The generals nodded in understanding, knowing that the two formidable gods facing off in battle were evidently protecting the Corpse Monster.
Since it was impossible to fulfill the Celestial Emperor's decree from either side, they might as well find an excuse for themselves and give the Celestial Emperor a way out, letting the matter slide.
...
Deep within the Red Water, Xu Qing's skin cracked, and molten golden fire started to surge from the previously azure-golden flesh, gradually merging with the red lotus.
At a certain moment, the shadow of the fire lotus perfectly overlapped with the silhouette amidst the sea of flames. When twelve fire lotuses bloomed, the nine layers of karmic flames spewed forth from the depths of Xu Qing's orifices.
Those karmic flames transformed into towering pillars of fire, reaching straight into the nine heavens!
Above the ninth heaven, a red moon hung in the sky, and the previously cloud-wreathed heavenly palace was seemingly stained with a layer of eerie blood.
In the Yin River region, the magma of Red Water surged like a sea of blood, even causing the Three-Crossing River, feared by immortals and gods alike, to alter its course, avoiding the Red Water domain.
In the mortal realm, mountains and rivers were draped in crimson gauze. Whether deserted graves or grand tombs, all emitted strange sounds, signaling the underground subjects' submission to the new king.
In the depths of Red Water, Xu Qing was clad in azure-golden corpse armor, with crimson patterns like flowing magma appearing in the seams where the armor connected, featuring characteristics unique to the Drought Fiend.
But unlike female fiends, Xu Qing possessed not only the abilities of a Drought Fiend but also the azure-golden scale armor similar to that of the ancient Zombie Ancestor, Ying Gou.
Nearby, the bronze coffin let out a clear, joyful hum, as if only such an outstanding Corpse Monster was worthy of resting within it.
Ying Gou cultivated extreme physical strength, the Drought Fiend was the Master of Flames, while the Jiangchen was the ruler of forests, and Hou Qing was the Water Dominator.
Among them, Ying Gou focused solely on the physical body, devoid of additional changes except for immense strength and invulnerability to all techniques. Only the Drought Fiend, Jiangchen, and Hou Qing exhibited the three changes of the Kui Ba.
Xu Qing felt the inexhaustible power within him, leading to an epiphany.
Treasures in the world that could be used to attain the path are extremely rare and mostly already possessed. Female fiends, Ying Gou, and other progenitors of zombies are contemporaries, unable to seize each other's paths and treasures.
Due to various limitations, a complete Kui Ba has never appeared in the world.
Now, Xu Qing commanded the power of fire, his physical strength comparable to that of the past Ying Gou, and the restraints belonging to zombies seemed to be shaking in the dark.
"Di Ting once said that after the world's feng shui reset, only one Kui Ba could exist in the world, and indeed, only the Celestial Maiden remained."
"If the Celestial Maiden did not return to the void, what consequences would I face if I forcibly proved my path as a Kui Ba?"
Xu Qing frowned, lost in thought, but then shook his head, discarding these matters from his mind.
The Celestial Maiden had already relinquished her position; now, with only one Kui Ba in the world, what he needed to do was not to explore unoccurring events, but to use all his might to unlock the restraints of the Kui Ba, redefining the world's feng shui, and putting an end to the tribulations caused by Dharma Zombies, thus not squandering the Celestial Maiden's sacrifice.
"People say there can only be one Kui Ba in the world, but they never said how many forms one Kui Ba can have..."
Xu Qing grinned, then reached out to summon the karmic lotus and returned to the surface of the Red Water.
"Brother, have you succeeded?"
The monkey and lotus, who were previously fighting to the death, now had their arms around each other, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of nature's flora and fauna.
A golden mark appeared on Xu Qing's forehead, and the red lotus beneath him scorched the crimson land for miles around.
This stance surely indicated he had claimed the Dao Fruit, yet the Great Sage still felt some doubts, for the Dao Fruit of the Heavenly Maiden he recalled was not a red lotus.
