Immortal Travel of Longevity

Chen Daoqiu led Chen Changsheng to the Back Mountain.

But he did not follow him all the way, choosing instead to wait outside.

Thus, Chen Changsheng entered the mountain alone.

Chen Daoqiu gazed at Mister's retreating back. Truthfully, when Chen Changsheng first brought the matter up, he had thought it highly improbable. Yet standing here now, he felt that the mountain lord might actually be willing to come. It was a feeling that came from nowhere.

Following the path in his memory, Chen Changsheng walked onward.

He arrived inside the Cave Abode. Looking up, he saw a divine statue without any incense offerings, its face completely blank.

It was exceptionally quiet here, devoid of even the slightest extraneous noise.

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands in greeting toward the statue and said softly, "Mountain lord, This Chen has come again."

The statue swayed slightly, as if waking from a slumber.

"What are you doing here?" The mountain lord's tone was unwelcoming, as if he did not particularly care to see this person.

Chen Changsheng sat down on the meditation cushion before him and said, "This Chen harbored some doubts in the past. Though a few have now been unraveled, there are still some uncertainties. Therefore, I have come to seek the mountain lord's guidance."

The mountain lord frowned slightly at these words. After taking a seat, he met Chen Changsheng's gaze.

The look in his eyes was vastly different from what he had seen last time.

It seemed his eyes now held a trace of obsession, and his heart bore hatred.

Though the mountain lord did not understand what Chen Changsheng had gone through, since the man had come knocking on his door, he was presumably prepared.

The mountain lord asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen has already transformed the Demon Domain into the Netherworld. With the Spirit Cage Heavenly Dao Sovereign over there, all that is missing is the water of the Yellow Springs. Then the Underworld can ferry the souls of the deceased, and Reincarnation can be established. Perhaps This Chen might even be able to use this to escape the curse."

The mountain lord was momentarily dazed upon hearing this, then laughed. "As expected. Even if you are no longer the you of the past, you are still you after all. The ideas you come up with are identical."

Chen Changsheng stared blankly for a moment, then asked, "Does the mountain lord mean that This Chen's past life also attempted something like this?"

The mountain lord said, "You did, but you failed because you lacked the opportunity. In the end, it was an issue of heaven and earth's qi destiny."

He glanced at Chen Changsheng, noting the qi destiny swirling around him, and added, "However, this body of qi destiny of yours should presumably be enough."

Chen Changsheng did not quite understand.

The mountain lord offered no explanation, but promptly said, "Whatever you want to ask, just ask directly. If I know, I will answer. If I know but cannot say, I will shake my head. You understand what I mean."

"This Chen also has no wish to make things difficult for the mountain lord."

Chen Changsheng then voiced the doubts in his heart. "It is said that in the early years, the prince in the Mortal World stepped onto the Corpse Dao, but was ultimately defeated there. Several centuries later, another youth brought this path to prominence, sending golden corpses flying in all directions and stepping into the Immortal Realm. Later on, he fell into the demonic path, transforming into a Demon Sovereign and initiating the era of the demonic cultivators. He was also known as the Demon-Summoning Divine Lord. I wonder, is this Demon-Summoning Divine Lord related to This Chen?"

The mountain lord seemed somewhat surprised by this. He paused, asking in return, "Where did you hear about this matter?"

Chen Changsheng said, "An ancient corpse told This Chen."

The mountain lord fell deep in thought.

Every now and then, he would glance up at Chen Changsheng before bowing his head to ponder once more.

From start to finish, the mountain lord never shook his head to indicate that this matter could not be spoken of.

"This Chen understands."

Chen Changsheng asked nothing more. Even if that Demon-Summoning Divine Lord was not his past life, he certainly shared an immense connection with him.

The mountain lord grunted in acknowledgment and said, "I didn't say anything at all."

Chen Changsheng smiled and then asked again, "This Chen has another question."

"Ask away."

"In earlier years, when the Human Sovereign appointed celestial officials and roused the human dao qi fortune, This Chen used the opportunity to take a trip to the Yellow Springs. But deep within the Yellow Springs, I saw a person whose face I could not see clearly, yet he told This Chen words to the effect of 'I am him.' I wonder what relationship this person has with This Chen?"

Upon hearing this, however, the mountain lord grew somewhat confused.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Deep within the Yellow Springs? Was it a living person?"

"He didn't seem to have a physical body. He was more like a strand of divine sense, or perhaps a spirit body."

After pondering for a long time, the mountain lord finally answered, "It is not that this matter cannot be spoken of, but rather that I simply do not know."

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

"Regarding the Divine Edict of All Gods, This Chen has one point of confusion. The various deities within the edict originate from the same place, or rather, they come from a dream. But where exactly is this dream? Is it a dream from This Chen's past life? If This Chen has already undergone Reincarnation and been reborn, then why does this dream still exist?"

