Human Path Secret Realm:
The Grand Mohist and Bodhisattva Zi Zhu vanished from sight in the Human Path Secret Realm. Gu Hai and Bing Ji did not know where to go. However, Gu Hai had taken a bamboo-strip scroll from the Cultural Dao Sage Palace—the one that Old Mister Guan Qi looked at—and the Ghost Sealing Box that had sealed countless malicious spirits.
Gu Hai took out the bamboo-strip scroll and looked at it.
“Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful Six Paths Veritable Lord.”
Gu Hai suddenly raised his eyebrows when he looked at the title.
Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful? Six Paths Veritable Lord?
What is the Six Paths Veritable Lord?
Although the words were plain and simple, they were words of praise and flattery.
“Your Majesty, this is writing about the Six Paths Veritable Lord? Who is he? It says that the Six Paths Veritable Lord relieved disasters and helped those in need. He was greatly compassionate and felt sorrow for those who suffered. As long as the Six Paths Veritable Lord arrived, all problems would be resolved. Everywhere the Six Paths Veritable Lord went, there would not be any disaster, there would be peace in the world, and the common man lived in bliss,” Bing Ji said as she read from the side.
Gu Hai frowned and nodded, appearing confused.
“Hey! This…this should be from eight hundred thousand years ago. Look at the date stamp on it. This Six Paths Veritable Lord is pretty incredible. Everywhere he went, he swept his way through all the holy lands and heavenly dynasties. All those who suffered wanted the Six Paths Veritable Lord to come. Your Majesty, look! It even says, at the end, that all places in the world and all the people of the world praised the Six Paths Veritable Lord. They felt grateful to the Six Paths Veritable Lord, and their words were filled with words of blessings for the Six Paths Veritable Lord every day,” Bing Ji said.
“Indeed. The Six Paths Veritable Lord?” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded.
While Bing Ji did not know, Gu Hai did. The Qian Heavenly Emperor had explained the truth of this world to him earlier. The master of this world was the Six Paths Immortal; he was Heaven.
The Six Paths Immortal? Perhaps he is this so-called Six Paths Veritable Lord?
Long Zhanguo said that the Six Paths Immortal is Heaven. The entire world is his. He could be anyone or anything. Perhaps this was just the Six Paths Immortal traveling the mundane world incognito.
“Eight hundred thousand years ago…speaking of which, I have seen the records of the Solar Divine Palace. That was when our three holy lands formally became the most flourishing holy lands in the world. Apparently, a great calamity took place eight hundred thousand years ago. I can’t recall the details, but it seemed to say that blood flowed like rivers after that great calamity. Ninety percent of all life in the world died,” Bing Ji recalled.
“Oh? What did you say? A great calamity happened eight hundred thousand years ago; then, ninety percent of all life in the world died?” Gu Hai said, puzzled.
“Indeed. It might even be more than that. Many races were eradicated. However, I looked through many records and did not find any of that calamity. I only saw a mention once; perhaps there was an error in recording. However, that was indeed eight hundred thousand years ago,” Bing Ji said with a frown.
A calamity took place in the world? Ninety percent of all life died? What sort of scale was that? Gu Hai naturally understood that even a world war would not be this miserable. Countless races went extinct?
Wasn’t there the Six Paths Immortal back then?
The Six Paths Veritable Lord traveled the world, relieving disaster and helping those in need, showing great compassion and great sorrow? He was what gave the common people hope, calming the chaos in the world.
Gu Hai appeared puzzled as he looked at the Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful Six Paths Veritable Lord.
Perhaps that is really the case. This bamboo-strip scroll is pretty much useless to me.
Pretty much useless?
“That’s not right!” Gu Hai’s pupils suddenly constricted.
There are so many ancient compositions in the Cultural Dao Sage Palace. Why did Old Mister Guan Qi choose to read this of all compositions? Is this really just a composition of flattery?
The composition was rhetoric, replete with flowery language. It sounded like it was full of blessings for him, but it was just flattery in the end.
Old Mister Guan Qi couldn’t have been so bored as to do all that just to look at this, right?
Gu Hai remained silent for a while. Then, he carefully looked at the composition again. Aside from praising the Six Paths Veritable Lord, is there more to it?
“Your Majesty, perhaps this Six Paths Veritable Lord was an expert of a holy land, but his holy land fell into obscurity long ago. Although there is this magnificent text of praise, it has all become history. It has been eight hundred thousand years. Unfortunately, everything has returned to dirt,” Bing Ji said bitterly.
“Wait, what did you say?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows as he looked at Bing Ji.
“I said that it has all returned to dirt?” Bing Ji said, feeling confused.
“No, the first line.” Gu Hai seemed to have figured something out.
“I said that perhaps this Six Paths Veritable Lord was an expert of a holy land…,” Bing Ji trailed off.
“An expert of a holy land? The Six Paths Veritable Lord?” Gu Hai’s expression suddenly changed.
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Did I say something wrong?” Bing Ji asked.
Gu Hai showed an uncertain expression.
Something’s not right. Something’s not right. This composition is called the Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful Six Paths Veritable Lord; why is it not called the Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful Six Paths Immortal?
Was it not the Six Paths Immortal wandering the mortal realm incognito as an ordinary person?
Relieved disaster and helped those in need? What a joke! If Heaven is that compassionate, why is there no compassion and sorrow now when so many people are dying, and there is plenty of suffering every day? Instead, it is now “The world is not benevolent, mowing down all things like dogs”? He descended eight hundred thousand years ago?
The one time he showed compassion and sorrow, the entire world sang praises of him? What was he doing?
Was he bribing the world?
While pondering this, Gu Hai suddenly raised his eyebrows.
Bing Ji said that the three holy lands came to prominence eight hundred thousand years ago. So, have they always existed?
