Why do I suddenly feel that the Netherworld is a little scary? After leaving Fengdu City with Youqin Xuanya, Li Changshou maintained his composure and slowly flew out of the Netherworld. He immediately grabbed Youqin Xuanya’s shoulder and quickly used Water Escape… “Senior Brother?”
“I’ll send you back to the sect first,” Li Changshou said in a low voice. “There’s something urgent I have to deal with here.” “If I can help…” Youqin Xuanya was halfway through her sentence when she sensed the speed of the escape technique.
She tactfully stopped talking. It seemed that she could not help Senior Brother Changshou now. She would only cause trouble for him. “I can handle it. Don’t worry.” Li Changshou agreed and sent a voice transmission.
“Let’s return to the mountain to cultivate. Remember to find an opportunity to tell Uncle-Master Jiang that you have the intention to serve the Heavenly Courts. I will tell you in detail about the rest.” After saying that, Li Changshou focused on controlling the escape technique. He focused more on returning to his main body and drew the scene that he had seen previously in the secret chamber of the Little Qiong Peak. He drew three portraits in a row. They were of the woman in the black dress crying on the lake.
Then, she sat in the round chair and could not recover for a long time. Was my reaction too excessive when I encountered such a strange incident in the Primordial World? No, that reaction was the result of Li Changshou suppressing the fluctuations in his Dao heart! Just now, the sadness had tainted Li Changshou’s heart, causing him to feel extremely gloomy. He was a foreigner who led a good life in the Primordial World. He almost cried.
Although it was not a sin for a man to cry, if he was assimilated by the sorrowful Dao runes just now, it would cause great damage to his Dao heart… What is that big sister’s background? She asked me to save her?
They were near the Netherworld and the Six Paths of Reincarnation…
After careful analysis, he compared it to the situation when he had ascended to the Reincarnation Immortal Island several times. The only thing that happened this time seemed to be the opening of the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
The greatest possibility was that there was a powerful mighty figure suppressed in the Eighteen Levels of Hell!
However, why did he attack me?
Junior Sister Youqin, who is clearly emotional and has a relatively low cultivation level, is not acting strangely at all. Li Changshou pinched his fingers to calculate and search for the heavenly secrets. As his deduction skills were limited, he could only deduce that the woman was indeed a “spirit”. What he saw was definitely not an illusion. Li Changshou suddenly thought of the two huge stone statues that carried the Six Paths of Reincarnation on their backs. Could it be that the woman who asked me for help is the Lady of Earth? However, why is the Lady of Earth in such a situation?
He recalled that when his paper effigy entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation, he had lost contact with it for a short period of time. When he came out of it, he was in a terrible state. There were also traces of King Qinguang and King Chujiang being fooled when they entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation…
The evidence was enough to prove that the Lady of Earth was in the Six Paths of Reincarnation and was especially mischievous.
Then, who was the one who asked for help?
Was it that frivolous senior?
That was unlikely. Previously, when the Holy Mother mentioned that senior, she had already clearly explained the outcome of Senior Lang. He would be completely obliterated by the Heavenly Dao. The one who attacked that senior should be the Dao Ancestor. How could an old and ruthless person like the Dao Ancestor leave behind such hidden dangers? He had just created three portraits and had wanted to test the Heavenly Dao. However, there was nothing wrong…
That completely ruled out the possibility that the person in the painting was that frivolous senior, the taboo of the Heavenly Dao. Then, who is this woman? To be safe, Li Changshou did not plan to treat that matter as his secret. Otherwise, he might be embroiled in strange karma. What should I do now? Report! There’s a problem, I’ll look for Teacher! I shall report the situation to the Tushita Palace and resolve the risks that I have to take on personally!
If that woman was a dangerous person, he would have only received the message for help and not done anything wrong. Li Changshou summoned the three paper effigies that were the carriage drivers and asked them to take their respective paintings and head towards the Heavenly Courts, the East Ocean, and the South Ocean Water Temple.
Although Li Changshou was multitasking, most of his attention was still focused on his main body. He kept pinching his fingers to deduce who the woman he saw was…
An hour later, the sound of water splashing could be heard in the Sea God Temple. Zhao Gongming had just returned.
