Chapter 478: The Sanzu River Appears · The Second Reincarnation

Beneath the Xue Hai, streaks of flowing light darted back and forth, pulverizing hordes of ferocious beasts into dust.

Groups of Xiu Luo Zu gathered in various spots, peering toward the edges of the Xue Hai, but none dared to show themselves.

The auras of five experts—Duobao Dao Ren, Zhao Gongming, Jinling Shengmu, Yunxiao Xianzi, and Yuding Zhenren—dominated the entire Xue Hai. Any Xiu Luo Zu expert who approached was sternly rebuffed or outright slain.

At the edge of the Xue Hai, Li Changshou sat cross-legged on a cloud.

A touch of minor worry, a hint of trivial annoyance.

Before him stood a treasure tower three zhang high, still with three hundred and sixty layers, but now it was dim and lifeless, its base riddled with cracks.

Beneath him stretched vast expanses of shadowy forms, like willow fluff in spring, aimless and devoid of spiritual light, with less than seven days left.

One could say they were even more fragile than willow fluff.

As that deranged old Daoist from the Western Teachings had said, fully eighty percent of these souls here would not survive seven days, and due to years of "delay," their true spirits were on the verge of shattering without the nurturing power of living beings...

Reincarnation was their only path to survival.

Now, that path lay before Li Changshou, but it was already mostly severed.

Fortunately, though the Xue Hai was a convergence of filthy springs and its turbid forces tended to sink downward, it posed little harm to these souls at the moment.

Why not directly send them into the six paths of reincarnation?

The six paths of reincarnation were not simply about tossing souls into the reincarnation disk.

The six paths reincarnation disk, the book of life and death, and the judge's pen formed a complete reincarnation system, through which souls had to pass to be reborn.

This meant there was always a "processing limit."

No matter how it was calculated, even with the six paths reincarnation disk at full power, it could only reincarnate about ten percent of the souls here.

Moreover, the six paths reincarnation disk was currently blocked...

But the reincarnation tower was different. It had three hundred and sixty layers, unbound by the book of life and death, with each layer functioning like a path, leading to various incense-offering divine realms for rebirth.

If the Western Teachings controlled the reincarnation tower and integrated it into the reincarnation system, it would mean complete domination of those incense-offering divine realms, enslaving living beings and turning them into tools for merit.

Now, the Western Teachings' scheme had been foiled.

Li Changshou had already represented the Heavenly Court and negotiated terms with the Jieyin Saint.

But unexpectedly...

A foolish old Daoist had turned the entire conflict into a loss for all sides.

This once again proved that the zero point two that Li Changshou had always dreaded truly existed.

Even at this stage, the Great Desolation remained incredibly perilous.

Incidentally, Jinling Shengmu had struck in anger back then, only wounding that old Daoist, whose partial primordial spirit was rescued by the Western Teachings.

But that fellow's fate would likely be utterly miserable...

The reincarnation tower was shattered by the Western Teachings, and these souls were their calculated victims, all of them from the current protagonists of the world, the human race.

Every single soul here, if allowed to dissipate, would become a karmic burden for the Western Teachings.

The Western Teachings were already in the midst of calamity, and today was merely the Heavenly Dao taking advantage of the flow to plot against them. Anyone from the Western Teachings involved today would bear this karma.

So many living beings, so many human souls—it was unclear if the twelve-grade golden lotus could withstand it.

Yet...

The Heavenly Dao is emotionless, and all things are born to transform.

So many human souls could be casually used as bait to push the Western Teachings into calamity.

In the deepest corner of his heart, a quiet mutter: Truly unbalanced.

Activating his empty bright Dao heart and entering a state of sage-like clarity, Li Changshou had faint Dao rhythms swirling around him as he sat there, deep in thought.

This problem was truly difficult to solve.

A flash of white shadow flew in from the side, her skirt and long hair gently swaying, landing behind Li Changshou.

Li Changshou asked:

"The people from the Western Teachings?"

Yunxiao Xianzi said softly:

"They've all left the underworld, saying they're returning to Ling Mountain to devise a plan, but we can't count on them."

