Chapter 562: Farewell to the Heavenly Dao Bridge Once More

The Celestial Venerable's head flew through the air, his Primordial Spirit about to escape from his mortal shell.

Chen Shi flicked his wrist, and a sky-filling spray of sword light scattered forth. Gone was the fierce and overbearing ferocity of before, replaced by a hint of immortal elegance.

But the Celestial True God behind him was not so composed. Colossal sword qi crisscrossed in every direction, nearly leveling the mountains as it shredded the Celestial Venerable's head along with his Primordial Spirit into dust.

Chen Yindu flew out from the Celestial Venerable's Dao Realm, raising the Recreate Heaven-and-Earth Furnace into the air.

The Recreate Heaven-and-Earth Furnace expanded at terrifying speed, growing larger and larger until its opening covered thousands of miles, swallowing up the scattered remains of the Celestial Venerable's flesh and Primordial Spirit fragments like a whale drinking in a rainbow, drawing them all into the furnace.

Chen Yindu closed the lid, then immediately activated the immortal furnace, refining everything within!

Zhong Wuwang also flew over, raising the Yin Yang Qi Bottle from afar and drawing the Celestial Venerable's headless body into the bottle.

The Empress of Earth led the surviving deities in flight, joining him to jointly activate the Yin Yang Qi Bottle and refine the Celestial Venerable's headless form. Within the bottle, water and fire worked in tandem, yin and yang intermingled, crossing and intertwining until soon the Celestial Venerable's body was softened by the heat.

Gradually, the body dissolved into a pool of clear water within the bottle, sloshing audibly.

But neither Zhong Wuwang nor the Empress of Earth stopped. They continued to activate the Yin Yang Qi Bottle.

Chen Yindu was also still driving the Recreate Heaven-and-Earth Furnace. Even though the Celestial Venerable's head and Primordial Spirit fragments within had long since been refined, and many immortal pills had formed inside the furnace, the two still did not cease. Only after burning even those immortal pills to ash did they finally feel somewhat at ease.

Chen Shi watched this scene and let out a long breath, sitting down backward.

The Celestial True God also let out a long breath along with him, sitting backward onto a mountain peak.

Chen Shi turned his head, looking at the Celestial True God who had likewise turned around, and couldn't help but smile.

The Celestial True God also revealed a smile, though it was directed at the sky behind them.

Chen Shi sat quietly, as if the noise and clamor had drifted away from him.

The Celestial True God sat behind him, also perfectly still, as if it had returned once more to the mortal world.

The two of them, one large and one small, formed a pleasing contrast.

The Celestial True God was like a giant too immense to be imagined, while Chen Shi was like a child too small to be imagined.

In the distance, the Empress of Earth raised the Purple Heaven Vine, using the cycle of reincarnation to search for the Celestial Venerable's soul, checking whether he had escaped.

Can'er flew over from even farther away. She had not revealed her Six-Winged Heavenly Silkworm true form, but appeared as a white-haired girl in white robes, sobbing as she flew, asking everyone she met where Skeleton Brother had gone.

Chen Shi sat there, hands behind his head, and fell backward.

The Celestial True God was about to fall backward along with him, but at this moment, Chen Shi did not continue to control it. Instead, he raised it up.

The Celestial True God rose slowly, ascending higher and higher, leaving the sky of the underworld and returning to the heavens beyond the mortal world.

It opened its eyes, and its twin pupils shone like the sun, blazing with brilliance, illuminating the world.

"Can'er, I'm over here!" Chen Shi called out loudly.

Can'er flew over and landed beside him. She gripped the ponytail at her chest with both hands, studying him seriously, then shook her head: "You're not Skeleton Brother. Your aura is the same, but he's covered in bones."

She flew up again, going off to find Skeleton Brother.

Chen Shi sat up, rallying his spirits, thinking of refining another skeleton avatar. But after a moment's thought, he let the idea go.

"Now, the Heavenly Pool Kingdom no longer needs a skeleton."

He rose unsteadily, gazing in the direction of the Heavenly Pool Kingdom, and said silently to himself, "Wu Qi left behind his legacy, and this successor has guarded the Heavenly Pool Kingdom. Then he is the Heavenly Pool Ruler of today."

Chu Feng looked up at the sky, waiting for his master's return.

"Our master will definitely come."

