Chapter 643 Changes in the Dao Realm, (16)

“I heard it was left behind by the Three Purities?”

Chen Shi pondered. Why had the Three Purities left behind a map of the Azure Palace? To guide these experts to the Dark Sea in search of it?

What was inside the Azure Palace?

Why had the Three Purities done this?

And the map of the Azure Palace in the Dark Sea that Master had drawn, could it have been copied from the map left behind by the Three Purities?

“Could Master have gone to the Azure Palace too? Even Great Luo Gold Immortals like Lady Niangpo and the Changchun Emperor couldn’t reach its summit. I wonder how far Master got, and whether he made it all the way there.”

Chen Shi’s thoughts raced. If Master had reached the top of the Azure Palace, was he still there?

It took Chen Shi more than ten days to regulate the external Dao and immortal path within Lady Niangpo’s body and bring them into balance. She had been injured and constantly listless, barely able to get up. After he treated her, she seemed much more energetic, though she was still a little lazy.

Chen Shi bade Lady Niangpo farewell and returned to his Dao Realm. The moment he entered, he couldn’t help but freeze. Auspicious clouds filled every corner of the realm, floating between the mountains and seas, while streaks of radiant light wandered across the heavens.

The Dao phenomena in his realm, including Pure Wind, the Celestial Strategy, the Road of Life and Death, and the Gate of Calamities, had all become clearer and more real.

There was more. Jade carriages and fragrant chariots traveled through the sky of his Dao Realm, and a palace of emerald jade stood amid the sea of clouds, with Eternal Lamps hanging inside.

Beneath the Road of Life and Death, the Nine Serenities had appeared. Below the Gate of Calamities, dragon horses galloped, their clattering hooves ringing crisply. More than a hundred heavenly steeds whinnied joyfully as they raced from the ground into the sky, then charged past on spiritual winds.

Chen Shi was astonished. He leaped into the air, caught up with the leading dragon horse, and mounted it. The horse whinnied and struggled, but couldn’t throw him off.

After taming the dragon horse, Chen Shi rode it at a gallop and caught up with the jade carriage in the sky. He tied the lead horse to it, then brought over five more horses and harnessed them in front.

Pulled by the dragon horses, the jade carriage carried him through the sky as he surveyed this Dao Realm, both familiar and strange.

A wave of icy suction came from the sky. Chen Shi looked up and saw that, at some point, a gigantic well mouth had appeared beyond the heavens. It seemed to extend deep into the starry depths, with no end in sight.

“This Eastern Well is the manifestation of my Great Dao.”

Chen Shi was surprised. The well’s icy suction came from starlight in the depths of space, and it seemed to carry sword intent. When it touched his skin, it felt cold.

“These heavenly steeds, the jade carriage, and the Nine Serenities are all phenomena formed by my Great Dao!”

Chen Shi’s carriage passed beneath the Eastern Well and soon arrived at the palace of emerald jade. He stopped and entered. The palace looked as though someone lived there. Couches, tables, desks, braziers, curtains, and everything else were all in place.

There was even bedding on the couch that looked like clouds!

“I was planning to build a palace in my Dao Realm, but I don’t need to now.”

Chen Shi looked around, quite pleased. Then he wondered, “Where did these Dao phenomena come from? Has my cultivation improved?”

He didn’t know much about Dao Realms. He had let his own develop naturally, taking things as they came, and had no idea whether it had advanced. His cultivation, however, had certainly become much more powerful.

He went to the demonic domain in the well and examined it carefully. He found that many Dao phenomena had appeared there too, though they had manifested from the foundation of the demonic Dao. There was also a palace of emerald jade in that place, only it was a demonic palace.

Chen Shi was puzzled. He had only recently entered the True Immortal Realm, and during this period he hadn’t even practiced deliberately.

“Could it be because I helped Lady Niangpo and the Changchun Emperor refine the external Dao?”

Chen Shi mused. Some of the external Dao he had refined had become part of his cultivation, while the rest had nourished his Dao Realm. Many people spent a hundred years in seclusion after becoming immortals, yet their cultivation advanced slowly. But how powerful were Lady Niangpo and the Changchun Emperor? Simply helping them refine the external Dao had brought Chen Shi benefits greater than any spiritual elixir or miraculous medicine.