"I can clear this up for you. First of all, the Divine Edict of All Gods is not actually considered a Divine Ability. It cannot summon deities out of thin air. These deities existed long ago. The so-called dream did indeed originate from a grand dream in your past life. What was dreamed became real, and the deities manifested; the profound mysteries within it cannot be unraveled by ordinary Daoist methods. As for where this dream is... Hmm..."

"I've thought about this question before too, and so..."

"But then again..."

"Hmm..."

The mountain lord rambled on for quite a while, yet he never quite managed to hit the main point.

"Anyway, that's how it is."

Chen Changsheng wore a look of helplessness. Hearing this was the same as hearing nothing at all.

The mountain lord spread his hands and said, "I know it makes little sense, but this Divine Edict of All Gods truly is profoundly mysterious and difficult to decipher. You can't blame me."

"..."

"Very well."

Chen Changsheng sighed helplessly, then asked again, "There is one more question. It's regarding the matter of Cultivation, and This Chen wishes to consult the mountain lord about it."

The mountain lord paused for a moment and said, "You want to ask how you yourself should practice Daoist arts, right?"

Chen Changsheng sighed softly and said, "Exactly. The so-called Cultivation requires the accumulation of days and months. Since this is the case, how did This Chen's past life cultivate physical Magical Power to great completion?"

"For you, cultivating your divine sense presents no obstacles. The difficulty lies entirely in the Cultivation of the physical body. If you do not cultivate the flesh, there is no way to obtain Magical Power. But with the curse before you, how are you supposed to undergo Cultivation? This point, however, is not difficult. You must understand that while divine sense is singular, the physical body can be manifold..."

Chen Changsheng seemed to understand upon hearing these words. He asked, "An External Avatar?"

The mountain lord nodded and said, "Exactly. There is an ancient method, Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers. One divides their soul and enters them. Though these physical bodies are crude, if the method is achieved, it can allow the bean soldiers to cultivate Magical Power. When the soldiers revert to beans, and the beans enter the stomach, the body of Magical Power is formed."

"Marvelous, truly marvelous..."

Chen Changsheng felt somewhat curious about this and asked, "I wonder if the mountain lord understands this method of Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers?"

The mountain lord shook his head and said, "Even if I knew which chapters this Dharma method was recorded in, I still wouldn't be able to comprehend it."

Chen Changsheng froze for a moment, but then quickly understood.

It was most likely because the mountain lord was merely a ghost deity and lacked a physical body.

He didn't ask any further questions, simply cupping his hands in thanks. "Many thanks to the mountain lord for resolving my doubts."

The mountain lord nodded and then asked, "Are there any other questions?"

None of this was considered something that couldn't be spoken of.

The mountain lord was also puzzled as to why he hadn't focused his questions on the more crucial matters, and was instead asking about all these useless things.

Chen Changsheng froze, suddenly recalling the words Jian Shenghua had spoken back then and the murals he had seen in the Well of Gods and Demons.

"So that's how it is..."

"To think it was like this..."

The mountain lord was somewhat puzzled and asked, "What is it?"

Chen Changsheng shook his head and didn't explain.

He had actually harbored a lingering doubt for a long time.

If he really was the Demon-Summoning Divine Lord...

If Jian Shenghua and those demonic cultivators from back then were avatars of the Demon-Summoning Divine Lord, it stood to reason they should have perished alongside him. Yet they hadn't died; they had survived.

Therefore, they weren't the Demon-Summoning Divine Lord's External Avatars at all.

They were transformations born of Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers!

They were beans!!

Only they were beans that had gained spiritual intelligence during their Cultivation!

And what the Well of Gods and Demons recorded was not cultivating divided souls, but Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers. It was the scene of beans entering the belly and transforming into Magical Power!

"Truly remarkable..."

The world's Divine Abilities truly were incomparably wondrous.

Perhaps it was created just like this, entirely by accident.

Chen Changsheng slowly recovered his senses. His gaze fell upon the mountain lord again as he continued, "Last time I saw you take out a magical treasure, a Green Bead, which reflected the figure of Miss Yuxuan. Is that a memory Prayer Bead left behind by her?"

The mountain lord nodded. "That's right."

"May This Chen take a look?"

"No."

The mountain lord shook his head and said, "Tianji Mountain only has this one Prayer Bead left. Without this item, the Immortal Mountain will collapse, and I will have nowhere to rest."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng understood and did not press the matter.

"Very well. It was presumptuous of This Chen."

"Mm."

Chen Changsheng stood up and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts this time. This Chen has asked enough. In another two years, This Chen will come again. I fear I will truly have to trouble you then."

Hearing this, the mountain lord smiled. "No matter. I could ask for nothing more."

Chen Changsheng then added, "If there is an opportunity, I also hope to help you regain your freedom."

"Is that so?"

The mountain lord smiled, seemingly not caring much about the matter.

"This Chen is serious."

The mountain lord paused, then replied a moment later, "Understood."

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands in a salute, then took his leave.

A smile surfaced at the corners of the mountain lord's mouth. Shaking his head, he transformed into a streak of azure light and returned to the statue.

Seeing Mister come out, Chen Daoqiu immediately went up to greet him.

