Chapter 137: with translation of chapter title

"It's him!"

Upon seeing that tall adult figure lunging at Chen Zheng from behind, the Sword Mad Elder and the others of the four great sects all felt a chill down their backs.

The ancient battle armor worn by that figure was, to everyone's surprise, a famed Dao artifact in the cultivation world, called the Xuan Tian Gui Ling Armor.

The owner of this armor is also well known: he is the true lineage senior disciple of Wan Gui Immortal Island, Wan Lianshan.

After Chen Zheng seized the Heaven-Slaying Divine Shark Boat, Wan Lianshan actually still possessed a Dao artifact!

This is quite normal; for example, Hua Tian Du possesses two Dao artifacts: the Great Wilderness Ancient Furnace and the Panwu Divine Sword.

Yan Shui Yi also has several Dao artifacts, such as the Canghai Divine Pearl and the Bixue Rou Shui Sword.

Fan Qing Ying likely has a similar amount.

In short, the number of treasures possessed by those ranked high on the Longevity Candidate List far exceeds what ordinary cultivators can compare or imagine.

Moreover, having many Dao artifacts has another benefit: their artifact spirits can cooperate, fighting on behalf of their master, or gathering in groups of three or five to unite yin and yang, thereby jointly enhancing strength.

There are even some cultivators who engage in illicit relations with artifact spirits!

Getting back to the point.

Wan Lianshan reached behind Chen Zheng in the blink of an eye; with a single punch, it seemed to shorten the distance of space, overbearing beyond compare, shaking time and space, almost on par with the myriad ancient titans of the Longevity Secret Realm.

Moreover, it was a sneak attack while Chen Zheng was completely unprepared.

Chen Zheng is likely in danger.

His talent had condensed a natal talisman containing ninety-nine divine abilities; there was no time to return to the Xuan Huang Great World to display his holiness before perhaps being blown apart by Wan Lianshan's punch.

Such a monster, worthy of being called mythic, is a pity.

Someone did want to warn Chen Zheng, but it was too late.

Wan Lianshan is too fast.

Swish!

Chen Zheng suddenly opened his eyes; there was no surprise in them, only a cold smile.

When Blood Dance Yin earlier sent a message to Wan Lianshan, he had already noticed.

The reason he remained in place to contemplate the character 'Chao' was precisely to wait for Wan Lianshan to come.

Now he has finally arrived.

Hum!

With his heavenly gate wide open atop his head, his natal talisman shot forth like lightning, bursting with ninetyfold radiant brilliance; its vast aura shook heaven and earth as it descended to suppress Wan Lianshan.

"Huh?"

Wan Lianshan thought victory was imminent, a ferocious grin already appearing in his pupils; who would have thought that at the crucial moment, Chen Zheng would actually react, and he was instantly startled.

Chen Zheng's natal talisman startled him even more, as if dozens of hundred-li mountains were collapsing, making his heart pound with an irresistible urge to kneel and prostrate himself.

"Kill!"

Wan Lianshan suppressed that urge, his aura swallowing mountains and rivers; the ancient battle armor covering his body emitted a vast silver light, and his fist aimed at Chen Zheng abruptly changed direction, like a deity descending to the mortal realm, wildly striking the heavens, seeking to shatter the natal talisman pressing down on Chen Zheng.

Boom—

The fist and the natal talisman collided, like two metal-forged giant stars smashing together, erupting in heavenly fire sparks; the blaze filled the sky, a blinding glare that made the onlookers' hearts race and brought tears of blood to their eyes.

Nothing could be seen.

"Hiss…… Chen Zheng's natal talisman has become so terrifyingly overbearing; no wonder it contains ninety-nine divine abilities!"

With Wan Lianshan's strength, can he not even counter Chen Zheng's natal talisman? And he's wearing a Dao artifact armor!

The firelight came and went quickly; Sword Mad Elder and Dan Xiao Zi, among others, stared with bloodshot eyes, and when they could clearly see the battlefield again, not a single person failed to feel horrified.

All that could be seen was Wan Lianshan's towering body already pressed by the natal talisman, his spine bent; no matter how he roared and swung his fists wildly, he could not budge the talisman in the slightest.

