On the Avenue.

Chapter 669 No Room for Maneuver
He recognized the scroll in Chen Shi's hand as the one Chen Shi had written in his master's blood. The contents of the scroll included the first principle of the Dao, as well as divine Dao patterns that he could not understand!

But the contents of that scroll are not limited to that; more content is hidden within the Dao patterns written by Chen Shi.

Zhong Wuwang was not sure what Chen Shi had written before, but now that Chen Shi had presented the book, specifying that it was on the orders of Li Tianwang to present to the Great King of the Thousand Tribulations, Zhong Wuwang was certain that what Chen Shi had written in the book was the Sutra of the Thousand Tribulations of Eternal Freedom!

"The Sutra of Enduring a Thousand Tribulations to Achieve Eternal Freedom is both a cultivation method and a supernatural power. Chen Shi harbors malicious intentions; he has hidden the method to break this supernatural power within the Dao patterns."

Zhong Wuwang's mind raced, a flurry of thoughts rushing through his head: "He claims it's an ancient scroll, offering this treasure to the Great Bright King who has undergone countless tribulations. Upon hearing it's an ancient scroll, the Bright King will surely take a look. If he examines it closely, he'll see that this scroll is different from the cultivation method he practices. If he studies it carefully, it's equivalent to circulating this supernatural power once. Just once, the first principle will be imprinted into his body as he studies it..."

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

That's incredibly audacious! Absolutely incredibly audacious!
The opponent was a Great Luo Golden Immortal who used supernatural powers to transfer the calamity and destroy all life in the four worlds!

His supernatural powers were unfathomable, and the remnants of his powers enveloped the Wufang World, making it impossible for them, including the old monk and other peak Taiyi Golden Immortals, to escape!

"You intend to use this method to kill a Grand Luo Golden Immortal?"

Zhong Wuwang’s pupils trembled violently, his thoughts in turmoil. Chen Shi was just a True Immortal, yet he used such methods to murder a Great Luo Golden Immortal?

Is it possible?
How dare he do that?
"When he used my master's blood to break the supernatural powers of the Wufang World, he had already thought of using this method to kill the Great Bright King!"

Zhong Wuwang was drenched in sweat, thinking to himself, "No wonder he readily agreed when I suggested returning to Mount Ling through my Dao Realm. So that's what he was thinking!"

Chen Shi was never a coward.

Even lawless scoundrels who disregard the law and the rules of heaven!

Zhong Wuwang was well aware of this.

Chen Shi's life motto was that as long as no one saw him, he hadn't broken the law.

Therefore, he always walked the line between the law and the divine law.

"But this is Mount Ling!"

Chen Shi held aloft the scroll he had written and climbed Mount Ling step by step.

Floating in the sky around Mount Ling are numerous sacred mountains and holy sites, guarding this mountain. Some of these sacred mountains and holy sites are vast in area and are places where monks attain enlightenment. Zhong Wuwang's place of enlightenment is among them, and it was from there that Chen Shi and the others came to Mount Ling.

All eyes were fixed on Chen Shi—some with the wrathful gaze of a Vajra, others with the wise eyes of an Arhat, some with the gazing of a Bodhisattva, and others with the scrutinizing gaze of a Venerable One. Even the Jiedi, the Garan, and numerous eminent monks all looked on with keen interest.

Chen Shi also sensed the discerning eyes of the various enlightened kings, who seemed to be examining him thoroughly, inside and out.

But of all the gazes, the one that he feared most was a pair of Buddha's wise eyes, watching him as if they could see through his karma in a short moment and see all his secrets.

With a slight thought, Chen Shi's Heavenly Secrets Strategy subtly altered the Dao patterns above Xiniu New Continent. The causal changes on his body were so profound that even his discerning eyes could only perceive a different kind of cause and effect, unable to discern his true purpose for coming here.

The Buddha in question was none other than the Great World-Honored One. He withdrew his gaze and smiled at the Great Bright King beside him, saying, "The Heavenly King Li of the Heavenly Court is a lay disciple of the Ancient Buddha Dipankara, and can be considered my senior brother. His two sons are also on my Vulture Peak, and are disciples of Samantabhadra and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvas. I never expected that this matter would alarm him."

