The Heavenly Emperor of Chu

Chapter 144: Those who do not attain enlightenment see me as frogs in a well looking at the moon; those who attain enlightenment see me as mayflies looking at the sky!
Such a transformation was so shocking that even someone with the cultivation level of an Emperor Venerable Heavenly Emperor was completely unaware of it.

The most terrifying thing is that the twisted emperor has also learned to disguise himself, and still presents a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance to the outside world, so that the celestial beings do not notice anything amiss.

Only when he was alone would a strange red light flash in the distorted eyes of the emperor, creating a truly eerie scene.

"Could it be that something has happened in the Immortal Realm?"

Chu Tianshu's expression was extremely solemn, as if he had thought of something.

After all, according to the scene just shown by the Emperor, the strange mist was emanating from the Immortal Gate, and it goes without saying what lies beyond the Immortal Gate.

In particular, Chu Tianshu recalled seeing the Desolate Emperor seemingly facing a formidable enemy alone, which gave him some vague guesses.

It is likely that the area in front of the Immortal Realm has already become a battlefield.

If the Immortal Realm cannot withstand the pressure, then the Strange World and the Human Realm will be next.

The best outcome would be like that of the Emperor, whose mind was completely twisted, which was absolutely unacceptable to Chu Tianshu.

If you lose even your own self, are you still a person?
Judging from the situation when Ye Tiandi and his group entered the Immortal Realm in later generations, there were no immortals left in the so-called Immortal Realm.

Either they have all died in battle, or they are fighting on the front lines.

But in either case, the situation is far from optimistic.

Especially now that millions of years have passed since the Emperor's incident, no one knows how critical the situation on the front lines has become.

If the skin is gone, the hair will not be attached.

This situation filled Chu Tianshu with a sense of urgency. The only good news was that, at least for the time being, it would not affect the human world.

After all, when Emperor Ye Tian and others became immortals in later generations, neither the Immortal Realm nor the mortal realm had undergone tremendous changes, giving him ample time to grow.

Just as Chu Tianshu was deep in thought, Duan De's calls brought him back to reality.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, this is the truth of what happened back then."

"I must thank you, fellow Daoist, for this matter; otherwise, my disciple would probably never have been able to return."

Duan De was filled with emotion and stood up to bow to Chu Tianshu.

"Fellow Daoist Underworld Lord, you are too kind. I merely happened to be there!"

Chu Tianshu waved his hand.

It was all by accident. If Chu Tianshu hadn't severed the Emperor's Dao Fruit, he might not have been able to return.

That eerie aura had completely distorted his mind, merging with the Emperor's primordial spirit, making it impossible to separate them.

Only Chu Tianshu's killer move could permanently weaken him and pull him back from his slump.

"Fellow Daoist, all matters are settled! It is time for me to begin my cultivation anew in this life. Farewell!"

Thousands of years had passed since Duan De crawled out of the ground. If it weren't for the Emperor's influence, his cultivation in this life would probably have recovered to almost 70-80%.

Now that the Emperor has returned, it's time for him to resume his cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist Emperor, please wait. Have Fellow Daoists Nuwa and Lingbao gone to the strange world?"

Seeing that the two were about to leave, Chu Tianshu immediately asked Nuwa Lingbao about their whereabouts, and then he turned his gaze to the Emperor.

Since he awoke in this life, he has not been able to detect the figures of Nuwa and Lingbao in the human world.

It's unclear whether they entered a strange world or perished at the hands of the Emperor, since the Emperor was recuperating near the Immortal Pass at the time.

"The two of them have already gone to the strange world, and I didn't stop them at the time!"

The Emperor met Chu Tianshu's gaze with a calm expression.

According to his previous thinking, as long as Chu Tianshu was dealt with, the others would not be a problem.

Furthermore, since he was unsure whether Taiichi was fishing, he did not choose to intervene.

"is it?"

Chu Tianshu muttered to himself, "As long as the two of them are alright, otherwise even if Duan De were here today, I would have killed the Emperor."

Like Fuxi, Nuwa was someone Chu Tianshu watched grow up, and he valued these two younger generations highly.

Although the path to immortality in the mortal world is blocked, becoming an immortal in the strange world shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Although Lingbao Tianzun was not Chu Tianshu's junior, Chu Tianshu greatly admired his strong sense of justice and hatred for evil.

Sometimes the world still needs a little light.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, we shall take our leave!"

Seeing that Chu Tianshu had no intention of making a move, Duan De breathed a sigh of relief and quickly disappeared into the sky with the Emperor.

Chu Tianshu didn't try to stop him too much; everyone has their own path to walk.

Duan De has his own path of reincarnation and immortality, and Chu Tianshu has his own path of transformation.

Watching the Emperor's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Chu Tianshu's eyes were deep, with a meaningful smile in them.

