Chen Shi had complete knowledge of everything that had happened in the past twelve days. Although he had been in a state of enlightenment, a single thread of consciousness had guarded his self, and with the end of his enlightenment, the memories of that consciousness would merge into his own.
Thus, he knew that he had blocked Lingzhou City, and he also knew about the Xu Family experts and their ancestors coming to challenge him.
"If it weren't for these Xu Family experts coming to break my Yin-Yang Dao Field, I wouldn't have been able to comprehend the Yin-Yang Variation so quickly," he murmured to himself.
Around him, yin and yang energy drifted gently. Suddenly, the sun within his Dao Field split into two, as did the moon, and the land, mountains, rivers, and lakes also divided into two. One set of sun and moon merged, and the mountains, rivers, and earth transformed back into yin and yang energy, reverting into an earring that fell into his palm.
The Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Rings contained the mysteries of yin-yang transformation, and he had already comprehended about seventy to eighty percent of it.
Black Pot raised his head and warily looked around. The surrounding mountains and rivers were gradually separating, splitting from one world into two.
The distant mountains were rapidly approaching them, while the nearby mountains were slowly fading into another dimension.
This scene was beyond words, a visual marvel formed by the gradual separation of the yin and yang realms.
Now that the yin and yang realms had merged into one, under the coverage of Chen Shi's Dao Field, they were actually slowly separating!
This kind of Dao art had already reached the level of immortal arts!
A ghost within his Dao Field was hunting a wild boar when suddenly, the space and time around it shifted, and the boar vanished.
The ghost was stunned, having no idea what had just happened.
The wild boar also had no clue what was happening.
On the other side, a cultivator was carefully picking a flower of rebirth on a cliff, while a ghost god lurked in the shadows, sneering as it waited for its prey to walk right into its trap. Then, yin and yang realms suddenly separated. The flower of rebirth, which the cultivator was about to grab, faded like a dream, and the ghost god also saw the cultivator rapidly fading away!
The ghost god cursed in frustration and stepped out from its hiding place.
The wooden cart drove past in the distance, and as Chen Shi moved away, the yin and yang realms that had just separated gradually merged again. The cultivator saw the flower of rebirth, and the ghost god saw the cultivator—both were delighted.
The cultivator grabbed the flower of rebirth, pulled up the spiritual herb, and ran, with the ghost god chasing after him as they disappeared into the distance.
Meanwhile, the ghost that had lost its prey found the wild boar again and immediately gave chase.
Chen Shi slowly withdrew his Dao Field.
A Dao Field was also a Primordial Spirit force field, but it was of a higher level than a regular Primordial Spirit force field. When a cultivator reached the Divine Descent realm and the Celestial True God descended for a second blessing, the cultivator had the opportunity to take the Celestial True God as their Primordial Spirit and comprehend the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Whether they could cultivate a Dao Field depended on this very moment.
Every cultivator's Dao Field, comprehended from enlightenment, was related to this. Chen Shi's Dao Field was also comprehended by borrowing the Celestial True God as his Primordial Spirit.
But now, his Dao Field was different.
He had finally comprehended the Yin-Yang Variation.
"Fifth Uncle cultivated the Three Ghost and God Startling Variations: Heaven-Earth Variation, Yin-Yang Variation, and Cosmic Variation. Each one is more difficult than the last. Now, I've finally grasped the second one, bringing me one step closer to Fifth Uncle."
He was quite pleased. The more he comprehended, the more he realized the power of Creation Little Five.
To comprehend the Heaven-Earth Variation required mastering the Sixty-Four Variations of the Eight Trigrams. To comprehend the Yin-Yang Variation, one needed to understand yin and yang energy to a level approaching immortal arts!
And to comprehend the Cosmic Variation was even harder. Before the Cosmic Variation came the Heaven Variation, which required first learning the Luo Heaven Sacrificial Rite and comprehending the Luo Heaven Fall before one could achieve the Heaven Variation. Only after comprehending the Heaven Variation could one possibly achieve the Cosmic Fall, and comprehending the Cosmic Variation required even more effort from him.
From this, one could also see the brilliance of Creation Little Five and the terrifying nature of Grandpa Chen Yindu.
