On the Avenue.

Chapter 744 Taibai Xingjun
Yang Bi followed behind Chen Shi, explaining the origins of Venus as they walked.

"When the Earthly Immortal Realm was first established, the Heavenly Court ascended to the Earthly Immortal Realm. In the struggle for the Daoist lineage of the Ancestral Court, the Three Pure Ones were defeated, and the Daoist lineage of Confucius flourished greatly."

"The Three Pure Ones do not contend, but that does not mean that others do not contend."

"The White Emperor ordered the Venus Star Lord to descend to the mortal realm to compete for the ancestral court's lineage, just as the Red Emperor also ordered his son to descend to the mortal realm."

"So at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the son of the Red Emperor killed the son of the White Emperor and established the Han Dynasty."

Chen Shi was taken aback: "The reincarnation of the Star Lord has been beheaded? How could the White Emperor let this go so easily?"

The Red Emperor and the White Emperor were both great figures among the gods, belonging to the Five Elders, whose status was second only to the Four Emperors and the Great Heavenly Venerable.

Unexpectedly, they also had a dispute over the orthodoxy back then.

Yang Bi said, "At that time, the struggle for the ancestral court's lineage intensified. After all, it was the origin of the Earthly Immortal Realm and all the myriad realms, and everyone wanted to get involved. After Taibai Xingjun was killed, he returned to heaven and waited for an opportunity to act. After Chidi Zi established the Great Han, he realized that other divine forces were stirring up trouble and that it was difficult to rule the ancestral court, so he joined forces with the lineage of Confucius."

Chen Shi interrupted him: "By then, Master would probably have already ascended to the Immortal Realm."

Yang Bi nodded and said, "When Confucius ascended to heaven, his disciples and followers remained. Among them, a great Confucian scholar from Confucius's lineage was given an important position and proposed to dismiss all other schools of thought and exclusively honor Confucianism. Those who did not follow the Six Arts or the teachings of Confucius were all expelled from the path! From then on, Confucius's lineage firmly established itself, and the other schools of thought gradually declined."

Chen Shi didn't know much about this period of history, so he asked him questions in detail.

Yang Bi recounted in detail that after the Red Emperor's lineage obtained the ancestral court and the land, the White Emperor still did not give up and wanted to reclaim the ancestral court. So the Venus de Milo descended to earth for the second time, reincarnating as Wang Mang, and ended the Han Dynasty.

The Red Emperor sent his second son to the mortal realm to slay Wang Mang, restore the Han Dynasty, and continue the dynasty's reign.

Later, the Red Emperor and the White Emperor fought each other repeatedly for 100,000 years, spanning the Shu Han, Liu Song, Later Han, Northern Han, and Southern Han dynasties.

"They fought so fiercely that by the time the Ming Dynasty came around, Taibai Xingjun had his military power revoked and became a civil official."

Yang Bi said, "Before this, he was the Heavenly Court's Martial God, with unparalleled combat power. Perhaps the Ancestral Court is no longer that important to the Earthly Immortal Realm, so he was too lazy to continue fighting. However, because of the Han Dynasty conflict, he is not friendly to our Master's lineage."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi was slightly taken aback: "Are you saying that Taibai Xingjun has a grudge against my Jin'ao Island?"

Yang Bi said, "It is a great enmity to seize the ancestral temple's lineage! That is why I just warned the True King to be on guard."

As they spoke, they arrived at the gate of Jin'ao Island.

Taibai Xingjun stood in front of the mountain gate, accompanied by a boy with red hair and white clothes, who was somewhat thin.

Taibai Xingjun is an old man with white hair who always greets people with a smile. He is a well-known peacemaker and good-natured person in the Heavenly Court. Chen Shi had met him a few times and found him to be very amiable in dealing with people, but he never thought that he was the God of War in the Heavenly Court.

The son of the White Emperor, possessing unparalleled martial prowess.

