Above the Great Dao

Wei Yue rolled and tumbled dozens of miles away, barely managing to stabilize himself, and immediately rushed forward, thinking, "Yang Bi has murderous intent towards me, and all the guards of the Twelve Yuan Chen Palace have been replaced by his people. If I don't handle this well, he might just kill me! I absolutely can't let Huo Dou kill Chen Shi!"

He had not yet recovered from his injuries, and now after being slapped away by Huo Dou, his wounds worsened.

He was utterly puzzled as to why Huo Dou had become disobedient?

Huo Dou was an underworld mutant beast, innately possessing the Ghost God Domain, capable of wielding Demon Fire with incredible combat power.

This creature was more akin to a demon and extremely dangerous.

This Huo Dou originally lay dormant outside Chen Shi's mother's Yuan Chen Palace, always in a deep sleep, only awakening when others approached the Palace to fend them off, even devouring Ghost Gods.

After Wei Yue took control of Immortal City, he always thought Huo Dou was a guard left by Yama to watch over Chen Shi's mother, used to target Chen Shi.

The underworld had many such ghost monsters, called Prison Guards, specifically tasked with watching over prisons to prevent jailbreaks.

Thus, Wei Yue ordered Ghost Gods to stealthily approach Huo Dou, tethering it with chains to control this behemoth. Over the years, Huo Dou cooperated with them, but whenever they approached Chen Shi's mother's Yuan Chen Palace, Huo Dou would abruptly awaken and kill the intruders.

At those times, they pasted special talismans on Huo Dou's forehead, causing it to fall into slumber.

Last time when the boatman and his daughter broke free Chen Shi's mother, several Yin Messengers followed Huo Dou to capture her.

But this time Wei Yue felt something was off.

Suppressing his injuries, he swiftly rushed forward and was dumbstruck to see Huo Dou lower its gigantic head and touch Chen Shi's mother's hand.

"No! No! This Huo Dou isn't Yama's Prison Guard for watching over Chen Shi's mother!"

He suddenly realized, lamenting, "This Huo Dou is guarding outside Chen Shi's mother's Yuan Chen Palace, specifically protecting her! They've known each other for ages!"

He thought Huo Dou was a Prison Guard, that tethering it with a dog chain would make it a new master, but now it seems it's placed at the door to guard the house!

"Release the chain, release the chain!" Wei Yue shouted loudly as he rushed over.

At that moment, on Huo Dou's back, hundreds of Yin Messengers were still trying to forcefully pull the chain to restrain Huo Dou.

The behemoth suddenly became enraged, shook violently, and hundreds of Yin Messengers were flung into the air.

Wei Yue's heart trembled with fear, he turned direction without thinking, and fled into the distance, thinking, "Yang Shaohu guessed wrong, Chen Shi doesn't need me to save him at all; Huo Dou charged in just to rescue him! Releasing Huo Dou was a mistake!"

He fled quickly, followed by other Yin Messengers who also hurriedly escaped.

Chen Shi stood dumbfounded at the scene, shook his head, thinking, "How can I confirm that what I'm seeing is real? Have I really not been deceived by Huo Dou to change my perception?"

He knew how terrifying Black Pot's abilities were, and Huo Dou's abilities would be even more horrifying, capable of influencing reality!

He feared being deceived by the scene before him into believing it was real, only to find that everything beautiful was false when he followed Huo Dou home, and he and his mother were already back in prison!

This was the most fearsome thought for him.

"Stone Rock, is this scene real or not?" Chen Shi asked Stone Rock Lady in the small temple.

Stone Rock Lady twitched twice, without saying a word.

Black Pot looked up at Huo Dou with a perplexed expression. Huo Dou was many times larger than it, radiating an even stronger aura. Black Pot was also quite large in the underworld, but compared to Huo Dou, it was just a small dot.

Huo Dou stretched out its scarlet tongue, licking Black Pot's face twice, covering it with slobber.

"It's my dad," thought Black Pot.

"Or maybe it's my mom," it thought again.

It sensed a familiar aura, the intimate scent it smelled at birth.

