readbooksol Chapter 41 The Three Paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man; The Dao Fruit of the Earthly Emperor
Chapter 41 The Three Paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man; The Dao Fruit of the Earthly Emperor
Chapter 41 The Three Paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man; The Dao Fruit of the Earthly Emperor
With a human body and a snake's tail, seven heads on its back, and two hands in front, this deity appears sacred and solemn.
The human body and snake tail feature is similar to Nuwa's innate Xuan Yin divine demon true form, which indicates that Houtu's Dharma body also has the essence of Xuan Yin.
The seven hands behind the body represent the two phases of Qian and Kun and the five poles of heaven and earth, while the two hands in front of the body represent the pure and impure, Yin and Yang.
This Dharma body is a fusion of many great Dao principles, yet it is extremely harmonious. Whether it is the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, the Great Dao of the Five Extremes, or the Great Dao of Purity and Turbidity, Yin and Yang, they are all centered on the Dao of Earth on Houtu's body.
Even the Dao of Life and Death in the Netherworld is derived from the Dao of the Earth.
The Way of the Earth is the core of Houtu and the fundamental Great Way. All things, whether pure or impure, yin or yang, heaven and earth, the five poles, the netherworld, life and death, are all subordinate to the Way of the Earth.
With this sacred body, Fuxi touched the Way of Earth that Houtu cultivated. In a trance, Fuxi saw the boundless mountains and rivers of the primordial world reflected in his eyes.
Bearing the weight of heaven and earth, nurturing all living beings, regulating yin and yang, and stabilizing the world, Fuxi's eyes turned golden, his mind became refreshed and expansive, and his state of mind underwent a sublimation without him even realizing it.
Houtu's Way of the Earth is not limited to the Way of the Earth's veins and mountains, but includes many other great Ways such as mountains and rivers, grass and trees, birds and beasts, living beings, and the Way of Humanity. It can be said to be all-encompassing. This is the Way of the Earth that corresponds to the Way of Heaven!
According to Houtu's view of the world, the many great Daos of the primordial world can be divided into three types: the Heavenly Dao, which is empty and without substance; the Earthly Dao, which is profound and bears heavy burdens; and the Human Dao, which evolves all races and beings.
The three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man coexist, with the path of Man being no weaker than the path of Heaven, and the path of Earth no weaker than the path of Heaven.
Fuxi was somewhat surprised by Houtu's worldview. In the vast primordial world, the Heavenly Dao was supreme, which was common knowledge. It would not be easy for Houtu to elevate the Earthly Dao to a level no weaker than the Heavenly Dao.
However, Houtu's boldness revealed the confidence of an innate god or demon. According to the essence of the Earthly Dao that Houtu evolved, if Houtu could perfect it and completely dominate the Netherworld, the Earthly Dao might really become a supreme Dao on par with the Heavenly Dao.
"The Way of Heaven is supreme, the Way of Earth is supreme, life and death evolve and reincarnate, connecting with the Way of Humanity. Houtu's ambition is not small. Does she want to use the Way of Life and Death to touch upon the Way of Humanity?"
The golden light in Fuxi's eyes slowly dissipated as he pondered the possibility of the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man coexisting. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man could jointly govern the primordial Heavenly Dao.
The Heavenly Way is supreme, being the source of all paths. The Earthly Way governs mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, and also has the potential to achieve supreme power in the netherworld.
Ultimately, humanity encompasses the cycle of birth and death, all desires in the mortal world, and all spirits and races. This is a powerful force capable of overturning the world and achieving supreme power.
"My foundation is already established. Whether it is the Heavenly Way, the Earthly Way, or the Human Way, they can only serve as references for me, not as the foundation of my own path. However, I have a premonition that in the future, the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity may become the mainstream of the primordial world. The three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity..."
Looking at Houtu, who had already woken up, Fuxi suppressed his thoughts and said to Houtu, "It seems that you have gained quite a lot, fellow Daoist."
"Thanks to the profound mystery of the Dao of Life and Death, my Dao of Earth has finally gotten back on track."
Houtu smiled broadly, and the divine Dharma body behind her disappeared, replaced by a Dharma wheel of seventy-two colors, displaying all things in the universe.
