Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

As Chen Qing and Styx were locked in combat, a massive rift suddenly opened in the void. Dijiang led the other Ancestral Witches out of the rift. They gazed at the figure slowly dissipating above the sea of ​​blood, tears streaming down their faces.

Houtu's voice grew weaker and weaker, yet remained clear: "Brothers, this is all Houtu can do. In the future, the Wu Clan will still need your help."

The ancestral witches were heartbroken, yet powerless to do anything.

Dijiang looked up to the sky and sighed, his voice choked with emotion: "It's my fault as the eldest brother. In the end, my youngest sister has to sacrifice herself!"

They desperately wanted to rush forward and pull Houtu back, but Houtu's body had already dissipated by more than half. If they rushed forward now, not only would they not be able to save her, but they would also disrupt the opening of reincarnation, and all their previous efforts would be in vain.

The ancestral witches could only stand there, watching helplessly as their sister disappeared little by little.

As Houtu's true form gradually faded into nothingness, leaving only a faint outline, a few drops of essence blood flew out from her body and landed in front of Dijiang.

Her last words were like a whisper in the wind: "These few drops of essence blood, combined with those of my brothers, should be enough to create another Ancestral Witch..."

Before she finished speaking, Houtu completely vanished.

On the spot, a huge wheel slowly emerged. The wheel was ancient and solemn, divided into six paths, exuding a mysterious and unfathomable aura.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation absorbed nearly half of the Blood Sea and merged with Houtu's enormous true form, becoming incomparably vast and profound.

The six realms are divided into three good realms and three evil realms. The three good realms are: the realm of gods, the realm of humans, and the realm of asuras. The three evil realms are: the realm of hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals.

The moment the Six Paths of Reincarnation took shape, a huge golden auspicious cloud surged into the sky.

A mass of merit descended, its scale exceeding even the merit Nuwa received when she created humanity.

The golden light of merit split in two: one part fell into Chen Qing's body as a reward for his help in protecting Houtu's reincarnation.

Chen Qing casually put it away, his expression remaining unchanged. The remaining nine-tenths of his virtue were completely absorbed into the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Deep within the roulette wheel, a spark of true spirit, nourished by merit, gradually coalesced and took shape, eventually transforming into the form of Houtu.

At the same time, a compassionate and solemn pressure spread from the Six Paths of Reincarnation, reaching every corner of the primordial land.

Moved by Houtu's magnificent act of transforming the cycle of reincarnation, all beings in heaven and earth, regardless of their cultivation level, bowed down towards the Netherworld Blood Sea. Even the saints bowed slightly to show their respect.

"Sister Houtu!"

"Houtu!"

The ancestral witches were both surprised and delighted to see her come back to life, and they all surrounded her.

Houtu opened her eyes, momentarily dazed, then a trace of sadness flashed in them. She spoke softly, her voice calm yet filled with undisguised melancholy: "Brothers, Houtu has now transformed into the cycle of reincarnation and must forever guard the underworld... no longer a witch."

Upon hearing this, the ancestral witches' expressions darkened. They understood that although Houtu had come back to life, she was no longer a member of the witch clan. But regardless, the fact that their sister was still alive was already a great blessing.

Dijiang nodded vigorously: "As long as you're still alive, it doesn't matter whether you're a shaman or not."

Just then, a faint chant drifted from the horizon:

"Lying high above the nine heavens, I find the true Dao on my futon. Beyond the mysteries of heaven and earth, I shall be the supreme master. Pangu gave birth to Taiji, from which the two polarities and four symbols follow. One Dao is passed on to three friends, and the two teachings, Chan and Jie, are divided. I am the leader of all the Xuanmen, and one Qi transforms into Hongjun."

Hongjun Daozu descended from the sky, surrounded by the faint light of the power of the Heavenly Dao, his aura as deep and profound as an abyss.

Chen Qing and Minghe immediately stopped fighting, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Dao Ancestor!"

The ancestral witches still did not bow, and everyone was already used to it; the Dao Ancestor did not mind either.

