The earth itself shook at this moment, and even the human realm vibrated across various factions.
This spiritual treasure, newly emerged, was not only a treasure of the earth but also of the human realm.
Its light illuminated the eternal night sky of the underworld, and countless souls looked up in bewilderment, seeing ten treasure scrolls weaving between black and white, with cycles of destruction and rebirth, ascending into the firmament.
"The Book of Man!"
"It's the Book of Man!"
"The Book of Man, one of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man!"
Great beings' eyes turned red. Even though the Book of Man had emerged in accordance with the Dao of Earth and should belong to the supreme treasures of the earth, as long as one could seize it, their destiny would naturally merge with it, making it a supreme treasure of the human realm.
All the great beings tensed, their minds completely drawn to the ten scrolls of the Book of Earth. However, at this very moment, a giant golden palm tore through the void, entering the underworld. Immeasurable Buddhist light emanated from the palm, suppressing all around, shattering the techniques of those great beings, rendering them utterly incapable of resistance.
"The Sage of the West!"
"A Sage has made a move!"
Just as the colossal Buddhist palm was about to seize the treasure and depart, a majestic voice resounded, "Fellow Daoist Zhun Ti, this treasure should belong to my Eastern realm!"
A San Bao Ru Yi, as vast as the heavens, tore through space and time, instantly colliding with the giant palm.
"Boom~"
A terrifying shockwave dispersed in all directions, instantly collapsing the void, and the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire raged forth.
The Buddhist palm held the San Bao Ru Yi, and the Ru Yi blocked the Buddhist palm. Neither yielded an inch.
Another white lotus spun in the void. As it bloomed, countless beings fell into dreams. The white lotus lifted them and drew them into the Book of the Underworld.
But the next moment, a yin-yang tai chi diagram unfurled in the void, transforming into a golden bridge that stabilized the white lotus, preventing it from rotating further.
The Western Buddhist palm vanished, and a Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree appeared. Its branches swept out, scattering golden lotuses everywhere. The pure, brilliant light of the Seven Treasures Glass washed away the San Bao Ru Yi and then swept towards the golden bridge.
The golden bridge stood between heaven and earth, as if rooted in time itself. Under the sweep of the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, the golden bridge merely trembled slightly.
At this moment, the San Bao Ru Yi reappeared. Pure white, primordial light emerged, and with another throw, it repelled the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.
The voice of Yuanshi Tianzun was as clear as a gentle breeze, yet carried an irrefutable majesty, "I ask my two fellow Daoists to retreat. The Book of Man should be managed by our Eastern world."
Zhunti chuckled, his voice traveling across billions of miles, "Fellow Daoist, your words are mistaken. All is the Pangu world; why divide East and West? My Western realm has scarce life and few treasures. The Book of Man can help my Western beings prosper and multiply. I implore Fellow Daoist to show some compassion for the beings of the West."
Yuanshi coldly replied, "The beings of the Western realm are already fortunate enough to have the compassion of two fellow Daoists. I need not trouble myself with such matters."
As his voice fell, a sharp green light emerged from heaven and earth, slicing through infinity, shattering the white lotus. The Book of Man flew out.
Yuanshi smiled, "This treasure shall belong to my East."
Saying this, the San Bao Yu Ru Yi, with a swirl, rolled up the Book of Man and departed.
The two Sages of the West sighed with resignation. Against a three-on-three, the West was already at a disadvantage; how could they contend against three-on-two?
But at this moment, a ray of divine light arrived from beyond the heavens, leaving time far behind. A red embroidered ball scattered the Book of Man and the San Bao Ru Yi.
A smiling voice rang out, "Even if it belongs to the East, it does not necessarily belong to the Chan Sect."
Within the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun's expression darkened on his cloud bed. Nuwa had also intervened.
Seeing an opportunity to turn the tide, the two Sages of the West naturally did not leave.
The white lotus divided into myriad forms, confronting the tai chi diagram, meeting stillness with stillness.
The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree bloomed, each flower forming, standing opposite the San Bao Ru Yi.
The red embroidered ball, entwined with a sky full of red mist, countered the Zi Ping Sword's supreme hardness with supreme gentleness.
As the six Sages faced off, Qing Ling bowed to the West, saying, "I ask my two Sages of the West for your assistance!"
He then bowed to the heavens beyond, "I ask Goddess Nuwa for her aid!"
As his words fell, the red embroidered ball, carrying the vast red mist, swept towards the Zi Ping Sword.
On Jin Ao Island, in the Bi You Palace, Tongtian was startled. He was surprised by Nuwa's immediate action and then flicked his hand. The Zi Ping Sword transformed into ten thousand swords, which then transformed into ten thousand times ten thousand swords. Innumerable Zi Ping swords became a sea of blades, shattering the restrictions of heaven and earth, striking directly at the red mist.
The two Sages of the West hesitated for a moment before making their decision. The white lotus transformed into a dream realm, and within the dream, there was tai chi. The Great Dream World pulled the tai chi diagram into the void.
