On the Path to the Great Dao

Immortal Kou followed the trail of blood-red light and saw the Great Shang Celestial Court, covered in writhing, quivering flesh.

At that moment, a clump of flesh fell from the sky, landing in a massive pit. It squirmed slowly, extending tentacles in all directions.

Zhong Wuwang's scalp crawled with dread as memories of his encounters on the Blood Moon and the shattered Celestial Court flooded back, filling him with terror.

Great Shang's foremost great shaman, Wu Qi, had led the thirty-thousand-year accumulated might of the Black Bird Celestial Court in a war against the ultimate culprit who had triggered the world's demonic cataclysm. The Celestial Court was shattered, countless gods of Great Shang had their souls obliterated, and Wu Qi fell in battle—but only after he finally slew that ultimate evil.

Yet judging by the ominous signs here, that culprit's Primordial Spirit or soul had not been completely annihilated. It had pierced through the underworld and crashed down here.

His Primordial Spirit disintegrated, and his demonic miasma polluted the surroundings, creating the most heavily demonic region in the underworld and causing the local creatures to undergo demonic transformation.

The original inhabitants here were strange beasts from the Great Shang period. They should have become ghostly apparitions like the Shen Beast, but because of this person's disintegrated Primordial Spirit, they had demonized into half-ghost, half-demon monstrosities.

The Huo Dog was one of them.

And that ultimate culprit had completed his possession in this very village of Shang commoners.

Zhong Wuwang's voice was hoarse. "Brother Kou, run!"

Immortal Kou stared at the writhing flesh. Suddenly, his figure flickered, and he pulled Zhong Wuwang back at explosive speed.

He employed an immortal technique—reducing a thousand miles of rivers and mountains to a single step, as vast lands whisked past underfoot. Yet that Shang commoner village remained ever before his eyes, neither far nor near, close enough to clearly see the dead villagers within.

Immortal Kou's heart sank. "I might have fallen into this person's Dao Field! No... it should be a Ghost and God Domain! A Dao Field is upright and proper, but a Ghost and God Domain is this troublesome!"

He switched divine abilities, casting the Ascending Heaven Gate. A heavenly ladder appeared in the sky, its far end seemingly suspended in the immortal realm.

Immortal Kou grabbed Zhong Wuwang and climbed the heavenly ladder like a nimble spirit monkey, fleeing toward the heavens beyond.

In an instant, they scaled to the outer heavens. Immortal Kou felt a surge of joy and looked up—only to see the Shang commoner village hanging upside down in the sky above them, the demon-miasma-shrouded earth also inverted in the heavens.

Immortal Kou's expression shifted. He retreated along the original path, only to find the Shang commoner village still right where it had been.

He had never seen a Ghost and God Domain like this before.

Suddenly, a strand of flesh burrowed into a dead Shang commoner's corpse. The corpse stood up stiffly and burst into laughter. "That was a good, long sleep! Kou Daoqi, this place will be your burial ground today!"

Immortal Kou's heart trembled. "He knows my true name!"

He was a survivor of Great Shang who had fled to Despair Slope and later called himself Kou Immortal. After unifying the Dao there, he went by Immortal Kou. Very few knew his real name.

The Shang commoner suddenly leaped into the air, his movements twisted and unnatural, charging straight at them.

As he moved, the other dead Shang commoners rose from the village as if connected by invisible threads, hurtling toward them in unison!

Immortal Kou and Zhong Wuwang stood inverted in the sky, watching the charging horde of corpses. These dead Shang commoners were actually bursting forth with a presence not inferior to Celestial Immortals!

On each of their brows, immortal light blossomed, and from within flew a round, solid great cauldron standing on three legs. The cauldron walls shimmered with various intricate shamanic ritual markings.

"These corpses are using my cultivation technique!"

Immortal Kou's heart pounded violently. The technique these Shang commoners were driving was none other than the very one he had used to unify the Dao and become an immortal—the Purple Mansion Prime Cauldron Art.

He had comprehended this technique by studying thirteen immortal techniques and fusing them with his own strengths.

