The bloodstains from the slaughter of the Human race had not yet dried on the Primordial World, and the calamity of the Sea of Blood descended upon all living beings.
This was the first time the Dao of Earth revealed its edge.
If the Ghost Ancestor of the Dao of Ghosts was the foundation of the Dao of Earth, the Stone of Three Lives and the River of Three Paths were its bedrock, then the Sea of Blood was its blade.
It was not the Dao of Earth that wished to kill or unleash a calamity, but rather the Netherworld River, the blade of the Dao of Earth, who sought to prove his Dao through slaughter!
A black flag stood at the apex of the Sea of Blood. It was the Myriad Water Control Banner, transformed by the Netherworld River into the Asura Banner. Henceforth, it became the supreme treasure of the Asura race, created by the Netherworld River to suppress their destiny.
Blood, crimson and deep red, surged like a monstrous flood across the Primordial World, sweeping from northwest to southeast.
It no longer moved west because the western regions were too sparsely populated, often barren for ten thousand miles. Where would the Asura race find beings to slaughter?
Therefore, it could only move east, towards the flourishing lands of the east!
The Netherworld River stood with one hand behind his back, like an old steed yearning for a thousand-mile gallop, possessing an imposing demeanor.
Even with the destiny of the Sea of Blood, the Dao of Earth remained patient. The destiny that sustained him and the Asura race he created was a harsh burden, leading to his emaciation and aged appearance.
Beside him, Tian Fei Wumo looked at the white-haired Netherworld River and couldn't help but sigh. Time was a relentless butcher. She recalled when the Netherworld River was first born, full of youthful vigor, his red robes like blood, stunning the world. Alone, he had suppressed eighteen tribes of the Blood Heaven, fighting against mighty beings of heaven and earth at the Daluo realm...
Now, he was a wizened old man with wrinkles and white hair. Even though he could obliterate enemies with a laugh and conquer the world with a wave of his hand, it still filled her heart with an unspeakable sadness.
Innumerable Asura race members emerged from the Sea of Blood, stepping out and brandishing swords, charging towards all beings in the path of the blood tide. Countless beasts fled in terror, desperately trying to escape the surging blood, but to no avail, watching helplessly as the blood wave closed in behind them, engulfing ancient behemoths, spiritual beasts, Witch race members, and even Demon race members alike. None were spared.
The Netherworld River declared to heaven and earth, "Hear ye, heaven and earth, universe and Primordial World!
I, the Netherworld River of the Sea of Blood, have today created the Asura race and established the Asura religion. Race and religion are one, a race for slaughter in heaven and earth, responding to heaven and earth's call for a calamity, to cleanse the ancient ages!"
His voice echoed, shaking the Primordial World. Countless mighty beings were shocked by Patriarch Netherworld River's arrogance, but even more surprised that heaven and earth bestowed merit upon this act of slaughter. Was there merit in massacring living beings?
On Kunlun Mountain, Lao Zi frowned. He closed his eyes and divined the heavenly secrets. They were in disarray, filled with calamities and imminent disasters from all directions.
He hesitated. The grand tribulation of heaven and earth was fast approaching. If he did not attain sainthood in this tribulation, he would fall far behind and lose his chance for enlightenment.
Lao Zi felt he could no longer delay. Once the opportunity was missed, with the onset of the tribulation's killing, the cultivation of mighty beings would stagnate. Only at the very end, when the tribulation was nearing its end and a new era was about to begin, could sainthood be achieved. But that timing was too difficult to grasp, even for Lao Zi, he would not gamble on it.
The Netherworld River's initiation of the Sea of Blood calamity was the prelude to the grand tribulation of heaven and earth, a warning to all beings: the calamity was coming, and they should prepare.
Prepare for what? With the onset of the tribulation, the heavenly secrets would be obscured, and all karma forged in the calamity would be muddled and no longer count.
Therefore, naturally, those with grudges would seek revenge, and those with debts of gratitude too great to repay could kill their benefactors, thus settling the karma.
