Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 458 Earthquake Shakes the Land, Attaining True Dao (5.7K words presented, please support with monthly votes~)

"Cough cough."

Cheng Xinzhan coughed forcefully twice, expending the stagnant blood in his chest cavity. The Green-Robed Ancestor's powerful attack was quite formidable. Although the Dragon Scale Divine Power had protected him from the force, preventing damage to Xin Jiang, the surging of magical power and the reverse flow of qi and blood were still unavoidable.

After spitting out the stagnant blood, he felt much better, but this was followed by a loss of strength. Then, he twisted his arm, and a flash of light appeared on his right arm. Immediately afterward, a whole right arm grew back.

His life was hidden by supernatural powers; he could "regenerate severed limbs."

However, this newly grown arm is still not comparable to the old arm. While it is no different in terms of dexterity and control, it is much weaker in terms of strength and power. The acupoints and supernatural abilities on the new arm are also much less powerful. It will require years of nurturing to fully recover.

Hearing the green-robed man's greeting, he replied,

"A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it transforms into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds. It has been many years since we last met, and the Dragon King's splendor is even more magnificent than before."

Upon hearing this, the green-robed man laughed.

"What a fine line, 'When the wind and clouds meet, one transforms into a dragon.' But is Guanghong referring to me, or to himself?"

Cheng Xinzhan did not answer, but changed the subject and said,
"Now that the Dragon King has leaped over the Dragon Gate, he should not remain on land. If he were to withdraw his troops now, return the Southern Wilderness intact, and fulfill his duties as the Dragon King by wiping out the demons of the South China Sea and purifying the waters before fleeing to the ocean, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Upon hearing this, the man in green robes laughed heartily, his expression arrogant and haughty, revealing his true nature as a ruthless and domineering figure.

"Wait until you've survived to reach the summit of the Immortal Path before you say that!"

Having said that, the green-robed man attacked again, but this time, he drew his weapon. The demonic dragon reached into the void with his left hand and grasped a long, ancient sword with a green sheath. He then drew the sword, its blade shining like the moon, and came flying in an arc.

This sword is named "Fu Nian". It is a body sword with a prestigious reputation. Many years ago, it was the personal sword of the Green Robe Ancestor. In its early years, it was known as one of the two most powerful swords in the Southern Frontier, along with the Red Hair Ancestor's "Blood Transformation Divine Blade".

This sword is the Demon Ancestor's natal magic weapon. As the Demon Ancestor transformed into a dragon, the power of this sword also increased. Last night, it stopped "Peach Capital" with a single strike and was completely unharmed. It should be close to being a celestial weapon, even if it is not.

Seeing the green-robed man flying towards him with his sword, Cheng Xinzhan was unwilling to fight him in close combat again. He couldn't even win in hand-to-hand combat, let alone when weapons clashed.

He leaped backward, pointing at the green robe as he chanted an incantation.
"crack!"

Then, a white light appeared in the void, like the cold gleam of a blade, and an unstoppable golden magic intent appeared out of thin air and landed on the sword that the green-robed man was slashing at.

"Ding!"

A metallic clang rang out, as if the metal itself had solidified into a weapon, clashing against the precious sword.

However, the golden essence dissipated upon impact; it was the golden essence itself that cracked, not the sword.

"town!"

The mountain's magic enveloped the green robe.

The man in green robes raised his sword and slashed upwards, cleaving the illusory mountain in two.

"Tang!"

Behind him, many green vines shot out from the void, with claws and horns, like green dragons, climbing up the green-robed man's body.

However, the next moment, purple flames erupted from the green-robed man's body, instantly incinerating the green vines. Cheng Xinzhan recognized it as the Purple Flame Rotten Peach Demon Flame, but in the green-robed man's hands, its power was truly astonishing.

"burn!"

He chanted the incantation again, and white flames ignited once more within the protective purple fire of the green robe. However, the eerie light reappeared, isolating the Samadhi True Fire from the outside, and then the green-robed figure shifted and escaped from the fire once more.

"Flood!"

Water surged forth from the void, crashing towards the green-robed man like a celestial river.

"Are you going to use water magic on me?"

The man in green robes sneered, then opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing an entire celestial river into his belly.

The five incantation uttered only delayed the green-robed man for less than two breaths.

"trap!"

He continued chanting the incantation.

A void rift appeared in front of the green-robed man, threatening to swallow him whole.

The green-robed man fearlessly charged in, but a moment later, he reappeared from another location, and through the void passage, he was even closer to Cheng Xinzhan.

"Certainly!"

