On the Path to the Great Dao

This young man was about the same height as Grandpa Chen Shi, tall and sturdy. He wore black cloth shoes and a light green scholar's robe—not a Daoist's garb, but a scholar's robe with white lapels and wide sleeves.

A white jade belt was wrapped around his waist, and a black four-cornered cap sat atop his head. He was handsome and dashing, with an air of refinement.

He was none other than Little Five the Creation.

The Creation Treasure Mirror belonging to Chen Yindu recorded talisman monsters from ninth-grade to first-grade, hundreds in total, each with bizarre appearances. Even the first-grade Talisman God Heavenly Mechanism, though strikingly handsome and martial, had eight arms.

Only Little Five the Creation looked entirely like an ordinary human—just an exceptionally handsome one among them.

After devouring the immortal crane, the Heavenly Listeners were startled. They immediately turned their ears, pairs of ears swiveling toward Little Five the Creation.

One Heavenly Listener was about to pick up his brush to write when he felt a tightness around his waist. Looking down, he saw a long, scarlet tongue had coiled around him at some point.

He traced the tongue to its end and saw the tall young man.

Little Five the Creation suddenly opened his mouth wide. In the next instant, the Heavenly Listener vanished. Little Five the Creation straightened his neck, mouth agape, the Listener's legs still dangling outside, his body rigid, legs kicking futilely.

Little Five the Creation mimicked a pelican shaking its throat, and the Heavenly Listener tumbled into his stomach. "Pu!"

A pair of black official boots flew from his mouth, landing steadily. But their owner had already ascended to the heavens inside Little Five the Creation's belly.

Some of the other Heavenly Listeners frantically scribbled notes, while the quicker ones turned and fled.

Yet no matter how fast they were, they couldn't outrun Little Five the Creation.

"Don't go! Your ears are the tastiest!"

After eating his fill, Little Five the Creation arrived at Huangpo Village. He spotted an old lady approaching and smiled.

"You're... Wuzhu? How did you get so old? I saw you when I was just born—you were a flower-like beauty then."

Old Lady Wuzhu's eyes were dim with age. She looked him up and down in surprise.

"Chen Tang, you're back? You only come back now that your dad's dead! You unfilial wretch!"

She cursed and swung her cane at Little Five the Creation's forehead.

Little Five the Creation's face twisted with malice. This old hag had violated three taboos in a single sentence.

Mistaking his identity, calling him Chen Tang.

Cursing him as unfilial.

Complaining he returned too late.

In the past, the crone would have been torn to shreds and scattered to the winds. But that phrase—

"Your dad is dead"—

struck Little Five the Creation's heart like a blow, throwing his mind into chaos.

"My dad... is dead..."

He murmured.

He had leaped from the great Ming treasure ship intending to head to Huangpo Village and take out his old man Chen Yindu, to escape the old man's discipline.

He had come with murderous intent, yet before even entering the village, he learned of Chen Yindu's death.

Little Five the Creation felt his face grow wet. He touched it—tears.

He licked them. Salty.

In that moment, a thing called sorrow inexplicably flooded his heart, filling it completely.

He disliked Chen Yindu, feared him.

Because old dad Chen Yindu often beat him for his deeds, sometimes bringing dozens of Heavenly Mechanisms to beat him too. Last time, he had been locked in pitch darkness, suppressed by an evil god beside him.

Thus he hated Chen Yindu.

Yet upon hearing of Chen Yindu's death, this sorrow surged inexplicably strong.

It felt as if he had lost the most important person in his life, leaving his heart hollow and empty.

"Wuzhu, take me to see him."

He fought back tears, but they flowed anyway. His voice choked.

Old Lady Wuzhu led him to Chen Yindu's gravesite. Little Five the Creation stood before the tomb, silently staring at the stele.

Old Lady Wuzhu kicked him in the knee hollow and barked,

"You think you're the emperor? You don't even kneel before your dad's grave!"

Little Five the Creation's palm sprouted sharp, slender claws. He nearly skewered the old crone on the spot, but retracted them and knelt before Chen Yindu's tomb.

Old Lady Wuzhu whacked his head hard with her cane, the thuds resounding, and snarled,

"Not kowtowing yet?"

Little Five the Creation seethed with rage, his face contorting. Forcing himself, he kowtowed to Chen Yindu's stele, murmuring inwardly,

"Dad, I know you don't like old hags—you like the young ones. So I won't kill Wuzhu. I'll burn her for you instead."

Old Lady Wuzhu, seeing him kowtow, left satisfied.

