Chapter 641: Give Me an Explanation

“The Celestial Strategy?”

Chen Tang and the others looked bewildered. They had no idea what the Celestial Strategy was.

“Ordinary immortals begin transforming their Dao Realms into heavens once they cultivate to the True Immortal Realm. These are called the Heavens of the Dao Realm. The so-called thirty-three heavens of the Dao Realm refer to the stage where one has cultivated all the way to the thirty-third heaven, becoming an existence like the Three Purities.”

True Man Zhang knew that the Dao techniques of the Western Ox New Continent were incomplete and that its people did not know how the realms of immortals were divided, so he explained patiently, “The first heaven is Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven. Its Dao Realm contains phenomena such as the Brahma Crown, Pure Wind, the Gate of Calamities, and the Heavenly Movement Dao Book. Such Dao manifestations are magic treasures that guard the world. The Heavenly Movement Dao Book is a Dao book formed when an immortal comprehends the Celestial Way. Different immortals form different Dao books, some thick and some thin, some with more and some with less. The deeper one’s understanding of the Celestial Way, the more astonishing the mysteries of one’s Heavenly Movement Dao Book. But King Chen seems to have comprehended a little too much.”

He turned his gaze toward the Celestial Strategy.

He had seen many immortals from the ancestral court and all kinds of Heavenly Movement Dao Books, but he had never encountered anyone like Chen Shi, who had directly comprehended the Celestial Strategy.

“What is the Celestial Strategy used for?” Chen Tang asked.

True Man Zhang had never ascended either, but he had heard of the Celestial Strategy’s renown. “It keeps a record of names. As long as someone passes through a heavenly tribulation, the Celestial Strategy will sense them wherever they are and enter them into its register. After Dao Unification, any immortal listed in the Celestial Strategy will have no choice but to ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm. The Three Purities refined this treasure because immortals are too powerful. They must leave the mortal world and be prevented from running amok there. Strange. How can King Chen manifest this treasure?”

Chen Tang said, “My son has always been unruly. Most likely, he saw the Celestial Strategy after ascending, then gave his Dao manifestation the Celestial Strategy’s form when it took shape. This Celestial Strategy must be an imitation, riddled with errors.”

True Man Zhang nodded slightly. Chen Shi had cultivated to the True Immortal Realm, which was already an extraordinary achievement, but could he really have created the Celestial Strategy?

Thus, Chen Tang’s guess was probably close to the truth.

They rose into the air and came to the Celestial Strategy, carefully observing the shifting patterns of its Dao markings. The Celestial Strategy was made up of bird-seal and insect script, and its markings changed from moment to moment.

True Man Zhang had a deep understanding of the principles of Heaven. Pointing at a section of the Celestial Strategy’s Dao markings, he said with a smile, “This says there will be an earthquake in the Gongzhou region at the wei hour today. It is the wei hour now.”

Chen Tang said, “My son’s Celestial Strategy isn’t the real thing. How could it predict everything without fail?”

He had barely finished speaking when the earth suddenly shook violently in the direction of Gongzhou. The ground split open, and streaks of radiant light shot up from beneath the earth and straight into the clouds.

The two men stared, dumbfounded. Just as they were at a loss, an official from the Directorate of Astronomy rushed over to report, “Emperor Father, at the third quarter of the wei hour, an earthquake struck Qianyang County in Gongzhou. The aftershocks have not yet subsided!”

Chen Tang hurriedly ordered, “Mobilize the border troops and Red Mountain Hall. Get to the disaster site at once and rescue the people!”

The official from the Directorate of Astronomy accepted the order and rushed away.

Chen Tang hurried off to have the Ministry of Revenue mobilize provisions from across the land and send them to Gongzhou.

He stopped again and looked back at the Celestial Strategy, murmuring, “My son, King Chen, did he really refine the Celestial Strategy?”

True Man Zhang also stared at the Celestial Strategy before him, his expression perplexed. “If this is truly the Celestial Strategy, then it is simply inconceivable. No, that can’t be right. King Chen is the master of the Dao Realm of the Western Ox New Continent. He has united with the Celestial Way, so of course he can know everything about the Western Ox New Continent. If he tries to predict events elsewhere, he won’t be able to.”

He slowly made his way to the other Heavenly Way slips, carefully examining them and searching for Dao markings he could decipher.

“This section of the Celestial Strategy’s Dao markings says that a major event will occur in the Celestial Court at the hai hour tonight: the Heavenly Way magic treasure, the Yu Heng Sect, will be destroyed.”