Chen Shi looked at the behemoth, confused why Huo Dou knew his mother, and how Grandpa brought Black Pot home.

Huo Dou seemed to sense his thoughts, and its enormous Demon Fire-burning eyes shifted to him.

Chen Shi's gaze collided with its, and suddenly the surrounding scenery changed dramatically. Towering mountain ranges crisscrossed, sharp peaks grew wildly, and his perspective transformed into Huo Dou's perspective, battling with incredibly powerful entities in this perilous environment.

It was pregnant, surrounded by enemies, barely breaking through the encirclement but already severely injured, at the end of its strength.

The enemies' target was the child in its belly.

A powerful Huo Dou, though mighty, would never submit, a life form between a ghost monster and a demon with unique pride, refusing to serve other beings even in death.

But a newly born Huo Dou would be the best servant for a Ghost God.

These enemies sought to kill it, seize its child, and become the child's master!

On the verge of death, it birthed a son, licked the blood off the little Huo Dou, intending to ruthlessly kill it.

This was their clan's rule; it would never allow its son to become a servant.

Just then, an equally battered old man dragged his weary body there.

This old man had come to the underworld alone to find relatives, also severely injured, his life hanging by a thread.

"Huo Dou, I would like to make a deal with you."

Though the old man was critically wounded, his spirit was still vigorous, he shouted, "I will protect your son, take him to the Mortal World, and raise him. While you remain in the underworld, protecting someone for me. When your son comes of age, he will return to your side!"

Huo Dou's powerful spirit probed the old man's thoughts, sensing his honesty.

In that moment, two desperate beings made a deal.

The weary old man took the little Huo Dou back to the Mortal World, while Huo Dou, after regaining some strength, also set off for Immortal City.

It found the Yuan Chen Palace holding Chen Shi's mother, lay down and guarded there.

The scene before Chen Shi's eyes suddenly changed again, and the Northern Ice Field reappeared.

Suddenly, a gust of chilly wind blew, and Huo Dou vanished.

Black Pot barked continuously, entered the underworld, but couldn't find Huo Dou.

After a while, it returned to the Mortal World, somewhat forlorn, and said to Chen Shi, "Woof..."

"It might be worried those capturing you will find you."

Chen Shi guessed, "Those people probably have a great influence in the underworld, and they shouldn't be from the Thirteen Families. Also, Black Pot, it's not your father, it's your mother."

Black Pot said, "Woof?"

Chen Shi said, "I'm sure."

Black Pot asked in confusion, "Woof woof."

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I don't know where your father went either."

He still let his mother return to the small temple and continued on the road. This time, without the pursuit of Ghost Gods, both Chen Shi and Black Pot relaxed a lot.

"Black Pot, you stole the Ghost Book from the Yuan Chen Palace. Whose Yuan Chen Palace was it?"

Chen Shi asked, "Could it be your father's Yuan Chen Palace?"

"Woof woof woof!"

"How would I know if Huo Dou has a Yuan Chen Palace? You went there to steal the book, don't you know whose Yuan Chen Palace it is?"

"Woof."

...

In Xinxiang Province, Qianyang Mountain, Huangpo Village.

Chen Tang had been home for several days, during which he cleaned the room, swept the grave for Chen Yindou, made offerings, and went to Yellow Earth Slope to thank his teacher Zhu the Scholar. He thanked Zhu the Scholar for training Chen Shi so well that he became the top scorer. — Zhu the Scholar was extremely surprised when he heard about this.

Zhu the Scholar confirmed this several times before he was certain that Chen Shi had indeed become the top scorer.

"This world is truly as bad as I expected!"

As Chen Tang descended from Huangpo, he heard his teacher's voice railing against the world from the slope, "The Great Ming's mountains and rivers are doomed!"

Chen Tang also went to pay respects to the Great Snake Xuan Shan, Granny Zhuang, and other spirits in the mountain.

Everyone was very enthusiastic upon seeing him return, but when they heard Chen Shi became the top scorer in the Western Capital, they all fell silent and mumbled.

Chen Tang considered this a matter of great honor for the family, feeling quite proud and not noticing these reactions.

