"..."
"..."
In the Netherworld Palace, the Emperor Ghost was slain, the Evil Ghost subdued. Hu Ma, having incarnated as the Ghost Gate, sent all within the underworld, even to Naihe Bridge.
Hu Ma stood alone at the bridgehead of Naihe Bridge. Before him lay the empty, crumbling Netherworld Palace, and endless darkness and void, faintly perceiving endless tendrils gently swaying in the depths of darkness.
Suddenly, it became incredibly silent, only the voice of the State Preceptor echoed from behind.
Now, he had become the one with the heaviest fate in this world, the closest to Tai Sui, bearing the imperial mandate, holding the Eight Sceneries, protected by the pond god, the highest of all.
Originally, he had already reached the Non-God Realm, on the verge of entering the realm of Incarnate Heaven and Earth. But due to the two Emperor Ghosts of the Netherworld Palace, he faced some obstacles. Now, with the obstacles gone, his realm advanced even further.
He felt his thoughts clear, gently putting down the Demon Suppression Golden Mace, and in front of him, he slowly formed a Heaven and Earth Unmoving Seal.
With the appearance of this seal, his corpse in the human world slowly sank, the sun-like traces in the underworld followed Naihe Bridge, the three bodies merged into one, surging with massive energy, golden light blazed, incense smoke swirling around him.
The Dharma Form solidified, three heads and six arms, each holding something.
Left hand with the Treasure Seal, right hand with the Golden Mace, while another held a disaster object, draped in the Magic Robe, surrounded by drifting blue mists, with the sound of dogs barking; treading on the tumultuous Blood Sea, one head looked towards home, one head observed the human world, one concentrated straight ahead.
With heaven and earth upon his shoulders, holding the Eight Sceneries, all magic paths, and the power of the heavens and earth could be grasped by him.
"It is accomplished, the human world ascends the Bridge, the heavens and earth rest on the shoulders..."
On Naihe Bridge, the State Preceptor's eyes showed indescribable joy, it was the realm he dreamt of, the achievement he longed for day and night, a monumental ability with no precedent or successor.
He once desperately wanted to reach this realm, but unfortunately, the path was wrong from the beginning. Yet, now seeing this realm about to appear, he felt genuine happiness because he facilitated this.
But it was still one step short, fearing that fellow would take the wrong step, he shouted loudly, "Don't you turn back, Incarnate Heaven and Earth?"
At this moment, Hu Ma stood at the bridgehead, feeling as if the endless fog before him had dissipated.
Sometimes, it is not by seeing through the fog that one reaches the realm, but rather the realm comes upon oneself, granting vision to see through all fog.
He naturally perceived the State Preceptor's anxiety, and sensed that with the Emperor Ghost of the Netherworld Palace slain, the last obstacle between heaven and earth vanished, the great momentum of the human world had formed, and it was time to conduct the Luotian Festival and drive Tai Sui from this world...
As the Daluo Dharma Sect Leader, he should return to the human world to preside over the grand festival.
So, as the State Preceptor said, retreat!
Stepping back this step, he would merge with heaven and earth as the Eight Sceneries, becoming the "Only One" in this world.
With the Eight Sceneries in hand, he would become an immortal in this world, living forever, never dying.
He would be the celestial being, the "God" mentioned by the Daluo Dharma Sect!
The outcome countless within the path, emperors, and ten clans thirsted and longed for in dreams was upon him now, and what he needed to do was merely take a step back.
This step back, and he could return home.
Returning home would mean heading directly to the origin.
And now, having already incarnated as heaven and earth, holding the Eight Sceneries, there should be no difficulty in returning to the origin.
However...
Listening to the urging and shouting of the State Preceptor behind him, Hu Ma remained silently standing at the end of Naihe Bridge.
He slowly lifted his head, gazing into the endless darkness ahead.
That was Tai Sui!
Though only one step away from incarnating as heaven and earth, becoming the sole origin and reaching a realm like no other, but...
...what meaning was there in returning to the human world, being a "God," a living immortal?
...
So, Hu Ma suddenly smiled, turned his head for the last time, glanced at the human world, and gently shook his head.
The Heaven and Earth Unmoving Seal in his hand suddenly changed slightly. His body once again scattered, the flesh returned to the human world, causality remained in the underworld, and he was still that shining True Spirit, standing on the bridgehead.
Instead of retreating, he slowly stepped forward.
"What are you doing?"
At the end of Naihe Bridge, the State Preceptor turned from initial anxiety to fear, trembling all over.
He considered countless possibilities, fearing that this descendant of the Hu Family was too young, unable to bear the weight of being "God," not knowing what changes having a living immortal would bring to heaven and earth.
But he never expected, at this moment, rather than stepping back, he moved forward.
"The great momentum of the world is formed, the Luotian Festival only requires gentle guiding, it does not need me, a living immortal!"
Hu Ma's voice returned from the front of the bridge, echoing in the State Preceptor's ears like a giant bell and drum, "My Hu Family seeks to cut off fate, giving the commoners a chance to rise, so it is unnecessary, absurd even, for a Hu Family member to become one bearing the heaviest fate at the last moment."
"Therefore, I shall not return to this homeland!"
"..."
As he spoke softly and took this step, light thoughts emerged in his mind.
