorative but a cultivation system."

"Later, some Demon Path cultivators discovered extremely harmful methods to accelerate cultivation; those are the evil demon way, but the Great Wild True Demon Scripture is different."

"Sss!"

"If counted this way, Gu Sheng practices Confucian Dao, Martial Dao, Immortal Dao, Buddhist Dao, Technique Dao, and also Demon Dao; if later he also cultivates Sword Dao, wouldn't he have reached the pinnacle of all seven major systems?"

Someone asked, unable to hold back a possibility.

When that was said, it indeed sparked huge controversy.

"That could indeed be possible; achieving perfection in all seven realms might truly lead to an invincible state."

"Throughout history, there have been strong cultivators mastering several systems, but few have mastered all seven. Even if someone does, they may not achieve great results. Gu Sheng doing this, even if he perfects all seven systems, may not yield much—likely meaningless."

"Indeed, this possibility is great; after all, one method leads to all methods. At lower realms it may matter, like learning an extra divine skill, but as realms rise, the significance diminishes."

"It's not hard to see: if it were truly useful, why haven't any ancient clans tried it? Surely not everyone from antiquity to now lacks such multi‑realm cultivators."

Someone spoke, believing that if Gu Jin Nian refined all systems to the Seventh Realm, unimaginable events would occur.

Most people thought so, feeling that combining all major systems would certainly be stronger than any single system.

But there were dissenting voices; they were not attacking Gu Jin Nian, just feeling the significance was minimal, possibly a futile effort.

After all, many strong cultivators have existed; if it truly worked, it wouldn't be up to Gu Jin Nian to implement.

When such voices rose, other voices immediately rebutted.

"From antiquity to now, indeed no one has tried this; aside from other systems, how many have reached the Seventh Realm in the Confucian Dao alone?"

"Moreover, ancient times had a strong cultivator mastering Buddhist Dao, Daoist Dao, and Sword Dao, called the Buddha‑Sword Immortal, dazzling an era. Today Gu Sheng mastering all seven realms cannot be without effect."

"To put it bluntly, do any of you have Seventh Realm cultivation? If so, you know how hard it is; most heavenly prodigies can only master two different systems, already a heaven‑climbing difficulty, let alone seven realms."

"If you lack Seventh Realm cultivation, refrain from commenting here."

The voice was somewhat domineering but reasonable; for a moment many fell silent, offering no further commentary.

Within the Southern Barbarians' realm, Gu Jin Nian accepted these items.

But at that moment, a beam of celestial merit light descended, enveloping Gu Jin Nian, flooding the world; the brilliant golden‑yellow merit fell upon him, transforming into infinite pure land.

At that instant, Gu Jin Nian manifested a dharma image: a white robe surpassing snow, eyes calm, brows radiating boundless kindness.

Lotus blossoms grew beneath his feet, evolving into the supreme pure land—his own personal pure land.

"Ancient Buddha Dharma Body!"

Someone exclaimed in astonishment, asking what the situation was, unable to keep silent.

"Ancient Buddha Dharma Body, what does that mean?"

Someone shouted, not understanding its meaning.

In the western desert, an old monk slowly began to speak.

"Only by attaining the supreme true awakening can one condense the Ancient Buddha Dharma Body; condensing such a body means Gu Jin Nian has become a Buddha."

"Amitabha, after today, all Buddhist sect disciples will be called the World‑Honored One."

The old monk explained the reason, and his words caused endless shock.

"Has become a Buddha?"

"Ancient Buddha Dharma Body, attaining the supreme awakening."

"Does that not mean reaching the Eight Realms?"

"If truly becoming a Buddha, does that mean the Eight Realms have been reached?"

"Has Heaven's Mandate finally chosen the Buddhist path?"

Cries of astonishment rose; they were shocked and mistakenly thought Gu Jin Nian had attained the Eight Realms, leaving them at a loss for words. "No."

"It is the Buddha‑nature of the World‑Honored One that became a Buddha; Hell is not empty, vowing not to become a Buddha, the merit of establishing the sect lets him manifest a Buddhist Dharma Body, which will stand in Hell, liberating all souls past and present."

