On the Avenue.

Chapter 729 The Fall of Immortality
"Is the information accurate?" Houtu Huangdiqi asked.

Grandma Taishan said, "It's absolutely true. It's a message from the Heavenly Court. The Empress is fighting a great battle with the traitors and we can't contact her, so we've sent the message to me."

Empress Houtu was still somewhat incredulous: "Didn't the Divine Firmament Jade Purity Palace mobilize? The Thunder Department has such a large power, and there's also the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder in the Nine Heavens. Are they just going to sit idly by and watch the Great Emperor of Longevity in the South Pole be killed?"

The Antarctic Longevity Emperor resides in the Divine Firmament Jade Purity Palace of the Antarctic Heavenly Palace. The Divine Firmament Jade Purity Palace is the headquarters of the Thunder Department of the Heavenly Court. The Longevity Emperor directly controls this powerful force, which has produced many experts and countless strong individuals!
His Shenxiao Yuqing Palace is unlike the Empress's Houde Guangda Heavenly Palace. The Houde Guangda Heavenly Palace has no other experts besides the Empress, while the Shenxiao Yuqing Palace is full of experts!
It is truly unimaginable how the enemy could break through the Thunder Department's numerous defenses and kill the Longevity Emperor.

Grandma Taishan said, "I heard that they were ambushed in the Immortal Sea, but I don't know the specifics. Your Majesty, I expect news from the Heavenly Court will arrive soon."

Houtu Huangdiqi was restless.

Not long ago, she met the Antarctic Emperor of Immortality in the Heavenly Court.

The Great Emperor of the Northern Underworld died, so the Jade Emperor summoned the Three Officials, the Four Emperors, the Five Elders, and other beings to discuss the matter and find a solution.

Anyone with discerning eyes can see that the death of the Northern Yin Emperor was extremely clever, and the next target is very likely to be the Earth Goddess Houtu.

The Great Emperor of the Northern Underworld rules over Fengdu Mountain and controls the ghosts of the Six Heavens. He can command all the ghosts and gods of the underworld.

He was the commander of the underworld's army; with his death, the realm is leaderless. If Empress Houtu also dies, then power in the underworld will fall into the wrong hands, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will have a great chance to become the new ruler of the underworld.

If the underworld falls into the hands of the Western Paradise, then the Western Paradise will fully support the Celestial Court in order to protect the underworld.

Furthermore, Houtu controls reincarnation, reaching the Dao realm of every immortal, making it extremely dangerous for any immortal determined to rebel.

Therefore, eliminating Houtu Huangdiqi is the best option for the Celestial Court and the Western Paradise.

Even Houtu Huangdiqi herself thought so.

Guangchengzi, Dingguangfo, and others who came to kill Houtu Huangdiqi probably thought the same thing.

But to everyone's surprise, the real target this time was the Antarctic Immortal Emperor.

"Fellow Daoist Changsheng is in charge of the Thunder Department, managing heavenly tribulations, maintaining worldly order, and controlling fortune and misfortune. Why is it him, and not me, or the Heavenly Emperor Gouchen, or the Great Emperor Ziwei?"

A thought stirred within her as she understood the Immortal Emperor's actions. She whispered, "Break the deadlock!"

At this moment, she sensed a familiar aura among the countless streams of incense smoke flowing towards her. With a slight thought, she followed that stream of incense smoke and descended to Jin'ao Island in the west of Penglai.

Holding incense in his hand, Chen Shi's incense smoke gradually transformed into the form of the Earth Goddess Houtu. He hurriedly said, "Godmother, I just received a message from the Heavenly Court that the Antarctic Longevity Emperor has fallen! Godmother, are you in any danger?"

He was the Heavenly King, the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the World, and the fifty-first person in the Heavenly Court to hold real power. He was a man of great power and influence. When the Antarctic Emperor of Immortality fell, the Heavenly Court would naturally notify him.

Houtu Huangdi said, "I also encountered an ambush by immortal masters. Five Daluo Golden Immortals tried to take my life, but fortunately I defeated them and killed two of them."

She briefly recounted her experience, saying, "The fall of the Antarctic Emperor of Immortality is of great importance. Do you know why these immortals abandoned me and instead attacked him?"

Chen Shi pondered for a moment, a thought flashing through his mind, and said, "The fall of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor may be related to the beginning of the calamity!"

