Chapter 483: Celestial Venerable
Chen Shi glanced at him, but still activated the Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle and charged toward the Tianlu carriage.
That Tianlu had already sensed danger. It yanked the carriage and bolted along the original route, but its speed could not match the overwhelming tide of flesh surging from behind. Just as it was about to be submerged by the onslaught, a silver light suddenly shot over, blossomed like a flower, and swallowed the Tianlu carriage inside.
The Tianlu was terrified. It kept running within the shuttle, but Zhong Wuwang held it back with one hand, forcing it to stop.
Zhong Wuwang opened the carriage door and saw Fang Zhenxiu sitting unharmed inside, sighing in relief.
Chen Shi had used the Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle to rescue Fang Zhenxiu. Although it took only an instant, the tide of flesh behind them immediately closed the distance much more quickly.
"Yin-Yang Dao Field."
Chen Shi barked. The Dao field unfolded, expanding its coverage. Sun and moon floated aloft, circling the rapidly flying Demon-Repelling Shuttle, swinging and tempering. Instantly, the sweeping tide of flesh around them was refined and purified into pure spiritual energy and spiritual power.
But the flesh seemed endless, roaring forward in waves, and soon overwhelmed both the front and rear of the shuttle.
The shuttle flew on under the protection of the sun and moon, still extremely fast, but the flesh tide seemed inexhaustible.
Zhong Wuwang summoned the Vermilion Sparrow sword. Even though the immortal sword's tip had been severed, its power remained formidable. It shot out from the Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle, sword force erupting to cleave the flesh before them.
Strips of flesh twisted and slithered with uncanny dexterity, more nimble than arms, attacking the Vermilion Sparrow. In a single clash, Zhong Wuwang's immortal techniques were broken. A strand of flesh wrapped around the Vermilion Sparrow, dragging it into the tide.
Zhong Wuwang frantically tried to command the Vermilion Sparrow, but had lost all connection with the blade.
Seeing this, Chen Shi's heart moved. He suddenly unleashed the Tianluo Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. The divine blade flew out from the Demon-Repelling Shuttle, light flashing as countless blade glints formed a long rainbow, slicing through the flesh.
The surrounding flesh tide convulsed violently, blood qi howling as it surged toward the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade!
"Effective!"
Chen Shi was both shocked and delighted. A tremendous power poured along the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade into his body, coursing through him and toward the back of his head.
Masses of flesh collapsed and rotted, then suddenly a huge hand of flesh formed and reached out. Countless blade glints were bound by an invisible force, vibrating and merging until the rainbow of blade light coalesced, revealing the true form of the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade.
The power of the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade had been suppressed!
Flesh tendrils whipped about, stabbing at the sun and moon circling the shuttle. In an instant the sun and moon dimmed, corrupted by demonic energy.
The sun and moon in Chen Shi's Dao field were both formed from yin-yang energies. Since his cultivation of the technique, he had always used yin and yang to refine demonic energy with unfailing success. He did not expect the yin-yang energies to be directly suppressed today!
"The culprit's cultivation is too powerful!"
Chen Shi immediately activated the Profound Yin Nine Heaven Art, using a demonic Dao field to resist the assimilation of demonic energy.
The Profound Yin Nine Heaven Art was a demonic cultivation method he created in the underworld after his death and later perfected. Its demonic nature was fierce, stronger than the ambient demonic energy by several degrees!
However, while a demonic Dao field could block demonic interference, it could not withstand the crushing pressure of the flesh tide.
The flesh surged in from all sides, penetrating his Dao field and pressing down upon the Demon-Repelling Shuttle.
Seeing this, Chen Shi, Yang Bi, and Zhong Wuwang could not help but despair. At that moment, the skeletal immortal's bones around them suddenly shone brilliantly. The skeleton rose to its full height, every shamanic ritual marking on its body lighting up in mysterious patterns. The skull's hands pushed outward against the sky-darkening tide of flesh.
The Demon-Repelling Shuttle trembled slightly, then as if struck by a tremendous blow, it abruptly closed in.
Boom!
An immense power met the oncoming tide of flesh. The heavens and earth seemed to shatter; countless masses of flesh were torn apart and pulverized into dust.
The three of them were stunned and looked back. The tide of flesh that had filled the fragmentary Celestial Court was being torn apart by that terrifying, domineering force. In a short moment, the flesh that had once blackened the sky was swept away completely.
Around them, a torrential rain of blood fell, plasma washing over the Great Shang Celestial Court, the blood flowing into the sea.
Up above, the remaining clumps of flesh slowly retracted, shrinking back toward the moon.
The ritual markings on the skeleton's body continued to operate, and it maintained the pose of pushing with both hands.
When the flesh had vanished, there came a sudden rattle. The ritual markings on the skeleton shattered, and bone fragments fell to the ground.
Chen Shi stepped forward and tried to piece the skeleton back together, but even when reassembled the bones lacked connecting ritual markings, as if that final blow had exhausted all of the skeleton's power.
