Chapter 570: Stealing Across the Earth Immortal Realm

Chen Shi had also passed on the Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection, and not a few people in Western Ox New Continent practiced this technique, which was why Yu Tiancheng and the others could distinguish the Great Wilderness Dao patterns.

However, although many people cultivated the Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection, those who achieved anything were pitifully few. Most people faced this technique with utter confusion, unable to make heads or tails of it.

"Recording these Dao patterns might actually allow us to explore the mysteries of the Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection."

Yu Tiancheng said, "But I'm worried whether these suddenly appearing Dao patterns might harbor some trick. These great Dao radiant lights are truly too strange. Should we report this matter to the True King?"

Hu Feifei pondered for a moment, then said, "The True King is busy day and night. There's no need to disturb him for now. You all continue recording these great Dao radiant lights and seek out the patterns within them."

These days, Chen Shi paid no attention to government affairs, acting as a hands-off True King. For the past two years, he had hardly attended court at all. If Hu Feifei wanted to find Chen Shi, she could only try her luck at the Palace of Virtue. Fortunately, with the Cabinet in place, Western Ox New Continent still operated in an orderly fashion.

Minister of Rites Yu Lingzi came seeking an audience, and the first thing out of his mouth was a request for money and grain: "Grand Secretary Hu, in the past two years, the Ministry of Rites has opened over twenty thousand public schools and recruited students. But maintaining these schools costs money like flowing water every month. The silver approved earlier simply isn't enough. I beg you to approve additional funds and grain."

Hu Feifei had a headache: "Minister Yu, please wait a little longer. I am consulting with the Military Department about opening ports for trade, using the Military Department's minor heavens as docks and establishing transfer points. Merchants from all regions will find travel and commerce most convenient. We only need to levy taxes on those merchants, and the treasury will soon be flush with funds. Maintaining twenty thousand public schools and the expenses of various prefectural yamens will be no problem at all. If your Ministry of Rites can hold out for a few more months, the court will have money."

Yu Lingzi complained bitterly: "If no silver is issued now, the public schools cannot continue to operate. I beg you, Grandmother Hu, to squeeze out a little from between your teeth."

"Grandmother Hu has no money either!"

Hu Feifei said irritably, "All expenses in the inner palace have been cut. We only keep one eunuch and a few maids for cleaning. The True King's silver has all been given to you! If you want more money, then we'll have to pawn the True King's dragon throne!"

Yu Lingzi tested the waters: "How about... we pawn it?"

Hu Feifei shot him a glare, then suddenly had an idea and smiled: "Your Blue Goat Palace still has silver, doesn't it? Go borrow a bit from the Palace Master, charge it to the court's accounts, and scrape by for these few months."

Yu Lingzi said with difficulty: "These days, whenever the Palace Master sees me return to the mountain, he treats me like a jinx and goes into seclusion, refusing to see me... Well, I'll make another trip anyway!"

He hurried away.

Hu Feifei sighed and murmured softly, "Where has the True King gone these past days? He won't come back to court, and when we try to find him, he's nowhere to be found. And the Clan Head and Granny Sha and the others, they've also vanished these past few years. Could they have ascended to the Earth Immortal Realm?"

Earth Immortal Realm, Tianjin Ferry Crossing.

Chen Yindu, Du Yiran, Granny Sha, and the celestial fox Hu Xiaoliang jumped down from a celestial boat docked at the ferry. The nine-tailed celestial fox stayed behind to pay the full fare.

The boatman of this celestial boat instructed them: "Corpse Liberation Immortals don't count as people in the Earth Immortal Realm. This place is no ordinary realm, not like the lower world. If you're dragons, coil up; if you're phoenixes, nest down. You have no identities here, so be careful not to get pruned by the Celestial Way."

Hu Xiaoliang expressed his thanks.

The boatman sailed away, disappearing into the vast Milky Way.

"Finally arrived in the Earth Immortal Realm."

Sha Qiutong let out a long breath, feeling quite moved.

Their journey here relied on Chen Yindu's ascension radiant light.

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Chen Yindu was a Corpse Liberation Immortal who, through the guidance of the Empress of Earth, comprehended the principles of the cycle of reincarnation, shed his corpse form, and lived a second life. His path followed the new method of becoming an immortal, but even this new method was unorthodox.

Chen Yindu's path to immortality wasn't exactly proper. This time, when he ascended, he had to bring Du Yiran, Granny Sha, and the others along. During the ascension, the radiant light guiding them ran out of power and abandoned them on the Milky Way.

Fortunately, they weren't far from the Earth Immortal Realm. They hurried along the Milky Way for over two years, encountered a celestial boat ferrying passengers on the river, boarded it, and after several more months of long travel, finally arrived at Tianjin Ferry.

"Let's find a place to settle down first, then search for Atang and Azhuo and the others. Together, we'll seek out fairy mountains, visit renowned masters, and establish ourselves in the Earth Immortal Realm."

