Above the Great Dao

Zhong Wuwang saw that he wasn't joking, and pondered, "At Despair Slope, there lies a spring of Great Dao, named Li Dao Spring, which is excellent for healing wounds. Last time, when I was injured by the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, I was healed in Li Dao Spring. I can collect some Dao Spring Water to help him recover."

After discussing, Yang Bi said, "Treat the dead horse like a living one. Let's collect the bones first."

They gathered the scattered bones, Zhong Wuwang retrieved the Vermilion Bird Sword, and Chen Shi also summoned back the Blood Transformation Divine Saber. They carried the immortal bones away from the Da Shang Heavenly Court.

Not long after, they returned to South Emperor Province, and only when they set foot on solid ground did they feel slightly relieved.

Looking back, they saw the darkness covering the sea, and the shattered Heavenly Court disappearing into the sea.

"Is that culprit really still alive?" Yang Bi suddenly asked.

Zhong Wuwang replied, "Of course he is. If he were dead, why would he hunt us for stealing the immortal bones?"

Yang Bi said, "Since he is still alive, why would he fear the immortal bones and retreat? If he is still in the human world, shouldn't he be stronger than the immortal bones? Unless..."

He paused, his eyes flickering, "Unless this person is living in another form."

Chen Shi understood and said, "You mean that this person indeed died at the hands of the owner of the immortal bones, and had to abandon his original body and find another. The flesh and blood on the moon are an evil transformation phenomenon caused by his Great Dao, similar to an outer body. He sensed us coming to take the immortal bones, hence he cast a spell from afar, activating the outer body on the moon to attack us, attempting to kill us."

Yang Bi nodded, "Therefore, when he encountered the resistance of the immortal bones, he retreated. His outer body on the moon is strong, but not a match for the owner of the immortal bones, so he had to retreat."

Zhong Wuwang asked, "Then who is this person?"

Chen Shi replied, "This person must be the most powerful being in this world."

"It must be the Demon Emperor!"

Zhong Wuwang said, "Even the Heavenly Venerate is quite wary of the Demon Emperor of the Demon City, the culprit must be the Demon Emperor!"

Chen Shi moved his lips, "I am the Demon Emperor of Divine Capital."

...

Zhong Wuwang fell silent.

Chen Shi glanced at him, "Besides the Demon Emperor, who is the strongest person?"

Zhong Wuwang's face was uncertain.

"The strongest person should be the Heavenly Venerate," Yang Bi said.

Zhong Wuwang shook his head, "It can't be the Heavenly Venerate. If it were the Heavenly Venerate, he wouldn't need to maintain the operations of the True God, and when the Sun of the True God extinguishes, he wouldn't need to find ways to reignite it."

Yang Bi paced, pondering, "The last time the Sun of the True God extinguished was over six thousand years ago. If the culprit was the Heavenly Venerate, then the West Bull New Continent was protected by the True God, preventing him from completely corrupting it; he had to wait for the True God to completely die. At that time, the True God was almost dead, and his plan was about to succeed. But suddenly, a True King appeared."

He stopped.

Chen Shi walked to his side, continuing, "The True King was exceptionally talented. After discussing with the Heavenly Venerate at Despair Slope, he comprehended a new method and obtained the Innate Dao Embryo bestowed by the True God. Seeing this, the Heavenly Venerate knew the True King's future achievements would be extraordinary, and the Innate Dao Embryo might be the True God's contingency plan to suppress him."

Yang Bi walked past him, stopped, and turned back, "So, after the Sun of the True God extinguished, the Heavenly Venerate wanted to eliminate the True King. The timing was perfect; before that, the entire West Bull New Continent was under the watchful eye of the Outer Heaven True God, and he had no chance to act. But after the Sun extinguished, he had the opportunity."

Chen Shi and Dao exchanged glances and said solemnly, "When the True King entered Despair Slope for the second time, the Heavenly Venerate took the chance to act and killed the True King. The Innate Dao Embryo granted by the True God was meant for the True King to become the next self. Unexpectedly, it was sacrificed to the True God by the Heavenly Venerate to extend the True God's life..."

He frowned slightly at this point.

Logically, the Heavenly Venerate wouldn't extend the True God's life.

Yang Bi said, "Is it possible that the True King voluntarily sacrificed himself to extend the True God's life before his death?"

Zhong Wuwang was about to speak but stopped.

Chen Shi said, "My grandfather said, according to the records of Despair Slope, only forty-five words are recorded about it. The last sentence was that the True King was disobedient, and the Heavenly Venerate was displeased. He sacrificed the True King to the heavens. The Sun lit again."

