Chapter 621: Leave an Arm Behind

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed and quickly urged True Man Zhang into action.

True Man Zhang looked up at the sky and saw that the radiant light was gradually subsiding. He said, "The True King is no longer mobilizing Dao power, which shows he has passed the danger and no longer needs my techniques. My method can only help the True King temporarily mobilize fifty percent of the heaven and earth Dao power. After using it, even I must recover for some time before I can use it a second time."

Hu Feifei pulled Chen Tang aside and asked, "Emperor Father, where did you invite this Daoist from? What is his cultivation level? Does he truly possess such ability?"

She observed that this True Man Zhang was slovenly and unkempt, completely lacking the dignified, immortal bearing of an old sage. She could not help but suspect that this man was merely boastful and possessed no real skill.

Chen Tang said, "This man was invited from Mount Wudang by the Great Shun Emperor. He is called the Manifestation True Man, also known as the Slovenly Daoist. His original name is unclear. He is very formidable, though I do not know his exact cultivation level. We simply address him as True Man Zhang. Magistrate Hu, does Despair Slope still exist?"

"It still exists."

Hu Feifei said, "The legacy of Despair Slope has not been extinguished. A girl named Wen Wuyu guards it there. She is an old friend of the True King and is responsible for organizing Despair Slope's Dao techniques. She often comes to the Imperial Capital to exchange Dao techniques with the Hanlin Academy. I saw that she was intelligent and highly cultivated, so I appointed her as a Hanlin Scholar."

Chen Tang then asked about the details of the battle between Chen Shi and the Celestial Venerable back then. He learned that Creation Little Five had died protecting Chen Yindu, and that Chen Yindu had been unable to revive Creation Little Five and had no choice but to go to the Earth Immortal Realm to find a solution. He fell silent for a long time.

"The person who died should have been me," he said mournfully to Wu Qingyu.

Wu Qingyu knew of the bond between him and Creation Little Five. She gripped his hand tightly and softly comforted him.

Li Tianqing and Yang Bi approached and also asked Hu Feifei about Chen Shi slaying the Celestial Venerable. Hearing Hu Feifei recount the various details, the two could not help but sigh with emotion.

Chen Shi's execution of the Celestial Venerable had shaken them the most.

Li Tianqing had grown up alongside Chen Shi, and the two had once been fairly close in ability. Yang Bi had also been an outstanding figure of his time, on par with Chen Shi. They never imagined that Chen Shi would now be someone they could only look up to.

They had experienced their journey to the Divine Continent and had gained many fortunate encounters, greatly advancing their cultivation and making up for previous deficiencies. Their cultivation had even risen to the Tribulation Crossing realm. Once their Primordial Spirits and flesh and blood were tempered to the level of immortal bodies, they would be able to achieve Dao Unification and Ascension.

Such an achievement would have been considered extremely remarkable in the Western Ox New Continent of old. But in the current Western Ox New Continent, it was not particularly outstanding.

Because after returning to the Western Ox New Continent, they discovered that it was now filled with magnificent Dao vistas everywhere, sacred grounds for cultivation at every turn.

As Chen Shi's cultivation and Dao attainment improved, the Western Ox New Continent transformed with each passing day, and the people living there continuously reaped benefits.

In recent years, the Western Ox New Continent had produced talents in abundance. Combined with Wen Wuyu publicizing Despair Slope's immortal techniques, many young powerhouses had emerged.

These fortunate circumstances could completely match their own encounters in the Ancestral Land, the Divine Continent. For a time, Li Tianqing and Yang Bi found this somewhat difficult to accept.

On the mysterious yellow sea, Yu Sari was pulling the tower ship at high speed.

Chen Shi sat upright as the Purple Heaven Vine continuously absorbed Grand Supreme Purple Qi to replenish his depleted cultivation.

In his battle with Wu Banshan, his cultivation realm had been far too low. Even by mobilizing the Dao power of three Dao Realms, he could not directly confront Wu Banshan.

"This time, catching Wu Banshan off guard relied on my Primordial Chaos Sword Scripture having been cultivated to the point of commanding sixty-four strands of sword qi, the astonishing weight of the mysterious yellow sword qi, and the might of the great demon's scorpion tail. But if Wu Banshan is on guard, escaping from his grasp again will be extremely difficult."

