Chapter 652: One of Us

When the female immortal saw Chen Shi and Jin Weiran, she was also taken aback. She sensed something familiar about them, but did not say anything.

“Miss, I am Chen Shi from the Heavenly Soldier Camp, and this is Jin Weiran, also from the Heavenly Soldier Camp.”

Chen Shi approached her and asked, “May I ask your name?”

The female immortal glanced at the two divine generals beside her. Seeing them standing motionless like wooden statues, without interfering, she said, “I am Niu Jingjing, a soldier of the Xuan Character Guard stationed at Yaoguang Pool. Greetings, Senior Brothers.”

Chen Shi’s thoughts stirred. Silencing talismans appeared all around them, enclosing the space they occupied so that outsiders could not hear their conversation.

Before Chen Shi could speak, Jin Weiran hurriedly asked, “Miss Niu, is the Yaoguang Pool imprint on you?”

Niu Jingjing was startled and was about to deny it, but Jin Weiran quickly said, “The Yu Heng Sect imprint is on me. The Celestial Strategy imprint is on Young Master Chen! Don’t worry. We’re just like you!”

Chen Shi frowned slightly. Jin Weiran had no filter, spilling every secret that came to mind.

At his words, Niu Jingjing let out a breath and smiled. “At last, I’ve met someone like myself. These past two months have scared me half to death! Fellow Daoist Chen, you have the Celestial Strategy on you? Wasn’t the Celestial Strategy destroyed a few years ago?”

Chen Shi said, “The Celestial Strategy was imprinted in my Sea of Consciousness the day before it was destroyed. When I later heard the news that it had been destroyed, I was startled too.”

Niu Jingjing smiled. “I nearly died of fright! I’ve been having nightmares every day lately! By the way, this Yaoguang Pool imprint of mine is strange. It constantly produces immortal qi liquid on its own. Now I always feel that if I open my mouth, immortal qi will spill out.”

Jin Weiran said, “Strange things are happening to me too. Whenever I fall asleep, I dream that I become a gateway standing throughout the myriad worlds, ushering immortals through Ascension. Sometimes I can release a beam of Ascension radiance from my fingertip. Wherever I point, I appear.”

The two looked at Chen Shi. He said, “I comprehend Dao techniques and divine abilities especially quickly. As long as they don’t exceed the limits of the Celestial Way, I can easily understand many of them. Sometimes, I also inexplicably sense the presence of someone.”

Niu Jingjing said excitedly, “We’ve become the ones who wield the Celestial Way! We’re sure to become incredibly powerful and make a name for ourselves in the Earth Immortal Realm!”

Jin Weiran was just as excited. He grinned. “The ones who wield the Celestial Way? Those who control the Celestial Way. Heh, after all this suffering, things are finally looking up.”

Chen Shi said, “I suspect there are thirty others like us who wield the Celestial Way.”

Jin Weiran’s thoughts stirred. “There were rumors some time ago that all thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures had been destroyed. Do you mean these Celestial Way treasures had already chosen an immortal to wield each one?”

Chen Shi speculated, “I think it may not have been the Celestial Way treasures that chose us. It may have been the people who controlled them.”

Niu Jingjing and Jin Weiran were both taken aback. They did not understand what he meant.

Chen Shi said, “The Immortal Court destroyed the Celestial Way magic treasures because they were in the hands of powerful members of the Celestial Court. Whoever controls these treasures represents the rightful order of Heaven and Earth. The Immortal Court had to undermine that legitimacy before it could move against the Celestial Court. The Celestial Court knew the Immortal Court was watching the Celestial Way treasures, but the Immortal Court was operating in secret, and they didn’t know who these people were. So they had to give them a chance to act. As soon as they did, they would expose themselves.”

Niu Jingjing’s eyes lit up. “So the Celestial Court deliberately gave the Immortal Court a chance to destroy the Celestial Way magic treasures. The Celestial Court had long ago chosen us immortals to serve as vessels for the Celestial Way imprints. Once the enemy revealed themselves, the Celestial Court would strike and kill them.”

Jin Weiran laughed. “And the Celestial Court can also use the imprints in our Seas of Consciousness to reforge the Celestial Way magic treasures!”