"The Dharma Body in Hell, like the Eight Realms, suppresses everything, and Gu Jin Nian can eternally enjoy this heavenly merit."

"For him, there is a world‑shaking benefit; even if Gu Jin Nian never becomes a Sixth Realm master, his fortune will not be weaker than any Sixth Realm master."

A senior monk spoke, explaining the situation.

As he spoke, in the southern barbarian realm, within the forest Hell…

A supremely holy Dharma Body appeared, seated upon the celestial elephant, majestic in appearance, standing in the Underworld, suppressing the eighteen levels of Hell.

"Amitabha."

This was Gu Jin Nian's Dharma Body; it bowed slightly toward Gu Jin Nian, then quietly sat at the deepest part of the Underworld's eighteenth level, where everything around turned into pure land, liberating endless souls, and a great amount of merit merged into Gu Jin Nian's body.

This Dharma Body was formed from Gu Jin Nian's will, a Buddha Dharma Body, equivalent to Gu Jin Nian leaving a part here to liberate souls.

The dominant remains Gu Jin Nian.

However, due to the restriction of a grand vow, this Dharma Body cannot leave the Underworld; it will exist here forever, and when the Underworld is completely free of resentful souls, the two will merge, attaining the most magnificent Buddha.

Gaining this Dharma Body, Gu Jin Nian's mortal body also transformed at that moment; his vital energy rose again, and in his mind the nine‑step Heavenly Ladder rose, the golden figure leapt directly to the sixth step.

This means Gu Jin Nian has stepped onto the Sixth Realm.

The heavenly merit directly promoted Gu Jin Nian by one rank.

This is terrifying.

After the Fifth Heaven, each subsequent realm is a vast chasm, hard to cross.

Moreover, Gu Jin Nian had just entered the Fifth Realm, and now directly reached the realm of soaring.

His aura blankets the continent, unimaginably powerful.

"Brother Jin Nian, hurry to the Wangchuan River; you can transform and will undergo astonishing changes."

Qin Guang Wang spoke, ordering Gu Jin Nian to go to the Wangchuan River.

Hearing this, Gu Jin Nian no longer hesitated and plunged straight into the Wangchuan River.

His mortal body soaked in the Wangchuan River, and at the same time, countless mysterious yellow‑golden dragons appeared, flying toward Gu Jin Nian.

One.

Ten.

One hundred.

One thousand.

Ten thousand.

One hundred eighty thousand mysterious yellow‑golden dragons surged into Gu Jin Nian's body; this was astonishing, making the eyes of the ancient clans turn violet with envy.

One mysterious yellow‑golden dragon represents an invincible grand destiny, astonishingly terrifying.

Each mysterious yellow‑golden dragon can at least create a Sixth Realm master, and that without any effort.

One could say even a whole dynasty might not possess such fortune, but Gu Jin Nian achieved it.

One hundred eighty thousand mysterious yellow‑golden dragons shook the ancient world, and the phenomena they attracted were earth‑shattering.

Within the Wangchuan River.

The terrifying mysterious yellow‑golden dragons bathed everything here in gold, as if turning it into a river of time.

Gu Jin Nian's mortal body also underwent a frantic transformation; his physique emitted a torrential aura, each strand terrifyingly immense.

Such a presence shook heaven and earth, appearing extraordinarily shocking and terrifying.

The Wangchuan River has effects like the Li Yang Ding, but the Li Yang Ding adjusts the mortal body through the power of public will, transforming everything; the Wangchuan River, however, returns to the original, letting the mortal body reach its perfect state.

He plunged into the Wangchuan River.

Under the blessing of one hundred eighty thousand golden dragons, Gu Jin Nian's mortal body at that moment completely transformed into an extraordinary body, shaking the ancient world.

Not only that, even more terrifying scenes unfolded.

Above the heavens, supreme artifacts fell like they cost nothing.