In Shouyang Mountain, Lao Zi frowned. Jieyin's Grand Dao, though seemingly illusory, was true and real, demonstrating profound attainment.
The tai chi diagram spun, the Two Forces merged into one Qi, and one Qi transformed into nothingness. Existence and non-existence gave rise to each other. The void of tai chi and the void of the Great Dream warred incessantly within the white lotus.
The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree emitted immeasurable radiance once more, sweeping towards the San Bao Ru Yi. The Yu Ru Yi, however, rotated as if to cleave the heavens, breaking through the void of the underworld. Heaven and earth reconnected, and heavenly light cascaded down, repelling the Buddhist light. Countless souls reappeared in the daylight, their faces filled with terror as they wailed.
Empowered by the Heavenly Dao, Yuanshi Tianzun was significantly stronger than Sage Zhunti.
Seeing this, Qing Ling activated the power of the Earth Dao in his brow to its utmost. The Samsara light on the Three Lives Stone once again obscured the heavenly light, shielding the myriad souls of the underworld.
Simultaneously, he reached out and grasped, the divine light of Samsara engulfing the Book of Man, intending to pull it back beside the Three Lives Stone.
Several great beings watched in shock as Qing Ling dared to snatch the treasure right before the eyes of the six Sages, and more of them felt a sense of schadenfreude.
They dared not try to seize it themselves. Offending the Sages, even with the Book of Man, would lead to a grim fate.
The void rippled, and something seemed poised to descend from the direction of Kunlun.
But another red light flew from beyond the heavens, a tyrannical blood-red streak that slashed through the sky, causing no one to see what was within the red light before it retreated.
With this obstruction, Qing Ling had already reclaimed the Book of Man and retreated to the side of the Three Lives Stone.
Seeing this, Tongtian's Zi Ping Sword flashed, and he retracted it to Jin Ao Island. He had no intention of intervening in the first place, only acting to obstruct out of consideration for Lao Zi and the bond between the three Pure Ones.
Now that the treasure had found its owner, he felt there was nothing left to fight for and withdrew his attention. The Zi Ping Sword returned.
Yuanshi, seeing this, could only let out a helpless sigh and say to Shouyang Mountain, "Senior Brother, let us withdraw."
The two Sages of the West immediately ceased their actions, and Lao Zi's tai chi diagram reappeared. The four Sage-level artifacts retreated in an instant.
Yuanshi knew very well that due to the suddenness of the event, there had been no time for planning. With six Sages in a three-on-three standoff, even if he could barely suppress Zhunti, Tongtian was no longer one of the three Pure Ones and was not giving his full effort.
If this continued, they would be unable to contend for the Book of Man. It was better to let it go for now.
The reason Zhunti and Jieyin acted for Qing Ling was naturally to repay the karma from the past event of Jian Mu reaching the heavens.
Even though this karma was significant, the karma required to move beings of Sage status now would not be greater. If Qing Ling were to seek help from the two Sages of the West again in the future, it would not be the same situation of two against two as today.
In the underworld, silence returned.
However, the great beings and ancestors who were secretly observing from the void did not leave.
Qing Ling sneered. Apart from the Sages, no one could snatch what was in his hand. If it were within the Dao of Earth, even the Sages could not.
He addressed the beings of the underworld, "From this moment on, the Book of Man belongs to the Dao of Earth. I shall seal the Book of Man within the Three Lives Stone. Only when the next Lord of the Earth Dao descends shall this treasure be brought forth, transforming into the Book of the Underworld, the book that records the life and death, fortune and misfortune of all beings, named the Book of Life and Death!"
The ten scrolls of the Book of Life and Death were sealed within the Three Lives Stone. Sages could take them, but upon doing so, the Three Lives Stone would shatter, the Dao of Earth would be lost, and heaven and earth would be incomplete.
The beings of the present were all souls of immortals from past eras who had dispersed throughout heaven and earth, condensing in places of vitality to be nurtured into new life.
But if this continued indefinitely, the souls of all beings would assimilate, and those dead immortals would regain their past memories, leading to countless beings assimilating into one. The consequences of such an event would be too terrifying.
Therefore, the cycle of the Dao of Earth could not be disrupted. The Dao of Earth did not allow it, nor did the Dao of Man, and the Dao of Heaven would not permit it, nor would the Great Dao of Heaven.
Qing Ling stood at the core of the netherworld, beside the Three Lives Stone, his hand caressing the stone. In all of heaven and earth, only he dared to touch the Three Lives Stone.
The Three Lives Stone emerged because of him. The Dao of Earth was born prematurely because of him. The cultivators of the ghost realm were able to cultivate the ghost path because of Qing Ling. The Blood Sea, with its guidance from Qing Ling, endured the Dragon-Phoenix calamity without suffering irreversible damage to its Grand Dao, possessing the potential to ascend to Hunyuan. The Bridge of Helplessness was built because of him, Meng Po was born because of him, the waters of the Three-Path River flowed because of him, the prototypes of the eighteen hells were created by him, the Ten Kings of Hell were personally appointed by him, Black and White Impermanence were his loyal servants, the mountain and land gods were established through his guidance, and the yin virtue of the Dao of Earth was brought forth by him.
