On the Avenue.

Chapter 766 Dao Transformation into the Great Luo Heaven

On the emerald-green glass carriage, Fairy Xiao Duan noticed Chen Shi sitting by the window, staring blankly out the window. After hesitating for a moment, she broke the silence and asked with a smile, "What are you thinking about, my husband?"

"I'm wondering if the Yuanfu will cause another calamity if it spreads further?"

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, then laid out his doubts, saying, "Back then, someone in the Earthly Immortal Realm sent all the heavenly worlds into the Dark Sea to avoid calamity. This was because once the heavenly worlds entered the Dark Sea, there were heretics, and thus no calamity was initiated. The Yuanfu I have transmitted contains many heretics, even as much as 70% heretics, 20% immortals, and 10% gods. If heretics did not initiate calamity, then those who cultivate Yuanfu should also not initiate calamity."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Duan said, "This is not something you should worry about; it is something only the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, should be concerned about. If even the Great Heavenly Venerable is not worried, why should my husband worry about this matter?"

She didn't use divine sense to transmit her words, which suggests she intended to use the glass chariot to reach the Jade Emperor.

Chen Shi said solemnly, "I am utterly loyal to the Great Heavenly Venerable. If I can resolve this matter, the Great Heavenly Venerable need not worry. On another note, can practicing unorthodox methods truly resolve the calamity?"

With a worried look on his face, he said, "I always feel that this speculation may not be so reliable."

Fairy Xiao Duan comforted him, "Husband, please don't worry too much. Although you are a loyal subject and share the burdens of the Great Celestial Venerable, the Great Celestial Venerable has been quite disheartening towards you, testing you many times and even using Emperor Gouchen to try to kill you..."

"shut up!"

Chen Shi's face flushed red. He rebuked him, his voice righteous and awe-inspiring, "The Great Celestial Venerable is the supreme ruler of the Earthly Immortal Realm. His every word and deed is the law of Heaven! If the Great Celestial Venerable suspects me, it must be because I haven't done well enough. I will correct myself. I am but a mere scholar. If it weren't for the Great Celestial Venerable's support, I would have died in some dark corner of the Earthly Immortal Realm long ago. How could I be here today? This is truly the view of a woman!"

Xiao Duan burst into tears, feeling utterly aggrieved. "I'm the one complaining about my husband, but instead, I'm being blamed for everything. My husband is the crown prince of the Goddess Houtu, in charge of the Heavenly Dao's magical treasures for the Great Heavenly Venerable. He quelled the chaos at the Heavenly Market, created the Yuanfu, and thwarted the rebellion of the Three Pure Realms, the Western Heaven, and the False Immortal Court. His achievements are immense! But what has the Great Heavenly Venerable given my husband? During the ceremony of transmitting the Dharma, the Great Heavenly Venerable's gleaming axe was almost held to my husband's neck!"

She wiped away her tears and choked out, "That axe almost killed my husband in front of two hundred thousand immortals of Penglai! And what happened afterward? The Great Heavenly Venerable sent a plaque, bestowed some insignificant gifts, and granted him the title of Supreme Sage Teacher, but not a single reward! My husband reclaimed the Heavenly Market Enclosure and persuaded Emperor Gouchen to surrender, but received no reward. He spread the Dharma throughout the world, ruined the false Immortal Court's grand plan, and saved the world from suffering, but received no reward. Even I, your humble servant, don't even have the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree. Whenever I am mentioned, I am referred to as Chen Zishi, without any title or status, disgracing my husband."

"You shameless woman, how dare you talk back!" Chen Shi roared angrily, making a move to strike.

Xiao Duan then threw a tantrum, tilting her head back, stretching her neck, and shouting, "Hit me! Kill me if you want! My husband is a hero, sweeping across the Heavenly Market and spreading his teachings throughout the world, but he dares not compete for benefits for himself and his wife in front of the Great Heavenly Venerable. Yet he is a master at beating his wife! If you kill me, my husband can take another wife. When the Great Heavenly Venerable hears this, it will just be as if he killed a maidservant without any title."

"Ugh--"

Chen Shi sighed heavily, not actually continuing the attack. He slumped down and said in a muffled voice, "The Great Celestial Venerable is not a tyrannical ruler who cannot distinguish between rewards and punishments. The rewards for my wife and me... should be on their way, right?"

