On the Avenue.

Chapter 731 Treat it as a matter to be dealt with.

Chen Shi felt a heavy weight in his heart. The Heavenly Court originally intended to delay this battle until the time of the tribulation, when the Longevity Emperor would be there to help them. Breaking the Celestial Court, conquering the Western Paradise, and flattening the Three Pure Realms would all be a piece of cake.

But now, with the death of the Longevity Emperor, one of the Four Emperors, the conflict between immortals and gods has spiraled out of control, leaving little room for maneuver.

This battle between immortals and gods was inevitable.

As the Grand Marshal of all the armies in the land, and possessing the secrets of heaven, it was difficult for him to remain untainted!

They might inexplicably die at any time, sacrificed by the Great Celestial Venerable as celestial beings. —The Thirty-Three Celestial Beings are likely a contingency plan by the Great Celestial Venerable to deal with the war between immortals and gods.

The Goddess Houtu opened a passage leading directly to the Dao realm of an immortal on Jin'ao Island, which happened to be in the heart of Penglai West, not far from Jin'ao Island.

Chen Shi invited her to visit Biyou Palace. Houtu Niangniang hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse.

"Although the actions of the Sage Tongtian were quite extreme, his spiritual attainments and achievements are admirable."

Houtu Niangniang walked through Biyou Palace, admiring the beautiful scenery. She stopped to examine the stone statue of Confucius and said, "Although he was defeated, he was not discouraged. He was reincarnated as Confucius and defeated the Three Pure Ones in the inheritance of Taoist magic. It is also a wonderful story. People say that the Three Pure Ones created the immortal path, but Tongtian Shengren also made great contributions to the immortal path, no less than any of the Three Pure Ones."

Chen Shi also stopped and gazed at the statue of Confucius. He didn't know much about the Sage Tongtian, so he asked, "Is the establishment of the Immortal Path also related to the Sage Tongtian?"

Houtu Niangniang said, "At that time, Tongtian Shengren was also a divine official of the Great Shang Dynasty, and he was not the same kind of divine official as the Three Pure Ones. I heard that they had a good relationship, studied the Dao together, and had many insights into each other, calling each other Daoist friends. However, their differences grew bigger and bigger later, and after they achieved fame and success, their conflicts also increased. This led to them turning against each other during the war against Shang."

Chen Shi then inquired about the past of the Sage of Heaven, and Houtu Niangniang, having lived through that era, answered all his questions without reservation.

"Where did Master and the Three Pure Ones go after leaving the Immortal Realm?" Chen Shi asked.

Houtu Niangniang also didn't know, and shook her head, saying, "They never mentioned it."

Chen Shi pressed further, "Has Your Majesty seen the map of the Qing Palace?"

Houtu Niangniang's heart stirred slightly, and she said, "You mean the Green Palace in the Dark Sea?"

Chen Shi was both surprised and delighted: "Does Your Highness know about that Green Palace?"

Houtu Niangniang smiled and said, "I know some legends about it. When the Dark Sea was created, there were not only the Three Pure Ones, but also ancient deities from our ancestral court. At that time, we left our ancestral court and found ourselves surrounded by darkness and boundless expanse. We found an abandoned ancient world, a place of chaos and disorder."

The Three Pure Ones, along with the Heavenly Emperor, the Earth Goddess, the God of Longevity, the Purple Star, the Hooked Chen, the Three Sovereigns, the Five Emperors, and other deities, came to that world and used their immense power to drive back the darkness, to open the primordial chaos with their immortal ways, to subdue heretics, to slay evil, and to vanquish demons.

That world was a broken world, with countless fragments floating on the dark sea, forming small worlds.

These broken worlds contain some strange relics, mysterious, ancient, and imbued with a dark aura, unlike the ways of immortals and gods.

Some fragments of the world contain powerful and extraordinary beings, who are inherently cruel, strange, and difficult to communicate with. They also seem to be composed of heretics, evil, and aggressive.

They called these beings "Great Demons," referring to those born with demonic powers who were incapable of communication.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi exclaimed in surprise, "There were already great demons during that period?"