Wan Lianshan was like the Monkey King pressed under the Five Fingers Mountain; even with a body of bronze tendons and iron bones, he could not resist.

In fact, it's normal that he couldn't block it.

Chen Zheng's natal talisman not only contains the Panwu Great Strength Divine Ability, the Great Five Elements Technique, the Great Cutting Technique, the Great Slaughter Technique, the Great Collapse Technique, among the three thousand great Dao, but also the Seven Great Calamity Characters.

Numerous divine abilities and calamity characters, each extremely powerful in their own right in the Heaven-Human Realm, now that all laws return to one and are gathered on a single natal talisman, are naturally even more terrifying.

How could such a talisman be opposed by Wan Lianshan, who has lost the Heaven-Slaying Divine Shark Boat and whose strength is no longer living up to its name?

If it weren't for the Xuan Tian Gui Ling Armor he wears, that blow would have already crushed him into a pulp.

Wan Lianshan struggled in vain; he could only barely prop up his body to avoid being forced to kneel, and said to Chen Zheng: "I have the Xuan Tian Gui Ling Armor protecting me; even if you use your natal talisman to press me down, you cannot possibly do anything to me. Why not show mercy and spare me? Withdraw the talisman, and we shall keep to our own waters, not interfering with each other."

Although suppressed, his tone showed not the slightest hint of panic.

Many people clamored upon hearing this; they never expected that the esteemed Wan Lianshan, ranked fourth on the Longevity Candidate List, would one day yield to Chen Zheng.

Upon further thought, it again seemed perfectly natural.

Chen Zheng's strength is clearly superior to Wan Lianshan's; since he's already subdued, how could refusing to yield possibly mean continuing to fight head-on?

Moreover, what Wan Lianshan said is not wrong.

The Xuan Tian Gui Ling Armor's offensive capability is not particularly strong; it is a treasure renowned for its defense.

With Wan Lianshan's abundant magical power activating this armor, it could even withstand the assaults of the myriad ancient titans.

Wan Lianshan is now akin to a turtle that has retracted its limbs and head into a sturdy shell.

Although Chen Zheng outside can certainly suppress him, there is nowhere to strike; fundamentally, he cannot harm the person inside the shell.

Unless one can forcibly break open the shell.

But that is obviously impossible.

Let alone Chen Zheng only possessing a middle-grade Dao artifact, the Heaven-Slaying Divine Shark Boat; even if he were given a superior upper-grade Dao artifact, he still could not break the Xuan Tian Gui Ling Armor.

It is not that upper-grade Dao artifacts lack strength.

On the contrary, they are extremely strong.

For cultivators of the first to fifth levels of Longevity, upper-grade Dao artifacts are supreme treasures; when activated, they can effortlessly shatter countless great stars beyond the heavens.

However, a supreme-grade Dao artifact in the hands of a divine-ability cultivator cannot fully unleash its power.

Divine-ability cultivators not only cannot break a hundred million in mana, but even when activating a treasure they cannot exert a force of a hundred million.

This is the limitation of heaven and earth.

Unsolvable.

Chen Zheng hearing this sneered contemptuously: "Spare others when you can? Hah, are you even human? You're just a dog, and you'll soon be a dead dog."

Wanting to kill him, then finding they can't beat him and trying to flee—where in the world is there such a good deal?

"I don't want to argue with you. I just ask one thing: will you accept this life-bound talisman or not? What... what kind of flame is this?" Wan Lianshan gritted his teeth and gave a cold snort, still fearless.

But before he finished speaking, he let out a cry of shock and disbelief.

The Sword Mad Elder and others were even more horrified, pulling back in panicked retreat as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Because at this moment, surging dark-gold flames rose from Chen Zheng's life-bound talisman, pouring down like scorching magma and enveloping Wan Lianshan entirely.

In an instant, the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor was scorched by the dark-gold flame, turning slightly red and emitting wisp after wisp of green smoke.

It can be foreseen that before long, the armor will be unable to withstand it and will gradually melt away.

This scene is too terrifying.

It left everyone astonished beyond measure!