True Man Zhang was startled. After a moment, he chuckled. “Isn’t the Yu Heng Sect the gateway that summons immortals across the world to ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm? If this Heavenly Way magic treasure is destroyed, I won’t have to hide every day to avoid being summoned by it.”

He had already reached the peak of the Golden Immortal Realm, just one step away from becoming a Tai Yi Golden Immortal. The Celestial Strategy and the Yu Heng Sect had discovered him long ago. Whenever the Yu Heng Sect shot out its rays of ascension light, he had managed to dodge them.

The Celestial Court was a place rife with trouble. He would rather remain in the mortal world and enjoy some peace and quiet.

The Western Ox New Continent in particular had a rare sacred ground like Qianyang Mountain, which was enough for him to cultivate to the Tai Yi Golden Immortal Realm. This was also why he was reluctant to leave the Western Ox New Continent and return to the ancestral court.

“King Chen’s Celestial Strategy was formed from his Dao techniques. It really is full of errors.”

True Man Zhang shook his head and looked at the other Celestial Strategy markings.

He was naturally clever, with exceptional comprehension, and his attainments in the Celestial Way far surpassed those of ordinary people. He could decipher five or six tenths of the meaning contained in the ever-changing Celestial Strategy markings.

His expression gradually turned grave, and he stopped before one line of Dao markings.

“This says the Heavenly Way magic treasure, the Nine-Thunder Heavenly Sphere, will be destroyed at the hai hour tonight!”

He looked at the other Celestial Strategy markings.

“The Heavenly Way magic treasure, the Mirror of Ten Thousand Ages, will be destroyed at the hai hour tonight!”

“The Heavenly Way magic treasure, the Xun Wind Eight-Treasure Furnace, will be destroyed at the hai hour tonight!”

“The Heavenly Way magic treasure, the Celestial Scales Seal, will be destroyed at the hai hour tonight!”

…

True Man Zhang read the Celestial Strategy’s Dao markings one by one, his expression growing graver with each line.

Back then, the Three Purities had created thirty-three Heavenly Way magic treasures and handed them over to the Celestial Court, thereby establishing its legitimacy. From then on, these treasures had acted on Heaven’s behalf, spread throughout the Earth Immortal Realm, suppressing its fortune and maintaining peace across the immortal realm.

The fact that the Earth Immortal Realm still enjoyed something resembling lasting peace was due in no small part to these Heavenly Way magic treasures.

But how could the Heavenly Way magic treasures suddenly be destroyed?

True Man Zhang counted them. The Celestial Strategy mentioned a total of twenty-seven Heavenly Way magic treasures that were about to be destroyed. He did not know whether there were other such treasures that had not been recorded. But surely those absent from the records were in grave danger too!

“Let’s hope King Chen’s Celestial Strategy is only an imitation. Otherwise, the Earth Immortal Realm will become a place rife with trouble.”

He murmured, “The world is growing more chaotic by the day. Fortunately, I never ascended. No matter how many benefits they promise me, I still won’t ascend!”

He looked up at the sky. “Will so many Heavenly Way magic treasures really be destroyed at the hai hour tonight?”

In the ancient temple in western Penglai, Chen Shi felt that his Dao Realm had stabilized and slowly finished his cultivation.

Now that he had just become a True Immortal, he could feel that his cultivation was even more profound than before. In particular, he could direct his Dao manifestations with far greater speed.

Strangely, after he became a True Immortal, the Great Dao Phenomena in his Dao Realm had naturally taken shape, as though they followed some peculiar pattern.

“What is the origin of the thirty-three-heaven Dao Realm? Why must immortals cultivate according to the thirty-three heavens of the Dao Realm?”

Chen Shi could not help falling into thought. Why did each level of the Dao Realm he cultivated give rise to different Great Dao Phenomena?

Where did these Great Dao Phenomena come from? Why did they appear in the realms of immortals?

Who had laid down these rules?

“Great Dao Phenomena are both achievements and constraints. They strengthen an immortal’s power and raise their cultivation, while also binding their horizons to those manifestations. They cultivate those manifestations, hoping to reach the next realm once they have mastered them, and overlook whatever other vistas might lie beyond.”

All sorts of thoughts surfaced in Chen Shi’s mind. Were these Dao Realms naturally present, or had someone designed them?

If they were designed, could the Three Purities Patriarchs have done it?

