On the Avenue.

Chapter 666 Chatter
The cycle of birth and death is merely a facade.

This scene before him deepened Chen Shi's understanding of this statement.

Just now, when they used their Yin-Yang Eyes, Buddha Eyes, and Divine Eyes to look at this world, they could not see anything unusual. When they looked at the people of Wotuo Kingdom, they could not see that they were ghosts or monsters, but only felt that they were no different from living people.

This shows that life and death are merely appearances; they are blinded by appearances and cannot see the truth.

Because they were cautious, they were not drawn into this cycle.

The monks who participated in the Water and Land Ritual also failed to see through appearances. However, due to greed and the desire to become a Buddha, they entered this cycle of reincarnation and became part of it.

They were being dragged along by countless evil spirits, unable to break free, and their extraordinary cultivation was now completely useless.

Because they have become part of the cycle of reincarnation, their cultivation is also part of this cycle of reincarnation.

Zhong Wuwang's master, the old monk Yuncheng, was also influenced by the Wufang world at this moment. He laughed heartily, pounced on the vegetarian dishes, and began to eat them with gusto.

"Wu Wang, have you sensed the changes brought about by the Sutra of Enduring a Thousand Tribulations and Proving Eternal Freedom?" Chen Shi asked, carefully sensing the subtle changes in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth around him.

"To attain eternal freedom through countless eons?"

Zhong Wuwang had never heard of this cultivation method before. He paused slightly, carefully sensing the subtle changes in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and said, "I've heard that the reason the Wufang World has become like this is because of a Mingwang (a powerful deity) suppressed by our Buddhist sect. This Mingwang was originally a Great Luo Golden Immortal who committed a grave error and has suffered for tens of thousands of years. After atoning for his sins, he was released more than ten years ago and appointed as a Mingwang. Could this Mingwang be the Great Luo Golden Immortal who created the path to eternal freedom through countless tribulations?"

"It's most likely him. I've heard that this technique allows one to transfer their own tribulation energy to another person."

Chen Shi said, "He used this technique to make the four worlds of Sanyuan, Tailai, Wufang, and Liuli bear the calamity for him. He survived, but these four worlds were destroyed as a result. He destroyed four worlds just to avoid a calamity, and then was suppressed for tens of thousands of years. He thought he could wash away his sins by eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures? Hey, Erniu, your Buddhism is really amazing!"

Zhong Wuwang found his words extremely sarcastic, but he didn't consider himself a disciple of the Western Paradise. He said, "I suspect that when we entered the Wufang World, we fell into the aftereffects of his supernatural powers. However, his use of supernatural powers to transfer calamity happened a long time ago, right? Why would we still be caught in his supernatural powers after arriving here?"

This world is a training ground for Buddhist monks. If this place were so evil, no matter how many monks came, they would all die. The monks would have stopped coming long ago.

In other words, what Chen Shi and his companions experienced was actually a recent event.

The Western Paradise had no idea that the Western Paradise had become so treacherous!
Zhong Wuwang's heart sank slightly at this thought, meaning that they had no chance of getting reinforcements.

Chen Shi speculated, "Could it be because he is no longer being suppressed? Before, when he was suppressed, his calamity could not sense him. Now that he has broken free from suppression, the calamity has returned, and the supernatural power to transfer the calamity is still in operation, causing us to be trapped here."

Zhong Wuwang said, "That is indeed possible. I have heard that this calamity is the Great Calamity of the Yuanhui Era, in which all immortals will be afflicted. This Mingwang should also be subject to calamity. He possesses great supernatural powers, and when he was released thirteen years ago, his ability to transfer calamity was rekindled!"

Chen Shi said in a deep voice, "In other words, all the monks who have entered this place in the past thirteen years have been trapped in this supernatural power!"

The two men looked solemn as they intensified their sensing of the changes in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Only by sensing these changes could they understand the true nature of this divine power that could transfer calamity!

"This tastes wrong!"

The old monk ate a few bites of vegetarian food, then realized what he had done, spat it out, and sneered, "This old monk only eats meat, not vegetables! You think you can trap me with your mere reincarnation technique?"

