Chapter 644 Aren’t You the Same?

After asking around, Chen Shi learned that Red Fir Valley was a sacred ground built by a group of immortals to study the immortal path. The immortals there were much like Grandpa Chen Yindu, fond of delving into all kinds of difficult problems. They did not care much about cultivation, yet everyone who came out of Red Fir Valley had considerable cultivation.

Their main field of study was external Dao pollution.

Since Bai Jingming had achieved Dao Unification in western Penglai, his Dao Realm was filled with various kinds of external Dao. To the immortals of Red Fir Valley, he was the perfect subject for research.

What was more, Bai Jingming had already reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Immortal Realm and refined a Dao Realm with twelve heavens. His vitality was immense, making him almost impossible to kill, so he was ideally suited for their research.

“Red Fir Valley would suit Grandpa and the others. I wonder if Grandpa is there too,” Chen Shi thought.

After helping Senior Brother Bai purge the external Dao, he stayed on Golden Turtle Island for several more days. Only then did he decide to return to the Celestial Court.

Jiao the Cripple hurriedly said, “You have a long journey ahead of you this time. You can’t let your cultivation fall behind. Take plenty of water from the Jade Clarity Dao Spring with you.”

Chen Shi shook his head. “I don’t need to bring any. I have immortal spiritual energy of my own.”

“The immortal spiritual energy out there won’t do you any good. The Jade Purity spiritual energy in the Jade Clarity Dao Spring is countless times better than other kinds of spiritual energy. Stock up on some. It’ll greatly benefit your cultivation.”

Chen Shi hesitated before saying, “I have a Purple Heaven Vine. It can absorb spiritual energy and turn it into Great Clarity spiritual energy. How does that compare with Jade Purity spiritual energy?”

Jiao the Cripple froze, stammering, “You have Great Clarity spiritual energy?”

Chen Shi nodded. “The Purple Heaven Vine produces Grand Supreme Purple Qi. Empress of Earth said it was quite good. I planted it in my Dao Realm, and I use the Grand Supreme Purple Qi to cultivate every day.”

Jiao the Cripple stared blankly at him. “You use Grand Supreme Purple Qi to cultivate every day?”

“Yeah.”

“Mm, that’s not good. It’s far too extravagant. You’re still young. You should experience a little hardship.”

Jiao the Cripple thought for a moment, then said earnestly, “You should cultivate with ordinary spiritual energy. Your comprehension will suffer, and you’ll become much more practiced at using your wits to solve problems. Back when I had no spiritual energy, I worked for other people, looking after their Spirit Fields for the landowner. That gave me a very solid foundation. We all came up the hard way. Just look at Senior Brother Jiang Guo, Senior Sister Jing Mei, and Qiao Gu. They all have solid foundations.”

Chen Shi looked impressed, but turned around and promptly forgot all about the hardship.

Those people’s foundations weren’t as solid as his, so he saw no reason to make himself suffer for no reason.

Unable to talk him into it, Jiao the Cripple said, “Great Clarity spiritual energy isn’t bad either. Of the three highest-grade spiritual energies, it ranks third. There’s another kind called Supreme Clarity spiritual energy, which ranks second. Jade Purity spiritual energy ranks first. You may have Great Clarity spiritual energy, but it’s produced by the Purple Heaven Vine, not formed naturally. Take some water from the Jade Clarity Spring with you. It might give you a hand at a critical moment.”

Chen Shi collected some water from the Jade Clarity Spring. “While I’m away, don’t let anyone take the Jade Clarity Dao Spring from you.”

Jiao the Cripple grew irritated by his words and snapped, “You think we can’t protect the Jade Clarity Dao Spring without you?”

Chen Shi nodded. “If someone comes along who’s truly formidable, just lower your heads and give them some Jade Clarity Spring water. As long as you stay alive, I can settle the score when I get back.”

Jiao the Cripple was so furious that his whole body trembled. He drove Chen Shi out.

Not long after Chen Shi left, a listless young man in white came to Golden Turtle Island. He looked somewhat unwell.

When Senior Sister Jing Mei saw him, she was both surprised and delighted. “Senior Brother Bai, you’re back!”

The newcomer was Bai Jingming. He was just as surprised. “Junior Sister Jing Mei, your leg is better?”

Senior Sister Jing Mei beamed and paced back and forth in front of him. “The new junior brother healed my Dao injuries. Weren’t you doing research at Red Fir Valley? What brings you back?”

Bai Jingming sighed and explained, “My brain was damaged, so I went to Red Fir Valley to see if the seniors there could heal my Dao injuries. I figured I could earn some money while I was at it. Everything was fine for a while, but for some reason, my Dao injuries healed without my even realizing it. My brain got better too. The seniors at Red Fir Valley thought I was a great talent, but once I recovered, they decided I was useless and sent me back.”

He grumbled, “They didn’t even pay me.”

Senior Sister Jing Mei laughed. “The junior brother refined the external Dao in your Dao Realm, and that’s why your Dao injuries healed.”