He originally thought that the Great Demon was a chosen one born after the Three Pure Ones opened up the Earthly Immortal Realm, when the Dark Sea Heavenly Dao resisted the invasion of the Immortal Dao. He did not expect that the Great Demon's origin was even more ancient.

The Goddess Houtu smiled enigmatically and said, "Indeed. The great demon in the Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Well of my Daohua Palace was left behind back then. But strangely enough, these great demons have vanished without a trace. Does the Crown Prince know what has happened?"

During this period, Chen Shi's cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and he is now not far from the second level of the Golden Immortal Realm, precisely because the Demon Blood Treasure Tree has refined the Great Demon.

These great demons came from the Bagua Demon-Suppressing Well.

Chen Shi remained calm and said, "This must be because my godmother is blessed with good fortune, and someone is helping her share her burdens."

Houtu Niangniang originally intended to hold him accountable for stealing the Great Demon's remains, but upon hearing this, all thoughts of holding him accountable vanished, and she was overjoyed, laughing and saying, "I am very touched that you are willing to share my burdens. If you hadn't taken these Great Demon's remains with you, that little traitor Feng Huixue would probably have caused a great mess this time."

She was filled with mixed emotions. The Celestial Court must have made two preparations this time: one was to eliminate the Longevity Emperor, and the other was to eliminate her.

If Chen Shi hadn't stolen the Great Demon's remains and passed on the Nine Profound Yellow Talismans to her, she would surely have been doomed this time.

“We clean up the dangerous creatures on these fragments of the world, refine the heretics, and discard the dregs that we cannot refine. We found that those great demons are unkillable, like beings of the Heavenly Dao, but they are so evil that we can only suppress them.”

The Goddess Houtu recounted that history in a gentle and detailed manner.

The Three Pure Ones and Houtu, along with other deities, pieced together these fragments of the world to form a vast and astonishingly large world, which later became the Earthly Immortal Realm.

The Three Pure Ones refined the Thirty-Three Heavenly Dao Treasures to maintain the operation of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in the Earthly Immortal Realm, and the Immortal Dao became the orthodox way in the Earthly Immortal Realm from then on.

As for those unrefinable heretical dregs, they were piled up together, forming the Dao Ruins.

They then carved out the fragments of the world that could not be pieced together around the Earthly Immortal Realm, cleared away the great demons, and formed four great worlds that guarded the Earthly Immortal Realm, which they named the Four Continents.

The first great world to be created was called Dongsheng Shenzhou, followed by Beiju Luzhou, Nanzhanbuzhou, and Xiniuhezhou.

These places have indigenous people, and instead of killing them, the people taught them cultivation methods.

From then on, the ancestral court began its migration to the Immortal Realm and the Four Continents.

Later, the Xuanhuang Sea was also opened up, and more and more worlds were discovered. These worlds also had strange native inhabitants. Races such as demons, asuras, and monsters were also integrated into the Earthly Immortal Realm during that period.

"Back then, when we were opening up the Immortal Realm, we discovered some remnants from the Dark Civilization era. This era has been annihilated, leaving only ancient and magnificent buildings. Some of these buildings are buried deep underground, as if frozen in time by rocks. Others are exposed on the surface, old and weathered."

Houtu Niangniang said, "We discovered that anything important in this era was recorded using a type of blue rock. We found many remnants of blue rock, which were later sent to the Three Pure Realms for the immortals to study. We also found a blue rock vein that had been mined during the Dark Ages."

"Where is this vein located?" Chen Shi asked hurriedly.

Houtu Niangniang said, "In the Tianyuan of the East Sea, there is a mineral vein called Tianyuan, which belongs to the Sanqing Realm."

There are many Tianyuan, found in the four seas of the east, west, south, north, and south. However, the North Sea is the source of the fish, and when Chen Shi and Fan Xiao fished in the North Sea, they were fishing for fish from Tianyuan.

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly: "My senior brother Yan Zhibei once mined in Tianyuan in the East Sea. He and senior brother Bian Liuer, who mined in Yanwangjing, were known as the two masters of the Jin'ao Island mine. We can ask him about the Qingyan vein."