Houtu Huangdiqi said calmly, "Tell me."

Chen Shi said, "I suspect that the Heavenly Court has been delaying its actions against the immortals because it is waiting for the tribulation to begin. At that time, the immortals will be in dire need of protection themselves and will only be able to seek refuge in the Three Pure Realms or the Western Paradise. Since the gods will not be facing the tribulation, that will be the best time to eliminate these immortals!"

His eyes grew brighter and brighter as he said, "The Antarctic Longevity Emperor is the one who controls the Heavenly Tribulations. The Thunder Department is under his command, and the Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable also works under him. Therefore, his understanding of tribulations must be extremely profound. In fact, he may even have mastered some of the methods to control the initiation of tribulations..."

Houtu Huangdizhi's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she interrupted him, saying, "The Great Emperor of Longevity was buried in the Immortal Sea. My main body must guard the Xuanhuang Sea. You should go with my Kongru clone to investigate who committed this heinous act. You should wait here for a while, and my Kongru clone will come to find you."

Before Chen Shi could say anything more, the incense had already burned out.

Chen Shi put away the incense and frowned slightly.

Xiao Duan came looking for him and saw that he looked troubled. She asked, "What's troubling you, my husband?"

Chen Shi recounted the events, and after much deliberation, said, "When I mentioned that the Antarctic Longevity Emperor might possess the method to control the initiation of calamities, the Empress refused to continue. It seems that the gods of Heaven also harbor some secrets."

Xiao Duan analyzed, "You might be right. That's why the Empress didn't want to continue the conversation, fearing that someone might overhear. The Eternal Emperor is the one who controls the Heavenly Tribulation. The Tribulation originated from the conflict between the Heavenly Dao and the Immortal Dao in the Dark Sea, but it is still part of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, the Tribulation is indeed a Heavenly Tribulation, just one originating from the Dark Sea. He may indeed possess the ability to control part of the Tribulation, and the people of the Celestial Court have also guessed this, which is why they are targeting him. Targeting the Empress is just a diversionary tactic."

Chen Shi nodded; he shared the same thought and therefore had this guess.

"The Empress wants me to go to the Immortal Sea, the place where the Great Emperor of Immortality fell. I don't know if there will be any dangers on this journey." He was somewhat worried.

Xiao Duan said, "My husband has more to think about than just these things. There's also the fact that this conflict between immortals and gods has already been triggered and is irreversible. The fall of the Longevity Emperor, one of the Four Emperors, and the deaths of two Great Luo Golden Immortals cannot reverse the situation. A war between the Celestial Court and the Heavenly Court is inevitable. My husband is leading these 200,000 immortals to remain in the west of Penglai. How will you manage?"

Chen Shi was stern and awe-inspiring.

Fairy Xiao Duan further stated, “The Heavenly Court will surely order you to attack the Celestial Court and conquer the Three Pure Realms or the Western Heaven. Many of the 200,000 immortals under your command are from the Celestial Court, or disciples of the Three Pure Realms or the Western Heaven. Even if the others are not from the Celestial Court, they are still immortals, and killing immortals will surely provoke a backlash. If my husband obeys the Heavenly Court's order to go to war, his soldiers may mutini.”

Chen Shi exhaled a breath of stale air.

What Xiao Duan said was indeed the problem he had to face.

At present, Penglai West is still too weak, and the Celestial Realm is only a slightly larger world, far from being able to rival the Celestial Court and the Heavenly Court.

He didn't have much affection for either the Celestial Court or the Heavenly Court, but it wasn't time for him to raise the banner of rebellion yet.

"In your opinion, who wins and who loses in the struggle between the Celestial Court and the Heavenly Court?" Chen Shi asked.

Xiao Duan smiled and said, "My husband, do you want to choose the victorious side? In this conflict between the two sides, it seems that the Heavenly Court has the upper hand, but in reality, the Immortals have the upper hand. If my husband wants to gain the greatest benefit, then he should submit to the Immortal Court. The Immortal Court has the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven. The Earthly Immortal Realm was created by the Three Pure Ones, and the two Buddhas of the Western Heaven are no less powerful than the Three Pure Ones. The foundation of the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven must be extremely terrifying. The fall of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor is a testament to this. In addition, the Immortal Court possesses the Yuanfu, and the strength of the Immortal Dao experts will surely increase greatly! Therefore, the Immortal Court will surely win."