“More importantly, by suppressing all other schools of thought and exclusively honoring Confucianism, the Star Lord may not be friendly towards my Golden Turtle Island, and we must be on guard!” Chen Shixin said.

Taibai Xingjun was observing the scenery of Penglai West when he heard the commotion. He turned around and saw Chen Shi bringing Xiao Duan. He also saw the Dao Ruins and Dao Realm in the void behind Chen Shi, with several Daluo Golden Immortals sitting in the shadows. He knew that Chen Shi was wary of him.

He didn't take it to heart, chuckled, and stepped forward: "Heavenly King Chen, it's been a long time. Your cultivation has become even more profound! Your rescue of Heavenly King Li was a display of righteousness, and your leadership in pacifying the bandits in Zhangren Province was also a great achievement. The Great Heavenly Venerable was greatly pleased and bestowed rewards upon you, ordering this old minister to come and reward the soldiers."

Chen Shi was secretly wary of him, fearing that he might suddenly kill him, and laughed, "Old Star Lord, you have exaggerated my merits. There are many bandits in this Zhangren Province. How could it be so easy to wipe them out? We are still sweeping, still sweeping. Your Majesty's reward is too much for me to accept."

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "How can one refuse the Great Heavenly Venerable's bestowal? Surely King Chen wouldn't be planning to disobey the imperial decree?"

Chen Shi had no choice but to say, "I am ashamed to accept this. This is not the place to receive the imperial decree. Old Star Lord, this way please."

He raised his hand in invitation, and the two of them rode on auspicious clouds toward Biyou Palace.

Xiao Duan and Yang Bi followed behind.

Chen Shi asked, "What was the old star lord looking at just now?"

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "This old man is looking at the scenery of Penglai West. I have been here before, and it was a place where demons roamed and the air was thick with miasma. Jin'ao Island, located in the middle of it, was truly impoverished. I never expected that after only a few years since the Heavenly King came here, it has regained the magnificent scenery of the number one holy land in the world. The Heavenly King's talent is admirable."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "It's quite a coincidence. Not long after I arrived at Jin'ao Island, the heretics in Penglai West disappeared, revealing some holy sites. I just happened to be there."

Taibai Xingjun said, "The Heavenly King is the head of the Golden Turtle Island sect and has inherited the teachings of the Master. Could the decline of the heretics in Penglai West be related to the Heavenly King?"

Chen Shi laughed and said, "If I had such ability, I would have turned Penglai West into a holy land long ago. Old Star Lord should notice that there are still many places here that have been polluted by heretics."

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "The Heavenly King is avoiding suspicion."

Chen Shi did not respond.

The two arrived at Biyou Palace, where Taibai Xingjun read out the imperial edict. Chen Shi received the edict and enshrined it.

This time, the Great Celestial Venerable did not promote him. Reaching the rank of Heavenly King is basically the highest position he can reach, and there is no higher rank to be promoted to. He is not a deity, so he cannot be given a title like Celestial Venerable, nor can he be granted a territory. The only title he can be granted is the authority to act as an imperial envoy.

Chen Shi, who was content with his post in a remote corner of the country, already possessed the authority of a general with the power of a military commander. This appointment of him as a general with the power of a military commander was merely a convenient move, and he would not receive any real benefits from it.

The symbol of the power of the Imperial Axe is a precious treasure: a yellow axe. The handle is as tall as a person, and the axe head is also as tall as a person. It is neither gold nor copper. The axe head is hollow and carved with a divine face, with eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and eighteen teeth.

This treasure represents the authority of the Jade Emperor.

Upon seeing this treasure and sensing its power, Chen Shi's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly placed the axe on the altar and offered incense respectfully.

The smoke from the incense rose gently and flowed into the nostrils of the deity on the axe.

Upon seeing the precious object being offered incense, Chen Shi breathed a slight sigh of relief and withdrew according to etiquette.

