Chapter 605: The First Dao Rule of the External Dao

Elder Shang Dugong heard the duck's miserable quacking, so he gave it a medicinal pill. This duck had never eaten a medicinal pill before. In the past, it only ever ate the dregs, so this was its first time enjoying a real pill.

The duck was overjoyed to receive the pill and felt immense gratitude toward Chen Shi.

The burly man Tang Feng whispered, "Duke Shang, we didn't use up all the Fuling Immortal herbs we picked this time. There's still enough to refine another batch."

Shang Dugong was startled and lowered his voice, "Master doesn't know?"

"No, he doesn't."

Shang Dugong mused, "If Master had taken the entire batch of pills, we could justify keeping ours. But the key point is he only took a small portion and left the lion's share for us. If we kept it all, wouldn't that be far too stingy? Refine the other batch first. Once it's done, return it to Master. As for this batch, distribute it among the villagers."

Tang Feng acknowledged and distributed the pills.

After the villagers consumed their pills, they each went to the green stele and studied the Dao patterns engraved upon it with intense focus. The duck and the mangy dog were among them, observing with great seriousness.

This was a long-established tradition in Fulong Village. Whenever anyone consumed a medicinal pill, they would meditate on the Dao patterns of the green stele without ever slacking off.

After a long while, the medicinal power within everyone gradually faded, and they each withdrew their gazes.

A village woman couldn't help but ask, "Just how are we supposed to comprehend the mysteries within the Dao patterns on this green stele?"

Shang Dugong let out a sigh and said, "We've already waited thirty thousand years. Why rush things now? If we keep pondering without cease, sooner or later we'll grasp all the wonders hidden in the green stele."

Just then, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, thunder and lightning crashed, and the earth trembled violently. The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth permeating the Dao Ruins transformed into radiant light, emerging from beneath the ground and from the air above. Some soared upward, some swirled in circles, some stretched across like reclining bridges over water, some stood still like abyssal pools, and some towered like majestic mountains.

These Great Daos of Heaven and Earth shook violently, gradually showing signs of splitting apart.

Meanwhile, in Changchun Mountain near Fulong Village, Changchun Emperor suddenly fell into violent coughing fits, spitting out mouthful after mouthful of blood.

His two young dao attendants panicked and rushed forward, fetching various spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines for Changchun Emperor, but before he could even swallow them, they came right back up mixed with blood.

Over in Forgetting Sorrow Valley, Lady Niangpo was also coughing up blood in great heaves, her face deathly pale. Ding Sisi hurriedly attended to her mother, deeply anxious but utterly helpless.

At the center of Fulong Village, the green stele suddenly erupted with blinding light, dyeing the entire surrounding heaven and earth an expanse of green.

The Dao patterns on the stele seemed to come alive, rising up from within the stone. They looked like ten thousand divine dragons dancing through the thunderclouds, and from the clouds came what sounded like countless dragon roars, chanting strange, incomprehensible tones that defied description.

At the same moment, another strange sound arose, clashing against the Dao tones emanating from the stele's patterns. It attacked with precision and discipline, exuding a murderous, chilling aura.

After a long time, the thunderclouds gradually dispersed, and those bizarre Dao patterns flew back down from the sky, returning to the stele.

The Dao patterns on the green stele seemed somewhat dimmer than before.

Throughout the Dao Ruins, ancient beings like Lady Niangpo and Changchun Emperor each let out a breath of relief. Lady Niangpo murmured softly, "We made it through another one."

In Fulong Village, Shang Dugong walked to the green stele to inspect it, his face clouded with worry.

Scenes like this were nothing new to them, but in recent years, as the stele's power surged with each activation, the Dao patterns left by the Lingbao Celestial Venerable had been gradually fading.

This gave him a very ominous feeling.

"Perhaps one day, the Dao patterns on this stele will vanish entirely. And when that happens, the Dao Ruins will no longer be able to hold anything back."