Inside Chen Shi's body, yin and yang energy swirled, forming a Taiji pattern, with yin within yang and yang within yin. The two energies circulated, evolving into the three lights of sun, moon, and stars righteous energy; the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth righteous energy; the Former Heaven Eight Trigrams righteous energy; and the Sixty-Four Hexagrams righteous energy. His cultivation was also growing stronger.
With the operation of the Sixth New Talisman technique, he absorbed the free-floating yin energy from heaven and earth and transformed it into yang energy within his body. With each breath, his Primordial Spirit gradually grew, reaching a height of eighteen zhang.
If he could merge his Primordial Spirit with his body, he would be able to transform into an eighteen-zhang-tall physical form, like a god-demon!
With his Primordial Spirit cultivation at this level, he was very close to the Three Corpses realm.
The Three Corpses—Peng Ju, Peng Zhi, and Peng Qiao—were all formed from yin energy. In the past, cultivators needed to refine away their yin energy to achieve a pure yang body, in order to avoid being struck by Heaven Thunder. However, after comprehending the Yin-Yang Variation, Chen Shi no longer needed to do this.
He had an idea. Perhaps he could achieve a pure yang Primordial Spirit and pure yang physical body without having to sever the Three Corpses. He would only need to break through to the Three Corpses realm to test this theory.
"Woof!"
Black Pot's bark interrupted his train of thought.
A mountain appeared before them. It stood alone on a vast, endless plain, looking very abrupt.
Chen Shi arrived at a temple. The temple was already dilapidated, the deity statue broken, and the extraordinary power scattered.
But he detected a faint will hiding within the extraordinary power, waiting for an opportunity to revive.
Chen Shi raised the Western King's Jade Seal.
After a while, he left this place with Black Pot riding in the cart.
In the temple, on the shrine, a deity from the Divine Continent of China was slowly gathering extraordinary power, re-forging their Divine Manifestation, and condensing their Golden Body. Behind the shrine, an ancient vine twisted and coiled like a hornless dragon, growing slowly.
The ancient vine grew up into the temple's dome and stretched into another dimension. Gradually, sunlight spilled down from the temple's roof.
This deity's surname was Guo and his given name was Zhongfu. During the Tang Dynasty, he attained enlightenment in the southern Fujian region of the Divine Continent of China and was revered as Guangze Zun Wang (Vast Grace Venerated King).
After Chen Shi left the Guangze Zun Wang Temple, he was about to search for the next temple when a crisp sound of firecrackers came from a small town nearby. Chen Shi looked in the direction of the firecrackers and saw the surviving people there setting them off.
"Black Pot, what day is it today?" Chen Shi asked.
"Woof!"
"It's New Year's?"
Chen Shi drove the wooden cart to the small town. The townspeople were setting off firecrackers, making dumplings, pasting Spring Festival couplets, and there were even lion dances and dragon dances, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
Cultivators patrolled the streets and alleys, on guard against attacks from evil spirits and ghosts.
"True King Chen!"
An excited voice came. Chen Shi looked and saw a provincial graduate who had taken the imperial exams with him in the capital back then. His name was Lin Sheng. He later joined Red Mountain Hall as a branch leader, and then entered the Celestial Court to cultivate in the minor heaven.
Lin Sheng was incredibly moved and called out to other talisman masters from Red Mountain Hall to come pay respects to Chen Shi. The town was bustling with activity.
"Following True King's orders, after returning to Red Mountain Hall in Jing County, Lingzhou, I immediately organized people and came to this small town. We managed to survive after the upheaval arrived."
Lin Sheng said, "But many people still died, killed by ghosts and spirits. Fortunately, I learned quite a few skills in the minor heaven and was able to fend off the ghosts."
Chen Shi gave him the address of the Guangze Zun Wang Temple and was about to leave. Lin Sheng quickly said, "True King, won't you stay and celebrate the New Year before you leave?"
Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, then nodded, deciding to stay in this small town for the New Year. That night, Lin Sheng led the talisman masters of Red Mountain Hall in singing and dancing, celebrating the new spring, and pulled Chen Shi to join them. Little Duan was also infected by the atmosphere and came out of the small temple, singing and dancing with Chen Shi by the bonfire.
Scholar Zhu also drifted out, hanging himself on the town's gate tower, watching them make merry.
