Chapter 593: The Incense is Poisonous
Chen Shi alone could not hold out for two days, but joined forces with Black Pot, the two overlapping Yin-Yang Dao Fields would be more than enough to last that long.
Ahead, the Clay Bodhisattva moved with incredible speed, leaving the Fire Battalion far behind and vanishing from sight in no time.
Chen Shi and Black Pot followed his trail without pause. Before long, they arrived at the main city of Feng'an Commandery.
The main city of Feng'an Commandery was an immortal city, floating in the sky, accessible only to cultivators capable of traveling through the air. But at this moment, even immortals within the city had been turned into clay figures, trapped and unable to leave.
Chen Shi and Black Pot pursued the Bodhisattva to the foot of this immortal city and saw the ground below littered with clay figures that had splattered into mud upon impact. It seemed some cultivators had attempted to fly out of the city and escape, only to discover their cultivation could no longer be used, plummeting to their deaths.
They entered the immortal city and landed on the streets. Everywhere they looked, in every alley and avenue, clay figures stood or knelt.
These clay figures knelt prostrate on the ground, incense sticks held high in their hands, kowtowing toward the same direction.
Chen Shi walked past these clay figures and saw the energy of incense offerings coalescing in the air, condensing into extraordinary power that drifted toward a single direction.
Chen Shi summoned the Purple Heaven Gourd. Black Pot split off from him, carrying the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler on his back. One man, one dog, advancing side by side, they strode past the kneeling clay figures and made their way toward the center of the immortal city.
The Clay Bodhisattva sat in the middle of the city, receiving the worship of countless devotees, absorbing their incense offerings to replenish his depleted divine power.
Kneeling at the very front were the immortals of Feng'an Commandery.
Leading them was the master of this immortal city, a tremendously powerful Gold Immortal. But even he had been reduced to a clay figure, forced to kneel before the Clay Bodhisattva and beg for his protection.
Around the Clay Bodhisattva, the energy of incense offerings permeated the air.
Though the pollution of the Great Dao could corrupt the immortal path, it seemed to have little effect on the divine path. Hence, he could still wield his divine power.
Chen Shi pressed his fingers together in a sword seal and gave a light flick. Two strands of sword qi, one yin and one yang, shot forth from the Purple Heaven Gourd.
These two strands of sword qi were the Profound Heaven Sword Qi he had refined along the way, forged from Profound Heaven Extreme Radiance. Aside from their power, their most defining characteristic was brightness.
Extreme brightness.
The kind of brightness that could blind a person's eyes.
The two strands of sword qi were thick and massive, barely resembling swords at all. They were more like enormous clubs with razor-sharp edges.
Black Pot gripped the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler in one hand and pressed the fingers of his other hand together in a sword seal against his lips, muttering incantations. Suddenly, flames burst into being, and the Heavenly Cycle Fire Domain, interwoven with crackling lightning, swirled around his body, unleashing the full might of the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler!
"Whoosh——"
Chen Shi and Black Pot charged forward from left and right at breakneck speed. Chen Shi commanded the twin swords, the Profound Heaven Sword Qi brimming with the power of yin and yang. The moment he struck, he unleashed the eighth stance of the Primordial Chaos Sword Scripture, Heaven's Net Smashing the Sundered Sky.
Heaven's Net Smashes, the crimson sun bleeds.
When this technique was executed, it painted a scene of apocalypse: the heavens tilting, the earth splitting, the sky collapsing, the sun bleeding as it plunged toward the Clay Bodhisattva!
The Clay Bodhisattva sat unmoving, his hands forming seals and his mouth chanting true incantations.
"Om tiṣṭha tiṣṭha mahā-svā!"
His seal technique was called the Mahā Navapātra Seal, an entire sequence of hand seals. This particular formation differed from before, manifesting as an immense, impenetrable vajra wall of iron that thrust forward from before him, meeting the cataclysmic spectacle of the bleeding sun head-on!
Within that vajra iron wall, every single brick contained an entire world. Inside each brick, one could see sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and countless living beings.
For Dao techniques and divine abilities to reach this level was truly beyond comprehension.
"A mere Clay Bodhisattva!"
Chen Shi roared, driving his sword qi forward to collide with the Mahā Navapātra Seal. In an instant, the twin yin-yang swords pierced through layer after layer of barriers, annihilating the worlds within the bricks!
The crimson sun plunged downward, crashing into the vajra iron wall as both sides continuously destroyed each other!
