Above the Great Dao

Chapter 1273 597:

General Zhang Xian laughed and said, "This time it's all thanks to Brother Daoist Chen! Without Brother Daoist Chen, we might have suffered heavy casualties."

Everyone echoed in agreement, praising Chen Shi. Chen Shi smiled humbly for a few moments, his gaze falling on the Earth God and Chu Xiangxiu.

At this moment, a voice called out, "Mr. Chen!"

Chen Shi turned to look and saw the Golden Body of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva arriving at the ferry, followed by thousands of disciples from Mahana Bo Temple. He immediately jumped down from the Star Shuttle and performed a salutation, saying, "In this case, I have offended you much, and I hope the Bodhisattva will forgive me."

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva returned the salute and said, "Mr. Chen, you handle official matters impartially, no need for courtesy. I shall also leave the Thunder Mystery Province this time, taking all disciples and Consort Ming with me, leaving no Daoist tradition behind."

Chen Shi looked behind him, and sure enough, saw several women among the disciples of Mahana Bo Temple, likely the Consorts Ming.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva said to the Earth God on the Star Shuttle, "I have investigated the monk and Consort Ming who framed you back then. I have brought them here."

He waved his hand, and some monks escorted several monks forward, along with an old man and a radiant woman.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva said, "I wanted to propagate the Buddhist Law in Thunder Mystery Province. These people, my disciples, became greedy, believing that to propagate the Buddhist Law, you had to be removed, and thus plotted against you. Today, there is no longer a Daoist field of our Western Heaven in Thunder Mystery Province, so by Heavenly Court's laws, we shall execute them."

He raised his hand, and thunder was born in the sky. With cracking sounds, thunder light descended upon these people.

The thunder was the Extinct Immortal Thunder. As the thunder light hit them, their physical bodies turned to ash, their Primordial Spirits dissolved, their Daoist practices vanished, leaving a wisp of Yin soul to be swept away by the underworld.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva clasped his hands together and bowed to the Earth God and Chu Xiangxiu, "I ask for your forgiveness."

The Earth God and Chu Xiangxiu were tightly bound, unable to move, and under a Silence Spell, they could not speak.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva sought only inner peace, requiring no forgiveness from them, and said to Chen Shi, "Mr. Chen, the Heavenly Court is not a benevolent place. You might not know, but the conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Immortals grows more intense, their sides increasingly tense, poised for conflict. This Mud Bodhisattva case is merely a prelude. If the Dao of the Heavenly Court does not prevail, you might as well head west. Our Western Heavenly Bliss World has both the Immortal Dao's longevity and the Divine Dao's prosperity, not forsaking the mortal world's atmosphere."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "Thank you, Bodhisattva, for your advice. Since the Bodhisattva knows there are Immortals secretly stirring trouble, using you to instigate conflict between the Heavenly Court and Western Heaven, why endure the humiliation without exposing them?"

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva gently shook his head, "This is the Karma between the Heavenly Court and Immortals. Why should Western Heaven draw fire upon itself? Farewell."

With a slight thought, he offered up the Eighteen Right Mind Beads, gathering all his disciples into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and boarded another Star Shuttle.

The boatman of that Star Shuttle thought a large deal was coming. Seeing the situation, he cursed quietly, "pauper."

Chen Shi waved farewell and said to Black Pot, "This Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva may not be a good person, but he is honest enough."

Their Star Shuttle also prepared to set sail when Long Huang hurriedly approached from afar, "Boatman, hold on!"

The Star Shuttle paused within the Star Gate as Long Huang arrived, saying to Chen Shi, "Heavenly Master Ge is about to go into seclusion and cannot come to see you off personally, so he sent me to deliver this letter to you."

He took out a letter, and Chen Shi opened it. Long Huang said, "The Heavenly Master said, at the outbreak of the Mud Bodhisattva case, all the Immortal names of Feng'an County are in this letter. These are all who survived."

Chen Shi was slightly startled and read the letter, which listed the names and Realms of various Immortals.

Most of the Immortals' Realms were only at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, but the Heavenly Immortal Realm could not resist the Great Dao Contamination and couldn't exert any mana.

"Among all the Immortals, only two have this kind of strength," the Heavenly Master wrote in the letter.

Chen Shi continued to read.

The first was the City Lord of Feng'an County Main City, named Chao Huang. Chen Shi had met him before when the Mahasthamaprapta Mud Bodhisattva recovered his mana, Chao Huang knelt to him, aiding the recovery.

The second was a disciple from Golden Turtle Island, named Jiang Guo. This person learned from a high scholar and traveled from the island to Feng'an County, becoming involved in the Mud Bodhisattva case. Even reduced to a clay figure, he retained some of his cultivation.