Once Chen Shi's breathing had stabilized, he noticed that Yu Sari's speed was gradually slowing.

Yu Sari had risked his life pulling the ship through Wu Banshan's Dao Realm, showing not the slightest fear before that Gold Immortal of the tenth-level Dao Realm. But after fleeing for so long, he was still exhausted.

"Daoist Yu Sari, let us part ways here!"

Chen Shi waved his hand, and a strand of sword qi slashed down, severing the chains binding Yu Sari.

Yu Sari was still reluctant to leave, lingering before the ship, unable to bear departing.

Chen Shi was moved in his heart. Looking down, gratitude surged within him. "Daoist friend, your kindness will be remembered by Chen. Please leave now, so you are not caught in the crossfire and slain. If I survive, we shall meet again if fate permits..."

Yu Sari cried out, "I'm not worried about you, I'm pitiful about my ship! My entire first half of life was spent toiling for this ship, and I barely finished paying off the shipbuilding debt..."

Chen Shi: "...Daoist friend, they are catching up. Please leave quickly."

Yu Sari also knew he could not help, and said, "This ship... take good care of it." With that, he dove into the depths of the mysterious yellow sea.

Chen Shi flicked his sleeve, and the tower ship surged through the waves, though it was much slower than when Yu Sari had pulled it.

The tower ship carrying Purple Heaven Immortal Lord was the fastest, catching up behind the tower ship Chen Shi was on.

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord leaped from his tower ship, sprinting across the sea surface, faster than the tower ship itself!

Running at such speed for a short time was acceptable to him, but if sustained for long, even a Gold Immortal like him could not endure it.

"Return my Purple Heaven Immortal Gourd!"

With several leaps, he landed on the tower ship where Chen Shi was. Chen Shi was currently waving his sleeves, conjuring wind to propel the ship forward. Seeing the Immortal Lord land on the ship, he showed no fear and charged to kill him.

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord laughed in fury. Though his cultivation was inferior to Wu Banshan's, he was by no means ordinary. The moment they clashed, he immediately sensed that Chen Shi was strong on the outside but weak within. He tried to pull back his force, but it was already too late.

"Boom!"

Chen Shi's body exploded, dying on the spot!

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord was slightly stunned. He had just witnessed Chen Shi fighting Wu Banshan, and had therefore judged Chen Shi's cultivation accordingly, which was why he struck with such force. He never expected Chen Shi to be far weaker than he had imagined, without even the ability to withstand a single blow!

"No, this is not his true body!"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord examined the corpse, and saw it rapidly dissolve, scattering between heaven and earth.

"Peng Qiao, the Lower Corpses God among the Three Corpses Gods! His strength rivals an immortal, no wonder he fooled me!"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord was somewhat bewildered. Shouldn't the Three Corpses Gods be severed at the Three Corpses realm? Why was Chen Shi's Lower Corpses God still present?

"Chen Shi used Peng Qiao as bait to lure me here. Then where is Chen Shi's true body?"

His heart trembled, and he immediately looked toward his own tower ship, transmitting his voice from afar, "Tianbao, Lingyu, be careful!"

On his tower ship, several disciples were keeping watch, led by Tianbao and Lingyu, both immortals who had achieved the Celestial Immortal Realm. They had just heard the transmission when they saw a young man with fluttering robes land on the bow.

"Considering how difficult your cultivation journey has been, I will spare your lives."

Chen Shi wore a faint smile, speaking leisurely, "But you pursued me under Purple Heaven Immortal Lord's command. Death may be forgiven, but punishment cannot be avoided. Leave an arm behind, and you may go."

Lingyu flew into a rage, about to fight him to the death, but Tianbao hastily grabbed her arm and shook his head, whispering, "Senior Sister, we are no match for this villain. A hard struggle will only lead to death."

The scene of Chen Shi battling Wu Banshan was deeply seared into their minds. Tianbao and the others knew that if Chen Shi wanted to kill them, it would take at most a single move!