"These guys," Li Changshou smirked, "they evade calamity, and heaven won't tolerate it!

As for the saints..."

"They should have left," Yunxiao Xianzi said. "My master and the others don't want to directly oppose the Heavenly Dao."

Li Changshou raised his hand to rub his face, sitting there lost in thought.

Yunxiao sighed lightly, her slender fingers gently pressing on Li Changshou's shoulder.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Human efforts have limits, and there are many things even saints can't achieve."

"Let's wait for Taiyi Zhenren to return."

No sooner had Li Changshou spoken than ripples appeared in the space beside them, and two figures emerged.

Taiyi Zhenren was now in a light pink Dao robe, looking even more striking.

Yunzhongzi hurried over from behind. When this origin of good fortune immortal saw the scene before him, his body shuddered.

"Ah, why must the Western Teachings commit such evils!"

"Senior brother," Li Changshou stood and bowed, "as an expert in refining tools, please examine this reincarnation tower for any possibility of repair."

Yunzhongzi returned the bow and quickly moved closer, sitting before the tower to study it carefully.

Taiyi Zhenren strolled over with his hands behind his back, unusually serious, but feigning casualness as he asked:

"Changgeng, how do you plan to handle this?

All these souls can become karmic burdens for the Western Teachings. After the Feng Shen is settled and the great calamity descends, the Western Teachings will surely suffer heavy losses."

Li Changshou pursed his lips, sitting there continuing to ponder.

Taiyi Zhenren said:

"You could do nothing right now, and no one would blame you. In fact, you've already performed a great service for the Dao Gate.

Moreover, what more can we do?

These souls are incredibly fragile. I just tested with merit, and even the gentlest Heavenly Dao merit was too much for them. They're like... willow fluff.

The only way to save them is through reincarnation. The Western Teachings' planning in this regard was quite thorough."

Li Changshou said:

"But it's still better than doing nothing at all."

Yunzhongzi said:

"The spirit of this treasure tower is destroyed, and there are a total of three hundred and twenty thousand six thousand restrictions around it. Just deciphering them would take at least several months."

Li Changshou rubbed his brow and whispered:

"I appreciate you thinking of another way, senior brother."

"Very well," Yunzhongzi agreed, beams of golden light emanating from his forehead to envelop the treasure tower.

Li Changshou turned and asked:

"Has anyone from the Western Teachings offered to come?"

Taiyi Zhenren grumbled:

"Still hoping for them? Those guys must be figuring out how to shirk responsibility right now!"

"The Western Teachings aren't reliable," Li Changshou murmured, "they never cared about ordinary beings in the first place.

Don't forget the incense-offering divine realms.

Their thinking is simple: even with more karma, it can be distributed, and each can quickly cleanse it with incense merit."

A cool voice rang out:

"We should just launch a full slaughter."

As the words fell, five-colored divine light burst from the horizon, and Kong Xuan rushed in at incredible speed, then abruptly halted his momentum, slowly landing before Li Changshou.

"The Shang tribe's destiny is still insufficient," Kong Xuan said, "so they can't help much."

The atmosphere grew even more oppressive.

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, then sat down to continue thinking.

Saving them would be like helping the Western Teachings.

The real challenge was how to save them.

These souls were so fragile that they couldn't withstand any disturbance. Earlier, when Duobao Dao Ren tried to store them in a treasure for nurturing primordial spirits, thirty percent were lost.

Yunxiao Xianzi bit her lip:

"What if we protect these souls' power to preserve their true spirits and reincarnate them directly...

No, that's not right—their true spirits are already damaged."

Kong Xuan said indifferently:

"The Western Teachings must have designed this to leave only reincarnation as an option."

"We only have seven days."

Li Changshou rubbed his brow:

"Please, everyone, let's discuss this together."

As he spoke, a soft sigh came from the bracelet on his wrist, and a shadowy figure slowly formed, startling Taiyi Zhenren into nearly jumping back.