Black and White Impermanence, the Ten Kings of Hell, Meng Po of the Bridge of Helplessness, the Ancestor of Fengdu, Zhen Yuanzi the Earth Immortal, the Judge of Yin Virtue, and Ming He of the Blood Sea were all Da Luo Great Ancestors of the Dao of Earth.
On Qing Ling's brow, the imprint of the Dao of Earth appeared. This time, it was not a decree of investiture, but a return.
The authority of the Dao of Earth was transferred back into the Three Lives Stone. The Lord of the Dao of Earth returned to the Three Lives Stone.
From this moment on, there would be no Lord of the Underworld in heaven and earth!
The Palace of the Underworld, which had stood for countless ages, collapsed with a rumble, signifying the downfall of its master, the Lord of the Underworld, the Lord of the Netherworld, the Lord of the Dao of Earth!
Qing Ling's mind had never been so tranquil. The will of the Dao of Earth returned from him to the origin of the Dao of Earth. From now on, the Dao of Earth was the Dao of Earth, and Qing Ling was Qing Ling.
For the last time, he looked upon the Three Lives Stone, gazing at the three lifetimes with a smile. In those early days, the Dao of Earth was like an infant. In a chaotic and fierce era, he became its guardian, like a father to a young child, meticulously planning for its future step by step.
A parent's love for their child is to plan for their long-term future.
The will of the Dao of Earth was moved for the first time, touched by reluctance, and felt gratitude.
He was the one who accompanied the Dao of Earth through times of war and chaos. He had accompanied it through its weakest and most downtrodden moments. He appeared when the Dao of Earth needed him most, and he appeared when the Dao of Earth was at a loss.
Qing Ling was the one who walked with it through the ages until the end of time.
Qing Ling raised his hand, smiling at the Three Lives Stone, and said, "You have grown up. Your wings are now full. You can now contend with heaven and contend with man. The coming years will be walked with you by another in my stead."
Henceforth, no matter who the Lord of the Dao of Earth was, they would be Qing Ling's substitute.
Qing Ling understood why the Dao Ancestor had merged with the Dao alone. It turned out he was of the same path as the Lord of the Dao.
Qing Ling's affection for the Dao of Earth was like Hongjun's for the Heavenly Dao in the past. They had accompanied each other from weakness, moving forward hand in hand, one person and one Dao, their bond deepening beyond love, blood ties, or parental affection, a profound love that encompassed all.
The difference was that Qing Ling's origin was not the source of the Dao of Earth, and Qing Ling was not the most suitable candidate for merging with the Dao of Earth.
Whereas Hongjun, cultivating the Grand Dao of Time, was the most fitting candidate for merging with the Heavenly Dao!
Both Qing Ling and Hongjun acted for the perfection of their respective Daos.
Qing Ling could have fully possessed the Dao of Earth and remained its Lord forever, but he was willing to abandon this temptation for the sake of the Dao's completeness.
Qing Ling pointed a finger at the sky and another at the earth, his palms touching each other, and declared to heaven, earth, and all beings:
"Hear ye! Heaven and earth, the universe and the primordial chaos.
I, Qing Ling, Lord of the Dao of Earth, have now completed my功德 (gōng dé - merit) and abdicate as Lord of the Dao of Earth.
Whoever can perfectly complete the Dao of Earth shall be its Lord!
Beings of the underworld, I wish you all passage between heaven and earth. Hear my final decree: The Dao of Earth nurtures heaven and earth and shall protect them completely. If, for the sake of the Great Dao, the spirit of heaven and earth is destroyed, all Daos will abandon you. Therefore, beings of the underworld must not engage in internal strife and consumption, nor mutual slaughter, nor destroy mountains and rivers, nor blame heaven and earth, nor abandon Pangu, nor abandon the primordial chaos!
Beings, receive this decree!"
At this moment, hundreds of millions of beings in the underworld knelt on the earth of the netherworld, bowing their heads, prostrating towards the place where the flowers of the other shore bloomed, by the waters of the Three-Path River, towards the figure in green.
At this moment, all the Da Luo, great beings, and ancestors in the underworld bowed their heads and bodies low to the ground, holding only one identity at this moment: subjects of the Dao of Earth.
Innumerable beings wept with gratitude and bowed, crying out, "We respectfully obey the decree of the Lord of the Underworld!"
Qing Ling, for the last time as the Lord of the Underworld, said to the billions of beings in the underworld, "Rise!"
The beings rose, the Da Luo rose, the great beings and ancestors rose and turned back. They looked back, and as they turned their heads, the sea of flowers of the other shore still swayed, the Forgetfulness River by the Three-Path River remained the same, but that figure was no longer there.