On the Avenue.

Chapter 586: The Debate between Heaven and Man
"I don't know whether the Heavenly Secret Strategy is in me, but when I was in the Heavenly Palace, my consciousness was suddenly summoned away by the Heavenly Secret Strategy."

Chen Shi did not hide anything and told about his encounter with Tianji Ce and how Tianji Ce's Heavenly Dao patterns were imprinted deep in his consciousness. He said, "I don't know what the purpose of these Heavenly Dao imprints is, but when I practiced the Hunyuan Sword Sutra, I naturally realized the mysteries contained in the sword moves and brought the power of the sword skills to the extreme."

Zhong Lin was stunned. Although he had guessed that Tianji Ce helped Chen Shi to comprehend, he did not expect that there was a complete volume of Tianji Ce deep in Chen Shi’s consciousness!
"Tianji Ce's divine calculations must have predicted that he would be in trouble, so he imprinted himself in your consciousness to avoid this disaster!"

Zhong Lin was so excited that he walked back and forth. Suddenly, he stopped and laughed, "The Heavenly Court is planning to rebuild the Heavenly Secret Strategy. Fellow Daoist Chen, you have the imprint of the Heavenly Secret Strategy in your consciousness. This is your chance to make great achievements. If you hand over the imprint of the Heavenly Secret Strategy and rebuild the Heavenly Secret Strategy, your contribution will be great!"

Chen Shi asked, "How do I pay?"

"Hand over your consciousness..."

When Zhonglin said this, he was stunned and frowned.

If the Heavenly Court knew that Chen Shi's consciousness contained the Heavenly Dao imprint of Tianji Ce, they would definitely take out Chen Shi's consciousness and carefully search for the imprint. This search would probably take a long time, even many years, to find all the Heavenly Dao imprints.

During this period, Chen Shi's consciousness will never return to his body!
Moreover, this is not up to Chen Shi and is not something he can decide.

What’s more crucial is that after Heaven rebuilds the Tianji Strategy, it will inevitably destroy the “backup”, and Chen Shi is this backup!
The Heavenly Court collects the Heavenly Dao patterns comprehended by the Tianji scholars, but will not destroy them, because the Heavenly Dao patterns comprehended by the Tianji scholars are just a drop in the bucket, and their patterns are scattered among the scholars in the Tianji Camp of the Tianji Mansion, so it doesn't matter whether they are destroyed or not.

But Chen Shi has the complete mark of Heaven here, so it must be destroyed!
Zhong Lin was filled with worry. If he wanted to hand Chen Shi over, he would definitely let Chen Shi die, or even live a life worse than death. Chen Shi saved his life in the Demon Refining Well, how could he repay his kindness with hatred?

However, as a scholar of Tianji, he had responsibilities and he did not want to violate them.

Seeing him struggling, Chen Shi stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Xiu Shi, you follow the way of heaven, but you struggle with the way of man and find it difficult to make a decision. Why don't you follow your heart?"

Zhong Lin was slightly startled and asked, "What is humanity?"

"Humanity, Laozi called it virtue. Confucius called it benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness; gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, modesty, loyalty, filial piety, integrity, shame, and courage."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Mozi said to love all and not to attack. Mencius said that the people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least important. Han Feizi said that the rule of chaos depends on the law, and the right and wrong depends on rewards and punishments. Buddha said that all beings are equal. Mortals say firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and flowers. They also say that it is the fireworks of the world. This is the way of humanity. You follow the way of heaven, and think that I should offer the mark of the way of heaven and create the strategy of heaven. You also think that I will die if I offer the mark of the way of heaven, and I will be ungrateful. I hesitate and struggle in my heart. This is the way of humanity."

Zhonglin asked again: "Then, how should I choose?"

Chen Shi smiled and said, "If you don't follow the human way, you are not a human. The word "immortal" also has the word "individual". It is clear at a glance which one to choose."