Du Yiran said maturely, "With our aptitude and comprehension, it definitely won't take long before we make a name for ourselves in the Earth Immortal Realm. By the time Little Ten and the others ascend, we'll have a solid foundation."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Sha Qiutong went to inquire, and after a moment, returned saying: "There's an immortal city here called Langdu, occupying the Langyue Immortal Domain. The city lord is Langyue Immortal Lord. If we want to apprentice under masters and learn profound immortal techniques, we must first earn merit. There's an Immortal Execution List posted in the city, listing notorious wanted criminals. If we can capture a few, we can establish a foothold in the Langyue Immortal Domain. If we can earn the Langyue Immortal Lord's appreciation, we might even be accepted as his disciples."

Chen Yindu said, "Good, let's go to Langdu!"

Before long, they entered Langdu and stood before an Immortal Execution List, remaining silent for a long time.

Immortal Execution List, as the name implies, listed notorious and utterly evil immortals. The Immortal Lord posted bounties for their execution with no quarter given. If one could bring their heads, a considerable reward would certainly be offered.

At the top of this Immortal Execution List was none other than a big black dog, wearing an honest and kind expression that could fool children and old folks alike. It stood upright on its hind legs, dressed in gaudy, colorful clothes, with a pair of spectacles perched on its forehead.

"That's Black Pot, isn't it?" Sha Qiutong whispered.

"It should be?" Chen Yindu wasn't entirely certain either.

"Old Man Chen, before you left, didn't you instruct your Black Pot to take care of Little Ten?"

Du Yiran asked, "How did it end up in the Earth Immortal Realm causing trouble? And it made the Immortal Execution List!"

Chen Yindu was also bewildered. The number one on the wanted list was indeed Black Pot, but hadn't they, the ascended immortals, only just arrived in the Earth Immortal Realm? How had Black Pot already become number one?

Could Black Pot have ascended to the immortal realm before them?

"Is number two Little Ten?" the celestial fox suddenly said.

Everyone's gaze fell on the second person on the Immortal Execution List. This person appeared to be a young man, but the portrait had no face.

This person had over a dozen portraits on the list, and every single one lacked a face, as if someone had deliberately erased them.

However, Sha Qiutong, Du Yiran, and the others were extremely familiar with Chen Shi. From the clothing and bearing in these portraits, they could be certain this person was Chen Shi!

"The witnesses must have had their memories of Little Ten wiped by Black Pot."

Chen Yindu said, "That's why when these people drew Little Ten, they couldn't capture his face. But..."

His face was filled with confusion as he murmured, "Shouldn't they be in Western Ox New Continent? When did they commit such a big crime?"

At that moment, several immortals noticed them and looked over.

"This place isn't safe to linger!"

The group tensed up and hurried away, heading for the next immortal domain.

Half a month later, they arrived at the Star Sea Immortal Domain and stood before the Immortal Execution List in Star Sea Immortal City. Chen Yindu's eye twitched violently, for on the Star Sea's Immortal Execution List, the first place was still Black Pot, and the second place was still Chen Shi, likewise without a face.

"Could the two immortal domains be using the same Immortal Execution List?" the celestial fox said.

Du Yiran shook his head: "The third place is different, and the wanted criminals after that aren't the same people either. The two immortal domains aren't hunting the same individuals."

"But the number one and number two are the same."

Granny Sha also had a headache: "Could Little Ten and Black Pot have both ascended and committed major crimes in two places?"

They left the Star Sea Immortal Domain and arrived at the Moon Bay Immortal Domain. Here, the first and second on the Immortal Execution List weren't Black Pot and Chen Shi, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, an immortal official came to change the list. They gazed at it intently, and the number one spot was a kind-faced big black dog, but the second place wasn't Chen Shi.

"What crime did this dog commit?" Sha Qiutong stopped the immortal official and asked.

"This dog, together with an expert who cultivated the Heavenly Transformation Realm, ransacked the Moon Bay Immortal Lord's Dao Realm and seized the earthly treasure and spiritual root, the Jade Coriander Flower."

The immortal official said, "The Immortal Lord was furious and ordered us to post the Immortal Execution List to hunt him down, but I suspect it probably won't do much good."

Sha Qiutong asked doubtfully, "Why?"

The immortal official said, "This dog and that Heavenly Transformation Realm expert have already ransacked the Dao Realms of hundreds of immortals and Immortal Lords. On Immortal Execution Lists across the Earth Immortal Realm, the two of them often hold the first and second spots, and no one has ever managed to capture them. Even immortal masters skilled in divination can't calculate their origins."

Chen Yindu and the others were each secretly horrified. Black Pot and Chen Shi had ransacked hundreds of immortals and Immortal Lords?

When did this happen?

"Nowadays, that dog's reputation is even greater than Howling Sky Dog's!"

The immortal official shook his head and left, his voice drifting back, "I heard that Immortal Lord Wu led many of the victims to Spirit Mountain, planning to seek out an existence at the level of the Buddha of the Pure Land, to see if some demon or fiend had escaped from the Heavenly Transformation Realm. I don't know if there's been any result."