He seemed unsure himself, and stammered, "Madam, please don't always complain about the Great Celestial Venerable. As his subjects, we should be understanding. These years of war have probably left the Heavenly Court without money."

Little Duan Fairy sobbed uncontrollably, lamenting, "The Heavenly Court is broke, and our family can't keep pouring money into it. When will this end? Penglai West is plagued by demonic calamities every day, leaving only barren land. Yet, in every suppression of these rebellions, we've used my husband's money, and the Great Heavenly Venerable hasn't given us a single coin. This time, when you went to the Earth Goddess, you shamelessly begged her for some military pay. If she asks you if the Heavenly Court hasn't rewarded you, what will you say? Won't she laugh at the Heavenly Court and the Great Heavenly Venerable?"

Chen Shi glanced at her frequently, indicating that what she said was a bit excessive.

Little Dumpling Fairy understood, cried a few times, and then gradually calmed down.

Chen Shi stepped forward, put his arm around her shoulder, and gently comforted her, saying, "Madam, please rest assured, the Great Celestial Venerable's reward is surely on its way."

Xiao Duan gave a soft "hmm".

Outside, the crisp sound of the nine-colored deer's hooves echoed as it pulled its glass chariot through the clouds, leaving behind plum blossoms in its wake.

The Heavenly Court, Taiwei Yuqing Palace.

The Jade Emperor was enjoying tea and watching a dance with the Queen Mother of the West, living a leisurely life.

The song and dance subtly harmonized with the Five Elements. As the goddess danced and the music played in harmony, each element activated its energy, nourishing the internal organs of the audience.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The Jade Emperor, engrossed in the conversation, suddenly began to cough violently. The Queen Mother of the West quickly inquired, "Is Your Majesty unwell?"

The Great Celestial Venerable waved his hand and said, "I was so engrossed in listening that I choked on my tea."

He paused, then asked, "Zitong, King Chen has repeatedly rendered great service, killing Venus, quelling the rebellion in the Heavenly Market, preventing Gouchen and Ziwei from rebelling, and spreading his teachings throughout the world. Is my reward for him too stingy?"

The Queen Mother asked in surprise, "Didn't His Majesty often say that Chen Shi was a wolf with ulterior motives? Why is he saying today that he has made great contributions?"

The Great Celestial Venerable laughed and said, "Although he has the ambition of a wolf, he has made great contributions. If we do not reward him, I'm afraid it will discourage him and make him even more rebellious."

The Queen Mother, unaware of his intentions, spoke up, saying, "His Majesty's reward is indeed a bit too little. King Chen has made great contributions and has the connection with the Empress of the Earth. To merely bestow upon him the title of Holy Teacher without giving him any real benefits is indeed unreasonable."

Just as the Great Celestial Venerable was about to draft an edict to reward Chen Shi, he remembered something else and said, "Chen Tianwang has made great contributions. Shouldn't his wife also be given some rewards and titles? This matter should be decided by Zitong."

The Queen Mother of the West laughed and said, "She is a female immortal and a descendant of the Yin Shang dynasty. Our kingdom was seized from her family. How can I bestow a title upon her? Let the Queen Mother of the West give her one. She is in charge of female immortals, so it is not appropriate for me to interfere."

The Great Celestial Venerable laughed and said, "The Queen Mother of the West and the King Father of the East were merely expedient measures to divide the power of the Three Pure Realms back then. Now that the Yuanfu has been issued, there is not so much difference between immortals and gods. You may bestow the title upon them."

The Queen Mother of the West also wanted to reclaim some power from the Queen Mother of the West, and pondered for a moment, saying, "Why not bestow upon her the title of Duanfei Yuanjun? Her name is Duan, and she is a member of the royal family of the Great Shang Dynasty. Giving her the title of consort will let her know that the Great Shang Dynasty is over, and she is now only the Heavenly Queen Consort of King Chen. She is now a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and the title of Yuanjun is well-deserved."

The Great Celestial Venerable praised, "Zitong was well-appointed."

After a moment's thought, he ordered an imperial edict to be drafted, bestowing upon Chen Shi and Jin'ao Island numerous treasures, and also granting Chen Shi the title of "treasure land" in Penglai West and several nearby places polluted by heretics. Because he feared Xiao Duan would again complain, he opened the Heavenly Treasury and gave him even more rewards.

