On the Avenue.

Chapter 627 Rootless
As Chen Shi entered the Wudao Temple, he was greeted by a tall Taoist master walking towards him, accompanied by several officials from the Central Plains of China.

"His Majesty the True King saved the empire from collapse and swept away the evil that had plagued the Western Continent for 16,000 years, which is admirable. Today I see that he is actually a young man."

The Taoist priest looked Chen Shi up and down and praised him, "Even in the Divine Continent, there are few people as outstanding as him."

"Brother Dao, you flatter me."

Chen Shi made some modest remarks and sized up the Taoist priest.

Master Zhang appeared to be over fifty years old, with a robust build, thick, black hair tied in a bun, and wearing a tattered, patched-up robe. He was unkempt, with a messy beard and a few unruly strands of hair at his temples, and a loud, powerful voice.

He was standing there, yet his aura seemed ethereal and elusive.

Chen Shi bowed and thanked him, saying, "I was in danger just now, and I am very grateful for your help, otherwise I would not have been able to escape."

Master Zhang laughed and said, "It's nothing. I see that the True King also cultivates the Way of Yin and Yang, and it just so happens that you are also proficient in this way, which is why I was able to lend a helping hand."

Chen Shi was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this, feeling as if he had met a kindred spirit: "You also cultivate the Yin-Yang Way, Master? When I was cultivating, people often said that to become an immortal, one must cultivate to the state of pure Yang, with a pure Yang primordial spirit and a pure Yang physical body. I had a unique idea: since there is both Yin and Yang in the world, pure Yang may not necessarily be true cultivation. That's why I've devoted myself to the Yin-Yang Way. I always thought I was the only one cultivating this way, but I never expected to meet a Master!"

Master Zhang laughed and said, "Cultivators who practice the Pure Yang Path find it easy to achieve, and their practice is vigorous and rapid, allowing them to attain enlightenment sooner. However, it may not be the only true solution. It's just a pity that there are very few people in the Three Realms who practice our lineage."

Chen Shi asked him for guidance, saying, "I have made no progress in the Way of Yin and Yang for a long time. I would like to ask the Master for guidance."

Master Zhang readily agreed, “I also wish to learn from you.”

The two then sat down in the Wudao Temple. Chen Shi spread out the Yin-Yang Dao Field and displayed the Yin-Yang Dao patterns he had comprehended one by one. He was only just beginning to explore Dao patterns, and at present, he was still transforming his various understandings of Dao methods into Dao patterns to strengthen and reinforce his Dao Field.

Chen Shi said, "I comprehended the great Dao of Yin and Yang and realized that Yin and Yang are in harmony, generate each other, complement each other, and are in a state of primordial unity."

He reached out and picked up a wisp of Yin-Yang Dao pattern, flicked it with his finger, and the pattern fell into the Dao field, instantly revealing the wonder of Yin-Yang harmony. Yin and Yang harmonized, flowed, and changed with each other, achieving a harmonious unity.

He then picked up a wisp of Dao pattern and activated the Daoist technique of transformation contained within it. The profound mystery of Yin and Yang transformation immediately appeared in the Daoist field. Heaven and earth were quickly generated within the Daoist field, with the heavens being Yang and the earth being Yin. Mountains and rivers were formed, with the mountains being Yang and the rivers being Yin. Life was formed, with male Yang and female Yin.

Green mountains and clear waters, where all things evolve.

Chen Shi then displayed the Dao patterns of Yin and Yang in harmony, saying, "This is my third level of understanding: Yin and Yang in harmony, perfectly integrated, mutually dependent."

He embodies fire within water, yin within yang, the union of water and fire, and the harmony of dragon and tiger.

Suddenly, the Yin and Yang Dao patterns merged into one, indistinguishable from each other.

Chen Shi said, "This is the fourth level I comprehended from the Hunyuan Dao Scripture, Yin Yang Hunyuan. However, once I reach this level of cultivation, it becomes difficult to gain any further insights."