The Great Bright King, who had just experienced tribulation, smiled slightly. His reputation was not good, and he was infamous in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Therefore, he did not invite people from other forces to attend this grand ceremony.

Back then, the Heavenly Court investigated and dealt with the extermination of beings in the four worlds, including the Three Realms and the Wu Realm, which was also presided over by Li Tianwang.

It is possible that Li Tianwang was able to know about this matter because he was a disciple of Dipankara Buddha and his son was a disciple of Samantabhadra and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattvas.

Li Tianwang sent someone to deliver the ancient scroll of the Yongzheng Zizai Sutra, partly to congratulate him and partly as a threat, presumably to remind him not to forget the evil he had done in the past.

The Great King of Light looked at Chen Shi who was approaching, bowed slightly, and said to the Great World-Honored One, "Disciple has understood the intention of King Li. His efforts are truly commendable. Disciple will be cautious and diligent in making up for the mistakes of the past."

The Great Buddha said, “Excellent. After you lay down the butcher’s knife, repent of your past life, and from now on do more good deeds to wash away your sins and karmic fire.”

The Great Bright King proclaims this.

When Chen Shi arrived at the Great Thunderclap Temple at the summit of Lingjiu Peak, a venerable monk stepped forward and gestured for him to stop.

Chen Shi stopped. The venerable one was sixteen feet tall, and the pressure he felt in Chen Shi was immense. He raised his hand and grabbed the ancient scroll, saying, "I trouble Zen Master Ciyun to take this Benefactor Chen to rest."

An elderly monk nearby agreed and was about to lead Chen Shi away. At that moment, the Great World-Honored One's voice rang out: "Your name is Chen Shi? Chen Shi, the top-ranked Immortal Slayer in the Earthly Immortal Realm?"

Chen Shi stopped, bowed to the Great World Honored One, and said, "I am Chen Shi from the Execution List."

The Great World-Honored One looked at him intently and said, "I heard that you made a mistake, and the Eastern King Duke protected you. The Earth Goddess Houtu even said that you are her adopted son."

Chen Shi said, "The Great World-Honored One knows everything."

The Great Buddha smiled and asked, "Why did Senior Brother Li send you here?"

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I don't know either."

The Great Buddha gazed upon him; this being, revered as the patriarch of Buddhism, seemed to illuminate Chen Shi's past and present lives with his mere gaze.

Above Xiniu New Continent, Chen Tang, Hu Feifei and others quickly arrived at the side of the Heavenly Secrets Strategy. They saw that various Dao patterns on the Heavenly Secrets Strategy lit up, illuminating the sky. The Dao patterns were constantly changing and pulsating, and the changes were thousands of times more intense than before!
Everyone was filled with surprise and uncertainty, wondering what had happened.

At this moment, Master Zhang arrived, and everyone hurriedly went to greet him. Chen Tang quickly explained the situation, saying, "This Heavenly Secret Strategy is constantly changing, as if something big is about to happen! Master Zhang is knowledgeable about the secrets of heaven, please come and interpret it!"

Master Zhang had been in seclusion these past few days, trying to break through to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. Now that he has emerged from seclusion, he has already attained the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. His cultivation has greatly increased, and he is in a great mood. He only came after hearing about the strange changes in the Heavenly Secrets Strategy.

He examined the Dao patterns on the Heavenly Secrets Strategy repeatedly, and suddenly said, "It's not that anything major has happened. Rather, there is an incomparably powerful being investigating Chen Zhenwang's past and present life, trying to find his origins. Chen Zhenwang has deceived the heavenly secrets, causing the Heavenly Secrets Strategy to change his origins and past."

Chen Tang tensed up and asked, "How powerful is that being? Will it be able to find my son's whereabouts?"

Master Zhang said, "The Dao patterns on the Heavenly Secrets Strategy are constantly changing, which is a manifestation of Chen Zhenwang bringing the computational power of the Heavenly Secrets Strategy to its limit. And that powerful being is trying to break through the computation of the Heavenly Secrets Strategy in order to find his true origin. Now we have to see if this being's power can break through the computation of such a heavenly treasure as the Heavenly Secrets Strategy."

Everyone looked nervously at the Heavenly Secrets Strategy, only to see that the Dao patterns on the Heavenly Secrets Strategy were changing faster and faster, and it was on the verge of collapsing due to operating too fast.