It is simply more terrifying than when Chen Zheng previously condensed the talisman with ninety-nine divine abilities, or used the talisman to suppress Wan Lianshan.

"What kind of flame divine ability is this? Is it the Celestial Realm's Flame of All Beings, or the Demon Realm's Flame of Destruction? It can actually melt a lower-grade Dao artifact forged by ancient titans from various divine materials!"

Deep in the earth's core, the Chi Abyss Demon Sovereign once again showed a look of surprise in his eyes and drew a deep breath.

Chen Zheng is becoming increasingly unfathomable.

His methods keep emerging, each more terrifying than the last, practically a bottomless pit.

Could his past life have been a supreme immortal king?

The two words "immortal king" are weighty, making the Chi Abyss Demon Sovereign feel as if he can't catch his breath.

And just as everyone was stunned, the surface of the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor was already burned red by the true fire of the 'Refine' character.

Inside, Wan Lianshan also felt the terrifying heat transmitted through the armor, as if his whole body were being roasted, like a large shrimp.

"Damn it, hold it back for me!"

He frantically circulated his mana to activate the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor, causing its surface to burst forth with fierce silver light that illuminated tens of thousands of li around, trying to dispel the true fire of the 'Refine' character.

However, it was to no avail.

When the true fire flared, even the light was melted away.

Wan Lianshan's scalp went numb, and he shouted in panic at Chen Zheng: "Both the Ascension Gate and my Wan Gui Immortal Island are among the Ten Immortal Sects, sharing the same origin—why must we fight to the death over a trifle? You'd better withdraw your flame divine ability and sit down to talk with me."

Chen Zheng hearing this merely showed no expression.

He then waved his hand, increasing the fire output on his life-bound talisman, melting a thick layer of the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor; the armor's spirit wailed in pain, on the verge of collapse.

Inside, Wan Lianshan's skin turned completely red, sizzling with oil, as he begged in anguish: "Senior Brother Chen, I shouldn't have pursued you; I know I was wrong—please spare me once."

He could barely endure it any longer.

If this continues, he will really die.

He had painstakingly cultivated for hundreds of years to attain this level, enjoying today's prestigious status and the admiration of countless cultivators.

In the future he still needs to advance to the Longevity Secret Realm, gain tens of thousands of years of lifespan, roam the cosmos, and behold the scenery of three thousand great worlds—how could he willingly accept death?

At this moment, a strong sense of regret welled up in his heart.

Why did I come to the Five Elements Realm to chase and kill Chen Zheng?

What's the use of losing the Heavenly Slaughter Divine Shark Boat?

Being forced to kneel on the Heaven-Stepping Ladder by Chen Zheng, having my face stepped on and humiliated—what does that even amount to?

Even if the sect's industry, the Black Tortoise Pavilion, was looted clean by Chen Zheng, and the pavilion master Wan Qing Shan, as well as Wan Qin, Wan Renfeng, Wan Kun, and others were all killed by Chen Zheng, what does that have to do with him?

Is having one's own life important?

If life is gone, everything loses meaning.

"You're not realizing you were wrong; you're realizing you're about to die." Chen Zheng finally spoke, shaking his head.

Having said that, he closed his mouth.

He let Wan Lianshan beg for mercy in agony amidst the flames, let his desperate roars go unanswered.

He hovered silently in midair, contemplating the character 'Transcend' before the blazing flames.

Upon obtaining this character when advancing to the Return to One realm, he gained a vague feeling that heaven and earth are a great prison.

People are like birds in a cage, bound by the shackles forged by heaven and earth, unable to gain freedom.

Even if one cultivates to the Longevity Secret Realm and gains the ability to roam the universe, one still cannot fly out of the prison.

Even ascending to immortality merely means moving from one prison into a larger one, still bound by various rules, unable to act as one pleases.

Unless one cultivates to the deepest reaches of the Immortal's Secret Realm and attains the legendary throne of the Heavenly Sovereign, can one break all heavenly and earthly bonds and be free of any restriction.

Such a realm is still far too distant for Chen Zheng; at the very least it would take three to five years to achieve.

But possessing the character 'Transcend' changes everything entirely.

As he gradually grasped even a hint of its meaning, Chen Zheng began to feel as if he could fly upward, as though he could break free from his bonds.