The ritual patterns on those bones had also faded, their colors dimming and ready to vanish at any moment.
Zhong Wuwang and Yang Bi came to the skeleton and frowned slightly.
"This Great Shang immortal's Immortal Art of Immortality relied on shamanic ritual markings," Zhong Wuwang said. "If the ritual markings are extinguished, he cannot be resurrected."
"It's a pity. This elder was peerlessly majestic, but in the end still unable to overcome the culprit," Zhong Wuwang said.
Chen Shi continued to inspect and asked, "If we keep the bones together as a whole, could this elder still revive? Immortal Art of Immortality should make that possible, right?"
Zhong Wuwang asked, "How are we supposed to keep these bones together as a whole?"
Chen Shi probed, "Well, what if we glue them together?"
Both men found it amusing. Glue immortal bones together?
Chen Shi said, "My uncle A Zhuo keeps bees and often cuts beeswax. I saw people in the countryside fix pots and pans with beeswax and rosin; it's very adhesive."
Zhong Wuwang saw that Chen Shi was not joking and pondered. "In Despair Slope there is a spring of great Dao water called Li Dao Spring that heals injuries well. The last time I was wounded by the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, I was cured in Li Dao Spring. I can collect some spring water to help his recovery."
After they discussed it, Yang Bi said, "Let's treat a dead horse like a live one. First, we'll gather the bones."
They collected the scattered bones. Zhong Wuwang retrieved the Vermilion Sparrow sword, and Chen Shi recalled the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. The group carried the skeleton and left the Great Shang Celestial Court.
After some time they returned to Nan Di Province. Only when their feet touched solid ground did they feel a bit reassured.
Looking back, darkness cloaked the sea, and the shattered Celestial Court had disappeared beneath the waves.
"Is that culprit really still alive?" Yang Bi suddenly asked.
Zhong Wuwang said, "Of course he's alive. If he were dead, why would he chase us for stealing the skeleton?"
Yang Bi said, "If he is alive, why would he fear the skeleton and retreat? If he still has a human form, shouldn't he be stronger than the skeleton? Unless..."
He paused, eyes flashing, "Unless this person exists in another form in the world."
Chen Shi understood and said, "You mean his original body was killed by the skeleton's master, forcing him to abandon it and take another body. The flesh on the moon is an evil manifestation produced by his great Dao, something like an external body. He sensed us taking the skeleton, so he cast from a distance and used that external body on the moon to attack us, trying to kill us."
Yang Bi nodded. "That's why, when the immortal skeleton struck back, he retreated. The external body he left on the moon was strong, but it was no match for the skeleton, so he withdrew."
Zhong Wuwang asked, "Then who is this person?"
Chen Shi said, "This person must be the most powerful being in this world."
"It must be the Demon Emperor!"
Zhong Wuwang said, "Even a Celestial Venerable is cautious toward the Demon Emperor of the Demon Capital. The culprit must be the Demon Emperor!"
Chen Shi's lips twitched. "I am the Demon Emperor of the Divine Capital."
...
Zhong Wuwang fell silent.
Chen Shi glanced at him. "Besides the Demon Emperor, who is the most powerful?"
Zhong Wuwang's face shifted.
"The most powerful should be the Celestial Venerable," Yang Bi said.
Zhong Wuwang shook his head. "It can't be the Celestial Venerable. If it were, he wouldn't need to maintain the True God's operation. When the True God's sun extinguished, the Celestial Venerable wouldn't need to scramble to relight it."
Yang Bi paced, thinking. "The True God's sun went out over six thousand years ago. If the culprit were the Celestial Venerable, he wouldn't have been able to completely corrupt the Western Ox New Continent while a True God protected it. Only when the True God was on the verge of death would he have the chance. At that moment, the True God was dying and the culprit's plan was nearly complete. Then suddenly a True King appeared."
He stopped.
Chen Shi walked beside him and continued, "The True King had extraordinary talent. After arriving at Despair Slope and negotiating with the Celestial Venerable, he comprehended the new method and received the Innate Dao Embryo granted by the True God. The Celestial Venerable saw that the True King's future would be extraordinary; the Innate Dao Embryo might have been the True God's contingency to suppress him."
Yang Bi walked past and turned back. "Therefore, after the True God's sun went out, the Celestial Venerable sought to eliminate the True King. The timing was perfect. Before that, the entire Western Ox New Continent was under the True God's watch and he could not act. Once the sun went out, he had his chance."
Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang exchanged looks, and Chen Shi said gravely, "When the True King entered Despair Slope for the second time, the Celestial Venerable struck, killing the True King. The True God granted the Innate Dao Embryo originally to let the True King become the next True God. Unexpectedly, the Celestial Venerable sacrificed the Innate Dao Embryo to the True God to prolong the True God's life..."
He frowned slightly.
Logically, the Celestial Venerable should not have prolonged the True God's life.