Houtu Niangniang continued, "Among the green rocks we found, there is a picture on one of them. It depicts a green palace, and around the palace are strange patterns, like a panoramic view of the Dark Sea, showing the complete form of the ancient world. Comparing it with the Earthly Immortal Realm, we can see that the Earthly Immortal Realm is not complete. However, this panoramic view is also incomplete."

Chen Shi was quite excited. The map of the Dark Sea he saw did not show the shape of the ancient world. It did show a panoramic view of the Dark Sea, but a large part of it had been hidden.

"Where is this piece of green rock?" "It was also sent to the Three Pure Realms."

Houtu Niangniang said, "We gods have no interest in such things and cannot study them, but the immortals of the Three Pure Realms are very curious about them, so they took them. There are also several pieces of green rock in the Western Paradise, which also have some patterns left over from the Dark Ages. Most of these monks are studying the contents of those patterns. Could it be that the Crown Prince has also obtained a similar piece of green rock?"

She suddenly remembered something and said, "The nine Xuanhuang Yuan Talismans you passed on to me, could they be related to Qingyan?"

These Xuanhuang Nine Talismans are mysterious and unpredictable, replacing her own Xuanhuang Dao Patterns. She was able to save her life and even kill two Daluo Golden Immortals this time entirely because of them.

Chen Shi recounted the origin of the Yuanfu, saying, "The Yuanfu was created by Qianlong, the Right Celestial Master of the Celestial Court, and was perfected by my grandfather and me. However, my perfection of the Yuanfu is indeed related to Qingyan."

He spoke of the Green Palace beneath Penglai West, and the Dark Sea-Sky Path recorded on the walls of the Green Palace.

Houtu Niangniang said with a solemn expression, "This matter is of great importance. You haven't told anyone else, have you?"

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, then said, "My fellow disciples on Jin'ao Island, as well as my Uncle Jiao, my grandfather, and my fifth uncle all know about the underground Green Palace."

Houtu Niangniang roared with murderous intent: "Kill them all!"

Chen Shi was startled.

Houtu Niangniang said, "To be on the safe side, we should kill them all. Otherwise, if this matter gets out, Jin'ao Island will probably be wiped out. The Three Pure Realms, the Western Heaven, and the Celestial Court will definitely raze Jin'ao Island to the ground. Even the Great Celestial Venerable might not be able to resist killing you and seizing the Underground Green Palace."

She sneered, "What can make the Three Pure Ones, the two Buddhas of the Western Paradise, and Confucius so obsessed must be extraordinary and enough to bring you death."

Chen Shi said resolutely, "I will make sure they keep their mouths shut!"

Houtu Niangniang said, "The safest way is to kill them all."

Chen Shi quickly shook his head.

Houtu Niangniang didn't continue to frighten him, saying, "Crown Prince, the Dark Sea Heavenly Dao recorded in the Underground Azure Palace is something that the Western Heaven and the Heavenly Court of the Three Pure Realms have studied for countless years without success. Countless people of unparalleled talent have devoted their wisdom and talent to it. Your research over a year or two is equivalent to the entire lifespan of the person who killed the Longevity Emperor. Do you think your Golden Turtle Island can still be protected if news of the Underground Azure Palace leaks out? The moment the Great Heavenly Venerable hears the news, he will probably rush over to eliminate you!"

Chen Shi nodded solemnly in agreement.

As Houtu was about to leave, she remembered something and asked, "The war between immortals and gods is about to begin. How will the Crown Prince handle this?"

Chen Shi said solemnly, "Naturally, I will rely on the Heavenly Court and take refuge under my godmother's command."

Houtu Niangniang said earnestly, "The Heavenly Court is powerful and legitimate, so aligning with it is naturally the best choice. However, the Earthly Immortal Realm is full of powerful beings. There are many demons who can swallow 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals in one gulp, and many immortals and gods who can annihilate 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals in one move. Even I often feel that I am in danger of being able to protect myself. Whether you rely on the Heavenly Court or on me, it will be difficult for you to last in this battle."