Immediately following the [Trap] spell, Cheng Xinzhan cast the [Freeze] spell. At this moment, the green-robed figure was still passing through the void rift and had not yet fully leaped out. Just then, a spell descended upon him, causing his figure to stiffen momentarily. But then, the void rift he was passing through began to close.

The green-robed man felt a chill run down his spine. He circulated his Dragon Essence, immediately increasing it to ninety percent of its power. His speed and strength increased significantly, and in an instant, a crack appeared.

He had just left, but a tiny inch of his long, flowing hair remained in the crack in the void. Then the void closed, and that inch of hair was left forever on the other side of the void.

The man in the green robe narrowed his eyes. This Taoist priest's incantations concealed deadly moves. He was only at the Nascent Soul stage, but his understanding and control of the void had already reached such a high level.

Cheng Xinzhan also witnessed this scene, feeling somewhat regretful. The Void Opening and Closing Technique just now was extremely time-sensitive, using the void as a guillotine; being a little too slow or too fast would have no effect. He truly hadn't expected that, even now, the Green Robe was still holding back, causing him to misjudge the time it would take for him to pierce the void.

But was he already at his full strength? Cheng Xinzhan was still unsure. After dozens of rounds of fighting, he still couldn't figure out his strength. The patriarch of the Southern School truly lived up to his reputation.

At this moment, the green-robed man was even faster and had already reached Cheng Xinzhan, raising his sword to stab him.

"Photography!"

The void formed a pincer, clamping the sword tip and pulling it to the side. Cheng Xinzhan dodged to the other side.

With a flick of his wrist, the man in green robes twirled his sword, and a clear, resonant sword rang out as it broke free from the spell. Simultaneously, he moved with the speed of the wind, catching up to Cheng Xinzhan in a few leaps and bounds, and brought his sword down in a downward slash.

Just then, Cheng Xinzhan turned around, pointed to the sword, and murmured...

"fall!"

Instantly, the green-robed man felt the sword in his hand was incredibly heavy, so heavy that even he could not lift it. Thus, the sword he had raised high quickly fell to the ground.

But the green-robed man reacted extremely quickly, gripping the sword with both hands, dragging the weapon as if pulling a saber, and then slashing upwards. At the same time, he said...
"Why do you keep retreating instead of drawing your weapon? Do you dare to fight me head-on with your sword, just like you did with your supernatural abilities?"

Cheng Xinzhan used the time gained by the "Fall" technique to dodge and retreat again, ignoring the green-robed man's questioning.

At this moment, the green-robed man instinctively sensed something was wrong, because this Taoist was not without weapons; he had many magical treasures on him. If he had used the power of these treasures, he would have been much more at ease. Why was he fleeing in such a disheveled state?
Just as the man in green robes was about to awaken to the danger, a blazing radiance suddenly appeared on the southeastern horizon.

The man in the green robe turned his head and saw a mirage in the magnificent glow of the sunset, which conjured up all the wonders of the world. Rivers, lakes and seas, steep mountains and gorges, vast deserts, dams and burial mounds, fragrant flowers and lush forests—it contained and contained every aspect of the earth's appearance.

Amidst the magnificent glow of the sunset and the myriad phenomena of human life, stands a towering, majestic statue of a giant.

This Dharma image is 128 zhang tall, with a human body and a bird's head. The human body is tall and slender, with a graceful and elegant appearance, wearing a purple fairy robe with eight trigrams and nine palaces; the bird's head has blue feathers and a white beak, with eyes as black as lacquer, and wears a purple-gold lotus crown.

Behind the bird's head hangs three bright mirror-like wheels. These wheels are concentric and faceted, divided into three colors from the inside out: blue, red, and purple. None of the three wheels are substantial; the blue one represents wind, the red one fire, and the purple one thunder. The wind blows, the fire swells, the fire ignites, and the thunder roars. The three colors intertwine, transforming into a myriad of rays of light; the three elements combine, evolving into the myriad phenomena of the human world.

Faxiang's eyes were as black as lacquer, unfathomable and unfathomable, as if they were a chaotic void.

But if one gazes long enough, one will discover that light blooms again within that darkness. First, there is a blue wind, then a crimson fire ignites within the wind, and purple lightning bursts forth from the fire. The three elements form a circle, transforming into an eye, identical to the Mirror of Three Calamities. Immediately afterwards, all things are born from the three elements, evolving into an infinitely radiant and colorful world, as if the bright clouds and holy light filling the sky and the mirages of all things did not originate from the Mirror of Three Calamities, but from the silent emptiness within the Eye of the Dharma Image.

