On the Avenue.

Chapter 690 A trusted confidant, a major threat

Yang Gongwang has no intention of leaving.

He had long understood that there was no future in returning to the Immortal Realm.

Every spiritual spring in the Earthly Immortal Realm has an owner, and every drop of immortal energy and spiritual liquid must be earned through one's own efforts. The powerful figures in the Earthly Immortal Realm who control the sacred lands precisely control the spiritual liquid, elixirs, immortal gold, and other resources that each immortal can obtain.

Working tirelessly and mining desperately for these celestial beings, one can barely obtain the spiritual liquids and pills needed for daily cultivation. It takes thousands or tens of thousands of years to accumulate enough Heavenly Yuan coins to craft a single celestial artifact.

Sometimes, they might not live to see the moment their immortal artifact is completed, dying in the mine, being used as cannon fodder by powerful figures in the immortal realm, or dying in an accident during a drug trial.

Although Yang Gongwang was a person from the Earthly Immortal Realm, he was not born into a wealthy family. He was able to achieve immortality by merging with the Dao not in the Earthly Immortal Realm, but by going to another world.

In the Earthly Immortal Realm, he could never hope to rise to prominence, but in the Celestial Immortal Realm, he had limitless potential!

He decided to stay.

Chen Tang and the others were also gazing at the ever-emerging holy light, somewhat lost in thought.

The emergence of these sacred sites did not originate from Chen Shi's magical power. Chen Shi's power was not strong; he was merely a peak True Immortal, far from being able to create sacred sites out of thin air.

These sacred places were created by the newly added Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in Xiniu New Continent.

This time, Chen Shi used the Dark Sea Heavenly Dao recorded in the Green Palace to supplement the Heavenly Dao of Xiniu New Continent. The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth increased, and the spiritual energy and spiritual power between Heaven and Earth also surged, thus creating the scene of sacred lands and spiritual mountains everywhere.

"Is the True King's move a blessing or a curse?"

With a worried expression, Master Zhang murmured, "Xiniu New Continent was originally a peaceful place, but now it is likely to become a place of trouble."

This change in Xiniu New Continent means that immortals who ascend from other worlds in the Dark Sea, whether they are demonic immortals or evil immortals, will not feel rejected by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

But this will also bring a lot of trouble.

Moreover, such significant changes in Xiniu New Continent will inevitably reach the Earth Immortal Realm sooner or later, and may even attract the covetousness of powerful figures there.

Master Zhang returned to the Taoist temple on Qianyang Mountain, silently packed his belongings, slung his straw hat over his shoulder, walked out of the temple, and closed the door.

As he walked out, he suddenly saw clouds and mist swirling among the mountains ahead. It was an enormous, pitch-black python breathing in and out the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. With each breath, the spiritual energy it exhaled brought lightning and thunder, and it also drew upon the radiant light of the Great Dao caused by the dramatic changes in heaven and earth to temper its body. The movements were astonishing.

This time, Chen Shi mended the sky, and the Black Mountain Python also benefited greatly, with its cultivation, physical body, soul, and Dao techniques all increasing rapidly.

Originally a spiritual being of heaven and earth, it has become a symbol of Qianyang Mountain. As the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth increases, its cultivation also surges.

"Where is Master Zhang headed?" A young man in black stood holding an umbrella amidst the thunder and lightning, asking.

This young man in black was none other than the Great Serpent Xuanshan. During the years that Master Zhang had lived in the mountains, the Great Serpent Xuanshan often came to Master Zhang to seek his guidance on the Dao. Master Zhang was grateful for his extraordinary talent and the fact that his Daoist heart and cultivation were similar to his own, so he answered all his questions without reservation.

Master Zhang said, “I came to Xiniu New Continent on the orders of the Emperor of Da Shun to eliminate the Yuan Worm and the Heavenly Venerable. After arriving here, I found that the Yuan Worm and the Heavenly Venerable had already been eliminated. Because I was attached to the sacredness and tranquility of this place, I stayed temporarily. Now that the tranquility has been destroyed, I do not want to step into the strife, so I am leaving.”

