To serve the Eternal God, one must first become His believer.
And Nanjiang… must be turned into His domain of faith.
The Saintess, standing nearby, looked on at the sinister Solanum and the now-enchanted Zixuan.
She shut her eyes and turned her heart away.
She knew that even if she wanted to intervene—she couldn't. It would only mean her death.
Yet still, her heart ached.
They had waited so long… only for Nuwa's divine inheritance to be lost.
Now even faith was being stripped away.
How tragic.
Solanum didn't just take Qing'er; she also seized the Water Spirit Orb—a sacred relic long guarded by Zixuan.
A natural treasure like that… was best used as a divine offering to the Eternal God.
Now, two such relics were in Solanum's possession.
The third—held by Xi Yao—had already been passed to Hongkui.
The sacrifices were complete.
All that remained was faith.
If Murong Fu could hold a state ritual for God,
Why not me?
The Witch King of the southern border could easily be replaced.
As long as the Saintess was useful… she would serve that purpose.
With her plans set, Solanum led them to the royal palace of southern Nanjiang.
A few days later…
The Saintess stood before the public and preached the glory of the Eternal God—claiming that Nuwa herself was one of His devout followers.
At first, no one believed her.
But then came the miracle.
Solanum took action personally, displaying overwhelming divine power—slaying a monstrous beast in a single sword strike.
The crowd was silenced.
And slowly… they accepted the truth.
Temples began to rise, one after another.
Looking upon the ever-growing number of shrines being erected in the Eternal God's name, Solanum turned to Zixuan and said:
"When the temples cover all of Nanjiang, and the grand festival begins…
Don't forget the promise I made you."
Zixuan nodded quietly, clutching her daughter to her chest.
In just a few days, Lin Qing'er—now infused with Nuwa's divine power—had grown visibly older.
She looked at least a year more mature, and her complexion was no longer pale and sickly.
Meanwhile, in the world of the White Snake…
At the grand Buddhist altar, the sacred puja had been scheduled to last seven days.
But it ended abruptly after just five.
After finishing her sermon, Guanyin Bodhisattva quickly mounted her lotus platform and departed for the Western Paradise—Mount Lingshan.
Those present simply assumed she had urgent business and did not question it.
But in truth, Guanyin's mind had not been at ease since she encountered Fahai.
The shadow of the Eternal God loomed too large.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it.
Otherwise… the world is truly on the verge of chaos."
She stepped onto the clouds, muttering quietly to herself.
The deep worry in her eyes…
Hadn't appeared in centuries.
Mount Lingshan
Guanyin arrived directly at the Great Hero Hall.
Seated within was Tathagata Buddha, calm and radiant.
When he saw Guanyin arrive unexpectedly, he smiled gently.
"Guanyin, didn't your puja have two more days left?
What brings you to Lingshan so suddenly?"
Even the Arhats sitting nearby looked puzzled.
The annual Buddhist puja was a sacred and grand event—central to spreading the Dharma.
What could possibly prompt Guanyin to abandon it halfway?
Guanyin bowed deeply.
"Tathagata Buddha… this matter concerns Fahai."
Hearing Fahai's name, Tathagata frowned.
So it was him again.
No wonder.
After listening to Guanyin's report, the Tathagata closed his eyes… and began to calculate.
But no matter how far he extended his divine perception, how many layers of fate he peeled back—
Nothing.
The path forward was completely shrouded in mist.
Even using his supreme powers, he could not pierce the veil.
Could this "evil god" lie beyond my reach?
Guanyin leaned forward anxiously.
"Tathagata… what did you see?"
"…I couldn't find anything."
"What? Not even you?"
Shock rippled through the hall.
Even the Buddhas who were deep in meditation opened their eyes in disbelief.
The Lord of the Three Realms could not calculate it?
That was an event unheard of.
Tathagata Buddha simply nodded, not offering further explanation.
Instead, he said:
"His tribulation is about to begin. Go and observe."
"…Yes."
Guanyin bowed once more and departed.
Even the Buddha of Lingshan couldn't divine the Eternal God.
In her heart, Guanyin considered the implications:
There could only be two explanations.
The god… does not exist.
Or… the god exists, but lies outside the Three Realms.
If it were the former, that would be fortunate.
But if it were the latter…
Then Fahai was the key.
Meanwhile, in Hangzhou City…
The heavens thundered with torrential rain.
And fate brought a man… and a snake… together once more.
Inside Jinshan Temple, Fahai sat silently, staring at the falling rain.
He sighed again and again, his heart heavy and restless.
These past few days, he hadn't been able to sleep or eat in peace.
Every time he closed his eyes, the Wanjie Chat Group buzzed endlessly in his mind.
Even if he tried to mute the notifications… if someone tagged him directly, a warning tone would still break through.
So no matter what, he couldn't escape it.
Messages arrived nonstop.
Ding... [Spirit of the Demon Sword] is calling you.
Ding... [Murong Fu] is calling you.
Ding... [For Peace] is calling you.
Just as Fahai was consumed by turmoil, a golden light descended from the sky.
The familiar presence instantly cleared his thoughts.
Guanyin Bodhisattva had returned.
His primordial spirit left his body and rose to meet her in the clouds.
"Bodhisattva, you've returned from Lingshan. Did you find anything?
Were you able to locate the Eternal God?"
Faced with Fahai's question, Guanyin simply shook her head.