"Please enlighten me, Godmother!"

Houtu asked, "How long does it take for the messenger from Heaven to arrive in Penglai West?"

Chen Shi often traveled this route, saying, "If you travel day and night without resting, you will need to pass through more than ten star gates, which will take a total of one month and six days."

Houtu Niangniang said, "If the Star Gate Post Station in Penglai West is destroyed by the immortals of the Three Pure Realms, how long will it take for the messenger to arrive in Penglai West?"

Chen Shi's eyes lit up, and he bowed deeply in gratitude: "Thank you for your guidance, godmother!"

Houtu Niangniang laughed and said, "Your two hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals seem like a lot, but they are insignificant to the overall situation. As long as you keep to yourself in this corner of Penglai and don't make a fuss, not many people will come here to kill you. Even if they do, they will only be small fry. However, I have not given you any pointers. If you are found out, don't betray me."

She got up and left.

Chen Shi pondered for a moment, then immediately invited Senior Sister Jing Mei and Senior Brother Qiao Gu, saying, "I would like to trouble you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, to disguise yourselves as immortals of the Three Pure Realms and destroy the Star Gate Station in the west of Penglai!"

The two were startled. Jingmei said, "Destroying the Star Gate Station in Penglai West will cut off all communication between other places and Penglai West. This is an act of rebellion! If the Heavenly Court finds out, it will be punishable by death!"

"Therefore, one must disguise oneself as an immortal from the Three Pure Realms."

Chen Shi said earnestly, "This matter concerns the lives of 200,000 people on Jin'ao Island. Senior brothers and sisters, will you do it or not?"

"Do!"

The two exchanged a glance, and Qiao Gu laughed, "These brats from the Three Pure Realms, we've been bullied by them so much, we're quite good at impersonating them."

Chen Shi said, "I'll trouble you, senior brothers and sisters, to take care of this matter immediately."

The two left immediately.

Within a few days, news that the Penglai West Star Gate Post Station had been destroyed by villains from the Three Pure Realms spread throughout Penglai West.

The sect leader, Venerable Chen Shi, was filled with righteous indignation and grief. He declared that the Three Pure Realms had gone too far in bullying them and vowed never to let the matter rest. He also encouraged his disciples to cultivate diligently, strive for breakthroughs as soon as possible, and avoid being bullied again.

"Could we also destroy the star gate stations in Yanxia and Cangwu?"

After mobilizing his disciples, Chen Shi couldn't help but have a reverie: even if the star gate post station west of Penglai were destroyed, the Heavenly Court's messengers would still be able to reach Penglai in two or three years. Destroying the star gates in places like Yanxia and Cangwu would extend the time to four or five years.

"If we destroy all the star gates between the Heavenly Court and Penglai West, it could extend our lifespan by more than ten years... No, no, that's too risky."

Chen Shi summoned his fellow disciples to Biyou Palace to discuss the matter. Everyone offered suggestions and ideas, when suddenly Wen Ting said, "Why don't we disguise ourselves as bandits and kill the Heavenly Court envoy on his way to Penglai West? Since we won't receive the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree, this will naturally solve the problem."

Chen Shi's eyes lit up, and he praised, "Brother Wen, that's a great idea! Brother Wen used to work as a groom?"

Wen Ting honestly replied, "Before becoming a coachman, I was so poor that I resorted to robbing people on the road."

"Our Jin'ao Island truly produces a great number of talented people."

Chen Shi couldn't help but sigh and said, "Senior Brother Wen, take some people to patrol between Penglai West and Yanxia, ​​and treat this matter seriously."

Wen Ting accepted the order and immediately went to select men to intercept and kill the Heavenly Court envoy.

Princess Duan was deeply worried, after all, her husband was doing things that would land her on the execution platform.

"Senior Brother Yan, please wait."

Chen Shi called out to Yan Zhibei and asked, "Senior Brother Yan, have you ever dug up any blue rock or any other strange things while mining in Tianyuan all these years?"

(End of this chapter)