The Queen Mother also drafted an edict, bestowing upon Xiao Duan the title of Duanfei Yuanjun and rewarding her with some treasures.

After finishing the matter, the Great Celestial Venerable asked again, "Does Zitong think that after King Chen passed on the Primordial Talisman, there will still be a calamity in this world?"

The Queen Mother was surprised. In the past, when the Great Celestial Venerable spoke to her, he would always speak in a rambling manner, rarely discussing serious matters, and he wouldn't let her interfere in the Heavenly Court. Today was rather strange; he had actually started talking about serious matters.

"Logically speaking, there should be no calamity. Many immortals had previously tested this by sending some worlds of the Earthly Immortal Realm back to the Dark Sea, and they successfully avoided the calamity and did not perish. Back then, there was a great uproar, which caused the Earthly Immortal Realm to shrink, and His Majesty was furious about it."

The Queen Mother paused here, then said, "But I always feel that there is something strange and amiss about this matter. If being in the Dark Sea, surrounded by heretics, can ensure a life free from disaster and calamity, then considering that the Earthly Immortal Realm is also surrounded by the Dark Sea, why is there a calamity?"

The Jade Emperor praised, "Zitong's words make sense. However, why did those worlds that returned to the Dark Sea not experience a calamity, while our Immortal Realm did?"

The Queen Mother speculated, "In my opinion, the initiation of the tribulation may be related to the Dark Sea and the heretics, but the relationship is not that significant. Perhaps the heretics can resist part of the initiation of the tribulation, making it easier to pass through, but they cannot make the initiation of the tribulation disappear."

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor frowned slightly and asked, "What does Zitong mean?" The Queen Mother replied, "In the past, the scale of the tribulation in the Dark Sea was small, and it was easy to overcome. But this time, the scale of the tribulation may far exceed that of the past. Even if one hides in the Dark Sea, one may not be able to avoid the tribulation."

The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, deeply agreed, saying, "The intensity of this tribulation has greatly increased, and there have been signs of it. The Western Paradise and the Three Pure Realms both feel that they are unable to overcome the tribulation and have no choice but to seek help from external paths."

The tribulation is divided into the general tribulation and the great tribulation of the Yuanhui. The general tribulation is smaller in scale. Ordinary immortals can pass the tribulation even without the protection of the Three Pure Realms and the Western Paradise. Although there are deaths and injuries, they are usually people who have committed heinous crimes.

The power of the Yuanhui Great Calamity is extremely domineering and fierce. Even the Great Luo Golden Immortals cannot survive this calamity. Without the protection of the Three Pure Realms or the Western Paradise, they often perish and their cultivation dissipates.

Unless one, like the Changchun Emperor and others, defiles oneself with external paths in order to transcend tribulations.

However, the power of the previous calamities grew stronger and stronger, even the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven felt unstable and unable to protect their disciples. They were worried that when the Yuanhui Great Calamity came, the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven would not be able to withstand it, so they had no choice but to seek help from the outside world.

The Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable, pinned his hopes on the arrival of the Great Calamity of the Yuanhui to weaken the strength of the Three Pure Realms and the Western Paradise, also based on the ferocity of this Great Calamity of the Yuanhui.

"Chen Tianwang imparted the Yuanfu, and this calamity may be the mildest calamity in the history of the Earth Immortal Realm. This is thanks to Chen Tianwang, and it will probably increase his incense offerings considerably."

The Queen Mother said, "His divine cultivation will surely increase day by day."

The Great Celestial Venerable said, "If he can become a Celestial God, he will surely be the best Celestial Treasure!"

Remembering something, the Queen Mother quickly said, "Those celestial beings have been in the Nirvana World, focusing on cultivating the divine path, and have not returned. If they were to return, cultivate the Yuan Talisman, and refine the divine path, they might break free from the control of the Heavenly Court!"

"It's alright. They will only become stronger by cultivating the Yuan Talisman. As for breaking free from the Heavenly Court's control, that's impossible. Their physical bodies are dead. If they can't rely on the Heavenly Court, what can they rely on the Celestial Court?"

"Your Majesty should still be wary of them getting out of control after coming into contact with the Yuanfu."

……

Chen Shi and Xiao Duan sat in the glass palanquin, looking out at the world, which was littered with the marks of war. The floating immortal mountains were often shattered, many immortal sects had been breached, their protective formations destroyed, and the dead and wounded were heavy, with thick smoke still rising from them.

