Chapter 482: Immortal Art of Immortality
This scene was truly shocking. The gods and immortals of Great Shang, the most powerful forces gathered here, fought to the death with their enemies to continue their race’s destiny, and in the end, everyone died heroically.
Zhong Wuwang said, "The Great Shang immortals either fell to corruption or shattered their small worlds to seal themselves away. This Great Shang immortal was not corrupted, maintained his peak combat strength, and even took down this invader with him. It shows that his cultivation level surpassed that of other immortals. Perhaps the Celestial Venerable might have achieved something similar."
He couldn't be sure either.
Although the Celestial Venerable was the strongest existence in Despair Slope, he should have merged with the True God Dao Field. In theory, his achievement could not surpass that of the True God.
Zhong Wuwang could not discern the True God's cultivation level, but if the True God was stronger than the culprit, then the True God wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself to become the sun and moon. After all, the True God could have simply defeated the culprit with his own strength and cleansed the pollution on the sun and moon.
Chen Shi suddenly asked, "Is the culprit really dead?"
Yang Bi and Zhong Wuwang's hearts trembled slightly.
Chen Shi looked toward the moon and said, "If the culprit is truly dead, then why is the flesh covering the sun and moon still there? Why does demonic energy still exist in heaven and earth? Why can't we see any stars?"
Yang Bi pondered and said, "Could it be that the culprit is dead, but his demonic energy still spreads through heaven and earth, forming Dao pollution?"
Zhong Wuwang asked, "And the flesh on the sun and moon? How do you explain that?"
Yang Bi didn't know how to answer.
Chen Shi said, "It's very likely that the Great Shang immortals and gods severely wounded the culprit, but he survived in some form."
Zhong Wuwang said, "If the culprit survived, why didn't he completely corrupt this land? Fully corrupting this land and turning the Western Ox New Continent into his Dao field would allow him to quickly recover his strength, wouldn't it?"
Chen Shi didn't know how to answer either.
Yang Bi asked, "Then what do you think, Brother Zhong?"
Zhong Wuwang smiled and said, "I think, to determine whether the culprit is dead or not, we need to go to the moon and see for ourselves. Otherwise, it's all just speculation."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "The moon is so far away. Who can get there? How about this: we put together the immortal bones we each found, get the complete shamanic ritual markings, leave this place, and each comprehend the shamanic ritual markings on our own."
Yang Bi and Zhong Wuwang each nodded.
The three of them took out the immortal bones they had found and pieced them together according to human body structure, but in the end, they only managed to assemble half a person.
This half person had all limbs, a pelvis, ribs, and shoulder bones, but lacked the skull and spine.
"Where are the remaining bones?" they wondered, confused.
Chen Shi studied the battle traces nearby. After a moment of thought, he suddenly said, "This Great Shang immortal must have had his skull and spine shattered by the culprit and died with his Dao destroyed. It makes sense that the remaining bones can't be found. You two, after all, we're still in the Sea of Darkness. There's no guarantee that terrifying beings in the sea won't target us. We should go back."
Yang Bi was also secretly observing the battle traces around them. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "That makes sense. We've already obtained many treasures on this trip. After we go back and organize these shamanic ritual markings, all three of us are bound to have an astonishing improvement."
Zhong Wuwang's eyes flickered, and he smiled, saying, "Yes, yes. Let's leave quickly."
That said, not one of them moved.
The atmosphere was somewhat strange.
After a moment, Zhong Wuwang broke the silence and said, "You two haven't moved for a long time. Could it be that you're thinking the same thing I am?"
Chen Shi remained expressionless and slowly said, "What are you thinking, Brother Zhong?"
Zhong Wuwang hesitated for a moment but said nothing.
Yang Bi sighed and said, "I was thinking that the skull and spine of this Great Shang immortal might have been grabbed by the culprit. At the moment their lives were decided, the Great Shang Celestial Court was shattered by their attack, the culprit was sent flying and crashed into the moon, while the culprit grabbed the Great Shang immortal's head and pulled his skull and spine out of his body. In other words, the skull and spine are probably on the moon."