Chen Shi nodded. “The next step will be the moment when the Celestial Court and the Immortal Court reveal their true intentions. They’ll probably use every means at their disposal to strike at the other side’s leaders.”

Niu Jingjing said excitedly, “And we, the ones who wield the Celestial Way, are the key to the Celestial Court’s victory!”

Jin Weiran was brimming with confidence. “The Celestial Court sent us away to the great Ni Li World to keep us out of this battle and preserve these crucial forces!”

Chen Shi thought it over. He still felt that the Celestial Court’s arrangements could not be so simple, but he could not figure out what exactly they had planned.

“Once we reach the great Ni Li World, we’ll know what the Celestial Court has in mind,” he thought.

Their star raft carried them out of the Earth Immortal Realm and sailed along the mighty Heavenly River through the night sky. Below them lay the boundless mysterious yellow sea.

The Heavenly River was a river of stars, with countless stars gathered together in magnificent splendor.

Star regions of every size were linked by the Heavenly River.

Chen Shi gazed down at the mysterious yellow sea, momentarily bewildered. He had been there before and seen what lay beneath its waters. Whenever he flew up above the sea, he would find himself in an endless starry sky. No matter how fast he flew, it was as if he remained in the same place.

Now, riding on a star raft and looking down at the mysterious yellow sea, he could only see its boundless, immeasurable expanse. Countless worlds floated upon it, surrounded by the starry sky. Worlds of all sizes bobbed like duckweed upon ocean waves.

And the waves in the sea were made up of countless stars.

The sight was dreamlike and fantastical, unlike any real world.

“The Earth Immortal Realm, the mysterious yellow sea, the Dark Sea. It’s always so hard to see the full picture. I wonder what form they truly take.”

The star raft slowed and stopped at a waystation in a star region. It gradually drew up alongside a star gate.

Chen Shi and the others went to the edge of the star raft and looked out at the star region. At its center stood a towering palace. Divine power as vast as an ocean converged at its heart.

The Western Heaven Golden Emperor’s aura was exceptionally strong here, making anyone who sensed it feel their fighting spirit surge.

“Could this be the Heavenly Palace where the Western Heaven Golden Emperor resides?”

Chen Shi gazed into the distance at a major world on the edge of the darkness and thought, “Then this must be Western Continent, one of the Four Great Continents.”

As the three of them stood gazing out, another divine general approached, bringing two young immortals with him.

Chen Shi’s gaze fell on the pair, and he immediately sensed something familiar about them.

“They’re also among those who wield the Celestial Way. I wonder which Celestial Way treasures they control.”

After the two boarded, the star raft set off again, sailing toward the dark starry sky.

Chen Shi asked, “How should we address you two, Fellow Daoists?”

One of the immortals was a sturdy, powerful-looking man. “I am Xiahou Feng, an immortal from Western Continent. I serve as a guard at the armory in the Western Heaven Palace.”

The other immortal was a woman. She was pretty, but petite. “My name is Longyuan Ling. I’m a heavenly soldier at the Guard Post of the Western Heaven Golden Emperor.”

Jin Weiran spread his own magical power around them and smiled. “What Celestial Way imprints do you have?”

The two were startled.

Jin Weiran smiled. “We have Celestial Way imprints too. The night before the Celestial Way magic treasures were destroyed two months ago, we unexpectedly received our imprints.”

Xiahou Feng said solemnly, “It was the same for me. I received the imprint of the Celestial War Drum, a Celestial Way magic treasure enshrined among the Western Heaven’s constellation-fighting gods.”

Longyuan Ling said, “I received the Five-Prison Heaven-Punishing Pillar, a Celestial Way magic treasure enshrined in the Golden Emperor’s Heavenly Palace.”

The group gathered together and exchanged information.

Not long afterward, they saw another star raft, also coming from the Earth Immortal Realm. It had taken a different route from theirs, but now it had met up with them on the outskirts of the Dark Sea.

There were several young immortals aboard that star raft as well, along with a few divine generals.

Those young immortals were looking their way too, each wearing a surprised expression.

The star raft reached the last waystation outside the Dark Sea. It slowed to a stop beside the dock.