Countless ghosts and monsters surged toward him from all sides, trying to tear him apart.

The old monk was originally a strange and ferocious beast in the world. He practiced Buddhism, ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist scriptures, but it was only out of necessity. Now that he saw these ghosts and monsters daring to be presumptuous with him, he immediately revealed his true form and devoured all of them!
Just as he was about to twist his neck to transform, he suddenly realized: "If I eat people again and the Buddha finds out, I'm afraid I'll never be able to leave Mount Ling again. So I won't eat them!"

He raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle. In the next moment, countless ghosts and monsters were involuntarily sucked up by the jade bottle and fell into it.

The old monk laughed and said, "If we refine them to death, then Buddha will have nothing to say."

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang had not gained anything. Just as Chen Shi was about to take out a spiritual pill from Fuluo Village to enhance his senses, the surrounding world began to violently tremble. An invisible force swept over the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.

At the same time, just as the old monk was about to collect all the ghosts and monsters and refine them to death.

The old monk sensed that power, his expression changed drastically, and he immediately revealed his true form, transforming into a golden-winged roc. He spread his wings and took off, his sharp claws reaching down to grab Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang, soaring into the sky and reaching beyond the heavens!
His speed was so fast that it almost ignored space, as if he were about to collide with a star from outer space!
Just then, as if an invisible wind was blowing, the roc felt a chill on its body. Looking down, it saw that the entire world, including itself, was enveloped in a dazzling divine power.

He flapped his wings and moved within this supernatural power at an incredible speed, but he and the entire Wufang world were twisted within it!

"Is this the divine power of a Great Luo Golden Immortal?"

The old monk laughed angrily, "So the difference is this huge!"

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang felt a cool breeze blowing past their bodies, and then they saw that the world around them had become incredibly crowded, as if they had fallen into some kind of strange space.

"Buzz!"

The heavens and earth trembled slightly, and everything returned to normal.

The monk Zhengnian and the Arhat Tianyan walked hand in hand under a towering tree, surrounded by birdsong and fragrant flowers, a truly delightful scene.

The master and disciple stopped in their tracks. Tianyan Arhat looked at the distant capital of Wotuo and said, "Zhengnian, this place is different from what we expected. I thought it was a place full of resentment, but I didn't expect it to be so prosperous, completely different from what I heard. We were originally here to resolve resentment and save all living beings, but now we need to change our goal."

"Master, what target should we change it to?" Monk Zhengnian asked.

"Transform this Wotuo Kingdom into a Buddhist kingdom, and gain supreme merit!"

They headed towards the capital of Wotuo.

Up in the tree, in a bird's nest about ten feet in diameter, Chen Shi opened his eyes and looked around. The world around him was quiet and peaceful, unlike the crowded and chaotic scene they had seen before.

Everything here is in perfect order.

"Chirp chirp!" came the sound of birds chirping next to Chen Shi.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhong Wuwang sitting next to him in the nest, like a fledgling bird that was unsteady on its feet and fell down on its bottom.

Besides the ordination scars, Zhong Wuwang had a few tufts of bird feathers growing on his head.

He looks a bit leprosy and not very healthy.

Chen Shi laughed heartily, but a chattering sound came from his mouth.

Chen Shi was startled and reached up to touch the top of his head, where he also felt a clump of bird feathers, though they were much more vibrant than those on Zhong Wuwang's head.

The two looked at each other, staring at the bird feathers on each other's heads in silence.

Apart from the bird feathers growing on their heads, they remained unchanged.

Zhong Wuwang said, "Chachachachacha (We did not participate in this water and land ritual and did not absorb any merits, so why were we affected)?"

Chen Shi pondered and said, “Chatter, chatter, chatter (From the moment we stepped into the Wufang World, we entered the supernatural power of the Sutra of Eternal Freedom through a Thousand Tribulations, and we have already fallen into its trap).”

He sat cross-legged, trying to activate the Primordial Chaos Innate Skill, but his heart sank suddenly. He could not sense his primordial spirit, his Dao realm, or the cultivation he had acquired through countless trials.