Zhong Wuwang summoned the Tianlu carriage and sat inside, smiling as he said, "I was thinking the same. You two, my carriage is quite small, so I won't invite you in."
The Tianlu pulled the carriage and raced toward the heavens along the broken flesh road.
This flesh road had been broken through by the Great Shang immortal, and the path was fragmented. Moreover, the Western Ox New Continent was extremely far from the moon. They still needed to fly through the true fire layer or the moonlight sword aura layer to reach the outer heavens, and then fly for a long time to get near the moon.
However, the Great Shang Celestial Court had shortened this distance significantly.
The crack in the sky, and through the crack, the large crater on the moon could be clearly seen, indicating that the distance between the moon and this place had been artificially shortened by a great deal.
So Zhong Wuwang, riding the Tianlu carriage, could probably reach the moon.
Chen Shi and Yang Bi exchanged a glance, then they also set off, walking along the fragmented flesh road toward the moon.
The flesh on this road was all in a shattered state, but it hadn't lost all vitality. Instead, it was still full of activity. When they got close, many pieces of flesh moved and deformed on their own, trying to capture them!
The Tianlu carriage ahead was also attacked by the flesh. It was entangled by a clump of flesh that bloomed like a flower, squeezing it until it creaked.
Inside the carriage, Zhong Wuwang activated the Vermilion Sparrow sword. The immortal sword transformed into a dancing Vermilion Sparrow, flying around the carriage and cutting through the surrounding flesh. Zhong Wuwang was also shaken, his qi and blood surging. He was shocked in his heart: "This flesh is so strong!"
Suddenly, a piece of flesh expanded violently, completely enveloping the Tianlu carriage. With a gurgling sound, like a giant snake swallowing its prey, it swallowed the carriage whole.
Inside that clump of flesh, a great blaze erupted, bursting from within and splitting the flesh open.
Zhong Wuwang, holding Fang Zhenxiu's hand with one hand and controlling the Vermilion Sparrow sword with the other, killed his way out of the flesh.
They were unharmed, but the Tianlu carriage was covered in wet, sticky mucus. Zhong Wuwang frowned deeply, sent Fang Zhenxiu back into the carriage, and said, "Zhenxiu, Tianlu will take you away from here. Stay in the carriage and wait for your master to return."
Fang Zhenxiu acknowledged, and the Tianlu pulled the carriage back along the same path.
Chen Shi and Yang Bi approached, and Zhong Wuwang smiled and said, "You two, let's walk together."
As soon as he said that, Chen Shi activated the Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle. Ninety-nine willow-leaf-shaped swords surrounded Chen Shi and Yang Bi, and they shot into the air under Zhong Wuwang's stunned gaze.
The Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle was extremely fast, flying past before the flesh along the way could react.
Seeing this, Zhong Wuwang gritted his teeth and followed closely behind, activating the Vermilion Sparrow sword to slash his way through, his qi and blood churning.
He advanced with difficulty and gradually slowed down.
His Vermilion Sparrow sword was absolutely not inferior to the Demon-Repelling Shuttle. Its power was even greater than the shuttle's, but the shuttle had the word "demon-repelling" in its name, allowing it to repel demonic qi and even pass directly through the writhing flesh without obstruction. The Vermilion Sparrow sword couldn't do that.
Zhong Wuwang chased after them, finding it harder and harder until he could barely keep going. He thought to himself, "If I have to fight my way all the way, I'll probably be exhausted before I even reach the moon, and Chen Shi will definitely kill me with one slash!"
He was about to turn back when suddenly a silver light flashed ahead. The Demon-Repelling Shuttle actually turned around and flew back, stopping beside him with a whoosh.
More than thirty willow-leaf-shaped immortal swords rose up, revealing Chen Shi and Yang Bi's faces.
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Zhong Er Niu, what are you standing there for? Get on!"
Zhong Wuwang was stunned, then broke into a smile and jumped into the shuttle. The immortal swords closed, and the Demon-Repelling Shuttle sped toward the moon, faster and faster.
Zhong Wuwang smiled and said, "I didn't expect the Child Prodigy to lend me a helping hand."