“If that’s the case, then Western Ox New Continent must have changed too,” he murmured.

In Western Ox New Continent, people looked up at the sky. Auspicious clouds drifted past from time to time, and spiritual energy between heaven and earth had grown much more abundant. There were also Dao phenomena such as heavenly steeds, the palace of emerald jade, seas of clouds, and Eternal Lamps. Everyone marveled at them.

Quite a few people with extraordinary cultivation chased after the heavenly steeds and jade carriages, trying to tame them. More often than not, however, the horses beat them black and blue.

“King Chen’s cultivation has advanced again!”

True Man Zhang said to Chen Tang, “The Road of Life and Death connects to the Nine Serenities and links yin and yang. Once the Empress of Earth opens a passage between yin and yang, her magic power will surpass what it was before. Standing on the Road of Life and Death, the Emperor Father can comprehend the Dao techniques of yin and yang and grasp their true meaning.”

Chen Tang went with him to the Road of Life and Death. Many cultivators were already on the bridge, comprehending yin and yang. There were even people standing by the entrance and charging a toll.

Chen Tang flew into a rage. He grabbed one of the toll collectors by the collar, lifted him up, and demanded, “You’ve got some nerve! Who told you to collect money here? Do you even know what this place is?”

The toll collector wasn’t intimidated. “Magistrate Hu from the Ministry of Revenue sent me to collect the toll! The money collected here is all going into the state treasury!”

“Magistrate Hu from the Ministry of Revenue?”

At that, Chen Tang put him down and said sheepishly to True Man Zhang, “Magistrate Hu Feifei has really gone to great lengths to raise money for the court.”

The two paid the toll and went onto the Road of Life and Death. There, they saw the road divided into yin on the left and yang on the right, like a heavenly chasm separating the Yin and Yang realms.

The newly formed Dao phenomenon, the Nine Serenities, lay in the underworld.

Standing on the Road of Life and Death truly helped one comprehend the mysteries of yin, yang, life, and death.

Chen Tang reflected for a long while before finally saying, “True Man Zhang, my son’s cultivation has improved again, hasn’t it?”

“Improved is an understatement! He’s now reached the second level of the Dao Realm. His cultivation is advancing as if aided by the gods!”

Chen Tang nodded slightly. “I recently cultivated an immortal body and began Dao Unification, but strangely, I can’t sense the Earth Immortal Realm and can’t ascend. There are quite a few people like me in Western Ox New Continent. More than twenty newly ascended immortals can’t sense the Earth Immortal Realm either, and can only remain in the mortal world. This makes me uneasy.”

True Man Zhang laughed. “The Emperor Father is standing in the midst of good fortune without realizing it.”

Chen Tang looked at him, puzzled.

True Man Zhang said, “There are too many people and too few opportunities in the Earth Immortal Realm. It’s full of immortals who’ve ascended from other worlds. Rather than ascending there, you’re better off enjoying yourself in the mortal world. Why go looking for trouble?”

Chen Tang couldn’t help laughing at his words. “True Man Zhang, that’s the Earth Immortal Realm, not the mortal world. How could it be a hardship?”

True Man Zhang sighed. “Immortals like you really ought to spend a couple of years in the Earth Immortal Realm. Once someone sells you to a black mine to dig for ore, and you’re wishing you were dead, you’ll understand how precious life in the mortal world is.”

Chen Tang laughed. “When my son returns from the Earth Immortal Realm, I’ll have him take me there. Then I’ll see who can sell me!”

True Man Zhang shook his head.

Chen Shi left his Dao Realm and returned to Golden Turtle Island. Senior Sister Jing Mei had been waiting where he had left for many days. When she saw him return, she was both surprised and delighted, and immediately called out, “Senior Brother Qiao, Uncle Jiao, Junior Brother Jiang, Black Pot, come quickly! Junior Brother Chen is back!”

Before she had even finished speaking, Jiao the Cripple, Qiao Gu, and the others appeared before Chen Shi.

