On the Avenue.

Chapter 748 Emperor Gouchen
Everyone, gods, immortals, and cultivators alike, stood there bewildered. They were without weapons, their magical artifacts destroyed, unsure whether they should continue fighting.

They all had a feeling that they were doomed and their lives were about to end.

The scene just now was truly terrifying. Now, they no longer have thoughts of fighting, battlefield, right and wrong, good and evil in their minds; they only feel the relief and fear of escaping death.

Suddenly, someone panicked and cried out, "My cultivation! My magic power! It's gone!"

His voice was filled with fear and unease, like a duck being squeezed by the neck, high-pitched and shrill.

At this moment, the commotion spread far and wide.

"My magic power is gone too!"

"My true energy has been destroyed!"

"Where is my magic? Where is my magic?"

……

Unease and fear spread like wildfire across the battlefield. Cultivators, immortals, and even gods were terrified to discover that their cultivation levels had vanished and their magical power had disappeared without a trace!
Many cultivators and immortals who were originally standing in the air lost all their magic power and fell from the sky like mortals, crashing to the ground like rain.

Fortunately, their physical bodies are far stronger than those of ordinary people; at most, they might break an arm or leg, or a few ribs, but they won't die.

Fear quickly enveloped everyone, even the celestial officials of the Imperial Clan were plunged into immense terror.

The path of immortals and the path of gods are two different systems and realms.

Cultivators begin at the Foundation Establishment stage, nurturing their inner energy, refining it into a Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Spirit, ultimately achieving immortality through the union with the Dao. This is the Path of Immortality.

The gods gather incense offerings and transform them into extraordinary power, which they use to sculpt golden statues. These statues are then bestowed with different duties by the Heavenly Court and receive the various prayers of the people, thus acquiring corresponding divine power. This is the way of the gods.

The paths of gods and immortals are not interconnected, so immortals find it difficult to understand the patterns of the divine path, and gods do not comprehend the patterns of the immortal path.

Now, all the immortals and gods present have had their cultivation and the Dao principles they have honed through countless trials completely destroyed, leaving not a trace of their cultivation behind!

Especially the Zongzheng Star Official, he is the strongest deity in Zongzheng Province. His majestic body, formed from boundless star power, stands in the sky, overlooking the battlefield, and possesses terrifying divine and Dao power.

He practiced the Zongzheng Daoli, which refers to the ritual norms of the imperial clan, which must follow the way of heaven. He was one of the constellations of the Tianshi Yuan, and under the blessing of the people's faith, he became a god.

The Immortal Realm and the myriad realms contain countless countries. Every year when the royal family holds a ceremony, the Imperial Clan Official must offer a portion of incense.

He attained enlightenment through this practice, and his Dao power was astonishing. He had transitioned from a deity worshipped by incense offerings to a Dao deity, and began to comprehend the Dao patterns of the divine path. In terms of cultivation and strength, he was almost comparable to a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

However, his arm had just been trapped in that person's dojo and was almost broken, so he couldn't pull it out.

What terrified him even more was that all the divine runes on this arm were dissolved, and the power of incense also disappeared, rendering it completely useless!
"Great Demon! That person is the Great Demon!" someone screamed from the battlefield below.

This speculation intensified people's fear. Legend has it that there is a great demon in this world, born of heaven and earth, with boundless power. Heavenly King Li of the Heavenly Court was ordered to conquer it, but the great demon swallowed 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals in one gulp, and he suffered a great defeat.

This rumor has been circulating in the immortal realm for a long time, but most immortals have only regarded it as gossip. After all, Li Tianwang possesses boundless divine power; how could he possibly be defeated?

Now, this passerby's dojo covers more than 10,000 miles, and he has captured all these immortals and gods, making people think of the legends of the great demon.

The official in charge of the imperial ancestral temple looked in the direction Chen Shi had left, his expression filled with surprise and doubt: "That man is not a great demon, but the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of this generation, Chen Shi, the Heavenly King!"

As a star official, he would take the initiative to remember the appearance of important figures. Chen Shi, as the Grand Marshal of the Army and the Army of the World, ranked fifty-first in the Heavenly Court and has now risen to forty-ninth, making him an important figure as well. The Star Official of the Imperial Clan would naturally remember Chen Shi's appearance.

