Volume 4: The Revelation Revealed – Chapter 485: Matters on Earth

Within the Abyss of Nine Netherworlds, King Ksitigarbha resided in the First Hall of Yama, judging good and evil before the Mirror of Evil Deeds.
Back then, when he entered the netherworld, he captured the Immortal of the Southern Pole without hesitation and retrieved the counterfeit Creation Furnace from beneath the earth. The ancient divine beasts from Qitianling led by him had already subdued the rulers of the other nine halls of Yama.
King Ksitigarbha was already renowned throughout the universe; who would dare defy his will?
The rulers of the nine halls were brought to the First Hall, where they saw the Golden Immortal of the Southern Pole pinned before the Mirror of Evil Deeds. With a wave of his hand, King Ksitigarbha seized the Creation Energy from him. Pitiful old man of the Southern Pole—after tens of thousands of years of cultivation and attaining the rank of the Supreme Emperor of Eternal Life in the Southern Pole—he lost everything due to his greed for immortality and evil deeds.
Without his Creation Energy, he became no different from an ordinary mortal. With just a glance, King Ksitigarbha knew he had done more evil than good. His reckless acquisition of Creation Energy, deception, and even killing were all common for him. Thus, he ordered his demons to first send him to the Hell of the Copper Axe. After a hundred years, he would be transferred to the Hell of Piercing Mouths, and another hundred years later, to the Hell of Bone Pulling and Crushing. This cycle would continue for ten thousand years before he could be reborn as an animal.
The other rulers of the nine halls were heartbroken. King Ksitigarbha then judged each one’s good and evil deeds, imposing punishments based on the severity of their offenses.
From then on, there were no more crimes in the netherworld. Although the punishments remained, no one would dare steal Creation Energy from good people anymore.
Evil beings who lost their Creation Energy were doomed to have shortened lifespans in their next lives. This Creation Energy was no longer needed to supply the heavenly courts; instead, King Ksitigarbha created a new realm out of nothing and entrusted it to Dìtīng to oversee.
At the Wuzhuang Temple on Mount Wanshou, after Zhenyuanzi disappeared without reason, the place remained peaceful for decades. One day, dozens of boys descended from the sky and landed on the top of Mount Wanshou.
One boy said, “What’s so good about this place? Why did Master choose it?”
Another replied, “Senior brother, Master must have had his reasons.”
If Wukong were here, he would surely recognize these two boys as the Golden-Horned and Silver-Horned Kings of old. These two boys were tasked by the Old Lord to watch over the furnaces—one guarding the golden furnace and the other the silver one.
The boy of the golden furnace said, “When you and I ruled Mount Pingding’s Lotus Cave back then, why didn’t I notice this mountain?”
The boy of the silver furnace laughed, “Senior brother, you hardly ever left the cave, so how could you care about such things? I, on the other hand, saw clearly that there used to be a ginseng fruit tree on this mountain—a treasure hard to find even in heaven. If it weren’t for fear of angering our master, hehe, I would have taken over this precious land long ago.”
“Ginseng fruit? Grass-to-Elixir pill! Where did it go now?” asked the boy of the golden furnace.

