Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

However, the newly formed multicolored giant stone seemed devoid of any spirituality, vastly inferior to the Five-Colored Immortal Stone refined from the five-colored soil; even Sun Wukong could tell that this multicolored giant stone alone could not fill the final gap.

Just then, Goddess Nuwa extended her hand to her chest and wiped, creating a cut from which essence blood shot out and showered onto the multicolored giant stone. It was quickly absorbed, and the multicolored giant stone instantly gained spirituality, beginning to emit sounds like a beating heart.

With a wave of Goddess Nuwa's hand, it flew toward the final gap in the Heavenly Cave and sealed it tightly.

"Ba-boom! Ba-boom!"

Sun Wukong felt his own heart beating in unison with the multicolored giant stone, at exactly the same frequency, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face. The next moment, as Goddess Nuwa lightly shouted "Seal," ringing through Heaven and Earth, all the multicolored divine stones sealing the celestial dome lit up, connecting completely and lifting the Heavenly Cave into the high sky.

The light grew stronger, and just when it was almost blinding, it reached its peak and abruptly disappeared.

Above the heavens, the vast black hole had completely vanished, and a piece of the multicolored divine stone, now a mere fraction of the size of the last one, fell from the sky and floated in front of Goddess Nuwa. This was the remaining part of the last multicolored divine stone refined from the heart's blood of Goddess Nuwa after repairing the sky.

"You are transformed from my heart's blood and possess spirituality; your destiny will unfold in time. I hope you will not disappoint me and rejuvenate my Demon Clan!"

Watching the floating multicolored divine stone, a look of maternal warmth flickered in Goddess Nuwa's eyes. She gently stroked the multicolored divine stone, and the next moment, with a flick of her fingertips, the multicolored divine stone shot out and sped towards the eastern sky, soon disappearing at the edge of Heaven and Earth.

"Ha-hu!"

Sun Wukong's divine sense suddenly withdrew from the Three-Life Stone, and after catching his breath, he calmed down. His guess was not wrong; that part of the multicolored divine stone, refined from the heart's blood of Goddess Nuwa, was indeed the Immortal Stone that gave birth to him!

In a certain sense, Sun Wukong could be considered to have been nurtured by the heart's essence of Goddess Nuwa, making her his mother. He was not truly without parents, a product of natural nurture!

At this moment, Sun Wukong's feelings were complex, filled with joy, excitement, and a slight wistfulness. After the reopening of the Three Realms, both Hong Jun Daoist Ancestor and Goddess Nuwa had completely disappeared from the Three Realms. Rumor had it they had secluded themselves in the highest tier of the Thirty-Six Heavens, Da Luo Heaven, unconcerned with worldly matters.

The true situation, however, was unclear to anyone. Sun Wukong also did not know if he would ever have a chance to reunite with Goddess Nuwa as mother and son.

"We will definitely reunite! As long as I, Old Sun, continue to strive forward, one day, I'll reach the heights of Hong Jun Daoist Ancestor and Mother. There will surely be a day when we meet again!"

Sorrow was only temporary for Sun Wukong, after all, he was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Such maiden-like sentiments were quickly suppressed by the rising heroic spirit in his heart.

Clenching his teeth, Sun Wukong roared to the sky, his eyes fiercely sharp, flames leaping within them, his golden hair wildly billowing with the wind, his overwhelming aura enveloping him like a Demon God.

The unruly and defiant Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who had once wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, had returned!

...

Descending from the Tower of Homeward Gaze, Sun Wukong continued along the path of Yellow Springs, soon reaching the edge of the Naihe Bridge.

The Naihe Bridge marks the boundary between the Yellow Springs and River of Oblivion, the side of the bridge here belonging to Yellow Springs, and beyond the bridge lies the River of Oblivion.

The Naihe Bridge has three layers, the upper red, the middle yellow and black, and the lowest entirely black, each lower layer far more perilous, inhabited by lone souls and wild ghosts unable to reincarnate. Those who performed good deeds in life take the upper layer, those mixed with good and bad take the middle, while evildoers walk the lowest layer.

These are the recorded details about the Naihe Bridge that Sun Wukong read in the ancient texts of the Three-Star Cave Heaven's Scripture Pavilion and had also heard of. However, what he saw upon really approaching the Naihe Bridge seemed somewhat different.

Indeed, the Naihe Bridge is divided into three layers, but which layer one walks is not determined by one's deeds as recorded in the ancient texts. According to those texts, one first crosses the Naihe Bridge and then faces the judgment of the Ten Yama Kings and suffers the torment of the Eighteen Levels of Hell to cleanse their sins.

However, in reality, within the actual Netherworld, the judgment of the Ten Yama Kings and the cleansing in the Eighteen Levels of Hell occur before crossing the Naihe Bridge.

Those who make it to the edge of this Naihe Bridge have already passed through the gates of the Eighteen Levels of Hell and are eligible for reincarnation. Which layer of the bridge one walks is not decided by one's deeds!

Which layer one walks depends entirely on whether their souls contain more pure energy or turbid energy.

Souls brimming with pure energy take the upper layer; though some of their pure energy will be reduced after crossing, they can be directly absorbed by the Heavenly Dao of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms, reincarnating into the Heaven Realm or staying to serve as Netherworld Deities.