Chen Shi flipped to the back, where Heavenly Master Ge wrote, "May you, dear brother, hold onto your heart even three thousand years later."

Chen Shi folded the letter, leapt down from the Star Shuttle, and waved, "Everyone, return to the Heavenly Court to report. I'll leave in a few days."

Everyone looked puzzled, glancing at each other.

Black Pot said, "Woof?"

"Indeed!"

Everyone said, "The case is resolved, why stay behind?"

Chen Shi smiled and said, "The Mud Bodhisattva case is resolved for the Thunder Department and Western Heaven but for me, it's not over yet. You all return to the Heavenly Court, and I'll conclude it."

"Are you going to commit a crime?"

Bai Fangfang became excited and was about to jump off the Star Shuttle, "We'll go with you!"

Chen Shi gave her a stern look, "For what? To break the Heavenly Rules?"

Bai Fangfang was frightened and didn't dare insist on going together. The other Immortals hesitated and didn't dare leave the ship.

Black Pot jumped down and stood with Chen Shi.

Zhang Xian quickly transmitted, "Young Master, the one who cast the rain spell might be one of us!"

Chen Shi kicked the Star Shuttle, sending it through the Star Gate, thinking, "One of us? Laozi and Black Pot are the ones!"

The Star Shuttle accelerated, propelled by starlight, quickly vanishing into the Star Gate's glow.

Chen Shi turned around, laughed, and said, "Black Pot, let's solve the case!"

Black Pot followed him towards the Immortal City.

Long Huang hurriedly caught up, whispering a warning, "Without evidence, doing such things will break the Heavenly Rules, punishable by death!"

Chen Shi looked at the Dragon God with the crooked face, "Dragon Brother, your Thunder Department abides by the Thunder Law, acting under Heaven, with the Thunder Ancestor above, the Four Saints of the North Pole, the Five Great Heavenly Palaces, below with the Five Great Marshals, the Five Thunder Kings, the Five Thunder Emperors, and countless soldiers and horses. You rule the Earth Immortal Realm by the Heavenly Dao, so tell me, what is the Heavenly Dao?"

Long Huang was slightly startled, shaking his head with a smile, "Heavenly Dao? It's too complex, how can it be clearly said?"

Chen Shi said, "To kill to repay for being killed, to pay debts for being owed, that is Heavenly Dao! To act on behalf of Heaven, that is Heavenly Dao! No need to articulate it clearly, just act!"

Long Huang was startled.

Chen Shi left him behind, drifting away, murmuring, "I wanted to give the Heavenly Rules a chance, but alas, they are useless. If the Heavenly Rules fail, I'll do it myself!"

Feng'an County, Changyi.

Chen Shi and Black Pot arrived at an Immortal Mountain in Changyi. According to Heavenly Master Ge's letter, the disciple Jiang Guo from Golden Turtle Island settled here when he traveled to this place.

This Immortal Mountain was not large, only four or five miles in circumference, floating in the sky, with Immortal Spirit Qi seeping from the void, forming a Spiritual Spring. The spring was insufficient to establish a sect, merely enough for one or two Immortals to cultivate.

Heavenly Master Ge claimed this Immortal Mountain for the Thunder Department, used regularly to entertain passing Immortal Families.

Chen Shi entered the Immortal Mountain, feeling the air within the mountain turning into a fierce wind, whistling past and then reversing to blow back from behind, the gusts were incredibly intense.

When he stepped out of the valley, he saw a youth sitting beside the Spiritual Spring, performing his breaths.

The previously circulating wind was produced by this youth's breathing.

Chen Shi silently observed, and with each breath of the youth, Sword Qi flew from his lips, the Sword Qi sharp and overbearing, even more formidable than the murderous aura of the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, inspiring chills.

"It's not him."

Chen Shi discerned the source of that murderous aura and left, thinking, "If it was him, why stir conflict between Western Heaven and the Heavenly Court?"

The youth, Jiang Guo, suddenly sensed something, opened his eyes, and Sword Qi projected toward Chen Shi, powerful indeed!

Without hesitation, Chen Shi turned and swung his blade. Between his hands, the invisible Sword Energy surged, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long Sword Glow, meeting the Sword Qi head-on, using the sword technique from the Blood Transformation Divine Saber!

As the Sword Light and Sword Qi cancelled each other out, they dissipated into the void.

Chen Shi continued walking away.

The youth Jiang Guo looked over in surprise, "Heavenly Net Blood Transformation Divine Sword! A fellow disciple!"