Some celestial cities were also captured, and the gods and immortals guarding them were escorted outside the city. The immortals who were overseeing the executions raised their Immortal-Slaying Blades or God-Slaying Swords, and one by one, heads fell to the ground.

Many ordinary people and monks watched from the sidelines, and every time a head was beheaded, whether it was a god or an immortal, it would be met with cheers.

There are also steamed bun vendors nearby, and their business is quite good.

As the glazed chariot traveled along the way, the land was shattered and devastated, with many places stretching for miles in barren wasteland, all caused by the powerful divine abilities of the immortals.

They passed through many places, and the battle between the gods and immortals continued, darkening the sky and earth.

Compared to this place, Penglai West is truly like a paradise, untouched by war.

Chen Shi watched in silence, the voices of old acquaintances echoing in his ears.

"That's just how the world is!" "You can't change it!" "That's just how the world is, what can you do about it?"

……

The sounds bombarded him, making his head buzz.

Xiao Duan held his hand and said softly, "Husband, don't worry. Once the Yuanfu is spread here, they will stop fighting. The Yuanfu hasn't spread yet, but things will get much better in a few days."

Chen Shi nodded slightly: "Once the message reaches here, they will realize that all immortals and gods are the same, and there is no need to fight anymore. Right now, the Yuanfu is only being transmitted to the leaders of the immortals and gods. But why haven't these leaders ordered a ceasefire yet?"

Xiao Duan did not answer.

She knew Chen Shi already had the answer; it was simply for the leader's personal desires.

The more territory they occupy before the ceasefire, the greater the benefits they will reap afterward. As for how many immortals, gods, and mortals die during this period, what do they care?

When the glazed chariot arrived in the Eastern Heaven, the scene of war had vanished, and green mountains and clear waters came into view. The people lived in peace and contentment, cultivators lived on the immortal mountains, immortals lived in seclusion, and gods and immortals coexisted, creating a very peaceful and tranquil place.

Chen Shi had traveled to many places, all of which were ravaged by war. He had never seen a peaceful and happy place like Dongtian.

As the glass carriage continued deeper into the mountains, one could see many sects floating on the sky, with grand temples built to house various gods and Buddhas. Each Buddha statue was tall and imposing, gleaming with golden light, and very eye-catching.

The monks and ordinary people here worship Buddha, pay homage to Buddha statues, offer incense money to temples, and perform labor for temples, building main halls and enshrining new Buddhas.

The immortals and gods also worship Buddha. The gods are the guardian deities of the temple, and the immortals are the flying apsaras and lay Buddhists beside the Buddha statue. They have kind faces and do not have the bloodthirsty atmosphere that exists outside.

As the glazed carriage traveled further and further, the scenery became more and more magnificent. The immortal mountain had long since turned into a golden mountain, with a series of grand halls on the mountain. Living Buddhas sat in the temples, their bodies so large that they surpassed the halls.

Apsaras and guardian deities danced and sang praises around the Buddha, while ordinary people chanted Buddhist mantras.

The glass carriage slowed down without them realizing it. Chen Shi and Xiao Duan sat by the window, looking at the scenery outside. The more they looked, the more surprised they became.

"Isn't the Eastern Heaven the territory of the Azure Emperor? Why is there a pure land here that rivals the Western Heaven?" Fairy Xiao Duan asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shi's expression changed slightly. He carefully examined the Buddhas and noticed that regardless of age, size, or weight, all the Buddhas had similar features!

And the Buddha statues in those temples are all the same!
Here, all the Buddha statues represent the same person!
Chen Shi said, "This is the Great Luo Heaven of Dao Transformation, not the Eastern Heaven! Madam, we have entered the Great Luo Heaven of a Buddhist master."

Little Duan Fairy peeked upwards and saw a bodhisattva revealing its enormous face beyond the majestic sky, hidden in the universe, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

His body sat cross-legged in the starry sky, with the Great Luo Heaven, formed by the Great Dao, held in his palm.

"The world is full of turbid currents, where can one find a pure land? Master Chen, greetings from the Lotus Sutra Forest in Tushita Heaven."

When the Bodhisattva saw that they had discovered him, he smiled and said to his palm, "The Buddha is merciful and grateful for the Master's grace in transmitting the Dharma. He has commanded me to invite the Master to visit Tushita Heaven!"

(End of this chapter)