Those mixed with both pure and turbid energies take the middle layer; after crossing, some of their pure energy is depleted, and they can be absorbed by the Mortal Path of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realms, reincarnating into the Mortal World to enjoy earthly glory and honor.

Those with the heaviest turbid energy must walk the lowest layer; these people carry deep malice and have no one to resolve it.

While walking on the lowest layer, they easily attract the fierce ghosts in the water of Yellow Springs or members of the Yaksha and Asura Clans, who feed on their soul's essence, either dragging them into the waters of Yellow Springs to join them or completely disperse their souls, never to be reborn.

Living a virtuous life can indeed increase the purity of one's soul, but the ones who can truly ascend the upper levels of the Naihe Bridge are not absolutely good people, but rather those who have cultivated and refined their souls. Otherwise, even if one's life is full of good deeds, they can only walk the middle layer and would never have the chance to reincarnate into the Heaven Realm.

"The road to Yellow Springs, the River of Oblivion, sighing 'Alas' before the Naihe Bridge. To cross the Naihe Bridge, a bowl of soup erases all emotions and grudges."

Sun Wukong approached the edge of the Naihe Bridge, just about to step onto it, when suddenly a long, gentle chant resounded, and an old woman dressed in black appeared by the bridge.

It was Meng Po!

Legend has it that by the Naihe Bridge of the Netherworld, an old woman named Meng Po collects the tears from all those who seek reincarnation, brewing them with special herbs into Meng Po Soup. Drinking it would completely erase one's memories of past lives, leaving no lingering attachments as they head for reincarnation. However, the true origin of Meng Po was still a topic of much debate.

"Meng Po, I, Old Sun, am not here to reincarnate. Your Meng Po Soup requires tears from a lifetime to brew. I doubt you have prepared my bowl yet?"

Sun Wukong chuckled as he looked at Meng Po, but a flash of golden light passed through his eyes, secretly activating his Void-Breaking Divine Eye to observe her.

Quasi-Saint Half-Step!

This Meng Po was actually a powerhouse at the Quasi-Saint Half-Step realm!

A trace of shock flashed through Sun Wukong's eyes. It seemed that the Netherworld hid many powerful beings. He had thought that the Ten Yama Kings, mere trifles in cultivation all within the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, and even the Quasi-Saint level Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva paled in comparison to this old woman guarding the Naihe Bridge, who was a powerhouse at the Quasi-Saint Half-Step level!

Wait, Meng Po's true appearance, it doesn't seem to be that of an old woman as it appears on the surface... Sun Wukong's eyes turned golden, fully powering the Void-Breaking Divine Eye for a closer examination.

Meng Po's true form was actually a stunningly beautiful woman in white robes, and though she was a ghostly body formed by a condensed soul, the qi-blood within her was extremely robust, much more so than ordinary immortals and gods!

This Meng Po, her origins were definitely extraordinary!

"Are you, a Heavenly Demon?"

While Sun Wukong was covertly observing Meng Po with his Void-Breaking Divine Eye, Meng Po was also sizing him up. Her comment startled Sun Wukong, causing him to freeze before a look of horrification crossed his eyes. Meng Po had actually discerned his true nature!

"Who exactly are you? How could you see through my Heavenly Demon Body?"

Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes and took a step back, staring intensely at Meng Po as if facing a great enemy. He had never been this nervous, not even when facing the Quasi-Saint realm Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Although Meng Po's cultivation realm seemed inferior to Ksitigarbha's, how could she possibly see through his physique with a single glance?

"I can naturally tell. You carry a very unique aura about you, quite similar to a friend I once knew!"

Meng Po burst into laughter, and in the next moment, her appearance shifted from the old woman in black to the stunning beauty in white robes that Sun Wukong had seen with his Void-Breaking Divine Eye, "You, are you a descendant of Sister Nuwa?"

"Sister Nuwa?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Sun Wukong's eyes widened dramatically. In the Three Realms from the Primeval Era to the present, the only one who could call Goddess Nuwa 'sister' seemed to be Houtu from the Twelve Ancestral Witches of the Ancient Witch Race!

Legend has it that Houtu, also with a human torso and a snake tail, had seven pairs of arms on her back and two pairs on her chest, the latter pair holding a soaring snake. She was a power among the Twelve Ancestral Witches who controlled the force of the Earth.

During the late stages of the great Witch-Demon War, unable to bear the annihilation of the Witch and Demon races' warriors, Houtu transformed herself into the Six Paths of Reincarnation, accumulating merits comparable to a Merit Saint, and bestowed two-thirds of her merits to the Witch Race.

This allowed the remnants of the Witch Race to survive the Witch-Demon War, escaping to live in the Northern Continent of Cattle-grazing, hence the existence of today's Barbarian Race in that region.

However, after transforming into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and bequeathing her merits to the Witch Race, Houtu should have perished completely. How could she appear at the Naihe Bridge in the Netherworld, specifically brewing Meng Po Soup for those undergoing reincarnation?

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Seemingly perceiving Sun Wukong's doubts, Meng Po smiled, "It looks like you've guessed who I am. Yes, I am Houtu, or rather, I once was Houtu."