Li Changshou stood up to welcome them. Zhao Gongming and the Goddess of Golden Light descended from the sky on a cloud. Both of them had relaxed smiles on their faces… “Have you two discussed it?”
Before Zhao Gongming and the Goddess of Golden Light landed on the cloud, they had already nodded and agreed.
Zhao Gongming smiled and sighed. “Just as you said, Brother, the two of us should give each other an explanation.”
“I’ve understood what the Water God said the other day.” The Goddess of Golden Light bowed and said, “I look forward to seeing Senior Brother Gongming and respect him but I will indeed feel uncomfortable interacting with him…”
Li Changshou smiled and said, “It’s good that you two have decided.” Then, Li Changshou’s heart skipped a beat. He deliberately put on a troubled expression and said in a low voice, “I’m afraid I can’t help the two of you with the celebration for now.”
The Goddess of Golden Light hurriedly said, “Water God, we should not have troubled you with this matter.”
Zhao Gongming asked, “Did you suddenly encounter any trouble?”
Li Changshou nodded with a solemn expression. “Brother, do you know much about the Netherworld?”
“The Netherworld?”
Zhao Gongming could not help but say curiously, “The Netherworld is located in ancient times and is still in front of the current Heavenly Courts. It is the Ancestral Magus, the Lady of Earth, who sacrificed herself and turned into the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc. She led the reincarnation of the souls that had nowhere to be placed in the world to become reborn as living beings.
In order to protect the Six Paths of Reincarnation and maintain the stability of the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Three Realms, the Netherworld has been formed…” Li Changshou said in a low voice, “Do you have any information that most living beings don’t know?”
Zhao Gongming pondered for a while. The Goddess of Golden Light helped him think. Soon, Master Zhao decided to give it a try and said, “The Great Virtue Empress was once one of the top three experts among the twelve witches. Do you know about this, Brother? In the past, she was known to be invincible when she stood on the ground. She was the closest to the Connate Dao Body among the twelve Ancestral Witches and had the deepest comprehension of the Dao of Pangu. However, very few people have mentioned this since ancient times.”
Li Changshou nodded and continued to look at Zhao Gongming with anticipation.
Master Zhao immediately knew that he had not hit the nail on the head. He lowered his head and continued to calculate.
The Goddess of Golden Light said, “I’ve heard someone mention that the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc doesn’t seem to be complete. It’s just like the Creation Jade Plate used by the Dao Ancestor when he repaired the Heavenly Dao. There are loopholes in the Heavenly Dao. There are also gaps in the Creation Jade Plate. The Six Paths of Reincarnation don’t seem to be perfect. There are some drawbacks.” Li Changshou smiled and said, “That’s true.” The Goddess of Golden Light, who was much more mature and knowledgeable than the last time they met, smiled in embarrassment…
She really could not help much.
Li Changshou waited for a while and asked Zhao Gongming, “Brother, have you seen the Lady of Earth in ancient times?” “Of course.” Zhao Gongming’s eyes were filled with memories. He stroked his beard and smiled. “The Lady of Earth is kind-hearted. Even during the Great Magi-Demon War, she was mostly defending and rarely killed. I was once fortunate enough to discuss the Dao with the Lady of Earth. Unfortunately… Forget it, there’s nothing to pity about that. She made her own choice and sacrificed herself for the living beings and the Magi.”
As Zhao Gongming spoke, Li Changshou had already grabbed a brush and some ink from the desk. With a few strokes, he drew a side profile. “Brother, do you know this person?” “Isn’t this the Lady of Earth?” Zhao Gongming smiled and said, “Where did you see such a portrait… Brother, what’s wrong? Your expression is not right.” Li Changshou took a deep breath and took a few steps back to the main seat. This matter seemed to have exceeded his expectations.
Four hours later, Li Changshou was finally completely certain that the woman who was restrained on the lake, dressed in a black dress, and emitting endless sorrow was the legendary Lady of Earth.