Lingyu gritted her teeth, summoned her sword, and severed one of her arms. Tianbao and the other two disciples also each cut off an arm, enduring the pain as they leaped off the tower ship.

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord came howling over, happening upon Lingyu, Tianbao, and the others. Seeing that all of them had lost an arm, he flew into a towering rage and charged toward the tower ship.

On that tower ship, Chen Shi was urging the fish demon pulling the ship when suddenly a purple light flashed. Purple Heaven Immortal Lord had already landed on the ship, saying in a chilling voice, "You little thief, let's see how you escape this time!"

Chen Shi charged to kill him, laughing, "Purple Heaven Immortal Lord, leave an arm behind, and I might spare your life!"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord was beside himself with rage. The moment they clashed, his heart lurched, for he felt that the force coming from Chen Shi's hand was far weaker than he had anticipated. In the next instant, Chen Shi was struck until his bones shattered and tendons snapped, blood spewing from his mouth as his body flew backward, clearly beyond saving.

"The Middle Corpses God, Peng Zhi!"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord clenched his fist, watching Chen Shi's corpse dissolve into blue smoke and scatter. The blue smoke carried the sour stench of appetite and desire, a trait unique to Peng Qiao.

This Middle Corpses God was far weaker than the Lower Corpses God. Though he had held back his force, he had still killed the Middle Corpses God with a single blow.

"He is clearly an immortal, so why are his Three Corpses Gods still present?"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord's body trembled with rage. His gaze fell upon the severed arms lying on the tower ship's deck, and he realized that this Middle Corpses God, Peng Zhi, had just terrorized his four disciples into cutting off their own arms!

"Where is this scoundrel's true body?" His gaze was like lightning, scanning in all directions.

At that moment, Tianbao, Lingyu, and the others were heading toward the tower ship. Before they had gone far, they encountered another Chen Shi.

Chen Shi stood with his hands behind his back atop a wave formed of yellow qi. He glanced at them and said calmly, "Cut off one of your own arms, and I will give you a way out."

The four were in despair. Tianbao gritted his teeth, and with a thought, summoned his sword and severed his remaining arm, his face pale.

The other two disciples also steeled themselves and cut off their right arms.

Chen Shi's gaze fell upon Lingyu, and he said indifferently, "And you? Surely you would not rather court death?"

Lingyu said fiercely, "I will fight you to the death!"

She activated her sect's cultivation technique, the Supreme Profound Origin Internal Scripture, and summoned an immortal sword. Blade light poured down like moonlight, raining toward Chen Shi.

Chen Shi laughed loudly, his figure rapidly retreating to avoid the blade light, not daring to meet its edge directly.

Seeing this, Lingyu attacked with all her might. The two exchanged only a few moves on the sea surface before this Chen Shi, strong on the outside but weak within, was run through by Lingyu's sword and fell onto the mysterious yellow sea.

Lingyu stared blankly. She looked at Chen Shi's corpse, then turned to look at Tianbao and the others who had already lost both arms. Her mind went completely blank, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Boom!"

Chen Shi's corpse suddenly dissolved into smoke and dust, revealing it to be the Upper Corpses God, Peng Ju.

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord drove his ship over and, seeing everyone's miserable state, was both furious and anxious. He gnashed his teeth and said, "Pick up your arms! They can still be reattached!"

No one spoke. Each of them lowered their heads, searching for their arms.

Tianbao said in a trembling voice, "Master, I cannot find my arm!"

"Useless creature! Hurry and find it!"

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord laughed in rage. His gaze swept in all directions as he thought, "Where on earth is Chen Shi hiding?"

The mysterious yellow sea stretched vast and boundless. Finding a single person was truly too difficult.

Suddenly, Purple Heaven Immortal Lord activated his Purple Heaven Dao Realm, enveloping a span of three hundred thousand li, all of it transforming into the Purple Heaven Dao Realm.

Within that three hundred thousand li, no person, object, or movement could escape his perception.

"Daoist Purple Heaven, have you not found the scoundrel?" Daoist Qian Yi's voice came from extremely far away.

Purple Heaven Immortal Lord transmitted back, "I have not found him."

