Chapter 367
Chapter 367
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 369
Chapter Title: Possible Path to Immortality
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chen Shi and Blackie Pot left the capital of Heavenly Pool Kingdom, following the Gathering Immortals Tower's merchant caravan to Immeasurable Cliff.
According to Shao Jing, there was a weak point here connecting to another underworld. By passing through it, they could reach the underworld corresponding to Qianyang Mountain, from where returning to the yang world would be much simpler.
Red Mountain Hall had built a bridge at the weak point—an arched bridge with one end spanning Immeasurable Cliff. At the bridge's center, the structure suddenly vanished.
But if one walked to the center and took another step forward, they would discover they weren't plummeting off the cliff but had arrived at the bridge's other half.
This half of the bridge spanned a dry underworld stream, but it too was only half a bridge—the other half completely invisible.
The bridge's construction was nothing short of a marvel of ingenuity.
Chen Shi and Blackie Pot stepped onto the bridge and looked down, beholding countless divine corpses hanging from the cliff walls, stretching endlessly.
No one knew how long Immeasurable Cliff truly was, so no one knew how many divine corpses dangled from its walls.
"What exactly is Misty Moon?"
Chen Shi withdrew his gaze, pondering to himself, "Why do these divine corpses revive on Misty Moon nights? And where did the divine corpses come from?"
He had asked the ghost clan chiefs like Lei Qu, but the poems passed down among the ghost clans made no mention of the divine corpses' origins.
Chen Shi crossed to the other side of the arch bridge and gazed into the Yin Spring Sea, where spring eyes known as yin springs spewed endless frigid qi day and night. On the sea's surface, massive trees rooted in the firmament, with enormous coffins beneath them.
"Why can't I see Yin Mountain from here at all?"
He turned back, seeing nothing but emptiness on the broken bridge's opposite side, and shook his head before leaving with Blackie Pot.
They returned to Huangpo Village, where Chen Shi stayed for a few days, burning incense daily to pay homage to his True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword. Their journey had been a long one, so he planned to remain home a bit longer before heading to Taihua Azure Palace.
His skeletal body, meanwhile, stayed in Heavenly Pool Kingdom's capital, continuing its role as ruler.
This skeletal body held one of his thoughts, capable of independent cultivation, gathering divine blood, caring for itself, and even fighting without his oversight.
The skeletal body simply couldn't handle complex issues, but with the cabinet in place, there likely wouldn't be any complex matters needing attention.
The skeletal body cultivated the Blood Lake True Scripture, its progress far surpassing Chen Shi's—comparable to a Soul Refining Realm powerhouse—while Chen Shi had only just entered Body Fusion Realm and spent each day practicing Yin-Yang Tempering to refine his own evil qi.
Of course, the skeletal body was merely an external vessel of Chen Shi. If he reclaimed the Blood Lake True Scripture, his strength would far exceed it.
The Blood Lake True Scripture's boost to cultivation was secondary; its enhancement to the soul was truly astonishing. Chen Shi's soul had reached unprecedented strength—ordinary divine soul or primordial spirit attacks couldn't harm him in the slightest!
As for exactly how strong his soul was, even Chen Shi had no measure.
"Little Ten, we have something to tell you."
Granny Sha, Du Yiran, Azuo, and the others arrived in Huangpo Village and said to Chen Shi, "This is extremely important, so don't be startled later."
Chen Shi blinked, thinking to himself, "What they're about to tell me wouldn't be the Primordial Star Map, would it? I already know."
Granny Sha hesitated, then said to Azuo, "You're always heartless, so you tell him."
Azuo glanced at her and slowly recounted how they had extracted the demon from Chen Shi, only for a calamity to appear. His wooden personality made him poor at expression, turning what should have been a thrilling tale into something dry and flat.
Chen Shi feigned shock at times, worry at others, joy at their successful demon extractions, and concern over the demon's cunning prowess.
Granny Sha, Du Yiran, and the rest grew increasingly suspicious. Qingyang grabbed Blackie Pot by the scruff of the neck and snarled, "You told him ahead of time, didn't you? Traitor!"
Blackie Pot pitifully flattened its ears and tucked its tail.
Hu Xiaoliang whispered, "Saucy Sheep, put Blackie Pot down. Think about his mom."
Qingyang straightened up and set Blackie Pot down.
Chen Shi flushed and said, "I forced it out of Blackie Pot. It's not his fault."
Granny Sha laughed. "We were worried you couldn't accept it, so we hadn't planned to tell you. Since you already know and have accepted the reality, we're relieved. After that calamity revealed the star map, we each communed with the heavens and sensed things according to it. We've come this time for that very reason."
