On the Avenue.

Chapter 764 The Three Bodhisattvas of the West

On Jin'ao Island in Penglai West, Chen Shi recalled how he had once stuck his head under the axe and felt a wave of fear.

He is not afraid when he has no humanity.

But with humanity comes fear and reluctance, and the ability to be afraid.

His demonic and human nature coexisted, both being part of him. In his absolute demonic state, he dared to gamble that the Jade Emperor wouldn't dare to cut off his head. But in his human state, he wouldn't dare to gamble.

Winning a bet only brings a secret sense of satisfaction, and you might curse the Great Celestial as a coward, but losing a bet can be fatal.

"My husband, are you sure you didn't leave any loopholes in the Yuanfu?"

Little Duan Fairy came looking for him and asked, "Grandpa is very worried about this, afraid that you will become another Mr. Huaiyi."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "Of course not. Grandpa left because he knew I hadn't left any loopholes. Madam, you can rest assured that there are absolutely no loopholes in your Yuanfu."

Fairy Xiao Duan smiled and said, "You and I are one, so I naturally trust you. However, I have been observing the Yuan Talismans that you have taught your disciples these past few days, and some of the runes are different from the Yuan Talismans that you taught me, so I am worried."

Chen Shi said softly, "Madam, you may know about this, but please don't tell anyone."

Suddenly, Fairy Duan felt a chill creeping up her bones, sending shivers down her spine and making her head buzz.

Chen Shi remained calm: "You've misunderstood. It's true that it's different, and there are no loopholes. It's just that I've received a lot of help from the Heavenly Dao AI and Fifth Uncle during this period, which has greatly improved my skills. Therefore, I've improved the Yuanfu. Madam, please don't overthink it. After this transmission of the Dharma, Madam's Yuanfu will also need to be improved."

"I see."

Fairy Xiao Duan was relieved and laughed, "I thought you had hidden loopholes in all the Yuan Talismans."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "I am going to become the Dao Ancestor, how could I be so insidious? How is that any different from being a demon? Madam, I am a little tired, I will close my eyes and rest for a while."

Knowing he was tired, the fairy Xiao Duan left.

Chen Shi sat down and closed his eyes to rest. After a while, he opened his eyes, his mind a jumble of thoughts, unable to calm down.

"Ugh--"

He let out a long sigh, put his hands behind his back, and went to the window to look at the scenery outside.

"It feels so good to be inhuman; being human makes you indecisive. But what fun is there in not being human?"

He muttered to himself, "I don't want to become a great demon, don't force me..."

It took him a long time to calm down.

During this period, after he fell into demonic possession, he used the Heavenly Dao Intelligent Brain to further improve his Yuan Talisman, and his cultivation and Dao practice also made considerable progress. When he fell into demonic possession, his perception of the Dao was not as refined as it is now. When Chen Shi entered meditation this time, he immediately sensed that various Dao phenomena and cultivations in the Dao Ruins, the Demon Realm in the Well, and the Celestial Realm far away in the Dark Sea were at their peak.

The Dao phenomenon is not the real Dao, but rather a strange phenomenon manifested by the Great Dao, a representation of the Dao.

The Celestial Immortal Realm merges with the Dao; the True Immortal Realm opens up the Dao Realm; the Golden Immortal Realm refines the manifestations of the Great Dao and perfects the Dao Image.

Upon reaching the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, one has perfected the cultivation of the Dao image, attained the power of creation, and merged with the Dao image to become the flower of the Great Dao.

Chen Shi realized that his first Dao flower was about to form.

At this moment, wisps of the Great Dao Qi came from the void, gathered into his body, and combined with it.

These Great Dao Qi originated from the Great Dao phenomena within his three Dao Realms. These Great Dao phenomena transformed into Dao Qi, and his physical body became like a furnace, refining various Dao Qi representing different Great Daos into one Qi within his body.

Currently, the flow of Dao Qi into his body is not yet obvious, probably because his cultivation level is not yet high enough.