Fairy Xiao Duan whispered, "Husband, is there something wrong with this axe?"

"Its power is too great."

Chen Shi's expression was solemn as he transmitted his voice, "This treasure must have been blessed by the Great Celestial Venerable and contains his divine powers. If its power is unleashed, my husband and I will not escape death."

Xiao Duan was startled. This axe, nominally bestowed upon Chen Shi as a symbol of the Great Celestial Venerable's power, was in reality a sharp blade hanging over Chen Shi's head. If Chen Shi continued his reckless behavior, the axe would sever his head!
The Great Celestial Venerable bestowed this treasure as a warning!
"The Great Celestial Venerable's reward isn't so easy to obtain. It seems I can't stay on Golden Turtle Island forever without doing anything, or the Great Celestial Venerable's axe will fall on my head," Chen Shi thought to himself.

Taibai Xingjun brought some celestial treasures to reward the soldiers of the celestial army, mostly celestial wines, dragon liver and phoenix gall, immortal elixirs, and refining materials. Chen Shi ordered these items to be distributed to express his gratitude to the Great Celestial Venerable for his generosity.

After everything was settled, Taibai Xingjun smiled and said, "The Great Heavenly Venerable sent this old minister here for another matter, which is to visit Heavenly King Li."

Chen Shi sighed, "Li Tianwang was injured by the bandits, and his injuries are extremely serious."

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "It's alright. I was ordered by the Great Heavenly Venerable to bring the best medicine for injuries from the Heavenly Court."

Chen Shi brought him to see Li Tianwang. When Li Tianwang saw Taibai Xingjun, he was both surprised and delighted, and his eyes couldn't help but turn red. But when he saw Chen Shi standing by, he dared not cry out loud.

Chen Shi said gently, "Brother Dao, the Star Lord heard that you were injured and came to visit you."

Taibai Xingjun said, "Fellow Daoist Li, the Heavenly Venerable has sent me to visit you, bringing you the finest medicine for your injuries."

He took out the medicine for his injuries, and Li Tianwang struggled to get up, rolled off the sickbed, and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his kindness.

Taibai Xingjun quickly helped him up and administered the elixir. After taking the medicine, Li Tianwang's injuries visibly improved, and he soon regained his strength. For over a year, Chen Shi had the pharmacists of Jin'ao Island diagnose and treat him, but his injuries always recurred, healing only to flare up again. However, with the medicine bestowed by the Great Celestial Venerable, which took only an hour, Li Tianwang felt the effects were even better than the treatment he had received over the past year!
He knew it was Chen Shi who was behind it, but he didn't dare to confront him.

Taibai Xingjun carefully examined his injuries and said to Chen Shi, "Fellow Daoist Li's injuries are no longer serious. There is no benefit for him to stay here. Why don't you come with me back to the Heavenly Court to report?"

Chen Shi earnestly urged him to stay, saying, "There are many bandits on the road. Why not wait until your injuries have healed before you leave?"

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Li still has to lead 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals to suppress the bandits, so he cannot stay long."

Chen Shi's expression was uncertain as he said regretfully, "Since that's the case, I won't try to keep you two here."

Seeing his expression, Li Tianwang felt his heart pounding with anxiety.

For more than a year, he lived on Jin'ao Island in constant fear, worrying that Chen Shi would turn against him, that the Giant Spirit God would say the wrong thing when he met the Great Celestial Venerable, that he would become the Great Celestial Venerable's pawn, and that his remaining heavenly soldiers and generals would become someone else's forces.

Now that Venus has come to visit, and Chen Shi has agreed to let him pass, he can finally be free. But Chen Shi's expression makes him feel that no sooner or later than Chen Shi will chase after him and kill him to silence him.

Chen Shi had no intention of killing him to silence him, but he was worried that he would file a complaint with the emperor. Therefore, his expression was uncertain as he pondered whether there was a possibility of silencing him.