In the tribulation of heaven and earth, all beings were blades for slaughter, facing life-or-death crises for supreme beings. While one sat at home, disaster could still strike from the heavens.
This was the most dangerous time, but also the time of greatest opportunity. If you coveted someone's treasure, spiritual artifact, dojo, or anything at all, killing them would make it yours.
Spiritual treasures, inheritances, spiritual lands, countless rare artifacts, ancient texts, supreme cultivation methods, even the enemy's destiny would become yours.
Thus, when the calamity struck, there would be no safe haven in the world.
Lao Zi felt something was amiss, but he couldn't quite articulate it.
In the Demon Realm, Qing Ling, who was far away, sensed that the Netherworld River had, as he instructed, initiated the Sea of Blood calamity ahead of schedule. He couldn't help but sigh.
The Sea of Blood calamity was supposed to be delayed further. The Netherworld River had intended to wait for tens of Yuanhui, but Qing Ling, the master of the Dao of Earth, had urged him to act sooner.
Although the Netherworld River grumbled incessantly, he had done as he was told.
Qing Ling had always considered the Netherworld River the face of the Dao of Earth. Despite the Netherworld River's internal resentment towards him, the master of the Dao of Earth, there was nothing he could do. After all, Qing Ling had suppressed him for tens of Yuanhui, and now he was ordering him around. It would be strange if he didn't harbor some resentment.
Qing Ling had specifically asked the Netherworld River to initiate the calamity early to force the hands of the five saints.
Because of Qing Ling's arrival and the immense butterfly effect his actions had caused, the five saints had not yet achieved sainthood.
What he desired were the five saints, or more accurately, the three Pure Ones to achieve sainthood!
Qing Ling was self-aware. He was still some distance from the Hunyuan realm. If the three Pure Ones achieved sainthood at this moment, Qing Ling would pose less of a threat to Yuan Shi.
When he encountered the three Pure Ones at Buzhou Mountain, the heavenly prophecy stated that his enlightenment would come after theirs, and it was not mere words. If, in the future, the three Pure Ones immediately achieved sainthood and he began his own path to enlightenment, with the three Pure Ones as one, Qing Ling would surely face certain death!
After all, he and Yuan Shi were rivals for the Great Dao.
But if the three Pure Ones achieved enlightenment earlier, and the Saint realm naturally would not fear the threat of the Witch and Demon races, then Yuan Shi and Tong Tian, who walked different paths, would become the new contenders for the Dao. One for explanation, one for severance, how could they coexist?
As long as the three Pure Ones were not united, then there would be much to be done.
At this moment, Qing Ling was still in the Demon Realm, comprehending the Four Symbols of this world. The Four Symbols in the Demon Realm were divided among the names of the Four Emperors, corresponding to water, fire, time, and space, forming the foundation of this world.
Qing Ling sat in the center, overseeing the powers of all regions. His primordial spirit seemed to have merged with this world. He was at the heart of heaven and earth, his primordial spirit experiencing the fluctuations, impacts, slowdowns, fusions, and unification of the Four Symbols along with this world...
It was like the Dao evolving, from multiplicity to unity, from complexity to simplicity. The ultimate Dao is simple; the ultimate Dao is plain.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit was immersed in this state. As the world gradually unified, his Wood Dao Buzhou Mountain behind him gradually shrank, but the heavens and earth became more stable and unaffected.
Until, Nuwa awoke from her slumber, sculpted divine statues for the other four, and became their avatars at the four cardinal directions of heaven and earth.
Only then did Qing Ling awaken, his primordial spirit returning to his body, simple and unadorned, embracing his essence and guarding his unity, without leakage or loss.
Nuwa saw this and smiled, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, you have taken another step closer to Hunyuan."
Qing Ling rose and bowed. Nuwa could address him as a fellow Daoist as she pleased, but he could not be so casual with a Saint. "Empress Nuwa's praise is too much. I merely benefited from your world-creating momentum."