Chen Shi said, "What you say makes sense. But I choose the Heavenly Court."

Xiao Duan was stunned, looking puzzled.

Chen Shi said, “The Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven are indeed unfathomably powerful, and the Immortal Emperor is also a great ruler. However, the Heavenly Court has the Great Heavenly Venerable in charge, who controls the Heavenly Dao artifacts, and the two great immortals, the Eastern King Duke and the Western Queen Mother. For the immortals, they also have the power to rally followers with a single call. The Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven are not united with the Heavenly Court, and there is a possibility that they may turn against us.”

"In terms of experts, the Heavenly Court is in no way inferior. Moreover, the calamity is approaching. Unless the Celestial Court can destroy the Heavenly Court before the calamity arrives, the Heavenly Court will ultimately be the victor!"

Xiao Duan pondered for a moment and felt that what he said made sense. She asked, "So, my husband chooses the Heavenly Court?" Chen Shi replied, "My wife thinks that the sacred mountains and lands promoted by Penglai West should belong to Jin'ao Island, not be the private property of immortals. What do you think of this measure?"

Xiao Duan, who had been in charge of Penglai West on his behalf these days, was very familiar with the rules he had set. He praised, "I think that the sacred mountains, holy lands, and mineral veins should belong to Jin'ao Island. Immortal disciples should only have the right to use them. This move may solve the chaos in the Earthly Immortal Realm."

Chen Shi said, "But if I were to apply my methods to the Earthly Immortal Realm, I would be the first to be eliminated by the Three Pure Ones Realm and the Western Heaven. The Heavenly Court would most likely eliminate me as well."

He said in a low voice, "But the reason I chose the Heavenly Court is because I feel that the Great Heavenly Venerable is not someone who will sit idly by and wait for death; he must have some cunning in his heart. When I went to the Ancestral Court, Erlang Shen said that he was a man of deep scheming..."

Just then, a thought struck him, and he said, "The Empress's clone has arrived."

Xiao Duan exclaimed in surprise, "So fast?"

Before she could finish speaking, the ethereal Houtu Niangniang strode over, saying hurriedly, "I come from someone else's Dao Realm, so my speed is naturally faster. Crown Prince, let's set off as soon as possible!"

Penglai West possesses the Dao realm of many immortals, and it was precisely because she entered the Dao realm of immortals that she was able to quickly arrive at Jin'ao Island.

Chen Shi agreed and said to Xiao Duan, "I trouble you, Madam, to continue guarding Jin'ao Island and the sacred ground of our sect."

Houtu Niangniang looked at Xiao Duan and said, "You are the Crown Princess? You are very beautiful and have an extraordinary temperament. No wonder the Crown Prince is so fond of you and doesn't even glance at the fairies in my palace."

Xiao Duan quickly bowed and said, "Your son greets his godmother."

Houtu Niangniang laughed and said, "You have a sweet tongue. If you have time, visit Houde Guangda Tiangong to see your godmother often, and you will surely receive many benefits."

Xiao Duan bowed in gratitude.

Chen Shi and Houtu Niangniang left Penglai West and arrived at the nearest ferry, where they boarded a star raft and departed.

Outside the star raft, the aurora borealis surged forth, dazzling and colorful, while inside the star raft, all was peaceful.

Empress Houtu gazed at the aurora rushing past outside the ship, her eyes shimmering with its vibrant colors. After a long silence, she suddenly said, "Crown Prince, how did you learn that the Emperor of Longevity could control the calamities? This matter has never been rumored before."

"Guess."

Chen Shi came to her side and spoke frankly, "The Heavenly Dao of the Earthly Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Dao of the Dark Sea are both Heavenly Daos and have something in common. Therefore, I guess that since the Longevity Emperor controls the Heavenly Tribulation, he may also control a part of the power to initiate the Tribulation."

After a long silence, Houtu Niangniang said, "The divine path of the Longevity Emperor can indeed control a portion of the power that initiates the calamity. This power is very small, only one percent."

Chen Shi turned his head to look at her profile and said, "One percent is already extremely terrifying."

Houtu Niangniang nodded: "This one percent of the power mobilized is enough to kill a Great Luo Golden Immortal during the tribulation. The Longevity Emperor once conducted an experiment during the last Yuanhui Tribulation."