Chen Yindu and the others' heads were buzzing.

"Can a Thousand-li Communication Talisman reach Little Ten?" Sha Qiutong asked.

Chen Yindu shook his head: "The distance is too great. A Thousand-li Communication Talisman can't connect. The only way now is to find Little Ten and Black Pot before we can learn the specifics."

They felt somewhat lost. The Earth Immortal Realm was so vast, how could they possibly find Chen Shi and Black Pot?

Chen Yindu said, "Perhaps we can pay our respects to the Empress of Earth and ask her for information."

They immediately hurried away.

Spirit Mountain, Western Pure Land.

Immortal Lord Wu, along with a group of Celestial Immortals, True Immortals, and Gold Immortals, came to the Pure Land seeking an audience with King Buddha. This King Buddha had originally been a mortal king who, while on his throne, contemplated the Dao, achieved great enlightenment, gained complete awakening, and became a Buddha.

Later, he had endured over a dozen Opening the Calamity events without ever entering nirvana, and so was honored as King Buddha.

A young novice monk hurried over and said to Immortal Lord Wu and the others: "King Buddha said he already knows your purpose. He has already sent people to investigate the Heavenly Transformation Realm, and news should arrive within a few days. He asks that you all wait here."

They waited for several days.

The young novice monk hurried over again and said: "King Buddha said he has taken stock of the Heavenly Transformation Realm, and no demons, fiends, ghosts, or gods have escaped."

Immortal Lord Wu said, "We humbly request King Buddha to exercise his great divine power and calculate the origins of that person and that dog."

The young novice monk said: "King Buddha has already calculated but could not determine that person's background, nor could he determine what divine being that dog is. King Buddha also said that someone far more formidable than him had already acted early to obscure the heavenly secrets."

Everyone exchanged glances and couldn't help but feel horrified.

Immortal Lord Wu said, "Now that our earthly treasures and spiritual roots have been stolen, we cannot protect ourselves during the Opening the Calamity, and our lives hang in the balance. Senior brother, please trouble yourself to ask once more, and beseech King Buddha to point us in the right direction!"

The young novice monk left and returned after a short while, saying: "King Buddha said that you should take King Buddha's visiting card and go ask at the Celestial Court. Perhaps you can find clues about the whereabouts of this person and this dog."

Hearing this, everyone sighed. Someone muttered quietly, "Go to the Celestial Court? Those deities would be only too happy to see us all die in the Opening the Calamity. Why would they be willing to investigate who the thieves are?"

They had no choice but to try anything, even a dead horse as a living horse.

The group arrived at the Celestial Court, reported the matter, and presented King Buddha's visiting card.

The Celestial Court didn't make things difficult for them either. They ordered the Immortal Execution List to be prepared and added Black Pot and Chen Shi to it.

Two days later, a divine general from the Celestial Court came and said: "The various Heavenly Kings and Celestial Venerables of the Celestial Court have all made calculations, but none could determine the origins of this person and this dog."

They were somewhat despairing. Immortal Lord Wu murmured, "Even the Heavenly Kings and Celestial Venerables have calculated without determining their origins. The next level up would be the Great Emperors and the Four Sovereigns."

Such beings were beyond their ability to contact.

"The Celestial Court's Immortal Execution List has been released, and all parts of the Earth Immortal Realm will respond. These two bandits will surely be found." The divine general offered some words of comfort before showing them out.

Immortal Lord Wu and the others could only leave dejectedly.

Chen Shi and Black Pot walked out of another Immortal Lord's Dao Realm. Chen Shi said, "Black Pot, after this job, we're done. The dew we've collected over these past two years is enough, Her Ladyship's accounts are almost settled, and Wu Qi's bones are nearly fully grown. If we keep doing this sort of thing, I'm afraid we'll capsize in the gutter one day."

Black Pot deeply agreed.

These days, whenever immortals and cultivators in Dao Realms saw it, they would scream: "Number one! Number one!"

"The dog is here again!"

This always gave it an ominous feeling.

They returned to the Palace of Virtue, just in time for Jue Yangzi and the others to finish refining a furnace of immortal pills. Chen Shi offered up a jade bottle to collect the dew, casually grabbed a handful of immortal pills to taste, and distributed the rest to everyone.

He came before Wu Qi's skeleton and saw that where Wu Qi had originally only two bones, after these years of nurturing, the skeleton had largely recovered.

Once flesh and blood were regenerated, Wu Qi could live a second life.

"The remaining dew is enough for Wu Qi to regenerate his flesh and blood."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "Wu Qi owes me such a great favor. How will he ever repay it?"

He couldn't help but have a headache.

The Empress of Earth walked over and stuffed the last ledger into Chen Shi's hands, smiling: "Your Majesty, once this final account is settled, everything will be at peace."

- There was a bug, adjustments have been made.