After the festivities, Chen Shi and Little Duan were drunk. Little Duan pulled him, quietly shaking off the others, and slipped back into a room. She giggled, "Husband, the moonlight is perfect tonight. Let's do what's recorded in the Bedroom book."
She was drunk. She pulled Chen Shi onto the bed, fell into his arms, pinned his arm under her, lay on her side looking at him, and murmured, "Kiss me, and I won't push you away."
She pursed her lips, waiting quietly.
Her red lips were bright and vibrant, as delicate as a rose kissed by the morning dew, carrying a faint breath.
In the Primordial Palace of the Immortal Capital, Peng Qiao was beating drums and gongs, cheering Chen Shi on.
Chen Shi cast aside his fear of the Little Duan Immortal and leaned in, only to hear Little Duan's snoring. He looked at her sleeping face. Little Duan had a unique beauty when she was asleep.
He lightly touched her lips, didn't pull back his arm, and lay down beside her.
Gradually, he fell asleep too.
The Little Duan Immortal opened her eyes, her gaze sharp as she stared at Chen Shi lying beside her. After a moment, the sharpness in her eyes faded, and she slowly closed her eyes again, listening to the firecrackers and the sounds of celebration outside.
The next morning, the Little Duan Immortal woke up and was startled: "I actually fell asleep beside him!"
Chen Shi wasn't in bed. She quietly got up, feeling a little shy. She thought to herself, "He doesn't know the one who slept with him last night was me; he thinks it was my sister. I'll imitate my sister's mannerisms, pretend to be shy, and dash over quickly, diving into his small temple. As long as I don't talk to him, he won't be able to tell it's me!"
Having made up her mind, she straightened her clothes and walked out of the room, only to see Chen Shi breathing and absorbing energy in the courtyard.
With each of Chen Shi's inhales and exhales, the yin energy, righteous energy, and demonic energy from heaven and earth all surged toward him, forming an invisible vortex around him.
The Little Duan Immortal ran toward Chen Shi but froze at the sight, slowing her steps: "He's converting demonic energy into his own cultivation? His mastery of the Yin-Yang Variation is already this high?"
Chen Shi was only at the Body Unification realm. The demonic transformation at this level was something the Little Duan Immortal could handle—she had once helped Chen Shi remove his demonized hair.
Daoist Tianzhen's yin-yang purgation technique could also, with one purge and one refine, expel demonic energy from the body.
However, both the Little Duan Immortal's hair removal and Daoist Tianzhen's yin-yang purgation were methods to eliminate demonic energy from the body and prevent demonic transformation.
But Chen Shi was refining the demonic energy from heaven and earth and making it his own!
Under these circumstances, demonic transformation was simply impossible!
"The higher the cultivation, the more violent the demonic transformation. He's only in the Body Unification realm now. When he reaches the Spirit Refining realm and Return to Emptiness realm, the demonic energy will be even fiercer. He might not be able to refine it then."
The Little Duan Immortal quickened her pace toward Chen Shi, thinking to herself, "When he reaches Dao Unification, because the Great Dao of heaven and earth has already been demonized, he will undergo demonic transformation. In the end, it's still a dead end."
Just as this thought crossed her mind, suddenly, pure righteous energy of heaven and earth overflowed from Chen Shi's Dao Field, nourishing the flowers and plants of this small town, making the flowers slowly bloom and the withered grass turn green.
The Little Duan Immortal's heart trembled violently: "He still has surplus power to influence nature."
She suddenly remembered a conversation between Chen Shi and Chen Tang about Dao Unification.
At that time, Chen Shi said that if one merged with the Dao of heaven and earth, they would undergo demonic transformation. But what if they made heaven and earth merge with them? If he took the lead and had the Great Dao of heaven and earth merge with his Dao, then there would be no demonic transformation.
Not only would there be no demonic transformation, but he could even influence the Great Dao of heaven and earth and reduce the demonic energy in the world!
The Little Duan Immortal looked at the scene before her and suddenly realized that this young man might not be bragging!
If he continued down this path, when he merged with the Dao of heaven and earth, the Great Dao wouldn't be able to affect him; instead, he would affect the Great Dao!
