Transcending two realms to become an earth immortal

Inside the dojo, the stench of blood and decaying corpses lingered.

A chilling aura seeped from the ground, spreading in wisps and penetrating to the very marrow; amidst the ruins, only deathly silence pervaded.

Fang Chen frowned deeply.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke:

"But Master, if it is truly such a calamity, then even a Yang God True Monarch would likely not escape death and annihilation. Even a Primordial Spirit Immortal would likely face the danger of perishing."

"Only those who have transcended the mortal realm through the legendary corpse liberation and ascended to immortality have a sliver of hope. With our meager cultivation, once the calamity strikes, we will be annihilated in an instant, with absolutely no chance of survival."

Calamities involving the souls of the dead, the fall of the world, and the hatred of all living beings are far beyond the ability of cultivators who have not yet achieved the Nascent Soul stage to withstand, let alone resolve.

"Indeed. So whether we can survive this calamity or not depends on fate." The three heads of the Three-Headed Immortal moved slightly in unison, their deep voices echoing throughout the empty arena.

"Huh?" Fang Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, his face showing surprise. "Master, what is this...?"

"Do you think I'm joking?" The Three-Headed True Man's expression was grave. His three faces slowly turned, and his deep gaze fell on Fang Chen. "Faced with such a demonic calamity sweeping across the heavens and earth, even a Yang God True Monarch or a Primordial Spirit Great Power, no one dares to say they will definitely survive. No one dares to be certain that they won't touch some unknown taboo in the old underworld, thus falling into eternal damnation... Therefore, whether one can survive or not, if not by fate, then what?"

"Of course..." Seeing Fang Chen's lips twitch slightly, his expression one of surprise and doubt, the Three-Headed Immortal softened his tone and added, "Don't worry, this demonic tribulation is not something our Dao City will face alone. All the remaining Cave Heaven Dao Realm cultivators are currently caught in this tribulation. Furthermore, most of those billions of souls are drawn by the [Return to Nothingness] and cannot escape entirely; this is also a glimmer of hope. Moreover..."

He paused slightly, and the chill in the air seemed to intensify.

"The three Day-Wandering True Immortals who came earlier did so for this very reason. The Yang God True Lords on the floating island have already made plans for this calamity and have devised two major countermeasures."

"What are the two main solutions?" Fang Chen asked intently.

The Three True Men said:

"One is... [The Grand Ritual]."

A grand religious ceremony?

Fang Chen raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

He naturally knew that the "Jiao" was originally an ancient ritual for offering libations to wine masters, which was later absorbed by Taoism and transformed into a ritual for thanking heaven and earth, praying for blessings and warding off disasters. It is a way to communicate with heaven and earth through the power of the wishes of all living beings, and to exert inconceivable power beyond one's own realm by relying on the unseen principles of law.

Facing the countless lost souls and twisted ghost judges in the old underworld's "Looking-Homeward Terrace," a direct confrontation would be utterly futile. Therefore, many grotto-heavens and Daoist cities deal with demonic calamities by holding large-scale rituals, using the power of the ceremony to resolve the disaster.

"And the Grand Ritual to be held in Dao City this time is initially planned to consist of three parts..." the Three-Headed Immortal said slowly, his voice sounding particularly clear in the darkness, "namely, the Sacrifice to the Lord of Mount Tai, the Water and Land Ritual, and the Seventh-Day Resurrection Ritual for the Deceased."

【Taishan Fujun Festival】, 【Water and Land Dharma Assembly】 and 【First Seven Days Resurrection Ritual】?

Fang Chen had a sudden thought and recalled what was recorded in the Daoist canon.

According to popular belief, when a person dies, their soul returns to the underworld, with the saying "the living belong to Chang'an, the dead belong to Mount Tai." The Lord of Mount Tai is the most revered in the underworld, in charge of the register of all dead souls, and commands ghost messengers who can enter the mortal world to capture living souls.

The Taishan Fujun Festival is a sacrifice offered to the supreme being of the underworld, who symbolizes the order of yin and yang and the law of life and death. By borrowing a trace of his mysterious power, the spirits of the dead can be saved and helped to be reborn.

The Water and Land Dharma Assembly, also known as the Great Dharma Assembly for Universal Salvation of All Beings in the Dharma Realm, is the most grand and highest-level Dharma assembly in both Buddhism and Taoism.