Xu Qing shook his head and said, "It's half complete, still half to go."
He had already taken the Dao Fruits of Ying Gou and the Drought Fiend, but not yet those of the Fur Demon Jiangchen and the Water Fiend Hou Qing.
Isn't this only half-coupled completion?
The Great Sage and the Sea Assembly Great God exchanged glances, amazed at the grand commotion resulting only in half-completion.
What would it be like when fully completed?
Xu Qing did not elaborate, only saying:
"Speaking of corpses, apart from the progenitors of zombies, I probably understand them the most. Corpses signify death, the manifestation of death. Now the Celestial Maiden has returned to the void, leaving only me and the Nine Netherworlds Dharma Master vying for that life-and-death opportunity."
"This is a competition of dao careers, concerning both life and death, as well as victory and defeat."
Xu Qing formed a Daoist sign with his hands, and his gaze remained unwavering.
The Great Sage watched the changes in his junior brother and suddenly grinned, saying: "If you have a plan, go ahead and execute it. I will support you with all my might."
The Sea Assembly Great God also sensed the divinity emanating from Xu Qing, although it seemed somewhat different from the immortals and gods of the Celestial Realm.
Suppressing the strange sensation within, the Sea Assembly Great God smiled too and said: "Then I will risk my life to accompany you, virtuous gentleman. Just make sure not to trick me, you monkey!"
"Of course not! We're brothers, aren't we?"
"Really? Then tell me, what's your relationship with Brother Xu? You never mentioned it before..."
"Ha! Haven't I said it? We're brothers from the same mountain. Back then, I was on the south side, and he was on the north side."
The Sea Assembly Great God looked at Xu Qing, who remained unfazed, "Indeed, back then, elder brother was the king within the southern waterfall, while I lay in a coffin on the northern old grave. He would come to my grave with offerings during festivals, and over time, we became good neighbors, good brothers."
"..."
The Sea Assembly Great God smacked his lips thinking, "That sure sounds like something the monkey would do, given his notorious wide circle of friends."
The Great Sage, afraid of revealing flaws, quickly changed the subject after getting past it: "You mentioned the Dao Fruit is still halfway, is there a way to complete it?"
Xu Qing calculated the Ziwei Dipper numerology and used Qimen Dunjia to determine the location, saying, "Currently, there is a great drought in the northwest of the human world; the Pingliang and Jing Rivers are in disrepair, and with people divided, crop yields have fallen by more than half. In such a year of great disasters, I should use my Dao-proving methods to alleviate the calamities and resolve the woes."
Following the eras of Dayong and Dayan, the True Dragon went into hiding, river channels fell into disrepair, and that period also saw scarce occurrences of such famine years.
Land annexation, neglected water management, coupled with years of warfare; these compounded natural and man-made disasters were even stronger than the minor three disasters!
Even as the Master of the Three Religions worshipped by the world, Xu Qing could not save the disaster of human hearts. What he could do was rely on his supreme magical power during the witness of Fur Demon Jiangchen and Water Fiend Hou Qing to address the calamities in the northwest, as the change in human hearts was beyond the scope of divine techniques.
"By the way, does brother have any way to travel to the past?"
Xu Qing thought about the Celestial Maiden trapped in the past, and also considered the past corpse of the Nine Netherworlds Dharma Master, inevitably placing the last strand of hope on his senior brother.
After a brief silence, Xu Qing finally heard his reply.
"Yes, but the karma within is substantial, and many past events cannot be rectified. I really don't recommend you use this method."
Xu Qing smiled and said, "The world can only have one Kui Ba. My presence is too significant. Perhaps I can go to the future, but I cannot easily travel to the past; otherwise, wouldn't that mean two Kui Bas exist?"
"I ask for this method not to visit personally, but to serve as a means of message transmission."
"Are you planning to..."
The Great Sage was moved, just then thinking of the Celestial Maiden of the return to void.