Chapter 490: Heavenly Collapse Opening
Chen Yindu, Granny Sha, and the others walked into the Empress Temple. Creation Little Five walked at the very back, and he happened to glance back, only to freeze in shock.
Qianyang Mountain and the Ten Thousand Mountains of the underworld came into his view simultaneously—the Yin and Yang realms, clearly separated. He felt as though he were standing on the twilight line between Yin and Yang, with Qianyang Mountain of the mortal world above, and the Ten Thousand Mountains of the underworld below.
The Ten Thousand Mountains seemed like a reflection of Qianyang Mountain, but their scale was a hundred, a thousand times larger.
Thus, the Yin and Yang realms were perfectly unified.
To ordinary mortals, the underworld and the mortal world were two separate realms—one either existed in the mortal world or in the underworld. Cultivators who had reached the Return to Emptiness realm were somewhat different; their physical bodies remained in the mortal world, while their Primordial Spirits resided in the underworld.
But for the Empress of Earth, Yin and Yang were two sides of the same coin.
The Yin and Yang realms were one and the same world.
Though Creation Little Five had speculated about this before, speculation was just speculation. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, the shock and enlightenment he felt were overwhelmingly powerful.
He was originally a master of the Way of Yin and Yang, having comprehended the Yin-Yang Variation long ago. He had also received Chen Shi's teachings on the Yin-Yang Dao Field and Yin-Yang Purgation, achieving remarkable accomplishments. Now, witnessing the sight of the Yin and Yang realms as two sides of the same coin, he unconsciously began to grasp new insights, sensing a sign of further advancement.
He followed Chen Yindu and the others, taking a few steps, then looked back again.
This time, what came into view was still the spectacle of the Yin and Yang realms, but the range was even greater. Over a dozen provinces around Qianyang Mountain came into sight, while the scope of the underworld far exceeded the Ten Thousand Mountains.
This scene made his heart pound wildly.
"The Empress Temple is the Empress of Earth's Dao Field. Entering the Empress Temple means entering Her Ladyship's Dao Field. In other words, everything my eyes can see falls within Her Ladyship's Dao Field's coverage!"
He thought to himself, "Just how large is the Empress of Earth's Dao Field?"
He continued walking forward and looked back again.
At this moment, the mortal world in his field of vision had already expanded to cover half of the Western Ox New Continent!
And the underworld was even more vast, with entire underworld courts and prefectures coming into view!
Creation Little Five was about to move forward when suddenly someone tugged at his sleeve. He quickly steadied himself and realized he had nearly approached the lotus throne, nearly offending the Empress of Earth. It was Chen Yindu who had timely grabbed his sleeve.
Creation Little Five composed himself. As if possessed, he took one more look back—almost the entire Western Ox New Continent came into view!
Chen Yindu and the others paid their respects to the Empress of Earth. Her Ladyship smiled and said, "Everyone, no need for such formalities. Please, be seated."
Several lotus-shaped balls of light appeared in the temple.
Everyone took their seats. Creation Little Five also sat on a meditation cushion, but he was still somewhat unsettled.
The moment he sat on the cushion, his vision shifted once more. He saw himself still sitting between the Yin and Yang realms of the Western Ox New Continent, while the Western Ox New Continent floated atop a vast, boundless ocean of primordial qi, shaped like a cooked chicken leg, drifting with the currents.
He looked into the distance and saw, not too far away on the sea surface, another continent drifting in the primordial sea. He could even see slender sun and moon revolving around that continent.
"Could it be the Divine Continent?" he wondered, casting a few more glances.
The Empress of Earth swept her gaze across the room, feeling a sense of a doomed opening.
Chen Yindu was a Corpse Liberation Immortal tainted by demonic energy. Creation Little Five was an artificial creation, exuding sinister qi. Blue Goat was a corpse that had cultivated into an evil spirit. Celestial Fox Hu Xiaoliang was a disliked nine-tailed fox with mixed fur, clearly impure in bloodline.
As for Qiao Zhuo, he was the Bee Marshal among the underworld marshals, holding a low position in the underworld government.
The relatively normal ones were Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran, but one focused on soul-type cultivation, the other on methods of space. They could hold their own but were not well-rounded talents.
