On the Path to the Great Dao Chapter 340: True God's Descent

"Following the True King's path, does it necessarily lead to a Calamitous Transformation?"

After Yang Bi left, Chen Shi sank into thought. The True King had sealed immortals, cutting off the Tribulation Crossing and Ascension realms. Was it coercion from Despair Slope, or did the traditional cultivation path to immortality and ascension inevitably bring about a Calamitous Transformation?

If it was the forr, just how powerful was Despair Slope to force the True King to such extres?

If it was the latter, then what was the reason that cultivating according to the traditional realms would lead to a Calamitous Transformation?

Had the True King's four capital relocations truly been related to the Calamitous Transformation, or was there another hidden reason?

When Li Tianqing ca to find him, Chen Shi told him about this matter. Li Tianqing asked, "Where is Despair Slope? Can we go investigate it?"

Chen Shi shook his head. "I don't know. My uncle Chen Wu went to Despair Slope, and there's been no news from him since. I don't know if he's alive or dead."

Li Tianqing said, "Can we monitor the Heaven's Listeners' movents and use them to locate Despair Slope?"

Chen Shi shook his head again. "No. The Heaven's Listeners are divided into Envoys, Officers, Exalted, Venerated Kings, and Venerated Lords. We'd probably need to eavesdrop on a Venerated Lord to track down Despair Slope's location. But Venerated Lords are too powerful."

Given their strength, they didn't even know where the Heaven's Listener Venerated Lord was hiding, let alone get close enough to monitor him.

Chen Shi mused, "Maybe we can have Juxian Pavilion keep an eye on Fifth Uncle's movents..."

Seeing Li Tianqing's confusion, he laughed and said, "My uncle Chen Wu has no business acun. He gets his daily expenses from Juxian Pavilion. We just need to check the account books from various Juxian Pavilion branches to see if he's withdrawn any money."

Li Tianqing's eyes lit up. "If he did withdraw silver, we can track his movents. The last place he withdrew money would most likely be near Despair Slope!"

Chen Shi nodded slightly and smiled. "If he cos out of Despair Slope and withdraws money, we'll know his whereabouts! This matter needs to be handled by Accountant Shao. News should co quickly!"

Shao Jing was the accountant of the Celestial Court, in charge of its accounts. If he looked into it, it wouldn't take long to get results.

While waiting for news, Chen Shi sought guidance from Chen Tang on the cultivation thods for the Divine Descent and Spirit Refining realms.

"The Divine Descent realm is quite simple."

Chen Tang said, "The Divine Descent realm requires an altar, offering the Seven Treasures, bathing and burning incense, and making a sacrifice to heaven. Your Divine Embryo will then connect with heaven and earth, linking to the True God. The True God descends, and your Divine Embryo grows stronger and stronger. Sotis one descent isn't enough; multiple descents are needed. The more descents, the more offerings consud."

Chen Shi asked, "Does the descent bring an increase in cultivation?"

"Not just cultivation, but also various insights. At the mont of descent, you can feel the True God's vastness and profound enlightennt. Various principles beco clear without being taught; various techniques are understood without practice."

Chen Shi sought the insights of the Divine Descent realm, and Chen Tang imparted his own experiences to him without reservation.

These insights were matters of the Primordial Spirit, ethereal and intangible. So insights could not be conveyed in words, only understood personally. They could not be passed on.

Chen Shi understood vaguely but not fully, so he went to consult Granny Sha.

Granny Sha said, "Divine Descent is the True God descending, lending you a great opportunity to use the True God as your Primordial Spirit to sense heaven and earth. Think about it—how powerful is the True God? With the True God as your Primordial Spirit to sense heaven and earth, how powerful would the insights you gain be?"

Chen Shi was moved. Using the True God as his Primordial Spirit to sense heaven and earth—this realm was truly wondrous beyond compare, making him itch with curiosity!

"I don't have a real Divine Embryo, so I certainly can't experience the beauty of this realm." He felt a pang of regret.

Though he had boasted to Yang Bi, he was never fully confident about skipping the Divine Descent and Emptiness Refining realms to directly reach the Unity realm.

When the True King revised the cultivation system back then, he added the Divine Descent and Emptiness Refining realms. Those two realms must have had sothing extraordinary about them!

Chen Shi pressed on, "How long does the insight last?"