“Junior Brother Chen…” Jiao the Cripple began, then spat twice. “Ptooey, ptooey!”

He said, “Qiao Gu, you ask him!”

Qiao Gu was also a little nervous. “Uncle Master Chen…”

His face flushed red. Senior Sister Jing Mei pushed him aside and smiled. “I’ll ask him instead. Junior Brother Chen, how did you get to know those two Great Luo Gold Immortals? And how did you meet so many down-to-earth Tai Yi Golden Immortals?”

Chen Shi smiled. “They’re tenants in my Dao Realm. Since they don’t pay rent or land fees, I asked them to do me a favor. They were willing to help.”

Everyone looked bewildered.

Tenants in his Dao Realm?

Those people were far stronger than Chen Shi. How could they obediently be his tenants, let alone work for him?

“Mainly because King Li gave me all of the Dao Ruins,” Chen Shi explained. “I even have the land deed.”

Qiao Gu stammered, “King Li is, is a big shot in the Celestial Court…”

He couldn’t get another word out, so he continued, “Does he have the authority to give you the deed to the entire Dao Ruins?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Chen Shi said, “King Li has a very high position. In the Celestial Court, he’s second only to the Great Celestial Venerable.”

“King Li? Heh.” Everyone sneered.

Even the dog beside them, the Hu dog, sneered twice.

Jiao the Cripple said, “The land deed to the Dao Ruins can make even Great Luo Gold Immortals recognize you as their landlord. That shows its owner can’t possibly be King Li. Your strength is low and your cultivation limited. Someone has handed you a favor of this magnitude, so you need to be careful. A powerful person’s generosity isn’t always a good thing.”

Chen Shi took this to heart and nodded.

Qiao Gu said solemnly, “If you’ve received a favor, you have to repay it. You can’t accept the benefits and then do nothing. If a powerful person gets angry, neither you nor I can bear the consequences.”

“I’ll certainly repay their kindness!” Chen Shi said.

Senior Sister Jing Mei said, “Even if you don’t want to repay their kindness, you still have to act as if you do. You can’t let a powerful person down.”

Chen Shi smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I’m tactful.”

Then he changed the subject. “Senior brothers, senior sister, Uncle Jiao, I have a skill that lets me refine the external Dao. I can’t heal your injuries, but I might be able to remove the external Dao from your Dao Realms.”

Everyone was so excited that their Dao Hearts trembled. Jiao the Cripple’s voice was a little hoarse as he asked, “Is there really hope of removing the external Dao?”

Chen Shi hesitated, then said, “It took me nearly a month to treat the Changchun Emperor and Lady Niangpo. But they are Great Luo Gold Immortals, after all, while you’re much weaker than they are, so it shouldn’t take as long. At most, I’ll need a month to clear the external Dao from your Dao Realms.”

Everyone felt their Dao Hearts falter. They wanted him to use his method immediately.

Just then, Jiao the Cripple said, “Start by clearing the external Dao from Jiang Guo’s Dao Realm.”

Qiao Gu and Senior Sister Jing Mei immediately understood and nodded. “Start with Junior Brother Jiang. The external Dao hasn’t invaded him too deeply yet. Clear it away before it damages his potential.”

Chen Shi felt that although Golden Turtle Island was a small sect, there was a lot of warmth and kindness among its people.

He went to Jiang Guo’s Dao Realm and tried to refine the external Dao.

With his current cultivation and the support of his three Dao Realms, refining the external Dao in Jiang Guo’s Dao Realm wasn’t difficult. In a day or two, he had finished clearing it out.

Chen Shi was about to leave, but suddenly stopped and carefully sensed Jiang Guo’s Dao Realm, frowning slightly.

Jiao the Cripple, Jing Mei, and the others had followed him the whole time. Seeing this, they hurriedly asked him what was wrong. Chen Shi said, “I sensed that although the external Dao in the world has been cleared away, it seems as though some external Dao remains, faint and indistinct, growing little by little. It can’t be completely eradicated. Perhaps in ten thousand years or more, external Dao will emerge again and taint Senior Brother Jiang’s Dao Realm.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Qiao Gu smiled. “Keeping it peaceful for ten thousand years is already a remarkable achievement.”