Zhong Lin's head buzzed with a rumbling sound. All kinds of noisy and chaotic voices came to him, arguing in his mind. Some advised him to follow the Way of Heaven, some advised him to be a good person first, and all kinds of insights into the Way of Heaven that he had comprehended from comprehending the Heavenly Secrets also inexplicably jumped out and turned into the melody of the Great Dao that he recited repeatedly.

Even various memories from his childhood came flooding back, reappearing in his mind over and over again. All kinds of noises roared, making him feel dizzy.

While he was still struggling between his conscience and his desires, Chen Shi continued to hone his skills in the Hunyuan Sword Sutra.

The sixth move is autumn wind and rain.

In autumn, the wind and rain are about to turn into snow and frost.

The seventh move is to eliminate all the sand in the desert.

The desert has disappeared and the depths of the cave are hard to fathom.

The eighth move, Tianluo smashes the gap.

The sky net was broken, and the red wheel looked like blood.

The ninth move is the division of Hongmeng.

The primordial chaos was split, and the black and yellow were separated.

Whenever Chen Shi performed the first eight moves, the essence of the moves would become apparent, and he would naturally comprehend the mysteries of the sword moves. Except for the eighth move, Tianluo Zaque, which was more difficult to comprehend, Chen Shi performed it several times and finally comprehended the mysteries of the moves.

Except for the ninth move, Hongmeng Splitting, no matter how Chen Shi performed it or how many times he practiced it, his head was empty. He could not use the power of this move at all!

Chen Shi refused to believe it and performed the Hongmeng Splitting Technique again, trying to comprehend the mystery of Hongmeng's splitting of Xuanhuang. However, this move only had the form but no power.

Chen Shi blinked his eyes and thought, "Could it be that Heavenly Dao also does not know the mystery of this move? Or is it that the ninth move of Hunyuan Sword Scripture is beyond the scope of Heavenly Dao?"

But how is this possible?

It is understandable to go beyond the five elements and yin and yang, but it is too outrageous to go beyond the way of heaven!
However, if this move cannot transcend the way of heaven, why can't it be comprehended?

"It can be seen that I have comprehended the mysteries of the Hunyuan Sword Sutra, and the Heavenly Dao Seal is still somewhat effective."

Chen Shi used the Hongmeng Splitting technique again, but it still had no power at all. His eyes were filled with despair, and he thought to himself, "If Heaven doesn't understand, then I know nothing about it either... I may not be able to do something that Heaven can't do! I will figure this out sooner or later!"

After a long moment, he uttered a sigh.

"too difficult!"

It is countless times more difficult than his comprehending the Great Wilderness Enlightenment Collection and finding the flaws in his martial arts!
"Is this Hunyuan Sword Scripture really something that anyone can learn?"

Chen Shi tried so hard that he was desperate, and suddenly thought of something strange. The last move of the Hunyuan Sword Scripture was to transcend the way of heaven, which was obviously the most advanced immortal technique. But why would such a powerful immortal technique be in everyone's hands and could be learned by ascending to heaven?
"There is also the Hunyuan Daojing. This technique is also profound and mysterious. It may even be better than the Great Wilderness Mingdao Collection. There is a technique and matching magical powers. Who left behind the Hunyuan Daojing?"

It's so weird.

Who would be so generous as to spread the most advanced skills and magical powers as if they were the most ordinary ones, and what is the purpose?
"I figured it out!"

Suddenly, Zhonglin's voice came, waking Chen Shi up. Zhonglin shouted and jumped up, saying, "I figured it out! Fellow Daoist Chen, I finally figured it out!"

Chen Shi looked at him, curious about what he had figured out.

Zhong Lin said excitedly: "I finally figured out the relationship between the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man!"

Chen Shi said: "May I ask?"

