On the Path to the Great Dao

Chen Shi quietly passed by from the side, carefully avoiding this mushroom-headed thing.

The mushroom head noticed him, however, and suddenly turned to look, laughing as it said, "Little friend, do you not wish to obtain the wonders of celestial transformation and eternal life?"

"Not interested!"

Chen Shi quickened his pace, about to rush past, when he saw the large mushroom beside it suddenly rise with a boom, its massive cap kicking up a fierce gust of wind!

Only then did Chen Shi notice that this mushroom, even larger than a house, actually had two incredibly thick mushroom legs!

The large mushroom had previously been

squatting

on the ground; now that it stood up, it lifted one of its incredibly thick mushroom legs and stomped down toward Chen Shi!

Its form was like a person with its head removed, replaced by a mushroom cap, its body turned into a mushroom stalk, yet still retaining a humanoid structure with legs and feet!

Chen Shi had never seen such a bizarre sight and hurriedly dodged. With a boom, the humanoid mushroom-headed thing stomped the ground, cracking the street and leaving a massive pit! "You don't want to know what celestial transformation means, what eternal life means, what joy there is in living?"

The mushroom-headed person beside it hopped along on a single leg, its eyeless sockets sprouting two mushroom caps like eyes. It cried out, "Little friend, let me send you to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss to enjoy fortune, and you'll know what celestial transformation is!"

The humanoid mushroom-headed thing swung a fist at him, the punch whistling through the air with a whoosh, whipping up a street-wide gale that blew Chen Shi's clothes streaming backward, even pulling his hair tie taut!

Chen Shi leaped back, dodging the punch. The humanoid mushroom-headed thing flipped into the air, its enormous body nimbly somersaulting once before swinging its thick leg down viciously at him!

Chen Shi retreated again, thinking to himself, "These two giant mushrooms have no eyes—how are they seeing me?"

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted two eyes hopping about on the ground, bouncing incessantly—sometimes leaping and bounding across the pavement, sometimes vaulting onto roadside stalls to tumble and roll, then jumping onto rooftops to sprint across the tiles.

They were two eyeballs, but beneath each grew a mushroom body, with the eyeball serving as the cap!

These strange mushrooms were incredibly agile, keeping pace with the mushroom head and the humanoid mushroom!

These three kinds of mushrooms were actually one person, split into three parts and transformed into mushroom forms!

Chen Shi suddenly understood. "Though they've been divided into three—or rather four—mushrooms at a glance, they remain a single entity! They share vision, share a brain, share thoughts!"

Just as this realization hit him, a buzz sounded behind the humanoid giant mushroom's cap as a Divine Shrine materialized. This shrine was far larger than normal, and the Divine Embryo within was enormous, like a true body seated in the shrine!

Chen Shi's eyes widened. "It can do that too? These mushrooms can activate spells like a cultivator?"

"You have fine aptitude!"

The mushroom head hopped onto the cap of the humanoid giant mushroom, looking down from on high as it laughed. "Little friend, why resist? Like this layman here, enter my world of bliss—wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

A small temple emerged behind Chen Shi's head as he braced himself warily, probing, "Are you Zen Master Bitter Bamboo?"

The mushroom head burst into laughter and took a step forward with the air of a grandmaster. "I am the old monk, yet not the old monk.

This layman merged his consciousness with mine, ascending together to the world of bliss, becoming part of my consciousness!"

"This old monk has truly fallen to the demonic path!"

Chen Shi formed a sword mudra with his hand and thrust it out. Invisible sword qi shot from the small temple behind his head with whistling sounds. The four mushrooms of various sizes leaped, dodged, and even rolled, evading every thrust of his Noon-and-Midnight Evil-Cleaving Sword!

Chen Shi's eyes bulged. "Impressive!"

His sword qi was incredibly swift—sword following will, arriving where intent went, and invisible to boot. Few Golden Core Realm cultivators could dodge it!

Yet these four mushrooms evaded with ease!

Instead of retreating, Chen Shi advanced. His legs powered him forward in a sudden lunge as he prepared to smash the mushroom head with a punch!

Suddenly, a voice rang out:

"Instructor Scholar, do not touch it—you'll be contaminated."

Chen Shi flipped away in haste, just as talismans streaked in from the side, flashing with multicolored lights. They transformed into water, fire, wind, and thunder, swirling around the four mushrooms in a frenzied dance.

The humanoid giant mushroom, mushroom head, and eye mushrooms dodged frantically but still took hit after hit.

The humanoid giant mushroom scooped up the mushroom head and eye mushrooms, preparing to leap away, when several talisman masters burst in from the flank. They flung talismans that turned into massive golden mountains midair, crashing down and pinning the humanoid giant mushroom.

