[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dao-dust-pearl":3,"chapter-the-dao-dust-pearl-the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-989":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dao Dust Pearl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2360490,4614,"Chapter 989: The Living Death List Walks the Yin Path","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-989",989,"\u003Cp>At the long table, Qian Chen raised his cup and drank the fine Jinhua red yeast rice wine from a white porcelain cup, sharing the pancake brought by the envoy from the Shandong headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sacred statues of the Three Lords of Creation behind him were illuminated by a slanting ray of sunset light from the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen set down his cup and spoke calmly: “One of you has betrayed me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twelve seated men displayed varied expressions, yet Qian Chen’s face wore a faint, unreadable smile as he lowered his eyes: “Drinking this wine is like drinking my blood; eating this pancake is like eating my flesh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the church, Drummond rested one hand on his brow, staring at the empty round table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guests had already prepared the necessary arrangements in the front hall, yet as the oldest demon god, Amon, it used its scant moment of solitude to mourn its own hollow soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sara quietly approached its side, gazing at the demon god revealed in secrecy during solitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black robe draped over a naked male body, its head a ram’s, striped pupils fixed on the girl before it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sara spoke plainly: “Is it true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you certain you wish to murder a true Holy Son, beneath His father’s gaze, within His own realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should know: no one within His realm may harm His only son!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amon whispered: “I know full well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sara, all human knowledge of rituals, mysteries, and magic originates from us! To harm the Son of God, one must draw from beyond the world a power that negates the entire world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we have no other choice… This is not betrayal—it is devotion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We believe in our Father even more than we believe in ourselves…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Daoist of Divine Communication also found Chi Ruofen with a complex expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They are forging weapons, erecting that Xuanzhen Sect Master upon the Tribunal of Judgment. At that time, you shall sever all karmic ties yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chi Ruofen laughed: “Killing a Dao Lord with your own hands is enough to shatter your Life-Death Mystery Gate and elevate you to Primordial Spirit True Immortal—perhaps even usurp the Dao Fruit of that Xuanwei Dao Lord and condense an unprecedented Dao Seed. This is the Alliance’s reward to you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I kill the Xuanwei Dao Lord?” The Daoist of Divine Communication pointed at his own nose: “Is this real?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…” Chi Ruofen threw back his head and laughed loudly: “A Dao Lord is a being beyond your imagination. Only those who have attained Primordial Spirit understand that most lives are but illusions, dreams, bubbles—only the Primordial Spirit possesses true ‘self.’ And a Dao Lord? They are those who twist the entire world with their self, sovereigns who elevate their will into the Dao itself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can a mere ant slay a god?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Xuanwei Dao Lord—or rather, Qian Chen—is far too arrogant! His crimes are threefold: First, pride—he stands before us in a mortal body, granting ants the possibility of harming him. Second, negligence—he lets live those ants who formed karmic ties with him before he became a Dao Lord, even before they attained Primordial Spirit; thus, when facing you, he is not merely the Xuanwei Dao Lord who attained the True Illusion Dao Fruit—he is nothing but a mortal: Qian Chen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third, envy—he, as a Dao Lord, deliberately lowers his own station, embracing the glory of creation in this world, rendering any force within this world incapable of harming him—thus provoking our envy, the world’s envy, and the envy of other Dao Lords!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist of Divine Communication fell silent for a long while before speaking: “If the gulf between Dao Lord and mortal is truly a leap across heaven and earth, and if this old man has not witnessed a Dao Lord but has, by chance, touched a thread of the time before he became one, perhaps with the Great Power of the Lord of Reincarnation, I might truly pull time back to before the Dao Lord attained his path…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wrong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chi Ruofen rejected: “Old Daoist, you may have some petty cleverness, but you cannot speak of ice to a summer insect. The realm of a Dao Lord is beyond your measure—think of it, and you are wrong; act upon it, and it becomes even more absurd. Before a Dao Lord who governs the True Illusion Dao Fruit, to manipulate such illusions is merely to invite ridicule!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We scheme against Dao Lords, and even persuade the last seventy-two Spirit Realm Lords since the world’s creation, not through petty cleverness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But because we have truly obtained from beyond the world a power that negates this entire world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When that power descends, you will see—it truly can negate Dao Lords, and change all things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist of Divine Communication smiled bitterly: “Your servant… your servant truly cannot imagine what such power could be—power that even a Dao Lord cannot… cannot resist!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his heart, the Daoist of Divine Communication entertained an impious thought: What power could make this heap of rotten fish and spoiled shrimp in the Tai Sui Alliance feel so confident?