Master Zhang observed carefully and exclaimed, "The True King has comprehended all four realms of the Yin-Yang Dao, which has greatly inspired me. I cannot offer any guidance on the realms of the Yin-Yang Dao. However, I believe that the Yin-Yang Dao should seek the rootless."

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback: "Yin and Yang without roots? What do you mean by that?"

With a slight thought, Master Zhang saw his Daoist altar unfold, which was also a Taiji diagram composed of Yin and Yang energies.

"True King, Harmony, Transformation, Complementation, and Primordial Chaos are all rooted principles. Your understanding of the Yin-Yang Great Dao comes from your own observation of the Yin-Yang phenomena in the natural world. When you observe, you form your own viewpoints. Having your own viewpoints means having judgments of right and wrong, which means you have a root and cannot attain the true Dao."

Master Zhang said, “The meaning of Yin and Yang being without root is to forget your own judgment of right and wrong, to forget your own attachments, and to achieve rootlessness in order to attain the Dao. True King, empty your mind, and I will guide you to find the method of rootlessness.”

He closed his eyes and guided Chen Shi's thoughts. Suddenly, Chen Shi felt his mind go blank, and no thoughts arose. He was completely empty and silent.

His temple and his teachings seem to have been completely forgotten.

His understanding of the Yin-Yang Dao suddenly seemed to have been forgotten, leaving a blank.

He had no thoughts in his mind, no judgment of right and wrong, and no attachments. The yin and yang energies in his temple also calmed down. The yin and yang energies were no longer under Chen Shi's control, and they combined, transformed, complemented each other, and became a unified whole.

Chen Shi clearly did not intend to impose anything upon it, yet the Yin and Yang energies still evolved on their own, which differed from the evolution he had previously caused by forcibly imposing Yin and Yang energies on him.

He remained undisturbed, letting Yin and Yang evolve on their own, while he watched all of this unfold.

The Yin and Yang energies automatically reveal their various mysteries, and even show the changes of the Xuanhuang energies, allowing him to comprehend more principles from the Xuanhuang Dao patterns bestowed upon him by the Earth God Houtu.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Shi slowly woke up, and the various changes in the Yin-Yang Daoist Temple came to an abrupt halt.

Only then did he truly understand the principle of Yin and Yang having no root, as Zhang Zhenren had said.

"The mysteries of Taoism are truly endless."

He sighed inwardly and asked Master Zhang, "Master's cultivation is unfathomable, and your Daoist practice is beyond my reach. Why have you not ascended to the Earthly Immortal Realm?"

Master Zhang was brewing tea when he heard this and laughed, "Ascension? Why ascend?"

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback, not understanding his meaning.

"When the Three Pure Ones founded the path of immortality, did they ascend to heaven? Did the immortals who overthrew the tyranny of the Shang Dynasty ascend to heaven? Since they did not need to ascend, why should I?"

Master Zhang picked up the teapot, poured him a cup of tea, and said, "Besides, if you ascend now, at best you'll become a celestial soldier or general in the Heavenly Court, at the mercy of others, with no control over your own destiny. At worst you'll rely on powerful immortals, living under their roof, dependent on their whims, still with no control over your own destiny. So what's the point of ascending? If ascending only makes you a wandering immortal, then what's wrong with being a wandering immortal in the mortal realm?"

Chen Shi picked up his teacup and smiled, "The true man's state of mind is free from all attachments, which is beyond my reach."

Master Zhang laughed and said, "Ascension is something that only heavenly treasures can create; there was no such thing as ascension before. I'm used to a leisurely life and don't want to suffer in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Besides, it's not like I can't cultivate in the Divine Continent."

Chen Shi took a sip of tea and was even tempted to become a wandering immortal in the mortal realm with him, saying, "Master Zhang is right. If ascending to the immortal realm is not comfortable, then why bother ascending at all?"

As soon as he had this thought, he felt incredibly relieved.

"After returning to the Immortal Realm and finding my grandfather and the others, I will go back to Xiniu New Continent with them and will no longer concern myself with the affairs of the Immortal Realm. Let the battle between immortals and gods be."