Hongjun nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Houtu, his tone unusually tinged with approval: "Fellow Daoist, your selflessness in transforming into reincarnation is a great act of compassion and merit. However, I'm afraid you will have to live in the Netherworld for a long time in the future."

Houtu bowed and said, "Houtu is willing."

A flash of understanding crossed Chen Qing's eyes. The Dao Ancestor had already merged with the Dao, and every word and action of his was in accordance with the principles of Heaven.

Hongjun tossed out a book and a brush, which flew out and landed in Houtu's hands. The book was the Book of Life and Death, and the brush was the Judge's Brush. Both were supreme treasures of the Netherworld, holding the lifespan, merits, and demerits of all living beings.

He pointed again, and endless power of the Heavenly Dao descended from the sky, condensing into a faintly visible Netherworld around the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation slowly sank into it, merging with the Netherworld. The Sea of ​​Blood became the gateway connecting the Netherworld and the Primordial World.

"The subsequent establishment of the Netherworld will be discussed and decided by Houtu and Chen Qing." After giving his instructions, Dao Ancestor Hongjun turned and disappeared into the sky.

Chen Qing looked bewildered. "Is this part for me?"

But then he thought about it again. He had just received a donation, and he wouldn't feel at ease holding onto it if he didn't put in the effort. He gave a wry smile and accepted the task with equanimity.

In the primordial world, the souls of countless beings who have died over the years seem to be summoned by some force, surging from all directions toward the Netherworld Blood Sea and falling into the newly born Netherworld world.

Houtu bid a hasty farewell to the ancestral witches, instructing them to return and select some witch warriors to guard the Netherworld. Afterwards, she and Chen Qing entered the depths of the Netherworld to begin preparations for the construction of the Underworld.

Seeing that reincarnation was complete and nearly half of the Blood Sea had been drained, Styx knew that the situation was hopeless and there was no way to reverse it. But he couldn't bear to abandon this foundation that he had cultivated for countless years, so he simply followed in to see how things were in the Netherworld.

In the netherworld, countless spirits wandered, their wails echoing across the land, and order was utterly lost. Houtu gazed at this devastated scene, her face troubled, unsure of where to begin.

Chen Qing smiled slightly and advised, "Let's not worry about these ghosts for now. Let's establish the rules of the underworld first, and then we can deal with them."

Houtu nodded and said, "The Dao Ancestor asked me to work with you to build the Netherworld. I know nothing about this, so I need your guidance."

After a moment's thought, Chen Qing slowly spoke: "The Netherworld should establish an Underworld to manage its order. Under the Underworld, ten Yama Kings should be appointed to oversee the good and evil deeds of all beings."

Eighteen levels of hell were established to punish evildoers—the virtuous were reborn into the three good realms: the heavenly realm, the human realm, and the Asura realm, where they would enjoy blessings; the wicked were cast into the eighteen levels of hell to cleanse their sins before they could re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Houtu nodded in approval.

Upon hearing the words "Asura Realm," Styx's expression shifted, and he could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward and said, "Empress Houtu, Fellow Daoist Chen Qing, that... Asura Realm..."

Chen Qing waved his hand and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Styx, don't be impatient. What's yours will always be yours, and no one can take it away. Now that the Netherworld has just been established, let's settle all the matters concerning the Underworld first."

Houtu suddenly spoke up and asked, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, what are the eighteen levels of hell? Since it is a place to punish sins, it should have some deterrent power."

Chen Qing's lips curled slightly upward as he slowly began to speak:

"The first level is the Hell of Tongue-Pulling. Those who sow discord, slander and harm others, are glib-tongued, and use clever words to argue will be sent to the Hell of Tongue-Pulling after death. The little devils will pry open their mouths, clamp their tongues with iron pincers, and pull them out alive."

"The second level is the Scissors Hell. Anyone who instigates a widow to remarry, or acts as a matchmaker for others, will be sent to the Scissors Hell after death, where their ten fingers will be cut off."