He first showed the three portraits to Zhao Gongming. Zhao Gongming said firmly that they were the Lady of Earth. Then, Li Changshou’s paper effigy went to the Dragon Palace and asked the Dragon King about it. He used the knowledge stored in the “Primordial Living Stone” to confirm that matter again. During that process, Li Changshou told Zhao Gongming the truth and hid something from the Dragon Palace. He was just afraid that the Dragon Palace would worry for nothing. In the rear hall of the Sea God Temple, Zhao Gongming and the Goddess of Golden Light paced back and forth in front of Li Changshou. One of them held his beard, while the other pinched his chin. Both of them were thinking hard to help think about what was going on.
Zhao Gongming said, “The Lady of Earth asked you for help. What’s wrong with the Six Paths of Reincarnation? According to the heavenly secrets, everything in the Netherworld is fine. There are no signs of collapse.” “Is it possible that the Lady of Earth did not ask for your help?” Goddess of Golden Light’s eyes lit up. “Could it be that your… Dao heart is problematic, Water God?” Li Changshou smiled helplessly and closed his eyes. The paper effigy emitted a faint green glow, and a wisp of pure Dao runes circulated…
The Goddess of Golden Light praised, “Fellow Daoist, you have actually cultivated the Stainless Dao Heart. I was wrong.” Zhao Gongming said, “Why don’t I go to the Three-Immortal Island to ask? It’s better for a few more people to think together than for us to be helpless here.” “Brother, you can’t,” Li Changshou said seriously. “The fewer people who know about this, the better. Don’t let the living beings panic. I’ll go ask Senior Brother Xuan Du or ask the Grand Supreme Elder for clarification. I hope that Brother and Fellow Daoist Golden Light will not mention this to anyone.”
“Sure!”
Zhao Gongming agreed with a serious expression. He immediately bade farewell to the Goddess of Golden Light and reminded Li Changshou not to worry about the two of them. He had to get busy with such important matters first…
Li Changshou had just sent away the two immortals from Jie School who were about to establish history in the Primordial World. Li Changshou’s Water God incarnation in the Heavenly Courts had already flown outside the Tushita Palace.
The Grand Supreme Elder was out traveling and was not in the palace. Li Changshou easily found the Great Daoist Master who was sleeping soundly in the backyard…
Unfortunately, Li Changshou did not obtain much useful information. He only reported the matter to the Great Daoist Master and gave himself an additional layer of protection.
The Great Daoist Master also felt that there was something fishy about that matter. Therefore, he summoned the Taiji Painting and used all his deduction skills. In the end, he could only come to a conclusion.
“There are no problems with the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc.”
“Then, it’s very likely that the problem is the Lady of Earth herself,” Li Changshou said. The Great Daoist Master said seriously, “The Lady of Earth is the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc. The Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc is the Lady of Earth. The two are one to begin with. The heavenly secrets revealed that the Six Paths of Reincarnation are fine, so the Lady of Earth is naturally fine. Changshou, is it because the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother went to the mortal world to undergo the tribulation and handed the matters of the Heavenly Courts to you to deal with? You have been giving yourself too much pressure recently, causing problems in your Dao heart, is that so?” “Well… I’m actually quite relaxed. Ahem, it’s not that I’m not concerned about the matters of the Heavenly Courts. The Heavenly Courts itself doesn’t have much for me to do.”
Li Changshou explained awkwardly and said, “Great Daoist Master, can you come with me to the Holy Mother’s Palace to visit her?”
“That’s naturally a trivial matter.” The Great Daoist Master smiled and nodded. However, he did not ask anything and agreed directly. It was rare for Li Changshou to be so energetic. His main body was hidden in the paper effigy that was a carriage driver. He had secretly rushed to the Tushita Palace of the Heavenly Courts to meet the Great Daoist Master.
The Great Daoist Master used the Taiji Painting to break through the universe and went to Goddess Nuwa’s Palace. The two of them, whose senior-brother-junior-brother relationship had yet to be officially announced to the public, soon left the five continents and appeared in the void that was dotted with stars.
The Great Daoist Master rode a cloud and flew towards a bright spot of light with Li Changshou. Before they flew 50 kilometers, immortal light shone in front of them. A door appeared out of thin air and included the two of them. He arrived at the beautiful world again. The abundant spiritual energy, the refreshing breeze, and the carefree laughter in the wind made Li Changshou feel much more at ease.
