Chapter 47: Houtu transforms into the Cycle of Reincarnation; is Houtu alive again?

After Tongtian left, only Laozi and Zhunti remained at Yaochi.

"This poor Daoist will also return to Tanggu first. When the Great War of the Liches arrives, I will give the Demon Emperor a furnace of Nine-Turn Golden Pills; by then, the Demon Race will be able to have a few more Da Luo Golden Immortals," Laozi said with a smile as he stood up and addressed Di Jun.

"Many thanks, Saint!" Upon hearing this, the smile on Di Jun's face grew even brighter. Beside him, Yue Chan and Yue Tu also bowed to Laozi.

"Demon Emperor, this poor Daoist will also take his leave. This Eastern land is truly mesmerizing," Zhunti said with a smile, and then he vanished from where he stood.

In the end, only Di Jun and the two others remained at Yaochi.

"From now on, you two shall reside here at Yaochi. Let us first enter seclusion to consolidate our cultivation; leave other matters to Taiyi for now," Di Jun said with a smile to Yue Chan and Yue Tu after everyone else had left.

"Yes, Husband!" Yue Chan and Yue Tu nodded.

Mount Shouyang.

At this moment, Zhao Gongming and the others were cultivating here because this was Pan Huang's dojo, but today, Mount Shouyang welcomed two guests.

"May I ask who the two Fairies are?" Zhao Gongming asked as he looked at the two female immortals before him.

"We are the Lunar Star Lords, Changxi and Xihe. We have come to find your Master," Changxi said with a smile.

"Our Master has been in seclusion at Mount Buzhou for several hundred years already." Upon hearing that they were the Lunar Star Lords, Zhao Gongming felt somewhat puzzled. Wasn't it said that the Lunar Star Lords had entered into a marriage alliance with the Demon Court? What was going on here?

"We are indeed the Lunar Star Lords, but we are not the ones who entered into a marriage alliance with the Demon Court; someone else did that. Having said this, can you tell us where your Master is now?" Changxi noticed the confusion in Zhao Gongming's eyes and explained with a smile.

"I will not hide it from you two Fairies; my Master is indeed in seclusion within Mount Buzhou." The confusion in Zhao Gongming's eyes vanished, and he bowed again.

"Very well then. When your Master emerges from seclusion, tell him that Changxi and Xihe of the Lunar Star came looking for him." Changxi sighed, a look of disappointment flashing through her eyes.

"Rest assured, Fairy. Once my Master emerges, I will certainly inform him of your message at the first opportunity," Zhao Gongming nodded.

"Mm!" Changxi nodded, and then she and Xihe returned to the Lunar Star. The sole purpose of their descent to the Primordial World was to see Pan Huang; now that he was in seclusion, they naturally had to return to the Lunar Star.

As for the scenery of the Primordial World or other matters within it, they had no interest whatsoever.

The Sea of Blood.

"Ancestral Witch Houtu, do you really intend to do this? Shouldn't you notify the other Ancestral Witches about this matter first?" Minghe said anxiously, looking at the compassionate Houtu.

The reason he was so anxious was that Houtu had said she wanted to transform herself into the Cycle of Reincarnation to provide a place of rest for the souls of all beings in the Primordial World. If Houtu transformed into the Cycle of Reincarnation, wouldn't that mean she would perish? After all, the Wu Clan had no primordial spirits!

Thinking of this, Minghe hurriedly dispatched a Blood God Clone to rush toward Mount Buzhou, hoping it would be in time.

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, there is no need to persuade me. I have my own thoughts," Houtu said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Houtu, have you considered what will happen to the Wu Clan if you transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation? What about the other Ancestral Witches? Without you, the True Body of Pangu cannot be summoned; the Wu Clan will have lost a trump card!"

Hearing Minghe say this, a trace of struggle flashed in Houtu's eyes, but this struggle was quickly suppressed.

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, I am prepared. I ask that you allow half of the Sea of Blood to transform with me into the Cycle of Reincarnation," Houtu took a deep breath.

"Sigh! Had I known, I should not have engaged in Daoist discourse with you, Ancestral Witch Houtu. It is I who have harmed you!" Minghe felt somewhat self-reproachful.

"This has nothing to do with you, Fellow Daoist Minghe. This is Houtu's destiny." Houtu smiled. This smile was very gentle, possessing a maternal radiance that made one unable to help but feel close to her.

However, upon seeing this smile, Minghe felt a chill in his heart, for Houtu was about to perish!

Back when Houtu left the Human Race, she wandered aimlessly through the Primordial World. During this process, she saw countless slaughters and countless souls of the unjustly dead struggling and screaming, only to slowly dissipate between heaven and earth. There were also some souls attracted by an inexplicable force. Houtu followed behind these souls and eventually arrived above the Sea of Blood.

Those souls that were attracted all fell into the Sea of Blood, where they struggled, drifted, and eventually dissipated, being swallowed by the Sea of Blood and transformed into its energy.

Seeing this scene, Houtu felt a sense of realization and remained at the Sea of Blood. By this time, Minghe was already a member of the Wu Clan, so seeing Ancestral Witch Houtu arrive, he naturally welcomed her into his dojo.

