Primordial Era: The Great Celestial Venerable on the Road to Mythology

Chapter 14 Forging an Alliance, Upholding Heaven's Laws, and Glorifying Virtue and Glorifying t

Deep within the six realms of reincarnation, a light shone forth.

The radiance spread outward from the center of reincarnation, causing the void to tremble and the souls of the dead to bow their heads wherever it passed.

A figure slowly emerged from the radiance.

Dressed in white as snow, with long hair reaching her waist.

It was a woman, her face beautiful yet pale, with a faint sorrow between her brows. Her eyes were deep, as if they contained the power of reincarnation throughout the netherworld, yet also seemed utterly empty.

She walked barefoot in the void, and with each step she took, lotus flowers bloomed beneath her feet, only to wither and fade away in an instant, turning into specks of light that vanished into the world.

—Empress Pingxin.

She stepped out of the cycle of reincarnation and looked calmly at Haotian.

In an instant, the entire underworld seemed to come alive. The previously bewildered souls all stopped in their tracks and knelt down in the direction of Pingxin, silently, yet with a reverence that came from the depths of their souls.

Pingxin ignored the spirits of the dead, and simply looked at Haotian, saying calmly, "Your Majesty has come from afar, and I have failed to greet you properly."

Her voice was clear and cool, yet gentle and warm, echoing in the deathly silence of the underworld, bringing a sense of peace to those in the room.

Haotian bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty is too kind. I have come unannounced and disturbed Your Majesty's meditation; please forgive me."

"It's not a disturbance." Pingxin's gaze shifted from him to the several high priests bound in chains behind him, his brow furrowing slightly. "What is the Heavenly Emperor doing...?"

Haotian turned to the side and pointed at Xingtian and the others: "Xingtian led his troops to attack the Heavenly Court and was captured by me. Considering Your Majesty's merit in transforming yourself into a being for the benefit of all living beings in the primordial world, and not wanting to harm the foundation of the Wu Clan, I have specially sent him here for Your Majesty to deal with."

Pingxin's gaze lingered on Xingtian and the others for a moment.

Xing Tian lowered his head, not daring to meet her gaze. The other high priests were also filled with shame, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

"Attack the Heavenly Court?" Pingxin's voice turned slightly somber. "Who ordered you to go?"

No one answered.

Pingxin sighed, withdrew her gaze, and looked at Haotian: "What does the Heavenly Emperor intend to do?"

"I said, leave it to Her Majesty," Haotian said calmly. "They are, after all, members of the Witch Clan, and it is inappropriate for me to overstep my bounds. However..."

He paused, his tone turning cold: "I hope this is the last time. Next time, I won't be so polite."

Pingxin nodded: "I understand."

With a wave of her hand, a vast power of reincarnation surged forth, shattering all the chains of order binding Xing Tian and the others. Xing Tian and the others regained their freedom, but remained kneeling, afraid to rise.

"Aren't you going to thank the Heavenly Emperor?" Pingxin said.

Xing Tian's face flushed red. After holding it in for a long time, he finally said in a muffled voice, "Thank you, Heavenly Emperor, for sparing my life."

Haotian waved his hand, not taking it to heart.

Pingxin then looked at Xingtian and said calmly, "You may all step back. I have something to say to the Heavenly Emperor."

Xing Tian hesitated, then led the great shamans away at a distance.

In the netherworld, only Haotian and Pingxin remained, standing facing each other.

"Is the Heavenly Emperor's visit not just to send someone off?" Pingxin looked at Haotian with a profound gaze.

Haotian did not deny it, and said frankly, "Your Majesty has discerning eyes. I have come here not only to deliver the person, but also to discuss the matter of an alliance with Your Majesty."

"An alliance?" Pingxin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Indeed." Haotian stood with his hands behind his back, looking around. "Your Majesty opened the six realms of reincarnation, bringing blessings to all living beings. This is immeasurable merit. However, Your Majesty also has concerns, namely the remnants of the Witch Clan."

The Six Paths of Reincarnation are of paramount importance; Your Majesty cannot venture out lightly. Even if you wish to protect them, you are powerless to do so. The Witch Clan has already suffered heavy losses; if left unchecked, their true annihilation is likely not far off.

Pingxin looked at him quietly, her eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

How do you plan to form an alliance?

Haotian smiled slightly and said solemnly, "I am the Great Celestial Venerable of the Primordial World, the Lord of the Heavenly Court. Your Highness may serve as the 'Empress Earth Goddess, Who Upholds Heaven's Laws and Radiates Virtue' in the Heavenly Court."

In this way, the celestial court and the underworld will be linked by destiny. I, the Emperor, can assist the underworld in establishing a perfect order, ensuring that the souls of the dead have a place to belong and that reincarnation is orderly. The members of the Witch Clan can also enter the celestial court and the underworld to serve, each finding their proper place.

Upon hearing this, Pingxin remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Does His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor not care about the karma of the Witch Clan?"

The karma borne by the Wu tribe is arguably the heaviest in the primordial world.

The root cause lies in the collapse of Mount Buzhou. Mount Buzhou, whose name literally means "imperfect mountain," can also be interpreted as endless or boundless.

Besides standing tall and majestic, the greatest function of this mountain is to absorb primordial energy and transform it into innate spiritual energy through the earth's veins, supplying the entire prehistoric world.

After Buzhou Mountain was destroyed by Gonggong, this ability completely disappeared, and the innate spiritual energy could no longer be replenished.