These days, he couldn't keep himself idle, perhaps out of habit or concern for Chen Shi, so whenever he tried to relax, his mind would wander.

He forced himself to stay busy, repairing various old furniture in the house, repainting the walls, refurbishing the tiles, fixing the road in front of the door, and cleaning every day.

He would also go to the mountains to catch mutant beasts, using the meat to feed Chen Shi's wooden cart, making the cart gleam in just a few days.

He even bought Black Dog Blood to repeatedly paint the talismans on the cart and the Hua Gai.

If it were before, he wouldn't help Chen Shi with these things, but now he had to keep himself busy.

Four days ago, Granny Sha returned to Gangzi Village, he went to see her, but Granny Sha also had no news of Chen Shi, only assuring him that Chen Shi was still alive.

Two days ago, the newly appointed County Magistrate Hu visited the village on his first day to pay respects to him, the Grand Master of the Court, and presented the Court's monthly salary.

Yesterday, an ornate boat appeared on the Jade Belt River outside the village, with a boatwoman and boatman fishing. Upon hearing about it, he rushed over to inquire, but the boatwoman only said they had been rescued. As for whether they could escape Huo Dou's pursuit, that was unclear.

Last night, Chen Tang stayed up all night, restlessly worried.

On this day, he untied the reins of the cart, letting the wooden cart go out for a stroll by itself, and pushed Chen Shi's mother out to bask in the sun, helping her stretch her body and move her muscles.

Before they parted, Chen Shi had passed the Supreme Sun and Moon Mixed Yuan Scripture to him, asking him to assist Chen Shi's mother in cultivation. He hadn't dared to slack off even for a day, and had already refined his wife's Golden Core to the Nine-Turn, accumulating more and more power.

He assisted his wife in cultivation, channeling the Golden Core into the aperture, returning fire to the source, allowing her to sit in the wheelchair as before.

After this cultivation session, his wife's hair was a bit messy again. He took out a comb and carefully combed her hair.

"Ah Yu, we've been away from home for a long time. Yu Zhu has grown up, and Grandma Yu Zhu has aged. Many people have grown old. When you return, you'll surely be surprised to see many new faces in the village. They are the village's children. When we were in the village, they were still very small, now they're hard to recognize. Only Godmother hasn't changed."

While combing her hair, Chen Tang said, "Little Ten gave Godmother a name, called Sangyu, though clearly, she's neither a mulberry tree nor an elm tree. I think our son's learning may not be as good as I imagined."

He talked to himself, then suddenly fell silent for a moment, whispering, "Ah Yu, I miss you."

His tears fell onto the back of his hand.

"I've missed you for ten years. Although your body is here, I can't feel you. All these years, I've felt so lonely. Ah Yu, please come back, our son has found us, come back soon..."

Throughout his life, he always strived to be strong, as the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, his Dao Heart firm and unshakable, emotions never showing on his face, never faltering even in front of the Court's entire civil and military officials. But now, facing his wife, he appeared utterly vulnerable.

At this moment, the sound of villagers came from the village, "…back already?"

"I heard you became the top scorer..."

"Grandma Yu Zhu, call me Top Scorer Lord in the future! Yu Zhu, this time I return to feast on you all!"

Hearing a vigorous voice, Chen Tang's spirit trembled, about to walk outside, but suddenly remembered something and hurriedly wiped away his tears.

He was just about to wheel his wife to greet Chen Shi when suddenly, his wife in the wheelchair raised her hand and grasped his right hand.

Chen Tang was stunned.

"Ah Tang..."

His wife's voice was heard, weak, "Ah Tang, I found our son, he brought me home."

Chen Tang's tears fell like rain. He squatted in front of his wife, gently holding her hands, looking up at her face.

The one he had yearned for had finally returned, returned to this body.

"Yes. Our family is finally reunited," he said softly.

His wife Wu Qingyu felt the warmth passing from his palm, her heart filled with peace.

Eleven years.

This family had been shattered for eleven years. The couple and Chen Shi had endured countless hardships, overcome countless dangers, and experienced numerous separations by life and death.

Today, the family of three was finally reunited.