Chen Shi perked up. "I'd long suspected this star map was the starry sky blocked by the extraterrestrial true gods. By following the map's stars, did you find the corresponding stellar positions?"
Granny Sha, Du Yiran, and the others exchanged glances and nodded silently.
Granny Sha said, "We did sense the corresponding stars. Moreover, with their precise positions, my breakthrough to Returning Void Realm will face far fewer obstacles. Unlike them back in the day."
Du Yiran and the others had encountered immense hurdles breaking through to Returning Void Realm, unable to stabilize their void realms during creation. Even after excavating True King Era ruins and piecing together the star map of Huaxia Divine Continent, they struggled to solidify their realms.
Cultivating that way, Granny Sha would likely have been stuck at Returning Void Realm too upon reaching it.
Among the Five Great Evils, Granny Sha was the youngest besides Azuo. Her talent was exceptional, but her son Xiang Tianyu's disappearance in the underworld and her broken family had prevented focused cultivation, costing her many years.
Now, with Xiang Tianyu found and her youth restored, her cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds again.
With the Primordial Star Map, her breakthrough to Returning Void Realm would come naturally.
And using it to forge her void realm would make it more perfect than the others', boosting her strength considerably.
Of course, Du Yiran, Azuo, and the rest could also use the Primordial Star Map to mend flaws in their void realms, greatly enhancing their power as well.
Du Yiran said, "We've come to transmit the Primordial Star Map to you."
Chen Shi was deeply moved, but then thought, "Dad helped extract my demon too, so he must have seen the star map. Why have Granny Sha and the others teach me instead of doing it himself?"
Du Yiran unfolded his void realm, drawing Chen Shi inside to contemplate each star and constellation's position and the principles of their movements and changes.
"The starry sky holds thirty-six Heavenly Gang stars, seventy-two Earthly Fiend stars, the four cardinal heavenly palaces of east, south, west, and north, Central Heaven, the Big Dipper, and more. The few of us spent over ten days matching every star and constellation."
Du Yiran's primordial spirit presided over the void realm. With a gentle lift of his hand, Chen Shi floated up involuntarily, landing in his palm.
As Du Yiran lightly shifted his hand, Chen Shi watched the stars shift and transform, the star river flowing in indescribable wonder.
"Why is the Primordial Star Map so crucial?"
Du Yiran's primordial spirit voice boomed, "Because it concerns merging with the Dao. Cultivators in Returning Void Realm forge their own void, crafting a world with heaven and earth, sun and moon, stars and constellations, rivers and lakes, mountains and hills. Ultimately, it must align with oneself. That is Great Vehicle Realm."
He moved his hand, and Chen Shi flew through the star river, stars flashing past him.
Du Yiran halted, leaving Chen Shi before the massive Azure Dragon Palace of the Eastern Heaven, formed by countless large and small stars and constellations.
"Achieving Great Vehicle Realm grants an inner heaven and earth. But this must harmonize with the outer heaven and earth, verifying one's Dao against the Heavenly Dao. That is Dao Fusion!"
Chen Shi was still awestruck by the Azure Dragon Palace's vastness when he involuntarily flew to the Vermilion Bird Palace of the Southern Heaven. Du Yiran's voice rang in his ears. "We studied this primordial starry sky with Chen Tang and reached a conclusion. The path of cultivation today differs from the True King Era, but Dao Fusion to immortality is still possible. No one has succeeded because the star map was wrong."
Chen Shi's mind reeled, instantly grasping his meaning.
The Minor Heavens were formed from the Li family's two ancestors' void realms, including a sun and moon that were clearly off—they were a pair of eyes!
They had clearly imitated the extraterrestrial true gods, evolving eyes like theirs when forming sun and moon in their void realms!
And the starry sky was even more absurd!
The star river was outright piled from stars, countless celestial bodies clashing and flowing across the sky.
The stars themselves were grotesquely shaped!
"How could such a flawed starry sky allow Dao Fusion? Without merging with the Dao, immortality is impossible!"
His heart pounded as he realized that in the six thousand years since the True King Era's end, no one had ascended—clearly, the problem lay here!
Returning Void Realm's grasp and expression of heaven, earth, and nature didn't match the true cosmos, so no one could fuse with the Dao and become immortal!
Suddenly, Du Yiran's void realm contracted, merging with his primordial spirit.
Chen Shi too was drawn with the starry sky into Du Yiran's primordial spirit body.
Whoosh!
