On the journey, one by one, the heroic souls of the Snake clan were welcomed into the procession.
Qing Ling's entourage gradually lengthened, though the living could rarely see the dead behind the living.
Beneath the Nine Netherworlds, a slumbering Daoist awoke.
The myriad Dao had perished, and the Heavenly Dao had expanded, naturally causing the Earthly Dao to grow considerably as well.
However, this expansion was nowhere near comparable to what the Heavenly Dao had gained.
The Daoist was meant to sleep for much longer, but the Earthly Dao’s expansion nourished him, causing him to awaken prematurely.
As the Daoist’s eyes opened, the past eons of Dragon and Phoenix were imprinted upon his heart.
With a long sigh, he abruptly rose.
The Black and White Impermanence beside him rejoiced and congratulated, "Welcome back, Nether Lord!"
Qing Xuan nodded, glanced at them, and said, "Your destined opportunity has arrived, brothers!"
Though Black and White Impermanence were delighted, they did not know what this opportunity entailed.
Qing Xuan raised his voice and declared to the Earthly Dao, "Today, countless souls perish across the Primordial World, many races are annihilated, and solitary ghosts are infinite. I hereby appoint the Black and White Impermanence as the emissaries to guide souls to the Netherworld, connecting the Nine Netherworlds, the Earthly Dao, and the Primordial World!"
The Earthly Dao assented, and its will descended upon the bodies of Black and White Impermanence.
The Black and White Impermanence, yin and yang intertwined, connected the mortal and spectral realms. Blessed with immense fortune, they achieved instant enlightenment, attained the Grand Unity realm, and became mighty beings of the Earthly Dao!
Even the Heavenly Dao bestowed upon them Xuanhuang merit to protect them.
The Black and White Impermanence split into one hundred and eight thousand pairs, emerging from the Nine Netherworlds to ascend the mortal realm, snatching the souls of wicked ghosts and claiming lives with their chains.
The myriad souls of sentient beings could not vanish entirely from heaven and earth, nor could they run rampant on the land, thus the depths of the Nine Netherworlds became the best destination.
Qing Xuan then pointed to the shore-red flowers beside him. As the flowers bloomed and withered, a figure emerged from the cycle of life and death.
"Why did you release me early?"
Qing Xuan smiled and replied, "The great tribulation has ended, and it is time to grant you freedom."
Ming He nodded, bowed respectfully, and turned back towards the Sea of Blood.
However, he had arrived as a youth, and he returned as a grown man.
On Mount Kunlun, three Daoists returned to the mountain after many years.
Tong Tian’s expression was one of sorrow as he looked upon the land strewn with corpses.
Laozi, however, said, "Do not worry. Sentient beings have their own karmic destinies.
Their corpses will be collected by their own kin. If we interfere, we would be breaking their bones and scattering their ashes."
Yuanshi pointed to the west and asked, "Then why must they go there?"
Laozi shook his head, "The West is desolate, with only these two remaining. This is the Dao of the West.
The beings of the East still exist, and their descendants will tend to their affairs. This is the Dao of the East."
Across the vast Eastern lands, small tribes began to traverse the mountains of corpses, searching for the remains of their ancestors and guiding their souls.
The Eastern world was fortunate. At least after death, there were those to collect their bodies, preventing them from being exposed to the elements or their souls from scattering.
The Western world was unfortunate, for aside from the Bodhi White Lotus, there was not a single living being left.
Yet, those who were unfortunate would go to save an unfortunate world.
On Mount Sumeru, Zhunti smiled and descended, followed by Jieyin.
The two walked across the boundless land of corpses, and with every step they took, they collected the remains of the fallen.
There were no other living beings in the West, and these two were the last to remain, thus it fell to them to collect the corpses of the West.
Facing the endless sea of corpses, Zhunti maintained a benevolent smile, for only in this way could the lost and bewildered souls avoid despair, and their lonely hearts be comforted.
Jieyin’s face was etched with sorrow, for only by remembering this present sorrow could he avoid forgetting the West of today.
Zhunti smiled towards the four directions and proclaimed loudly, singing:
"Homage and皈依 to Su Xi Di, head bowed in reverence to seven Koti.
I now praise the Great Zhunti, may your compassion protect me.
Namo Sa Duo Nan!