Earlier, she had already met Little Duan Immortal, Scholar Zhu, Jue Yangzi, as well as Long You the Freeholder, Shao Niangniang, Mu Daozi, and Pei the Freeholder.
These people were also a motley crew, hard to look at.
Little Duan Immortal, Scholar Zhu, and Jue Yangzi had achieved Dao Unification within Chen Shi's small temple. Long You the Freeholder and the others had eccentric personalities; they practiced the new method but were stuck before reaching Dao Unification.
Though there were quite a few powerful people gathered around Chen Shi, compared to the True King's Era, the difference was immeasurable!
As for Chen Shi, this godson was decent enough, but no matter how you looked at him, he also belonged to the "grown crooked" category.
She had thought that after waiting over six thousand years to start a new game, it would surely surpass the True King's Era. Instead, it had turned out worse.
Back then, though the situation was also dire, beneath the True King, there were countless strong individuals, countless people of benevolence and resolve. Everyone united in protecting the Dao, with hearts set on restoring the country and sacrificing themselves for the common people. The leaders of the major sects were of one mind with the court, and immortal artifacts guarded the nation's destiny.
In the underworld, the Ten Kings of Hell and the Eighteen Hells were all loyal, allowing the True King to command ghost deities and spirit soldiers, wielding immense power.
As for the True King himself, he was shrewd and capable, exhausting his mind for the common people, controlling the nation's armies with countless elite soldiers and formidable generals.
Even so, they had still suffered a complete defeat.
With the current motley crew, could they truly do better than before?
Moreover, the number of deities back then was far greater than now—many Chinese deities had been utterly destroyed by Despair Slope's attacks, their incarnations wiped out. The Chinese deities Chen Shi had revived were only about fifty or sixty percent of their peak number.
"With Her Ladyship's assistance, the situation is looking great!" Granny Sha said excitedly.
Du Yiran was also ecstatic, laughing as he said, "With Her Ladyship stationed here, we have a backbone! Conquering Despair Slope is just around the corner!"
"Just around the corner!" Blue Goat's blood boiled, eager to reveal its true form immediately.
Even the notoriously timid celestial fox was trembling with excitement, its voice slightly hoarse as it said, "With Her Ladyship's protection, even if we surrender to Despair Slope, we can negotiate a better price!"
The Empress of Earth nodded with a smile. "You are all outstanding individuals."
Creation Little Five's heart pounded wildly with excitement, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Her Ladyship, am I an outstanding individual too?"
The Empress of Earth smiled and nodded. "Though you are a creation, you already possess life, with exceptional intelligence and comprehension. However, you have some self-doubt, an unstable Dao Heart, and you care too much about others' opinions. If you can overcome this hurdle, your achievements will be limitless. I will give you this lotus seat you are sitting on, hoping you can soon stabilize your Dao Heart."
Creation Little Five was overjoyed and bowed to thank Her Ladyship.
The Empress of Earth then looked at Chen Yindu and said, "Your cultivation as a Corpse Liberation Immortal was a matter of necessity, but you have not removed the corpse qi. I fear it will hinder your cultivation. I will grant you a wisp of samsara qi to refine and eliminate the corpse qi."
With a flick of her jade finger, a wisp of samsara qi flew out from the divine light behind her, landing in the halo behind Chen Yindu's head.
Chen Yindu bowed in thanks.
The Empress of Earth looked at Du Yiran and smiled. "You cultivate the marvelous Dao of Space, where the heart resides, the body follows. But your cultivation is lacking. I will grant you a wisp of primordial qi, hoping you can gain some insight." With that, she flicked her finger again, and a wisp of primordial qi flew out, landing in the halo behind Du Yiran's head.
Du Yiran quickly bowed in thanks.
The Empress of Earth looked at Blue Goat and instantly discerned the cause of its death. "You cultivated through an unusual path, reaching this level was truly not easy. It was only because you risked your life for a friend that you died and became an evil spirit. I have a stroke of fortune to grant you."
She pointed a finger, and a path appeared, stretching far into the distance. On both sides of the path were dark, black seawater, its destination unknown.