The Great Serpent Xuanshan was somewhat reluctant and said, "Does the True Immortal mean that the Celestial Realm is about to fall into conflict? The people of our Celestial Realm are simple and honest, and they will not cause trouble. How could there be conflict?"

Master Zhang said, “Conflicts will not stop coming to you just because you are content with peace and quiet. Sometimes, conflicts are caused by possessing a treasure that is considered a crime. Young friend, if you want peace and quiet, why don’t you leave this place with me and return to China? It is still relatively peaceful there.”

He was born during the Southern Song Dynasty and was already tens of thousands of years old, while the great serpent Xuanshan was only six or seven thousand years old, so he called him "little fellow Daoist".

The great serpent Xuanshan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "True man, I was born and raised here. If there is any conflict, I will serve my hometown."

Master Zhang did not insist and bid him farewell.

As Master Zhang walked along, he saw various spirits in Qianyang Mountain taking the opportunity to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, tempering their bodies with the help of the Great Dao. Halfway up the mountain, a giant tree's canopy pierced the clouds, surrounded by shimmering light. In the mountain stream, a woman dressed in white, pure as snow, absorbed the rainbow-like energy flowing from the stream.

There are also unique mountain spirits such as white rhinoceros, white dragon, celestial silkworm, and ginseng grass doll, who take this opportunity to improve themselves.

There were also precious spiritual roots in the mountains, which seemed to awaken at this moment, their branches dancing and absorbing the radiant light of the Great Dao between heaven and earth.

The scene was incredibly lively. Master Zhang walked and looked around, and before he knew it, he had left Qianyang Mountain.

"Where is Master Zhang heading?"

Looking over, Zhang Zhenren saw that Chen Tang had appeared in front of him at some point, sitting on a cloud, as if he knew that Chen Tang would leave and was therefore waiting there.

“Return to Da Shun.”

Master Zhang said, "Now that this matter is settled, there is no need for me to stay any longer. It is time to return and report to the Emperor of Da Shun. Besides, Xiniu New Continent has become a place of trouble. If I do not leave soon, I am afraid I will be drawn into the trouble and disturb my peace."

As they approached, Chen Tang walked alongside him and asked, "What do you mean by that, Master?"

Master Zhang laughed and said, "Why ask a question that you already know the answer to, Lord Chen?"

Chen Tang paused for a moment and said, "Xiniu New Continent is located in the Dark Sea and is peaceful and undisturbed by the world. The so-called Celestial Realm is just a joke among the younger generation. We cannot disturb the Heavenly Court, nor will we threaten it."

Master Zhang said, “The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. After the True King mended the heavens, Xiniu New Continent will already be a true Celestial Realm. The Celestial Realm will become stronger and stronger, and there will be more and more immortals. Given time, it may even be able to rival the Earthly Immortal Realm. However, neither the Celestial Court nor the Heavenly Court will sit idly by.”

Chen Tang said, "The True Man did not wish to ascend to immortality, so he hid in the Divine Continent of China. He also did not wish to become an official, so he hid in the New Continent of Western Niu. Now that the New Continent of Western Niu is prosperous, the True Man wants to hide again. True Man, when will this hiding end?"

Master Zhang laughed and said, "I have no desire for officialdom, nor any ambition for advancement. I only wish to pursue my Dao and seek its secrets. Hiding is not my intention; it is merely for the sake of tranquility."

Chen Tang stopped and said, "Why don't you stop, True Immortal? Stay in Xiniu New Continent, build the Celestial Realm, and turn this place into the world of your dreams?"

"My ideal world?"