However, over the past ten days or so, the phenomenon of the convergence of Dao Qi has gradually become more apparent.

"At the first level of the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, there is only one Dao Flower. Only at the sixth level can a third Dao Flower be formed, known as the Three Flowers at the Top. But I have three Dao Realms, so wouldn't each Dao Realm produce a Dao Flower?"

Chen Shi frowned slightly, carefully sensing the Dao Qi within his body.

Although his three Dao Realms are all his own Great Dao, each Dao Realm has a different emphasis.

The Demon Realm in the Well focuses on the demonic path, the Dao Ruins focus on the heterodox path, and the Celestial Realm focuses on the fusion of heterodox and celestial paths.

Different Dao realms produce different Dao phenomena, so the Dao flowers that grow are likely to be distinguished according to the Dao realm.

"If I were to produce three Dao Flowers at once, would people mistakenly believe that I am already at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm?"

In addition, there was an extraordinary power emanating from the incense smoke. His incense was much stronger than before. This power was already quite remarkable, but it was often accompanied by the thoughts of believers, which would interfere with his thinking.

Without a method to refine extraordinary power, this interference will persist and grow stronger.

"It's a pity that Grandpa took the Heavenly Dao Intelligent Brain with him. If I could use the Heavenly Dao Intelligent Brain to help me deduce, I could quickly put together an extremely powerful method of cultivating the divine!"

Without the Heavenly Dao AI, Chen Shi had to deduce things himself.

Despite his exceptional talent, this was his first time encountering the cultivation methods of the divine path. He created several cultivation techniques, but he was not entirely satisfied with any of them.

"If I seal away my humanity and deduce the cultivation method in an absolute divine state, my progress will definitely be very fast!"

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, but did not suppress his humanity.

At this moment, someone came from outside the palace to report, "Your Excellency, Heavenly King Li requests an audience."

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly: "Li Tianwang? Why isn't he monitoring the Great Celestial Venerable? What is he doing here?"

"Xuan."

"Respect the law!"

……

Li Tianwang arrived in Penglai West without encountering any further ambushes on his journey.

In Biyou Palace, Li Tianwang read out the decree of the Jade Emperor, which stated that the Jade Emperor was grateful for Chen Shi's meritorious act of spreading the Dharma throughout the world and for his contributions to the immortals and the state, and therefore bestowed upon Chen Shi the title of Supreme Sage and Teacher, and Ancestor of the Dharma Transmission.

Chen Shi received the imperial edict, thanked the Great Heavenly Venerable, and placed the edict next to the axe.

Li Tianwang also brought a plaque personally inscribed by the Jade Emperor, which Chen Shi then hung in the main hall of the inner palace of Biyou Palace.

The two left the main hall. Li Tianwang laughed and said, "Chen Tianwang... I can no longer call you Chen Tianwang, I should call you Master Chen. Master Chen, I apologize for any offense I may have caused you in the past. In the future, when I cultivate the Yuanfu, I will have to respectfully address you as my patriarch!"

He was beaming with joy, showing none of the gloom he used to feel when he saw Chen Shishi.

As the saying goes, good things happen and one is in high spirits. Li Tianwang obtained a gourd of Jade Purity Spring from Chen Shi. After returning home, he finally broke through and became a Great Luo Golden Immortal, sweeping away the bad luck of the past year.

Now that Chen Shi is spreading his teachings throughout the world, the Yuanfu is extremely important to immortals and gods, especially to figures like Li Tianwang who cultivate both immortality and godhood. The Yuanfu can integrate their divine and immortal cultivation!
In the past, Li Tianwang's divine way was the divine way, and his immortal way was the immortal way. The two forces could not be reconciled and were unrelated to each other. Sometimes, the two forces would even conflict with each other, making him quite embarrassed.

He recently attained the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and was even considering abandoning his divine cultivation to focus solely on the immortal path. Now, with the emergence of the Yuan Talisman, he can pursue both paths simultaneously, cultivating both methods at the same time. The resulting increase in his strength is unimaginable!