"However, King Chen is just a minor True Immortal. What he is more powerful about is his status. He is the Crown Prince of the Great Heavenly Palace. When did he ever have such strength?"

Before long, the fear on the battlefield subsided slightly. The generals of both the immortal and divine factions issued orders to the leaders of their respective teams to restrain their cultivators and form ranks for defense.

The deathly silent battlefield gradually came alive again, and the immortals, gods, and cultivators separated and returned to their respective camps.

Another general ordered a search for the wounded and sent the army's pharmacists to treat them.

The battlefield, which had been chaotic and filled with fighting, quickly became orderly.

The soldiers' killing intent vanished, and they looked at their own commanders. The commanders of the Immortal and Divine factions looked at the faces of their subordinates, and in their clear eyes, they saw no thought of continuing the fight, only fear and a desire to survive.

It is unclear who first gave the order to retreat, but the soldiers on the vast battlefield were orderly divided into two groups, each heading towards a different camp.

In the heavens, the Star Official of the Imperial Clan had also lost his will to fight. After a moment's hesitation, he did not order the battle to begin, but instead appeared in the heavens and shouted, "Surrender and you will not be killed!"

The immortals had no weapons or magical artifacts left, and the army's chariots, warships, war drums, and other treasures were also gone. The soldiers had all become mortals, and even when they went to war, they would just swing their fists and beat each other up, and had no choice but to surrender.

Suppressing his excitement, the Zongzheng Star Officer immediately ordered his soldiers to go and subdue the enemy soldiers, accept their surrender, and escort them away from the battlefield.

These people were once immortals or gods, or at the very least, cultivators, but now they have been reduced to mortals, and how to deal with them has become a problem.

"Should we kill them all and sacrifice them to the heavens?"

The official in charge of the imperial clan hesitated for a moment and did not give the order. He did not know Chen Tianwang's intention and dared not give an order rashly.

He had only lost an arm, but he worried that if he ordered the execution of the surrendered soldiers, Chen Shi would come back and turn him into an ordinary man, or even kill him as well.

The originally intense battle between immortals and gods in the Imperial Clan Court subsided in this unexpected way.

"Hasn't King Chen been hiding in Penglai West all this time, intercepting and killing celestial envoys? How come he's finally willing to come out?"

The official Zongzheng was greatly puzzled. He returned to the star palace and tried to restore his arm, but his right arm was as if it had been cut off, and he could not regain his divine power no matter what he did.

He pondered for a moment, lit an incense stick, and contacted Gouchen Shanggong, who ruled the Heavenly Market Enclosure, to report the matter.

Upon hearing this, Lu Daoming, the prime minister of Gouchen Palace, asked in surprise, "King Chen? Isn't he hiding in the west of Penglai, secretly sending people to kill the Heavenly Court's envoys? How did he end up in my Heavenly Market Enclosure?"

He inquired carefully and learned that the rebellion in the Zongzheng Province was quelled because Chen Shi passed by and crippled the cultivation of everyone on both sides. He was extremely surprised.

"Crush the cultivation of all immortals and gods?"

Prime Minister Lu Daoming frowned slightly; he had never heard of such a method before.

"This matter should be reported to His Majesty!"

He immediately ordered the chief clerk to compile the matter into a memorial and go to see the Emperor Gouchen.

When Emperor Gouchen read the memorial, he was greatly surprised and said, "Heavenly King Chen has come to my Heavenly Market to quell the rebellion? Wasn't he hiding in Penglai West, killing the angels? Why has he come to my Heavenly Market?"

Prime Minister Lu Daoming said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Great Heavenly Venerable ordered Heavenly King Li to go to Zhangren Province to suppress bandits. It is most likely that Heavenly King Li has him in his grasp, forcing him to send troops to quell the rebellion."

Emperor Gouchen tossed the memorial aside and said with a half-smile, "King Li has come to my Heavenly City Palace to suppress bandits? How come I didn't know?"