The figure appeared as a young woman in her prime, with long hair coiled up and wearing a light blue Dao robe. She wobbled unsteadily upon appearing—it was Xiao Ai, or Ben Ai.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she said sorrowfully:

"I'm so miserable!

Out of seven of us, they made me deliver the message... everyone."

Xiao Ai's voice suddenly changed, becoming steady—it was Hou Tu Niangniang speaking through her.

"Any good plans?"

Li Changshou fell silent, lowering his head without a word.

Xiao Ai sighed lightly, turning to gaze at the layers upon layers of human souls above the Xue Hai, tears sliding down her cheeks.

But Xiao Ai said no more, only sighing:

"In two days, the six paths reincarnation disk will have some openings. Save as many as you can.

Changgeng, don't burden yourself—you've done enough."

With that, Xiao Ai bowed slightly to Li Changshou and flew back into the bracelet.

Li Changshou quickly returned the bow, knowing this lady didn't want to add pressure.

Taiyi Zhenren asked:

"What about the three teachers?"

Yunxiao Xianzi replied:

"My master isn't one to ignore suffering and death. If we want to act, we can."

"Senior brother, let's call everyone together for a discussion."

A faint inspiration flashed in Li Changshou's mind, but it faded too quickly to grasp.

Soon, streaks of light returned. The nine immortals, plus the newly invited Yunzhongzi, gathered to discuss the matter.

After debating for a long time, they concluded with the same words Li Changshou had said earlier:

Do your best.

On Ling Mountain, within the heavy great array, in a somewhat isolated corner.

Dizang sat cross-legged under a tree, with Ting'er using its long tail and body to shield him, occasional leaves falling from above.

The tree was gradually withering.

By the distant spirit pool, a group of Western Teachings disciples wore gloomy expressions. Since half an hour ago, those who had been close to that "foolish" old Daoist were now cursing him the most fiercely.

They were also pondering solutions, but after discussing the consequences, they fell silent.

One old Daoist said:

"We have incense merit to protect us, so there's no need to worry much."

Most of the old Daoists' faces eased at this.

Dizang stared at the prayer beads in his hand, somewhat lost in thought.

Ting'er transmitted:

"Master, don't think about it. The great saint is on your side, and that's enough.

Just focus on your cultivation from now on. Even if the Western Teachings suffer losses in the great calamity, you can survive."

"When did it become like this?"

Dizang murmured to himself.

A leaf fell into his palm, stirring some emotion in his eyes.

'Why should the Dao Gate be the protagonists of the world, and we of the West mere supporting roles? Teacher, I will ensure the Western Teachings prosper greatly!'

'Teacher, the three thousand worlds are beneath the Dao Gate's notice, but if we root ourselves there and develop followers, we can condense incense merit and gain merit from educating the human race.'

'Second teacher, leave some leeway in all things. Using incense-offering divine realms to control the entire great thousand worlds goes against the Heavenly Dao's principles.'

"On the Xue Hai this time, how many beings are there?"

"Sixty great thousand worlds' worth, roughly equivalent to the current total human population there," Ting'er transmitted. "It's been plotted for so long that these souls have accumulated over ages."

"Sixty..."

Dizang slowly clenched his fist, crushing the dried leaf.

Ting'er said:

"Don't worry, master. The saint will handle it."

"If it's the Heavenly Dao acting, and the two teachers intervene directly, it would be seen as opposing the Heavenly Dao.

Teacher might act to stabilize the twelve-grade golden lotus."

"The saints can't manage it—what can you do, master?"

"I..."

Dizang paused, sighing in resignation, hands on his forehead, silent.

His expression mirrored Li Changshou's on the Xue Hai at that moment.

Earlier, Duobao Dao Ren had said:

"Changgeng, I know you can't bear to see this, but it's better for us not to act. As you said, just do your best and have no regrets. Don't force yourself.

This is a variable, hard to control fully."

Yunzhongzi had also said:

"That treasure pearl shattered strangely, with no damage to the surrounding restrictions, yet the reincarnation pearl itself broke."

"Speak of this with caution."

"Everyone," Li Changshou said, head bowed and fingers gently rubbing his brow, "I..."