"You're mistaken."
Yang Bi explained from the side, "I just told the True King that once we reach the moon, the place where the culprit's body exploded will have even stronger flesh activity and be extremely dangerous. We need someone to scout ahead, so the True King came to pick you up."
Zhong Wuwang looked at Chen Shi, who smiled and said, "I hope Er Niu won't refuse."
Zhong Wuwang snorted and said, "The culprit must be dead. It's not impossible for me to scout ahead."
That said, his heart was still uneasy. What if the culprit wasn't dead?
The Demon-Repelling Shuttle passed through the crack torn in the sky and came to the outer heavens. The moon grew closer and closer, but the demonic energy also became increasingly intense. Even the shuttle couldn't block its invasion.
Zhong Wuwang activated the Innate Dao Embryo to protect himself.
Yang Bi didn't have a Dao embryo and was at a loss, but then Chen Shi's Dao field spread out. With yin-yang purgation, all demonic energy instantly dissipated.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief and thought, "I'm still somewhat lacking compared to the two of them."
The moon grew larger and larger. The closer the Demon-Repelling Shuttle got, the more massive the crater became.
When they approached, the demonic energy was so intense that even the Innate Dao Embryo couldn't resist it. Zhong Wuwang's expression changed slightly. Just then, Chen Shi's yin-yang Dao field swept over, covering him as well, and the demonic energy's influence on him immediately subsided.
Zhong Wuwang said solemnly, "Thank you."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "No need for formalities. You still need to go down into the giant crater and check if there's any danger. You can't die just yet."
Zhong Wuwang clenched his fist, then relaxed it and smiled, saying, "I won't argue with you about this."
The Taiyi Demon-Repelling Shuttle slowly landed at the edge of the giant crater. Chen Shi opened the shuttle, and all the air inside rushed out, but the three of them all cultivated Dao fields, and a Dao field was a small world in itself.
Zhong Wuwang's Realm of Emptiness, in particular, was an almost complete world, so air was naturally not lacking.
"Chen Shi, can your Dao field cover the bottom of the crater?" Zhong Wuwang asked, looking down into the crater with some trepidation.
In the crater, shattered flesh took on a human form, a shocking sight that made even him uneasy.
Chen Shi said in a deep voice, "Don't worry."
Zhong Wuwang stepped into the air, his feet not touching the ground, and walked toward the bottom of the crater.
He passed over the human-shaped bloodstain, about three feet above the ground. Suddenly, the powdered flesh below, as if sensing the scent of other life, grew countless thin tendrils from the bottom of the crater, reaching into the air and trying to pierce the soles of Zhong Wuwang's feet.
Zhong Wuwang took a step upward to avoid these tendrils.
When he reached the bottom of the crater, countless tendrils were growing upward, swaying like seaweed.
The human-shaped bloodstain became extremely clear, taking on a human outline, like a blood giant lying in the pit.
This scene sent chills down Zhong Wuwang's spine. "What the hell is this culprit?"
Just then, he saw a skull. Below the skull were the cervical vertebrae and spine, extending all the way to the coccyx.
"There it is!"
Zhong Wuwang immediately activated the Vermilion Sparrow sword, flying toward the skull and lifting the skeleton.
"Got it!"
Zhong Wuwang's eyes flickered as he looked back toward the way he came. He thought, "If I take the skull and leave immediately, I can keep this shamanic ritual marking for myself..."
As soon as he thought of that, Chen Shi's Dao field suddenly weakened a bit. The demonic energy abruptly intensified, and Zhong Wuwang's hand became unbearably itchy. Countless tiny tendrils grew out of his skin pores, dancing in the air.
"Er Niu, although this senior in the pit is dead, his Dao laws are still affecting the surroundings."
Chen Shi kindly reminded him, "I'm having a bit of trouble holding on. You should come back quickly, so you don't get affected by this evil Dao."
As he spoke, Chen Shi's Dao field weakened even further.
Zhong Wuwang felt an unbearable itch all over his body, and countless tiny tendrils sprouted from every part of him!