This is not a literal bodily ascent, but an elevation of spirit and will.

It seems that once elevated to a certain height, one can leap beyond the Three Realms, outside the Five Elements, and gain some freedom.

Even Chen Zheng has a premonition that, in the future, he need not cultivate to become an immortal; relying solely on this character 'Transcend,' his spirit and will could break through the vast barrier between the lower realms and the Celestial Realm, entering that mysterious immortal realm.

"Ah! Chen Zheng, I curse you to hell, I curse the Ascension Gate from top to bottom to perish, I curse the Three Holy Ones of Ascension being demoted by the Taiyi Sect to livestock, to mate with pigs and dogs..."

Wan Lianshan, utterly despondent, let out a heart-rending, venomous curse that interrupted Chen Zheng's contemplation.

At this moment, the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor has been completely melted by the true fire of the 'Refine' character; Wan Lianshan, having lost his tortoise-shell protection, can no longer endure and is melting away like a candle.

From its head emerged a sea god whose whole body was covered in azure scales, holding a trident, a sea‑troubling flag, a sea‑treading banner, a river‑and‑sea bowl and other magical implements.

This is the 'Heaven‑Earth Dharma Form' that only cultivators who have reached the ninth level of divine ability can cultivate; it can also be called the primordial spirit.

The divine abilities cultivated by cultivators differ, and the primordial spirits they form are likewise different.

Yet they share a common trait: they can gather and disperse unpredictably, possess boundless power, and can seize another body to be reborn.

Wan Lianshan merely wanted to escape this dangerous fleshly body and flee to safety.

As long as he could break free, find another's body to possess, he could start anew.

But he thought too much.

As soon as the primordial spirit emerged from the body, it was ignited by the true fire, instantly turned to ashes, completely vanished from the world, leaving only a pool of immense essence wrapped in flames.

"What a pity, the Profound Heaven Returning Spirit Armor; if it were turned into medicinal pills, it would definitely yield far more essence than this."

Chen Zheng showed a look of regret, flicked his wide sleeve, gathered the essence refined from Wan Lianshan and his treasures, and merged it into his body.

Instantly, his internal mana surged without cease; in the blink of an eye it rose from fifty million to eighty million ma.

He also paid no heed to the distant crowd of the four major sects; with a flick of his form, he vanished.

"Wan Lianshan has fallen; even his Dao artifact could not protect him—those flames are too terrifying."

The people of the four major sects stood frozen in place, their emotions tangled, unable to regain their composure for a long time.

The Sword Mad Elder, courtesy name Crimson Heavens, Yuan Yuanzi, and Feng Feitian secretly made up their minds: after leaving the Land of the Five Elements and returning to their sect, they would strictly restrain their disciples and absolutely avoid provoking Chen Zheng.

They even must not speak ill of Chen Zheng behind his back.

……

Chen Zheng temporarily did not go look for Fang Qingxue, walking across the desolate earth.

Before him appeared a huge mountain peak.

That mountain differed from the other mountains in the Land of the Five Elements; its shape resembled a palm, lifelike, with its textures clear as day.

At the mountain's center, a faint talisman light flickered, like a long strip talisman, akin to a couplet, inscribed with six twisted characters.

"Om mani padme hum"

Chen Zheng casually uttered the pronunciation of those six characters, a strange syllable resembling a cow's low, a tiger's roar, and a lion's bellow.

That talisman was forged from the six ancient characters transmitted by the Worldly Free King Buddha through the Gate of Eternal Life, left here to suppress the Chi Yuan Demon Lord.

At the foot of Five Finger Mountain, many cultivators had gathered; someone was attempting to use divine ability to pluck that six‑character true word talisman, but to no avail.

It is worth mentioning that a few acquaintances of Chen Zheng were also there.

However, Chen Zheng had no intention of going over to greet them; he simply stood with his hands behind his back, as if waiting for someone.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, I, Chi Yuan, offer my respects."

Chi Yuan Demon Lord slowly appeared before Chen Zheng, his demeanor gentle and respectful, unlike the arrogant and haughty manner of the Human Emperor's Brush.

(End of chapter)