“How can I know? I’d better just work hard,” the Silver Furnace Boy instructed the boys behind him, telling them to use magic to remove the debris and broken wood from the mountain top. He then cast several immortal spells to clean the summit thoroughly. Once everything was settled, the group of boys rode on clouds back to the Sumeru Palace. In just a short while, a massive palace slowly emerged from the Thirty-Third Heaven—it was the Sumeru Palace of the Supreme Lord Laozi. The palace moved but grew smaller and smaller; what had seemed boundless at first became the size of a palm in no time, fitting inside Laozi’s sleeve. With a flick of his body, Laozi appeared at the top of Mount Wanshou. He stroked his beard, nodded slightly, and murmured to himself, “Indeed, a wonderful paradise.” After looking at the peaks, he waved his hand, and the Sumeru Palace expanded in the wind and landed on one of the peaks. Laozi glanced down the mountain and cast a concealment spell so that mortals could not see this place. A few days later, the Vast Treasure Daoist arrived at the Sumeru Palace with his flowing sleeves. Upon seeing Laozi, he exclaimed, “I told you to come first, yet you’ve taken the best spot.” Laozi replied, “How could it be the best? This is just the third-highest peak on Mount Wanshou; the other two are naturally reserved for my two senior brothers.” The Vast Treasure Daoist snorted and said, “Do you think I can’t tell? This place has the strongest spiritual energy!” Laozi was momentarily stunned, then apologized with a smile, “Even my senior brother knows I need to refine elixirs and maintain a large Peach Garden. Of course, I’ll give you some benefits later.” Only then did the Vast Treasure Daoist relax. He went to the second peak and set up the Miroku Palace, sighing, “After living in heaven for so long, I really find it hard to adapt to the mortal world.” Laozi followed and said, “It’s not that bad. There was never really such a thing as a heavenly court or underworld in the first place.” The Vast Treasure Daoist asked, “I wonder when your senior sister will be able to finish crafting the Creation Furnace. Once it’s ready, our cultivation won’t be difficult anymore.” Laozi snorted and said, “I still don’t know what her intentions are!” The Vast Treasure Daoist replied, “After all, she’s your senior sister. Would she really harm you?” Laozi shook his head and sighed, “It’s not my senior sister who harms me—it’s fate!” On Mount Wudang in the Southern Continent, there was a different kind of majestic scene. Zhenwu had already moved the Purple Sky Palace here and added many decorations around it. The mountain stood towering in the southeast, a divine peak among the heavens. The Lotus Peak was steep and majestic, and the Purple Canopy Ridge was lofty. Above lay the precious caves of the Void and the spiritual platforms of vermilion and green. Three heavenly gates were set up on the mountain top, and the Purple Sky Palace had been transformed into the Taihe Palace. On two adjacent peaks stood two more palaces: one was the Ziwei Palace of the Emperor of Ziwei, and the other was the Douniu Palace of the Twenty-Eight Constellations. At that moment, the Emperor of Ziwei was in the Taihe Palace, talking with Zhenwu. Both of them had calm expressions, as if the existence of the heavenly court meant nothing to them.

Zi Wei said, “The world seems much quieter now.”
Zhen Wu replied, “Brother Zi Wei, you’re joking. As long as Tathagata doesn’t appear, nothing will be resolved.”
Zi Wei said, “This matter has deeply affected me. Back then, you and I still had ambitions for the Heavenly Court. Now, I’m glad the Old Lord enlightened me; otherwise, it would have only been a source of ridicule.”
Zhen Wu said, “Everything happens for a reason. Though the Jade Emperor and Empress are pitiable, they also made many mistakes. Otherwise, why would even the Three Pure Ones refuse to help them in the end?”
Zi Wei said, “I feel as if this world has nothing to do with us anymore.”
Zhen Wu laughed and said, “Indeed.”
Zi Wei sighed, “The Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Left and Right Assistants— I’ve sent them all to Dayu.”
Zhen Wu said, “That’s also a merit.”
Zi Wei gave Dayu a meaningful look and said, “Compared to the ancient figures, you and I seem like ordinary people.”
Zhen Wu was surprised and asked, “Why are you so reflective today?”
Zi Wei sighed, “Times change rapidly. What will this world become in the end?”
Hearing this, Zhen Wu also fell into deep thought. As a sage, he had originally thought he had control over most matters of the world. But after the battle on Kunlun Island, he finally saw the true strength of the Heavenly Court and Tathagata’s forces. He still had no idea what Tathagata and the Jade Emperor planned. Perhaps Xuan Nu knew something? Or maybe only the Divine Ape could uncover the ultimate secrets. At that moment, the only figure that came to mind for Zhen Wu was Wu Kong. That once weak ape had now unknowingly grown into a mighty sage who could dominate the world.
As the two of them sat in silence, lost in their thoughts, Zhen Wu suddenly raised his eyebrows in delight, stood up, and flew out of the hall. A red figure flew in through the three heavenly gates, followed closely by the Nine Spirits Sage, the Great Peng, and the Little Qilin.
Zhen Wu said cheerfully, “What a rare visitor! Brother Qilin, please come in.”
Qilin stood at the entrance of the heavenly gates and looked around at the peaks, praising, “What beautiful mountains! Though their spiritual energy is somewhat lacking, they are steep and peculiar, perfect for meditation and deep reflection!”
Zi Wei also came out of the hall. Since Qilin had arrived, how could he not greet him? The Nine Spirits Sage and the other two juniors paid their respects to Zhen Wu and Zi Wei before entering the hall and taking their seats.
Qilin got straight to the point and said, “I’ve come today because I have a request.”
Zhen Wu said, “Speak freely.”