Chen Shi and Zhang Zhenren chatted over tea, and Chen Shi learned that this old immortal had attained enlightenment during the Yuan Dynasty and lived through the long Ming Dynasty. He was now 50,000 years old.

"Which Ming emperor is on the throne now?" Chen Shi asked.

"The Ming Dynasty's fate has run its course; it is already dead."

Master Zhang said, "Now it is the Great Shun Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi looked lost and asked, "How did they die?"

Master Zhang said, "Darkness invaded. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the way of Heaven began to change, and the invasion of darkness became more and more serious. Emperor Chongzhen made a mistake in choosing his officials, and the darkness invaded the capital, causing him to lose his country. Ashamed to face his ancestors, he hanged himself on a crooked tree on Coal Hill. The Ming Dynasty perished." Chen Shi sighed for a long time.

He had thought that one day when he returned to his ancestral homeland, he would meet the legendary Jiajing Emperor, but he never expected that the changes in his ancestral homeland would be so drastic.

"Our ancestral land is also in the Dark Sea," Chen Shi asked.

Master Zhang said, "I heard that Shenzhou was once a large continent in the Earthly Immortal Realm, but it returned to the Dark Sea because it was always plagued by calamities. There were no calamities in the Dark Sea."

Not long after, Chen Shi took his leave.

He stayed in Xiniu New Island for the next few days and did not leave.

Upon his return, he was able to see his relatives, including Chen Tang and Wu Qingyu, and naturally had a lot to say. On one hand, he wanted to be close to his parents, and on the other hand, he wanted to be affectionate with Fairy Xiao Duan and make love to her.

He had a long and fruitful conversation with Master Zhang, and realized that the Heavenly Court and the Immortal Realm might not be the right fit for him. So he decided not to rush back. Besides, he was much happier with Xiao Duan in Xiniu New Continent than in the Heavenly Court.

When the calamity arrived, Chen Shi quickly took the black pot out of his Dao Realm, allowing the mother and child to reunite.

While enjoying his love, Chen Shi also sought out Li Tianqing and Yang Bi, teaching them the Hunyuan Dao Jing and Hunyuan Jian Jing. Both of them were exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, but they still found this method quite challenging.

Chen Shi took out the spiritual pills from Fuluo Village and gave them to the two. After taking the pills, their comprehension of the Hunyuan Dao Scripture and the Sword Scripture was extremely rapid.

Chen Tang, Wu Qingyu, and the others also each received a spiritual pill and began their own cultivation practice.

After dealing with these matters, Chen Shi continued his loving relationship with Fairy Xiao Duan, indulging in passionate lovemaking. In his spare time, he would visit Master Zhang to discuss Taoist magic and supernatural powers.

On the third day, Xi Muran of the Earthly Immortal Realm frowned slightly. In these three days, the maids had performed almost all the songs and dances they knew, but Chen Shi still hadn't emerged from his Dao Realm.

The maids hurried to choreograph new songs and dances.

Xi Muran waited until the tenth day, but Chen Shi still did not come out. The maids had choreographed more than ten new songs and dances, but they could not come up with anything new.

By the fifteenth day, Xi Muran was getting anxious. A maid asked, "Young master, could this person be in seclusion in the Dao Realm?"

Xi Muran's expression was uncertain.

It is common for immortals to return to their Dao realm for seclusion.

Each immortal's Dao Realm is extremely private, and its location is rarely revealed to outsiders, not even their closest friends. This is because they fear being sought out by enemies while in seclusion.

Moreover, the duration of immortals' seclusion varies. Sometimes they will emerge from seclusion after a few days, while other times they will remain in seclusion for thousands of years until the tribulation breaks out, forcing them to emerge.

If Chen Shi were to go into seclusion in the Dao Realm, it is indeed possible that he would remain in seclusion for several years or even decades.

"Wait a little longer."

Xi Muran said blankly, "He possesses the Great Wilderness Enlightenment Collection. This matter is of great importance and cannot be ignored."

In Xiniu New Island, Chen Shi and Fairy Xiao Duan continued their loving relationship, indulging in passionate lovemaking and forgetting the passage of time.