Several star rafts were already moored at the dock, where towering divine generals stood motionless like statues.

At their feet stood more than a dozen immortals, looking somewhat uneasy.

Chen Shi and the others went ashore. Guided by the divine generals, they joined the dozen or so immortals. The divine generals took up positions in pairs, surrounding Chen Shi and the others.

The other star raft arrived as well. Six people disembarked and, guided by their divine generals, came to stand beside Chen Shi and the others.

Everyone waited quietly. Jin Weiran scratched his head and coughed repeatedly, clearly itching to ask if the other immortals had also received Celestial Way imprints.

Chen Shi thought, “It’s been hard for him to hold back for two months.”

Before long, another star raft arrived, bringing more immortals.

Two days later, the final star raft arrived. Two women stepped off and looked around. Chen Shi sensed the familiar aura of the Eastern Heaven Green Emperor on them and thought, “They came from the eastern heavens. No wonder they’re a few days late.”

He counted everyone. There were exactly thirty-three immortals, corresponding to the thirty-three Celestial Way magic treasures.

“What exactly does the Celestial Court intend to do by sending us, the ones who wield the Celestial Way, to the great Ni Li World?”

Chen Shi pondered. “The great Ni Li World lies in the Dark Sea, in an extremely remote location. Could the Celestial Court really be sending us somewhere beyond the Immortal Court’s reach to protect us?”

He could not shake the feeling that this guess was wrong, even though it seemed the most reasonable.

“The Celestial Court has gone to great lengths to protect us,” Jin Weiran said with a smile beside him.

Chen Shi thought it over and edged away from him. Jin Weiran’s mouth was like a leaky bucket. He blurted things out everywhere and could hardly keep a secret.

At that moment, a tower ship emerged from the Dark Sea and moored at the dock. The divine generals aboard served under King Li. The man at their head said solemnly, “Warriors assigned to relieve the garrison at Siyuan Mountain Pass in the great Ni Li World, board the ship!”

The thirty-three immortals each made their way aboard. Chen Shi mingled with the crowd and carefully inspected the tower ship. Its surface bore scorch marks and the signs of chopping blows. It had clearly seen battle.

He boarded, and the tower ship gave a slight jolt before heading into the Dark Sea.

The other immortals grew tense. Each summoned an immortal artifact and watched the darkness outside the ship, on guard against attacks from sea monsters.

Chen Shi was entirely unconcerned. Jin Weiran’s voice rang out nearby again. “Gentlemen, I’m Jin Weiran from the Celestial Court’s Heavenly Soldier Camp. There’s a familiar aura about you. Could it be that you also bear the imprint of a Celestial Way magic treasure? To tell you the truth, I do too…”

Chen Shi frowned but said nothing.

Jin Weiran’s voice continued, “…The Yu Heng Sect imprint is on me. Over there is Fellow Daoist Chen Shi, also from the Heavenly Soldier Camp. He bears the Celestial Strategy imprint…”

Not long afterward, Jin Weiran returned to Chen Shi’s side with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Chen, they also bear the imprints of Celestial Way magic treasures. Should we gather everyone together for a chat? You’ve had the Celestial Strategy imprint the longest, so you must have figured out how to use these imprints. Why not teach everyone?”

Chen Shi shook his head. “I don’t know much about the Celestial Way imprints either, so I’d better not make a fool of myself.”

Jin Weiran was about to say more when a voice spoke up. “Have you gained nothing at all over the past few years, Fellow Daoist Chen?”

Chen Shi looked toward the speaker. He was a middle-aged immortal with a bulging forehead, a short beard on his chin, and sharp eyes that seemed to sting whenever they swept over someone.

Jin Weiran said, “Fellow Daoist Chen, this is Senior Ning Daoshan, a Gold Immortal from the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Palace at the northern pole. Senior Ning is also one of those who wield the Celestial Way, having received the imprint of the Celestial Scales Seal.”

Ning Daoshan said, “Fellow Daoist Chen, we’re all on the same boat now, and all of us have received the imprints of Celestial Way magic treasures. We’re completely in the dark about them and don’t know how to use them. You’ve had the Celestial Strategy imprint the longest, so you understand it better than we do. Please don’t keep your knowledge to yourself.”