However, Li Tianwang had suffered a defeat and was guilty of a crime; he had sent the Giant Spirit God to deliver a memorial to deceive the Great Heavenly Venerable; and the Jade Emperor was unwilling to turn against him, so he sent Taibai Xingjun to appease him. It was expected that Li Tianwang would not report Jin'ao Island.

"Moreover, if we want to silence them, we also need to send the old star lord on his way."

Chen Shi looked at Taibai Xingjun with some difficulty. He didn't know the extent of this old star lord's strength, but as the God of War in the Heavenly Court, he must be extremely powerful.

He temporarily suppressed his plan to silence them.

The attendant beside Venus transformed into a crane with a red crown and a white body.

This crane is a demon immortal with extremely powerful and domineering cultivation. After revealing its true form, its body is enormous, with its legs like pillars supporting the sky piercing into the clouds, and its body like a white immortal mountain in the clouds.

Chen Shi put the two of them on the back of the crane, and they saw that there was actually a celestial palace on the crane's back. In the palace, there were boys refining elixirs, burning incense, cleaning and feeding fish.

"Old Star Lord really knows how to enjoy life," Chen Shi said enviously.

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "If the Heavenly King is willing to give up power and status, he can also live a carefree life like me. I'm just afraid the Heavenly King is not willing to do so."

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I ascended to the Earthly Immortal Realm after a hundred years of hard work and pioneering efforts to achieve my current status, command two hundred thousand elite soldiers and generals, and possess the number one holy land in the Earthly Immortal Realm. How could I bear to give it up?"

Standing on the crane's back, Taibai Xingjun looked around with deep emotion and said, "The lineage of Master Fu has taken two hundred thousand years to reach its current state of Penglai West, with two hundred thousand disciples. Even Master Fu himself did not have such a grand occasion. Given time, these two hundred thousand disciples will be able to overturn the world! Heavenly King, your ambition is far-reaching; you do not wish to be content with a corner of the world, but to become a supreme leader like the Three Pure Ones!"

Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he chuckled, "What makes you say that, Old Star Lord?"

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "To the Great Celestial Venerable, these 200,000 people are 200,000 heavenly soldiers and generals. To Li Tianwang, these 200,000 people are 200,000 immortals who can be lost. But to the Heavenly King, they are 200,000 disciples of the Jie Sect! Back then, when Tongtian Shengren set up the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, it was only a scale of 10,000 people."

He said meaningfully, "Now, the Sect Master can set up twenty such Ten Thousand Immortals Formations, attack the Western Heaven, destroy the Three Pure Realms, and even storm the Heavenly Court without a doubt!"

Chen Shi's face turned ashen, and he said repeatedly, "Old Star Lord, please don't say that, you've frightened me to death! This Ten Thousand Immortals Formation has been lost for a long time, who can perform it?"

Taibai Xingjun laughed heartily and said, "Even someone as fearless as the Heavenly King has moments of fear? I've heard that the Heavenly King comes from the Dark Sea; I wonder what kind of world that is?"

Before Chen Shi could answer, he said, seemingly casually, "I heard that when the Heavenly King returned from the Ancestral Court, he severed the passage between the Ancestral Court and the Earthly Immortal Realm. Could it be that he intends to monopolize the Ancestral Court's lineage? Heavenly King, why is your face so pale?"

Chen Shi, trembling with fear, took a gourd from Yang Bi's hand and said with a fawning smile, "Old Star Lord, this is a drop of Jade Purity Dao Spring water, a mere token of my respect. I hope the Old Star Lord can put in a good word for me with the Great Celestial Venerable..."

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "Yuqing Daoquan is indeed a good thing, but it is useless to a god like me."

Even so, he took the gourd, stuffed it into his sleeve, and did not continue to beat Chen Shi.

Chen Shi saw him off with utmost respect.