Zhong Lin could not hide his excitement and said quickly: "The Way of Heaven encompasses everything. All living beings, including humans as primates, are also in the Way of Heaven. People follow the Way of Heaven, get married, grow old, get sick and die. If they do not follow the Way of Heaven, they will seek the Way and live forever. Humanity is against the Way of Heaven, so there are ups and downs. I am a scholar of heaven, a person who interprets the Way of Heaven, but at the same time I am a primate, so I think I should follow the will of Heaven and the will of man."

Chen Shi was puzzled and asked, "Why?"

Zhong Lin smiled and said, "The Way of Heaven chose you and actively imprinted it in your consciousness. I should follow the Way of Heaven's ideas and not interfere. This is to follow Heaven. You have done me a favor, saved my life, and treated me like a friend. Now I should repay you according to human nature, instead of reporting to Heaven. This is to respond to people. Following Heaven and responding to people is my way of life!"

When he realized this, he suddenly felt that the world was wide and that all his actions and dealings in the future were based on principles. The path was so clear and transparent! He could even apply this to his own magical powers and deduce many amazing magical powers from it!
Chen Shi thought about it carefully and said with a smile: "Daoyou Zhong's understanding of heaven and man is already better than mine."

"Don't dare."

Zhong Lin smiled and said, "If it weren't for your guidance, I would still be a muddleheaded person who only knows how to follow the Way of Heaven, but in fact I am just a fool who follows the divine authority of Heaven."

Chen Shi asked for advice: "Although I have the Heavenly Dao Mark, I know very little about the Heavenly Dao. How to use the Heavenly Dao Mark in my consciousness, how to understand and comprehend it? I know nothing about this. Daoist friend is a scholar of heavenly secrets, a person who interprets the Heavenly Dao, please teach me."

Zhong Lin smiled and said, "Daoyou, my interpretation of the Heavenly Dao Pattern is just like the moon in the well and the flower in the mist. The flower is not a flower, the moon is not a moon, and I have only understood the surface, but I have ignored the true Heavenly Dao. Daoyou does not understand the Heavenly Dao Pattern, but uses it at will, and has realized the mystery of the moves and magical powers. Isn't that much better than me?"

Chen Shi probed: "Actually, you don't know how to understand it?"

"Correct."

Zhong Lin admitted it straightforwardly, saying, "Daoyou, as a Golden Immortal, ascended to the Earthly Immortal Realm. Tianji Ce formed a strange Heavenly Dao pattern for you. I interpreted the pattern and realized that you might be a great traitor and evildoer, so I came to investigate. But does that pattern definitely indicate that you are a great traitor and evildoer? During this period of time we have been together, I don't think so. It can be seen that even if Tianji Xiushi interprets the Heavenly Dao pattern, it may not be correct."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "I am not a Golden Immortal, you misunderstood."

Zhong Lin looked at him with a smile, and Chen Shi looked at him with a smile.

"I suddenly feel that you are a very evil person." Zhong Lin said.

Chen Shi laughed.

Zhong Lin said: "However, you are in harmony with the Tao in the Heavenly Court, which is against the rules. The Heavenly Court should have stepped in long ago and abolished your Tao realm. But why hasn't the Heavenly Court found you yet?"

He was very confused.

Chen Shi was also a little confused and said, "Maybe I am in heaven and there is indeed someone there."

He was confused and thought, "Could it be that the Queen Mother Hou Tu is backing me up, so the Heavenly Court didn't come to me to settle the matter of He Dao?"

Just as he was thinking about it, the voice of General Zhang Xian came from afar: "Fellow Daoist Chen, the Heavenly King has sent a message for you to come over."

He stood outside Chen Shi's place of harmony with the Tao. Without Chen Shi's permission, he could not step into this realm of Taoism and could only transmit sound from a distance.

Not only him, but also the heavenly soldiers who practiced Taoism in Xitiandang were unable to set foot in Chen Shi's Tao realm, so they could only bypass it. But Chen Shi's Tao realm covered a very wide area, stretching thousands of miles.

Fortunately, Xitiandang is extremely vast, so even if this place is missing, it won’t be a big deal, it just affects the view.