Zhong Wuwang gritted his teeth and walked toward Chen Shi. The closer he got to Chen Shi, the fainter the itching sensation became. When he reached Chen Shi's side, all the tendrils disappeared.
"Mission accomplished."
Zhong Wuwang smiled without sincerity and said, "I've scouted ahead and confirmed that the culprit's physical body has indeed been destroyed, but whether he's dead or not, it's hard to say. I also happened to find a skull, along with the spine and cervical vertebrae, which should be the missing bones of that Great Shang immortal."
Chen Shi praised, "Er Niu has rendered great service."
Zhong Wuwang humbly said, "I dare not claim credit. If I have made any small contribution, it's entirely due to the True King's guidance."
Chen Shi laughed heartily and said to Yang Bi, "Er Niu's words are deeply to my liking."
"Your Majesty, beware of treacherous ministers."
Yang Bi said calmly, "I suggest that treacherous ministers be killed first to prevent them from causing trouble in the court."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "We can't beat him."
The three of them pieced together the Great Shang immortal's corpse. When the last piece of bone was fitted in place, suddenly, countless shamanic ritual markings on the bones came to life, flowing continuously, and the missing markings gradually grew back!
The three of them were startled. The shamanic ritual markings at the broken ends of the immortal bones were actually connecting with each other!
This shamanic ritual marking seemed to possess its own life force. Once the bones were restored to completeness, they would self-reassemble!
"Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!"
The sound of fine bones reassembling came, crisp and clear. In just a short moment, all the bones, under the effect of the shamanic ritual markings, restored themselves into a complete whole!
"This is an immortal art of immortality, an indestructible golden body!"
Yang Bi exclaimed, "I've only seen records of this kind of Dao technique in the classics left by my ancestors, but I never thought such an incredible Dao technique actually exists in this world!"
"Immortal art of immortality?" Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang's hearts shook greatly.
The shamanic ritual markings flowed over the surface of the immortal bones, ever-changing. The three of them hurriedly committed them to memory.
The shamanic ritual markings flowed faster and faster, constantly changing and dazzling to the eye. As the three of them memorized, they unconsciously imitated them, and various shamanic ritual markings of the immortal art of immortality gradually appeared on the surface of their skin!
Just then, a rumbling vibration came from the moon's surface, like an earthquake. But the vibrations grew faster and faster, and the amplitude grew larger and larger.
While frantically memorizing, Chen Shi glanced over and was horrified. He saw a surging tide of flesh, stretching for thousands of miles, rolling toward them from the moon's surface like a mountain-toppling wave!
The flesh tide grew higher and higher. Countless faces appeared on its surface, as if countless souls were struggling and howling within the flesh, trying to break free!
"No good! The culprit is still alive! Let's go!"
Without a second thought, Chen Shi activated the Demon-Repelling Shuttle, enveloping Yang Bi, Zhong Wuwang, and the immortal bones, and took off into the air!
Just as the shuttle rose, the flesh on the moon's surface also kept rising, higher and higher, forming a massive face spanning a thousand miles. It opened its mouth wide, a bottomless black hole that devoured everything, lunging toward the shuttle!
The shuttle's speed abruptly increased, causing the face to miss. The face was ferocious beyond measure, growing a giant hand from its face. The five fingers spread out, covering heaven and earth, reaching for the shuttle.
The giant hand moved faster and faster, stretching tens of thousands of miles from the moon, chasing after the shuttle, passing through the crack in space, and getting closer and closer to the shuttle!
The shuttle, like a streak of silver light, descended from the sky, flew over the Great Shang Celestial Court, and sped past piece after piece of shattered land!
The flesh giant hand crashed down with a thunderous roar, smashing into the shattered land, bursting in all directions into a rolling tide of flesh that surged after them.
"My disciple is still in the carriage!"
Zhong Wuwang suddenly cried out in alarm, "King Chen, let's go save him!"
Chen Shi looked straight ahead, fully driving the shuttle, and said in a deep voice, "Yan Family disciples die, so what!"
Zhong Wuwang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "He's my only disciple. I have to save him! Let me down!"