On Huanggang Ridge, once Scholar Zhu had calmed, Chen Shi asked again how to use the West King's Jade Seal.

Scholar Zhu glanced at the West King's Jade Seal and sorrow welled up anew. He wailed,

"I'm just a failed scholar. How would I know how to use such a treasure? You've got the Rivers-and-Mountains Sheji Map of fifty provinces—just stamp it everywhere to seal gods. Once all fifty provinces are filled with deities, it'll become the supreme treasure suppressing the fortunes of Xibonin New Continent."

"How do I activate it?"

Chen Shi pressed.

"I've told you, I'm a failed scholar from a fallen family—not even a juren. How should I know? Try lighting incense for it."

Here, he burst into tears.

"If my ancestors knew I sold the jade seal, they'd skin me and stuff me with straw—wait, no, my ancestors sold it themselves! Never mind then."

Seeing him raving mad, Chen Shi descended Huanggang Ridge.

"Strange, where did those Heavenly Listeners go?"

He looked around, saw no big-eared Heavenly Listeners, puzzled at first—then delighted.

"Has my suspicion of rebellion finally been cleared? Heaven have mercy, I've always upheld the law and acted righteously. At last, my innocence is rewarded."

Chen Shi happily went home, placing the West King's Jade Seal beside Grandpa's spirit tablet and lighting several sticks of incense.

As the incense was lit, his vision blurred. Vast landscapes unfurled before him, filling the sky in his eyes.

The fifty provinces of Xibonin New Continent lay displayed.

"How do I use this Rivers-and-Mountains Map?"

Wherever Chen Shi's gaze fell, towering mountains and rivers rushed toward him. His view plunged into the terrain, soaring through peaks and valleys as if flying amid the land.

He soared over Qianyang Mountain, through the five great lakes, past the five mountain ranges, to the grand canyon, and the western coast.

His consciousness returned to Qianyang Mountain. Looking down, its map was clearer and brighter than the others. He could even see the great serpent Xuan Shan coiled atop a peak on the eastern slope.

At that moment, the great serpent Xuan Shan seemed to sense something. Its massive head rose, peering along Chen Shi's line of sight.

Chen Shi was stunned.

"This map shows Qianyang Mountains in real time!"

He shifted his gaze to Granny Zhuang's location, seeing her true form—an ancient giant tree—and an even vaster stump.

Granny Zhuang, mighty as she was, emerged from the tree hollow leaning on her cane, puzzled as she looked skyward.

Chen Shi was thrilled and astonished. He turned to seek Gangzi Village, checking on Granny Sha.

Granny Sha was hanging laundry in the yard when she seemed to notice something. She lit a bundle of incense, green smoke blotting out the sky and choking Chen Shi to tears.

He dared not look longer, fearing some scheme from Granny Sha. Instead, he checked the Hu family manor in Youcai Village. Lovely girls frolicked inside; in the back yard, some were stripping to swim and play.

Suddenly, Hu Xiaoliang's bearded face filled his view, followed by thick tails whipping through the air, blocking his sight.

"Uncle Hu is amazing!"

Chen Shi wondered in shock.

He checked on Green Sheep next. Green Sheep lounged on a pile of offerings, legs crossed, munching fruit and humming tunes, utterly content.

"Who's peeking at me?"

Green Sheep leaped up, staring at Chen Shi. His vision twisted and spun like falling into a whirlpool.

Chen Shi hurriedly closed his eyes, heart pounding.

Granny Sha, Hu Xiaoliang, and Green Sheep each had their strengths—immensely powerful. Probing them with the Rivers-and-Mountains Sheji Map alerted them.

"Strange—why is only Xinduo Province's terrain lit, showing everything there?"

Suddenly, he sensed something and looked toward Black Mountain.

Black Mountain lay in Xianzhou Province's Baisheng County—not part of Xinduo Province.

Most of Xianzhou Province's map was dark, save Black Mountain, which glowed.

Chen Shi entered Black Mountain on the map, taking in everything.

Little Jujube was telling the godmothers,

"It needs a temple built—like the layout of the little temple behind Chen Shi's head."

The temple was small, no burden on the people.

Everything in Little Jujube's domain on Black Mountain was crystal clear to Chen Shi!

"Too strange."

Chen Shi marveled, pondering.

"Does sealing a god light up the corresponding terrain? But why is Qianyang Mountain lit? Could it be Qianyang Mountain Lord?"

Qianyang Mountain Lord had sat in Chen Shi's little temple for a time before coalescing his divine form.

Chen Shi had sent him to the Mountain Lord Temple and lit the first stove of incense there.