Qilin said with a smile, “Of course I should speak plainly. Why go around in circles?” He pointed at the three younger ones of Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng and said, “Brother Zhen Wu already knows these three kids, so I won’t say much. Ever since those monkeys became saints, Yuan Sheng and Da Peng keep coming to me whenever they have time, asking me to help them advance further.”
Zhen Wu took a close look at Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng and Da Peng and laughed, “Yuan Sheng and Da Peng are indeed just one step away from perfection. As for this one…” He pointed at the young Qilin and added, “He’s still a long way off.”
Qilin said, “He’s naturally still early in his journey. This time he’s just out to see the world. As for Yuan Sheng and Da Peng… Well, I’ve already taught them everything I could with my magic skills. Given their natural talents, they’ve learned quite a bit, but their cultivation level just doesn’t progress. That’s why I’ve come to consult Brother Zhen Wu and Brother Zi Wei.”
Zhen Wu laughed heartily and pointed at Qilin, “It’s true—when you care too much about your own affairs, things get chaotic. Can cultivation progress be rushed?”
Zi Wei waved his hand and signaled Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng to come over, who obeyed immediately. Zi Wei examined Jiu Ling Yuan Sheng carefully and said to Qilin, “Brother Qilin, I’m afraid this matter is my fault.”
Qilin asked, “How so?”
Zi Wei replied, “Back then, I saw that Yuan Sheng had extraordinary aptitude and high potential, so I taught him some basic cultivation methods. Could this be contrary to the cultivation traditions of your family?”
Qilin waved his hand and said, “That’s not the case at all. With your status as a sage, Brother Zi Wei couldn’t possibly teach anything wrong. Yuan Sheng is extremely diligent in his cultivation, and his foundation is very solid. I haven’t even thanked Brother Zi Wei yet.”
Zi Wei hurriedly said, “Oh, it’s no big deal. As long as there’s no trouble, that’s fine.”
Qilin pointed at Da Peng and said with a smile, “As for Da Peng, I’m not too worried. His cultivation time has been short, but he’s made remarkable progress so far. But my own foolish son has been cultivating for over twenty thousand years—how can I not be anxious?”
“Oh? That long?” Zhen Wu asked.
“Of course,” Qilin replied.
Zhen Wu sighed and said, “What more are you dissatisfied about? You and the Phoenix each have two sons, both of whom are outstanding among humans. As for our dragon clan, though we have descendants everywhere, they’re all mediocre people.”
Qilin smiled and said, “You have spread your essence across the world and dominated the four seas—you’re someone who aspires to great things. The Phoenix and I are too focused on our own families; we’re far from your level.”

Zi Wei waved his hand and said, “It’s not because of your constant praise for each other. There’s something strange about Yuan Sheng. He can communicate with the heavens above and the netherworld below, and even control gods and spirits to shape fate. Logically, he shouldn’t be this slow.” After thinking for a while, Zi Wei placed his palm on Yuan Sheng’s head. Yuan Sheng remained motionless, allowing Zi Wei to examine his meridians.

Zi Wei channeled his magical power to look inside Yuan Sheng’s body. It took some time before he withdrew his palm and said, “I suppose Brother Qilin has already taken a look. Could you spot anything wrong?”

Qilin was taken aback and said, “I haven’t looked. What’s wrong?”

Zi Wei pointed at Qilin and then at Yuan Sheng, smiling bitterly. “You two, father and son, really give me—sigh!”