On the Avenue.

Chapter 661 Passing Through a Thousand Tribulations to Prove Eternal Freedom

Li Tianwang brought the Mud Plow Divine Tree. The tree's roots were truly magnificent. Even when bound by 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, the length of its roots was still astonishing, far beyond what a multi-story ship could contain.

Li Tianwang is not an immortal, but a deity. Apart from the exquisite golden pagoda, he has no other magical artifacts that can contain the Nirvana Tree.

Fortunately, his primordial spirit was powerful enough. His primordial spirit manifested, reaching tens of thousands of feet in height, supporting the tree. Gods and humans followed him, preparing to deal with the monsters in the dark sea.

His divine cultivation was extremely powerful; his primordial spirit could easily lift this tree.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Chen Shi looked up at the Muddy Tree and was awestruck by its enormous size. He exclaimed, "The Dark Sea is truly full of wonders. Who would have thought that the entire Muddy Great World's myriad beings were controlled by this thing, who was actually a powerful demonic cultivator?"

At that moment, a thought stirred within him, and he suddenly remembered the culprit that had caused the sixteen thousand-year-old calamity of Xiniu New Continent: the Primordial Worm.

The Lord of the Celestial Court ordered Xunjiangmu to graze the Primordial Worms in the Dark Sea, which devoured worlds one by one. Are the Primordial Worms also a kind of Earthly Treasure Spiritual Root at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal?
The fact that the Lord of the Celestial Court needs the Primordial Insect to overcome the tribulation suggests that he is also a Great Luo Golden Immortal.
"Can a precious earth-root really help a Great Luo Golden Immortal overcome the tribulation?" He murmured, gazing at the Mud Plow Divine Tree.

"It should be possible."

Li Tianwang's voice came, and Chen Shi looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Li Tianwang's real body board the ship and travel with them.

He still held the exquisite golden pagoda in his hands, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Chen Shi had seen many powerful figures in the divine path, but none of them carried their magical treasures in their hands all year round, except for Li Tianwang.

"It seems that King Li is very afraid of his son, probably because he has done too many bad things. But then again, King Li's son must be extremely powerful, otherwise King Li wouldn't be so wary of him," Chen Shi thought to himself.

Li Tianwang, unaware of his thoughts, said, "The tribulation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal is extremely terrifying, almost certainly a death sentence. The Three Pure Ones have been migrating to the Heavenly Court for 360,000 years. During this time, there have been countless geniuses, including many who have cultivated into Great Luo Golden Immortals. However, fewer than fifty have survived to this day. The rest have perished in the tribulation."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Some people combine secret methods with heretical paths to avoid the tribulation, but they are corrupted by these heretical paths and become neither human nor ghost. It seems that Fellow Daoist Chen has already encountered such a Great Luo Golden Immortal."

Chen Shi did not deny it.

The Dao Realm was a gift from Li Tianwang to Chen Shi, and Li Tianwang naturally knew that a Great Luo Golden Immortal was hidden within it.

"Please, all you celestial beings, board the ship and join forces to obscure the secrets of heaven!" Li Tianwang said in a deep voice.

Thirty-two celestial beings boarded the ship one after another. When Niu Jingjing saw Chen Shi, she hesitated to speak, and only tears streamed down her face.

Many deities also boarded the ship to continue offering incense to Niu Jingjing and the others. There was also a priest who looked like a clerk, who was instructing them on how to activate the Heavenly Dao Imprint.

"With these celestial beings obscuring the secrets of heaven, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could not have foreseen the birth of this earthly treasure spiritual root."

Li Tianwang said, "The Immortal Path and the Divine Path originally came from the same source, but later they separated and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. After an immortal cultivates to become a true immortal and comprehends the Dao Realm, he will automatically comprehend various extraordinary Dao phenomena. Among them are several powerful Dao phenomena that are similar to the function of the Heavenly Secrets Strategies. With a simple calculation, one can know the past and the future. This is the Divine Calculation."

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly. He had cultivated to become a True Immortal, and within the first level of the Dao Realm, there was a Dao phenomenon related to the Heavenly Secrets Strategy.

Doesn't this mean that he can also understand divine calculation?