Afterward, Houtu engaged in Daoist discourse with Minghe at the Sea of Blood for several hundred years. Now that the discourse had ended, Houtu finally understood what she had to do, which led to the scene just now.

"Ancestral Witch Houtu, wait a moment, wait a moment." Just as Houtu was about to speak, Minghe suddenly spoke up again.

"Fellow Daoist Minghe, I know you are doing this for my own good, but this is my mission. I hope you will grant my wish," Houtu said, looking at Minghe.

"Grant, grant... I meant, wait just a little longer. I... I need to tidy up the Sea of Blood. Yes, yes, tidy it up, and then you may transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation." As Minghe's mind raced, he thought of an excuse.

"Then many thanks, Fellow Daoist Minghe." Houtu looked at the souls drifting in the Sea of Blood before her and finally nodded.

If she were to transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation just like that, at least half of the souls in the Sea of Blood would be scattered; this was not what Houtu wanted to see.

"Ancestral Witches, you must hurry! Otherwise, I won't be able to stall her," Minghe muttered to himself while tidying up the Sea of Blood. But the Sea of Blood was not close to Mount Buzhou, and at this moment, the Blood God Clone had not yet arrived.

Ten years later, even though Minghe had delayed as much as he could, half of the Sea of Blood had still been cleared.

"Sigh! I hope Fellow Daoist Pan Huang has a backup plan." Seeing that he could no longer stop Houtu, Minghe sighed.

Seeing that the Sea of Blood had been cleared, a smile appeared on Houtu's face.

"What? You say Seventh Sister wants to transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation?" Rushing as fast as they could, Minghe's Blood God Clone finally arrived at Mount Buzhou and told the Ancestral Witches about Houtu's plan to transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation at the Sea of Blood.

The Ancestral Witches were shocked upon hearing this. In truth, they did not understand what transforming into the Cycle of Reincarnation meant, but Minghe had said the consequence was death, and they could no longer sit still.

"Hurry, perhaps there is still a chance to stop Seventh Sister," Di Jiang shouted, and after speaking, he prepared to set off.

But just at this moment, Houtu's voice suddenly appeared throughout the entire Primordial World.

"The Great Dao is above. I am a descendant of Pangu, Ancestral Witch Houtu. I have traveled the Primordial World and seen that many living beings struggle between life and death, with no place of rest for the departed souls, causing the accumulation of souls and resentment to soar to the heavens. Today, I, Houtu, am willing to abandon my own body to transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation, to give the souls of the Primordial World a place of rest. May the Great Dao bear witness."

Hearing Houtu's voice, the Ancestral Witches stopped in their tracks.

"It's too late!" Xuan Ming muttered to herself.

After Xuan Ming's voice fell, heaven and earth shook, and the Heavenly Dao even manifested itself. Not only the Heavenly Dao, but even the Great Dao radiated its own aura.

"Granted!" Soon, the voice of the Great Dao appeared in the Primordial World. The next second, boundless merit surged from the horizon toward the Sea of Blood.

A small portion of this merit was Great Dao merit, but the majority was Heavenly Dao merit. This merit was so abundant it was staggering—far more than the merit Nüwa and the others received when they became Saints. After all, this was an act that benefited the entire Primordial World. Since the Great Dao had stepped in, the Heavenly Dao naturally could not be stingy; completing the Cycle of Reincarnation was also of immense benefit to the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing that merit, Minghe's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; this merit was truly terrifying.

Mosquito Daoist was also shocked at this moment. Was this the treatment for Houtu transforming into the Cycle of Reincarnation? Was this merit not a bit too excessive?

As the merit appeared, the Sea of Blood surged with monstrous waves, and Houtu's physical body also transformed into a stream of energy above the Sea of Blood at this moment. As the energy Houtu had transformed into appeared above the Sea of Blood, the monstrous waves in the sea were suppressed.

Subsequently, the Six Paths of Reincarnation were opened, and a small world relying on the Sea of Blood appeared in the Primordial World. This small world was the Earthly Realm, which would later become the Underworld, though it was not as complete as it would be in later ages.

"Let's go, we're going to the Sea of Blood!" The scene of Houtu transforming into the Cycle of Reincarnation was projected into the sky of the Primordial World by the Heavenly Dao in the form of a phantom image. Di Jiang and the others naturally saw the situation there.

"Big Brother, even if we go now, we won't be able to see Seventh Sister one last time!" A trace of sadness remained on Shebi Shi's face.

"That doesn't mean we should let others occupy the Cycle of Reincarnation that Seventh Sister transformed into." Di Jiang snorted coldly.

"That's right. Seventh Sister has returned to the embrace of Father God, but we are still here. Since this was Seventh Sister's choice, we should guard this place of reincarnation well for her," Jumang also said.

"Exactly. This place of reincarnation was exchanged for with Seventh Sister's life; absolutely no one is allowed to interfere," Rushou also said.

"Can I go with you?" Just as the group of Ancestral Witches was preparing to set off, a crisp voice came from behind them.