These talisman masters wore thick black veils over their faces—they were from Red Mountain Hall, led by Instructor Wan, a juren scholar.

Instructor Wan's face was also veiled in black, exposing only his eyes. He raised a hand to unleash a Mountain-Moving Talisman, while the other talisman masters activated Earthfire Talismans. The ground immediately erupted in blazing flames.

The humanoid giant mushroom charged madly through the fire, shrinking smaller with every step amid sizzling sounds, its body contracting visibly.

The air even filled with the aroma of roasting mushrooms.

But the humanoid giant mushroom's body was too massive. It endured the pressure of the Mountain-Moving Talisman and bolted through the inferno, on the verge of breaking free. Chen Shi soared into the air, pointing his sword finger forward mid-flight. His vital blood formed the Five Sacred Peaks True Form Diagram in the sky!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Mount Heng, Mount Heng, and Mount Song plummeted from above, crushing down onto the humanoid giant mushroom.

Chen Shi slapped out with his left palm, forming a Threefold Truefire Talisman. The talisman flew forth and branded the humanoid giant mushroom, igniting flames from within that blazed fiercely.

The two eye mushrooms charred first, tumbling into the blaze. The mushroom head followed, struggling as it cried, "This place will become my world of bliss—you will all be celestials within it!"

The humanoid giant mushroom's legs buckled from the burning, unable to support its massive frame. With a thud, it collapsed into the sea of fire, still crawling outward in desperation.

Chen Shi landed to see the talisman masters hurry forward, forming Fire-Avoidance Mudras as they entered the flames and unleashed Noon-and-Midnight Evil-Cleaving Swords to dice the humanoid giant mushroom into pieces.

The aroma of roasted mushrooms grew even thicker in the air.

Instructor Wan extinguished the ground flames and approached Chen Shi. "Instructor Scholar, this was an exam-taking scholar corrupted by evil qi into a mushroom. You must never touch them directly, or they'll spray spores that burrow into your pores upon contact with skin, taking root and sprouting—suddenly you'll be covered in mushrooms."

A talisman master in his thirties lifted his black veil and said, "I got sprayed with some spores, and mushrooms sprouted right from my face.

My comrades had to yank them off—nearly tore my skin off too."

Chen Shi looked and saw the man's face pockmarked and scarred with blood crusts, remnants from pulling off those mushrooms.

Instructor Wan continued, "If the spores are inhaled into the throat or lungs, or burrow into the bloodstream, there's no saving you.

Even if you've forged a golden body or use Golden Body Talismans or Forceful Talismans, they'll burst through from inside.

Several brothers died that way."

Chen Shi glanced around; everyone's black veils were thick and damp, likely to filter spores.

Yet the moisture made them ideal for mushroom growth—he spotted tiny sprouts on their veils.

"The most dangerous are the spores in the air above."

Instructor Wan pointed upward. "Inhale them, and you'll mutate into a giant mushroom—head and body splitting apart, eyes popping out.

Luckily, those spores stay high up and haven't fallen. Otherwise, none of us would be safe! That exam-taking scholar ran out earlier, stepped into the Demonic Domain Corridor, and absorbed the spores from the air—turning into this."

"You mean this person was only at the Divine Embryo Realm before?" he asked.

Everyone nodded.

Chen Shi felt a chill. A Divine Embryo Realm cultivator turned mushroom-person wielded such power—truly terrifying!

He asked, "Do you all know the Purity Dust Talisman?"

"Purity Dust Talisman?"

Everyone shook their heads at the mention.

Chen Shi formed a sword mudra, circulating his vital blood. It swiftly constructed a Purity Dust Talisman in the air.

The talisman hovered, and dust immediately settled around it, leaving the air pristine and clear.

Everyone's eyes lit up. Damp veils alone weren't foolproof—a single slip meant infection.

But mastering the Purity Dust Talisman would shield them from inhaling spores and turning into mushrooms!

"The Purity Dust Talisman lasts six hours, keeping a seven-foot radius dust-free."

Chen Shi explained its structure in detail. "Imprint it on yourself for unimpeded movement within six hours.

Once it expires, draw a new one."

Everyone hurriedly memorized and practiced it a few times, though mastery would take time.

Chen Shi said, "Return to Red Mountain Hall and practice the Purity Dust Talisman. Lady Red Mountain's vital energy is badly damaged—she needs your protection.

By the way, have you seen Hall Master Jade?"

"Hall Master Jade?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Chen Shi blinked and asked, "Then, have you seen a giant rabbit? About two zhang tall, covered in bulging muscles."