The old man in green robes turned pale with shock.

The Dharma image reaches the heavens, the Dao domain stands firmly on the ground, the mirror wheel hangs high, and the Great Dao enters the eye—what is this about to do? To merge with the Dao?!
wrong.

A bird's head and a human body—that is his Dharma form!

The man in the green robe turned around abruptly to look at Cheng Xinzhan, who was standing right in front of him.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled in response, silently answering the green-robed man's earlier mocking question.

At that moment, the green-robed man's hair stood on end.

Doppelgänger? !
The one who survived dozens of rounds of combat was just his clone?!
A sense of absurdity arose in the green-robed man's heart.

Immediately afterward, alarm bells rang in his mind again. Why was this Taoist priest not in Yuzhang to join the Taoist path, but in Miao territory? And why was he in Miao territory to join the Taoist path, yet also using a diversionary tactic to lure him to northwestern Guizhou?

Where is he trying to achieve enlightenment?!

The man in green robes turned his head again, looking towards the blazing sunset. Southeast Guizhou! Sizhou Prefecture!
Green Robe was startled and immediately used his Dharma Eye to see clearly. He saw that three thousand miles away, in southeastern Guizhou, the giant's Dharma image was surrounded by ten thousand acres of redwood, with red robes spread like brocade, as red as blood and as rosy as the sunset.

In the midst of that red forest, he saw a burly, obese man kneeling on the ground, struggling to support himself. The man held his hands high, supporting a magic seal the size of a mountain. The seal was square and unremarkable, its knob merely a simple third-tier altar knob. At that moment, a Taoist priest in blue robes sat atop the mountain-sized altar, unreservedly opening his Daoist domain, communicating with heaven and earth, while simultaneously pressing down on the obese man beneath, making it difficult for him to breathe, causing him to sink deeper into the ground.

Redwood Ridge!
He actually wants to join the Dao at Hongmu Ridge!

That's the source of the Peach Blossom River!

The redwood on the ground and the bright clouds in the sky were reflected in the green-robed man's eyes, turning his dragon eyes blood red.

"hold head high--"

A dragon's roar that resounded throughout the southwest rang out, and the green-robed man understood everything. He no longer cared about the clone in front of him, let out a long howl, and transformed into a beam of light, speeding away to the southeast.

"The waning moon, lock!"

However, at this moment, Cheng Xinzhan formed a hand seal again and recited another incantation, the second syllable of the Taiyin Mantra.

He unleashed his Moon Qi, which flew out and transformed into a crescent moon, its shape like a silver lock, its color like frost and snow. The crescent moon wrapped around the green-robed man, binding him.

"Go away!"

With a roar, the green-robed man unleashed his dragon might, shattering the Moon Lock.

"Commander Deng's order: Remove the claws!"

A thunderous roar immediately drowned out the green-robed man's shout.

Dragon Thunder, Incantation, and the Heavenly Pivot Acupoint Divine Power—"Dragon Roar"—these three methods merged into one in a single clap of thunder.

A bolt of lightning materialized in the void, transforming into a pair of electric hooks that snagged the green-robed man's feet, causing him to stumble.

The man in green robes swung his sword and severed the grappling hook. When he looked up, he found Cheng Xinzhan blocking his way.

The green-robed figure continued to soar, flicking his finger to release a point of golden light. This golden light multiplied into hundreds and thousands, transforming in the blink of an eye into countless golden stars, surrounding the green-robed figure and spreading across the sky as it flew southeast.

Cheng Xinzhan met the attack head-on, simultaneously flicking two fingers to produce a talisman. However, it didn't look like a talisman; it had no runes or characters on it, only a cover of colorful lotus flowers.

He tossed out the confetti, which spontaneously combusted in mid-air. Countless lotus flowers then emerged, enveloping the enraged green-robed figure and the Hundred Poison Golden Silkworm Gu. Some of these lotuses were purple and gold, some were a riot of colors, and some were pure white. Upon closer inspection, each petal of every lotus was formed from flames, radiating terrifying heat that distorted the surrounding landscape, causing the clouds to vanish instantly.

The lotus flower sought out its enemy, trapping a golden insect within its bloom. Amidst the swarm of flower insects, Cheng Xinzhan and the green-robed warrior clashed once more, engaging in close combat.

This time, the green-robed man attacked with all his might, immediately gaining the upper hand and dominating Cheng Xinzhan. In less than two rounds, he severed Cheng Xinzhan's newly grown right arm and chewed on it. Two rounds later, his sword tore a large hole in Cheng Xinzhan's right abdomen.