Just as the calculations and evolution of the Dao patterns in the Heavenly Secrets Strategy reached their peak, the speed of the calculations and evolution suddenly slowed down.

Seeing this, Master Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This powerful being gave up and failed to find out the true king's origins."

Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.

On Mount Ling, the Great Buddha Tathagata withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly, and said, "Ciyun, take Benefactor Chen down to rest. Venerable Ananda, bring up the scriptures and ancient scrolls for me to see." The sixteen-foot-tall Venerable agreed and carried the scriptures and ancient scrolls toward the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Chen Shi's heart tightened again.

At this time, the Great Bright King said, "World Honored One, this ancient scroll of the Sutra of Eternal Freedom Through a Thousand Kalpas is something I have been searching for for a long time. I, your disciple, have gone astray in practicing this sutra, and have transferred the calamity to the world, causing countless deaths. Now I am filled with remorse and am looking for this scroll to revise my own practice. I wish to transform this sutra into a Dharma for the universal salvation of all beings and spread it throughout the world."

The Tathagata Buddha originally intended to examine the ancient scriptures himself, but upon hearing this, he immediately understood his intention and smiled, saying, "You wish to use this merit to atone for the sins you have committed; it is a matter of repaying kindness with kindness. Ananda, give the ancient scriptures to the King of Light."

Venerable Ananda agreed and, holding the scripture scroll, approached the Great King of Light.

Having obtained the ancient scriptures and scrolls, the Great Bright King, who had just survived the tribulation, breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Venerable Ananda nodded slightly and stepped back to stand behind the Tathagata.

The Great Bright King, having experienced countless tribulations, was somewhat excited. He calmed his mind slightly and said to the Great World Honored One, "World Honored One, this disciple would like to take a look at this ancient scroll first."

His resolve to follow the Dao was somewhat difficult to maintain.

The ancient scroll of the Sutra of Eternal Freedom Through a Thousand Kalpas is divided into two volumes.

The first volume contains the true cultivation method. By practicing this method, one can transfer the calamity to the person who cultivates the second volume.

The second volume contains the teachings passed down to disciples. Although practicing this skill can lead to great supernatural powers and achievements, as long as the person practicing the first volume has a single thought, they can transfer the calamity onto these disciples, causing them to suffer the calamity in their place.

The Great King of Light received the second volume.

He had not seen the first volume.

The Great Immortal who cultivated the first volume has long since vanished without a trace. No one knows the contents of the first volume.

He relied on his intelligence to comprehend a new technique from the contents of the second volume!

However, because the new technique comes from the second volume, it may retain the loopholes that the original master of this technique had set in mind. Therefore, the Great King of Freedom always had a shadow in his heart, and he had to find the first volume to see if he had filled in this loophole!
The Tathagata Buddha smiled and said, "This concerns your merits, so you should first examine whether it is true or false."

The Great Ming King, having experienced countless tribulations, unfolded the ancient scroll. He noticed that the ink was relatively new, and paused slightly. He glanced at Chen Shi, who was following behind Zen Master Ciyun, before looking back at the scroll.

He immediately recognized that the Dao patterns written on the ancient scroll were extremely profound, and were the contents of the Sutra of Eternal Freedom Through a Thousand Tribulations, but they were different from his own Sutra of Eternal Freedom.

This pattern contains some profound and unfathomable divine patterns, even surpassing his knowledge, and is far more mysterious than the divine patterns of Buddhism!
During the period of his suppression, he also studied Buddhist divine symbols and patterns, and gained a lot from them.

Buddhists and deities practice together and advance side by side. Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have their own incense offerings in the human world and have a large number of believers. Therefore, their research on the divine path is also extremely advanced.

The Great King of Light couldn't understand the divine patterns on the ancient scroll for a moment, and immediately knew that this ancient scroll was extraordinary and probably real.

As for the ink marks being somewhat new, it's likely that Li Tianwang was reluctant to give him the original and instead copied a new version.

He studied it carefully, and the more he looked, the more unfathomable it seemed. So he bypassed these difficult-to-understand Dao patterns and looked at the Dao patterns that followed.

"what?"

He let out a soft exclamation, noticing that these Dao patterns actually included Dao patterns from other Daoist sects.