This art refined the Purple Mansion into a Prime Cauldron. The cauldron could harvest immortal light and immortal qi, serving both as an immortal magic treasure and a cultivation method. When facing enemies, the Prime Cauldron emerged from the Purple Mansion, its cauldron walls revolving around him to form an impenetrable defense. At the same time, casting this cauldron could absorb enemies and objects alike, achieving victory in every encounter.

By storing the Prime Cauldron in his Purple Mansion, his cultivation base was far more robust than others'. Even his former master, Feng Ruotong, was slightly inferior to him.

What made his Purple Mansion Prime Cauldron Art unique was the strange shamanic ritual markings on the cauldron's surface—markings inherited from his bloodline. As a citizen of Great Shang, sons followed their fathers' trades. His ancestor had served as a fire worker under Zhurong in the Great Shang court, so the shamanic ritual markings embedded in his bloodline were those of the Fire Way.

Yet on the surface of these dead men's cauldrons, the same fire worker markings appeared!

Immortal Kou had never passed this technique beyond Despair Slope. How could these corpses know it?

The two sides clashed in a thunderous collision. Each Prime Cauldron erupted with infinite fiery power, as if tiny suns were hidden within them!

Although Zhong Wuwang had already unified the Dao, against such ferocious attacks, he could only hold out for two or three exchanges before realizing he was outmatched.

Though his cultivation had reached the Celestial Immortal Realm, compared to Immortal Kou and others, his foundations were still shallow. Being able to block two or three blows without being killed was already an impressive feat.

Suddenly, Zhong Wuwang lost his footing. A Shang commoner's Prime Cauldron sucked him in, and in an instant, he was pulled inside. Immortal Kou transformed into a rainbow light and followed him into the cauldron.

Inside, blazing immortal fire burned everywhere, consuming all. The moment Zhong Wuwang entered, he felt he could not withstand it—his entire cultivation seemed about to ignite!

Just then, another Prime Cauldron descended from above, shielding him beneath it. The surrounding immortal fire instantly extinguished, and Zhong Wuwang felt a wave of coolness wash over him. He looked up to see, suspended in the sky, that cauldron held a great sun blazing fiercely, pure and intensely yang.

Immortal Kou landed beside him and said gravely, "Wuwang, the Rainbow Transformation Art!"

Zhong Wuwang hurriedly activated the Rainbow Transformation Immortal Art. The two transformed into rainbow lights, flying thousands of miles in an instant to the edge of the great cauldron. Immortal Kou took the lead, striking out with his palm. A thunderous boom split the Prime Cauldron open, and the two flew out.

Before Zhong Wuwang could steady himself, he saw Immortal Kou had already twisted the neck of the Prime Cauldron's owner. The corpse's brow split open, and a wave of fire shot from its forehead, incinerating the body to ashes.

Immortal Kou closed his own brow and took a deep breath. His Prime Cauldron suddenly faded into his body. Then came a series of explosive clangs as the surrounding Shang commoners drove their own Prime Cauldrons toward him—but they were all blocked by the cauldron-shaped shamanic ritual markings that materialized around his body!

The Shang commoners each withdrew their Prime Cauldrons, ready to strike again. Suddenly, the shamanic ritual markings around Immortal Kou settled onto the surface of his body. Man was cauldron, cauldron was man. He charged at one Shang commoner, unleashing dozens of moves in mere moments, shattering the enemy's Prime Cauldron and blasting him to death!

He turned and vanished into a rainbow light, circling lightly through the air before appearing behind Zhong Wuwang. Using his physical body, he blocked an attack that would have slain Zhong Wuwang, then pointed a finger at the attacker's brow, forcibly breaking apart his Purple Mansion Prime Cauldron Art!

Blood trickled from the corner of Immortal Kou's mouth as the Shang commoner collapsed dead.

"Wuwang, observe your surroundings!"

Immortal Kou engaged the remaining Shang commoners, his voice reaching Zhong Wuwang's mind. "This person's true body isn't here. He can't exert his full strength. While fighting me, his Ghost and God Domain is bound to reveal a flaw. You're naturally perceptive—you'll spot it and escape this place!"

Zhong Wuwang fought the Shang commoners while scanning the area.