Cheng Xinzhan's condensed Qi body was rapidly dissipating, and the aura of his Qi body was becoming increasingly weak.

However, even so, it was the green-robed one who was angry, while Cheng Xinzhan was laughing.

Because, at this very moment, three thousand miles away, all sorts of mysterious events are rapidly unfolding.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Redwood Ridge, Heavenly Dog Cliff.

Having suppressed the elephant dragon, Cheng Xinzhan sat firmly on the altar, communicating with heaven and earth, and decided to immediately unite with the Dao.

His Dao originates from nothingness, arises from thought, evolves into all laws, and encompasses all phenomena.

He spat out the golden elixir, manifesting the Dharma form to subdue the world and express his will; he opened up the Dao realm, transforming the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth to demonstrate the Dao; he created the mirror wheel, displaying the marks of calamities to show that he had endured all kinds of trials on the path of cultivation.

When he released these magical phenomena all at once, the "Myriad Phenomena Heavenly Silk Cloth" that he used to conceal the movement of the mountain and isolate the internal and external senses could not withstand it and fell from the void. Thus, a bright rosy cloud bloomed in the Miao mountains.

His second Qi body has returned from Hunan, guarding the south with books and sword to prevent attacks from the Southern School and overseas. His third Qi body, carrying the Immortal Mirror and other treasures, guards the north to prevent attacks from the Northern School and the Xuanmen. His first Qi body is in the west, blocking the Green Robe from coming.

After making these preparations, he extended an invitation to this world to unite with his own Dao.

The moment he let his mind wander, the entire Redwood Ridge began to shake violently.

The dragon energy in the mountains burst forth, transforming into a yellow dragon that circled around him; the magma and fire vapors underground steamed and condensed into a flock of red sparrows that danced and surrounded him; the pine trees on the ground grew wildly, turning into a sea of ​​red, and the wind suddenly rose, causing the pine waves to surge and bow down to him; the mountain springs swirled and produced mist, transforming into white lotuses, and the streams gurgled and tinkled, as if playing a song for him.

In the land of Redwood Ridge, the earth's dragon energy, fire energy, wood energy, and water energy all yearn to unite with him.

Within Cheng Xinzhan's Myriad Manifestations Dao Domain, the Land of Dragon Victory, the Land of Fire Victory, the Land of Wood Victory, and the Land of Water Victory lit up in turn.

This means that as long as he is willing, he can combine with any kind of energy, whether it is earth dragon energy, earth fire energy, earth wood energy, or earth water energy.

However, before he could make a choice, Mount Wangchun, not far away, suddenly manifested. The earth's energy surged forth, breaking through the protective array on its own, transforming into a green dragon that soared and roared atop the mountain. Immediately afterward, vines and trees on the mountain grew vigorously, intertwining and climbing together to form a giant, coiled python, bowing its head towards Redwood Ridge. At the same time, within the Azure Dragon Cave Heaven, starlight blazed brightly, and the seven eastern constellations were visible even in broad daylight.

The land of Wangchun Mountain, with its earth dragon energy, earth wood energy, and celestial star energy, all desire to unite with him.

Within Cheng Xinzhan's Myriad Manifestations Dao Domain, the Land of Dragon Victory, the Land of Wood Victory, and the Heaven of Star Victory lit up in turn.

Next came the Immortal Cave amidst the vast expanse of clouds, where the sea of ​​clouds surged and condensed into an auspicious bridge, rising from the cloud-covered mountains and connecting directly to the sky above Redwood Ridge. Furthermore, the perilous peak where the Immortal Cave was located emitted its own light, and a sharp, solitary, and aloof aura soared into the sky, breaking through the layers of clouds, awaiting its command.

The land of the Immortal Cave, with its celestial clouds and earthly metals and stones, all yearn to unite with him in the Dao.

Just a short distance away, Langshan Mountain in Hunan Province was enveloped in a chilling aura that condensed into clusters of dark clouds resembling lingzhi mushrooms, which in the blink of an eye formed a dense forest of lingzhi mushrooms in the sky. The red cliffs of Langshan Mountain blazed with the light of sunset, while the Fuyi River crashed against the shore with its surging waves.

In the land of Langshan, the earth's yin energy, the earth's water energy, and the heavenly rosy energy all wish to unite with him.

The imperial aura of Mount Jiuyi rises and condenses into a magnificent canopy. The hibiscus trees on the mountain, all those in bud, burst into full bloom, and those that have withered, sprout new buds and open anew.