If they had always existed, when the Three Purities Patriarchs discovered these Dao Realms, had they also been surprised that the Dao manifestations in each one were so similar?

He rose and walked out of the ancient temple. Just then, a voice called out, “Found him!”

One figure after another descended from the sky, landing all around Chen Shi.

Chen Shi looked them over. They were the immortal soldiers and generals guarding the black iron immortal city. Their cultivation was not especially high, but there were many of them. They formed a battle formation, with Chen Shi right at its center.

The leading immortal general had a powerful aura, and behind him appeared the Dao Realm of Xu Wu Yue Heng Heaven, the seventh Heaven of the Golden Immortal Realm.

Chen Shi shifted his position slightly. Dao markings immediately appeared throughout the immortal formation, like countless immortal swords, their tips pointed at him as they spun rapidly!

Chen Shi circulated the Primordial Chaos Infinite Innate Art and activated the Primordial Chaos Sword Scripture. With a single move, Sands of the Desert Swept Away, one hundred and eight streaks of sword light burst forth, blocking the immortal formation and sweeping outward in every direction!

The formation laid by the immortal soldiers and generals immediately broke apart. The Golden Immortal leading them bore the brunt of the attack, yet remained calm in the face of danger. He cradled a pipa in his arms, his five fingers moving like spinning wheels as they plucked at it like a gale. The pipa notes rose and fell in a staggered rhythm as they met the oncoming sword lights.

Both men’s bodies shook violently, their blood and qi churning. Each silently thought the other was formidable.

Chen Shi immediately changed his move, using Heaven’s Net Smashing the Sundered Sky against the Golden Immortal. The Golden Immortal practiced some unknown method. A pair of arms grew from each of his sides beneath his armpits. Gripping the pipa, he plucked at it, its notes turning urgent as they clashed with Chen Shi’s sword move. To Chen Shi’s surprise, the man managed to block it.

Chen Shi could not help saying, “Brother, your strength is impressive, and your Dao techniques are excellent. With guidance from a renowned master, you would surely rise to great heights. Why stay in this remote place, guarding someone else’s door?”

The Golden Immortal’s steps shifted in a staggered pattern, concealing a strange footwork technique. He matched Chen Shi’s speed with speed, not falling behind in the slightest. “There are countless talented people in this world. Who can make use of every one of them? I guard the

</path> home of the disciples of the Three Purities, and I receive immortal qi, spiritual liquid, and medicinal pills as a monthly stipend. Though I’m stationed in a bitterly cold and dangerous place like western Penglai, I’m already much better off than most immortals. As for guidance from a renowned master, how could I dare to ask for such a thing?”

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Chen Shi slowed his attacks. “My Golden Turtle Island is a great lineage. If you’re willing, I can recommend you to join and study under a master. That would be better than fumbling about on your own.”

The Golden Immortal laughed aloud. “Golden Turtle Island is tucked away in a bitterly cold place like western Penglai, and its circumstances are worse than mine. If I capture you and present you to the disciples of the Three Purities, you’ll be my stepping stone to advancement!”

Chen Shi’s expression darkened. The one hundred and eight strands of mysterious yellow sword qi suddenly became unimaginably heavy. Autumn’s Departing Wind and Rain About to Turn to Snow and Frost should have been a light and sharp move, but in his hands it became so heavy it was almost impossible to imagine.

The Golden Immortal took the blow, his bones creaking under the pressure. He grunted, his arms almost unable to rise, and the pipa’s notes slowed at once.

“Whoosh!”

A streak of sword light pierced his brow, penetrated his Dao Realm, and killed his Primordial Spirit.

Chen Shi sheathed his sword and said sadly, “I gave you a chance.”

The Golden Immortal’s corpse toppled forward, kneeling on the ground.

The other immortals saw this and did not dare approach.

Chen Shi stood before the corpse, his gaze complicated. He murmured, “This immortal realm is nothing like an immortal realm. No wonder the Three Purities and the Master left…”

He felt a pang of sadness.

The Golden Immortal had been remarkably talented. Even Chen Shi had recognized that there was something extraordinary about him. Yet, in order to make a living, he had been forced to become a general stationed here. He had been blessed with talent, but given no opportunity to learn or advance, and could only waste his life in this place.

He had also been tainted by this world. He had ignored Chen Shi’s goodwill and instead meant to harm him.

His ambitions thwarted, right and wrong turned upside down.

Was this the state of affairs in the Earth Immortal Realm?