Two soft sighs echoed—one above the Xue Hai, one under the tree on Ling Mountain.

Then came prolonged silence.

Silence stemmed from thought;

Thought arose from unwillingness to drift with the tide, unwillingness to accept so-called "fate ordained by heaven."

'What can I do?'

Li Changshou asked himself, and Dizang sought the same.

On Ling Mountain, Ting'er lightly flicked its tail, as if shooing away insects, or signaling the old Daoists by the spirit pool not to disturb.

Above the Xue Hai, Yunxiao Xianzi sighed and said softly:

"Senior brother, please go with my elder brother to Fengdu City and suppress those fierce souls to free up the six paths reincarnation disk as soon as possible."

"Understood!"

Duobao agreed and transformed into a streak of light with Zhao Gongming and Jinling Shengmu, shooting toward Fengdu City.

Yunxiao Xianzi continued:

"I'll stay here and keep watch. Please, everyone, go into the Xue Hai and prevent the ferocious beasts from harming living beings."

Kong Xuan cupped his hands and transmitted:

"Don't worry. Just take care of Changgeng.

He's of human origin and hasn't seen the horrors of living beings during a great calamity, so he might not handle this well."

"Yes," Yunxiao Xianzi nodded gently, "thank you for your concern, fellow Daoist."

Streaks of light dispersed again, the group that had gathered without resolution scattering to handle what they could.

Half a day later.

The sky of the underworld seemed even lower, and above the Xue Hai, a deathly silence prevailed. Helpless stray souls wandered numbly, as if to submerge the Xue Hai.

Li Changshou slowly exhaled, the confusion and hesitation in his eyes fading completely, murmuring:

"I can still do something."

Yunxiao Xianzi asked gently:

"Can you discuss it with me?"

"It's just some ideas; I'm not sure if I can pull it off," Li Changshou stood up. "Anyway, it's better than waiting here. The longer we wait, the less time we have left.

I'm going to Huoyun Cave and will return within an hour.

In an hour, please call everyone back—I need to discuss something major."

"Yes," Yunxiao Xianzi smiled faintly, "don't leave regrets in your Dao heart."

"I won't."

Li Changshou's figure was enveloped by the Taiji Diagram and vanished into the realm beyond the painting, rushing from the underworld to the Five Parts Continent.

Half an hour later, at the entrance of Huoyun Cave, Li Changshou hurried inside.

In no time, Li Changshou emerged with a burly man in fisherman's attire, and they dashed out!

Li Changshou used the Taiji Diagram to open a void gate, rushing with Dayu Emperor toward the Xue Hai!

On Ling Mountain, Dizang opened his palm, and fragments of ash scattered. The confusion in his eyes vanished, replaced by flickering light.

He understood everything, fully comprehended.

This was a calamity.

It was the Western Teachings' calamity, sent by the Heavenly Dao; but it was also their opportunity!

The saints were still maneuvering, still scheming!

These beings were the focus of the saints' games, and the saints' silence was waiting for disciples like them to step up.

Would the Water God abandon these beings?

No, absolutely not. That guy was as scheming as they come, but deep down, he had a strong sense of belonging to the human race. With sixty great thousand worlds' worth of human souls, the Water God wouldn't ignore them!

Dizang suddenly rose and stepped forward.

Ting'er shuddered and said:

"Master, what are you doing? Just stay put."

"Be quiet!"

Dizang snapped lightly, his gaze fixed on the group of old Daoists as he continued forward, declaring:

"Fellow senior brothers and junior brothers, do any of you know how to repair the reincarnation tower?"

One replied:

"We're not sure, Dizang senior brother..."

Another said:

"Dizang junior brother, why ask about that? Even if the reincarnation tower could be repaired, it would take more than a few days—everything would be too late by then."

"Exactly. Even if it brings karma, we can use incense merit to..."

Dizang's face darkened instantly, and he said calmly:

"If no one knows, I'll ask my teacher. No need for more words."

With that, Dizang bowed and turned toward the depths of Ling Mountain.