The eyes of the other four on Qing Ling had changed slightly. They could indeed sense that Qing Ling was different. It was indescribable, like emptiness yet real, strangely so.
Tai Yi, after handling matters concerning the Human race, returned to the Demon Realm. With this realm now settled, they no longer had to remain here, the five Emperor-level figures of the Demon race.
Nuwa laughed, "Fellow Daoist Qing Ling, do you know why, despite having the most destiny, I am merely chasing after Dao Ancestor Hong Jun, rather than being at the same level as him?"
Qing Ling shook his head. "I believe it is probably because the Dao Ancestor was born one epoch earlier than Your Highness and achieved enlightenment one step sooner."
Nuwa sighed, "No.
The first to attain the Dao is the ancestor. I believe everyone understands this principle.
The Great Dao of Saints is naturally the same!
Dao Ancestor Hong Jun was the first Saint to achieve enlightenment through the Three Corpses method. Therefore, no matter how many subsequent Saints walked the path of the Three Corpses, they would never match the primal fortune of the first.
Moreover, with this path of Three Corpses, for every Saint who achieves it, the subsequent Saint gains less than the one before.
But Fellow Daoist Qing Ling is different. You have not walked the path of the Three Corpses, but insisted on forging your own Dao, walking the ancient path to achieve Hunyuan above the thirty-third heaven.
Originally, Kunpeng, the Demon Master, was also on this path, but unfortunately, Demon Master, you abandoned the self-created avatar of Beiming and followed the Dao Ancestor's Three Corpses.
Currently, Fellow Daoist Qing Ling has reached the realm of the thirty-second heaven, has he not?"
Qing Ling nodded, "I must thank Your Highness for your fulfillment. With the momentum of your world-creation, I have barely managed to break through to the thirty-second heaven!"
Nuwa nodded. "If you step into the thirty-third heaven one day, you will likely achieve Hunyuan.
I will protect your path. Rest assured."
Qing Ling bowed solemnly upon hearing this, "If I am truly fortunate enough to break through to Hunyuan, Qing Ling will not forget the grace of Empress Nuwa's protection!"
Nuwa smiled and nodded, "No need for such formality." She then said to everyone, "With this matter settled, you may all return to the Primordial World. The Demon race has been left unattended for tens of Yuanhui, and many hidden dangers have accumulated. You will need to put in more effort!"
Di Jun and the others naturally agreed.
However, Kunpeng asked doubtfully, "Your Highness, this world has no spiritual energy at all. How can this be resolved?"
Nuwa said, "It is still the Demon Master who thinks most thoroughly. I have already decided to place the Qiankun Cauldron in this realm to absorb the powers of the four Symbols of Chaos, wind, water, and fire, and then transform them into spiritual energy for this realm.
From now on, I will move my Wa Huang Palace here to suppress the Qiankun Cauldron. However, I cannot easily leave the Demon Realm. For matters in the Primordial World, you will all have to be more diligent!"
Di Jun cupped his hands and bowed, "Thank Your Highness for considering the Demon race. However, this method cannot last long. If, in the future, the billions of living beings of the Demon race depend solely on Your Highness's Qiankun Cauldron to convert spiritual energy, how can it possibly sustain them?"
Nuwa smiled inexplicably, sending a chill down everyone's spines.
"If, one day, the Demon race truly reaches the point of needing this Demon Realm, it will be a critical moment of survival for the Demon race.
Do you still remember my words about breaking the wind, water, fire, and earth? At that time, simply shatter half of the Primordial World. In this way, the Primordial World will be incomplete, and the Heavenly Dao will have no choice but to incorporate the Demon Realm as part of the Primordial World. With the power of the Heavenly Dao, the chaotic Four Symbols can be converted into infinite spiritual energy, and I will no longer have to expend my energy."
Everyone's hearts trembled, but they had received the Empress's assurance. They would fight for the Demon race with their lives, and everything else would be left to her!
The group bid farewell to Empress Nuwa and re-entered the Primordial World.
Qing Ling, however, headed towards the Chaos.