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly. Knowing so many secrets, the Empress Houtu before him was not a clone in control, but the consciousness of the Emperor of the Earth in person.

Houtu Niangniang said, "The fallen Great Luo Golden Immortal was called Yuanming Daoren. He lived on the outskirts of the Three Pure Realms. Originally, there were no disasters or calamities in the Three Pure Realms, but Yuanming Daoren suddenly encountered the calamity and perished. The immortals of the Three Pure Realms were very nervous, thinking that the Three Pure Realms could not withstand the calamity, and they searched everywhere, quite uneasy."

Chen Shi said, "If the Great Emperor of Longevity were to conduct experiments in the Three Pure Realms, and the experts there were to discover it, they certainly wouldn't let it go."

Houtu Niangniang said, "This was not his only experiment. Afterwards, he also tried to shake the Western Heaven and attempted to bring the calamity into the Western Heaven. However, he was blocked by the three Buddhas of the past, present and future of the Western Heaven and had to retreat."

Chen Shi recalled that when he went to Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, the old monk Yun Cheng had said that the Dao realm left behind by the Buddhas Jieyin and Zhunti had been struggling to resist the calamities in recent years and was on the verge of collapse. When the last calamity broke out, all the Buddhas of the Western Paradise intervened to resist it, which was how the dignity of the Western Paradise was maintained.

It seems that the turmoil in the Western Paradise during the calamity was not due to the decline of the Dao realm left by the two ancient Buddhas, but rather to the calamity caused by the Longevity Emperor.

That time, the Western Paradise seemed to be fighting against the Calamity, but in reality, it was fighting against the Emperor of Immortality.

"These experiments were all conducted to verify the power of the tribulation-initiating technique triggered by the Longevity Emperor."

Houtu Niangniang said, "Indeed, it is no small matter. With the Longevity Emperor, the Heavenly Court can easily resolve the celestial calamity. There are only five people in the entire Heavenly Court who know about these experiments, and the Longevity Emperor is one of them."

Chen Shi's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Among these five people, one leaked information, which brought disaster upon the Longevity Emperor."

Houtu Niangniang gave him a deep look and said, "Among these five people, there are the Four Emperors and the Great Heavenly Venerable."

Chen Shi remained silent.

The Four Emperors include Houtu, Nanji, Gouchen, and Ziwei.

None of these four people could possibly betray the Heavenly Court and defect to the Celestial Court.

As for the Great Celestial Venerable, it is even more impossible for him to betray the Heavenly Court, because he is the supreme authority of the Heavenly Court!

Houtu Niangniang continued, "I cannot betray them, the Great Heavenly Venerable cannot betray them, and the Longevity Emperor certainly cannot. That leaves only Ziwei and Gouchen. Both of them are suspects."

The Immortal Realm is extremely vast, with all sorts of environments and geography. The Immortal Sea is located in the southern part of the Immortal Realm and is also known as the Dao Sea.

The reason this sea area is known as the Immortal Sea and the Dao Sea is mainly because when the Three Pure Ones opened up the Immortal Realm, they discovered that there were many immortal mountains on the sea. The immortal path was extremely compatible with this place, and there was not much interference from outsiders. Therefore, it was named the Immortal Sea.

Later, as more and more immortals appeared in the Earthly Immortal Realm, they occupied mountains and cultivated immortal mountains and holy lands to build their own Dao realms. They also hid their Dao realms for fear of being discovered, which led to fewer and fewer immortal mountains and holy lands on the Immortal Sea.

Later on, the vast Immortal Sea was empty and devoid of any immortal mountains, with little spiritual energy.

Now, with all the wise men of the Immortal Sea gathered here, swindling, cheating, burning, killing, and looting are rampant everywhere.

It is common to see immortals from other places sending their enemies here, where their bodies are sunk in the Immortal Sea.

Chen Shi and Houtu Niangniang arrived at the sea. Soldiers from the Thunder Department had already arrived and set up a formation to block the outsiders.

Lei Bu exuded a murderous aura that made people afraid to approach.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, King Chen and the Earth Goddess Houtu of the Void World have arrived!"

The Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation and Thunder of the Nine Heavens personally came to greet them and invited the two to enter the place where the Emperor of Longevity had fallen. With a sorrowful expression, he said, "Gentlemen, this must have been done by the Immortal of the South Pole!"

(End of this chapter)