Chapter 58: The Grand Master of Divine Powers

At first, Hongjun paid little heed to the Wu Tribe.

The reason was simple.

After Pangu slaughtered three thousand Chaos Fiends during the Great Calamity, the lingering resentment of the fiends, mingled with karmic flames and curses, fused into the primordial turbid qi, instinctively cursing the Wu Tribe.

The Wu Tribe was inherently flawed: though their bodies were powerful, they lacked the strength of the primordial spirit.

For Houtu to achieve the Dao, she would have to relinquish her ancestral Wu form and acquire a primordial spirit—each an almost insurmountable challenge. Even if Houtu comprehended karma and realized the method of attaining the Dao, at most she would be able to shed her ancestral body and gain a primordial spirit. Yet to cultivate her way to the same realm as Dao Patriarch Hongjun would take another calamity—perhaps even that would not suffice.

With Hongjun’s abilities, not to mention another calamity, within thirty thousand great kalpas, he would certainly unite with the Way, letting the Heavenly Dao envelop the Great Desolation and relinquishing his authority over the Great Way.

By then, even if an opportunity for enlightenment arose, without the Way’s resonance, how could anyone achieve the Dao?

The best outcome for Houtu would be to turn to cultivating the Heavenly Dao, becoming the Sage of Reincarnation in the Great Desolation.

Thus, both the Earthly Dao would be governed by the Heavenly Dao, ensuring the Great Desolation’s true stability.

So, at the outset, Hongjun did not concern himself with Houtu, for her path to enlightenment would require far too much time.

...

However, as he now calculated the fate, Hongjun was suddenly startled, his expression changing dramatically.

“Something is amiss!”

Hongjun’s gaze darkened. “Originally, the ancestral Wu Houtu was innately deficient, and could never have awakened a primordial spirit. Yet now, not only does she possess a primordial spirit, but also retains Pangu’s true form—her body sanctified, standing at the threshold of a Chaos Fiend, only a step away from the fruit of the Daoist Sage.”

“With no congenital flaws and possessing the power of the primordial spirit, if she were to grasp her chance for enlightenment now, would she not become a Sage on the spot, just as I did?”

“Houtu is now the greatest threat the Great Desolation has ever faced, an unprecedented calamity!”

“If I attain the position of Chaos Fiend as the Dao Patriarch of Heaven, and Houtu the same as the Dao Patriarch of Earth, our standings, powers, and authorities would be equal...”

Hongjun pondered, “If things truly come to this, how could we not clash?”

“And if we two contend, our followers—gods, fiends, immortals, and Buddhas—would surely war as well. Then the Great Desolation would be plunged into endless strife and chaos!”

“Houtu is set to sever the very lifeblood of the Great Desolation!”

...

Hongjun let out a long sigh.

He understood well that Houtu, as the Earthly Dao Patriarch preordained by Pangu and the Great Way, could not be lightly meddled with. Yet as the Heavenly Dao Patriarch, ruler of the Great Desolation, by his own governing principles, Houtu and the Wu Tribe were undoubtedly the gravest menace to the world’s order.

This had nothing to do with karma or retribution.

It was simply contrary to Hongjun’s style of rule.

...

Hongjun pondered deeply.

The momentum behind Houtu was now unstoppable; to move against her at this time was utterly unrealistic—impossible, even.

How could one oppose a Dao Patriarch established by fate?

Pangu’s sundering of heaven was the will of the Great Way. Though the Great Way is usually unseen, should one attempt to slay a fated Dao Patriarch, perhaps in an instant the power of the Three Thousand Great Ways would manifest, erasing even a Chaos Fiend.

A direct approach was nearly impossible.

Thus!

Hongjun sighed and considered silently: “For now, only a gentle method will do. I must find a way to have Houtu accept the Primordial Violet Qi. If she merges it, binding herself to the power of the Heavenly Dao, then even if she gains insight into karma and her chance to attain the Dao, she will only become a sage of the Heavenly Dao, not of the Great Way.”

The method for suppressing Houtu was no different from that used for Nuwa, Virtue, and Origin.

However,

Hongjun was keenly aware that Houtu, having merged with Pangu’s heart, cloaked in merit and born of a primordial spirit, was but a step from the fruit of the Great Way.

From the current state of Houtu, who had evolved the Dao of Life and Death from the Dao of Earth, it was clear she had already established a foundation in the Dao of Reincarnation.

Such a figure, having found her own path, would surely walk it with unwavering resolve.

Even if the Primordial Violet Qi of Reincarnation were given to Houtu, she might not merge with it.

At that point,

One must prepare for ongoing strife, perhaps even outright war.

When Hongjun decided to take in Dijun and the Eastern Emperor, he also had this concern in mind.

In the Great Desolation today,

If any force could stand against the Wu Tribe and hold any hope of victory, it would undoubtedly be the Celestial Court led by Dijun and the Eastern Emperor.

Of course,

The Three Pure Ones and the Two Sages of the West could also contend.

However,

None of the five are the type of supreme beings who crave conquest.

Because of the Wu Tribe’s existence, Dijun and the Eastern Emperor must strive even further to strengthen themselves.

The Great Desolation was now in turmoil!

Dao Patriarch Hongjun’s brows revealed a sorrowful, compassionate look as he lamented, “The Wu Tribe is truly a calamity of the highest order!”

“Houtu is the greatest calamity among them!”

“How unjust is the Great Way, to allow such a calamity to be born. Has it never considered that the Great Desolation, for the sake of such a disaster, might collapse again and again, until it perishes or is torn asunder?”

...

Hongjun sighed without end.

For the safety of the Great Desolation, his heart was truly weary.

Meanwhile,

In the Solar Palace of the Ninth Heaven, the gathering of the great powers at last concluded.

All emerged from the Solar Palace.

Suddenly,

A voice sounded, halting Fuxi and Nuwa. The Wu Tribe’s Emperor Cang respectfully saluted, “Elder Fuxi, Elder Nuwa, might you have time to visit our Ancestral Peak for a while?”

“Emperor Cang?”

Fuxi and Nuwa exchanged a glance.

With their profound abilities, a mere look between them revealed much. Nuwa smiled, “As it happens, my brother and I have matters to discuss as well. Let us journey together.”

...

“Brother!”

Dijun and the Eastern Emperor returned to the Solar Palace. The Eastern Emperor immediately asked, “The Twelve Ancestral Wu have taken Fuxi and Nuwa away. For what purpose, I wonder?”

“What else could it be?” Dijun smiled indifferently.

Suddenly, from his sea of consciousness, he summoned two treasures—one like a stone stele, the other like a tortoise shell. United, their mystery was boundless, and together they manifested the River Luo Array in midair, veiling the Solar Palace. Then, at Dijun’s bidding, the Eastern Emperor rang the Eastern Emperor Bell, and the brothers entered its space.

Surveying the interior, Dijun smiled, “In the hall just now, all was praise and flattery—mere formalities. As great powers, we must remain vigilant in times of peace. How could we consider only the favorable and overlook the dangers?”