Instructor Wan quickly said, "I have! I was surrounded by Tianlao Society people when a massive rabbit burst out from somewhere—hulking thing. It took them down in a few moves and strode off."

Another talisman master added, "I saw a giant rabbit too, running upright like a man.

I was nearly smashed by a giant mushroom charging past when the rabbit came bounding on two legs, tackled it, and started gnawing!"

Everyone chimed in—many had seen this rabbit, either rescuing them from peril or when mushrooms attacked.

Chen Shi was astonished inwardly. "Could Hall Master Jade retain his sanity after demonification? Strange—his transformation seems different from the others."

He didn't tell Red Mountain Hall's talisman masters that the giant rabbit was their hall master. He instructed them to return and cultivate the Purity Dust Talisman, then continued searching for Jade Heavenly City's whereabouts.

Chen Shi encountered several more groups from Red Mountain Hall, telling them all to return to headquarters immediately.

By now, no ordinary mortals remained in the city—all commoners had been petrified by Chen Shi using the Stone Maiden's head, turned to statues.

The unlucky few contaminated by Daxing Zen Temple had become giant mushrooms.

Those still preserving fleshly bodies were all cultivators.

Along his path, he'd run into many cultivators foraging for food.

Tianlao Society members were recruiting cultivators, shouting, "The Demonic Domain is formed—no one can escape! Only by banding together can we survive! Join Tianlao Society—we'll keep you alive!"

Many cultivators joined for survival.

Tianlao Society distributed food to them—meat of unknown origin.

Chen Shi didn't approach, thinking, "Food is a huge problem!"

All food had been petrified by him—crops and livestock alike, now all stone!

In the city, aside from a few spirit beasts with cultivation, only cultivators remained!

"Right, there's the Min River! There should be some river demons untouched by petrification!"

Chen Shi suddenly thought.

Now, the most conspicuous

"food"

source in the city was none other than Lady Red Mountain!

No doubt many eyes were on her by now!

Tianlao Society's expansion likely targeted her too!

Claiming Lady Red Mountain meant no food worries for a long time!

"Apart from Tianlao Society, there's the Canal Veterans Society, Salt Veterans Society, and the city officials—their households consume massive amounts of food daily!"

Chen Shi steadied himself, thinking, "They don't know Lady Red Mountain's cultivation is crippled yet, so they won't act rashly.

But once hunger peaks, they'll target her! I must find Hall Master Jade—otherwise, we can't defend her!"

He searched for a while, seeing more and more mushrooms in the city. Many cultivators from unknown factions fought them desperately, suffering heavy losses.

Surviving cultivators moved only in groups of three or five.

"Little friend, the wonders of celestial transformation and eternal life—don't you want them?"

A mushroom head appeared on a rooftop eave, grinning down at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi laughed. "Zen Master Bitter Bamboo, you've fallen to the demonic path, turned into a demonic seed.

Where's any celestial transformation or eternal life wonders?"

He scanned his surroundings warily when another mushroom head appeared on the roof ridge to his right. Chen Shi tensed, then spotted yet another emerging behind him.

That mushroom head approached with the swaying gait of an enlightened monk, chuckling, "Your aptitude is extraordinary, but your mortal eyes are blind to the Dao's wonders.

I have undergone celestial transformation—no distinction between gods and demons—and only now know true eternity.

All beings are equal; are gods and demons not beings too?"

"Three mushroom heads—that means three cultivators..."

Chen Shi was on high alert.

Suddenly, the ground quaked as a humanoid giant mushroom strode toward him head-on, hands spread wide with enormous palms swatting buildings like children's toys.

Two more humanoid giant mushrooms approached from other streets, each with a Divine Shrine manifesting behind their heads, Divine Embryos seated within.

Suddenly, the Divine Embryos opened their mouths and spat out golden cores!

Three golden cores floated in the air!

"Golden Core cultivators corrupted! And untouchable up close..."

Chen Shi's eyes flickered as he relaxed slightly, murmuring, "Since Grandpa passed, I haven't purely fought with talismans... I wonder if my talisman mastery can stand against Grand Bao Guo Temple's golden body methods!"

The three humanoid giant mushrooms charged with booming steps!

Chen Shi formed a sword mudra, vital blood blooming as he manifested a talisman with a thought, imprinting it on the door of a nearby house!

Boom!

The house shuddered, scales rapidly sprouting over its outer walls, turning ferocious. The doorway became a blood-pool maw with tongues lashing out, wrapping around the oncoming humanoid giant mushroom!

Ghost Mansion Suppressing Victory Talisman!

Ranked sixth-grade in the *Talisman Artifact Creation Treasure Mirror*!

End of chapter.