Two fairies rode two cloud boats over and bowed from afar.
One of them said, “Goddess, you already know why the two senior brothers of Ren School are here. Please wait in the hall. Goddess, you only saw the Water God today.”
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du nodded with a smile. He did not say anything and went to a cloud boat with his hands behind his back.
Li Changshou bowed to the Great Daoist Master and jumped onto another ship.
The Great Daoist Master reminded, “Junior Brother, don’t be rude in front of the Saint.”
“Don’t worry, Senior Brother,” Li Changshou agreed. He looked at the comics in his storage Dharma treasure and felt a little uneasy. He… How long will I be imprisoned by the Saint this time?
However, there was one advantage. If he was locked in the attic of that empty world by Goddess Nuwa, he would have more time to polish his mental state. It would take hundreds of years inside, but it would only take a blink of an eye outside… The two cloud boats traveled along the way and parted among the palaces. Li Changshou was brought to the calm lake. He arrived at the island in the middle of the lake and stood in front of the pavilion. He bowed with a Dao salute.
“Greetings, Goddess Nuwa.” “Come in.” A lazy voice sounded from behind the door. Goddess Nuwa seemed to have just woken up. Li Changshou turned around and saw that the fairy who had led the way had disappeared. He immediately raised his hand and pushed open the wooden door. In front of him was a thin membrane that shone with colorful streaks of light. Li Changshou carefully stepped into it and felt that the flow of time was almost zero. He once again arrived at the familiar room.
The familiar pool, partition, carpet, decorations… Goddess Nüwa, who had changed into a warm yellow and loose skirt, was floating in the pool with an air cushion beneath her.
A comic book written by Li Changshou floated in front of her. There were all kinds of fruits and delicacies floating beside her, as well as the Goddess’s favorite iced fruit juice. Li Changshou felt a little helpless when he saw that. Not only was there no mustard in the Primordial World, but it was also difficult to perfect the Dao of sashimi.
There was no happy water in the mansion either, causing the Dao of the mansion to lose a small portion of its joyful vibes. Ahem, let’s get down to business. “Goddess…” “Have you seen the Lady of Earth?”
“Yes,” Li Changshou answered honestly. He lowered his head and did not dare to look further. “I’m here to see you this time because I want to ask you to clear my doubts.”
The goddess in the pool asked calmly, “What do you want to know?”
Li Changshou fumbled in his sleeve and took out three thick stacks of books. The girl in the pool closed the book in her hand. A satisfied smile appeared on her beautiful and solemn face.
“Tell me what you want to know. The matter regarding the Lady of Earth is not a taboo. It’s just a little secret. We are the only ones who know about it.”
Li Changshou bowed with a Dao salute and handed the painting over respectfully with his immortal power. Then, Li Changshou explained everything that he had seen previously and took out the portrait. Goddess Nuwa beckoned the portrait over and held it in her hand to take a closer look. A hint of helplessness flashed across her phoenix-like eyes. “It’s been hard on her.”
“Goddess, what do you mean?”
Nuwa asked, “Have you entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation previously?”
“I went in once with an incarnation.” Li Changshou could not help but be stunned. “Does the Goddess know about this?”
“If I wanted to know, I would have known,” Nuwa said calmly. “But why do you think that the Saint has to monitor every living being in the world?” Li Changshou could not help but be speechless. “This…”
“Yes, I almost forgot.” Nuwa squinted her phoenix-like eyes and teased him. “You have a strange personality. If you become a Saint, you will definitely monitor everything in the world. You are clearly asking for trouble, but you still enjoy it. Naturally, you can’t become a Saint in this world.” Li Changshou said, “Goddess, you’re using such a flat tone. It’s too hurtful. Goddess, please tell me about the Lady of Earth.” “What’s the hurry?” Nuwa raised her chin slightly.
Li Changshou turned around and saw that the corner where he had sat previously had been transformed into a small study. There was a short table, a cushion, a screen, an incense burner… Everything was prepared. “Since you’re already here, you have to draw another one no matter what. As a thank-you gift, I will give you a clear path to earn merit in the Netherworld and help you complete the Golden Body of Merit. How about that?”
