In the wilderness bordering Du Guang, where no human footprints were found, a figure in green, holding a book in one hand, his robes fluttering in the wind, and long hair trailing behind him, unbound by any crown, tied with a red silk ribbon, appeared like a noble from a world beyond, walking upon the desolate land.
Suddenly, he stopped, looking northeast. His gaze pierced through the distant space and beheld Kunlun.
At the foot of Mount Kunlun, black and white hues had, at some unknown time, emerged, two forces swirling, manifesting and dissipating life and death. The Taiyin and Taiyang stars appeared, startling the Heavenly Court's demon saints, who mobilized the Sky-Gazing Mirror to investigate the anomaly.
Yet, the Sky-Gazing Mirror, capable of observing the Primordial World's six directions, revealed only a haze of purple mist, yielding no results.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Emperor issued an oral decree, calming the panicked demon tribes.
On Mount Kunlun, the two forces of Yin and Yang flickered, giving rise to and perishing within a dust of existence, their light illuminating heaven and earth, merging them into one, the two forces forming the Taiji.
A colossal Taiji diagram, the size of a large character, slowly ascended from the foot of Mount Kunlun to its summit. Then, the Yin and Yang poles rotated, gradually expanding, and then fading.
The Taiji diagram, the larger and fainter it became, was as vast as Mount Sumeru, seemingly merging with the heavens, and as intangible as nothingness, appearing to blend with light and dust.
From that moment, the heavens and earth gained another being at the Half-Step Hunyuan realm.
Qing Ling murmured to himself, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."
There was no need to transmit his voice for thousands of miles to convey this sentiment; sincerity from the heart was sufficient.
For those who walked the same Great Dao, every step closer to enlightenment by a fellow cultivator was a cause for joy.
The tide of the era surged with greater force, its waves rising higher. Qing Ling did not stand atop the crest to be the protagonist. Instead, he cautiously navigated through the waves, and no matter how fierce the storm, his robes remained dry, nor was he swept away by the surging tide.
Qing Ling, holding the Jiang Shan Wan Li Tu, walked towards the west, entering Mount Shou Yue.
Mount Shou Yue had a temple, named Wuzhuang Guan.
Within the temple resided a Daoist priest, two young disciples, and three to five other students. In their leisure, they would drink tea and discuss the Dao, living in harmony with their master and fellow disciples. When great tribulations arrived, they would quietly chant the Huang Ting Jing, observing the tempestuous world and the affairs of heaven and earth, living with great freedom.
Inside the temple, Zhen Yuanzi, who was lecturing his disciples, paused and said, "This lecture concludes here. Absorb its meaning."
The disciples respectfully thanked him and departed.
Zhen Yuanzi said to the young disciple beside him, "Qing Feng, Ming Yue, go and use the golden striking stick to fetch three to five fruits. We have distinguished guests arriving."
Upon hearing this, Qing Feng and Ming Yue immediately complied and left.
Zhen Yuanzi stepped out, already standing outside the temple gate, waiting patiently.
Not long after, he saw the approaching figure.
Zhen Yuanzi greeted him with a kind smile, "The Ancestor of the Demons honors us with his presence. Wuzhuang Guan is greatly privileged."
Qing Ling replied, "I apologize for disturbing your peaceful cultivation, Daoist friend."
"Disturbing? You flatter me," Zhen Yuanzi waved his sleeve and gestured, "Ancestor of the Demons, please."
Qing Ling nodded and walked into the mountain. They walked side-by-side, the mountain path winding and secluded, quite picturesque.
"Daoist friend Zhen Yuanzi, it has been some years since we last met. You have changed."
"Changed?" Zhen Yuanzi smiled it away, "Mere changes in appearance, why dwell on them?"
Qing Ling looked at Zhen Yuanzi, whose face was filled with pure benevolence and naturalness. He was no longer the spirited youth from their travels across the land, visiting countless mountains. The youthful Zhen Yuanzi was gone.
The Zhen Yuanzi standing before Qing Ling now had his hair long at the temples, tied up with a Dao hairpin. He was a man in his prime.
Qing Ling merely smiled and remained silent. They had arrived at the temple's main hall.
Qing Feng and Ming Yue were already waiting, and on the table lay five exquisite fruits, resembling infants.
Qing Feng and Ming Yue, both wearing Dao hairpins, forever appearing as young disciples, spoke in childish voices, "Greetings, Senior!"