Li Tianwang said, "Great Luo True Immortals have a stronger understanding of this kind of divine calculation, especially when it comes to verifying their own cause and effect. For example, if a certain treasure is beneficial to them, they will be able to calculate it; if someone is detrimental to them, they will also be able to calculate it. This kind of ability is something that even gods can only envy."

He shook his head and sighed repeatedly.

Although both the Immortal Path and the Divine Path originated from the Daoist runes of shamanism, the development of the Immortal Path has long since transcended the constraints of the Daoist runes of shamanism, while the Divine Path remains stagnant and has not made much progress.

The ship trembled slightly and slowly sailed into the dark sea. Li Tianwang's primordial spirit, carrying the Mud Plow Tree, followed the ship.

"As soon as the Muddy Tree leaves the Dark Sea, it will immediately trigger a causal response from the Great Luo Golden Immortals. If they calculate carefully, they will be able to figure out the effect of the Muddy Tree on them."

Li Tianwang said, "However, the Heavenly Dao and the gods can obscure the secrets of Heaven, so even if they sense something, they cannot calculate it accurately. Our safe return to the Heavenly Court will increase our chances of victory. This is the first time in the history of the Earthly Immortal Realm that a treasured spiritual root at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal has been discovered, so we must proceed with extreme caution."

Chen Shi asked, "If this is the first time a Great Luo Golden Immortal-level Earth Treasure Spiritual Root has been discovered, how did the Great Luo Golden Immortals overcome their tribulations before?"

"They relied on the legacy of the Three Pure Ones."

The ship gradually accelerated, sailing through the dark sea towards the Xuanhuang Sea.

Li Tianwang's primordial spirit carried the Mud Plow Divine Tree, radiating an incredibly powerful divine might. The divine light emanating from him illuminated the sea surface for tens of thousands of miles as if it were daytime, and the sea monsters dared not approach.

"When the Three Pure Ones were still in the Earthly Immortal Realm, they discovered the terror of the Tribulation, and thus established the rule of the Tribulation to save people."

Li Tianwang said, "The Three Pure Ones each left behind their own supreme Dao realm, called Yuqing Heaven, Taiqing Heaven, and Shangqing Heaven. Within these three Dao realms, they are unaffected by the tribulation. Therefore, the Great Luo Golden Immortals of the Three Pure Ones lineage survived. Although the foundation of the Western Paradise is not as strong as that of the Three Pure Ones, it has also created something similar, which can also barely avoid the tribulation. As for the other Great Luo Golden Immortals, they will either die or be seriously injured when facing the tribulation."

He recalled the past with a sigh, saying, "The tribulations of Celestial Immortals, True Immortals, and Golden Immortals are not very powerful, and there is still a glimmer of hope for survival. Some immortals do not even need earthly treasures or spiritual roots; they can pass through the tribulations on their own with their own cultivation strength. But for Great Luo Golden Immortals, there is no hope of passing the tribulations at all; it is almost certain death. Therefore, in order to deal with the tribulations, these Great Luo Golden Immortals committed a lot of sins back then."

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly, and he asked, "What sins have you committed?"

Li Tianwang said, “There are too many. Those who can cultivate to become Great Luo Golden Immortals are often extremely intelligent. Some of them create cultivation methods to pass on to future generations, take in disciples, and use these disciples as tools to transfer their calamities. The most famous of these is the Scripture of Enduring a Thousand Tribulations and Proving Eternal Freedom, which is said to have been created by a Great Luo Golden Immortal. Because this cultivation method is a Great Luo Golden Immortal's method, it is full of mysteries and has even spread to the mortal world, having a great influence.”

Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Did this Freedom Sutra help this Great Luo Golden Immortal avoid a calamity?"

Li Tianwang said, "When the calamity broke out, all of this Great Luo Golden Immortal's disciples died in an instant. The 'Scripture of Enduring a Thousand Tribulations to Achieve Eternal Freedom' was widely circulated, with countless disciples, numbering in the millions. Hundreds of millions of cultivators and immortals throughout the myriad realms practiced this technique, and yet, they all perished. This matter shocked the Heavenly Court, and the investigation eventually led back to this Great Luo Golden Immortal. However, because he had already transcended the Three Realms, was no longer subject to the Five Elements, and was not involved in reincarnation, the Heavenly Court ultimately could not do anything to him."