Ting'er stood up, full of hesitation, and despite the frantic warnings in its heart, it transmitted:

"Master! The saints aren't at home!"

Dizang replied:

"Teacher must have an incarnation guarding the golden lotus."

"Ah! Master!"

Ting'er tried to say more, but two sharp gazes pierced from the side, making it shudder.

Ting'er glanced over to see one of the old Daoists by the spirit pool smiling at it, eyes full of warning.

When Ting'er looked back, Dizang had already vanished into the Ling Mountain secret realm.

Ting'er lay down with a bitter expression, boredly swishing its tail.

Being a divine beast that knows too much...

Is tough.

At the Xue Hai, Li Changshou and Dayu Emperor had just arrived, and the waiting immortals quickly surrounded them.

Kong Xuan was still patrolling the Xue Hai, using his aura to keep the ferocious beasts submerged and the Xiu Luo Zu in check.

Dayu Emperor exchanged greetings with the Dao Gate immortals, and Li Changshou cut straight to the point:

"I've come up with some ideas.

We still have six days, and there's actually a lot we can do. First, I'll outline the approach.

Our main efforts are in three areas: one is extending these souls' lives—keep thinking on that front.

Second is increasing the speed of reincarnation through the six paths reincarnation disk—I've prepared for that, which is why I invited Dayu Emperor.

Third is promptly repairing the reincarnation tower—that's up to Yunzhongzi senior brother."

Yunzhongzi, sitting by the reincarnation tower, looked up with a strained smile.

Duobao Dao Ren asked:

"How to increase the reincarnation disk's speed?"

"Don't forget my divine position in the Heavenly Court."

Li Changshou gestured with his left hand, drawing a blue river:

"I want to build a river, temporarily from the Xue Hai to Fengdu City, and if it works, we can extend it throughout the underworld.

I once modified a mortal river to contain the true spirits of many Wu Clan infants; with slight adjustments, it can work here.

This river will have three layers: upper, middle, and lower. If a soul's merits and sins balance out, or if neither is significant, they'll go in the middle layer with normal flow, leading directly to the Ten Kings of Hell.

Those with more merits go in the upper layer, which flows fastest, straight to the six paths reincarnation disk!

The lower layer flows slowest, leading directly to the eighteen levels of hell.

The key to this idea is to let the virtuous enter reincarnation first, using the eighteen levels of hell and the spaces in the reincarnation disk as buffers, which will ease the pressure on the book of life and death.

This way, we can save at least thirty percent of the souls here, prioritizing the good ones!

Why are you all looking at me like that?"

A collective hiss.

Duobao Dao Ren inhaled sharply and marveled:

"How do you come up with so many ideas?"

Li Changshou laughed:

"I heard it from mortal folklore—something about a three paths river in the underworld, but the underworld clearly doesn't have one, so I drew inspiration from that."

He joked to himself about concepts like assembly lines and automatic sorting but didn't say it aloud.

Li Changshou said:

"Forgive my boldness, but may I give direct orders?"

Zhao Gongming laughed:

"Of course! Go ahead!"

"Instead of chattering, just tell us what to do," Jinling Shengmu huffed in displeasure.

Yuding Zhenren added:

"If we can save more beings, it's merit for all of us."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming as his empty bright Dao heart activated again, ensuring he wouldn't be influenced by calamity fate.

"Dayu Emperor, surveying the river course is your task."

Dayu nodded with a smile, gripping his mountain-opening axe—this was his specialty.

"Duobao senior brother, Yuding senior brother, please assist Dayu Emperor," Li Changshou said. "This river must connect from the Xue Hai edge to Fengdu City, ensuring enough distance for the souls to be sorted."

"Understood."

"Leave it to me, brother."

"Jinling senior sister, Taiyi senior brother, come with me to Fengdu City."

Li Changshou said firmly:

"The key to resolving this lies in whether I can use my Heavenly Court divine position to create river water that distinguishes souls' merits and sins."

Zhao Gongming asked:

"What about me?"