The other Celestial Way wielders also came over. One urged him, “Fellow Daoist Chen, the journey to the great Ni Li World is fraught with danger. We should all help one another. If you’re willing to share what you know, we’ll remember your kindness.”

“Fellow Daoist, we’re all wielders of the Celestial Way. Helping one another is the right thing to do! If you’re willing to share your insights, we’ll share ours as well!”

Everyone talked over one another without stopping.

Chen Shi coughed, interrupting them, and said with a smile, “What do you think the Celestial Court intends by gathering us, the ones who wield the Celestial Way, together? Are we really going to defend Siyuan Mountain Pass?”

Everyone fell silent.

Ning Daoshan smiled. “The Celestial Court knows we wield the Celestial Way. It sent us away from the Earth Immortal Realm, a place of strife, to protect us. That’s why it sent us to Siyuan Mountain Pass.”

Chen Shi shook his head. “Thirty-three people gathered in an external-Dao major world surrounded on all sides by great demons, trapped inside a pass with no way to leave and nowhere to run. That doesn’t look like protection. It looks like a breeding ground for gu.”

He looked around, a strange smile on his face, and said languidly, “Maybe if one Celestial Way wielder personally kills another, they’ll obtain the other’s Celestial Way imprint and become stronger. The Celestial Court has most likely gathered us at Siyuan Mountain Pass to breed us like gu, making us slaughter and devour one another until only one person remains. That person will be the true wielder of the Celestial Way!”

He laughed. “Don’t you think this is more likely than the Celestial Court’s supposed plan to protect us?”

Everyone’s expressions changed at once, and they began looking at one another with suspicion.

Chen Shi said in a sinister tone, “You may have obtained Celestial Way imprints, but you’re still too weak. Does the Celestial Court need thirty-three weaklings? No. It needs one peerless powerhouse who possesses the full might of every Celestial Way magic treasure! And Siyuan Mountain Pass is the vessel for cultivating that peerless gu!”

Before he had even finished speaking, everyone stepped back, putting distance between themselves and the others.

“Finally, no one’s pressuring me to share anymore.”

Chen Shi smiled slightly and murmured, “They probably won’t share anything with one another now. At least it’ll be peaceful.”

The tower ship sailed for more than half a month. The divine generals guarding it killed many sea monsters along the way, and at last escorted them to the great Ni Li World.

This major world in the Dark Sea appeared before them with its magnificent, breathtaking mountains and rivers, and three great suns hanging in the sky, tearing through the darkness.

The tower ship rose into the air and left the sea behind. It flew across the sky, deeper into this major world, toward the frontline at Siyuan Mountain Pass.

Siyuan Mountain was a frontline stronghold established by the Celestial Court’s army in the great Ni Li World. When Chen Shi and the others arrived, a group of demonic cultivators was attacking the stronghold, and both sides were locked in a battle that shook heaven and earth.

The tower ship had barely landed when a streak of cold light flashed with a sharp whoosh. An arrow flying from the battlefield pierced Jin Weiran’s forehead and blew his head apart!

The turn of events happened too quickly. No one present could react in time. By the time they came to their senses, Jin Weiran was already dead!

In the distance, in front of the central army tent, a divine general furiously waved a soul-summoning banner, summoning Jin Weiran’s soul.

King Li held up a stick of incense and offered it to Jin Weiran’s soul. As he bowed, an immense surge of extraordinary power flowed into Jin Weiran’s bewildered soul, instantly shaping a Golden Body for him!

Jin Weiran was stunned. “I’ve become a deity?”

At that moment, a second Celestial Way wielder died, and his soul was drawn over by the soul-summoning banner.

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh!

…

King Li unhurriedly placed the incense stick into the Incense Burner before Jin Weiran and smiled. “The Celestial Way magic treasures must be destroyed before they can be remade. They are, after all, treasures forged by the Three Purities. But only now can the Celestial Way magic treasures truly be said to be in the hands of the Celestial Court.”

He looked at Jin Weiran and smiled. “Young Daoist, you’re one of us now.”

One deity after another came forward to offer incense to the Celestial Way wielders who had just died, helping them shape Golden Bodies and become deities!