Samyak Sambuddha!
Koti Nan!
Dazhixia!
Om!
Zhe Li Zhu Li!
Zhunti Suo Po He!"
What Zhunti spoke were the incantations of Zhunti. Zhunti illuminated countless solitary souls with sacred light, and they spontaneously followed behind him.
Jieyin remained silent, but each white lotus he conjured bore the bones of the deceased. In his compassionate heart, three thousand dreams entered ten thousand souls, comforting their hearts.
Upon the Western lands, viewed from a high vantage point, two tiny figures slowly advanced from west to east across the land piled high with countless corpses.
With every step they took, countless bones found peace.
Zhunti and Jieyin walked slowly, ensuring all corpses were collected. Thus, the land buried beneath the remains once again saw the light of day.
It was no longer the land of corpses, but corpses upon the land.
The countless remains were all gathered by the two into their Daluo Dao Treasury realm. Therefore, the earth became clean, without the presence of bodies or bones, and this is why the Western land would henceforth be called the Pure Land.
In the soil of the West, there was not a single corpse left, not a single bone overlooked, for the two mighty beings had walked the Western lands, and not a single inch had been left unturned.
In the vast southwest wilderness, Qing Ling arrived.
Behind him were the living and the dead of his clan.
Before him lay the corpses of the Snake clan, those who died in the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, their primordial spirits annihilated, leaving only scattered remains.
The clansmen behind him wept, standing before the enormous snake corpses. Bones were piled on either side, the sky was overcast and rain poured down, mixing with the earth to form mud that was poured over the remains of their ancestors.
Qing Ling's grief was unending; he could barely bear to look at the bodies.
Perhaps, if he didn't see them, these people would live on in his heart.
"Crack!"
A faint sound broke through the rain, seemingly insignificant, yet to a cultivator, it was incredibly clear.
All the Snake clan members turned towards the source of the sound.
It was the corpse of a giant earth-yellow snake.
Qing Ling recognized it as the corpse of Venerable Yu.
He raised a hand, and the colossal snake mountain lifted three feet from the ground. Its mouth gaped open, and within its bloody throat, a weak figure trembled and cried softly.
Qing Ling’s heart jolted, and he exclaimed, "Qi!"
Beneath the dark and desolate sky, amidst the mountains of corpses and bones, from the mouth of a giant snake corpse, a child with a blood-stained face looked up, his eyes filled with despair.
Upon seeing Qing Ling, a flicker of recognition appeared in Qi's bewildered, numb, and despairing gaze. He recognized Qing Ling and uttered dazedly, "Brother."
Joy and sorrow mingled in Qing Ling's heart. He stepped forward, shielding Qi in his arms. Those despairing eyes and that lost cry of "Brother" caused his heart to ache.
Only then did Qi react, and he broke down into uncontrollable sobs.
His kin had died tragically before his eyes, his clansmen had fallen in battle, and he was the sole survivor of the entire clan.
The image was forever etched in his mind: his father had swallowed him, and his primordial spirit had rushed out of his body, colliding with the Immortal Slaying sword qi, scattering his soul!
The Jianmu bracelet he wore on his wrist had also shattered.
Amidst the endless mountains of corpses, a child's cry echoed far and wide, intertwining with the sorrowful laments of descendants mourning their kin in mountains of corpses across the land. The Xuanhuang rain fell upon their voices, a chorus of grief from the last moments of the previous era.
Qing Ling, with Qi and the remaining clansmen, returned to Xi Mountain.
He returned with a damaged golden flower from Granny Hua Geng.
He remembered that Granny Hua Geng had once merged a trace of his innate spiritual energy into herself.
He also recalled that there was a sliver of Granny Hua Geng's soul force within the soul lamp of Xi Mountain.
He could still summon spirits and guide souls!
Not only was this needed, but he also needed to be the master of the Earthly Dao and an ultimate mighty being!
For a thousand years, the Xuanhuang rain fell upon heaven and earth, ushering in a new dynasty from the ruins of the Primordial order.
The celestial clouds dispersed, and the rising sun illuminated ten thousand miles. The great tribulation had passed, the residual tribulation energy transformed into fortune, and heaven and earth were auspicious!
"Rumble..."
One by one, grotto-heavens and blessed lands reopened, and one by one, innate great deities emerged!