Chen Shi laughed and said, "It is truly a cause for celebration that Fellow Daoist Li has achieved the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm."

Li Tianwang said solemnly, "I must thank you, Master Chen, for your kindness. Without that gourd of Jade Purity Spring, I fear I would never have the chance to become a Great Luo Golden Immortal in this lifetime. Master Chen, it's strange indeed..."

His eyes flickered, and he said, seemingly intentionally, "After I attained the Great Luo Dao, I did not notice any tampering with the Jade Purity Dao Spring. Are you trying to scare me, Master?"

Chen Shi said with a half-smile, "After you attained the Great Luo Dao, your courage has grown considerably. Would you like to give it a try?"

Li Tianwang quickly replied, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

He scrutinized Chen Shi, sensing the Great Dao Qi emanating from the void, and exclaimed with emotion, "Master Chen, are you... about to cultivate into a Taiyi Golden Immortal?"

He exclaimed, "How long have you been cultivating, and you're already aiming to become a Taiyi Golden Immortal?"

These days, the Great Dao Qi flowing from Chen Shi's Dao Realm has become increasingly prominent, with three different types of Great Dao Qi constantly surging in and condensing within his body.

However, to Chen Shi's surprise, the Dao Qi from the various Dao Realms did not split into three, but merged into one, becoming inseparable.

The two left Biyou Palace and sat down at the Sanxian Pavilion outside the palace.

Chen Shi said, "Heavenly King, you have been in the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm the longest. Do you know why the Dao Qi of the three Dao Realms, when entering your body, did not split into three, but instead merged with each other?"

Li Tianwang said, "This is precisely the key to the difficulty of achieving the Great Dao. To cultivate to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, one must attain the Dao. Attaining the Dao means that the Dao phenomena converge and condense into the Dao. This Dao belongs to the cultivator."

"Attaining the Dao is not the same as merging with the Dao. Merging with the Dao means that one's own Daoist practices are in harmony with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, without contradiction or conflict, but there may be flaws, omissions, defects, and deficiencies. Attaining the Dao is already remarkable. No matter what Daoist practices or Daoist phenomena you cultivated before, you must return to oneness. Without returning to oneness, you cannot attain the Dao."

"For example, those who cultivate the Thunder Orthodox Method have Five Thunders, Heavenly Thunder, Social Thunder, and so on. When they attain enlightenment, various thunder magic phenomena will condense in the cultivator's body to form the Thunder Dao. When the Thunder Dao matures, it will form a Thunder Dao Flower on the top of the head."

He carefully discerned Chen Shi's Dao Qi and said, "Master's Dao methods are complex, including not only the Immortal Dao, but also the Demonic Dao, the Evil Dao, and other unorthodox paths. There are many kinds, and quite a few of them conflict with each other. But regardless of whether they conflict or not, they must be merged and unified, otherwise one cannot attain the Dao."

"Your Taoist practices are too mixed, even including the divine path! Master Chen, I'm afraid your path to enlightenment will be incredibly difficult!"

Chen Shi frowned slightly and asked, "Then, how can one attain enlightenment?"

Li Tianwang said, "Abolish the superfluous Taoist techniques and focus on cultivating one great path to attain enlightenment. If you want to cultivate the demonic path, then cultivate the demonic path exclusively; if you want to cultivate the immortal path, then cultivate the immortal path exclusively. You cannot be half-hearted."

Chen Shi shook his head resolutely and said, "No way!"

Li Tianwang shook his head and said, "If Master Chen is reluctant to part with it, I am also powerless to help."

Chen Shi glanced at him and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have cultivated the divine path for many years. Do you have any cultivation techniques? Let me see them."

Li Tianwang was not stingy. He took out a scroll of heavenly book and handed it to him, saying, "My method of cultivating the divine is called the Tongtian Baozhao Scripture. Master, please take it."