"The third level is the Iron Tree Hell. Those who sow discord among family members or incite discord between fathers, sons, and brothers will be sent to the Iron Tree Hell after death. The trees are covered with sharp blades that will pierce through the skin of their backs, and they will be hung from the iron trees."

"The fourth level is the Hell of the Mirror of Retribution. Those who commit crimes in the mortal world and do not confess the truth or try to evade responsibility will be sent to the Hell of the Mirror of Retribution after death, where their sins will be revealed in this mirror, leaving them nowhere to hide."

"The fifth level is the Steaming Cage Hell. All gossipy women who spread rumors and frame others will be thrown into the Steaming Cage Hell after death and boiled in a steamer."

"The sixth level is the Copper Pillar Hell. Anyone who commits arson or maliciously sets fires will be sent to the Copper Pillar Hell after death, where they will be forced to hug a copper pillar, inside which charcoal will burn, causing their skin to char and their flesh to rot."

"The seventh level is the Sword Mountain Hell. Anyone who blasphemes against the gods or commits murder will be sent to the Sword Mountain Hell after death, where they will be forced to climb the Sword Mountain naked and be pierced by ten thousand swords."

"The eighth level is the Ice Mountain Hell. Those who harm their husbands, instigate others to commit adultery, have abortions, entice others to gamble, neglect their parents, or are unjust will be sent to the Ice Mountain Hell after death, where they will be placed on an ice mountain, where the cold is bone-chilling and their skin will be torn open."

"The ninth level is the Hell of Boiling Oil. All thieves, those who deceive the kind, kidnap, falsely accuse, collude with others, plot to seize, or plunder will be thrown into the Hell of Boiling Oil after death and fried in boiling oil."

"The tenth level is the Cattle Pit Hell. Anyone who harms people or livestock, or abuses animals, will be thrown into the Cattle Pit Hell after death, where they will be trampled and gored by cattle."

"The eleventh level is the Stone Press Hell. Those who drown or abandon infants will be sent to the Stone Press Hell after death, where huge stones will crush their bodies into minced flesh."

"The twelfth level is the Mortar and Pestle Hell. Anyone who wastes food or squanders the five grains will be sent to the Mortar and Pestle Hell after death and placed inside a mortar to be pounded to death."

"The thirteenth level is the Blood Pool Hell. Those who disrespect their elders or are unfilial to their parents will be thrown into the Blood Pool Hell after death, where they will be filled with foul blood and suffer an unbearable stench."

"The fourteenth level is the Hell of Unjust Death. All those who commit suicide or self-harm will be sent to this hell after death, where they will not be able to reincarnate and will be tormented for eternity."

"The fifteenth level is the Hell of Crucifixion. Anyone who steals graves, digs up tombs, or opens coffins will be sent to the Hell of Crucifixion after death and subjected to the punishment of being slowly sliced ​​to pieces."

"The sixteenth level is the Volcanic Hell. All corrupt officials and those who oppress the people will be thrown into the Volcanic Hell after death and burned day and night in the volcano."

"The seventeenth level is the Stone Mill Hell. All those who waste food, steal, are corrupt officials, or oppress the good will be thrown into the Stone Mill Hell after death and ground into meat paste."

"The eighteenth level is the Hell of Saws and Knives. Those who cut corners, deceive their superiors, or abduct women and children will be sent to the Hell of Saws and Knives after death, where they will be dismembered with iron saws."

Chen Qing finished recounting all the punishments of the eighteen levels of hell in one breath before stopping, picking up the teacup that had appeared in his hand at some point, and slowly taking a sip.

Houtu and Styx, who were standing to the side, were dumbfounded.

Both of them were primordial deities from the ancient world, having lived for countless eons. They had seen countless murders and arsons, but such meticulous and heinous methods of torture were truly unprecedented.

The Styx Ancestor secretly gasped, vowing in his heart: unless absolutely necessary, he must never make an enemy of this Chen Qing Daoist.

That's too dangerous! Looking at that smiling, gentle face, how could she come up with such a ruthless method!