Yang Bi asked, "Is it possible that the True King, on his deathbed, voluntarily sacrificed himself to prolong the True God's life?"
Zhong Wuwang hesitated to speak.
Chen Shi said, "My grandpa said the records in Despair Slope about this matter only contain forty-five characters. The last sentence reads, 'The True King rebelled, the Celestial Venerable displeased. Sacrificed the True King to the heavens. Thus the sun shone.'"
Yang Bi paced. "Sacrificed the True King to the heavens might also mean the True King willingly offered himself to the heavens, creating that shining sun."
Zhong Wuwang could no longer hold back. "Have you finished speculating? Even if the Celestial Venerable had ill intentions and later intended to sacrifice me to the heavens to prolong the True God's life, that does not make him the culprit! All you're doing is guessing about what happened in the last six thousand years. Don't forget the cataclysm happened sixteen thousand years ago! The Celestial Venerable has been in Despair Slope for millennia!"
Chen Shi interrupted, shaking his head. "Maybe not that long. The Celestial Venerable's time in Despair Slope could be later than you think."
Zhong Wuwang frowned.
Chen Shi recounted what he had discovered behind the waterfall at the Heavenly Pool and said, "I think that after the skeleton's master and the culprit perished together, the Great Shang Celestial Court was smashed. Back then the world was dim and harsh; survival was difficult. Many Shang people lived in the underworld and gradually became the ghost clan. The Shang king then created Despair Slope and sacrificed his own Primordial Spirit, offering it to the heavens so that it could become a True God guarding the outside, his eyes becoming two great suns and his brow becoming the bright moon to light the world."
"After the Shang king became a True God, the last generation Shang Prince Ziyu led the surviving Shang people in struggling to survive. Despair Slope should have been a place opened by the True God and his ministers, the last pure land untouched by demonic energy, the True God Dao Field. The True God Dao Field could lead one to Dao Unification and ascension. In principle, those who controlled the True God Dao Field should have been a group of Great Shang immortals. Their relationship with Prince Ziyu was not hostile. But one day the Celestial Venerable appeared, invaded the True God Dao Field, killed all the Great Shang immortals, and turned it into Despair Slope."
"The Celestial Venerable attacked the last Shang dynasty, and Prince Ziyu forged the Bronze Great Wall around Despair Slope to resist the attacks, until the wall was breached and the Shang dynasty was utterly destroyed."
Chen Shi paused, then said, "If we want to verify this, it's simple. If the Celestial Venerable were the culprit, he would have killed all the Great Shang immortals. Among the Dao Way immortals of Despair Slope there would be none from the Great Shang era. In other words, none of those immortals would be from sixteen thousand years ago. Er Niu, you can return to Despair Slope to check."
Zhong Wuwang's expression flickered, then he laughed, "You're only making conjectures!"
Yang Bi said, "If the Celestial Venerable is indeed the culprit, then his wiping out of China's deities' doctrines makes sense. The Three Lights from China were not corrupted by demonic energy and obstructed his corruption of the Western Ox New Continent, so he had to eliminate China's divine doctrines to clear his path."
Chen Shi said, "The last Innate Dao Embryo was not within his control, but he must control the next one. That's why when I received the Innate Dao Embryo, Despair Slope dispatched three Celestial Way Walkers to collect it. Zhong Wuwang, you are the Celestial Venerable's pawn."
Zhong Wuwang's face darkened. He climbed into the carriage, pushed open the window, and after a long silence said, "There is no more evidence. Do not make baseless accusations. I will return to Despair Slope to fetch the spring water. Farewell, both of you."
Yang Bi said, "If the culprit is indeed the Celestial Venerable, then perhaps he already recognized you by using that flesh avatar. If so, the first person you meet back in Despair Slope will be the Celestial Venerable."
Zhong Wuwang was shaken. He put his hand over the carriage window, then remembered something and asked, "Chen Shi, does our agreement still hold?"
Chen Shi nodded, "Of course it does."
Zhong Wuwang breathed out, "I'll send word."
The Tianlu pulled the carriage and drove off into the distance.
"Can Zhong Wuwang be trusted?" Yang Bi suddenly asked.
Chen Shi checked his direction and headed toward Qianyang Mountain, "He doesn't want to become the next True King. He has no choice."
Yang Bi hurried to keep up. He looked up at the sun in the sky and said, "Tell me, who's watching us now—the True God or the True King?"
Chen Shi's heart stirred as he tilted his head up to the sun.
The great sun blazed, sunlight fierce.
"It's both the True God and the True King," Chen Shi guessed. "They should have become one, watching the mortal world and witnessing countless joys, sorrows, partings, loves, and hatreds. They're waiting for the next rebel."
Yang Bi looked bewildered. "Can we win?"
"If we don't try, we never will."
Chen Shi smiled. "If we fail, I will hang in the sky too, and look down with them, waiting for the next rebel."