Chancellor Lu Daoming hesitated for a moment, then said, "This humble subject has only just learned of this matter and has not yet had a chance to report it to Your Majesty. Moreover, the Heavenly Court has sent seven envoys, all of whom were killed in Zhangren Province of our Tianshi Yuan. Our Tianshi Yuan is also guilty and suspected of failing in its efforts to suppress the bandits..."

Emperor Gouchen sneered, "I have no soldiers or generals at my disposal. How can I suppress the bandits? Do you expect me to go and suppress the bandits all by myself? The Great Heavenly Venerable doesn't trust me. When has he ever given me military power? I am one of the Four Emperors, yet I have no troops at my disposal!" Prime Minister Lu Daoming dared not respond to this question and said, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. These are extraordinary times. Your Majesty should be cautious in your words and actions and avoid suspicion."

Emperor Gouchen didn't actually lose his temper. He laughed and said, "Chen Tianwang's entry into my Heavenly Market Enclosure to suppress bandits is most likely a scheme by the Great Heavenly Venerable to use someone else to kill him. He wants to use me, this traitor, to get rid of Chen Tianwang and make him his Heavenly Dao God! This is his grand plan to mend the heavens!"

Chancellor Lu Daoming's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words..."

"Just a careless mistake!"

Emperor Gouchen sneered, "You are also a spy planted in my Gouchen Palace by the Great Heavenly Venerable. If you want to report me, then report me. I don't care! I've given up!"

Prime Minister Lu Daoming dared not speak.

He was indeed a spy planted in Gouchen Palace by the Great Celestial Venerable, and the Great Emperor Gouchen knew about this long ago. Both the emperor and his minister were aware of it, but they never exposed it, and their daily interactions continued as a harmonious partnership.

However, the war between immortals and gods has already begun these days, and Emperor Gouchen is caught in a dilemma and under great pressure, which is why he used this matter to satirize him.

Emperor Gouchen's expression softened, and he said, "I lost my composure, Fellow Daoist Lu, please don't take it to heart."

Chancellor Lu Daoming smiled and said, "Your Majesty is a true man, and it is understandable that you harbor some resentment. I am your subject and will not hold it against you."

Emperor Gouchen changed the subject, saying, "King Chen has lost his cultivation as an immortal? Tell me in detail."

The Grand Secretary Lu Daoming then recounted what had happened in the Imperial Clan Court, to which Emperor Gouchen was greatly astonished: "The cultivation of immortals and gods has vanished? What kind of method is this? Is it some kind of heretical practice?"

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he said, "When the Great Celestial Venerable bestowed the Dao Ruins upon him, there was an anomaly in the Dao Ruins, containing heretical paths. He neutralized it with strange magic, which amazed everyone. All the gods and sages of the heavens held him in higher regard because of this. Could it be that he can not only neutralize heretical paths, but also immortal paths?"

The prime minister, Lu Daoming, was unaware of this matter and dared not inquire about it.

Emperor Gouchen waved his hand and said, "You may leave. I, the Emperor of Heaven, have long been sidelined and have no real power. King Chen can do whatever he wants in my Heavenly Market City. There is no need to pay any attention to him."

Prime Minister Lu Daoming departed.

A few days later, Chancellor Lu Daoming came again, presenting a memorial. Emperor Gouchen lay reclining on his couch, with a beauty in his arms. He stretched out a hand, flicked open the memorial with his little finger, glanced at it, and lazily said, "What is it now?"

"Your Majesty, the rebellion in the Imperial Clan Court has been quelled by Prince Chen," said Chancellor Lu Daoming.

Emperor Gouchen looked surprised: "How was it balanced?"

Prime Minister Lu Daoming said, "There are many rebels in the Imperial Clan Court who are attacking the Star Lord of the Imperial Clan. The Star Lord of the Imperial Clan was almost killed when King Chen happened to pass by. The immortals and gods had their cultivation destroyed, so the matter was settled."

Emperor Gouchen frowned and said, "Another one of your cultivation levels has been destroyed? What about Zongren Xingjun?"

"His cultivation was also destroyed."

Emperor Gouchen waved his hand, dismissing him, and continued to enjoy himself with the beauty.