They referred to anyone of the same generation as Zhen Yuanzi as "Senior," regardless of who the visitor was.
Qing Ling nodded and smiled. Two small, vibrant green leaves appeared before the two disciples. "Consider this a small token of my appreciation."
Zhen Yuanzi's eyelids twitched, and he laughed, "Since it is a gift from an elder, why are you not accepting it quickly? Do not be ungrateful."
Qing Feng and Ming Yue, hearing this, eagerly took the two small leaves and said joyfully, "Thank you for your generosity, Senior!"
If Zhen Yuanzi urged them to accept something, it was undoubtedly a treasure.
When their Uncle Hong Yun was present, guests often visited, and they were already familiar with this routine. If their master remained silent, it meant the item was a treasure and acceptable. If their master frowned, it meant the treasure had issues and should not be accepted. And if their master's eyelids twitched, it meant it was a great treasure! Serving by their master's side, they were far wealthier than their senior disciples.
Zhen Yuanzi waved Qing Feng and Ming Yue away and said with a smile, "Ancestor of the Demons, you must be weary from your journey. Please have some fruit to refresh yourself."
Qing Ling glanced at the Ginseng Fruit and chuckled, "Daoist friend, you have endured the passage of time. Sustained by the Ginseng Fruit, you still face the Heavenly-Human Decay. This indicates that there is no flaw in your Great Dao."
Zhen Yuanzi's smile faltered. After a few moments of silence, he said with a wry smile, "Indeed, you cannot deceive the Ancestor of the Demons. Apart from Hunyuan, in the long passage of time without storms or struggles, how many can stand firm?"
Qing Ling smiled and said, "But now, a path lies before you. Is the Earth Book in your possession?"
Zhen Yuanzi's eyes widened in surprise. The Earth Book, such a defensive supreme treasure, was rarely revealed to others, known only to a few. He asked with some uncertainty, "Does the Ancestor of the Demons wish to take the Earth Book?"
Qing Ling shook his head, "There is no need to worry. I am the Lord of the Earthly Dao, and the Earth Book is also a treasure of the Earthly Dao. Naturally, I know of its existence. However, since the Earth Book has chosen you, you are its master. Rest assured."
Zhen Yuanzi's heart relaxed, and he said, "It was my suspicion."
Qing Ling then changed the subject, "However, treasures of the Earthly Dao cannot be allowed to fall outside of the Earthly Dao."
Zhen Yuanzi gave a wry smile, "It is not that I am unwilling to join the Earthly Dao, but rather, Ancestor of the Demons, you..."
Qing Ling heard this and smiled, "This is for the best. Your suspicions are unnecessary. As long as I am the Lord of the Earthly Dao, the Earthly Dao will not be in conflict with the destiny of the demon race and the demonic Dao. Although integrating the Earthly Dao into the Heavenly Court would greatly boost the demon race's destiny, I am ultimately not the one destined to bring about the Earthly Dao's prosperity. Should this Dao change hands in the future, the Earthly Dao will no longer merge with the Heavenly Court, and the destiny lost by the demon race will far outweigh the destiny gained from the Earthly Dao's integration. If you are willing, you will henceforth be the sole representative of the Earthly Dao in the mortal realm. Naturally, you will have the boundless protection of the Earthly Dao's destiny, and you will not face the Heavenly-Human Five Decays due to insufficient destiny."
Zhen Yuanzi's heart trembled. He had long harbored this desire but had hesitated. Now, his resolve was firm.
"Zhen Yuanzi is willing to join the Earthly Dao, and pays homage to the Lord of the Underworld!"
Qing Ling laughed heartily, "Good! Good! Good! With this, our Earthly Dao finally has the foundation for great prosperity. Daoist friend Zhen Yuanzi, I present you with this Jiang Shan Wan Li Tu. With the Earth Book in your charge, you can enfeoff deities for the Earthly Dao and promote our Earthly Dao's deities in the mortal realm."
Zhen Yuanzi accepted the scroll and said, "I will certainly do my best. However, the current state of the Witch-Demon lands..."
"It is fine. I will issue decrees for the demon lands. As for the witch race, with Ancestral Witch Houtu present, as long as you have a plan, you need not worry. Let us go. Accompany me to the Underworld to receive the marks of authority."
Qing Ling waved his hand, and a bridge of time and space was conjured. Zhen Yuanzi stepped onto it.