On Changchun Mountain, Changchun Emperor let out a relieved breath and struggled to his feet, gazing out the window as though he could see the green stele from where he stood.

"The power of the green stele is nowhere near what it once was."

He murmured, "If one day the stele can no longer suppress the Dao Ruins, what are we to do? The Three Purities are not in the Earth Immortal Realm. Who will stand against it?"

Chen Shi returned to the Celestial Way Residence and looked around. Neither Black Pot nor Jiang Guo was home.

Jiang Guo was utterly consumed by his cultivation. These days, whenever he had free time, he would head down from the Celestial Court to a nearby province, seeking out fairy mountains where passing immortals rested, mooching off their spiritual springs for cultivation.

For him, this had become a habit. The immortal qi and spiritual fluids the Celestial Court issued to heavenly soldiers were meager, barely enough for daily cultivation. But for someone like him, a Celestial Immortal on the verge of a breakthrough, they fell far short of what he needed. Thus, heading to the fairy mountains to cultivate with free spiritual springs was absolutely necessary.

If he couldn't mooch off spiritual springs, then he'd need to search for spiritual herbs and immortal medicines, refine various medicinal pills, and boost his cultivation that way instead. That was why one could often encounter herb gatherers in dangerous places, usually immortals attempting breakthroughs.

As for Black Pot, he was most likely out eating and drinking with the other heavenly soldiers.

Chen Shi steadied his mind and consumed a Fulong Village medicinal pill.

These pills enhanced wisdom. Combined with the Celestial Way of the Celestial Strategy, they would allow him to study the green stele for extended periods without fatigue. However, when it came to comprehending the External Dao of the Western Ox New Continent, the Celestial Strategy was completely useless. This External Dao did not exist within the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the Celestial Way could not decipher it.

And while the Fulong Village medicinal pills maximized the enhancement of Chen Shi's intellect, he had never been exposed to this kind of External Dao before. It was like starting from absolute scratch, building up his understanding of this External Dao bit by bit from nothing. As a result, the pills he consumed were consumed at an astonishing rate.

"Chu Xiangxiu's innate talent and comprehension are truly extraordinary."

Chen Shi couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Chu Xiangxiu had no treasures like the Fulong Village pills to bolster him. He relied purely on his own intellect to comprehend the External Dao of the great Ni Li World. Talent and insight like that were frighteningly powerful!

"The Child Prodigy might be the Child Prodigy in the Western Ox New Continent, but here in the Earth Immortal Realm, he can't hold the number one position."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "I must never underestimate the heroes of the world."

Since arriving in the Earth Immortal Realm, he had already encountered two peers who rivaled him or even surpassed him. One was Chu Xiangxiu, and the other was Jiang Guo.

Chu Xiangxiu's innate talent and comprehension, Jiang Guo's swordsmanship, both were remarkably outstanding.

He focused his awareness inward, searching his Dao Field for traces of the External Dao, meditating on its mysteries. He had already gained some preliminary insight before, and now that he continued where he left off, progress came much more smoothly.

Chen Shi devoted himself entirely to his research, forgetting food and sleep alike. Gradually, he decoded the External Dao of the Western Ox New Continent. Whenever the power of a Fulong Village pill ran dry, he would consume another and continue his relentless study without pause.

As the pills dwindled one by one, his understanding of the Western Ox New Continent's External Dao grew deeper and deeper.

Around his body, talisman symbols gradually coalesced. The patterns and structures on these talismans were complex and profound, like dragons slithering across their surfaces.

The different talismans linked together, growing increasingly intricate, until they formed the first chain of the External Dao.

The first Dao rule of the External Dao had finally emerged!

Just then, the heaven and earth around the Celestial Way Residence suddenly began to tremble faintly. And it wasn't just Chen Shi's residence. Every Celestial Way Residence belonging to the heavenly soldiers and generals was shaking!