The myriad great principles of the netherworld, purity and turbidity, life and death, heaven and earth, yin and yang, mountains and rivers slowly rotate on this golden wheel, constantly expanding and evolving, faintly showing a tendency to transform into a vast world.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on the Earthly Path of Dharma."
As Fuxi gazed upon the golden wheel, deep within his Purple Mansion, a myriad of ever-changing, heaven-explaining, earth-shaking radiance of the Dao of Change shone forth from the five true spiritual roots, and a vast and dazzling Heavenly Dao fruit slowly appeared in his eyes.
"Earthly Sovereign Dao Fruit!"
Fuxi looked at Houtu with a strange light in his eyes, sensing a majestic and oppressive aura of imperial authority emanating from her.
"I established my foundation on the earth, and I never expected to achieve what I have today. I suppose it is the favor of Heaven. Perhaps in the future, the earth will truly flourish and occupy a corner of Heaven's Way."
Houtu's tone carried a hint of joy, the joy of seeing hope for future enlightenment. Fuxi could understand this; when he created the five true spiritual roots, he too felt an overwhelming joy.
"Brother Dao, your teachings on the laws of life and death helped me evolve the Earth Dao Dharma Wheel, for which I cannot fail to repay."
Houtu looked at Fuxi, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Seeing the wisps of dragon energy flashing around Fuxi, Houtu's bright eyes lit up, and she thought of a way to repay Fuxi.
"The Path is my own origin, and I cannot show it to you, fellow Daoist. However, I once fought against Yanzi of the Swordshoe Crab Clan, and I have some understanding of the essence of the Swordshoe Crab Clan's bloodline."
"The Dragon Clan under your command will inevitably clash with the Horseshoe Crab Clan in the future. Consider this essence of the Horseshoe Crab Clan's bloodline as my gift to you."
Houtu merged the Qi of Creation and the Qi of Mountains and Rivers in her palm, and a horseshoe crab appeared, clad in heavy armor, with a body like a shield and a long tail like a thorn, circling around Fuxi and swimming around.
"Then I shall accept it without hesitation."
Fuxi did not refuse. The Horseshoe Crab Clan was a great enemy of the Dragon Clan in the future. Regardless of whether Yanzi was one of the two ancestors of the Horseshoe Crab Clan, the bloodline essence that Houtu comprehended from him would definitely be of great help to the Dragon Clan in the future battle against the Horseshoe Crab Clan.
Fuxi opened his right hand, and a vast dragon aura rose, transforming into a blue dragon that charged towards the approaching horseshoe crab.
The Azure Dragon soared into the sky, slapping the Horseshoe Crab away with its claw. The surrounding clouds surged, and a large portion of the primordial energy collapsed. Even though the Azure Dragon was only evolved from a wisp of Fuxi's dragon energy, it still possessed the power to shatter the primordial energy and spiritual energy.
However, when the Azure Dragon slammed down with its claw, the sword crab was only sent flying a hundred feet away, without suffering any damage itself.
Golden runes flashed across the thick, dark carapace, and the Azure Dragon's powerful dragon strike couldn't penetrate the horseshoe crab's defenses.
Among all the races of the primordial world, no one can claim the title of the strongest in terms of combat power.
The Dragon Clan is number one in physical strength, the White Tiger Clan is number one in ferocity, and the Phoenix Clan is number one in holy flame burning. They can be said to each have their own characteristics, making it difficult to determine a winner.
However, if we discuss which major clan has the best defense, then without a doubt it is the Xuanwu clan, and after the Xuanwu clan, it is the turn of the Sword Crab clan.
The Xuanwu clan refines itself with the Yin and Yang energies, and its innate tortoise shell gives it a defense that is almost impossible to break through at the same level.
The horseshoe crabs, on the other hand, continuously refine their carapaces by fusing the essence of the vast ocean. Their carapaces are like an endless ocean, with extremely strong defensive capabilities.
Moreover, aside from their defensive capabilities, the Horseshoe Crab Clan also possesses extreme killing power capable of rivaling the True Dragon Clan and the White Tiger Clan. This is why the Horseshoe Crab Clan was able to suppress the True Dragon Clan in the East Sea at one time.
(End of this chapter)