Seeing how optimistic they were, Chen Shi set the matter aside for the time being and went to Senior Sister Jing Mei’s Dao Realm.

Senior Sister Jing Mei’s cultivation was higher. She had already reached the Gold Immortal Realm and the tenth level of the Dao Realm.

There were many Dao phenomena in her Dao Realm, but the external Dao had tainted them as well, twisting them into monstrous, sinister forms.

As Chen Shi refined them, he examined the Dao phenomena and thought, “On his way to the Azure Palace, the Changchun Emperor lost control of the Dao laws he cultivated, and they merged with the external Dao. That’s similar to the Dao phenomena in Senior Sister’s Dao Realm merging with the external Dao. The difference is that one happened extremely fast, while the other happened extremely slowly.”

He blinked. If the two kinds of fusion were similar, didn’t that mean the Azure Palace contained either a treasure of the external Dao or a person whose mastery of the external Dao was unfathomable, powerful enough to taint a Great Luo Gold Immortal with their aura?

“What exactly is in the Azure Palace, a treasure of the external Dao or a powerful cultivator who practices the external Dao?” His curiosity about the Azure Palace grew.

By the time Chen Shi had helped everyone on Golden Turtle Island clear the external Dao from their Dao Realms, a month had passed. Their Dao injuries, which had resisted treatment for a long time, were finally healing.

Overwhelmed with excitement, they hugged one another and cheered, unable to contain themselves.

Qiao Gu was especially moved. He had once been a prodigy renowned throughout the world. If he hadn’t undergone Dao Unification in western Penglai, he would never have lost his battle against Yong Guike. He might even have broken through and become a Tai Yi Golden Immortal long ago.

Now, the Dao injuries within him had healed, and the external Dao had been completely removed. His body felt lighter than ever before, and his cultivation stirred restlessly, as if ready to break through the Dao Realm of Zhu Luo Huang Jia Heaven and advance to Tai Yi Golden Immortal.

In the past, Qiao Gu wouldn’t have dared to attempt that breakthrough. Golden Turtle Island didn’t have enough money to buy spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines, nor did it have enough immortal spiritual energy to support him. But now that the Jade Clarity Dao Spring had revived and the spiritual herbs in the medicine fields no longer waved their claws at him, he could try to break through to Tai Yi Golden Immortal!

He immediately went into seclusion to cultivate.

After Senior Sister Jing Mei’s Dao injuries healed, she even advanced by one Dao Realm, reaching the Radiant Brightness Sect’s Drifting Heaven Dao Realm.

Even the Hu dog’s strength increased significantly.

Jiao the Cripple, whose cultivation was the highest, also felt the threshold of the next Dao Realm loosen. It seemed that if he cultivated in seclusion for a hundred years, he would be able to reach it.

“Junior Brother, you still have a few more senior brothers. You might as well help them refine it too,” Senior Sister Jing Mei said.

Chen Shi agreed. The two of them went to Senior Brother Yan Zh bei’s Dao Realm and helped him refine the external Dao. Chen Shi asked, “What is Senior Brother Yan doing out there?”

“Mining in the Abyss of Heaven.”

Senior Sister Jing Mei said, “The Abyss of Heaven is the Jade Purity lineage’s private property, and it’s very dangerous. Many immortal miners die there every year, but the pay is high. Senior Brother Yan works in the Abyss of Heaven. Golden Turtle Island has managed to hold out this long thanks to the wages he’s saved from mining and sent back to the island.”

After helping Yan Zhibei refine the external Dao in his Dao Realm, Chen Shi went to Senior Brother Bai Jingming’s Dao Realm.

“Senior Brother Bai is studying the external Dao in Red Fir Valley,” Senior Sister Jing Mei said.

Chen Shi’s eyes lit up. He praised him, “Senior Brother Bai is researching the external Dao? That’s a great idea! If he can figure it out, we’ll be able to refine the external Dao in western Penglai!”

Senior Sister Jing Mei shook her head. “He isn’t the one studying it. Because he’s tainted by the external Dao and has some distinctive qualities, he’s the one being studied. He earns quite a bit, too.”