Practically all of the ten thousand sages of the Ten Thousand Sages Convention earlier were people of the three holy lands. Which means Heaven is taking care of the three holy lands?
If Heaven has been taking care of them, why did the three holy lands come to prominence only eight hundred thousand years ago?
Did something happen eight hundred thousand years ago for Heaven to favor the three holy lands?
The other holy lands had reached their limits after being passed down for tens of thousands of years, vanishing. However, the three holy lands remained.
Eight hundred thousand years ago, ninety percent of all life died as a result of a great calamity?
Could it be?
A terrifying thought flashed into Gu Hai’s mind.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Is there something different about this composition?” Bing Ji stared at the bamboo-strip scroll with puzzlement on her face after seeing Gu Hai’s expression.
Bing Ji could not make out anything terrifying from the bamboo-strip scroll.
However, Gu Hai’s eyelids twitched wildly.
Perhaps…perhaps, that Six Paths Veritable Lord is really just the Six Paths Veritable Lord back then. However, there was a great war eight hundred thousand years ago. He…
Gu Hai deeply believed that there was no unconditional love or unconditional hatred. Why did the Six Paths Veritable Lord want to preach his goodness throughout the world, making all life love him, feel grateful to him?
Could it be that the Six Paths Veritable Lord was not the immortal back then? Someone else was the immortal? Did the Six Paths Veritable Lord succeed in opposing Heaven? Then, he killed the previous Heaven and replaced him? He became the new Heaven, the master of this immortal firmament—became the Six Paths Immortal? Gu Hai could not help entertaining this thought.
Gasp!
Gu Hai inhaled sharply.
Given this, everything makes sense.
When the Six Paths Veritable Lord became the immortal, he destroyed all evidence of the calamity eight hundred thousand years ago. Anything left behind was from before or after. This Greatly Compassionate Greatly Sorrowful Six Paths Veritable Lord was written in praise of him, so he did not destroy it?
Did Old Mister Guan Qi come to the same conclusion when he saw this composition?
Why did the three holy lands become prominent? Perhaps they had aided the Six Paths Veritable Lord eight hundred thousand years ago when he opposed Heaven? This was the result of aiding the sovereign in his rise?
Ninety percent of all life in the world died, resulting in countless races going extinct. The battle must have been horrific, spreading to the entire world and pulling all life into this war. That caused the calamity?
Why did the Six Paths Veritable Lord relieve disaster and help those in need, showing great compassion and sorrow for suffering? It was to bribe everyone in the world, to get all life on his side against Heaven. At the very least, he could gain boundless support in the world. Each portion of support would result in beneficence. One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred portions of beneficence, one eon, was one portion of providence. There would be boundless providence. All he needed to do was ask, and he could drive the power of all life in the world? At the very least, he could use the power of all who felt grateful for him?
Oppose Heaven?
It was not impossible. At the very least, it seemed to be saying that the Six Paths Veritable Lord had succeeded in opposing and killing Heaven back then, snatching the position of Heaven and becoming the master of the immortal firmament, now the Six Paths Immortal Firmament. He became the Six Paths Immortal.
“Your Majesty, I can’t make out anything different from this composition. What do you see?” Bing Ji asked curiously.
Gu Hai took a deep breath and calmed himself. He shook his head and said, “Nothing much. I was probably overthinking.”
“Huh?” Bing Ji appeared confused.
Boom!
Gu Hai crushed the bamboo-strip scroll, instantly turning it into powder.
“Your Majesty, why did you destroy this bamboo-strip scroll?”
“This bamboo-strip scroll is already useless. Furthermore, it cannot appear in the world once more. Bing Ji, remember, you saw nothing earlier. We did not see anything on that bamboo-strip scroll,” Gu Hai said gravely.
Bing Ji did not understand Gu Hai’s meaning. The contents of the bamboo-strip scroll seemed harmless to her. There did not seem to be a big secret. It was just a bunch of flattery, yet they had to be careful? However, since Gu Hai said that, she chose to listen.
“Your Majesty, don’t worry. I saw nothing earlier.” Bing Ji nodded.
Gu Hai smiled faintly and nodded.
There was still the Ghost Sealing Box in his hand.
Although Long Zhanguo’s black ball had already consumed all the malicious spirits in the jade box, Gu Hai still felt curious about it.
The second palace hall of the Human Path Secret Realm? It’s called the Soul Calling Hall. Why were there thousands of coffins in there? I did not have time to look earlier. Whose corpses were in there? To think that Heaven placed them there?
Gu Hai no longer could investigate the coffins in the hall; only this Ghost Sealing Box remained. Although this was just a jade box that sealed ghosts to the Grand Mohist and the others, he guessed that there had to be some purpose to it. Otherwise, it would not have been placed there.
Furthermore, since the Grand Mohist and the others wanted to harm him, that meant they knew what the Ghost Sealing Box was and had opened it before. Malicious spirits must have come out from it before. Why were there malicious spirits inside when they opened it again? Was the Ghost Sealing Box there for the malicious spirits that the Soul Calling Hall called over?
Gu Hai inspected the Ghost Sealing Box, but it looked ordinary, just an empty jade box. Now, there were no ghosts in it. He took a deep breath as he carefully held it up. I will study it later.
“Your Majesty, are we going after the Grand Mohist?” Bing Ji frowned.
“We’ll give chase.” Gu Hai smiled.
“However, where did they go? We have no idea!” Bing Ji asked.
“They should have split up: one went this way and the other, that way.” Gu Hai pointed to two different directions.
“Huh? How does Your Majesty…” Bing Ji felt slightly startled.
“Look at the grass on the ground. Do you see the broken leaves on them?” Gu Hai smiled.