Just as he finished speaking, Daoist Qian Yi's Dao Realm also unfurled. This man was an expert among True Immortals, having cultivated the Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven Dao Realm, which spanned one hundred thirty thousand li.

In the distance, other immortals also spread their Dao Realms, covering the surrounding area.

Dao Realm after Dao Realm spread out in all directions, the coverage growing wider and wider, all searching for Chen Shi's location.

However, after searching for several days, they still could not find him.

"We go to Deng Hai Town!" Wu Banshan's expression darkened as he departed alone.

There was only one landing point on this stretch of the mysterious yellow sea, and that was Deng Hai Town. As long as Chen Shi was still in the mysterious yellow sea, he would inevitably return to Deng Hai Town.

Seeing this, the others also returned to Deng Hai Town, quietly waiting for Chen Shi to appear.

Within the Dao Ruins, Chen Shi arrived at the well world. He saw Black Pot cultivating in the well's demonic domain. This place was also a sacred ground for cultivation as far as it was concerned, so he did not disturb it.

Chen Shi left the well world and gazed around. His Dao Realm contained nothing but mountains, without a single trace of civilization.

"Perhaps I should build a few immortal palaces and halls here, and hand my Dao Realm over to my disciples to manage," he thought to himself.

He had visited the Dao Realms of several hundred immortals. Those Dao Realms were managed by the immortals' disciples, who cultivated within, planted immortal herbs, mined mountains, and smelted immortal artifacts. Some Dao Realms even contained nations, where hundreds of millions of people lived.

"Those pursuers should have left by now," Chen Shi thought.

He could not be certain. The people hunting him were all very powerful, and there would likely only be more of them.

Currently, fewer than twenty people were pursuing him on the sea, but judging by the Dao Realms he had visited to steal treasures, there should be several hundred master experts still on their way.

"I cannot possibly fight my way out of the mysterious yellow sea."

He could not help but feel troubled.

A Dao Realm was incredibly wondrous, somewhat similar to a Realm of Emptiness, capable of traveling to different places. But the Earth Immortal Realm was far too vast, and could not be used like a minor heaven of Western Ox New Continent to travel anywhere at will.

"Perhaps I can leave through the Dao Ruins."

Chen Shi hesitated. Thinking of the dangers outside the Dao Ruins, he shuddered.

Back when the heavenly gods under King Li's command had escorted him into the Dao Ruins, the horror of the outer perimeter was still vivid in his memory. Those reviving corpses could hard-clash against King Li's magic treasures, extremely powerful beyond compare.

Returning to the Celestial Court from the Dao Ruins was absolutely not a good idea.

Chen Shi exited his Dao Realm and came to Fulong Village.

The villagers of Fulong Village were very warm upon seeing him, eagerly greeting him.

"Master, are you planning to go looking for the Fuling Immortal herb again?" The burly man Tang Feng wore a face full of smiles.

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "No."

Seeing him looking gloomy, the others did not dare disturb him. Chen Shi came to the cyan stele and continued to study the Dao patterns of Daoist Lingbao upon it, though his mind was somewhat distracted.

Shang Dugong stepped forward, offering medicinal pills. "Master, you may not know, but from the last harvest of the Fuling Immortal herb, we refined an extra batch of pills. We did not dare keep them for ourselves, and offer them to you."

Chen Shi took half and said, "The rest is still yours."

He returned to his Dao Realm. With a thought, he appeared once more on the mysterious yellow sea.

The surrounding sea surface was empty. Chen Shi walked toward Deng Hai Town. When he grew tired and exhausted, he would return to his Dao Realm to rest, and once rested, he would come out and continue on his way.

He walked for six or seven days and finally caught sight of Deng Hai Town.

Chen Shi took out a Fulong Village medicinal pill and swallowed it. Then he mobilized the power of his three great Dao Realms and strode toward Deng Hai Town.

In the Western Ox New Continent, True Man Zhang's heart stirred slightly. He looked up at the sky and saw countless strands of radiant light rising from between heaven and earth, flowing in the same direction.

True Man Zhang smiled at the crowd and said, "King Chen has encountered another enemy. This time, I will help him mobilize fifty percent of the Western Ox New Continent's heaven and earth Dao power!"