He laughed out loud, but his voice betrayed his helplessness.

Gods are beings who maintain the order of heaven, earth, humans, gods, and ghosts, harmonize wind and rain, reward good and punish evil, distribute wealth, and manage fortune and misfortune, striving to achieve fairness and justice. However, immortals are born from humans but have broken free from the jurisdiction of gods. Even if they do evil, the gods are helpless.

"This matter caused too much of a stir. The Great Celestial Venerable, together with the Four Emperors, the Five Elders, and the Nine Emperors, went to the Western Paradise and the Jade Purity Heaven to discuss the matter with the leaders of the immortals. In the end, this Great Luo Golden Immortal was suppressed by the Western Paradise. But this matter set a bad precedent."

Li Tianwang said, "Soon someone drew inferences from this and modified the 'Scripture of Enduring a Thousand Tribulations and Proving Eternal Freedom,' which involved internal cultivation and refinement. Once mastered, it could transfer the calamity, eliminating the need to take on disciples and spread the technique. Thus, the destruction of worlds such as Sanyuan and Tailai occurred. If Fellow Daoist Chen is interested, he should go to these worlds to investigate this celestial calamity."

Chen Shi asked, "What's wrong with these worlds?"

“Overnight, all life was wiped out,” said Li Tianwang.

Chen Shi's heart pounded, and his throat went dry. He asked, "This method can help me survive the tribulation?"

"can."

Li Tianwang shook his head and said, “Although the Heavenly Dao is powerful, it is not omnipotent and insufficient to judge such acts. These immortals commit evil deeds, and the Heavenly Court is helpless. Even the Heavenly Dao treasures were crafted by immortals like the Three Pure Ones based on the Dao images in the Dao Realm. To use Heavenly Dao treasures to punish immortals is nothing but a pipe dream.” He looked at Chen Shi with fervent eyes, then changed his tone and said passionately, “Therefore, the Heavenly Court must master its own Heavenly Dao artifacts! These Heavenly Dao artifacts are you, Fellow Daoist Chen. You will master the Heavenly Dao and become supreme and revered Heavenly Dao gods! You will have the power to punish these lawless immortals and restore justice to the world! Fellow Daoist Chen, become a Heavenly Dao god!”

Chen Shi rolled his eyes twice and ignored him.

Li Tianwang continued to persuade him, patiently explaining, "You think that to become a celestial being, you must abandon your physical body and use extraordinary power to reshape your golden body, but what is the fun in having seven emotions and six desires? The righteous path in the human world is your lifelong pursuit. Besides, you immortals have all severed your three corpses, so why care about this stinking skin?"

Chen Shi lazily summoned his Three Corpse Gods, and upon seeing this, Li Tianwang remained silent.

Chen Shi retrieved the Three Corpse Gods.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, do you have any descendants?"

Li Tianwang became enthusiastic again and asked, "You have a child, right? If not, hurry up and have one to carry on the Chen family line? Or, I can find someone to adopt one for you?"

Chen Shi ignored him.

The ship sailed for several months before finally reaching the edge of the Dark Sea. A light appeared ahead, signaling the arrival of the Xuanhuang Sea.

Li Tianwang, roused, demanded of the chief clerk, "Is it permissible to conceal the secrets of Heaven?"

The registrar said, "I'm already 90% sure."

Li Tianwang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I ask my fellow Daoists to use their methods to obscure the secrets of heaven and confuse the causal perception of the Great Luo Golden Immortals!"

Niu Jingjing, Xiahou Feng, and other divine beings of the Heavenly Dao each cast spells, unleashing one Heavenly Dao divine power after another, confusing cause and effect, and disrupting the heavenly secrets. Chen Shi even became somewhat dazed at one point, probably because he was infected by their Heavenly Dao divine powers!

He possesses the Heavenly Secrets Strategy imprint, and the fact that everyone else is obscuring the Heavenly Secrets is what disrupts his Dao realm and affects his judgment.

After everyone finished casting their spells, Li Tianwang ordered the ship to move forward and sail out of the Dark Sea.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, thank you for your trouble!" Li Tianwang bowed and said.

Chen Shi activated the Primordial Limitless Innate Skill and sensed the Dao Ruins Dao Field. The next moment, the void above them distorted, and the Dao Ruins Dao Field appeared!