When Chen Shi and Zhong Lin left Daojing, Zhang Xian hurriedly came forward and said, "The Heavenly King wants to see you, go quickly. There is no time to waste."

Chen Shi asked, "Why does the Heavenly King want to see me?"

Zhang Xian shook his head: "I don't know."

Chen Shi frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy.

Zhang Xian led the way and soon arrived at the Supervisory Platform. The Supervisory Platform floated above Xitian Lake and was a palace of immortals. From this high place, one could have a panoramic view of Xitian Lake.

Li Tianwang held an exquisite golden pagoda in his hand while standing on a jade platform on a tower. He looked down from above and watched the soldiers in Xitian Dang practicing Taoism.

Zhang Xian brought Chen Shi here, stopped and said, "I am just a small general, I am not qualified to go up."

Chen Shi then climbed the stairs and saw a row of gods and men standing on both sides of the supervisory platform. Each of them was extremely powerful, with surging divine power and a solemn and dignified expression.

Chen Shi walked up the stairs without looking around, and came to the supervisory platform. A palace maid led him into the Jade Tower. Chen Shi lowered his head and climbed up five stairs, passed through the corridor, entered a tea room, went around the side of the tea room, and came to the Jade Platform where Li Tianwang was.

Chen Shi bowed and said, "Heavenly Soldier Chen Shi, I pay my respects to the Heavenly King!"

Li Tianwang held the pagoda in his hand, without looking back, and said: "The gods and immortals are one family. You are an immortal, so there is no need to be polite. Immortal Chen, please come to my side."

Chen Shi straightened up and walked to the jade platform.

He stood beside Li Tianwang and suddenly felt that he was a tall and strong man, much bigger than himself.

The Book of Changes says that seeing a dragon in the field is good for seeing a great man. Li Tianwang is like the great man mentioned in the Book of Changes.

His body is slender yet powerful, his physique is strong, his appearance is handsome yet elegant, his eyes are like cold stars yet warm, and his divine power is bright yet brilliance.

Li Tianwang looked at Xitiandang below and asked, "What did Chen Xianjia see?"

Chen Shi looked down and praised: "The Western Heaven is magnificent and beautiful, the Milky Way is vast, and the heavenly soldiers are powerful, as if they were at the fingertips of an arm, invincible."

"No need for you to flatter me."

Li Tianwang raised his hand and pointed to the distance, saying, "Chen Xianjia, look over there."

Chen Shi looked in the direction of his finger and saw that the place he pointed was exactly where he was in harmony with the Dao. He asked in confusion, "What does the Heavenly King mean?"

Li Tianwang's face was as gloomy as water: "You can see the vast territory of your Hedao, but in the eyes of others, it is shrouded in clouds and mist, blurry. Xitiandang, a large piece is missing out of thin air! This is the place where I train the troops for the Jade Emperor!"

When he said this, his tone became heavier and higher, with a hint of thunder in his voice.

Chen Shi said hesitantly, "Please forgive me, Heavenly King. I followed a dog to ascend to heaven and did not know the rules of heaven. After I became a Taoist, I was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison and awaited execution. No one told me about this."

Li Tianwang snorted, his face displeased, and said, "You mentioned the Heavenly Prison. Are you trying to say that the person in the palace is backing you up? How bold! I am training troops under the order of the Jade Emperor, commanding 300,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, and I can hold the exquisite golden tower and enter the palace to meet the emperor! Who am I afraid of?"

He paused and said, "Tell me, what conditions do you want in order to change places to join the Dao?"

Chen Shi blinked and didn't hear what he said clearly for a while.

Li Tianwang was even more unhappy and sneered, "You don't think I'm really afraid of that person in the palace? That's ridiculous. I command the three armies. What else do I have to fear except Your Majesty? Apart from the Heavenly Palace, you can name a place and I will do my best to satisfy you!"

(End of this chapter)