On the Avenue.

Chapter 762 Spreading the Dao Throughout the World
Chen Shi seemed to be possessed by a demon, yet not quite; he seemed inhuman, yet also possessed humanity. Even a seasoned veteran like Chen Yin couldn't tell the difference.

Chen Yin was impulsive and natural, with a childlike innocence and a strong thirst for knowledge that captivated many women. However, he had not experienced the upheavals that Chen Shi went through in his early years, so he lacked the demonic nature to understand Chen Shi's situation.

"Could it be that Xiao Shi hasn't fallen into demonic possession? No, if he hasn't fallen into demonic possession, why won't he reclaim his humanity?"

Chen Yin felt a chill run down his spine when he thought of this.

Chen Shi is inhuman, yet he can still have the same mindset and actions as Confucius. This is terrifying!

"My grandson has defied Heaven!"

This sermon was unprecedented in scale. Chen Shi allowed his disciples to observe the Yuanfu. These 200,000 immortals had been tempered and refined in the lower realm before ascending to the Earthly Immortal Realm. They were all naturally gifted and talented. Many of the disciples quickly understood the basic mysteries of the Yuanfu and gradually grasped its essence.

However, the profound mysteries of the Great Dao contained in the Yuanfu are not easy to master in a short period of time. Therefore, Chen Shi sent out his Dirty Body and Dao Body to stand on the left and right respectively. If the disciple encountered any difficulties, he could come forward to ask questions, and the Dirty Body and Dao Body would provide answers.

There were also those who were truly outstanding, and whose questions were extremely profound, which the wicked and the Taoist could not answer. So they were allowed to enter Biyou Palace, where Chen Shi answered them personally.

Seeing this, Emperor Changchun was really itching to try it out. He said to his wife, Yuanjun, "Yuanjun, we have also received the Yuanfu from Master Chen. Among the Yuanfu taught by Master Chen, there are also those of our lineage. Why don't we each set up an altar? If there are any practitioners of our lineage, we might as well help answer their questions?"

The goddess Yuanjun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Wouldn't that be presumptuous of us to overstep our bounds?"

Emperor Changchun laughed and said, "This move is both to relieve Master Chen's worries and to find a successor for us, so as to preserve our lineage. Yuanjun, if you and I cultivate the Yuanfu, we will no longer be able to stay in the Dao Ruins. The world is so vast, but apart from the Dao Ruins, we have nowhere to stand. Why not take this opportunity to find a place to settle down in the west of Penglai?"

Upon hearing this, the goddess Yuanjun nodded secretly.

Their seclusion in the Dao Ruins was out of necessity. Firstly, they used external paths to corrupt themselves and avoid calamity; secondly, they used the Green Stele to suppress external paths. Now that the Primordial Talisman has replaced the Immortal Path, and the Primordial Talisman carries a portion of external paths, they no longer need to worry about the calamity or the erosion by external paths, and they no longer need to hide in the Dao Ruins.

But if they don't hide in the Dao Ruins, they have nowhere to stand in the outside world, unless they seek refuge in the Three Pure Realms or the Western Paradise, becoming dependent on others. But with their abilities, why should they need to depend on others?
Rather than that, it would be better for them to stay in Penglai West. On the one hand, Chen Shi had been kind to them, and on the other hand, there were no experts in Penglai West. If they stayed, they would be treated with courtesy and respect.

The old woman said, "This matter must be consulted with Master Chen."

The two then went to Biyou Palace, met Chen Shi, and discussed the matter.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "If you two are willing to stay, my Jin'ao Island will be honored. If you have a disciple you like, you are welcome to choose a sacred mountain or holy land in Penglai West and establish your own cave dwelling there."

The two were overjoyed and left Biyou Palace, where they also set up an altar to preach and pass on the Yuanfu of their lineage.

With 200,000 disciples on Jin'ao Island, there are many people practicing various methods, and naturally some of them practice the lineage of these two. They feel that they are on the right track, so they come to ask for guidance.

Changchun Emperor and Niangpo Yuanjun spoke frankly and openly, and within a few days, more than ten immortals gathered around them.