This Dharma assembly consists of two altars, an inner altar and an outer altar. The inner altar is used for setting up a boundary and chanting scriptures, while the outer altar is used for offering food and releasing flames. It combines the immeasurable merits of liberating all the deceased spirits on land, water, and in the air, and bringing blessings and warding off calamities for the living. It cannot be accomplished without a pure Dharma place, abundant spiritual energy, and the joint presiding of two highly virtuous masters from both schools.

Once the merit is complete, it can open the path to the underworld and deliver countless souls from the dead. It is a rare and compassionate ritual of great merit in the world.

As for the "First Seven Days' Return of the Soul Ritual," it is an orthodox Taoist ritual that evolved from the custom of the "First Seven Days." On the seventh day, the soul of the deceased is allowed to temporarily return to its former home in the mortal world to sever ties with the world.

This ritual, through strict funeral rites and fasting ceremonies, demarcates the boundaries for the deceased's final glimpse, helping them to calm their obsessions and willingly be led back to the underworld to embark on the cycle of reincarnation.

Fang Chen pondered for a long time before slowly shaking his head and saying in a deep voice:

"The Taishan Lord's Ritual is impossible. Even if there are powerful beings on the floating island, such as Yang Gods or even Primordial Spirits, and even if they were lucky enough to obtain fragments of the old world's Book of Life and Death, or even the incomplete status of the Taishan Lord, this ritual still cannot be performed."

"Because the key to this ritual lies not in the Lord of the Underworld himself, but in the complete and orderly Yin-Yang laws of this world, and in the clear and bright will of Heaven. But now that Heaven and Earth have collapsed, if this ritual is performed, it will probably not be to deliver the souls of the dead, but to summon out some... indescribable terror from the depths of the old underworld."

"As for the [Water and Land Dharma Assembly]..." Fang Chen pondered for a moment, then shook his head again. "This assembly requires the joint presiding of eminent masters from both Buddhism and Taoism. But in this place called a Taoist city, which is actually a demon's lair, where can we find such figures? Even if we could, the spiritual energy of this place is depleted, and yin energy pervades it. Where can we find such pure and vast magical power to deliver countless fierce and malevolent souls?"

He paused, his words tinged with sarcasm:

"And don't forget, the source of the Dao City's spiritual energy now largely comes from the shadows of the old world, and from the marrow-sucking of mortals and low-level cultivators. How can such filthy spiritual energy, filled with resentment and blood feuds, be used for acts of salvation and compassion?"

After a moment of contemplation, Fang Chen seemed to be deep in thought:

"Therefore, the most likely choice should be the third ritual—the [Seventh Day After Death Ritual for the Soul to Return to the Dead]!"

"Not bad." The three immortals nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in their eyes. "This is indeed the proper ceremony."

Receiving confirmation did not put Fang Chen at ease; instead, his brows furrowed deeply.

"But Master, the road to the underworld is now blocked, the gates of hell are closed, and the netherworld and even the six realms of reincarnation have collapsed. Even if this ritual can temporarily allow the departed soul to return to the mortal world on the seventh day after death and sever their worldly ties, what happens after that?"

"Without reincarnation to enter, and without the underworld to return to, won't these souls remain in the mortal world, turning into even more resentful and vengeful ghosts... This is not a fundamental solution at all."

"There's no need to address the root cause." The three True Immortals spoke in deep voices, their expressions almost cold. "The purpose of this ritual is not to deliver souls from suffering. Rather, it's to use the power of the ritual, in conjunction with the Dao City's grand formation, to create the illusion that the soul returns on the seventh day after death, looks back at the mortal world, the road to the underworld opens, and reincarnation is within reach, thus deceiving those billions of souls into stepping back into the entrance to that infernal hell."

"Once the seven-day mourning period is over and the effects of the ritual dissipate, or until the moment when the Underworld's [Old World Light and Shadow] and our [Cave Heaven Dao Realm] are separated again and the connection is severed... immediately seal the Yin-Yang rift and completely lock the endless ghosts back into that shattered Netherworld. At that time, Yin and Yang will be separated again, and this calamity will be considered over."

Upon hearing this, Fang Chen was deeply shaken and suddenly felt enlightened.

So that's how it is. The key to this ritual is not the "degree" of control, but the "deception"!

"However, this method is equally dangerous. If one is not careful, the boundless ghost tide will go out of control, and the consequences will be unpredictable..." Fang Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the chill in his heart, and asked in a deep voice, "Then what is the second method?"

The three masters remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"The second method is..."

【Escape from calamity in this world!】