Such overwhelming karma has been bestowed upon the remaining members of the witch clan. If nothing unexpected happens, they will gradually weaken under the backlash of karma until they die and their very existence is destroyed, and they may even implicate those who were with them.

Haotian smiled calmly upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, you must understand that the Heavenly Court is the place that maintains the order of the primordial world, and the Netherworld is the same. If the remaining Wu tribes are scattered elsewhere, the Heavenly Dao will surely target them, and under the backlash of karma, their demise is only a matter of time."

However, if one holds a position in the Heavenly Court or the Underworld, as long as one is maintaining the operation of Heaven and Earth and doing things that benefit Heaven and Earth, the Heavenly Dao will not deliberately target them. Their karma will gradually be offset by their merits, thus allowing the Wu Clan a sliver of hope for survival.

This is like paying back a debt from a past life. If you are unable to repay, you will be blacklisted. But if you are working hard to repay, even if you can't pay it back all at once, there will eventually be a day when you have paid it all back. It's better than defaulting on your debt.

Although Heaven is ruthless, it can still distinguish between advantages and disadvantages.

After listening calmly, he pondered for a long time.

She gazed at the endless stream of souls pouring into the six realms of reincarnation, then looked at the ashamed descendants of the witch clan in the distance, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

Finally, she slowly nodded.

"I agree. From this day forward, I will form an alliance with Your Majesty, sharing both glory and adversity."

Upon hearing this, Haotian smiled.

Without hesitation, he immediately raised his hand and waved it, sending a burst of pure Yang energy flying out from his palm. It soared into the sky, instantly passing through the Netherworld Gate and entering the Primordial Heavenly Court.

The ancient starry sky suddenly lit up, and all thirty-three heavens trembled.

Above the nine heavens, a colossal image of Haotian appeared, illuminating the three realms and overwhelming all spirits.

The image wore a crown and imperial robes, its eyes shone like the sun and moon, and its voice boomed like thunder, its grandeur resounding throughout the vast and desolate world.

"I am Haotian, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, the Great Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial World!"

"Today, the Netherworld Goddess Pingxin joins the Heavenly Court and is hereby granted the honorable title of Empress Earth, who upholds the laws of Heaven, exemplifies virtue, and glorifies the Greatness. She is ranked among the Four Emperors, her status is equal to mine, and she will govern the Netherworld. This is hereby proclaimed to all beings!"

These words shook the entire primordial world.

Countless beings looked up at the image of the Heavenly Emperor in the heavens above, their faces filled with shock.

"What? Empress Pingxin has joined the Heavenly Court?"

"The Empress Earth, who upholds Heaven's laws, embodies profound virtue, and glorifies the world... The Four Emperors? Equal to the Heavenly Emperor!"

"The Underworld and the Heavenly Court have formed an alliance!"

"A sage has joined the Heavenly Court? This...?"

"What methods did Haotian use to persuade Consort Pingxin?"

The powerful figures from all walks of life discussed the matter, some puzzled, some wary, their expressions varied.

On Mount Sumeru, Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly somber.

"Pingxin actually agreed?" Zhunti frowned.

"Although Houtu has taken the form of reincarnation, she is still the ancestor of the Wu tribe and still has ties to them," Jieyin sighed. "Haotian precisely saw this and used it as bait. Brilliant!"

"Let's join the Heavenly Court with a calm mind," Zhunti murmured. "Senior brother, our plan won't be easy."

With a profound gaze, Jieyin said, "The Heavenly Emperor holds the reins of power, and with the alliance of peace, the Heavenly Court's influence has grown significantly. Let us proceed cautiously."

On Mount Kunlun, the Primordial Celestial Venerable frowned slightly, then relaxed, and said calmly, "Although Pingxin is strong, he is trapped in the Netherworld and is not to be feared. The position of one of the Four Emperors is nothing but an empty title."

Even so, he was already secretly considering that he would have to reconsider his attitude toward the Heavenly Court in the future.

Inside Biyou Palace, the Tongtian Sect Leader clapped his hands and laughed, "Interesting, truly interesting!"

Inside the Eight Views Palace, Laozi opened his eyes, glanced at the image of the Heavenly Emperor in the heavens above, and then slowly closed them again, as if everything was irrelevant to him.

Only the flames in the alchemy furnace were dancing more vigorously than usual.

Haotian withdrew the image and turned to look at Pingxin.

"Your Majesty, the alliance has been finalized. After I return, I will begin preparations for the Underworld. I hope Your Majesty will provide your full assistance at that time."

Pingxin nodded slightly: "Since the Heavenly Emperor has this intention, I will naturally cooperate. However, I must make it clear beforehand that the rules of the Netherworld shall be jointly determined by me and the Heavenly Emperor, and no one else shall be allowed to interfere."

"Of course," Haotian replied readily.

Pingxin added, "If any members of the Witch Clan are willing to serve in the Heavenly Court, I will send them there. The Heavenly Emperor will decide how to appoint them."

Haotian laughed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will treat everyone equally."

Having said that, he bowed respectfully, turned around, and strode away.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly heard Pingxin's voice softly coming from behind him: "Haotian... thank you."

Haotian paused slightly, but without turning around, he simply waved his hand and disappeared into the darkness of the underworld.

Pingxin gazed quietly in the direction he had left, and only after a long while did she turn her gaze away.