Li Changshou smiled:

"Gongming old brother, you and Yunxiao go to the Heavenly Court and meet the Jade Emperor directly. Tell him I need a million troops to set up the river course here."

"Got it!"

Yunxiao Xianzi said:

"No need for us to go."

She slowly opened her hand, and a cloud of mist surged forth—it was the cloud mirror technique.

The cloud mirror showed the edge of the world, at the East Sea's boundary, where streams of light followed the heavenly pillar downward. Among them were heavenly soldiers and generals, as well as immortal maidens and Chang'e.

At the forefront, Mu Gong and several third-rank deities hurried on clouds, with Qin Tianzhu not far behind.

Li Changshou paused, then chuckled wryly.

"Everyone, let's get to work!"

Taiyi Zhenren cleared his throat:

"Changgeng, are you sure about this? Saving these mortal souls means helping the Western Teachings resolve their future disasters."

Li Changshou glanced at Taiyi Zhenren and smiled:

"Then think of it as giving us the right to boldly scold those from the Western Teachings later."

Taiyi Zhenren's mouth twitched.

Li Changshou looked to the horizon and took a deep breath:

"The Western Teachings will pay back what they owe.

But...

Immortals and gods scheme without harming mortals."

In that moment, Yunxiao Xianzi's eyes sparkled, and the immortals all nodded with smiles.

Soon.

The sky opened, and a million heavenly troops arrived from the east, each armed and beginning the grand task of... digging.

In Fengdu City.

Disciples from the Chan Teachings and Jie Teachings arrived upon hearing the news, helping to stabilize the surroundings and slay mischievous evil ghosts.

Li Changshou moved in and out of the six paths reincarnation disk area, constantly experimenting and adjusting his ideas.

He quickly realized that having three completely different layers of river water stably coexist was impossible—the souls were too fragile, and differing flow speeds could destroy them.

So, he only needed one type of river water to protect the souls, lowering the threshold significantly.

But in turn, the design of this layered river became much more complex and troublesome.

Li Changshou summoned his Water God divine treasure and met Qin Tianzhu, then headed to the "construction site," pondering and refining, proposing and discarding schemes one after another.

Qin Tianzhu was quite open-minded; when problems arose, he simply roared to those around: whoever could solve it would get a promotion upon returning to the Heavenly Court.

True collective effort.

The underworld suddenly bustled with activity. From the Xue Hai to the underworld, yin attendants, underworld Wu Clan, and even some Xiu Luo Zu tribes joined the river-digging project.

The King of Chujiang couldn't help but joke that the Water God had been farsighted in gathering troops earlier.

Digging the river course went smoothly.

At the six paths reincarnation disk, ghost attendants began transporting souls from the Xue Hai for reincarnation.

The Ten Kings rolled up their sleeves and joined in, the judges bustled about sweating profusely, and the greater and lesser ghosts ran themselves ragged, while the ox-heads and horse-faces wore themselves out.

In just one day, the tributary channels from the Xue Hai were completed.

In two days, the main channel was eighty percent done.

Li Changshou came up with countless new ideas, opening a great lake by the Xue Hai, using the Taiji Diagram to draw water from the Heavenly River, and immersing himself in it to transform the water into "life-nurturing water."

Water benefits all things without competing; water nourishes all spirits without dimming.

This water was merely to carry the souls, and Li Changshou racked his brains to maximize his Water God powers, achieving an ultimate purity in the water.

On the third day, the "three paths river" was mostly complete, with only the final water introduction left.

Li Changshou and over a dozen Dao Gate experts gathered by the great lake, simultaneously channeling the lake water into the river.

Along the riverbanks, a million heavenly troops, under Mu Gong's command, began gradually accelerating the three layers of water flow, while the Xue Hai started receiving souls into the river.

As the first batch of several hundred souls entered a tributary and, influenced by the various artifacts along the river, slowly divided into three layers and flowed forward, cheers erupted from both banks.

Li Changshou also smiled faintly and relaxed.

But his smile froze quickly as he frowned and shouted:

"Slow the main channel's water flow!"

No sooner had he spoken than dozens of souls in the upper layer, upon entering the main channel where the flow had sped up slightly, suddenly shattered.