Amid countless brilliant lights, he entered Du Yiran's primordial spirit and roamed within.
Then multicolored radiance shone from all directions—the phenomenon of Du Yiran's flesh merging with his primordial spirit!
He saw five magnificent mountains approaching—Du Yiran's five viscera. Looking up, he beheld layered heavens amid misty clouds—thirty-three vertebrae. Higher still floated twelve-story towers, true qi like a heavenly river flowing up and down the thirty-three heavens.
Below, the Nine曲 Yellow Springs cascaded torrentially, piercing the netherworld prefecture straight to the Yongquan at his soles.
The Yongquan's scene resembled the Yin Spring Sea!
This was the vista inside Du Yiran's flesh. Merging with the void realm added sun, moon, mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas—truly majestic and boundless!
Chen Shi's vision blurred with excitement. Du Yiran had shown him another path of cultivation!
Even without Tribulation Transcendence Realm or Ascension Realm, Dao Fusion to immortality was possible!
The path the True Kings sought to promote, the one generations of talents pursued, the one Grandpa and the others tirelessly explored—now, completion was in sight!
Dao Fusion with heaven and earth—now feasible!
"Little Ten, memorize the star map and its changes!"
Du Yiran's voice came. "You're on the True King Era's old path; we're on the new one. If we fail at Dao Fusion, you try the old path! Understood?"
Chen Shi's heart grew heavy. "I understand!"
From the True King Era to now, the Dao Fusion path had claimed countless geniuses—and might claim countless more.
Du Yiran, Azuo, and the others were prepared to sacrifice if their fusion failed!
If they fell, Chen Shi would tread the old path, cultivate with the Primordial Star Map, transcend tribulation, ascend, fuse with the Dao, and test its viability!
If that failed, he too would sacrifice, becoming a martyr!
Chen Tang and Wu Qingyu stood not far off, the couple quietly watching the scene.
Wu Qingyu said, "A Tang, you sensed the Primordial Star Map too and even forged your void realm. Why not teach Little Ten yourself?"
She was quite puzzled.
Granny Sha, Du Yiran, and the rest had been personally invited by Chen Tang to instruct Chen Shi, yet he always saw them as shady sorts. And he understood it himself, so having others teach was odd.
"It's hard for parents to be strict with their children. I'm afraid I wouldn't be stern enough with Little Ten, letting him slack in his studies."
Chen Tang said, "But entrusting it to Uncle Du and the others, they won't hold back—beating when needed, scolding when needed. Besides, Little Ten accepts their guidance far better than mine."
Wu Qingyu smiled. "Who knew you were so quiet but scheming so much behind the scenes."
Chen Tang fell silent, then after a moment said, "I've always felt I owe Little Ten greatly. I'm ashamed to be his father..."
Wu Qingyu gripped his arm tightly, saying softly, "You've done more than enough. No need for self-reproach."
Recalling something, she smiled. "By the way, I noticed you've picked up a new habit lately—something you didn't have before. You often glance back absentmindedly, like you're looking at something."
Chen Tang's heart stirred slightly. He shook his head. "Nothing to see."
Wu Qingyu looked up at him earnestly. "I'm your wife, Little Ten's mother. I want to see what you've seen, share some of your burden. Lend me your vision, A Tang. Don't bear it alone."
Chen Tang hesitated, then drew her nascent soul into his Divine Shrine.
Wu Qingyu stood beside the Divine Embryo. Then Chen Tang turned his head, and boundless divine radiance filled her vision—towering, godlike figures appearing in the sky, gazing at Chen Tang, gazing at them.
Chen Tang turned away no longer.
Wu Qingyu flew down from his Divine Shrine and hugged him tightly.
"A Tang, you've worked so hard. Don't look back at them! They can't threaten us. Don't look back!"
Chen Tang's body trembled once, then stilled. "I'm not afraid of them. It's just... I have a weakness now."
Wu Qingyu held her man close.
His weakness was them.
The Thirteen Great Families could exploit it to trap him like a dragon in a shallow pool in Xinxiang, preventing him from unleashing his talents or ambitions.
Wu Qingyu hesitated, then whispered, "A Tang, you don't need to shoulder so much. There's something I've kept from you. While your son was in the underworld, he did many things, built a great reputation—some terrifying existences follow him..."
Chen Tang said, "I know. Heavenly Pool Ghost Kingdom's experts?"
Wu Qingyu gently shook her head.
Chen Tang raised his head, staring at her in shock.
"It's what happened during those eight years." Wu Qingyu exhaled like blooming orchids, speaking softly.