The people in the town also sensed the abnormalities in heaven and earth. They felt as if they had returned to the mortal world, with no more yin energy affecting them.
The Little Duan Immortal's expression shifted between uncertainty and determination: "If he can really achieve this step, then he might be able to reach the next realm without severing the Three Corpses. In that case, should I really show him my..."
Chen Shi saw Little Duan run over and then stop, her face changing. He was puzzled and laughed, "Little Duan, you're awake?"
The Little Duan Immortal snapped out of it. Her mind raced as she tried to think how Little Duan would speak, and she imitated: "Husband..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt incredibly awkward. She quickly ran toward Chen Shi, turned into a wisp of clear wind, and dove into the small temple behind Chen Shi's head.
Her heart was pounding wildly: "He didn't recognize me. Absolutely not!"
Chen Shi looked stunned. He stopped his cultivation, found Black Pot, and said, "Woof."
Black Pot was startled: "Woof?"
Chen Shi's expression was strange, and he nodded: "Woof woof!"
Black Pot opened his mouth and laughed heartily: "Woof woof?"
The Little Duan Immortal sat on the shrine, listening to the one man and one dog barking endlessly outside. Her face darkened: "He realized it wasn't my sister, he knows it was me who slept with him last night, and he's talking about it with Black Pot."
She ground her teeth, feeling both ashamed and angry.
After breakfast, Chen Shi left Lin Sheng a topographic map to the Guangze Zun Wang Temple and then departed.
A few days later, the wooden cart found another temple. The deity here had the surname Xie, given name An, who attained enlightenment during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and was revered as Guangying Zun Wang (Broad Response Venerated King).
After Chen Shi conferred godhood, he set off again.
Black Pot drove the wooden cart through the ghost-infested countryside.
Several months later, they had visited all the temples across Lingzhou, conferring godhood upon Wen'an Zun Wang, Wu'an Zun Wang, Guanghui Zun Wang, Huize Zun Wang, and various other deities. One by one, temples across Lingzhou began to light up, with sunlight shining down from within them.
As the Divine Manifestations gradually formed and the deities recovered their Golden Bodies, scenes similar to the Yue Wang Temple would slowly emerge.
Settlements would gradually form here, and people from nearby areas would come seeking refuge.
By then, Chen Shi and Black Pot had already left Lingzhou Province and arrived at Baozhou Province. Suddenly, the Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Rings trembled violently, as if trying to fly away. Chen Shi quickly placed the item on a small wooden altar, lit incense, and paid his respects. After receiving the incense offerings, the rings gradually stabilized.
"Zhong Wuwang's cultivation has returned to its peak."
Chen Shi murmured, "He's trying to recall the Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Rings. That means he's planning to fight to the death with the one who injured him."
His expression turned serious. The one who had injured Zhong Wuwang was definitely an expert from the Upper Realm, perhaps even one of the ancestral masters of the Thirteen Great Clans!
Could Zhong Wuwang really have the talent to completely mend all his flaws in just a few months?
Juzhou Province, Xingcha Mountain.
Zhong Wuwang sat at the mountain peak, looking at the three sticks of incense before him. He smiled helplessly and shook his head, "I've made offerings to you for so many years, and yet you've changed your heart after just a few months with someone else? My rings."
The Yin-Yang Sun-Moon Rings no longer responded to his incense offerings, making it impossible for him to recall them.
"Now, it's time to deal with those three old bastards who've been tracking me."
He looked up at the sky and revealed a smile, "The expert among the Thirteen Great Clans who's been scheming against me must be racking their brains right now, searching for my whereabouts. As soon as they find me, they'll notify those three old bastards."
He slowly stood up, his smile fading. His powerful thoughts radiated in all directions. Within a radius of thousands of li, all the Heaven's Listeners received the command almost simultaneously. Each one mobilized their thoughts to transmit the information.
Within half an hour, all the Heaven's Listeners across the underworld lifted their heads, observing the sky, ready to record.
"I'm using myself and the Innate Dao Embryo as bait. This kind of profit is enough to lure you into action."
Zhong Wuwang's eyes flickered as he murmured, "My friend, you might not show any flaws, but as long as the Upper Realm transmits information to those three old bastards, you will definitely reveal a flaw!"
And when a flaw is revealed, death follows!
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