Master Zhang shook his head and said, "The Celestial Realm will not become the world I envision. Sooner or later, the Celestial Realm will become like the Earthly Immortal Realm, with holy lands occupied by the immortals who ascended first, and those who ascended later forced to serve them like slaves. This is just another cycle. Lord Chen, if you do not die in the future, you will become the ruler of the Earthly Immortal Realm as you are now. Farewell."

Chen Tang watched him leave without trying to stop him.

Wu Qingyu walked over and said, "Master Zhang has left after all?"

Chen Tang nodded, looking puzzled, and whispered, "Do you mean that in the future, we will also decay like the Earthly Immortal Realm?"

Wu Qingyu paused slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Probably. I've never been to the Earthly Immortal Realm, but I've heard people talk about it. They say that the sacred mines and rare materials in the Earthly Immortal Realm all have owners. To survive in the Earthly Immortal Realm, one can only become a heavenly soldier or general, or work for others. This is even more difficult than during the thirteen great families era. In the future, the rare materials and rare materials in the sacred mines of Xiniu New Continent might also fall into the hands of certain powerful individuals."

Chen Tang felt that what she said made a lot of sense, and felt a little sad: "If one day we become like that, then we have failed."

Master Zhang arrived at the dock, bought a small boat, boarded it, and the boat sailed into the dark sea. Behind him, the earth roared, and the seabed trembled.

That was the sound of growth emanating from Xiniu New Island.

Chen Shi mended the heavens, refining the Dark Sea Heaven Dao into the world of Xiniu New Continent, where spiritual energy flourished, including a type of spiritual energy called Earth Qi.

When the earth has sufficient energy, mountains and land will be formed.

The small boat under Zhang Zhenren's feet sailed forward, with the sea rushing around behind him, and newly formed land constantly rising from the seabed, always chasing after the small boat.

Master Zhang looked back and saw that he was still on the shore.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, mountains, filled with celestial energy, gradually detached from the earth, rising up along with their roots and slowly drifting into the sky.

This scene is slow and captivating.

His small boat sped up and sailed into the darkness, leaving the land and mountains behind him far behind.

In the years that followed, Xiniu New Continent continued to expand, though the pace of expansion slowed, but it still grew nearly a thousand miles into the sea each year. Chen Shi finished mending the sky, regulated his breathing, and stood up.

He sensed something unusual about Xiniu New Continent.

Xinniu Xinzhou was much larger than when he mended the sky!
It has not only grown bigger, but its geography has also changed.

Floating in the sky are like celestial mountains, but these mountains seem to have just been formed, with soil and huge rocks constantly falling off at their bases and crashing down.

Chen Shi slowly took off, looking around as he flew into the distance.

He felt that as the world expanded, his Dao realm was also expanding outwards.

Xiniu New Continent was originally his Dao realm. This Dao realm was vast, and originally only a Golden Immortal at the peak could cultivate such a vast Dao realm. However, he relied on the True God from beyond the heavens as his divine embryo and forcibly merged with Xiniu New Continent, resulting in him possessing a Golden Immortal at the peak of the Dao realm as soon as he became an immortal.

Now that Xiniu New Continent is expanding, his Dao realm is naturally expanding as well.

With each breath, he felt his cultivation level rising.

"At this rate of expansion, I'm afraid it won't be long before my Dao realm is comparable to that of a Taiyi Golden Immortal!" he exclaimed in astonishment.

He couldn't help but imagine that he was still a True Immortal. If he, as a True Immortal, could mobilize the power of heaven and earth in Xiniu New Continent, wouldn't his magical power be able to rival that of a Taiyi Golden Immortal?
"The Heavenly Dao recorded in the underground Green Palace is indeed extraordinary. There are probably similar places in the west of Penglai! Two hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals are mining there. The secrets of the west of Penglai will be unearthed sooner or later."

Chen Shi composed himself and saw Fairy Xiao Duan flying towards him from afar, so he went to greet her.

When the two met, Chen Shi held Xiao Duan's hand, and Xiao Duan asked, "Husband, why did such a change happen in Xiniu New Continent?"