This place was the dwelling ground of three hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals, a forest of palaces stretching beyond the limits of sight. But now, every Celestial Way Residence was swaying dangerously, cracks spreading across walls, floors, and ceilings alike!

These cracks were extremely peculiar. One heavenly soldier leaned in to examine them and noticed that the cracks on the wall seemed to follow some strange pattern, yet at the same time appeared completely random.

Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded, and more fractures appeared on the wall, even extending into the air above!

Cracks began to appear in the sky over the Celestial Way Residence, and then more and more of them multiplied.

The soldier who had leaned in to look screamed in terror. One of the cracks had leaped onto his face!

Panicked shouts and screams erupted across the Celestial Way Residence, one after another, as other heavenly soldiers discovered similar phenomena happening to them.

King Li had taken a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals with him, leaving two hundred thousand behind. Although a portion of those were drilling in the West Heaven Expanse, half their number remained in the Celestial Way Residence. The sudden anomaly sent everyone into a panic. They soared into the air, racing for the exits, desperately trying to escape this bizarre disaster.

But the anomaly struck with terrifying speed. The sky shattered like a broken mirror. Tens of thousands of heavenly soldiers who took flight brushed against the cracks, and the cracks transferred onto their bodies, filling them with mind-numbing terror.

These newly appeared cracks caused no pain and no discomfort, but they seemed to keep growing, multiplying without end. Anyone could see that the more cracks accumulated, the closer death approached!

"Everyone, do not panic!"

A dignified voice rang out. "Form the Primordial Chaos Sword Formation!"

At the same moment, six Gold Immortals descended from the heavens to suppress the abnormalities in the Celestial Way Residence.

These six Gold Immortals had been left behind by King Li to guard the heavenly soldier camps. Their cultivation was profound, and each of them moved to suppress the anomalies. Meanwhile, numerous heavenly generals marshaled the soldiers under their command, forming battle formations to jointly resist the bizarre cracks.

Though the cracks caused tremendous panic at first, once the initial shock passed, everyone steadied their nerves and formed their formations. United in purpose, scroll after scroll of formation diagrams unfurled across the ground. Small formations combined into large ones, and the large formations interlocked seamlessly, creating a colossal sword formation that enveloped the entire Celestial Way Residence!

At the same time, Chen Shi sensed the abnormalities around him. His heart raced, and without a moment's hesitation, he cast the Dao rule he had just forged deep into the Dao Ruins of his Dao Realm!

"BOOM!"

The colossal sword formation shrouding the Celestial Way Residence finally activated in full. Its majestic sword might suppressed everything in its path!

The bizarre cracks finally ceased their spread.

Countless heavenly soldiers and generals looked around. They could still see unhealed cracks on the faces, hands, and bodies of their comrades nearby, and their hearts were filled with dread.

"It's Dao pollution! Mixed within the Celestial Way Residence is some heretical demonic Dao!"

One of the Gold Immortals declared with a grim face, "Activate the sword formation! Suppress the External Dao! Seal off the Celestial Way Residence! No one is permitted to leave! We will find this great demon of the External Dao no matter what!"

Before he even finished speaking, Chen Shi had already slipped into his own Dao Realm and arrived in the Dao Ruins.

The Primordial Chaos Sword Formation roared into action. The cracks in the sky sealed shut one after another. The cracks on the bodies of a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers healed one by one. Eventually, even the cracks on the walls and palaces of the Celestial Way Residence gradually repaired themselves. Only then did the devastation caused by this Dao pollution slowly subside.

But the psychological shock the Dao pollution had inflicted upon the heavenly soldiers and generals would not fade for a long time to come.

Most of them were fresh recruits with only a few years of service. Even if they had been through a few missions, they had rarely encountered something like Dao pollution, let alone the far more terrifying great Dao anomaly.

Now that they had experienced Dao pollution firsthand, they finally understood just how horrifying this level of calamity truly was!