“The external Dao inside me disappeared too. Now I’m useless, according to the seniors at Red Fir Valley…”

“Wasn’t the whole point of going to Red Fir Valley to heal your Dao injuries?”

“That’s true.”

Bai Jingming perked up, his earlier gloom swept away, and he became full of energy.

Seeing this, Senior Sister Jing Mei thought, “Senior Brother Bai still doesn’t seem to have completely recovered. Maybe Chen Shi didn’t purge it all. But then again, Senior Brother Bai was always like this.”

Chen Shi and Black Pot left western Penglai together. After a winding journey, they arrived at the Celestial Court and returned to the heavenly soldier camps.

Black Pot was exceptionally good at gathering news. As soon as they returned to the heavenly soldier camps, he immediately rounded up some friends, drank with a group of heavenly soldiers, and asked about the major events that had taken place in the Earth Immortal Realm during their absence.

Chen Shi waited at the Celestial Way Residence. Before long, the dog returned and told him what he had learned.

Chen Shi was dumbfounded. “All the Celestial Way magic treasures were destroyed overnight?”

Black Pot nodded.

Chen Shi’s expression shifted. He had returned to the Celestial Court mainly to investigate the injury suffered by Great Immortal Chijing. He hadn’t learned anything about that, but instead had heard something even more astonishing!

“After the Celestial Strategy was destroyed, shouldn’t the other Celestial Way magic treasures have been guarded even more strictly? How could someone have wiped them all out? There were thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures, treasures forged by the Three Purities. How could they all have been destroyed in an instant?”

He thought carefully, then shook his head. “No, something’s not right. There has to be more to this… Was Empress of Earth’s Celestial Way magic treasure destroyed too?”

He asked Black Pot for more details, but Black Pot had only heard the story from the heavenly soldiers in the camps. Their status was low, and they knew nothing about the specifics of the attacks.

The incident they knew most about was the destruction of Yu Heng Sect and Yaoguang Pool.

It happened during the hai hour. Suddenly, someone ascended from Yu Heng Sect. The immortals and deities guarding the sect were taken aback. Since the Celestial Strategy had been destroyed, Yu Heng Sect could no longer emit ascension light to guide immortals from the lower world up to the upper realm.

This time, two immortals had ascended. The moment they appeared in Yu Heng Sect, they attacked, smashing it to pieces in front of everyone!

After landing their blows, the two immortals immediately joined forces and charged to Yaoguang Pool.

By then, the experts in the Celestial Court had been alerted, and the two sides fought at Yaoguang Pool.

The clash was extremely brief. The two immortals each manifested layer upon layer of Dao Realm to stand against the Celestial Court’s deities. Divine power and immortal power surged and crashed into each other, annihilating Yaoguang’s defenders and reducing them to ashes.

As they fought back, the two immortals destroyed Yaoguang Pool, then immediately withdrew. From beginning to end, it took no more than ten breaths.

The Celestial Court’s experts pursued them, but there had still been no result.

Chen Shi listened, his heart pounding. After a moment of thought, he took out a stick of incense, lit it, and held it up.

Incense smoke curled upward. A moment later, Empress of Earth’s figure took shape in the smoke. She said, “So it’s Your Highness. What do you seek from me?”

Chen Shi bowed. “Your son was alarmed to hear that the Radiant Virtue Heavenly Palace had been attacked. I hope you’ll forgive me for disturbing you in my haste, Your Ladyship. How serious is the situation?”

“Ten Thousand Ages Mirror of the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace was destroyed in the attack. Many immortals in the palace were injured or killed. More than six thousand were casualties.”

Chen Shi was deeply shaken. He hurriedly asked, “Your Ladyship, who were the attackers?”

“I don’t know. Their cultivation and strength were extraordinary. They were Great Luo Gold Immortals, with Dao Realms cultivated to the twenty-second heaven. Their depth was unfathomable. They withstood ten of my attacks without being defeated, then retreated at their leisure.”

Chen Shi was shaken. Empress of Earth had countless avatars, one in every world. She governed the Earth Spirits and the underworld, and presided over the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

She was proficient in numerous Great Daos, including the mysterious yellow and reincarnation, and possessed peerless divine power. As one of the Four Sovereigns, there couldn’t be many immortals who could withstand ten of her attacks and still retreat unharmed.

“Does Your Ladyship suspect anyone?”

Chen Shi asked, “There can’t be many people in the Earth Immortal Realm with that kind of cultivation and strength.”

Empress of Earth gave him a knowing smile. “Crown Prince, your cultivation is still low. It’s unwise for you to know too much, or it could bring disaster upon you. But someone inside my Radiant Virtue Heavenly Palace was an accomplice. It was my good maidservant, Feng Huixue!”

Chen Shi exclaimed, “Senior Sister Feng?”

She sneered. “Don’t call her Senior Sister! That little wretch betrayed me. I taught her with all my heart, and she still conspired with outsiders to rebel. She’s an ungrateful, disloyal wretch!”

Her anger had yet to subside, but then she abruptly changed the subject. “Crown Prince, there’s no one by my side to talk to now. Come back and visit me often. Also, Feng Huixue has escaped the palace. If you encounter her, be careful. Don’t let her harm you! Remember that, remember!”