Chen Shi wasn't sure if it was that incense or the little temple that sealed him.

He explored a while longer until the incense burned out, then exited the Rivers-and-Mountains Map.

"This West King's Jade Seal is of utmost importance—surely it has many more uses."

Chen Shi tried storing the jade seal in his temple. With a thought, it vanished.

He quickly focused his mind and opened his eyes—to find himself in the little temple. The West King's Jade Seal now rested on the offering table before the Divine Shrine, ahead of it, bathed in incense too.

Shiji Prime sat solemnly in the Divine Shrine of the little temple. Her aura was overwhelmingly powerful. Standing before her, Chen Shi felt crushing terror.

Were this not his own temple, her presence would shatter him!

She was too strong—strong enough he couldn't enshrine her as a god embryo.

Yet now, her aura was suppressed by the West King's Jade Seal.

"So Scholar Zhu meant lighting incense in the little temple!"

Chen Shi realized. Lighting incense elsewhere was inconvenient; in the little temple, it was easy.

He stepped forward, lit several sticks, and inserted them into the censer before the table. Fragrant smoke wafted toward the seal and shrine.

Suddenly, beams of light burst from the jade seal, illuminating the temple. Rumbling echoed through the little temple, rolling endlessly from an unseen source.

Chen Shi looked around. The temple subtly felt far more solid.

Before, it had a sandy texture, like piled mud and sand ready to collapse.

Now, it seemed blessed by true divine power—immovably sturdy!

The seal's light continued shining, the rumbling persisting. Then, to Chen Shi's astonishment, the temple hall gained an extra chamber—a second Divine Shrine appeared!

Chen Shi froze.

Many temples had two shrines in their halls—even three or four.

But this was his temple. How did an extra shrine appear?

"Could I catch another spirit or evil to aid my cultivation?"

The thought struck him, then halted. Why not?

Thrilled, he withdrew his mind and eagerly dashed out the yard.

"Little Ten! Blackie Pot made dinner!"

Li Tianqing was hanging laundry. Seeing him run out, he called,

"Don't go out! Eat first!"

Got it!

Chen Shi burst through the door but didn't go far—instead to the god tree at the entrance.

Their village's godmother—the quilt-drilling girl—sat bored on the ancient tree.

Chen Shi arrived beneath it and activated the little temple.

"Shua!"

The quilt girl's vision blurred. Next instant, she was in the little temple, seated in a Divine Shrine, looking around in confusion.

"What's your name?"

She heard Chen Shi's voice from outside the temple. Before she could answer, he muttered to himself,

"I'll call you Sangyu then."

"I'm not a mulberry tree or an elm tree!"

She yelled back out the temple.

But Chen Shi, wielding the West King's Jade Seal, spoke with golden words. His bestowed name became her divine title: Sangyu.

"With Sangyu as a god embryo—and if I can use Shiji Prime as one too—my cultivation will double in efficiency!"

Chen Shi immediately circulated the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art, using Shiji Prime and Sangyu as god embryos. Suddenly, sun, moon, and stars surged into the little temple like a tide, pouring into his body!

He couldn't enshrine Shiji Prime, but for cultivation, it worked.

The three lights converged into a beam shining straight from his crown into the golden core in his dantian!

The golden core spun, refining the Three Lights Righteous Qi, rumbling like a millstone!

Chen Shi was thrilled and shocked. Using Shiji Prime and Sangyu, his golden core cultivation was far faster than with just Little Jujube!

He circulated the core. It slowly roamed his body, tempering organs, viscera, bones, flesh, and sinews. The light beam from the temple constantly shone on it, sustaining it through seven revolutions, eight transformations, nine returns—growing ever stronger without depletion!

Li Tianqing finished hanging the clothes. Hearing rumbling from the gate, he stepped out to see Chen Shi cultivating under the tree—the sounds coming from within him.

"Little Ten is so diligent, never forgetting cultivation."

He praised inwardly.

"Diligence makes up for clumsiness. His progress nearly matches mine."

Then, the rumbling in Chen Shi grew louder, vital energy surging stronger. Even Li Tianqing grew astonished.

"Little Ten's speed almost catches my Purple Jade God Embryo! Did he get a Purple Jade too?"

The Purple Jade God Embryo was first-grade, with astonishing speed. Now Chen Shi matched it!

Li Tianqing's face grew grave. Chen Shi's core soon surpassed the Purple Jade.

Beyond first-grade Purple Jade—what god embryo did Chen Shi have?

"Could Little Ten have regained the Innate Dao Embryo?"

He found it unbelievable.

This cultivation speed was simply too fast!