Granny Sha sneered, "How long do you want? A single instant is enough for a lifeti of contemplation! The ti of the descent is only an instant. Use that instant to comprehend heaven and earth, and the benefits you gain will last you a lifeti!"

Chen Shi asked, "Can more offerings extend the insight ti?"

Granny Sha hesitated for a mont, then said, "That is possible. But one sacrifice usually drains a cultivator's entire lifeti's wealth..."

Except for the children of great clans, most cultivators were poor precisely because the Divine Descent realm required the Seven Treasures for sacrifice. Many cultivators would pawn everything they had to gather the Seven Treasures, but most spent their whole lives unable to collect them all.

Chen Shi then went to consult Blue Goat. Blue Goat was a demon cultivator from Tai Hua Qing Palace with extensive knowledge, and he imparted his understanding of the Divine Descent realm completely.

Chen Shi went to consult Hu Xiaoliang. The celestial fox was the clan head of the Fox Clan, also a demon cultivator, and had a different perspective on the Divine Descent realm.

Chen Shi compared them. The four of them—Chen Tang, Granny Sha, the celestial fox, and Blue Goat—each had completely different insights into the Divine Descent realm!

He then entered the minor heaven, where Sun Yisheng and other petty officials from the Ministry of Revenue resided. Many of them had already reached the Unity realm. Chen Shi sought their advice and found that during the True God's descent, everyone received different insights!

At this ti, Chen Shi received word that Yu Tiancheng was about to achieve the Divine Descent realm. In recent days, he had commissioned Shao Jing to find seven different kinds of heavenly treasures and was preparing to make a sacrifice to heaven!

Through the minor heaven, Chen Shi arrived at Gaoshan County in the Western Capital and found Yu Tiancheng.

The Divine Descent realm was extrely important. It could be said to be a realm that connects a cultivator's past and future. Therefore, Yu Tiancheng's master, Cold Mountain Freeholder, had also co here to personally set up the altar, to avoid any mistakes.

Chen Shi examined the altar. In front of it was the main deity altar, below it was an incense burner. In the burner were three arm-thick incense sticks. In front of the burner were three cups of clear tea, and before the tea, seven kinds of heavenly treasures were laid out in sequence. The seven heavenly treasures Yu Tiancheng had prepared this ti were: volcanic crystal amber, Cold Abyss Mysterious Iron, the Forgetfulness Grass, qilin bone, dragon scale, phoenix feather, and an unidentified skull.

That skull exuded an intensely strong divinity, its aura overwhelmingly powerful. It was by far the most valuable of the seven treasures.

In front of the seven treasures were baskets of copper coins and gold and silver. Swords hung on both sides. In the middle were five command flags representing the Five Elents, along with a Luck-Opening Mirror.

Yu Tiancheng sat beneath the Luck-Opening Mirror. Oil lamps were lit all around, blazing brightly, ensuring he was surrounded by pure yang energy so that during the descent, he would not disturb the True God.

Cold Mountain Freeholder ca from the Xu Family, one of the Thirteen Great Clans, and was an existence at the Great Ascension realm. This arrangent would ensure Yu Tiancheng could gain the longest possible insight ti on the altar!

The longer the insight, the greater the benefits!

Cold Mountain Freeholder thought very highly of this disciple. He believed Yu Tiancheng had exceptional talent and could fully inherit his legacy, even surpass him. Thus, he took this Grand Sacrifice of Divine Descent very seriously.

Chen Shi said, "Hall Master Yu, I don't have a real Divine Embryo, so I can't cultivate the Divine Descent realm. When you undergo the descent, could I sit on the altar and sense it along with you?"

Cold Mountain Freeholder frowned slightly and was about to stop him, but Yu Tiancheng laughed and said, "Why not? So of us talisman masters can't afford the Seven Treasures, so four or five cultivators often pool their money. When they've gathered enough, they all sit on the altar together. When the True God descends, four or five of them cultivate at the sa ti. Co on up."

Cold Mountain Freeholder frowned deeply and coughed, about to speak, when suddenly Migrant Guest Freeholder quietly tugged at his sleeve and lowered her voice, saying, "Don't say anything. Have you forgotten what happened in Gongzhou last ti, how badly you were beaten by the demon inside him? If you provoke him, he'll let out an 'ah,' die, and switch to that demon who'll co out and kill the both of us!"