"Each generation has its own affairs, and there will be more than one immortal in the mortal world in future generations!"

Chu Tianshu didn't dwell too much on whether the Emperor had truly returned.

After all, there will be more than one immortal in the mortal world in the future. Even if the emperor falls into darkness again, there will be plenty of people to deal with him.

It was that ominous aura that terrified him. If a mere wisp of aura could cause a Heavenly Emperor-level being to fall, how astonishing must the true form of that aura be?

The Emperor's experience also served as a reminder to Chu Tianshu that in the future, when encountering such strange and ominous auras, one should immediately strike and eliminate them without hesitation, and never rashly approach them.

Immediately, Chu Tianshu turned his gaze back to himself.

"In this life, let's first thoroughly study the secrets of the human body! In the next life, we can try to create substances that promote longevity."

Although Chu Tianshu sensed that something might have gone wrong in the Immortal Realm, he did not rashly interrupt his cultivation plan.

The path to transformation is not a joke, and we should not worry unnecessarily about unknown things.

His current strength is limited, so what if he knows some so-called "truths"? It would only add to his troubles.

Once his strength increases, he can neutralize any strange or ominous thing with his supreme divine power.

His most important task now is to avoid going down the wrong path. There are countless examples in ancient history of celestial beings and ancient emperors who failed in their transformations. The closer he gets to the final moment, the more he needs to remain calm.

Chu Tianshu shook his head, no longer thinking about it, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate in seclusion again.

The supreme Daoist aura emanated from him, flowing to every corner of the Undying Mountain. Divine light filled the sky, and auspicious energy filled the air, making the entire Undying Mountain resemble a land of immortals and gods.

The myriad paths of heaven and earth roared incessantly, and one after another, the Great Dao hung in the void of the Undying Mountain, unfolding endless mysteries.

In a corner deep within the Immortal Mountain, there lies a piece of Immortal Tear Green Gold with nine orifices and eight holes, resembling a living being, absorbing and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth.

Each time the Daoist energy flows, its spirituality is enhanced.

……

Since the Great Emperor of Mountains and Rivers attained enlightenment, the entire human realm has been completely at peace, and there has been no more supreme god wars, not even quasi-emperor wars. The figure of the Supreme Heavenly Emperor has also disappeared from the mortal world once again, leaving all the beings who wished to pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor deeply disappointed.

Immediately, they all turned their attention to the Emperor of Mountains and Rivers.

At first, Chu Shanhe was enjoying himself and patiently accepted the adulation of the world, but he soon came to his senses and sent those people away.

If one gets caught up in the praise of others, one will likely regret it in old age.

As a member of the Chu family, he naturally knew that the Extreme Dao Domain was not the limit, and there was still a road ahead.

The Heavenly Emperor Scripture in his hand records several methods of transformation, and there is an elder in his clan who has gone very far on the path to immortality in the mortal world, so his conditions are much better than others.

After that, Chu Shanhe completely put aside worldly affairs and devoted himself to studying the method of transformation.

In the blink of an eye, another 16,000 years have passed.

The Heavenly Heart Mark above the Nine Heavens suddenly became unstable, startling Chu Tianshu, who was in seclusion, awake.

"Has Chu Shanhe's first incarnation also reached old age?"

Strictly speaking, this should be Chu Shanhe's second incarnation. His first incarnation was a perfected overlord body who lived for about 12,000 years.

Later, he was fortunate enough to discover the key to the Overlord Immortal Body, and in his later years, he successfully transformed into an Overlord Immortal Body.

However, Chu Shanhe did not remain sealed after transforming into the Overlord Immortal Body; he also consumed seven or eight thousand years of lifespan in bits and pieces.

"Is the lifespan of a Tyrant Immortal after attaining enlightenment only 23,000 or 24,000? That's a bit short."

Chu Tianshu frowned. He had originally thought that the lifespan of the Overlord Immortal Body after attaining the Dao should be around 25,000 years, but it turned out to be less than he had expected.

Although the Overlord Immortal Body is not as good as the Chaos Body or the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo, it is still a notch stronger than the ordinary Overlord Body or Sacred Body. However, the lifespan after attaining the Dao is not much longer.

Chu Tianshu immediately withdrew his gaze and stopped paying attention to Chu Shanhe.

He still has the elixir of immortality that he hasn't used yet, so living out his next life won't be difficult. As early as after Chu Shanhe attained enlightenment, Chu Tianshu sent him a portion of the essence of the elixir of immortality.

Before long, accompanied by an unleashing of boundless power, the Heavenly Heart Mark above the Nine Heavens was completely stabilized and no longer wavered.

Clearly, this human emperor used the elixir of immortality to live out his next life.

Having lived a third life using the elixir of immortality, Chu Shanhe fell into complete silence, focusing almost all his energy on the transformation method in the Heavenly Emperor Scripture.