He has absolutely no magical power left!
Upon seeing this, Zhong Wuwang hurriedly activated his cultivation technique, only to feel a chill in his heart. His cultivation had also vanished without a trace!

Both of them were true immortals, yet they had somehow had their cultivation crippled, leaving them both somewhat distraught!
Zhong Wuwang struggled to his feet, his legs trembling as if they couldn't support his weight. He looked around, puzzled, and asked, "Chirp chirp?"

Chen Shi pondered deeply, then shook his head and said, "Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp chirp?"

Zhong Wuwang raised his hand and scratched a few tufts of bird feathers on his head: "Chirp..."

Just as he finished speaking, a sudden hurricane arose, and a golden-winged eagle descended from the sky, landing in the bird's nest.

The golden-winged eagle's head was bald, somewhat resembling the old monk Yuncheng's head, but it had completely transformed into a bird, with a long beak and sharp claws, holding a strange beast in its grasp.

Just now, Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang were wondering where the old monk had gone. They were surprised and delighted to find him here, and they rushed forward, calling out, "Chirp chirp!" "Chirp chirp chirp!" "Chirp chirp chirp!"

The golden-winged eagle that the old monk had transformed into tore the beast apart with its sharp claws, ripping out a strip of lean flesh from its beak and stuffing it into Zhong Wuwang's chattering mouth.

Zhong Wuwang choked as the meat of the strange beast was stuffed into his throat, causing his eyes to roll back in his head.

The golden-winged eagle that the old monk had transformed into used its long beak to shove the meat down his throat.

Chen Shi watched in astonishment. With that poke, the bird's beak might have reached into Zhong Wuwang's stomach!

The golden-winged eagle tore off another piece of flesh and looked at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi quickly shut his mouth.

The golden-winged eagle gestured for him to open his mouth so it would be easier to feed him. Chen Shi dodged and weaved, avoiding the meat strips being offered.

Helpless, the golden-winged eagle turned to feed Zhong Wuwang.

Zhong Wuwang had just been fed a strip of meat and was opening his mouth to try to vomit when the Golden-Winged Eagle stuffed another strip of lean meat into his mouth, which looked to weigh about one or two pounds.

The golden-winged eagle tore off another piece of meat, intending to feed it to Chen Shi, but Chen Shi continued to dodge, so the eagle had no choice but to feed it to Zhong Wuwang instead.

Zhong Wuwang was choking and could hardly breathe. He was about to choke to death when the Golden-Winged Eagle saw this. Its simple brain seemed to think for a moment, so it inserted its beak into Zhong Wuwang's lips and opened and closed his mouth. The beak probed into his throat and pulled out a piece of lean meat weighing more than two pounds.

Zhong Wuwang finally caught his breath and quickly said, "Chirp, chirp!"

The golden-winged eagle understood, and looked at Chen Shi with the meat in its mouth. It saw Chen Shi walk to the beast's side, tear off a piece of the beast's meat with his hand, and eat it directly.

The golden-winged eagle was very pleased, feeling that its child had grown up and was able to take care of himself. So, holding the meat in its mouth, it looked at Zhong Wuwang again.

Zhong Wuwang tried to run, but his legs gave way and he fell down again.

Once he stood up, the golden-winged eagle parted his mouth with its beak, stuffed the strip of meat into his throat, and pushed it further in.

After a while, Zhong Wuwang was fed and lay there in the bird's nest, looking completely dazed.

Beside them, Chen Shi and the Golden-Winged Eagle leisurely ate the meat of a strange beast.

“Chacha (This beast meat is not bad to eat raw, it tastes a bit sweet).” Chen Shi said to Zhong Wuwang.

Zhong Wuwang rolled his eyes listlessly.

Soon after, Chen Shi finished eating and sat in the bird's nest, circulating the Hunyuan Wuji Innate Skill, beginning his cultivation from the Foundation Establishment stage.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Wuwang immediately realized: "We are already trapped in the supernatural powers of this Great Luo Golden Immortal, and it is difficult to escape. The only chance is to find the flaw in his supernatural powers. Without cultivation, there is no way to sense it."