"You… haven't gone to Lingshan yet? Or is it that…"
Fahai didn't dare finish the sentence.
The implications were too terrifying.
Guanyin replied calmly, "Don't worry. My Buddha, the Tathagata himself, attempted to investigate—but he couldn't find where this being resides.
It may exist beyond the Three Realms. That's why I hope you can make contact again. We must uncover more information."
Fahai's heart turned cold.
Even the Buddha couldn't detect the Eternal God's existence?
His long-standing faith trembled.
"Does it really have to be like this? Can't I just avoid it completely? I'm… afraid."
Guanyin's voice remained gentle but firm.
"If you ignore it, it may become a disaster in the future.
We have Buddhas in Lingshan. What are you afraid of?"
"…Understood," Fahai whispered. "Then… what should I do about this fate?"
Guanyin gave only one answer:
"Fate.
When it arrives—you will know."
Though it was a human-made fate, its arrival was inevitable.
When Fahai's spirit returned to his body, he stared at the rain pouring outside the temple.
Clenching his jaw, he opened the Wanjie Chat Group.
It was… extremely lively at the moment.
The Junior Brother from Dazhufeng, who had entered the group at the same time as him, had become chummy with everyone, chatting away with ease.
Ninja Scientist:
"Didn't expect to see actual immortals in your world. You've even inherited Taoist cultivation methods? How do they compare with meditation?"
Junior Brother of Dazhufeng:
"Divine cultivation methods are far superior. I reached the sixth level of Yuqing overnight after an epiphany!
Not only did I win the favor of my senior sister, but I was also awarded a magic treasure!"
Second Li:
"Show us the treasure!"
The junior brother promptly uploaded an image.
Junior Brother:
"This is a treasure of my sect. It's called the Liuhe Mirror. It's said that as long as you have enough mana, it can reflect all attacks."
Tanjiro:
"⊙▽⊙ So cool, brother…"
Li Er:
"That's a fine artifact. What's your sect's take on sacrifice then?
Since you cultivate immortality, you must have some valuable offerings too."
For Peace:
"I'm curious too. What kind of spiritual treasures do martial sects offer?"
After some explanation from Li Shimin, the group finally understood the concept of cultivation.
Immortals could live for centuries and possess great powers.
But compared to gods… even immortals were like ants.
Junior Brother:
"We're preparing to sacrifice the Qilin guarded by Spirit Venerable."
Chu Dashan:
"Wha—?! A mythical beast? A Qilin?
That's serious stuff. If you ever return to the God Realm, you'd better remember us."
Junior Brother:
"Ahem… I'm not the sect leader yet. Haven't even written my horoscope."
Fahai's heart grew more uneasy.
Qilin?
That should only appear during great worldly fortune.
And yet… this wasn't even his world.
Then came the real blow.
The Spirit of the Demon Sword uploaded a video.
Tanjiro:
"⊙▽⊙ Sister Longkui~ I finished my training!"
Spirit of the Demon Sword:
"All done. Captured two Nuwa descendants.
I'm now handling state matters in Southern Xinjiang.
The second sacrifice will happen soon."
Fahai hurriedly downloaded the video and played it.
Even though he had never seen Nuwa with his own eyes, he could feel it.
That aura—so sacred, so ancient.
It was real.
Nuwa's descendants existed.
His faith crumbled further.
Why… why did I open this chat group in the first place?
But Fahai had no idea—the fact that he downloaded the video had triggered a notification.
The group instantly caught on.
Spirit of the Demon Sword:
"Whoa—caught a peeping monk! Sneaky watcher! Screenshot saved. JPG."
Second Li:
"Tsk, I knew that bald monk wasn't right.
Doesn't say anything, just silently watches Sister Solanum's videos. Shameless!"
Chu Dashan:
"There's a saying—'The shameless sneak is invincible under heaven.'"
No one was sure if that was a real saying,
But it didn't stop the verbal assault.
Fahai had finally had enough.
Even a Buddha couldn't endure this level of group flame.
Pursuer of All Beings (Fahai):
"Enough! You all act so mighty—why not bring your gods here and let them face me?
What is there to fear? A group of false gods confusing the masses—I, Fahai, do not fear them!"
The group fell silent for a beat.
Then a new message appeared.
Eternal God:
"Do you truly not fear?"
Pursuer of All Beings:
"I, Fahai, am a disciple of the Great Sun Tathagata.
I practice with a golden alms bowl. What do I have to fear?"
Eternal God:
"Your real name is Duobao.
You were a disciple of Master Tongtian, and after the great calamity, you were transferred into the Western teachings.
Your Guanyin Bodhisattva—real name Cihangdao—was a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun.
Samantabhadra was originally named Puxian.
You're all defectors from different sects.
What sort of flowers can grow in a garden of traitors?"
Eternal God:
"And you—Fahai—you were planted into the tale of the White Snake for a reason.
The White Snake is a descendant of the Candle Dragon, though she is unaware.
Before her body could fully develop, she was drawn to you, binding her to karmic debt.
The shepherd boy's name is Xu Xian.
He currently resides in Hangzhou.
The day it rains on the third day of the third month is when fate will take its course."
"Shall I continue?"
"I love all under heaven—but not the bald."
"Your slander, I shall remember."
Fahai turned ice cold.
Today… was the third day of the third month.
Xu Xian and the White Snake—Bai Suzhen—had already met.