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Alliance possesses twelve Primordial Spirit True Immortals, it is no minor force among the myriad worlds—but before a Dao Lord, what difference does it make if there are a thousand million Primordial Spirit True Immortals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Communication Daoist, who has not yet reached Primordial Spirit, mistakenly believes—failing to grasp that Primordial Spirit power is not additive but multiplicative; two Primordial Spirits working in perfect harmony, giving their all and unleashing power between life and death, produce a result equal to the product of their individual potentials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention a thousand million Primordial Spirit True Immortals—only a hundred, united by a single belief worth dying for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their power could shatter a Perfect Dao Fruit, alter heaven and earth, and rival a Mahayana Dao Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan, Cao Zhitian, Fang Tangjing, and Délamond, as host, gathered here—the four great scribes of Zhigucheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan watched as Zhang Sanzhi pulled five yellow sheets from his sleeve and spread them before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he read, the heavier his expression grew; the more he read, the more sweat beaded on his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the Death List penned by Cui Er?” Liu Daoyuan pointed at the yellow paper and turned to Zhang Sanzhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The text is here, unchanged by a single character!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan could not help but praise: “Excellent work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first Death List began: “One deceased, Lady Fang, born in x year, x month, x day, blessed with wealth and longevity, died peacefully in her bed, enjoying her full natural years on x year, x month, x day, x hour, aged x decades and x years. The death calamity fell upon the bow of the dragon boat, the wealth-calamity rising one zhang seven chi, belonging to the Metal Treasury in the Gui Chou direction, transforming into white vapor at the Three Forks River mouth, forbidden to harm the living—dragons, dogs, oxen, sheep. Anchor the corpse and pacify the spirit for three days; the dead shall rest in Jiuyou, ascend to Heaven, ride the Yin River, cross to the other shore, set sail on x year, x month, x day, x hour, patrol at x hour, enter the Dragon Abyss at x hour, beg the Holy Mother’s mercy, return to the Primordial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All birth dates and years were written in Daoist secret script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Liu Daoyuan immediately saw the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed the Death List and sighed: “This man was already supremely wealthy, with three generations of fortune, boundless luck. You know how treacherous the mortal world is—wealth inevitably carries calamity. How did you find such a man, utterly free of disaster and calamity, who willingly embraced a joyful funeral?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed the death notice and sighed, “This man has reached the height of wealth and status, with blessings spanning three lifetimes—his fortune is endless. Yet you must know that worldly riches often carry calamity. How did you find such a man, so utterly free of disaster and malevolence, and convince him to joyfully embrace a happy funeral?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan muttered to himself: “The wealthiest idle man in the world? Only the noblest person could summon such a one. He must be open-minded, content with his station, a man of virtue. He is the imperial family’s Wealth God!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Liu!” Zhang Sanzhi placed his hand over the Death List, sternly: “Watch your tongue!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Qian Dynasty palace, a group of Yin-Yang specialists excelled in secret arts; legend says they cultivated living vessels for the imperial family—living embodiments of Fortune, Blessing, Longevity, Joy, Peace, Wealth, and Prosperity—solely for ritual sacrifice when needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan glanced at the Shaman Chief—his origins were likely the same, though he enjoyed even greater imperial trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had acted, finding such a wealthy idle man would be unsurprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what worried him was that the Shaman Chief had not acted out of personal vengeance, but had been manipulated by someone behind the scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the Death List lay the Yin Bureau’s Soul Guide: “In the Three Sacred Mirror Realm, deceased, Lord Fang of the x household, lived x decades and x years of earthly life, startled into the Great Dream of Death on x year, x month, x day, x hour, boarded the boat, entered the Netherworld, guided by nine boats into the Yin River Dragon Abyss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A disciple of the Heavenly Empress Palace, Cui x, humbly petitions the Six Ding and Six Jia Protectors to report to the Heavenly Empress’s court, requesting issuance of this Soul Guide as proof. All vehicles, boats, servants, horses, gold, silver, treasures, and valuables shall be inspected and verified; all provinces, counties, cities, bridges, checkpoints, mountain paths, river stations shall grant passage upon verification. May all divine beings extend mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand blessings, ten thousand thanks to the gods. Should demons or evil spirits block the path, kill them without mercy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then followed the nine-boat treasure inventory, written in gold powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One boat: East Ocean refined snow-silver, purified by the thoughts of ten million souls. To refine this silver, one needs live blood and lead; lead and silver mixed, swirl within the ash pit. When the surface shimmers with mist and clouds, shifting and flying, let ten thousand hold chants and prayers. After long time, the mist disperses slightly, and snowflakes surge. When the snowflakes vanish, the silver becomes clear and pure—this is Heavenly Silver. Heavenly Silver is formed from thought-force, hence unstable. Soon after, human blood is offered to forge lead-elixir; its color changes first from one side, becoming murky—this is called ‘ash reversal.’ Thus, the mist and snowflakes indicate residual lead-qi. Lead fears ash, so eight-treasure incense ash is used to capture it. Once lead enters the ash, only silver remains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan closed the inventory and whispered: “I heard the Japanese open vast silver mines, forcing two hundred thousand laborers, using millions of their people to entertain spirits and demons, dispatching them to mine silver. Each furnace demands dozens of blood sacrifices to produce this snow-silver. Today, I see it with my own eyes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inventory also listed one boat of wind-polished Dian copper, also obtained by Yunnan tribal lords sacrificing to spirits; one boat of Hupo pearls, seized from southern Dan min; one boat of Chenzhou cinnabar; one boat of gold dust from beyond the pass…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nine boats of treasure, each worth hundreds of millions, were not mere mortal goods—they were forged by gods and spirits, vessels of celestial essence and human spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will these nine dragon-fortune boats even catch the Heavenly Empress’s eye?