The surroundings were dark and murky. He couldn't see any flaw at all.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhong Wuwang's forehead. Several times, his distraction nearly cost him his life at the hands of the Shang commoners. Only Immortal Kou's desperate fighting saved him.

But Immortal Kou's wounds were accumulating. Though his attacks remained fierce, his steps were faltering, and his qi and blood were no longer as abundant as before.

Suddenly, Zhong Wuwang caught a flash of light—not the demonic domain of the underworld, but a glimpse of the mortal world. Overjoyed, he waited for the light to appear again, then immediately activated the Rainbow Transformation Immortal Art. He shot up as a rainbow beam into that crack of light, using his own power to hold it open.

Beyond that light was the mortal world!

"Brother Kou, I found the flaw in the Ghost and God Domain! Hurry!" he shouted back.

Immortal Kou fought with all his might, driving back the swarm of Shang commoners as he sprinted toward him. But he was immediately entangled by a dozen more, while others charged at Zhong Wuwang.

Immortal Kou unleashed the last of his power, breaking through the encirclement and intercepting those pursuing Zhong Wuwang. "Wuwang, forget about me! You go first! Once you're gone, I'll have no burden. I'll fight my way out and catch up to you!"

Zhong Wuwang hesitated. More Shang commoners attacked, but Immortal Kou held them back.

"Go now!" Immortal Kou roared.

Zhong Wuwang hesitated no longer. He turned and flew out through the crack of light.

Sunlight spilled down, glaring into his eyes.

Zhong Wuwang's eyes streamed tears, his heart filled with grief.

Immortal Kou might not be able to fight his way out of that Ghost and God Domain.

"Uncle-Master, hold on. I'll go find the other Celestial Way Immortals!"

He raced toward Tiandao City. The city was extremely far away—even at his speed, it would take until tomorrow to reach it.

He pushed himself to the limit, moving like the wind and lightning, but his injuries began to take their toll, and his cultivation base steadily waned.

Flying from day into night, he had covered only a third of the distance.

Zhong Wuwang's flying speed grew slower and slower. He knew his wounds were too severe—forcing himself to Tiandao City would only worsen them.

He staggered down, adjusted his techniques to suppress his injuries, and slowly began to recover his power.

Moonlight fell, casting the shadows of mountain trees into wild, ghostly dances.

Suddenly, Zhong Wuwang's senses tingled. He sprang up instantly, staring into the shadowy forest beneath the moonlight, and barked, "Who's there?"

Footsteps sounded. Immortal Kou emerged from the shadows, covered in blood but wearing a smile.

Zhong Wuwang was ecstatic, tears streaming from his eyes as he ran toward Immortal Kou.

"Uncle-Master, I thought you died in the underworld!"

He took a few steps, then stopped abruptly, looking around. The moonlight was growing fainter, and demonic miasma was spreading outward from Immortal Kou in all directions.

The world was growing darker and darker.

Zhong Wuwang's heart sank along with it.

He looked up at Immortal Kou. There was a hole the size of a fingertip in his brow, bored straight through front to back.

"Wuwang, you recognize me, don't you?" Immortal Kou laughed. Something was writhing faintly inside his head.

"No."

Zhong Wuwang shook his head repeatedly, his heart filled with terror.

Immortal Kou laughed again. "You recognize me. You know who I am. Go on, say your guess. Let's see how accurate you are."

Cold sweat beaded on Zhong Wuwang's forehead. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth. "You're the Feng Immortal, Feng Ruotong!"

Immortal Kou's smile grew even wider. "Wrong guess."

His figure flickered, and in the next instant, he was before Zhong Wuwang. He pointed a finger at Zhong Wuwang's brow.

"Bang!"

The back of Zhong Wuwang's head exploded. He staggered and collapsed to the ground.

Immortal Kou laughed heartily, then leaped away like a flying bird and disappeared.

A long time passed. The demonic miasma dispersed, and moonlight fell on Zhong Wuwang's corpse.

On the surface of his body, the shamanic ritual markings of the Immortal Art of Immortality slowly emerged, circulating gradually, repairing his brain bit by bit.