Li Tianwang's primordial spirit immediately soared up, carrying the Mud Plow Divine Tree, and flew towards the Dao Ruins Daoist Temple.

This Mud Pilgrimage Tree is enormous. Chen Shi's Dao Ruins Daoist Temple is already extremely large, but it still seems extremely difficult to contain the Mud Pilgrimage Tree.

After about half an hour, Li Tianwang's primordial spirit finally sent the Nili Divine Tree completely into the Dao Ruins.

Li Tianwang said in a deep voice, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Take the Heavenly Dao Gods and Men back to the Great World of Nirvana, and make offerings to these Heavenly Dao Gods and Men. You are not to leave the Dark Sea!"

The assembled gods and generals responded with a resounding roar.

Li Tianwang said, "Fellow Daoist Chen, let's enter the Dao Ruins together."

Chen Shi agreed.

Chu Xiangxiu quietly shook her head, signaling to him that Li Tianwang had already decided to kill her and that they should run away quickly.

Chen Shi waved his hand in refusal.

Chu Xiangxiu had no choice but to return to the Dark Sea with the ship.

Chen Shi and Li Tianwang flew into the sky together and entered the Dao Ruins Dao Realm.

No sooner had they left than powerful divine senses traversed layers of space and appeared in this sea area, sweeping across the surroundings.

Despite the thirty-two Heavenly Gods obscuring the secrets of Heaven, the appearance of the Mud Plow Divine Tree still attracted the attention of many Great Luo Golden Immortals. Although they could not calculate the reason for their sudden interest, they pinpointed the source.

However, after scanning with their divine senses, they found nothing unusual and withdrew their divine senses.

Daoxu.

Chen Shi descended slowly, his eyes flashing, and he thought to himself, "Li Tianwang has walked into my Dao Realm, which is like walking into a trap. He wants to attack me and take my life, so I will take his life first."

Fuluo Village is located within his Dao Realm, and the villagers should have already been alarmed by the Mud Plow Divine Tree.

Not far beyond the Daoist realm, there are also two Great Luo Golden Immortals, Changchun Emperor and Niangpo Yuanjun, who should also take note of the Nili Divine Tree.

Chen Shi had been kind to them, so they would surely come to visit him.

Li Tianwang is ruthless and always obeys the Jade Emperor. He will definitely take action against Chen Shi. Chen Shi also knows that in the Great World of Hell, he himself has little chance of survival.

The only chance to survive is this Dao Ruins Dao Realm!
Once he reaches his Dao realm, he will have the opportunity to kill Li Tianwang!

Chen Shi took a breath, about to call out to Emperor Changchun and the others, when Li Tianwang's voice came from behind him: "Fellow Daoist Chen, you should leave. Leave the Heavenly Court and don't let me see you again."

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback, turned around, and asked in confusion, "The Heavenly King won't kill me? The Jade Emperor ordered us six Heavenly Dao Gods to work under you. At that time, we weren't Heavenly Dao Gods; only the dead could become Heavenly Dao Gods. The Jade Emperor hinted that you should take action and not let any of us go. Do you dare disobey the Heavenly Emperor's orders?"

Li Tianwang said, “I am only forced to conform to this world, but I am not ignorant of good and evil. Although Fellow Daoist Chen and I often fight, I asked you for help, and you did not refuse in the slightest. With such a heroic spirit, how could I be ungrateful and kill you? The Jade Emperor will absolutely not allow the Heavenly Secrets to be out of his control. You should leave now and leave the Heavenly Court!”

He shouldered the Mud Plow Divine Tree and flew out of the Dao Ruins, saying in a deep voice, "As long as we leave the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, will be somewhat hesitant due to the power of the Earth Goddess Houtu, and will not dare to act too obviously!"

Chen Shi shouted, "How will you explain this to the Great Celestial Venerable?"

"Explain?"

Li Tianwang's laughter echoed from afar, "I'll deliver the Nili Divine Tree to the Heavenly Court while I'm still alive! Fellow Daoist Chen, you should take a trip to the Sanyuan and Tailai worlds and have a look!"

His voice faded into the distance.

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment and did not ask Changchun Emperor and Lady Yuanjun to kill Li Tianwang.

(End of this chapter)