Above the Great Dao

Chapter 1579 730: Heavenly Dao Divines

"Reporting to the Teaching Venerable, Green Rock is rarely encountered in the Heavenly Abyss mining area. If a piece is occasionally found, it is immediately taken by the Immortals from the Three Pure Ones Realm."

Yan Zhibei remarked, "Immortals who mine Green Rock often receive a substantial reward, including spiritual elixirs, cultivation techniques, and magical treasures, more than enough to ascend from a Heavenly Immortal to a True Immortal. Despite mining in the Heavenly Abyss for so long, I've only found a fist-sized piece of Green Rock, yet I received a significant reward."

He presented as a gentle and refined person, and among his fellow disciples from Golden Turtle Island, his achievements were the highest, having now reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

He had labored there for so long that he still could not help but refer to members of the Three Pure Ones Sect as Immortals.

Before Chen Shi came to Golden Turtle Island, he was merely a Golden Immortal, leading a rather destitute life, mining in the East Sea Heavenly Abyss while saving money for cultivation, even sending some Heavenly Yuan Notes back to Golden Turtle Island to support his junior disciples.

At that time, due to his Harmonization in Penglai West, he had been tainted by the Outer Dao, plagued by illness, and was stuck in the Golden Immortal Realm for a long time without being able to break through.

When Chen Shi arrived at Golden Turtle Island, he helped refine most of the Outer Dao from Yan Zhibei's Dao Realm, alleviating his ailments. Soon after, Yan Zhibei made rapid progress, achieving Taiyi Golden Immortal, and consecutively passed through two layers of the Dao Realm to become the top expert on Golden Turtle Island, second only to Jiao Quezi.

Although Yan Zhibei was distinguished in appearance, he was somewhat peculiar, always holding a sharp awl, repeatedly honed until extremely sharp, occasionally stabbing it into his own thigh, leaving it bloodied.

Occasionally, he would have nightmares, waking up in terror, drenched in sweat.

Chen Shi had inquired about it, and he said it was as if he returned to the days mining in the Heavenly Abyss in his dreams, always feeling that everything on Golden Turtle Island in front of him was a dying fantasy, when in fact he was lying deep in the mining pit, with tendrils grown from the Immortal Ore inserted into his brain, absorbing his Primordial Qi.

He felt that his current life was so blissful and perfect that there was a high chance it was fake, a dying fantasy.

He needed to stab himself with the awl, to feel pain, in order to ascertain if he was in an illusion.

However, even when he felt the pain, he couldn't be sure, and thus needed to occasionally jab again.

Chen Shi had discussed with Jing Mei and others on how to cure this peculiar distress of his, but it never improved and had to be left unresolved.

"Occasionally, mysterious minerals emitting an Outer Dao aura appear, touching them spells death. Such minerals are often companion minerals of prehistoric treasures. Immortal Ores aren't safe either, as they emit strange lights and occasionally melt several unfortunate immortals."

Yan Zhibei pondered and said, "When I was an Immortal miner there, a coffin was dug up in the adjacent tunnel, made of Green Rock, with the coffin board made of crystal, revealing a beauty lying inside, of stunning, incomparable allure, lifelike. Many Immortal miners went mad upon seeing the beauty, leading to mutual slaughter. It is said only one Immortal miner survived, having gouged out his eyes and pierced his eardrums, inching along by feeling the walls, finally escaping alive."

Chen Shi inquired, "And then? What happened to the Green Coffin and the beauty?"

"Later, the Immortals from the Three Pure Ones Realm sought a few blind persons, entered the mine, and carried out the Green Coffin and the beauty."

Yan Zhibei recounted, "I did not go to see it; at that time, many experts from the Three Pure Ones Realm were present, with a grand array, deploying various Immortal Formations, guarding the site impenetrably. Once the Green Coffin was brought out, it was immediately placed onto a carriage, and it is said that even the True Dragon pulling the carriage was blind, with its eardrums pierced to avoid being disturbed by the beauty in the coffin. Where the coffin was taken to the Three Pure Ones Realm, what happened afterward is unknown."

Chen Shi curiously asked, "Is the beauty in the Green Coffin still alive?"

"That remains unknowable. I dared not look, only watched from afar, unable to discern how the beauty in the Green Coffin appeared, or whether she was alive. But since she was placed in a coffin, presumably, she was dead."

Chen Shi did not receive an answer and felt quite regretful.

Unexpectedly, such peculiar items could be mined from the Green Rock Ore Vein!

Could this beauty in the Green Coffin be a cultivator from the Dark Era?

Was she alive or dead?

Did she know the true cause of the Ancient World's disintegration?

Could she interpret the Dark Sea Heavenly Dao of the Underground Green Palace?

Did her interpretation differ from Chen Shi's own interpretation?

"If she is still alive, she might be imprisoned by the Immortals of the Three Pure Ones Realm, forced to decipher the inscriptions on the Green Rock accumulated by the Three Pure Ones Realm," Chen Shi mused.

He had a strong urge to visit the Green Rock Ore Vein to see what treasures might be unearthed, but upon hearing Yan Zhibei say that it could take ten or twenty years to find a single piece of Green Rock, he dismissed the idea.

"The world is about to descend into chaos; it is better for me to peacefully cultivate and improve my cultivation strength."

Chen Shi calmed his Heart Spirit, delving into comprehending Daoist Skills within the Biyou Palace, occasionally consulting Little Dun Fairy on Daoist Skills, or venturing into the Dao Ruins to seek advice from Chang Chun Emperor and other Daluo Golden Immortals.

Penglai West itself is the best Holy Land under the heavens; Golden Turtle Island harbors Yuqing Dao Spring, the Dao Ruins house dozens of Daluo Golden Immortals to consult, and the Well Demon Realm possesses the Demon Blood Treasure Tree aiding his cultivation; unconsciously, Chen Shi advanced to the Golden Immortal Third Layer Dao Realm.

The establishment of this Dao Realm brought new changes to the Dao Images within the Dao Ruins, Well Demon Realm, and Heavenly Immortal Realm.

The Dao Realm now displayed new visions like Kaiyuan Map, Flying Heaven Book, Xiu Lin Palace, Fude House, and Yellow Register, along with over a dozen Heavenly Dao Treasures.

These Heavenly Dao Treasures differ from those of the Heavenly Court, incorporating both Earth Immortal Realm Heavenly Dao and Dark Sea Heavenly Dao, eerie and enigmatic.

Although Chen Shi had forged Heavenly Dao Treasures, he was not entirely sure of the applications of these treasures.

He daily retrieved treasures, raising and pondering their usage, amassing a mountain of recorded texts.