Cold Mountain Freeholder sneered, "Do you take for soone who fears the strong and bullies the weak?"

Migrant Guest Freeholder said, "His father, Chen Tang, packed thirty-seven Talisman God Tianji into a box and swept through the Western Capital."

Cold Mountain Freeholder sneered without stop.

Migrant Guest continued, "His uncle, Little Five, swept through the patriarchs of the Thirteen Great Clans, and the clans fell silent in fear."

Cold Mountain Freeholder was still sneering, but he didn't stop Chen Shi when he ca up to the altar.

Chen Shi sat beside Yu Tiancheng. Yu Tiancheng said, "In a mont, my master will perform the rites and sacrifice the Seven Treasures. When the descent happens, you should take the chance to sense it. But it'll depend on you, Instructor. I can't help you much."

Chen Shi thanked him and then said to Cold Mountain Freeholder, "Thank you for your kindness, fellow Daoist."

Cold Mountain Freeholder held back his anger and said, "I've suffered a lot at your grandfather's hands, and now my disciple has to suffer at yours. You can't mistreat my poor disciple..."

He was about to say more when Migrant Guest Freeholder poked him several tis with her finger, finally shutting him up.

Cold Mountain Freeholder stepped forward and said, "I'll perform the rites to connect with heaven and earth. Tiancheng, you take the chance to sacrifice the Seven Treasures. Don't miss the timing, understand?"

Yu Tiancheng said, "Your disciple understands!"

Cold Mountain Freeholder sighed inwardly: "My disciple is too honest, sharing his Divine Descent insights with others. This sacrifice will only yield him half the insight. The other half will go to Chen Yindu's grandson."

He manifested the Realm of Emptiness, and his aura connected with heaven and earth, as if a passage had opened directly to the heavens, linking to the True God.

Chen Shi and Yu Tiancheng's spirits soared. They felt as if the altar were floating outside the Western Ox New Continent, amidst the starry cosmos, arriving before the True God.

Before them, the True God beca imnsely majestic. Their spiritual consciousness before the True God was like a drop in the ocean, insignificant.

Yu Tiancheng imdiately sacrificed the Seven Treasures. The seven kinds of heavenly treasures on the altar turned into rolling streams of vital energy, following Cold Mountain Freeholder's aura straight up into the heavens!

Divine light stirred from beyond the heavens, descending from the sky, shining upon the altar, bathing the two on it in radiance.

Behind Yu Tiancheng's head, a miniature shrine involuntarily appeared. The Divine Embryo inside the shrine flew up, following the divine light toward the heavens.

Chen Shi also felt a vast, inexplicable force fall along the divine light into his mind. It was like a divine whisper echoing in his thoughts. His own miniature shrine stirred restlessly, but the white-robed fairy on his shrine rely blinked her eyes and did not fly up.

Stone Ji Your Ladyship also sat serenely on her shrine, unmoved.

Chen Shi's own Primordial Spirit had no reaction either.

In Chen Shi's second small temple, a little girl was hidden. It was the Blue Sky's Nannan, whom he had captured and placed on the shrine of his second small temple to assist his cultivation.

The divine light shone on Chen Shi but did not draw forth any Divine Embryo.

Cold Mountain Freeholder sighed and murmured quietly, "Just leeching off my disciple for nothing..."

Chen Shi attached a strand of his spiritual consciousness to Yu Tiancheng's Divine Embryo. Yu Tiancheng's Divine Embryo soared up in the divine light, rging with the True God beyond the heavens!

The Divine Embryo was originally bestowed by the True God from beyond the heavens. The mont the Divine Embryo rged with the True God, Yu Tiancheng suddenly felt as if he had beco the True God himself. Vast insights ca flooding into his mind!

At this mont, the True God from beyond the heavens seed to have beco his Primordial Spirit!

This was the marvel of the Divine Descent realm!

During the Divine Embryo realm, the True God would bestow a Divine Embryo. The Divine Embryo had the function of a Primordial Spirit, helping cultivators refine qi and speeding up their cultivation!

When reaching the Divine Descent realm, the mont the Divine Embryo returned to the True God's body, the cultivator had a brief opportunity to use the True God as their Primordial Spirit, sensing heaven and earth, gaining imnse benefits!

A single instant, benefiting a lifeti!