He stroked the Tianluo Blood-Transforming Divine Blade and murmured, "We have three masters: King Chen, the Grand Sacrificial Officer, and Wu Qi."

Little Yama Nannan gathered her old subordinates and searched for ghost gods, setting out to rebuild the underworld.

The nine underworld palaces had been completely destroyed. Ghost gods had died in untold numbers, and the Eighteen Hells were shattered beyond repair. Faced with such a sorry mess, even Little Yama felt it was nearly impossible to clean up.

Most of the ghost gods who had followed her were buried in this battle. She had no subordinates left to command and was almost tempted to just give up entirely.

The deities from China had also suffered catastrophic losses, leaving only a dozen or so divine spirits. The Empress of Earth said that perhaps they could communicate with the deities of the Divine Continent and ask them to send avatars over again. However, crossing the Dark Sea would likely take more than ten years to reach this place.

The Empress of Earth's divine power had also been severely depleted. She could not cast spells or communicate with the Divine Continent. She could only wait for Nannan to restore order to the underworld first, then borrow the energy of incense offerings to recover her divine power.

Chen Yindu had been in secluded cultivation these past days, researching how to rescue the living beings of the Western Ox New Continent from petrification. He had comprehended Stone Ji Your Ladyship, creating the Stone Ji Transformation Art for all experts in the Return to Emptiness and Great Ascension realms to cultivate, which was how the Western Ox New Continent had been sealed.

Now, unsealing it was relatively simple for him. Within a few days, he had created a method to break the seal. He freed freeholders like Mu Daozi and Long You the Freeholder and taught them the counter-technique.

Once these people had learned it, Chen Yindu drifted away.

Chen Shi noticed that at his waist hung a tattered cloth doll.

That was Creation Little Five.

Creation Little Five had blocked the full-force strike of the Celestial Venerable's Dao Body and had been killed.

Chen Yindu must have gone to search for materials to repair Creation Little Five, to mend that cloth doll.

Chen Shi occasionally borrowed the eyes of the Celestial True God to inspect the world, checking on the progress of living beings recovering from petrification. But even sweeping his gaze across the entire mortal world, he could not find any trace of Chen Yindu.

One day, he received a letter from Zhong Wuwang, delivered by Fang Zhenxiu.

Chen Shi unfolded the letter and read: "For the King's inspection: Er Niu is about to depart. I leave the Western Ox New Continent and ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm. In these past days, I have imparted everything I have learned and understood in my life to Fang Zhenxiu. This child inherits my legacy. In years past, my master cut the True King's Dao Embryo and transplanted it into me. Owing to the Dao Embryo's grace, I have what I have today. Fortunately, it has been returned intact to its rightful owner, and the cycle of cause and effect is settled. I will ascend to immortality at Tiandao City. Even if the King wishes to execute me, there will be no opening to exploit. Do not think of me. Zhong Er Niu, respectfully kowtowing."

Chen Shi read it over several times, then snorted with laughter and said, "Zhong Er Niu has quite the timid heart. He deliberately had you deliver the letter, thinking that if you delayed a few days, I wouldn't be able to reach Tiandao City to kill him. He underestimates my magnanimity. I control the Celestial True God. How could I not know when he ascends at Tiandao City? I am the True King now. My belly can contain the rivers and mountains of the Western Ox New Continent. Can it not contain a mere Zhong Er Niu? Zhenxiu, has your master already ascended?"

Fang Zhenxiu answered honestly, "When this disciple left, he had not yet ascended. Master is constructing the bridge from his enlightenment within Tiandao City. It should take a few days to build."

With a whoosh, Chen Shi broke through the air, moving with lightning speed, heading straight for Tiandao City.

Fang Zhenxiu was startled. Didn't King Chen just say his magnanimity was vast? Then why was he charging off now?

In Tiandao City, Zhong Wuwang had finished constructing the bridge that spanned between Tiandao City and Despair Slope. He stepped onto the bridge.

It was here that he had once felt his heart die like cold ashes, only to comprehend the mysteries of the Innate Dao Embryo at the point of utter despair, finally achieving Dao Unification within himself.

Today, he had repaired this bridge. Here, he would ascend, leaving behind his figure for posterity.

By now, many people in Tiandao City had already been freed from petrification and regained their physical bodies. Some cultivators were busily working to rescue those still turned to stone.