The cheers fell silent, and the heavenly troops hastily stopped their spells. Zhao Gongming urged the Dinghai Divine Pearls to stabilize and slow the water.

The flow couldn't be too fast.

This affected the overall efficiency.

Li Changshou laughed bitterly:

"At this rate, we can only save twenty-five percent."

"One in four is already quite good," Duobao Dao Ren said with a smile. "This is a great merit, Changgeng—don't demand too much of yourself."

Qin Tianzhu said seriously:

"Water God... sir!"

"Hmm?"

Qin Tianzhu slowly raised his right hand, giving a thumbs-up:

"Impressive!"

The Jade Emperor thought highly of it.

"Ah," Li Changshou sighed with a smile, standing by the river, his immortal sense sweeping over, observing the beings here, his voice echoing for miles: "Open the gates at each section and receive the souls!

Heavenly Court deities, head to Fengdu City to assist the underworld with the souls.

I also ask the Heavenly Dao to temporarily relax the book of life and death!"

A thunderous rumble echoed through the heavens—it was the Heavenly Dao's response.

Suddenly!

"Water God, I have a method to save these souls."

Li Changshou, the immortals, and the heavenly troops turned to see a golden light flashing in the Xue Hai sky. A young Daoist rode on a green-furred great dog, smiling as he descended.

It was Dizang.

Li Changshou furrowed his brow slightly, gesturing for the experts behind him, eager to fight, to stay calm.

Li Changshou called out:

"Do you have a way to repair the reincarnation tower?"

"Yes."

Dizang replied, glancing over the souls above the Xue Hai before dismounting and patting the great dog's back.

A seal appeared in his palm, which he casually shattered.

"Today, I set you free. Our immortal contract is fulfilled. Go."

Ting'er froze, then lowered its head to bow to Dizang, its four legs sprouting clouds as it stayed in place.

Dizang rode the clouds forward, his white robes fluttering.

Duobao Dao Ren called out:

"Dizang, why only you?"

Dizang said calmly:

"As I said, I have a way to repair the reincarnation tower."

"This disaster is all due to your Western Teachings!" Jinling Shengmu scolded. "Now you come acting all superior—what's your intention?

Do you think I won't kill you?"

Dizang gazed at Jinling Shengmu, then said softly:

"I'm different from them."

But then he smiled faintly and added:

"I'm the same as them too."

With that, Dizang bowed deeply to Li Changshou on the clouds and declared:

"I, Dizang, disciple of the Jieyin Saint from the Western Teachings, come today to resolve the karma for my Western Teachings.

I hope the Water God, considering our past acquaintance and the innocence of these souls, will allow me to repair the reincarnation tower for the Heavenly Court!"

Li Changshou looked at Qin Tianzhu, who signaled for him to decide.

"How certain are you?" Li Changshou asked. "And how long will it take?"

Dizang replied:

"One hundred percent certain, in a moment."

"Oh?" Li Changshou raised an eyebrow, meeting Dizang's gaze from a hundred li away.

One in green robes, one in white, their eyes locked without the prior tension.

Li Changshou suddenly said something others wouldn't understand:

"Swear that the reincarnation tower will merge into the six paths reincarnation, free from any interference, and only obey Hou Tu Niangniang's commands."

Dizang nodded slowly, sat down, raised his left hand, and proclaimed:

"I, Dizang of the Western Teachings, swear upon the Great Dao..."

Half an hour earlier, in the Ling Mountain secret realm, by the twelve-grade golden lotus.

The figure that had knelt for three days refused to rise. The old Daoist sitting with his back to him, silent for two days, finally spoke:

"Dizang, are you truly resolved?"

"I wish to do this. Please, teacher, teach me the method to repair the reincarnation tower."

"You were meant to inherit my mantle."

"Teacher, is this something only I can do?"

The old Daoist fell silent.

Dizang looked up and smiled:

"Is it because of my flawless Dao heart?"

"This path will bar you from returning to Ling Mountain."