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sanzhi asked calmly: “Will they sink deep enough into the Three Forks River’s Heavenly Abyss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan merely smiled: “Do you think the Heavenly Empress is some barbarian eastern god? Money can move spirits, but wealth compels them—yet these nine boats of treasure, though they protect the boatmaster through the ten directions and four seas, cannot cross the Three Forks River!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I laugh at Cui Er’s brilliance—he wrote well, chose well. But you chose only heavy goods, no silks or furs—light goods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Three Forks River mouth is the main waterway of the world’s trade routes; every year, copper boats bound for the capital pass here, risking sinking. Thus, those heavy copper boats all seek the Heavenly Empress’s protection. If a copper boat sinks into the river’s Heavenly Abyss, its heavy metal qi, generating water through metal, can sink straight to the riverbed, shielded by all evils!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As the nine boats sink, their heavy treasures plunge to the riverbed, facing the Heavenly Empress—seven-tenths of the task is already done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But to return alive… know this: after sinking, countless evil spirits in the riverbed will be stirred. For a living man to rise again is harder than climbing to heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With this Death List, I knew: to face the Heavenly Empress and submit your petition is already ten-tenths success here. Whether the yin traveler returns alive—you don’t care at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sanzhi replied calmly: “At that time, besides Master Wang and the boatmaster, eighteen brothers of the Green Skin Guild will dive with us, braving the yin path! Our Ancestral Master will protect them—they will return alive. If they die? The two docks in Chengdong will serve as their graves, and the Wang family nephew’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan turned to another Death List—he had already seen their handiwork once, yet still felt his heart tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The previous one was wealth without calamity—this one is drenched in calamity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An outer-border ginseng hunter, who worships a spirit in his home, enters the mountains without fear, has likely taken a hundred lives, and worships evil gods to steal fortune and longevity, stealing heavenly treasures and earthly essences—he is already a hundred-times cursed fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such a cursed fate? No wonder he must enter the White Bone Tower of the chaotic graveyard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The nine heavenly treasures he carries are each cursed, spiritually corrupted… frozen earth blood-preserved ginseng! A pair of yin-yang ginseng, planted in the seven orifices of buried living boys and girls, forcibly shaped into human form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this white deer skin—captured a spirit beast, the white deer, slit its throat, flayed it alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The white deer is a spirit of auspiciousness, knows human good and evil. To kill such a beast, one must have entered the mountains as a child, won its trust through pure innocence, forged deep bonds—then turned and murdered it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just from the skin’s quality, I know this deer saved him countless times. What a turncoat! Why not pluck out his wolf eyes too? They’d make fine spirit medicine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan examined the inventory one by one, closed it, and sighed: “These nine treasures will protect the cursed man’s body entering the White Bone Tower—no problem. But once inside, the nine treasures become nine ghosts. No one ever returns alive—another Death List for the dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sanzhi said nothing, merely tapped the Death List before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To win this game, I’ve even summoned our Ancestral Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan leaned forward—the name on the list: Medicine King Living Bodhisattva. He raised his thumb: “To summon your Ancestral Master’s physical form to walk yin? Your Green Skin Guild truly reveres your teachers. Respect! Deep respect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine lives of virtue, boundless blessings, sealed in coffin at a hundred, buried alive. Impressive! After obtaining the Mo Mother, who will place the Ghost Moth into his mouth? Will you summon the Mo Mother to descend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A man of nine lifetimes of virtue, his blessings stretch far and wide; at a hundred years old, he is sealed in his coffin and buried alive. Impressive—after securing the Mo Mother, who will you send to place the ghost-faced moth into his mouth? Will you summon the Mo Mother to descend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan’s eyes lit up: “Hah! A Daoist register! Tongshen Daoist? That name’s ill-omened!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist of Divine Communication strolled over, his iron-mouthed divination banner slung over his shoulder. He looked at Liu Daoyuan, flipped his thumb upward toward himself, and grinned: “That’s me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daoyuan flipped through the inventory: “Three thousand Dao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only sages receive purple qi from the east, leaving behind three thousand Dao! What are you, a grave offering, to write ‘three thousand Dao’? Did you bring a copy of the Dao De Jing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist of Divine Communication remained calm: “Entering Jiuyou, all external things are useless. Only three thousand Dao can reach the gods!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient Daoist, calm and composed, said: “When one enters the Nine Heavens of Darkness, all external things become useless—only the Three Thousand Moral Precepts can connect one with the Divine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unseen gaze withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In plain terms: the Lord of Reincarnation, save me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put simply, it’s—Lord of Reincarnation, save me!\u003C\u002Fp>",2791,"2026-06-21T05:40:02.617Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6cda914322546e25a6b61ecc3da8ac6f954d99bb6619ceaac68e7d2c9a4cf21c","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-990","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-988",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dao-dust-pearl-cover.jpg"]