On the back of the crane, in the celestial palace, Li Tianwang said to Taibai Xingjun, "Old Xingjun is still powerful. With just a few words, he has Chen Shi under his control and made this fellow dare not make any rash moves."

Taibai Xingjun chuckled and said, "It would be strange if a few words could control the current master. Fellow Daoist Li, he is pretending to be ignorant when he knows the truth."

Li Tianwang's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Does Chen Shi really have such ambitions? Aren't your words a warning to him, forcing him to kill someone to silence them?"

He shuddered at the thought of Fairy Xiao Duan's methods, not to mention the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation.

Having experienced the war against the Shang dynasty, Li Tianwang had some understanding of the ferocity of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation. Once that killing formation was unleashed, would they still have a chance to survive?

Taibai Xingjun said slowly, "Perhaps. If he really has such ambitions, he will use the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation to intercept and kill us on our way back to the Heavenly Court."

Li Tianwang was greatly shocked. His throat went dry, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Golden Turtle Island is no longer the Jie Sect it once was. Where is the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation? It must have been lost long ago."

Taibai Xingjun laughed and said, "The Sage Tongtian was reincarnated as Master, not dead. How could the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation have been lost? As the sect leader, Chen Shi must also possess a copy of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation!"

Beneath his white robe, golden light shimmered, and beneath his aged skin, muscles moved slowly like dragons, containing immense power capable of shaking the heavens and earth!
"Will King Chen mobilize the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation to ambush and kill us?"

His voice was no longer old, but instead carried the clanging sound of metal striking metal. "Back then, this Ten Thousand Immortals Formation could fight against the disciples of the Three Pure Ones and confront two great sages head-on. I look forward to confronting this great formation head-on."

Jin'ao Island, Biyou Palace.

Chen Shi's face was ashen.

Fairy Xiao Duan asked doubtfully, "Husband, does our Golden Turtle Island really have the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation?"

"Master Jiao did not teach me the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, but he did teach me the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram."

Chen Shi paused for a moment, then said, "I did indeed make twenty copies of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram."

Little Duan Fairy was startled and made twenty copies of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram.
She was a true princess, yet she had no idea when Chen Shi had obtained the Myriad Immortals Formation Diagram and had even refined so many copies!
Chen Shi paced back and forth, hesitant and undecided.

Taibai Xingjun's words truly stirred his murderous intent. He wanted to summon a scroll of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram, lead the Ten Thousand Immortals to the scene, and send the old star lord and Li Tianwang on their way.

Yang Bi chimed in, “Could this be a test? He took Li Tianwang away to force Zhenwang to kill him and silence him, and he also exposed Zhenwang’s ambition to force him to kill him and silence him. He already has a grudge against the lineage of the Master, and his two attempts to coerce Zhenwang show his ill intentions.”

Fairy Xiao Duan said, "Fellow Daoist Yang, my husband has no such ambition. Don't talk nonsense."

Chen Shi's expression was unpredictable, shifting between light and dark.

Yang Bi continued, "And the True King's gift of a gourd of Jade Purity Spring water was also a test for him."

Chen Shi said, “I can’t hide it from you, fellow Daoist. Taibai Xingjun accepted the gourd of Jade Purity Dao Spring, which allows me to confirm that he has been reincarnated as an immortal. During the Ming Dynasty, he transformed from a martial god into a kind old gentleman, and he must have been reincarnated at that time. His achievements are extraordinary, and he is fully confident that he can resist the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation. Therefore, he forced me to kill him twice to silence him.”

Yang Bi said, "Since the True King knows that he is forcing you to use the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, why should you comply with his wishes?"

Chen Shi nodded and smiled, "Of course we can't let him have his way. But if we just let him leave like this, wouldn't that be beneath the dignity of our Sect Master? He wants to see the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, but I'll make sure he doesn't."

"Madam, please come with me. When we catch up with him, please use my Demon Blood Tree to meet this Heavenly Martial God."

(End of this chapter)