A few days later, Chancellor Lu Daoming returned and submitted a memorial stating, "Your Majesty, King Chen has quelled the rebellion in Yan and Zhao."

"understood."

……

"Your Majesty, when King Chen passed through the provinces of Qi and Wei, all the immortals and gods were rendered powerless."

……

A few days later, Prime Minister Lu Daoming came again, but Emperor Gouchen was not in the palace. After inquiring, he learned that Emperor Gouchen had left the palace two days ago.

"Where has His Majesty gone?" he asked the palace maid.

"They said they were going to meet this Heavenly King Chen."

Prime Minister Lu Daoming's expression changed slightly, filled with worry. He thought to himself, "Could it be that His Majesty is really going to rebel? The Great Celestial Venerable has been wary of him for a long time. After he became the Great Emperor Gouchen, the Great Celestial Venerable became suspicious of him, saying that he was a spy planted in the Heavenly Court by the Three Pure Ones! Now, His Majesty is finally going to reveal his true colors and kill King Chen!"

He hurriedly returned to the Heavenly Minister's residence, burned an incense stick, and reported to the Heavenly Court.

In Wuyue Province, Chen Shi, weary from his journey, finally arrived at his destination, breathed a sigh of relief, and descended from the clouds, intending to find a place to stay.

Along the way, he would smooth over any injustices he saw, so he didn't waste much time.

The chaos in Wuyue Province was even worse than in the other provinces he had encountered along the way. Chen Shi found a celestial city, only to find it destroyed, clearly the result of war, with ruins everywhere. The surviving people continued as usual, seemingly accustomed to such things.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, Heavenly King Chen!"

A voice came from below. Chen Shi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a burly, strange man standing under a tavern with a smile on his face, looking at him.

The strange creature had a bird's beak and a human face, its complexion like that of a fierce, indigo-colored ghost, making it terrifying in appearance. However, its temperament was extraordinary and refined. It had a pair of wings growing on its back, which were folded and bound behind it.

The extraordinary person was dressed in gorgeous clothes, exuding nobility and extraordinary dignity. He possessed both the ethereal quality of immortals and the incense-like aura of gods.

Chen Shi stepped forward and asked with a puzzled look, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask who you are?"

The strange man laughed and said, "The Heavenly Emperor of Gouchen Shanggong greets Heavenly King Chen."

Chen Shi felt a chill run down his spine: "The Great Emperor Gouchen, one of the Four Emperors!"

He quickly greeted them.

Emperor Gouchen laughed and said, "Heavenly King Chen, there's no need for such formalities. I have prepared wine and dishes to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey. Heavenly King, please."

"Don't dare."

Chen Shi spoke modestly, but entered the tavern and sat down opposite Emperor Gouchen, though he only sat on half of his buttocks.

Emperor Gouchen laughed and said, "This is not the Gouchen Upper Palace. Heavenly King, there is no need to be so reserved."

Chen Shi shifted his position, settling fully into his chair, and poured wine for the emperor opposite him, asking with a smile, "How did Your Majesty come to this land of Wu and Yue?"

Emperor Gouchen said, "Let alone Wuyue Province, the entire Tian Shi Yuan is my territory. Why can't I come here when there is a celestial calamity? Chen Shi, how dare you!"

He sneered, "Do you know who I am? I am nominally the Great Emperor Gouchen, one of the Four Emperors, but in reality, I am Lei Zhenzi, the eldest disciple of Yun Zhongzi, the patriarch of the Three Pure Ones, and a traitor planted in the Heavenly Court by the Three Pure Ones! You came to my Heavenly Market City and ruined my plans. You have truly walked into a trap!"

Chen Shi shuddered, dropped his chopsticks, and turned pale.

Emperor Gouchen sneered, "Are you afraid?"

Chen Shi picked up his chopsticks, his expression returning to normal, and said, "The thunder was so loud that I was startled. Your Majesty, to be honest, I am a disciple of the Supreme Being of the Celestial Court. We are both righteous immortals, and we are about to join hands to overthrow the tyranny of the Heavenly Court!"

(End of this chapter)