In the western desert, Vajra Demon‑Subduing Pestles and other supreme tools floated up, surging toward Gu Jin Nian.

Now Gu Jin Nian is a true Buddha; all supreme Buddhist artifacts naturally belong to Gu Jin Nian.

Nine supreme Buddhist artifacts gathered before Gu Jin Nian, then turned into streams of energy that entered the nine‑tier Divine Tower; this side was terrifying and astonishing, leaving people utterly shocked.

A saying may leave one speechless, but today in the great world, everyone besides being shocked has nothing else to do.

Their faces were shocked numb.

Boom.

After the 108,000 Golden Dragons vanished, Heaven and Earth had not yet fully settled the matter.

The Six Paths Mark suddenly appeared, bestowing itself upon Gu Jin Nian's body.

"Six Paths Mark?"

"Is this the Six Paths Mark?"

The first to be shocked were the Ten Hall Kings; they knew what it was, so they were the ones to react, while most people in the world did not understand what it was.

"It seems the heavens of this age truly recognize Brother Jin Nian, even the Six Paths Mark is bestowed upon Brother Jin Nian's body."

"With such a mark, Gu Jin Nian will no longer be among the Six Paths, but transcend above them."

King Qin Guang inhaled deeply, meaning that Gu Jin Nian was indeed the true Heaven's Mandate Son.

He is bound by nothing; whether Gu Jin Nian does good or evil, no one can govern his karmic sins, and Heaven and Earth will not intervene, for at this moment Gu Jin Nian has become the Heaven's Mandate Son.

The Six Paths Reincarnation Mark surfaced, eventually coalescing into a single mark.

This is the true Heaven's Mandate Mark.

They merged, turning into an intensely blazing light.

And that was not all.

Heaven's Mandate afterimages gathered from all directions, some originating from marks within other bodies.

Previously there were fifty Heaven's Mandate marks.

One of them lay among the Heaven's Mandate constellations, and now all the Heaven's Mandate have converged before Gu Jin Nian.

The remaining forty‑nine merged into a mass, ultimately forming the Supreme Heaven's Mandate, bestowing itself upon Gu Jin Nian's body.

At this moment.

Gu Jin Nian is the true Heaven's Mandate Son.

Protected by the great world.

Anyone who attempts to assassinate Gu Jin Nian, or his relatives, will face divine retribution.

Strands of light burst from Gu Jin Nian's body, entangling countless beings.

Pan Shan, Tianqi Mountain, the Da Xia Dynasty, the Zhongzhou Dynasty, the Eternal Prosperous Emperor, the Zhongzhou Emperor, Grandfather Gu, Gu Qianzhou—anyone connected to Gu Jin Nian received Heaven's protection.

Countless envious eyes widened.

Yet many were overjoyed, for even the entire civil and military of Da Xia received Heaven's protection.

In the Great Hall, Yang Kai let out a long sigh.

"Fortunately, fortunately, fortunately—back then I was quick to admit my mistake; if I hadn't, there would have been no heavenly protection."

Yang Kai laughed heartily; when Gu Jin Nian originally slipped and drowned, he first tried to conceal it. Though political factors were involved, as Minister of Rites he could have twisted right and wrong, pretending ignorance.

But his conscience eventually forced him to admit the error, and he voluntarily confessed to Gu Jin Nian.

Thus a good karmic bond was formed.

Now, receiving the reward, it is a great joy for him.

Heaven's Mandate bestows.

Gu Jin Nian's vitality surged again, ascending the Sixfold Heavenly Peak.

Within the River of Forgetting, Gu Jin Nian's flesh became utterly perfect, fully attaining the Great Vehicle realm.

Boom Boom Boom.

Heavenly Thunder roared in succession, exploding inside, its primordial spirit as vast as Heaven and Earth, invincible to the world.

Sixfold Heavenly Peak.

This is absolute power.

The flesh also reached perfection.

The River of Forgetting pounded Gu Jin Nian's flesh, washing away all impurity; yet his immaculate body bore no trace of filth, so the river cleansed his flesh, eradicating the undesirable parts completely.

