Chapter Forty-One: The Asura Clan

Within this sea of blood dwelled an ancient being known as the Patriarch of the Nether River. Born from within its depths, he emerged into the world already accompanied by a half-formed Red Lotus of Karmic Fire. Not only that, but the Patriarch of the Nether River had once been a guest of the Purple Cloud Palace, where he had listened to the teachings of the Daoist Patriarch himself.

Yet now, the Patriarch of the Nether River found himself beset by gloom, for beside his realm had arisen the Underworld. In the early days of the primordial world, wandering souls and spirits unable to be purified by Heaven and Earth had largely been absorbed by the sea of blood, nourishing it. This greatly pleased the Patriarch, who would often proclaim, "So long as the sea of blood endures, the Nether River shall never perish."

But now, with the birth of the Underworld, many of the fierce and malevolent souls had been claimed by its dominion, depriving the sea of blood of its sustenance and threatening the very existence of the Patriarch himself. When the Progenitor of Earth—the Lady Houtu—had come to establish the Underworld, the Patriarch of the Nether River had tried to prevent her, hoping to preserve a lifeline for the world. Yet at that moment, the Daoist Patriarch Hongjun sent word, instructing him to withdraw and observe in silence.

Left with no choice, the Patriarch of the Nether River retreated, making no attempt to hinder Lady Houtu. Now, with his temper cooled, he decided to pay a visit to his new neighbor.

“Patriarch Nether River, what brings you to my underworld today?” the Emperor Fengdu teased.

“Please, Emperor Fengdu, do not jest at my expense,” replied the Patriarch, who had already discerned the Emperor's unfathomable cultivation. “If I cannot see through your depth, it must surely surpass my own,” he thought, and thus spoke to Emperor Fengdu with a smile.

Emperor Fengdu merely smiled in return. At that moment, the Patriarch expressed a desire to tour the Underworld, a request Emperor Fengdu granted without hesitation. When they arrived at the Office of Reincarnation and beheld the Six Paths of Rebirth, the Patriarch's gaze was immediately drawn to the gate marked "Path of Asura."

The Patriarch asked, “What are these Asura?”

Instead of answering directly, Emperor Fengdu replied, “Is it to resolve the issue of the sea of blood that you have come, my friend?”

This puzzled the Patriarch, but sensing that destiny might be at play, he answered, “Indeed, I am here seeking a means for my own survival.”

“Have you ever considered, as Lady Nuwa did for the demon race, creating a new tribe to attain merit and fortune?” Emperor Fengdu suggested.

Hearing this, the Patriarch seemed to sense something profound. He approached the gate of the Asura Path, and to his surprise, it opened miraculously before him.

“Thank you, Emperor Fengdu, for granting me this opportunity. Such great kindness needs no words. From this day forth, the Underworld and the sea of blood shall be as one—when one suffers, so does the other; when one prospers, so does the other,” the Patriarch declared, and with that, he stepped through the gate, becoming the very first of the Asura race.

In a resounding voice, the Patriarch proclaimed, “Here in the sea of blood, I, the Nether River, establish a new tribe, to be known as the Asura.” Immediately, countless souls from within the Underworld’s Asura Path gate flowed into the sea of blood, where the Patriarch used its miasma to fashion the Asura race. Of those newly born, several possessed prodigious talent. Delighted, the Patriarch enlightened them, bestowing names upon them: Mahesvara of the Free Heaven, Kama of the Desire Heaven, Brahma the Supreme, and Shiva.

The four knelt and respectfully declared, “Our deepest gratitude, Master.”

At that moment, heavenly merit descended upon the Patriarch of the Nether River. Once, his cultivation had merely been at the late stage of the Golden Immortal, but with the creation of the Asura, his power rose considerably, reaching the early stage of the Grandmaster Golden Immortal. Two divine swords appeared at his side.

The Patriarch was overjoyed at the sight of these swords: they were the Slaughtering Sword and the Abhijna Sword, famed for killing without incurring karmic retribution.

Yet as he turned his gaze upon his Red Lotus of Karmic Fire, he was momentarily stunned—when had it become a nine-petaled lotus?

Recalling the sequence of events, understanding dawned. Before creating the Asura, he had sworn an oath to the Great Dao, sharing the fortune of the sea of blood with the Underworld, which caused the Red Lotus of Karmic Fire to evolve into a nine-petaled lotus.

At this time, the Heavenly Dao also showed its fairness, bestowing merit upon both Emperor Fengdu and Tongtian.

At that very moment, Tongtian was cultivating and consolidating his own scripture, the “Mystic Treasure Sutra of Supreme Attainment,” stabilizing his spiritual rank. Unexpectedly, the descent of heavenly merit prompted his cultivation to surge to the middle stage of the Grandmaster Golden Immortal, and his mind was filled with clarity.

The newly born human race, witnessing a divine radiance atop the mountain where their “Father” resided, hurried to the summit to check on the Sage. At first, they dared not disturb him, but after a long period, some, worried for his wellbeing, approached and asked, “Holy Father, are you well?”

At that moment, a stream of light emerged from within Tongtian, transforming into a person as Tongtian opened his eyes and greeted him, “Greetings, fellow Daoist.”

The figure replied, “Greetings to you as well.”

Tongtian addressed the newcomer, “You shall be called Xuan Daozi and will act on my behalf in the affairs of humanity.” Turning to the assembled humans, he continued, “This is my incarnation; to see him is as to see me.”

“Excellent,” replied Xuan Daozi.

“We shall obey the Holy Father’s decree. We greet the Holy Father,” said the people—first to Tongtian, then to Xuan Daozi.

With a gesture, Tongtian vanished from their sight, while Xuan Daozi remained on the mountaintop to protect the human race.

Yet Tongtian was troubled. Why was his evil incarnation, Emperor Fengdu, so different from his benevolent incarnation, Xuan Daozi? In truth, good and evil incarnations were akin to the workings of the mind—when seeking to grow stronger, there are many paths, but Emperor Fengdu had chosen a shortcut to quickly increase Tongtian’s power.

Put simply, a person has many thoughts, but now these aspects had become separate entities acting on his behalf. The realization gave Tongtian a headache. Who said that severing the three corpses was an easy path? Here was trouble manifest.

Still, the three corpses were but aspects of the self, and with determination, they could be overcome.

Tongtian knew that his progress would not escape the notice of the Supreme Lord Laozi and the Primeval Lord of Heaven, and he did not wish to burden their paths further. With a sigh, he decided to return and flew towards Kunlun Mountain.

Meanwhile, at Buzhou Mountain, the ancestral witches were steeped in sorrow. With Lady Houtu gone, the formation they had perfected could no longer be employed.

“Brothers, I have returned!” a voice echoed within the Hall of Pangu. The ancestral witches turned in surprise and, seeing who it was, broke into smiles.

“Haven’t you already—” the Ancestral Witch Gonggong stared in disbelief at Lady Houtu.

“My body became the Underworld, but the Dao granted me a thread of life and allowed me to sever a benevolent incarnation so that I might see you once more,” explained Lady Houtu’s benevolent incarnation. No wonder, when Tongtian had asked her before, she had shown no regret—she had already prepared for this.