Chen Shi gathered his thoughts and was about to leave when banners suddenly fluttered all around him. Armies of immortal soldiers and generals closed in from every direction, surrounding him.

The immortal soldiers and generals stationed in western Penglai were murderous as they formed their battle array. Chen Shi frowned and looked around. Their formation was extremely powerful, and he could not break through.

Moreover, among them were quite a few beings like the Golden Immortal from before, with exceptional strength. If the formation trapped him and those Golden Immortals held him back, he would be doomed.

“Return to my Dao Realm!”

As soon as the thought came to him, he immediately called upon his Dao Realm, but his heart sank. He had lost his connection to it.

He looked up and saw that the sky was gray. An immortal stood in the air, holding aloft a gossamer-like object that blended into the sky. It must have been a magic treasure of this sort that had blocked his connection to his Dao Realm.

“I can only fight my way out!”

Just as Chen Shi was about to act, immortal light suddenly blazed in the sky, and several powerful figures slowly descended.

Chen Shi glanced at them, and his heart sank. These men were also Golden Immortals, but far more powerful than the others.

“Disciples of the Three Purities!”

Chen Shi had witnessed Kong Daoquan’s strength. Though Kong Daoquan had only been a True Immortal, Chen Shi had needed to use all his strength to seriously injure him. It went without saying that these Golden Immortals were even more powerful.

“You’re Chen Shi?”

Gu Daoling’s gaze fell on Chen Shi. His face was angry, and his voice was low as he said, “Was it you who killed Junior Brother Kong with the Tianluo Blood-Transforming Divine Blade?”

Chen Shi answered without fear or submission, “He tried to kill me. I could only fight back. He was weaker than me, so he deserved to die.”

Gu Daoling burst into laughter, though his gaze was cold and sinister. “Junior Brother Kong wasn’t an unreasonable person. You must have done evil deeds and been exposed by him, so he moved to punish you. Who could have expected you to coat your blade with poison and kill him?”

Beside him, the disciples of Cloud Sky Grotto were furious and scolded Chen Shi one after another.

Just then, a voice came from behind Chen Shi, laughing, “Junior Brother Chen, don’t be afraid. We Golden Turtle Island disciples have never feared anyone when traveling abroad. Even if the Three Purities bully us, we’ll fight them. So what if it’s only their disciples and grand-disciples?”

Chen Shi turned around and saw Senior Sister Jing Mei hobbling out from beside the ancient temple.

His heart stirred. “When did Senior Sister Jing Mei get here? Was she beside the ancient temple all along? She must have been protecting me while I cultivated.”

On Golden Turtle Island, the Hu dog suddenly began barking furiously. Uncle Jiao heard it and was about to investigate when a voice called out, “Jiao, you cripple, you’re incredibly bold. A disciple of your Golden Turtle Island killed my disciple. No matter what, you’ll give me an explanation today.”

Uncle Jiao looked over and saw Daoist Kuang approaching with several other Daoists.

“An explanation?”

Uncle Jiao paused, then asked, “Daoist Kuang, what kind of explanation do you want from me?”

A female Daoist behind Daoist Kuang said, “Kill the murderer, Chen Shi, and apologize to Cloud Sky Grotto. If you refuse, we’ll seize every last member of your family, young and old, and suppress them beneath Golden Turtle Island!”

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Just as she finished speaking, another Daoist nearby suddenly said in a trembling voice, “Senior Sister Yun, Daoist Kuang, look! Look at the Jade Clarity Dao Spring!”

Everyone hurriedly turned toward the Jade Clarity Dao Spring, their minds reeling. How could the spring still be in the filthy state it had been in before?

The Dao Spring had returned to its place as the greatest spring in the world. The Jade Purity spiritual energy within it was utterly pure. Even mortals could become immortals if they drank from it regularly!

They exchanged glances, understanding one another without a word. Daoist Kuang shouted, “Seize everyone on Golden Turtle Island!”

Just as they were about to act, an overwhelming aura pressed down upon them, covering the sky and earth and suppressing every one of them!

Uncle Jiao’s aura grew stronger and stronger. Dao Realms layered behind him, growing ever more immense and weighty, pressing down on them until they could barely breathe!

Daoist Kuang cried out, “Old cripple, when did you become a Tai Yi Golden Immortal?”

He felt the pressure growing stronger, and his heart filled with even greater alarm. “How many Dao Realm heavens have you cultivated as a Tai Yi Golden Immortal?”