Chen Shi flipped through the scroll; this Tongtian Baozhao Scripture was a divine method for cultivating extraordinary power, particularly effective in cultivating the primordial spirit. However, Li Tianwang's technique wasn't particularly advanced, and Chen Shi was somewhat dissatisfied.

He accepted the Tongtian Baozhao Scripture and asked, "The Great Heavenly Venerable obtained the Yuanfu and thus appointed me as the Supreme Sage Teacher. Could it be that the Great Heavenly Venerable has planted many spies in my Penglai Xi'an?"

Li Tianwang put down his teacup, turned to the side and smiled, "Master, these 200,000 disciples of Penglai West are all heavenly soldiers and generals of the Great Heavenly Venerable. Even you, Master, are the Grand Marshal of the Great Heavenly Venerable's army. These 200,000 heavenly soldiers and generals, including you, Master, are all His Majesty's spies!"

"Ah... Hahahaha!"

Chen Shi suddenly realized, bursting into laughter to cover his embarrassment, and said, "I almost forgot that I am still a soldier of the Great Celestial Venerable. So, did Fellow Daoist Li also obtain the Yuan Fu? Or did Fellow Daoist Li plant quite a few spies in my Penglai Xi'an?"

Li Tianwang hurriedly said, "The Master's two hundred thousand disciples were originally my personal guards. Some of them were loyal to me and passed on a few Yuan Talismans to me. They were not spies! Besides, my life is in the Master's hands. I am the Master's spy."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, you flatter me. Don't rush off. Stay on Jin'ao Island for a few more days. I've just begun cultivating the Divine Path, so please give me your guidance."

Li Tianwang shook his head and said, "Why must you go to such lengths to seek knowledge from afar? Houtu Huangdiqi's attainments in the divine path far surpass mine. Since you are the Crown Prince of Houde Palace, why not go and meet Houtu Huangdiqi?"

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment and did not insist that he stay.

Li Tianwang took his leave, saying, "Doumu, Leizu, and Wenhuang are also masters of the divine path. Master, you have the advantage of being close to them. You can learn from them, which is far better than me."

Chen Shi saw him off without saying a word.

After Li Tianwang had gone far away, he thought to himself, "Go see my godmother and ask her for divine intervention? I feel guilty... But I must go to Houde Palace and change my godmother's talisman!"

He made up his mind and went to find Fairy Xiao Duan, saying, "Madam, I need to go out to see my godmother in the Xuanhuang Sea. Will you come with me this time?"

Fairy Xiao Duan was surprised. In the past, when Chen Shi went out, she was required to stay behind to guard the place. Why was she asked to go with him this time?
Chen Shi said, "Now that Emperor Changchun and others are guarding Penglai West, it is relatively safe. My lady, come with me, and we can look after each other on the way."

Xiao Duan always felt that he had something on his mind and was saying one thing but meaning another.

At this moment, a voice came from afar, resounding through the sky: "Mahasthamaprapta, the first patriarch of the Western Heaven Dharma Realm, requests an audience with Master Chen!"

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Fairy Xiao Duan asked, "Who is Mahasthamaprapta? Does she know your husband?"

Chen Shi said, "I don't know who Mahasthamaprapta is... Oh right, when Chu Xiangxiu was taking revenge, the clay bodhisattva who was also trapped in the corruption of heretics was called Mahasthamaprapta bodhisattva! What is he doing here? I don't know him."

Fairy Xiao Duan said, "He is a guest from afar. He is most likely sent by the Buddha of the Western Paradise. Let's listen to what he has to say before we go out."

Chen Shi temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​going out and ordered someone to invite him over.

Just then, another voice came: "Samantabhadra of Mount Ling in the Western Paradise has been ordered to come and request an audience with Master Chen!"

Fairy Xiao Duan looked at Chen Shi, who shook his head and said, "I don't know them either. I only know the Buddha and the old monk Yun Cheng in Ling Mountain."

He had just finished speaking when another loud voice rang out: "The Lotus Sutra Forest of Tushita Heaven in the Western Paradise requests an audience with Master Chen!"

(End of this chapter)