In the land of Jiuyi Mountain, both the Earthly Sovereign Qi and the Earthly Wood Qi are willing to merge with him.

Wuling, Tianqiao Mountain.

The egrets that roost in the mountains flapped their wings together, forming an egret bridge to welcome him. The fireflies that hid in the grass and trees during the day also took flight, transforming into a firefly canopy on the egret bridge to shield him from the wind and sun.

Then, moving from near to far, we visited Yangming Mountain in Hunan, Jinshui Stream in Wuling, Feixia Mountain and Yunti Mountain in Yuyang, and Ailao Mountain and Wuliang Mountain in Yunnan…

A nationwide upheaval originating from Hongmuling in Miao territory is rapidly spreading.

On the altar atop Redwood Ridge, Cheng Xinzhan remained calm and composed. Although the extraordinary scale of the event surprised him slightly, it was something he had anticipated, and he did not lose his composure. When he first conceived, the Divine Land stirred, and the earth responded. At that time, he had guessed that his own merging with the Dao might also involve a great commotion.

At this moment, he sensed that he could merge with the Dao in these places that were providing feedback, if he so desired. However, he could not do so now.

These sacred sites are all owned by various sects and schools of thought; to take them without permission is theft and morally reprehensible. It will also create karmic consequences with the lineages and traditions of these sects, making it an unwise act.

I chose Redwood Ridge primarily to threaten Peach Blossom River and protect the Miao people as they advance south. Additionally, Redwood Ridge was currently occupied by the demonic forces, and I intended to use this location to reclaim lost territory. I had also specifically discussed this plan with Hong Changbao beforehand.

As for the karmic entanglement with the Redwood lineage, there's nothing that can be done. Moreover, I helped the Redwood lineage establish another branch at Fuxia Lake and awakened the red-haired corpse, helping it transform into a dragon and travel the river. This karmic connection was already extremely heavy, so adding another layer wouldn't matter.

Besides the presence of a master and the concept of cause and effect, there are other concerns about having too many places that are in harmony with the Dao. Places that are in harmony with the Dao are a double-edged sword. They can help people get closer to heaven and earth and comprehend the Great Dao, but at the same time, they also become intertwined with the fate of cultivators. If a place that is in harmony with the Dao suffers a natural disaster or a man-made calamity, it will also affect the cultivators who are in harmony with the Dao. At best, they will be seriously injured or even fall into a lower realm; at worst, they will die and their Dao will be destroyed.

If one's abilities are insufficient but one forcibly attempts to merge with multiple Dao realms, it is undoubtedly exposing one's weaknesses. The Green Robe is now suffering because of this. At the same time, this is also why the great cultivators of various aristocratic families and immortal sects prefer to crowd into the ancestral land of Dao merging rather than venture out and risk establishing branch sects.

Cheng Xinzhan thought that for those barren places where no one had ever been in harmony with the Dao, more consideration could be given and more opportunities should be sought, but that should be a matter for later, not now.

At this moment, before the huge commotion reached Yuzhang and Jiangbei, he absorbed the earth dragon energy, earth fire energy, earth wood energy, and earth water energy of Hongmu Ridge and integrated them into his Dao domain.

Surprisingly smoothly.

When the water is ready, the channel will be formed.

Compared to the initial stage of entering the fourth realm, his time to enter the fifth realm of Dao Integration was unexpectedly short. In just an instant, he achieved Dao Integration and entered the fifth realm. The entire Redwood Ridge was clearly presented in his mind, with the earth energy and spiritual energy flowing through each mountain range, all within his control.

"Please, sir, spare my life!"

At that very moment, the elephant-dragon beneath him could no longer hold on, let out a mournful cry, and collapsed to the ground, begging for its life.

Cheng Xinzhan then stood up, took a step, traversed several miles, and arrived at the summit of Tiangou Cliff. He put away the Wuyang Seal, and at the same time, he waved his sleeve, gathering all the magical phenomena, and the land of Shenzhou returned to peace.

Immediately, a gentle breeze and nourishing rain descended from the sky, and a golden mist rose from the earth, bringing forth vibrant life to Redwood Ridge.

Amidst wind, rain, and mist, the Taoist priest stands atop the cliff, seamlessly integrated with the earth and mountains, as if he has always been this way, just like a thousand-year-old pine or a ten-thousand-year-old cypress.

Beneath the Heavenly Dog Cliff, a massive, yellow elephant with dragon-tooth tusks, as large as a mountain, knelt in worship, shouting in unison.

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(End of this chapter)