"Did Mister Chen see the mountain lord?"

"I did."

Hearing this, Chen Daoqiu blanked for a moment before laughing.

"Mister truly is extraordinary."

"Priest Chen praises me too highly. This Chen merely relied on a stroke of luck."

"Mister is being modest."

Chen Daoqiu had already ordered his subordinates to prepare a banquet to entertain Mister Chen.

Chen Changsheng couldn't easily refuse, so he could only go.

Meanwhile, Xiao Dongxu returned after showing Ning Bufan around Tianji Mountain.

Xiao Dongxu sought out Mister Chen right away.

"Mister Chen, regarding Fellow Daoist Ning, there is a matter this lowly priest wishes to discuss with you."

"Please speak, young priest."

As the two conversed, Xiao Dongxu brought up the problem concerning Ning Bufan's soul.

"I suspect someone attempted a body seizure on Fellow Daoist Ning, but it was interrupted halfway. However, that is only a suspicion. After all, the divine sense left behind in Fellow Daoist Ning's Sea of Consciousness is identical in aura to before. Perhaps it was assimilated. Sigh. In short, this matter is highly unusual."

Chen Changsheng nodded as he listened. Xiao Dongxu's words actually confirmed some of his previous speculations.

He said, "Is it possible that this split soul is actually just himself?"

Xiao Dongxu shook his head and said, "Though the aura is identical, it doesn't feel like the same person. Instead, it's like two completely identical people."

"This Chen understands. Thank you for your trouble, Young Priest Xiao."

"Mister Chen is too polite. I am also quite curious about Fellow Daoist Ning's situation. It might be a good idea to let him stay a few more days so I can observe him further."

But Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen actually knows of his uniqueness, so This Chen does not advise you to delve any deeper, as it would likely bring unnecessary trouble to you, my young Daoist friend."

Hearing this, Xiao Dongxu froze for a moment and asked, "Is the karma involved very grave?"

Chen Changsheng nodded.

Xiao Dongxu smacked his lips. He was actually itching to know.

He was naturally curious about such extraordinary matters. Being forbidden from investigating would likely make him lose sleep and appetite.

But if Mister Chen himself said it involved great karma...

He really shouldn't dig any deeper.

"Sigh..."

Xiao Dongxu sighed.

In the end, it was because his Dao Cultivation was still too shallow.

Although he had learned a lot, not much of it was actually useful.

After thinking it over carefully,

Xiao Dongxu felt it was best not to dwell on it.

One must heed the words of a senior.

Chen Daoqiu arranged guest rooms for them, so Chen Changsheng and Ning Bufan temporarily settled in.

Chen Changsheng took a trip to Tianji Mountain's kitchen. Tianji Mountain did indeed have a kitchen. Likely due to the nature of their Cultivation, Tianji Mountain placed great importance on the flavor of worldly grains. This ran entirely contrary to the Cultivation World's practice of relying on Bigu Pills. It was likely a hope that disciples wouldn't forget the taste of mortal food; Tianji Mountain's purpose for existing had never been to become lofty immortals.

He asked a kitchen disciple for some red beans.

After getting the red beans, Chen Changsheng found a spot to ponder over them.

This task actually stumped him.

Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers wasn't difficult, but he didn't just want to perform Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers; he needed these beans to be capable of Cultivation, which was no easy task.

"How can I make them cultivate on their own...?"

Chen Changsheng sat beneath a tree, completely unable to figure it out no matter how he looked at it.

At the end of the day, his comprehension was lacking.

When it actually came to Cultivation, he was utterly clueless.

He stared blankly at the red beans in his palm, sitting there until the sky grew dark.

It wasn't until Ning Bufan returned from a long stroll around Tianji Mountain and saw Mister Chen sitting under the tree that he was startled.

"Whoa!"

Ning Bufan patted his chest and said, "Mister Chen, why are you here? You gave me a fright."

Chen Changsheng snapped out of his daze and said, "Is Tianji Mountain that much fun? You only came back after dark?"

Ning Bufan chuckled and came over to sit down. "Mister Chen doesn't know, but the Daoists on Tianji Mountain are incredibly interesting. Every one of them has a silver tongue and knows a bit of everything. From the lute and chess to calligraphy and painting, they excel in it all. And they speak so nicely. They're amazing."

Chen Changsheng laughed. "With the way you're talking, someone who didn't know better would think you just went to a brothel."

Ning Bufan laughed. "This is far more amazing than a brothel."

"Don't go saying that around here. If the Tianji Mountain Disciples hear you, a beating is the least you'll get."

"Hehe..."

Chen Changsheng paused and took another look at Ning Bufan.

After a moment of thought, he said, "Right, This Chen obtained an item related to Buddhist Dharma in his early years. Why don't you take a look at it for me?"

"What is it?" Ning Bufan asked.

Chen Changsheng felt around in his sleeve and drew out a page of text. It was given to him back then by the monk inside the spirit cage—it was precisely the Scripture of Passing.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!