"But teacher, if I don't go, how can the beings be saved? How can the Western Teachings stand in the world and await their great prosperity? It was you who brought me here—I am willing to go..."

Dizang smiled faintly:

"Teacher, I have cultivated to this point; it's time to leave."

"You truly... very well."

The old Daoist slowly closed his eyes and flicked a golden lotus seed from his hand.

"In the end, we can't resist the Heavenly Dao's will."

Dizang's hand trembled as he caught the lotus seed and slowly placed it in his mouth, swallowing it.

He bowed three times before the saint, rose, and departed, his back straight and carefree.

Above the Xue Hai, the Heavenly Dao's power receded.

Dizang slowly stood, asking:

"Is this acceptable?"

Li Changshou nodded and gestured for him to proceed, transmitting for Yunzhongzi to step away from the reincarnation tower.

Dizang pointed, and the tower slowly expanded, floating above the Xue Hai and regaining its thousand-zhang height.

Dizang took a breath, looked up at the underworld's sky, a few thoughts crossing his eyes before he smiled serenely.

He leaped down...

"Dizang."

"Hmm?"

Dizang turned to Li Changshou, who stood among the immortals and bowed deeply.

"Finally receiving a bow from the Water God," Dizang laughed, "it's been tough. If they saw this, I'd have no way to explain."

With that, Dizang returned the bow and turned, jumping from the cloud, his form swallowed by golden light.

He transformed into a golden orb, illuminating the dim underworld sky, sinking into the towering top of the reincarnation tower.

Burn this Dao body, condense this primordial spirit, fuse the golden lotus seed, and form the reincarnation pearl.

I shall not enter hell—who will?

To prove this self, I must spend eons saving all suffering beings.

I vow: throughout all future kalpas, for all sinful and suffering beings, I shall provide vast means to lead them to liberation.

Teacher, your disciple Dizang will not fail the West.

Five days later.

The vast heavenly troops returned to the Heavenly Court. After five days of digging, they had completed the transformation of the three paths river.

The three paths river now originated from the great lake beside the Xue Hai, drawing from the Heavenly River, flowing past the east and south Ghost Gates, and rushing to Fengdu City.

Three of the Ten Kings' halls were relocated to the riverbank, with the Hall of Reincarnation built over the river, right beside the six paths reincarnation disk.

This allowed souls drifting in the upper layer of the three paths river to enter the reincarnation process directly.

Additionally, the lower layer flowed through the underworld, and the middle layer through the outskirts of Reincarnation Immortal Island.

As the three paths river continued, it exited Fengdu City into a fertile land.

A tall tower stood there, emitting a faint glow, serving as the final rebirth ground for beings.

At the tower's top, a young Daoist in white stood quietly, his form between solid and ethereal, gazing toward the underworld's edge.

Not bad, at least it's peaceful.

The Daoist thought of something—the moment the last batch of Xue Hai souls was sent by the reincarnation tower and the Heavenly Dao bestowed merits, with only a small Zixiao divine thunder striking the Water God's head—and couldn't help but chuckle.

What happened to that Water God?

Why no merit for him?

Could it be another debt?

"This guy said he'd come find me for tea soon—looks like he's with his Dao companion now.

Sigh... I should do something."

"Yo? Feeling lonely?"

A familiar, cheeky voice echoed in his mind, and the young Daoist frowned, turning around.

A green-furred great dog squatted nearby, squinting with a smile:

"Want me, a divine beast, to lend an ear to the three realms and keep you company?"

The young Daoist couldn't help but laugh.

"But let me say first, I'm not back as your mount. We have no immortal contract now. If I see a good home, I might just leave.

If you call me 'grandpa' a couple of times, I might reluctantly stick around."

"Get lost!" Dizang snapped. "Go find your Shengmu in the Jie Teachings!"

"Look at you, look at you—getting upset?

You're working for the Heavenly Dao now, so show some dignity, some poise!

Hey, don't sharpen that knife—you know I'll go be the Water God's mount if you push me!

Hey, hey, wrong, wrong—master, don't go! I'll tell you some good stories, master..."

The end.