Continuously bringing the flesh to its utmost.

Meanwhile, Gu Jin Nian was comprehending the Great Wilderness True Demon Scripture, studying the ancient text diligently, reflecting it upon himself, reaching an unprecedented state.

His demonic cultivation realm also surged wildly.

First realm, second realm, third realm, fourth realm, fifth realm, sixth realm.

Cultivation progressed like a blade through bamboo, with no obstacles; after all, at this stage, cultivation is no longer difficult.

Yet reaching the seventh realm remains somewhat difficult.

Dong.

A bell rang; under the Nine-tier Divine Pagoda's blessing, a muffled sound erupted, shattering Gu Jin Nian's flesh, which then reassembled.

His demonic cultivation realm also fully entered the seventh realm.

The Sixth Path Mark appeared; now only a Sword Path Mark is missing.

Gu Jin Nian sensed that if the seven great marks fully merged, it would bring immense benefit to himself.

"The Dharma Body is boundless, suppressing hell; the flesh is like that of a deity or demon, aura terrifying, a single finger can shatter the void; the primordial spirit is as vast as Heaven and Earth; qi flow surpasses a hundred thousand great mountains—simply perfect. Cultivating the six great systems simultaneously, and if one also practices the Sword Path, the future is unimaginable."

"What a pity."

King Qin Guang spoke, looking at Gu Jin Nian; even he could not help feeling a tinge of envy.

The higher the realm, the more one understands; for example, foundation—many cultivators think merely solidifying it suffices, but in truth, a true foundation requires detail and perfection, flawless as jade, to truly transform; that is the path to invincibility.

Yet forging such a perfect foundation takes an excessively long time; most people lack the time to devote to it.

Only certain heavenly treasures can achieve this level.

Gu Jin Nian reaching this level is the result of one overwhelming providence after another.

However, Gu Jin Nian is also willing to part with it; other cultivators, when faced with such providence, would all wish—

"Qin King, what is there to lament?"

Song King spoke, looking at Qin Guang King with some doubt. At this point, what else is worth lamenting? "Only that we missed the chance to break through to the Seventh Layer: the Fifth Layer Koon Peng, the Sixth Layer Fu Yao, the Seventh Layer Wan Li."

"If one reaches the Seventh Layer, the future changes will grant Brother Jin Nian the ability to protect himself."

"Moreover, the immortal destiny is about to be born, the Great Terror will descend, and there won't be enough time left for Jin Nian."

"If he reaches the Seventh Layer now, the Great World will fully revive later, and by seizing every opportunity he could also break through to the Eighth Realm; when the final Great Terror arrives and Brother Jin Nian reaches the Ninth Layer, it will be completely fulfilled."

"He has Heaven's Mandate, as a Heaven's Mandate Saint, he can determine all calamities."

He spoke, naming the only thing to lament.

He did not reach the Seventh Layer.

Don't think it's just a tiny gap; sometimes at a critical moment, a breakthrough is a breakthrough, and no breakthrough is no breakthrough.

At this stage, a slight shortfall could be a lifelong matter.

Opportunity must not be missed; once lost, it will not return.

But as soon as Qin Guang King's words fell silent,

Boom.

A torrent of dark‑yellow Qi, like a galaxy, poured down, surging toward Gu Jin Nian.

The Heaven's Mandate Seal had fully coalesced.

Logically, this merit settlement should have ended here, but unexpectedly, such a thing occurred.

It could still happen like this?

The world was astonished, though they had been shocked into numbness that day.

Now it was the Ten Hall King's and the Ancient Tribe's turn to be shaken.

"There's no need to help like this, right?"

"Qin King, our little brother is truly extraordinary. The Great Way is impartial; even if we admire Jin Nian greatly, we cannot forcefully bestow the topmost transmission? This fortune even makes me envious."

Lord Yan spoke, looking at Gu Jin Nian, his eyes full of envy.

The Great Way is impartial.

Even though Gu Jin Nian is a child of Heaven's Mandate, it merely promises fortune; Gu Jin Nian must do something to earn the reward.