Emperor Changchun laughed and said, "Everyone, I am a Great Luo Golden Immortal who has survived the tribulation. I am honored by Master Chen's favor, which allows me to choose a holy site in the west of Penglai to open my academy and take on disciples. If you are interested, you can become my disciples. Rest assured, even if you become my disciples, you will still be disciples of Golden Turtle Island."

Upon hearing this, the group murmured amongst themselves. One of them asked, "Has the Emperor established his residence under the command of Jin'ao Island? Will he continue to be at Jin'ao Island's beck and call?"

Emperor Changchun laughed and said, "That's exactly right."

The group then stepped forward to become his disciples.

The same was true for Niangpo Yuanjun. The two of them each took in more than ten disciples and were very happy. They led their disciples to travel to various places in Penglai to find suitable holy sites.

Yangshuo Shanren and Changchun Dijun were already at odds, often bickering. Upon seeing Changchun Dijun preach, Yangshuo Shanren sneered inwardly, "What a spineless brat! He accepted Master Chen's bribes and then did Master Chen's bidding, thus lowering his own status! I am, after all, a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and I will not demean myself so. I maintain my dignity!"

When he saw that the Changchun Emperor had actually taken those dozen or so immortals as his disciples, and had even chosen a sizable holy land to build an immortal palace and establish a mountain gate, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"That scoundrel is undermining our benefactor and even occupying our benefactor's sacred ground!"

Yangshuo Mountain Man was quite indignant, while Shantang Hermit laughed and said, "I went to ask my mother-in-law. They're not trying to undermine our benefactor, but rather because all the sacred lands in the world have been divided up, leaving no place for us. So they've come to Master Chen's place to settle down. On one hand, they're helping Master Chen enhance the prestige of Jin'ao Island, and on the other hand, they're looking for a few successors for themselves."

Upon hearing this, the hermit of Yangshuo was greatly intrigued: "Old layman, what do you think?"

The Hermit of Shantang said, “I had the same idea. Why don’t you and I go see Master Chen and find a similar plan?”

The two hit it off immediately and headed straight for Biyou Palace.

Upon arriving at Biyou Palace, they found Gu Daoquan, Tianye Laoren, and others there, seeking to discuss matters with Chen Shi, intending to preach, establish a temple, and accept disciples.

"I'm late!"

Yangshuo Mountain Man stamped his foot and said, "These good sacred sites and promising talents have all been poached by these bastards!"

"Two hundred thousand people, they can't be poached away."

Shantang Jushi said, "Penglai West is also quite large, with many sacred sites inside; there's bound to be one that suits us."

Yangshuo Shanren looked at him with some wariness, as if he were looking at a dog who was competing with him for disciples and sacred ground.

The area inside and outside Penglai West was bustling with activity. This time, the transmission of the Dharma and the preaching took too long, and soon it was time for the ten-day deadline set by Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran, making the two of them restless.

The two hurriedly found Chen Yindu.

Du Yiran paced back and forth anxiously, saying, "Old Chen, I announced to the public that I would be in seclusion for ten days, but now ten days have passed and I haven't returned. I'm afraid my Zaofu Palace has already been turned upside down!"

Sha Qiutong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and said urgently, "I also planned to go into seclusion for ten days, you have to think of a way quickly!"

Chen Yin said helplessly, "I still haven't been able to break Xiao Shi's seal. If Xiao Wu, the Creator, were here, I should be able to understand the mystery of his seal."

"We can't wait any longer!"

Sha Qiutong said urgently, "Old Hu is still in the Celestial Court! If we leave, he will be a hostage! If we don't return for ten days, I'm afraid the Celestial Court will take action against Old Hu!"

The "Old Hu" she mentioned was Hu Xiaoliang, the Heavenly Fox. Back then, the four of them came to the Earthly Immortal Realm together. Chen Yin was accepted as a disciple by the Hidden Dragon Ancestor, Du Yiran went to the Zaofu Palace, and Sha Qiutong went to the Nine Nether Valley.

Hu Xiaoliang was the only one who was a demon. Demons had a low status in the Celestial Court and were often used as mounts. However, because of Chen Yindu's influence, he was spared the fate of being a mount and was used as a decoration in Tianxiu Garden.