When the incense had burned out, its smoke dispersed, and Empress of Earth’s figure vanished as well.

Chen Shi composed himself and murmured, “So it’s true. All thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures were destroyed… I’ll tell Changchun Emperor!”

He went to his Dao Realm and told Changchun Emperor everything he had learned.

Changchun Emperor was deeply shocked. “All thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures were destroyed? Is this news reliable?”

“Absolutely.”

Chen Shi said, “The Ten Thousand Ages Mirror of the Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace was destroyed in a surprise attack. I’ve already asked Empress of Earth about it.”

Changchun Emperor’s eyes flickered. “The Radiant Virtue Grand Celestial Palace was heavily guarded, and Empress of Earth herself was there. How could anyone have broken in and destroyed a Celestial Way magic treasure? There must have been an inside accomplice. Someone in the palace had enough influence to arrange for a Great Luo Gold Immortal to infiltrate it.”

Chen Shi said, “Your guess is right. Empress’s disciple, Feng Huixue, acted as the inside accomplice.”

Changchun Emperor continued, “There’s more to the destruction of the Celestial Way magic treasures than meets the eye. Even if Empress of Earth was caught off guard, how could all the deities guarding the other Celestial Way magic treasures have been caught off guard too? So I think either the Celestial Court deliberately let its guard down, or the attackers were simply too powerful!”

Chen Shi blinked. “You mean Empress let them do it?”

“It’s possible. But it’s also possible that the attackers were too powerful. Though Empress of Earth is one of the Four Sovereigns, the immortal path has accumulated power and surged ahead. Aside from the Three Purities, some have already reached a higher realm. There might even be someone who has surpassed the Great Luo Gold Immortal Realm. That person would be strong enough to rival Empress of Earth. People like that had already appeared in my era.”

He sighed. “The immortal path has advanced far faster than the divine path. I sealed myself away here for sixty thousand years and made no progress in my cultivation. Those outside, I’m afraid, have advanced far beyond me.”

Chen Shi asked, “Fellow Daoist, do you think it’s possible Empress let them do it?”

Changchun Emperor shook his head. “If she was caught off guard, then even without an inside accomplice, that person would likely have destroyed the Ten Thousand Ages Mirror. These people attacked the Celestial Court and destroyed the Celestial Strategy before. That was a trial run.”

Chen Shi said, “They’ve been plotting this for a long time. They planted their own people in each Celestial Palace to help them. Just when everyone thought the attackers wouldn’t dare touch the other Celestial Way magic treasures, they struck without hesitation and smashed them, depriving the Celestial Court of its greatest means of enforcing the Celestial Way!”

Changchun Emperor let out a breath. “After the Celestial Way magic treasures were destroyed, the likes of the Four Sovereigns, the Six Ministries, and the Five Elders of the Five Directions will likely be next. Someone is sure to go after them! The world is already descending into chaos. Before the Opening the Calamity arrives, the Earth Immortal Realm may face a great calamity of gods and immortals!”

Chen Shi pondered for a moment. “Fellow Daoist, what if Empress let them do it?”

Changchun Emperor didn’t understand why he kept asking, but still replied, “If Empress of Earth deliberately let them destroy the Ten Thousand Ages Mirror, she must have already forged another one. When the enemy destroys the Ten Thousand Ages Mirror and the other Celestial Way magic treasures, they’ll grow complacent. And when people become complacent, they reveal their weaknesses!”

Chen Shi nodded silently.

He said goodbye to Changchun Emperor and returned to the Celestial Way Residence, only to find it packed with people. They were all heavenly soldiers and generals from the Fire Battalion, and every pair of eyes turned toward him.

Chen Shi wondered, “What are they doing here?”

Commander Wu Guanyun walked toward him with a smile. “Young Master Chen, wonderful news! All thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures have been destroyed! This is a tremendous victory for the Immortal Court! From now on, immortals ascending to the upper realm won’t be exploited by the Celestial Court anymore! The Celestial Court can no longer use its enforcement of the Celestial Way to dictate terms to us immortals! Young Master? Young Master Chen?”

Chen Shi snapped out of it and looked up with a smile. “I’m happy, of course I’m happy.”

At that moment, a familiar woman’s voice came from behind him. “Your Highness is here too?”

Chen Shi turned around and saw Feng Huixue walking toward him in a pale yellow dress, a smile on her face.

Commander Wu hurriedly introduced them. “Lady Feng, this young man is His Majesty’s disciple, Young Master Chen, Chen Shi.”

Feng Huixue looked surprised, then gave him a faintly amused smile. “I never imagined Your Highness would have the title of Empress of Earth’s Crown Prince as well as being the Immortal Emperor’s disciple. That’s quite a surprise.”

Chen Shi said coolly, “Aren’t you the same? Feng Huixue, you’re in the presence of the Immortal Emperor’s disciple. Why aren’t you bowing?”

Feng Huixue raised her brows and held back her anger as she bowed.