Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi, holding the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword, walked out of the Immortal Palace and suddenly said, "Wuyu, can you not report this matter to Despair Slope for now? I want to go to the Taihua Qing Palace first and let them come to take Innocent Taoist home."

The purpose of Wen Wuyu's trip was to investigate the matter of an Immortal appearing; now that the truth has been ascertained, it would surely be reported to Despair Slope.

Once Despair Slope comes to handle it, I'm afraid Innocent Taoist's corpse will be hard to preserve.

Wen Wuyu smiled and said, "You're holding the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword, you could easily kill me with one strike, why ask for it?"

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "Didn't you say when we were young, I was your only friend? I have no recollection of my memories before resurrection, but I think when I regain those memories, I don't want to live with lifelong regret for having killed a friend."

Wen Wuyu was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, "Fine, I won't report this matter to Despair Slope for now. But that little Taoist is bound to undergo Evil Transformation, he won't last long."

Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

Wen Wuyu stared at the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword in his hand and said, "And this sword, it's too sinister. The Sword Qi of this sword is like those rosy clouds scattered in the cracked mountain ridges; with a slight touch, it will devour half of one's physical body. It's better to have it sealed by Despair Slope."

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I promised him I would return this sword to Taihua Qing Palace."

Wen Wuyu hesitated for a moment, unexpectedly not insisting, thinking to himself, "After all, Despair Slope is not lacking in such things."

Chen Shi asked, "Is the Innocent Taoist an Immortal?"

Wen Wuyu shook his head, "No. If he were an Immortal, he wouldn't have died. He should have crossed the tribulation, achieved Great Perfection in the Ascension Realm, and had a problem during Harmonization with the heaven and earth, started the Evil Transformation, then was discovered by the True King, who ordered him to be exterminated."

Chen Shi speculated, "He was only the fire-tending Daoist boy of the True Yang Patriarch. No one knows how high his cultivation was; he himself likely didn't know either. When he began his Evil Transformation, he avoided harming the world by sealing himself in the underworld. I think the True King might have killed the wrong person."

Wen Wuyu hinted, said softly, "Who dares to bet that he won't undergo Evil Transformation? Those who cultivate the Old Method of the True King Era find it difficult to avoid Evil Transformation."

Chen Shi fell silent.

He was walking on the path of the Old Method, and he had already deeply felt the Evil Transformation fermenting within himself.

Wen Wuyu glanced at him, then changed the subject, "Does the Innocent Taoist know he's already dead?"

Xiang Kun, standing to the side, said, "I think he doesn't know. He's doing fine in the Void Great Realm, talking and laughing with us."

The Right Concubine shook his head, "He should know. After all, he took the Immortal Sword that was chasing him. When he was struck by the sword, he should have realized he couldn't survive."

"If he's dead, why would he want to go home?"

Gou Xi said decisively, "Thus, he must still be alive!"

Chi Zun shook his head, "Being struck by that sinister sword, how could he possibly still be alive? He's just pretending to be alive."

They speculated endlessly, without a conclusion.

Chen Shi placed the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword on the Divine Shrine of the second small temple, offered a stick of incense, and said, "I think, the moment he was struck by the sword he knew he was already dead, but fearing Evil Transformation after death, he sealed himself within the mountain, locking himself up. He chose to suppress himself to prevent posthumous Evil Transformation from harming the nearby Ghost Clan. But for some reason, the mountain that sealed him suddenly cracked open..."

He looked around, flames flickering in his eyes, "I remember all the most important Cultivation Techniques of Taihua Qing Palace. If he sealed himself within this mountain, he must have used the Golden Bell Sealing Technique. This Sealing Technique continually draws power from the natural world, making the seal stronger and stronger, there's absolutely no way for it to break on its own."

Wen Wuyu walked with him, puzzled, "Are you saying there was an external force that broke open the Golden Bell Sealing Technique?"

Chen Shi stood at the threshold of the Immortal Palace, surveyed the surroundings, and slightly shifted his steps, "If I were the little Innocent Taoist, driving the Immortal Palace here to escape pursuers and the Immortal Sword chasing me, I should stand here to deploy the seal. Wuyu, is the position correct?"

Wen Wuyu raised a mirror and shone it in all directions. In the mirror was a thumb-sized maiden who controlled the light, measuring the distance between the mirror and the surrounding mountain.

Using Chen Shi as the center, the mirror rotated a full circle, and Wen Wuyu then grasped the distance between Chen Shi and the surrounding cliffs, "Move one inch to the left front."

Chen Shi moved one inch, faced straight ahead, and suddenly activated the Golden Bell Sealing Technique. With a hum, numerous golden talismans spun out of his body, forming a huge Golden Bell!

The Golden Bell continued to expand, its coverage growing wider, passing through the layers of Sword Qi like rosy clouds, connecting with the mountain body.

When the Golden Bell touched the mountain, identical talisman patterns surfaced on the mountain's surface.

These talisman patterns together formed a complete Golden Bell!

Chen Shi's Golden Bell Technique and the Golden Bell Technique Innocent Taoist cast before his death actually aligned perfectly, every talisman precisely accurate!

Presumably, back then, Innocent Taoist activated the Golden Bell Sealing Technique here, locking himself along with the Immortal Palace to fully resist the Evil Transformation!

Xiang Kun and others watched, dazzled, minds stunned, in disbelief.

The Right Concubine nudged Xiang Kun, whispered, "Your Highness, do you have such means?"

Xiang Kun shook his head, a bit sorrowful, "That's why he's the King, and I'm just the Crown Prince..."

Chen Shi, with his own Golden Bell Technique, triggered all the talismans of the entire mountain, scanning quickly and discovering something, "Over there!"

Wen Wuyu looked in the direction he pointed, and saw the edge of a cliff where talismans were missing. The spot where the talisman ought to coincide with Chen Shi's Golden Bell Technique had no corresponding talisman activated.