"It's probably because the spiritual energy is too abundant, causing the earth's energy to have nowhere to circulate."

Chen Shi walked alongside her and guessed, "The rich earth energy produces the Breath Soil, and the expansion of the Breath Soil leads to the rebirth of heaven and earth."

He stopped in his tracks. Xiao Duan was puzzled when he saw dozens of celestial horses galloping from the sky, pulling a jade carriage behind them. The carriage was covered with a canopy of yellow clouds, which was very magnificent.

The herd of celestial horses stopped, and Chen Shi boarded the jade carriage and reached out his hand to Xiao Duan.

Little Durian Fairy grabbed his hand and got into the car with him.

The heavenly horse gallops, carrying the couple through the magnificent celestial realm, passing through colorful clouds and traveling between sacred mountains and holy sites.

The two sat in the precious carriage, and a boy came forward to offer fragrant tea. Another boy lit incense in a censer held by a crane in the carriage.

Fairy Xiao Duan was quite surprised. She looked at the boys who served them and felt that they were all like immortals.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "They are manifestations of the Great Dao that I have cultivated, not real people. Please take a look, Madam."

Little Duan Fairy looked out and saw a heavenly chariot and carriage entering a celestial palace, shuttling between the palaces. These palaces were carved from beautiful jade, exquisitely crafted, with rainbows spanning the water, intricately designed, and breathtakingly beautiful.

Inside the palace, there were also fairies and celestial children, some picking fresh flowers, others feeding fish on the bridge, and still others refining elixirs, producing batch after batch of immortal pills to prolong life and enhance cultivation.

"This place is the Jade Capital within my Dao Realm."

The celestial carriage stopped, and Chen Shi alighted, leading Xiao Duan into the Jade Capital. He smiled and said, "When immortals achieve enlightenment, they will manifest these various Daoist phenomena, as if it were preordained."

Fairy Xiao Duan looked around and felt that even the Heavenly Court was nothing special. Her face darkened, and she said, "I recall the Great Shang Heavenly Court of yesteryear, which was built by our ancestors through the continuation of their incense offerings. It was magnificent, with incense smoke swirling around it. The immortals of the Great Shang cultivated themselves happily and carefree until it was destroyed by the Primordial Worms. Last time I went to the Divine Continent of China, I couldn't find any Shang people there. They may no longer exist..."

She felt a little sad.

Today, there are still some merchants and residents in Xiniu New Island, but they no longer remember the great merchants of yesteryear.

Chen Shi stood on the bridge, looking at the flowing water of the Milky Way below, and said, "After I arrived in the Earthly Immortal Realm, I met some merchants. I will take you to see them."

Fairy Xiao Duan's heart stirred slightly, and she asked, "If I merge with the Dao in your Dao Realm, can I enter the Earthly Immortal Realm?"

Chen Shi laughed and said, "The ancients said that one should ascend to heaven with one's entire household. I won't bring my family with me; I'll just take my wife with me to the Immortal Realm. What's wrong with that?"

He took Xiao Duan's hand and stepped out of the bridge. Xiao Duan, the fairy, was involuntarily led out by him and took a step out of the bridge as well.

As she took that step, the world suddenly changed. She felt as if boundless spacetime and darkness were surging towards her. The next moment, she saw everything recede, and a clear view opened up before her, with green mountains and clear waters all within her sight.

Xiao Duan looked around and saw that she was on a fairy mountain shaped like a golden turtle. As far as the eye could see, there were fairy mountains and holy lands everywhere, even more densely packed than Xiniu New Continent!

Countless celestial caves came into view, making her momentarily disoriented, as if this were the Heavenly Court.

"This is Penglai West, my garrison."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "I am now a confidant of the Jade Emperor, and have been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army and Horses."

Fairy Xiao Duan asked suspiciously, "Isn't it a major threat?"

“He’s a trusted confidant!” Chen Shi corrected her.

(End of this chapter)