Time flowed like a swift stream, and in an instant, they arrived in the Underworld. Beside the Three Lives Stone, the shore flowers bloomed like blood, defying the passage of time.
The Black and White Impermanence guards of the Lord of the Underworld's palace, upon seeing them, joyfully exclaimed, "Greetings, Lord of the Underworld!"
Qing Ling gently helped them up and asked with a smile, "Have there been any significant events in the Underworld recently?"
Black Impermanence replied, "Reporting to the Lord of the Underworld, there have been no major events. However, there are too many souls in the Underworld. Countless deceased souls are being brought into the Underworld by our avatars. For the time being, it is manageable, but over time, it becomes difficult to maintain peace. In desperation, we have had to guide the souls onto the Bridge of Helplessness. Millions of souls have fallen from the bridge into the Three Paths River, while tens of millions have crossed the Bridge of Helplessness, their hatred and memories washed away by the Meng Po soup refined by Daoist Friend Qi Meng, bringing some solace."
Qing Ling nodded and asked Zhen Yuanzi, "What are your thoughts?"
Zhen Yuanzi meditated for a moment and said, "The Earthly Dao seems to still be incomplete. The Heavenly Dao corresponds to birth, awakening, and soul creation. The Human Dao nurtures souls and cultivates primordial spirits. Therefore, the Earthly Dao should correspond to the cycle of reincarnation for souls, forming a complete loop, without leakages or losses. However, the Earthly Dao is still missing its core element: reincarnation."
Qing Ling sighed, "You understand this principle, and I understand it. However, those destined by the Earthly Will are unwilling to comply. But ultimately, someone must fill this role of reincarnation. If those with the Earthly Will cannot, then it must be me."
Zhen Yuanzi and Black and White Impermanence were startled and wanted to say something, but Qing Ling stopped them. The lack in reincarnation, as the core of the Earthly Dao, was not something to be easily remedied. When the Great Heavenly Dao was incomplete, it required the primordial spirits and true spirits of countless gods and demons, along with the Hunyuan Saint Dao Ancestor, to fill the void. If the Earthly Dao is incomplete, at least a being at the Half-Step Hunyuan realm or above must sacrifice themselves to complete it.
Qing Ling was not merely speaking figuratively. If Houtu were to refuse to transform into the cycle of reincarnation due to the changes in the Primordial World, he would use his own being to complete the Earthly Dao and become the cycle of reincarnation. Of course, the probability of success would be far lower than Houtu's, and he might not even be able to achieve Hunyuan in the Primordial World. This was a last resort.
Qing Ling pointed at the Three Lives Stone and said, "Daoist friend Zhen Yuanzi, take your oath."
Zhen Yuanzi nodded and solemnly walked before the Three Lives Stone. Reflecting on his three lives, and his three lives seeing him. Others saw nothing, but Zhen Yuanzi alone saw his own three lives. His mind raced with countless thoughts. He saw the scene of Hong Yun's death and dissipation, and he saw his future lives, his past, present, and future, all as one person, yet not the same self in the same plane or time node.
Zhen Yuanzi stood there for ten thousand years.
Finally, he opened his eyes, his vision clear. He loudly declared to heaven and earth, "Today, I, Zhen Yuanzi, with my human form, am willing to merge into the Earthly Dao! I wield the Earth Book as my authority, the representative of the Earthly Dao walking in the mortal realm. I will use the Earth Book to decree the boundless mountains and rivers, to enfeoff the gods of mountains and rivers, and to establish the system of Earthly Dao deities. Those with spiritual wisdom in the mountains and rivers may be granted divine positions through virtue, and they will govern the cultivation and enlightenment of their respective territories! The Earthly Dao hereby makes its decree!"
As his voice faded, authority from the Earthly Dao separated from the Three Lives Stone, the portion connected to the mountains and rivers entering Zhen Yuanzi's body. The Earthly Dao's destiny flowed, replenishing Zhen Yuanzi's depleted destiny. The Heavenly-Human Five Decays ended. His destiny became boundless, merging the destiny of the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao into the destiny of the Earthly Dao, thus rendering him immune to the calamities of the heavens and humanity.
Qing Ling was pleased. The Earthly Dao had gained another supreme mighty being, and from this day forward, the Earthly Dao would no longer be obscure amidst the Heavenly and Human Daos. As the Lord of the Earthly Dao, he had truly strived and fulfilled his responsibilities.