They locked down the Celestial Way Residence and searched it thoroughly, one section at a time, hunting for traces of the culprit. But for the moment, they found no clues at all.

Not long after, many deities arrived from the Celestial Court, also alarmed by the Dao pollution. They fanned out and searched everywhere for the source of the contamination.

"An External Dao never seen before!"

These deities were even more excited than the heavenly soldiers and generals. "Could a great demon have infiltrated the Celestial Court?"

"It's possible a great demon transformed into a heavenly soldier or general and snuck into the camps!"

"This batch of heavenly soldiers has been polluted. They can't be kept."

...

The heavenly soldiers and generals felt their scalps crawl. They were perfectly fine, so what did they mean by "polluted and can't be kept"?

What did they mean by "this batch"? Did that imply there was a previous batch? And had that previous batch also been polluted and discarded?

Fortunately, heavyweights from the Celestial Court soon arrived. These deities held even higher positions than King Li, and their bearing was solemn and majestic, not at all like the ferocious-looking gods who had come before.

They examined the traces and quickly reached a conclusion.

The Eastern Prince was also present at the scene. He offered his assessment with a smile: "This is nothing major. Someone converted an External Dao into an immortal path. When the immortal path took form, it triggered an imprint upon heaven and earth, causing Dao might to erupt and create the pollution. This matter can be treated as big or small, but I'd count it as something of a good thing."

The other deities chuckled in agreement. "If it's a good thing, then let's drop the matter. No need to pursue it further."

"What about this batch of heavenly soldiers? Should they still be dealt with?" an official asked.

The great ones all wore benevolent expressions and laughed. "No need, no need. And next time, don't use such a harsh word as 'dealt with.' If we startle the snake, things will get harder to handle."

"As you command."

Chen Shi hid himself in the Dao Ruins and finally let out a breath of relief.

He hadn't anticipated that forging his first External Dao rule would cause such a massive commotion.

The External Dao of the Western Ox New Continent was extremely peculiar. It was like a power that split everything apart, distinct from the External Dao of the great Ni Li World, manifesting completely different characteristics.

He steadied himself and summoned the Dao rule.

The first Dao rule hadn't fully taken shape yet and still required further refinement. But the Dao might from the imprint on heaven and earth had already weakened considerably. Though some influence remained, Chen Shi was safely within his Dao Realm now, so he didn't need to worry about it leaking into the outside world.

He examined the Dao rule closely.

During the initial forging, he had been so focused on comprehension and condensation that he hadn't had a chance to inspect it properly.

Now he saw that under his construction, the Dao rule exhibited the characteristics of the immortal path while concealing the Dao might of the External Dao. Its form resembled a bolt of lightning, occasionally flickering with electric arcs.

"So this is the External Dao?" he murmured.

He was tempted to activate the first Dao rule to test the upper limits of its power, but after some thought, he abandoned the idea.

This was his own territory. If he accidentally damaged his Dao Realm or some precious treasure, wouldn't that be a loss that outweighed any gain?

Chen Shi sat down and consumed another medicinal pill. His wisdom surged dramatically, and he continued refining the first Dao rule.

He only had three Fulong Village pills left in his possession now.

This session of meditation lasted even longer. When the medicinal power finally ran dry, the first Dao rule had become considerably more complete.

Chen Shi consumed another pill and attempted to condense a second Dao rule. But when the pill's power was exhausted, he hadn't made much progress.

He didn't push further. With only two Fulong Village pills remaining, he decided to save them. If danger arose in the future, they might prove invaluable.

Chen Shi rose to his feet and let out a long breath, then refined the first External Dao rule into his Dao Field.

"Now that I have the Dao rule, the next step is application. I need to comprehend a divine ability suited to it."

Suddenly, he recalled the seven moves of the Tianluo style from the Tianluo Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. A spark of inspiration struck him. Perhaps he could build upon those first seven moves and create an eighth!

"If I can comprehend this sword technique, I'll have mastered both blade and sword. A true master of both disciplines!"