In other words, everyone in the world is a subject of a dynasty; even if the emperor dotes on you, to promote you you must accomplish something.

When blessed with holy favor, if you do a task averagely you get one rank up; if you excel you get two ranks; if you perform poorly you aren't punished, just reassigned to another position.

This is the impartial Great Way; everything must follow the rules.

But now, it's exactly that Gu Jin Nian lacks the final piece; the Great Way unhesitatingly bestows power to help him breakthrough.

To put it bluntly, this is not a child of Heaven's Mandate; calling him the father of Heaven's Mandate, the world has to admit.

Within Wangchuan River.

After the terrifying spiritual Qi infusion, Gu Jin Nian's final metamorphosis completed, his aura like wind and thunder, sweeping this land.

Everything became extraordinarily astonishing.

Heaven and earth changed color.

Wangchuan River boiled.

Gu Jin Nian evolved a cosmic starry sky within, his aura interweaving into order, both terrifying and magnificent.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Yet at this moment, the Heaven's Mandate stars trembled, billions of divine rays fell, but this time they did not rain upon Gu Jin Nian.

Instead they rained upon this land.

The earth trembled, and the entire ancient star was actually metamorphosing.

People stood together, but in an instant they found the ground expanding; two people originally a few meters apart were suddenly separated by thousands of meters in the blink of an eye.

Even some ancient cities were forcibly split in two.

This ancient star is undergoing metamorphosis.

Terrifying spiritual Qi surged from the earth.

Eastern Wilderness.

Nine great mountains appeared, the spiritual Qi dense like liquid, and within, terrifying roars echoed.

An oasis formed, its surroundings turning into desert, rolling yellow sands blotting the sky, and within, blood stained the ground, looking utterly terrifying.

Within the Southern Barbarian Realm, there are myriad thunder pools, a divine tree shimmering with billions of lightning bolts, where terror is born.

The Western Desert Realm is even more terrifying.

An ancient temple emerged in the center of the Western Desert; its presence resonated for a hundred thousand li, with chanting Sanskrit sounds and ancient Buddhas appearing.

Extreme North.

Here the sky is cold and the ground frozen, yet at this moment countless celestial palaces rose, dazzling like the ancient heavenly court.

As for the Central Continent Sacred Land.

There also rose strange divine light soaring to the heavens.

"The Great World has revived, fully revived."

A scream rang out.

The entire Great World, at this moment, fully revived.

Heaven and earth underwent great change.

Not only this ancient star, the sun and moon are changing; everything is undergoing transformation.

"Sea Clan, obey the command!"

"The Great World has manifested; all Sea Clan warriors, emerge to battle!"

"From now on, all four seas shall be Sea Clan's forbidden zone."

An overbearing, peerless voice rang out, coming from the sea tribe, directly dividing the four seas in all directions.

"Ancient human race, hear the order!"

"The great era revives, emerges."

"All the land under heaven belongs to our human race."

Soon, the voice of the ancient human race also rang out.

Displaying overbearing might and invincibility.

Confidence and absoluteness.

The great era has fully revived.

Heaven and earth changed, and at this moment all the ancient clans chose to emerge.

Begin truly contending for the fortune of the great era.

One divine mountain after another was completely unsealed at this moment.

Slaughter.

Warfare.

A terrifying aura instantly shrouded the Divine Continent.

Everyone could feel that a more horrifying, bloodier great war was about to begin.

However, at this moment.

Inside the River of Forgetfulness.

Gu Jin Nian rose to his feet, he slowly walked toward his Dharma body, without any hesitation, the Dharma body merged with himself, emanating boundless power.

The Dharma body of Shakyamuni Buddha appeared again.

The terrifying aura of the Eight Realms appeared again.

People were shocked, not knowing what Gu Jin Nian intended to do.

But Gu Jin Nian's gaze, in an instant, fell upon the sea tribe.

At this moment, the world fell silent.

The death of the demon tribe, they vividly recall it.

(End of chapter)