Yang Bi paced and said, "To sacrifice the True King to the heavens might also mean the True King willingly sacrificed himself, creating the scene of the Sun lighting again."

Zhong Wuwang finally couldn't hold back and said, "Have you guessed enough? Although the Heavenly Venerate has ulterior motives and aims to sacrifice me to the heavens to extend the True God's life, he is definitely not the culprit! Your guesses only pertain to events in the past six thousand years! Don't forget, the upheaval of heaven and earth occurred sixteen thousand years ago! The Heavenly Venerate has been on Despair Slope for ten thousand years!"

Chen Shi interrupted him, shaking his head, "Perhaps not that long. The Heavenly Venerate's time on Despair Slope might be later than you think."

Zhong Wuwang frowned.

Chen Shi recounted his discovery after the Heavenly Pool Waterfall, "I think that after the owner of the immortal bones and the culprit perished together, the Da Shang Heavenly Court was destroyed as well, and the world remained in darkness, and people found it hard to survive. Many Shang people lived in the underworld and gradually became the Ghost Clan. At that time, the King Shang created Despair Slope, using his Primordial Spirit as a sacrifice to the heavens, turning his Primordial Spirit into a guardian True God of the outer heavens, with his eyes becoming two suns, and the forehead eye becoming the moon to illuminate the world."

"After King Shang transformed into the True God, the last King Shang, Ziyu, led the surviving Great Shang Remnant to struggle for survival. Despair Slope should have been built by the True God and his ministers, being the last piece of pure land untainted by evil, also known as the True God Dojo. The True God Dojo could achieve Harmonization and Immortality, and logically, those who controlled it should be a group of Da Shang Immortals. They were unlikely to be opposed to King Shang Ziyu. However, one day, the Heavenly Venerate appeared, invaded the True God Dojo, killed all Da Shang Immortals inside, and turned it into Despair Slope."

"The Heavenly Venerate attacked the last Shang Dynasty, so King Shang Ziyu forged the bronze Great Wall around Despair Slope to resist its attack. Until the wall was breached, the Shang Dynasty was completely defeated."

Chen Shi paused here and continued, "It would be easy to verify. If the Heavenly Venerate is the culprit, he must have killed all Da Shang Immortals. There wouldn't be any immortals from the Great Shang Era among the Heavenly Dao Immortals of Despair Slope. However, if you want to verify, it's simple. If the Heavenly Venerate is the culprit, he must have killed all Da Shang Immortals. Zhong Wuwang, you're just a pawn of the Heavenly Venerate."

Zhong Wuwang looked uncertain, then suddenly laughed and said, "You're just speculating!"

Yang Bi said, "If the Heavenly Venerate really is the culprit, then it makes sense why he would want to destroy the Pure Land of the Huaxia Gods. The Three Lights from China were not affected by evil, he couldn't make a move against them. But when I obtained the Innate Dao Embryo back then, it was only then that Despair Slope sent three Heavenly Dao Practitioners to harvest it. Zhong Wuwang does nothing but play politics."

Zhong Wuwang, with a face as calm as water, stepped onto the Treasure Chariot, pushed the door, and it closed. "You all are just guessing too!"

Yang Bi said, "If the Heavenly Venerate is indeed the culprit, then he may have recognized you when he used the flesh incarnation just now. If that is indeed the case, the first person you encounter when you return to Despair Slope will be the Heavenly Venerate."

Zhong Wuwang was deeply shocked, raising his hand to close the door, "Wait for my news."

Tianlu pulled the Treasure Chariot away into the distance.

"Can Zhong Wuwang be trusted?"

Yang Bi asked suddenly.

Ziyu recognized the direction of Qianyang Mountain and started walking, saying, "He doesn't want to become the next True King, he has no other choice."

Yang Bi said, "If the culprit is indeed the Heavenly Venerate, then I don't suppose he has already recognized you through the flesh Incarnation he used just now. If so, he should be the first person you encounter when you return to Despair Slope."

Zhong Wuwang's heart trembled as he lifted a hand to close the carriage window.

Tianlu raised the Treasure Chariot and drove away into the distance.

"Can we trust Zhong Wuwang?" Yang Bi suddenly asked.

Chen Shi glanced in the direction, "He doesn't want to become the next True King, he has no choice."

Yang Bi paused, then said, "If the culprit really is the Heavenly Venerate, should I fail, then perhaps I too will hang in the sky, watching the world below with them, waiting for the next rebel."

—Not in good health, the owed chapters will be delayed…