Fortunately, these Dao patterns were not very profound. After studying them for a while, he understood their meaning and was able to reproduce the external Dao patterns.

"No wonder this technique is so strange; it turns out there are external Dao patterns within it." He suddenly realized.

As the Great King of Light continued reading, he encountered incomprehensible divine runes. He bypassed the divine runes and continued studying, only to encounter external runes.

The outer path patterns were relatively simple, and he quickly mastered them.

The ancient scrolls of this scripture were unfolded one by one and read from right to left. Before one knew it, the Great King of Light had read most of them.

After unfolding the last page and reading the final scripture, he breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "This technique is most likely the first part. Once I decipher those divine runes, I can fully master this technique."

He closed the scripture and said to the Great World-Honored One, "World-Honored One, I am eager to cultivate myself, and I hope you will forgive me."

The Tathagata Buddha said, "You are also going to resolve the karma from that year, so go ahead."

After the Great King of Light rose, apologized, and hurriedly left Lingjiu Peak with the ancient scroll, returning to his own Red Lotus Peak.

He was so impatient that he immediately went into seclusion to try to practice the techniques in the ancient scrolls.

Venerable Ananda frowned, quite dissatisfied, and said in a low voice, "World Honored One, the ancient scroll of the Sutra of Eternal Attainment of Freedom through a Thousand Kalpas has not appeared for a long time. Why not collect this technique and study it to break this harmful technique? I am worried that if the Great Bright King obtains this technique, he will revert to his old ways."

The Great World-Honored One Tathagata laughed and said, "Since he is already the Bright King of our Buddhist sect, what difference does it make whether the Sutra of Freedom is in his hands or in the hands of Vulture Peak? Let him be. It is a great joy and a great fortune for Vulture Peak to have such a great master. There is no need to be demanding."

Just then, the Great World-Honored One frowned slightly, as if he had sensed something, and looked toward the secluded retreat place of the Great Bright King who had undergone tribulations.

Chen Shi followed Zen Master Ciyun toward their resting place. Zhong Wuwang followed behind him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. The old monk was also nearby and noticed that his disciple's expression was strange, which puzzled him.

Suddenly, a violent tremor came from Mount Ling. Everyone turned around and saw that the Red Lotus Peak of Mount Ling had exploded for some unknown reason. This sacred mountain was shattered into pieces, and shocking cracks covered the area around the Red Lotus Peak!

There was even blood on the crack!
A loud shout came from Red Lotus Peak. The Great Bright King, covered in blood, floated in mid-air. His physical body, primordial spirit, and even Dao realm had been torn open with forty-one wounds!
He clutched the ancient scriptures in his hand, burning with rage. One of his eyes had been torn off, leaving him with only one eye. His other eye scanned and searched around, as if looking for someone's whereabouts.

Zhong Wuwang's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Chen Shi.

Beside Zen Master Ciyun, Chen Shi remained expressionless and quietly made a hand gesture.

The ancient scrolls in the hands of the Great Bright King burned rapidly, and the Sutra of Eternal Freedom Through a Thousand Tribulations suddenly erupted, transforming into a powerful divine power that enveloped the entire Mount Ling, bringing Mount Ling into this divine power that transferred the calamity!
This supernatural power is connected to the Great King of Light and overlaps with his wounds, providing Chen Shi with the second layer of protection to kill him!
The immortal blood used to write this supernatural power was the blood of this old monk's Great Roc Golden-Winged Eagle. Although the old monk is not a Great Luo Golden Immortal, he is not far off!
His divine blood erupted with power, activating the first of the forty-one runes, almost tearing the Great King of Freedom apart and shredding him!
As the Great King of Light's immortal blood surged forth, he immediately mobilized his Dao Realm. In the void, another world descended, and all the Great Daos were mobilized by him to suppress the first Dao Pattern of the forty-one Daos with all his might, resisting this power that could tear everything apart!

"It's you!"

His single eye glared wide, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping towards Chen Shi's location.

Chen Shi, his face expressionless, met his gaze and said in a low voice, "You can avoid dying from my first scheme, and you can avoid dying from my second scheme, but you must die from my third scheme. Great World Honored One..."

His gaze was strange: "Do you want Mount Ling, or the Great Bright King?"

(End of this chapter)