Upon hearing this voice, the group of Ancestral Witches stiffened. This voice was so familiar; it sounded like Seventh Sister's (Seventh Sister's) voice!

Minghe's Blood God Clone was also startled upon hearing this voice. He had engaged in Daoist discourse with Ancestral Witch Houtu for several hundred years and was very familiar with her voice; the voice that had suddenly appeared was precisely that of Ancestral Witch Houtu.

Thinking of this, the Blood God Clone turned his head to look. Sure enough, Ancestral Witch Houtu was standing prettily in front of the Pangu Hall. The Blood God Clone rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong, but upon looking carefully again—hey! It really was Ancestral Witch Houtu.

"This, this, this!!!" The Blood God Clone pointed at the Ancestral Witch who had appeared behind them with a trembling finger, unable to speak for a long time.

"Seventh Sister?" Di Jiang called out, somewhat uncertainly.

"Mm!" Houtu nodded.

"This? What is the situation? If she is Fellow Daoist Houtu, then who is currently transforming into the Cycle of Reincarnation?" The Blood God Clone was somewhat bewildered.

"This poor Daoist is indeed Houtu. This is the merit of Thirteenth Brother. Back then, Thirteenth Brother asked me for some essence blood, a trace of true spirit, and some breathing soil, and then he went into seclusion. Strictly speaking, I am actually a clone of Ancestral Witch Houtu," the Houtu before them said with a smile.

"Is Thirteenth Brother's Law so powerful?" Shebi Shi asked.

"We don't know." Everyone shook their heads. Looking at the Houtu before them, they had a new understanding of Pan Huang's Divine Forging Law.

"Regardless of whether you are Seventh Sister or a clone, since you came out of the blood pool and possess an extremely pure Pangu aura, you are our Seventh Sister." Di Jiang settled Houtu's identity with one sentence.

"Let's go, we must hurry," Jumang said at this moment.

Upon hearing this, the group moved rapidly toward the Sea of Blood, bolstered by Di Jiang's Space Law and Zhu Jiuyin's Time Law.

Meanwhile, at the Sea of Blood, Houtu's transformation into the Cycle of Reincarnation was nearing its end.

Rumble—

When the Cycle of Reincarnation appeared, the entire Primordial World trembled. At the same time, strange auras emanated from the Cycle of Reincarnation, permeating the entire Primordial World.

Upon sensing this aura, all departed souls could not help but rush toward the direction of the Cycle of Reincarnation.

Looking at the Cycle of Reincarnation before her, a gratified smile appeared on Houtu's face. She never regretted doing this, because this was the world opened up by Father God. Being able to guard the world opened up by Father God made Houtu proud, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

After the Cycle of Reincarnation had completely appeared, the monstrous merit poured down toward Houtu's true spirit, which was on the verge of dissipating. Under the infusion of the endless merit, Houtu's true spirit miraculously stopped dissipating, and the parts that had already dissipated healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

By the time Houtu's true spirit was repaired, there was still a great deal of merit left. The true spirit could soon no longer contain so much merit, but just at this moment, a trace of a primordial spirit's aura appeared on Houtu's true spirit.

Subsequently, this trace of aura grew stronger and more stable under the support of the merit. In the end, Houtu's true spirit actually evolved into a primordial spirit, which made Minghe's eyes nearly pop out of his sockets for the second time.

How much merit must this be to forcibly evolve a true spirit into a primordial spirit? The main thing was that it wasn't over yet. After the primordial spirit evolution was successful, the merit was still pouring in. This time, it directly reshaped a physical body for Houtu—a physical body evolved from merit.

At this moment, Minghe could only say one word: extravagant. Too extravagant.

"Cycle of Reincarnation, stand!" After Houtu was resurrected, she said faintly.

After her voice fell, purple clouds came from the east for thirty thousand miles. Houtu became a Saint on the spot, and the Saint's might permeated the entire Primordial World. Houtu's Saint's might surpassed that of all those who had become Saints before, directly rivaling Hongjun.

When Houtu said "Cycle of Reincarnation, stand," this sentence reached the ears of all living beings in the Primordial World. At the same time, everyone also learned one piece of information: that after they died, they would have a destination, and that was the Cycle of Reincarnation.

"We pay our respects to the Greatly Compassionate Lady Houtu!" All living beings in the Primordial World knelt toward the direction of the Sea of Blood, very devoutly.

"Taiqing Laozi pays respects to Lady Houtu!" In Tanggu, Laozi spoke toward the direction of the Sea of Blood.

"Yuqing Yuanshi pays respects to Lady Houtu!" After Laozi, the Primordial Heavenly Lord also stood up and bowed, his voice spreading throughout the entire Primordial World.

"Shangqing Tongtian pays respects to Lady Houtu!" Tongtian's voice also appeared.

"Jieyin and Zhunti of the West pay respects to Lady Houtu!" This was the voice of the Western Sect.

Because Houtu's actions were beneficial to the Primordial World and her behavior completed the Heavenly Dao, she was worthy of the Saints' respects.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 48 =====