At the same moment, Black Pot bellowed and shoved the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler forward, unleashing every ounce of his brute strength. With a thunderous boom, it slammed into the iron wall. Seizing the moment when the vajra wall was locked in confrontation with Chen Shi's Dao techniques, he smashed straight through it!
The Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler swelled to enormous proportions and hurtled toward the Clay Bodhisattva.
The Clay Bodhisattva raised his hand to block, but the force of the impact sent him staggering backward against his will.
Chen Shi leaped into the air, landing atop the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler, and sprinted along the iron pillar. Suddenly, he launched himself skyward, Azure Dragon Energy erupting all around him. The Azure Dragon's Roar recorded on the spirit treasure's Azure Stele exploded from his hands, transforming into a supreme seal that slammed down upon the Clay Bodhisattva!
The Clay Bodhisattva fought desperately to withstand the blow, his fingers shattered into flying flecks of mud, and he was involuntarily knocked backward.
Black Pot had already leaped high from behind Chen Shi, swinging the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler in a devastating smash downward!
The Clay Bodhisattva crossed both hands to seal the strike, managing to block it, but he was crushed downward by the overwhelming force.
"Boom!"
His body plummeted, slamming into the earth beneath the immortal city, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
The two strands of Profound Heaven Sword Qi spiraled around each other, descending from the sky in hot pursuit, transforming into the technique Earthly Qi's Cold Greeting. The sword qi erupted from beneath the ground, piercing into the Clay Bodhisattva's body and launching him skyward!
Meanwhile, the two strands of Profound Heaven Sword Qi executed the other half of the technique, Heaven's Inverted Cycle of Life and Death!
The Clay Bodhisattva frantically formed seals to receive the blow, but Black Pot had already appeared above his head, swinging the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler in a sweeping strike at his waist.
He barely managed to dodge Black Pot's attack when Chen Shi's leg swept across his face, caving in half of the Clay Bodhisattva's features and sending him crashing away into the distance.
Before he could even stabilize himself, he saw Chen Shi's sword light already upon him. He let out a fierce shout, slapped out a seal, and chanted a true incantation.
"Gheṣa mavai oṁ samaya!"
"Shhk! Shhk!"
Two beams of sword light tore through his seal technique, piercing straight through his palm from front to back. Chen Shi's sword fingers swept left and right, and half of the Clay Bodhisattva's hand flew off.
The Clay Bodhisattva clenched his fist heavily, mud scattering everywhere, as the severed hand reconnected and reformed into a fist once more. Gripping it tightly, he punched toward the incoming Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler and roared, "Ṇuṣa māra hoṁ phaṁ svāhā!"
Chen Shi suddenly appeared beside Black Pot and laid his palm upon the iron ruler. Man and dog working in unison, they smashed the Clay Bodhisattva's freshly repaired hand into a pulp of mud.
Black Pot howled furiously, charging forward with the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler, driving the Clay Bodhisattva backward and slamming him into a mountain peak.
Chen Shi vaulted onto the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler, sprinting forward at full speed. He activated the Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection and unleashed a divine ability he had comprehended from the technique, Ten Suns Assailing the Dipper. As his hand seals descended, one great sun after another bombarded the Clay Bodhisattva!
Outside Feng'an Commandery, Master Ge and King Li watched the spectacle unfold, both beaming with delight. Chen Shi and Black Pot coordinated flawlessly, actually managing to beat the Clay Bodhisattva to a pulp, which drew their reluctant admiration.
"Neither of them alone could match the Clay Bodhisattva, but working together, the Bodhisattva is far from their equal."
Master Ge chuckled. "Your Majesty, if you want to force out Chen Shi's true capabilities, relying on the Clay Bodhisattva alone may not be enough."
King Li laughed. "Mahāsthāmaprāpta is my fellow senior. If his avatar hadn't been broken, even Chen Shi and the Black Immortal working together would be far from his match. Now that he's become the Clay Bodhisattva, it's naturally difficult for him to protect himself. He is not the culprit. He's merely a pitiful soul whose Golden Body was dissolved, forced to use a mud body instead."
Master Ge smiled. "The Bodhisattva of Great Strength is indeed formidable. His incense offerings can even reach my Thunderclap Mystic Province under the Thunder Ministry. But since we're all fellow cultivators, I simply turn a blind eye. He cultivates both the divine and Buddhist paths, wanting incense offerings and the immortal path alike. Over the years, his incense has flourished quite well in Thunderclap Mystic Province. And after becoming the Clay Bodhisattva, he still can't let go, even making clay figures worship him and offer incense."
King Li said, "In the Western Heaven, not a few follow the path of dual cultivation of divinity and Buddhism. Mahāsthāmaprāpta is merely one of them."