"Follow this path forward, and you will come to a place where an immortal dwells. There, you will find the immortal's deathless elixir, which can revive the dead."
The Empress of Earth said, "Once you arrive, find the elixir and return immediately. Do not linger. If you are caught by the master there, I cannot save you."
Blue Goat was overjoyed and trotted along the path, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
The Empress of Earth addressed the celestial fox, "You, too, cultivated through an unusual path. It is unfortunate that a trace of your beast blood remains impure, but that is not your fault."
She drew a circle in the air with her hand, and within the circle appeared a stretch of unfamiliar mountains. "In these mountains lies the tomb of a nine-tailed celestial fox. Go and search; if you can obtain her fortune, it may help you break through."
The celestial fox quickly bowed in thanks and stepped into the circle.
The Empress of Earth said to Qiao Zhuo, "Your innate talent is extremely high. After I take command of the underworld, I will establish the Netherworld Capital to govern the underworld government. Come and assist me."
Qiao Zhuo acknowledged the order.
The Empress of Earth then addressed Granny Sha, or Sha Qiutong, "You have some achievements in the Way of Souls. Come to my side as well and lend me your strength."
Granny Sha was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks.
The Empress of Earth said, "Now, prepare yourselves."
Everyone acknowledged and quickly rose, leaving the Empress Temple.
The Empress of Earth called out to Chen Shi, "Little Ten, stay."
Chen Shi stopped.
The Empress of Earth said, "You bowed to me as your godmother, contributed greatly to my revival, and offered incense to me repeatedly. I gave them gifts but gave you nothing. Do you resent me in your heart?"
Chen Shi smiled. "Godmother gave me this small temple behind my head, and the couplet at its front, telling me that heaven and earth are all my manifestations, and to seek help from myself rather than others. I have benefited immensely. How could I have resentment?"
The Empress of Earth showed a look of delight. "Since I am your godmother, how could I show favoritism?"
She took out a piece of gold foil from somewhere, folded it into a small paper boat, and smiled. "When this boat is activated, it can sail on the Sea of Darkness, leaving this world for other worlds. Wherever your heart desires to go, this boat can carry you there. This boat can carry eight people. If there are more than eight, it will sink. Remember this."
Chen Shi was both shocked and delighted. "Can it go to the Earth Immortal Realm?"
The Empress of Earth smiled. "Naturally."
"Can it go to the Divine Continent as well?"
"It can."
Chen Shi bowed in thanks and eagerly left the Empress Temple. When he reached the yellow earth slope and saw Black Pot, Chen Shi laughed. "Black Pot, Her Ladyship was handing out blessings and gave me a boat. Where did you hide Wu Qi? Hurry up and dig him out! I'll take him to see Her Ladyship—maybe Wu Qi can be revived!"
Black Pot hurried over to the Old Willow Tree, scratched at the roots for a moment, and soon dug the Great Shang's Grand Guardian out of the soil.
Chen Shi glanced at Black Pot. Black Pot crouched on the ground, tilted his head to look at the ground, and wagged his tail.
Chen Shi washed Wu Qi clean, noticing that the shamanic ritual markings on his bones had become slightly clearer.
Black Pot stuck out his tongue, licking Wu Qi's skull with reluctant affection.
"Watch out—when this immortal revives, he might beat you into a pulp!" Chen Shi warned.
He was about to carry Wu Qi into the Empress Temple when Daoist Willow blocked him. "Her Ladyship is tired and is not receiving guests."
Chen Shi had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
Daoist Willow returned to the front of the Empress Temple. "Her Ladyship, Young Master Chen has left."
The Empress of Earth sighed. She called him in and asked, "Little Willow, do you think we have a chance in this battle? Or will it be like before, a crushing defeat that ends in retreat?"
Daoist Willow tested the waters. "Does Her Ladyship not have faith in Young Master Chen?"
The Empress of Earth rose, stepped down from the lotus throne, and gazed at the Yin and Yang realms of the Western Ox New Continent. "I am merely an incarnation. My cultivation and strength depend on the faith of this world. If many believe in me, I am strong; if few believe in me, I am weak. In the True King's era, I was at my peak, and even then I could not match Despair Slope. Today, the odds of victory are even slimmer."