—These are the majestic and extraordinary beasts that stand on either side when distinguished guests visit, and they look so imposing that they are called decorations.

At least the Celestial Court provided food and drink, plenty of elixirs and spiritual energy, and all sorts of cultivation techniques for demon immortals, so Hu Xiaoliang's life was actually the most comfortable among the four. Chen Yin came to find Chen Shi this time, and was able to bring Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran along because both of them had their own celestial palaces and could claim to be in seclusion. But Hu Xiaoliang was just a figurehead, without his own celestial palace, so he wasn't brought along.

Now that the three have been gone for so long, Hu Xiaoliang's good days are probably numbered.

Chen Yin pondered, "As long as the Yuan Talisman taught by Xiao Shi reaches the Celestial Court, the old fox won't die. My master, Qianlong, will definitely spare his life. Only if the old fox doesn't die will he have leverage to control us and figure out the origin of the Yuan Talisman. With his intelligence, he should be able to guess that the Yuan Talisman taught by Xiao Shi came from me. He knows my value, so he will definitely protect the old fox."

Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran were somewhat relieved upon hearing this.

Du Yiran said, "Qianlong has Lao Hu's life in his hands, how can we rescue him?"

Chen Yin frowned slightly. The Hidden Dragon Ancestor was definitely a formidable opponent, intelligent and resourceful, no less so than Chen Yin himself. Moreover, his cultivation was profound, making him a top-tier Taiyi Golden Immortal. How to rescue the Heavenly Fox was indeed a difficult problem.

"Right now, we're still trying to find a way to escape from Xiao Shi!"

Celestial Court, Abyssal Palace.

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor has already obtained the first Yuan Talisman sent from Penglai West.

The Right Celestial Master looked solemn as he repeatedly examined the talisman, exploring its structure and comprehending its profound mysteries.

He was the founder of Yuanfu, and the first Yuanfu was created by him. However, he had too many trivial matters to attend to, such as helping the Immortal Emperor manage the affairs of the Immortal Court. He had no time to devote all his energy to Yuanfu, so he could only summon brilliant people with unparalleled talents, such as Chen Yindu, to expand Yuanfu together.

Even though he collected all the Daoist teachings in the world and gathered the sixteen most intelligent people in the world to study them together, he could only perfect the Yuanfu by 20%.

But now, the Yuanfu floating in front of him is more than 80% complete.

The corner of the Hidden Dragon Ancestor's eye twitched slightly. The talisman before him was already extremely perfect. In his eyes, it was even more perfect than the Dao patterns of the Immortal Path. Even the most beautiful woman in the world could not compare to even a fraction of the beauty of this talisman.

But how could the young master of Jin'ao Island possess such a perfect Yuanfu?

"Chen! Yin! Du!"

He recalled the first time he met Chen Shi. At that time, Chen Shi and Chen Yin had already met and had been together for some time. It was obviously around that time that Chen Yin passed the Yuanfu to Chen Shi.

However, Chen Yindu only had 20% of the Yuanfu completeness at that time.

Who perfected this 80% complete Yuanfu?

Who is so wise?
"Is he the young scholar from Jin'ao Island? I underestimated him."

Suddenly, the Hidden Dragon Ancestor remembered something and quickly summoned Zuo Gongming, instructing him, "Chen Yin shouldn't be in seclusion; he's already escaped. He has a brother named Tianhu who is still at Tianxiu Garden. Go to Tianxiu Garden immediately and bring Tianhu to me. Don't let anyone kill him!"

Zuo Gongming's expression changed slightly. He said, "Master, Chen Yindu has indeed escaped. Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran have also escaped. When my fellow disciples heard about this, they wanted to go to Tianxiu Garden to kill Tianhu to vent their anger."

"Go quickly, you must stop them!"

Zuo Gongming left in a hurry.

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor exhaled a breath of turbid air and said in a low voice, "As long as the Heavenly Fox is alive, I can still control Chen Yindu. And this little master from Golden Turtle Island is quite an interesting person. He spread the Yuan Talisman and made it public to the world, which indeed shows the demeanor and style of a master, far surpassing mine. However, he won't live much longer."