Master Ge asked, "If the source of the Great Dao pollution is not Mahāsthāmaprāpta, then who could it be?"
King Li smiled. "Whoever this person is, at this moment, he must be within Feng'an Commandery. If Chen Shi wants to survive, he will have to find that person."
He smiled faintly. "With this person's abilities, he will surely force Chen Shi to reveal every trick he has. Whether Chen Shi is truly a demon from the Dark Sea will become crystal clear."
Just as he finished speaking, Chen Shi and Black Pot had already driven the Clay Bodhisattva to the brink.
The Clay Bodhisattva poured every last ounce of his strength into blocking their assault, his mud-made body already riddled with holes and damage.
At that moment, Chen Shi suddenly withdrew his attack, blocking Black Pot who was about to deliver the killing blow. He shook his head. "It's not him."
Black Pot was taken aback.
Chen Shi said, "His cultivation is indeed formidable, but he doesn't possess the means to initiate the Great Dao pollution. If he were the true culprit behind the pollution, even working together, we would have turned into clay figures by now."
Black Pot withdrew his attack.
The Clay Bodhisattva spoke. "When did you know that I was not the true culprit behind the Great Dao pollution?"
Chen Shi smiled. "The moment you struck at me, I figured it out. You are not the culprit. The reason you're throwing your weight around in Feng'an Commandery is because you too are searching for the true culprit. Bodhisattva, have you found him?"
The Clay Bodhisattva did not answer, instead asking, "Since you knew I was not the culprit, why did you still attack me?"
Chen Shi shook his head. "You struck without warning, nearly killing me and Fellow Daoist Zhong. Naturally, I had to retaliate. Nearly killing you in return is only fair."
The Clay Bodhisattva gave him a long, searching look. "I have not found the culprit. I only sensed someone casting a spell to summon rain, using the rainwater to kill the people of Feng'an Commandery."
Chen Shi pondered for a moment. "I heard that you, Bodhisattva, were the first to be polluted. Could you tell me what happened at that time?"
Mud churned across the Clay Bodhisattva's body as it reassembled itself, repairing the parts that Chen Shi and Black Pot had smashed apart. "I am an avatar of the Bodhisattva of Great Strength, having received incense offerings for a long time. The Bodhisattva resides in the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss and rarely comes here. But this time, the Bodhisattva wished to descend through my Golden Body to give a sermon. So I made preparations early, having the people get ready to welcome the Bodhisattva. However, the Bodhisattva was delayed for several hours while listening to the Buddha preach in the Western Heaven. Before he could descend, something went wrong."
He frowned slightly. "Someone offered me a stick of incense and bowed to me. I accepted his offering, and my Golden Body was broken, turning into a body of mud. His incense was poisoned!"
"A single stick of incense broke through the Golden Body you spent over a hundred thousand years forging."
Chen Shi's brows furrowed tightly. Could that stick of incense be the source of the Great Dao pollution?
"May I ask, Bodhisattva, do you recognize the person who offered you that incense?"
The Clay Bodhisattva said, "I do not. I sensed him casting a spell to summon rain, so I gave chase, but unfortunately, I lost him. However, if he offers me even a single stick of incense again, I will be able to distinguish exactly who he is!"
Chen Shi asked, "So that's why you made everyone in the immortal city prostrate themselves in worship before you just now?"
The Clay Bodhisattva nodded.
Chen Shi smiled. "If you keep testing like this along the way, the entire Feng'an Commandery will become your followers. The Bodhisattva will have secured a firm foothold in Thunderclap Mystic Province. This makes me wonder whether the Bodhisattva is deliberately indulging this Great Dao pollution. When you sensed that the incense was poisonous, you should have been able to reject that strand of incense. Yet you chose not to stop it."
He smiled lightly. "If you merely rejected the incense, it would have been nothing more than a false alarm. But if the Great Dao pollution occurred, you could gather all the incense offerings of Feng'an Commandery for yourself. The weight of the matter is plain to see."
The Clay Bodhisattva shot him a glance and said sternly, "That is a conspiracy theory. Young benefactor, do not slander me without evidence."
Chen Shi chuckled. "Verifying this is simple. If I find that person and break this Great Dao pollution, everyone will remember my kindness, not yours, Bodhisattva. I hope you won't be upset."
The Clay Bodhisattva looked at him with a smile. "If you can break the Great Dao pollution and save the commoners of Feng'an Commandery from disaster, I would only be delighted."
"Excellent!"
Chen Shi laughed heartily and turned to walk away.