He sat down and began to practice his internal energy cultivation.

His cultivation method originally originated from Despair Slope. Later, he also referenced Chen Shi's cultivation method and the Great Wilderness Mingdao Collection. After arriving in the Earth Immortal Realm, he became a disciple of the Golden-Winged Roc and learned Buddhist cultivation methods. It can be said that he absorbed the strengths of many schools and comprehended his own cultivation system, which is called the Great Wilderness Prajna True Scripture.

Prajna, in Sanskrit, means wisdom.

The Great Wilderness Prajna Sutra has only just begun to integrate various cultivation methods, but it has already shown its extraordinary nature. Zhong Wuwang cultivates both internal and external techniques, and his cultivation level far surpasses that of his peers. This time, when he fell into the supernatural power of that Ming King, he quickly stabilized his state of mind and started cultivating from the beginning.

The beast's flesh and blood contained immense power. The two meditated and cultivated, drawing upon the power of the beast's flesh and blood. They felt a surge of heat within their bodies, circulating their energy through the microcosmic orbit, opening the coccyx, the spine, and the occipital bone, and connecting the Ren and Du meridians, growing stronger with each passing hour. After cultivating for one or two hours, they had already achieved the self-rotation of the chariot.

After completing their foundation building, the two opened their eight extraordinary meridians and then completed the Great Circulation, connecting their internal and external energies and using the external energy of heaven and earth to cultivate their own true energy.

They expended even more energy, and soon their stomachs began to rumble with hunger, so they went to eat the meat of the strange beasts.

However, Zhong Wuwang was still weak and lost his strength after a few bites. So the Golden-Winged Eagle came over, tore off a piece of meat, and shoved it down his throat.

Zhong Wuwang silently endured it.

A few days later, they had already refined the golden elixir.

Zhong Wuwang finally regained his strength and was able to eat and drink on his own.

The two of them had increasingly larger appetites, consuming a whole beast a day, so the golden-winged eagle would often fly out to hunt.

That day, the Golden-Winged Eagle returned from its hunt, chirping twice. Chen Shi smiled and said, "Brother Yuncheng, I've come to teach you the principles of harmony, transformation, mutual assistance, and primordial chaos in the Yin-Yang Daoist arts, and also to teach you the Rootless Method to lend you a helping hand. If you achieve success in your cultivation, we can leave this place sooner!"

The golden-winged eagle always considered itself the mother bird, feeling that it was very hard to raise the two chicks. Although the two chicks did not look much like birds, it still fed them diligently.

That day, the larger chick actually spoke, which greatly surprised him. He immediately wanted to kill Chen Shi, thinking that the nest was unfortunate and that a monster had emerged.

Chen Shi dodged and weaved with incredible speed, avoiding the Golden-Winged Eagle's attacks and preparing to beat it up. However, the Golden-Winged Eagle slapped him with its wing, knocking him to the ground.

The golden-winged eagle was preparing to subdue the demon, and Chen Shi quickly chirped, "Chirp, chirp!"

The golden-winged eagle's beak came to Chen Shi's head, nearly splitting his skull open. Upon hearing this, it stopped and repeatedly examined Chen Shi.

Chen Shi obediently squatted in the bird's nest and said, "Chirp chirp."

The golden-winged eagle was skeptical, so it also lay down in the nest, glancing at Chen Shi suspiciously from time to time.

Chen Shixin said, "If I can't speak human language, he'll think I'm a monster, so I'll speak bird language!"

Then came the chirping sounds from the bird's nest. People passing by the tree heard the birdsong and thought it was interesting. Little did they know that Chen Shi was using the birdsong to transmit the Dharma to the Golden-Winged Roc, helping him to develop his spiritual wisdom early.

More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. The infamous Three Fiends of Wuchao have spread throughout the Kingdom of Wotuo. The Kingdom of Wotuo invited wandering monks to subdue the demons, but many were killed. The Three Fiends of Wuchao are still living freely.

"Life and death, reincarnation, are all appearances. This statement is still difficult to understand," Chen Shi said in a low voice.

(End of this chapter)