Cold Mountain Freeholder looked at the pillar of light descending from the sky. The pillar was growing thicker and thicker, radiating dazzling seven-colored light, illuminating an area of several dozen li.

The Cold Migration Elders were stunned. Migrant Guest Freeholder said with a grave expression, "Cold Mountain, what Divine Embryo does your disciple have? This descent is far too powerful!"

Cold Mountain Freeholder said, "A second-grade Divine Embryo, and this is even with a portion given to Chen Shi... No, that's not right!"

The pillar of divine light was growing thicker and thicker, far exceeding what a second-grade Divine Embryo should have been able to obtain!

Moreover, the descent should have lasted only a single instant. The mont the Divine Embryo returned to the True God's body, it would have co back.

The Seven Treasures they had prepared were good, but logically, the descent should have ended long ago!

Yet the light falling from the sky grew more and more intense, and the insights of the True God mixed within it grew deeper and deeper!

"This has surpassed first-grade, hasn't it?" Migrant Guest Freeholder murmured.

Cold Mountain Freeholder shuddered. The divine blessing on the altar had already surpassed what a first-grade Divine Embryo could obtain!

First-grade Divine Embryos were divided into two types: Purple Jade and God of Literature, both the finest in the world. When these two types of Divine Embryos underwent the descent, they would ascend beyond the heavens, rge with the True God, gain a mont of True God insight, and then the strengthened Divine Embryo would descend and return to the cultivator's body.

Cold Mountain Freeholder himself had a Purple Jade Divine Embryo. When he had cultivated to the Divine Descent realm, the scale of the True God's descent was far smaller than this!

Incomparable!

This was absolutely not what Yu Tiancheng's Divine Embryo could have obtained!

The light was so intense that even the Western Capital, a hundred li away, could see it clearly!

The Directorate of Astronomy had already deployed massive bronze mirrors, shining them in this direction, and many experts were flying out from the Western Capital toward Gaoshan County.

The Cold Migration Elders were startled. They sensed several auras that were not weaker than their own, recognizing them as Great Ascension realm experts. They imdiately released their Realm of Emptiness to intimidate, preventing any ill-intentioned individuals from approaching.

"No, no! Tiancheng's Divine Embryo could not have caused a descent of this scale!"

Cold Mountain Freeholder's face was filled with shock as he murmured, "Was this caused by Chen Shi's descent? Could the Innate Dao Embryo really be that powerful? That can't be possible... And besides, his Innate Dao Embryo has already been taken!"

Migrant Guest Freeholder looked up at the sky. The True God's descent was still not over.

"It might be the residual aura of the Innate Dao Embryo still in his mind that caused this descent," Migrant Guest Freeholder said.

Cold Mountain Freeholder said, "A descent caused by a residual aura, and it's more than ten tis the scale of a first-grade Divine Embryo's. Is that possible?"

Migrant Guest Freeholder found it hard to believe as well.

Just then, in the sky, a Divine Embryo over three zhang tall descended along the divine light, exuding a shocking aura!

The Cold Migration Elders stared wide-eyed. This ti, even the size of the Divine Embryo was several tis larger than a normal descent!

Cold Mountain Freeholder was overjoyed, murmuring, "My disciple got a huge advantage from Child Prodigy..."

The Divine Embryo shrank smaller and smaller, finally settling into the miniature shrine.

Yu Tiancheng's miniature shrine behind his head actually began to tremble, involuntarily sliding toward the back of Chen Shi's head!

Cold Mountain Freeholder's heart pounded with terror. Clearly, during this descent, the Divine Embryo had sensed the residual aura of Chen Shi's Innate Dao Embryo and was uncontrollably drawn toward Chen Shi, trying to break free from Yu Tiancheng's control!

If Yu Tiancheng's Divine Embryo and shrine flew to the back of Chen Shi's head and acknowledged Chen Shi as its master, his honest disciple would die on the spot!

Finally, the divine light disappeared. The shrine behind Yu Tiancheng's head slowly returned to its proper place.

Cold Mountain Freeholder breathed a sigh of relief, drenched in sweat, as if pulled from water.

Yu Tiancheng opened his eyes. After a mont of daze, he suddenly said, "Master, I think I'm about to break through to the Emptiness Refining realm!"

In that single brief mont, he had gained enormous benefits, surpassing years or even over a decade of hard cultivation!