With a leisurely expression, he waved his whisk and walked towards the Lingxiao Palace.

"Your use of the Yuan Talisman has disrupted the balance of power between the Celestial Court and the Heavenly Court. From now on, the immortals and gods are one family. How can they fight each other?"

He arrived at the Lingxiao Palace, where he found it already filled with civil and military officials, all discussing the Yuanfu of Jin'ao Island. Jin'ao Island's 200,000 disciples were a mixed bag, with various forces having planted their own people there, and even the Celestial Court had several factions with spies within its ranks.

In the past, when Li Tianwang discovered spies in the Heavenly Army Camp, he would often send them out to their deaths. However, Chen Shi recruited the Heavenly Army Camp for his own use without any screening, thus keeping the spies of various forces intact.

"The hidden dragon has arrived at just the right time."

Left Celestial Master Leng Dongliu said, "Chen Shi of Jin'ao Island imparted his Yuanfu to his disciples with great fanfare, and the Yuanfu he taught was extremely profound, even surpassing yours by a great deal. What happened in the meantime?"

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor bowed to the Immortal Emperor and said, "Master Chen is exceptionally intelligent. He received the secret transmission of the Primordial Talisman from my disciple Chen Yindu and perfected it."

Leng Dongliu frowned slightly: "Master, you are overestimating Chen Shi, which makes people suspicious of your intentions."

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, "He spreads his teachings throughout the world and deserves to be addressed with respect."

Before Leng Dongliu could argue further, the Celestial Emperor raised his hand and said, "The two Celestial Masters need not quarrel over this matter. The Yuanfu is the reliance of our Celestial Court. The alliance between the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven and our Celestial Court is partly due to the Celestial Court's ruthlessness, but another reason is the Yuanfu. Now that Master Chen has imparted the Yuanfu, our Celestial Court has lost one of its reliance. The purpose of this gathering is to discuss what impact Master Chen's teachings will have on the situation of the world."

Leng Dongliu said, "If the Yuanfu is spread, the gods and immortals will become indistinguishable and become one family, which will inevitably cause chaos. However, the conflict between the Celestial Court and the Heavenly Court will mostly have nothing to do with the lower-level gods and immortals."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If the path of immortality doesn't work, then take the path of the gods. If your cultivation is insufficient, then descend to the mortal realm to gather offerings; you don't need sacred lands or immortal mountains to achieve enlightenment."

The Immortal Emperor said, "I had no intention of vying for the world. If the Yuanfu can bring peace to the world and harmony between immortals and gods, then it is fine for me not to be the Immortal Emperor. However, I am worried that the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not stop blowing. Qianlong, what do you think?"

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, “Your Majesty, there is no difference between fighting for immortal mountains and sacred lands and fighting for incense offerings. If the immortals and gods do not fight now, they will fight in the future, and they will still fight to the death. Since that is the case, why not finish the job in one battle?”

The Celestial Emperor consulted all the civil and military officials, and they all agreed with Qianlong's words.

The Celestial Emperor sighed, "I have no intention of seizing the world, but you gentlemen are eager to make a name for yourselves. Now, what should my Celestial Court do?"

The Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, “Your Majesty should do nothing and wait for news of Master Chen’s death and disappearance before raising the banner to avenge Master Chen and overthrow the Heavenly Court! In my opinion, Your Majesty may tolerate Master Chen, but the Jade Emperor will not. There should be news in the next few days.”

The Three Pure Realms, the Upper Pure Realm, the Lingbao Upper Pure Palace.

The head of the Shangqing Lingbao lineage, Zunyun Zhongzi, was also examining the Yuanfu before him. After a long while, he said with emotion, "This is the Yuanfu that Master Chen passed on? It is indeed exquisite and surpasses even the Celestial Court. Chen Shi's actions are worthy of the title of Master and are truly admirable."

He sighed and shook his head, saying, "Unfortunately, my days are numbered."

Western Paradise, Mount Ling.

The Buddha looked at Yuan Fu before him, shook his head and sighed, "You spread your teachings throughout the world, but unfortunately you brought about your own demise. The same way the Great Celestial Venerable killed Taibai Xingjun can be used to kill you."

(End of this chapter)