Fo Ben Shi Dao: The Four Teachings Invest the Gods Again

After Zhou Qing attains the primal unity, the last five hundred years of a calamity that has run since the opening of the primal chaos arrive. The four teachings of that time are the Human Sect under Laozi, the Chan Sect under Yuanshi, Buddhism under Amitabha and the Way of Heaven Teaching under Zhou Qing; most of Tongtian’s old disciples have entered heaven and are counted with the Way of Heaven.

The seven saints come to Zixiao Palace, and Hongjun appears and returns to the Dao. Yuanshi brings out the Investiture List, and the saints first discuss which human sovereign and which disciples of the four teachings must answer the calamity; Zhou Qing, arguing that the human sovereign is not yet settled, declines to sign the roll for the time being.

Zhunti and Amitabha reckon that Li Sheng, the reborn Victorious Fighting Buddha, may be the human sovereign, and Zhou Qing blocks it on the ground that the Human Sect is still contending. The saints settle at last that the sovereignty will be contested before Jinnan Pass and that the roll will wait for the next conference.

War then breaks out in the human world of the earth-immortal realm. Li Sheng, holding the Xuanyuan sacred sword, camps his army at the city of Zishan facing Zhuanxu who holds Jinnan Pass; Li Yuan at Chang’an is supported by the Eight Immortals and Jiang Ziya and contends for the same sovereignty. As war begins, the disciples of the Chan, Buddhist and Way of Heaven teachings come down in turn.

Before Zishan there are engagement after engagement between the Buddhist and Daoist sides. Laozi and Yuanshi afterwards break the great array Amitabha has made of the nine-ranked lotus throne, the nine lotus ranks pass into the hands of the Chan Golden Immortals, and the Buddhist side withdraws from Zishan.

When the four teachings meet again at Zixiao Palace the roll still has names unsettled. Zhou Qing and Tongtian ask Nüwa to take charge of the Human Sect, and Zhunti and Amitabha speak for it as well; Laozi at last steps down from the headship, Nüwa agrees to the disciples the roll requires, and the empty names are filled.

With the roll signed, the armies of the Chan and Way of Heaven teachings meet at last before Liangjie Pass. Zhou Qing brings Liao Xiaojin, the Numinous Pearl, Ao Luan, Shen Gongbao, Red Boy and other disciples to the field, and Laozi and Yuanshi come with the Chan disciples.

Zhunti does not appear at Liangjie Pass but goes straight to the Jade Pool. The Golden Mother of the Jade Pool sets the star river in motion and Haotian Shangdi goes beyond the thirty-three heavens; Zhunti kills the Golden Mother with the empowering pestle and takes Haotian with the Seven-Treasure Wondrous Tree, and the true spirits of both go to the investiture terrace.

Before Liangjie Pass the karma left by the seven saints’ signing works itself out one by one. Xuandu Dafashi and the dragon-horse die under the Abi sword of the Nine Phoenixes; and when a single name is still wanting on the roll, Ao Luan cuts her own throat before Zhou Qing, and her soul too goes to the terrace. So the Investiture List is filled, and the calamity of five billion six hundred million years comes to an end.