Li Changshou calmly bowed and turned around to sit in the corner. He skillfully spread out the paper, brush, and ink and took out a set of drawing tools such as a ruler and template. He raised his brush and drew for a while. Then, he began to ask and answer questions again. Li Changshou had a rough idea about the great merit in the Netherworld.
Not long after, the sound of water splashing could be heard. Saint Nuwa walked out of the pond. Her snake tail turned into two legs, and her short skirt turned into a golden dress. Although she was dressed casually and had put away the dignity of a Saint, Goddess Nuwa had an indescribable aura and was constantly emitting a holy glow.
She walked to the newly erected bookshelf at the side and placed the works that she had just obtained into it one by one. That was a small matter that could be easily done with immortal power, but she was exceptionally serious at that moment. “Goddess, the figure I saw…” “It’s the Lady of Earth but you can say that it isn’t her too.” Nuwa’s voice was filled with pity. “You should know that if living beings develop intelligence, they will have seven emotions…”
Li Changshou paused and immediately thought of something. “Could it be that the Lady of Earth has been affected by the reincarnated living beings?”. “That’s right,” the Saint Nuwa said warmly. “Even though I drank Meng Po’s soup before my soul reincarnated and lost my memories, I would still retain a faint trace of my emotions. The spirit of the soul enters the Six Paths of Reincarnation. However, it cannot be accompanied by the reincarnation of living beings.
Therefore, it would leave a trace of the seven emotions in the Six Paths of Reincarnation. It is either joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, evil, or lust. It was not that something had gone wrong with the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc. Instead, it is because the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc operated like that. When the Lady of Earth decided to transform into the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the ancient times, she had already made such preparations. However, us the Saints and the Lady of Earth had underestimated the complexity of the seven emotions of living beings. Over time, the spiritual will of the Lady of Earth almost collapsed. She had no choice but to completely integrate herself into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and could not escape.”
Saint Nuwa paused and turned around to lean against the bookshelf. She opened the first book that Li Changshou had brought over and continued, “However, living beings are constantly reincarnating. Especially after humans become the main characters of the world, their lifespans are limited, and their souls are reincarnated more frequently. However, the human race had the most emotions and desires among the thousands of races. This undoubtedly increased the burden on the Lady of Earth. However, she did not complain to the Heavenly Dao. She endured it silently until one day…” “Why?”
“At the place where she sealed herself, the thoughts of the seven emotions seeped out. She walked out of the first incarnation of the seven emotions, which is the person you saw, the Lady of Earth’s grief.” Li Changshou could not regain his senses for a long time after hearing that. He said in a low voice, “Could it be that this incarnation is being suppressed under the eighteenth level of hell?” “That’s right,” said Saint Nuwa. “According to what I know, three of the incarnations of the Seven Emotions have appeared. Sorrow, evil, and lust are the most gentle. Therefore, they are suppressed under the eighteen layers of hell. As for hate and desire, they are bound by the Lady of Earth to the Six Paths of Reincarnation.” Li Changshou could not help but ask, “What if the incarnations of the seven emotions appear?”
“Lady of Earth should lose herself and transform from one to seven. Then, her willpower will collapse.” Goddess Nuwa paused. “She will completely transform into the spirit of the Heavenly Dao’s Dharma artifact. However, this is definitely not a good thing for the Heavenly Dao. If you can think of a way to help the Lady of Earth get through this crisis, the Heavenly Dao will naturally give you a huge amount of merit.” Li Changshou smiled bitterly and said, “The Saints can’t do anything. What can I do?”
“No, you’re different from us.” Nuwa continued to flip through the book in her hand, as if she had accidentally mentioned Li Changshou. “There are some strange thoughts that perhaps only you have in the Primordial World. Perhaps it is because of this that Houtu used her grief to seek help from you.” Li Changshou pondered for a while and asked, “The Lady of Earth and the senior who flew in the waves…”
“It’s not related… Are you going to draw or not?” “Yes, yes. Goddess, let me sort out my emotions and find some inspiration.” Li Changshou agreed and lowered his head to get busy.