Daoist Willow pondered for a moment. "Disciple has guarded Her Ladyship's stele all these years and has come to understand Young Master Chen quite well. The Empress Temple is nothing but this stone monument now. He comes every day to burn incense, treating Her Ladyship with utmost respect. He is also a diligent person, coming under the tree every day to listen to the ghost scholar's lectures. Though the ghost scholar often muddles through, he learns very seriously, and somehow he managed to figure out some crooked tricks."
The Empress of Earth looked at him, listening quietly.
Daoist Willow thought again. "I have been watching them all along. I thought the ghost scholar's ghost language would surely corrupt the boy, but unexpectedly, he took the Xiucai exam and came in first. He took the provincial graduate exam and came in first again. He took the Presented Scholar exam and the top scholar exam, advancing all the way until he truly brought back the top scholar title. So I thought, this child is different from the True King, different from those geniuses. He learned a bellyful of crooked methods, but perhaps he can really get things done."
The Empress of Earth glanced at him.
Daoist Willow quickly said, "Disciple absolutely did not accept any bribes to speak for him!"
The Empress of Earth gave a knowing half-smile. "You received quite a bit of his incense offerings, didn't you?"
Daoist Willow remained expressionless. "When he offered incense to Her Ladyship, he occasionally gave me one too, but disciple would not show favoritism because of that."
The Empress of Earth waved her sleeve, and Daoist Willow withdrew.
The Empress of Earth looked once more at the Yin and Yang realms of the Western Ox New Continent. After a moment of thought, she said, "Though it is a borderland, it still preserves my teachings. I carry the prayers of the deities on my shoulders, revived by them. I must not let them down. Whether it can be done or not, we must still have a go!"
Blue Goat walked along that solitary path. The path grew narrower and narrower, thin as a sheep's intestine, with dark, murky seawater on both sides that splashed noisily.
Instead of being afraid, it revealed its true form, spread its hooves, and trotted along happily, its rear end wiggling back and forth.
After walking who knows how far, light suddenly appeared ahead. As it drew closer, a celestial scene unfolded before its eyes—green mountains, clear waters, birdsong and floral scents. Flowers and trees of every color dotted the landscape.
In the distance, a large carp leaped from the river, transforming mid-air into a chi dragon, soaring away with grace. Farther out at sea, a fish thousands of miles long breached the surface, turning into a Golden-Winged Great Peng, flapping its wings and spiraling upward.
"What is this place?" Blue Goat was startled.
Just then, several blue goats hopped past in the distance in a cheerful group.
"My kin!"
Blue Goat was both shocked and delighted. It quickly chased after them, calling out, "Wait for me! Don't go!"
Those blue goats stopped and looked back, puzzled.
One of the male goats glanced at it and said, "You look quite unfamiliar, bleat. Where do you come from, guest?"
Blue Goat felt a warmth of familiarity in their dialect and laughed. "I come from the Western Ox New Continent—"
"Stinky outsider, coming to the Pure Yang Immortal Realm to mooch off relatives and beg for food. Your accent says you're a country goat. Ignore him, bleat." The goats left.
Blue Goat quickly called out, "Cousins, don't leave yet! Do you know where the deathless elixir is?"
One of the kind-hearted female goats pointed with its horn. "Bleat, it's right there. That's Ascendant Withered Glory's treasure."
Blue Goat looked over and saw a ten-foot-tall immortal tree planted in the air, absorbing the immortal qi of heaven and earth, emitting streams of immortal light.
Coiled beneath the tree was a golden dragon, exuding overwhelming arrogance, fast asleep and snoring like thunder.
Without a second thought, Blue Goat charged straight for that immortal tree.
Those goats stopped to watch, seeing the outsider storming like thunder. In the blink of an eye, it reached the deathless elixir, opened its mouth, and started gnawing on the tree. In just a few bites, it had stripped the immortal elixir bare. Then it turned around and sprinted back this way!
"Whoosh—"
Blue Goat sped past them in a blur, leaving behind those dumbstruck goats and the golden dragon that had just been woken up.