That day, Chen Shi suddenly remembered that Chen Yin and the others were still in the Earthly Immortal Realm, and he became alert: "These days I have been controlled by the Corpse God and have become confused. I should be careful with Xiao Duan, otherwise I will delay important matters."

Seeing that he was about to leave, Fairy Xiaoduan was somewhat reluctant to part with him and said, "Your Majesty is going to the Earthly Immortal Realm? We have been separated for several years, and you are leaving as soon as we meet again?"

Chen Shi put on his clothes: "I have important business to attend to."

The fairy maiden, her eyes alluring, nestled in his arms and chuckled, "Just now, my husband accompanied my elder sister; now I am the younger sister..."

Chen Shi was aroused by her teasing. He felt that the Corpse God Peng Qiao was playing drums and gongs in Yuan Chen Palace. He immediately took off the clothes he had just put on and said with a smile, "My grandfather has probably just received the news. It's not too late to go to the Earthly Immortal Realm in a couple of days."

Xi Muran waited for more than ten days, but Chen Shi still did not return.

Despite his excellent composure, his face was somewhat gloomy at this moment, and he ordered, "Pack the carriages and prepare to leave."

Upon hearing this, the maids breathed a sigh of relief, their faces beaming with joy. They packed their belongings and summoned the Azure Qilin.

Just as they were about to leave, the void trembled, and a young man from another world crossed the void and appeared before them.

"Finally waiting for you!"

Xi Muran was overjoyed and laughed loudly, "Chen Shi, I've been waiting for you for so long."

Having finally escaped the allure of pleasure, Chen Shi felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. He looked at Xi Muran and said, "Fellow Daoist, please forgive my poor eyesight, but I do not recall having such a person in my sect."

Xi Muran stood up, stepped out of the Qilin Carriage, activated the Great Wilderness Enlightenment Collection, and unleashed the Ten Suns Combation in front of him.

Both were about ten days of conflict, but when Chen Shi was about to unleash his power, purple energy came from the east, and his fist transformed into a great sun, wild and domineering. This is why he was able to use this supernatural power to kill the Golden Immortal Wu Banshan.

Xi Muran's Ten-Day Struggle, with his body resembling the Purple Emperor, possesses an unparalleled imperial aura.

In terms of momentum, Chen Shi was wild, more like an unruly wild beast, while Xi Muran seemed to have seen the Ziwei Emperor in person and observed his momentum and spirit, which enabled him to evolve this move so perfectly!

Chen Shi felt a chill run down his spine: "His Great Wilderness Daoist Collection is more authentic than mine! What is his cultivation level?"

He knew all too well how powerful and terrifying the Celestial Venerable was; even if they were at the same level, he might not be able to defeat the Celestial Venerable.

If this Xi Muran is a fellow disciple of the Heavenly Venerable, his cultivation and strength must be extremely astonishing!
Xi Muran smiled and said, "Junior Brother Chen, you also cultivate the Great Wilderness Dao Cultivation Collection, so you and I are from the same school. But I have some questions. When did my master take you as his junior brother? Chen Shi, could you please enlighten me?"

His gaze was gentle, without the slightest hint of aggressiveness, but his words were laced with wit.

Chen Shi said, "This technique is called the Great Wilderness Enlightenment Collection? When I was cultivating in the mortal realm, I met an immortal who taught me this technique. I don't know the origin of that immortal."

Xi Muran smiled and said, "Our lineage's techniques cannot be passed on to outsiders. If they were, it would be even more impossible to master them in a way that is neither entirely accurate nor entirely correct. You have not grasped the essence of the Ten Suns' Confrontation of the Dipper, nor have you comprehended the aura of the Star Gods in the Division of the Constellations. Your Great Wilderness Dao Collection is highly questionable."

His gaze sharpened, and he smiled, saying, "Chen Shi, you must dispel my doubts."

Chen Shi met his gaze and smiled, "Senior Brother Xi, are you sure you've received the true teachings of the Great Wilderness Daoist Collection? Is it possible that my Great Wilderness Daoist Collection is the authentic one, and you haven't received the true teachings?"

(End of this chapter)