Compared to those who grope their way to enlightenment on their own, he had a good ancestor who paved the right path for them.

However, whether this path is successful depends entirely on the cultivator themselves.

Having lived a third life, Chu Shanhe set his sights on the Chaotic Body, hoping to be like the Emperor Ancestor, comprehend the Great Dao of Chaos, and transform into a Chaotic Body.

Unfortunately, Chu Shanhe overestimated himself. Even with the Heavenly Emperor Scripture as a reference, he was unable to comprehend the Dao of Chaos and transform into a Chaos Body.

Chu Shanhe was able to transform himself into the Overlord Immortal Body, so his talent and comprehension were naturally top-notch.

However, if we look at the entirety of ancient history, he is probably only slightly stronger than an ordinary Dao Prover, and he is still not capable enough to study the Chaos Body.

If we focus our energy on other methods of transformation, we might even be able to come up with some interesting insights.

Twenty thousand years have passed, and Chu Shanhe still hasn't gained much. After some deduction, he realized there wasn't even a one in ten thousand chance.

"Hey!"

"The Emperor Ancestor's talent is beyond compare!"

Chu Shanhe gave a helpless bitter smile. Even after cultivating for three lifetimes, he still found the Heavenly Emperor Scripture to be incredibly profound, and there were many things he could not understand.

He originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Emperor Ancestor, transforming his Immortal Body into a Chaos Body and embarking on an extraordinary path.

However, he had unexpectedly overestimated his talent. After sitting in seclusion for more than 30,000 years, he still gained very little.

The most fatal thing is that over the years he has focused all his energy on the Chaos Body, neglecting other methods of transformation, and is no longer able to live to the next life.

"In that case, we have no choice but to go to the world that the Emperor Ancestor spoke of!"

Chu Shanhe remained calm, as he was naturally aware of the existence of the strange world.

In particular, since he attained enlightenment with the Overlord Immortal Body, his strength reached the Heavenly Emperor level, making it easy for him to open up strange worlds.

However, before leaving, he still had to pay a visit to the Emperor Ancestor. With this in mind, Chu Shanhe left his secluded cultivation place and headed towards the ancient star of the Big Dipper.

While others might not know where Chu Tianshu was in seclusion, he did.

Before long, Chu Shanhe appeared outside the Undying Mountain and respectfully bowed.

"Chu Shanhe requests an audience with the Emperor!"

boom!
The next moment, a divine path stretched out from the depths of the Undying Mountain, extending all the way to the feet of Chu Shanhe.

As soon as Chu Shanhe stepped onto the divine path, he felt a sudden change in his vision. Before he could react, he found himself on a divine mountain.

At the summit of the sacred mountain, an imperial figure sat cross-legged beneath the ancient tea tree of enlightenment, surrounded by Daoist aura, exuding terrifying power. The myriad Daos of heaven and earth, like colorful clouds, draped behind his head, transforming into halos of light.

Even Chu Shanhe, who had attained enlightenment through the Overlord Immortal Body, still felt a strong sense of powerlessness, as if he were a mortal facing the vast and boundless world, unable to muster any will to resist.

"Without attaining enlightenment, one's view of the Emperor is like a frog in a well trying to see the moon; only after being fortunate enough to attain enlightenment does one realize that seeing the Emperor is like a mayfly trying to see the vast sky!"

Chu Shanhe's expression became increasingly respectful, as he had originally thought that he would be closer to the Emperor Ancestor realm after attaining enlightenment.

But after he truly attained enlightenment, he realized the greatness of the Emperor Ancestor.

Without any reaction, he was brought before Chu Tianshu from outside the Undying Mountain. If Chu Tianshu had wanted to attack him, he would probably be dead by now.

You must understand that he was no ordinary Daoist, yet before the Emperor Ancestor he was still just like a mortal.

"I'm afraid the Emperor Ancestor is really about to become an immortal!"

Chu Shanhe secretly guessed that perhaps only the legendary immortals could possess such power.

"Your Majesty, I feel that there is no hope for the path to immortality in the mortal world, and I am preparing to go to a strange world. I have come to bid you farewell."

"On this journey, I don't know when I will be able to see the Emperor."

After Chu Shanhe finished speaking, he bowed to the magnificent imperial figure before him.

"All good things must come to an end. If fate allows, we will meet again in the future."

Chu Tianshu waved his hand, signaling Chu Shanhe to get up.

"Emperor Ancestor, the land bids farewell!"

Chu Shanhe didn't hesitate. His trip was merely to say goodbye, and now that he had achieved his goal, it was time for him to pursue his own path to immortality.

Immediately, a figure slowly disappeared from Chu Tianshu's sight as it moved from near to far.

"Hey!"

"The flowers are similar year after year, but the people are different year after year!"

(End of this chapter)