Zhong Wuwang released his aura, ethereal immortal Dao resonating with the immortal Dao of another time and space.

Gradually, his guiding immortal light burst forth from the void, descending from the heavens to land upon him.

"Pity, I never got to test my strength against King Chen."

Zhong Wuwang rose slowly within the radiant light, following the guiding beam upward, and murmured, "Zhenxiu should have already delivered my letter. Even if he chased after me now, it would be too late to kill me. This man never forgives and never forgets, petty to the extreme..."

Before he could finish, he saw Chen Shi's figure.

Chen Shi stood on the bridge, head raised, watching him depart into the distance.

Zhong Wuwang froze, but then saw Chen Shi on the bridge wave his hand at him.

Zhong Wuwang was briefly stunned: "He didn't kill me. He hates evil like an enemy, and he nearly killed everyone who seized the Innate Dao Embryo. I received his Dao Embryo, yet he didn't kill me?"

He thought for a moment, then waved back at Chen Shi in farewell.

"Er Niu, beware... the qi..."

Chen Shi's voice came through, but Zhong Wuwang's ascent was growing faster and faster, and he could no longer hear clearly.

"What?" Zhong Wuwang called out loudly.

"...yang... bottle!" Chen Shi's voice was faint, barely there.

Zhong Wuwang broke into a grin: "He noticed! He remembered the Yin Yang Qi Bottle had fallen into my hands! Heh heh, he couldn't stop me! This immortal treasure is mine now!"

His heart soared with wild joy, and he hugged the Yin Yang Qi Bottle, planting two fierce kisses on it.

On the Heavenly Dao Bridge, Chen Shi sighed and muttered, "I told you to beware the Yin Yang Qi Bottle. This precious bottle was clearly sent to the mortal world by an immensely powerful immortal, seeking someone to help him comprehend a higher Dao technique. This person's nature, good or evil, cannot be foreseen. If you carry the Yin Yang Qi Bottle, I worry you'll be sold by someone and still be counting the money for them."

But these words, Zhong Wuwang would never have the chance to hear.

After some more time passed, Chen Yindu returned. Chen Shi looked behind him but did not see Creation Little Five.

As Chen Yindu walked, his robes fluttered. Chen Shi noticed that the tattered cloth doll still hung at his waist.

During this time, Chen Yindu had been unable to bring Creation Little Five back to life.

The Celestial Venerable was still too powerful. The strike from his Dao Body had damaged Creation Little Five's very foundation. Even if Chen Yindu found enough materials, at best he could create a new Creation Little Five, but he could not revive the original.

"Little Ten, I'm going to the Earth Immortal Realm, to seek out higher arts of creation and bring Little Five back to life."

Chen Yindu said to him, "I came back today to bid you farewell."

Chen Shi felt reluctant to part, saying, "Grandpa, go ahead. Once matters in the Western Ox New Continent are settled, I'll come find you and Fifth Uncle."

Chen Yindu nodded. Chen Shi continued, "My parents and Little Duan are all in the Earth Immortal Realm. Grandpa, ask around for news of them, so our family can be reunited."

Chen Yindu said, "Rest assured, I will find Atang. While I'm away, let Black Pot take care of you."

Chen Shi watched him go. Sha Qiutong, Du Yiran, and the others were already waiting for Chen Yindu in the distance.

They waved at Chen Shi, then departed into the distance.

Chen Shi's heart was heavy with melancholy as he watched them go.

He looked up at the sky. The Celestial True God's eyes still radiated light and heat. But now that Zhong Wuwang had returned the Innate Dao Embryo to the Celestial True God, how long could the True God hold out this time?

"Perhaps in only six thousand years, the power of the Innate Dao Embryo will be exhausted. Six thousand years from now, will it be another cycle of reincarnation?"

Beyond the heavens, a rumbling sound emanated from behind the True God. Layer after layer of heavens opened in succession, and in an instant, nine heavens were carved open!

The Profound Yin Nine Heaven Art!

Chen Shi strode forward, arriving beside the Celestial True God, his expression calm.

"If the True God and I still have one last burst of light and heat to give, then let it be sword light and fury aimed at our enemies, not slowly turning to ash in mediocrity. True God, True King, come with me on this journey. Drive out the primordial insect and let the true sun shine upon the world once more!"