Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage-Chapter 40 - Saving Shen Bao from the Eye of the North

Ying Zheng smiled and replied, “Of course, the Path of Emperors! Cultivating the body with the sovereign’s domineering spirit, thus entering the Dao.”

Wukong exclaimed, “Emperor Ying Zheng truly is the one and only emperor through the ages, to have realized such a path. Does that mean, if one wishes to attain the Dao in the future, they must also become the ruler of ten thousand heavens and fulfill their magnificent aspirations?”

Ying Zheng nodded and said, “I never expected that, though you are only a Taiyi Golden Immortal, you already have such insights into the Dao, remarkable indeed!”

Wukong said, “Now the Jade Emperor is weakened, the cycle of reincarnation has been taken back by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and the Four Great Emperors are seemingly united but actually divided, secretly defying authority while outwardly showing support. Now the Jade Emperor relies entirely on the might of his Dao companion, the Queen Mother, to maintain his position. Heh, the Jade Emperor is actually not as competent as his spouse!”

Having heard this, Ying Zheng nodded slightly but did not say much, only commenting, “The foundations of the Heavenly Court are deeply rooted; shaking it will not be easy. Let me make further progress and then look for the ill fortune of the Heavenly Court.”

Wukong couldn’t help feeling joyous. The power of the Heavenly Court was immense, beyond his ability to shake alone. In the past, his solo chaos in the Celestial Palace was due to the Western Heaven’s layout, reaching an unspoken agreement with the high levels of the Heavenly Court. Besides, at that time, figures like Nezha and Yang Jian in the Heavenly Court had not yet cultivated the Alchemy Dao. Recently, he had witnessed the battle power of the Heavenly Court; there were not a few Taiyi Golden Immortals, and the might of the Four Great Emperors was unfathomable…

“Now that Emperor Ying Zheng has achieved the Daluo Golden Immortal, is there a place he intends to go?” Wukong asked.

“Hmm… I currently have no destination in mind,” Ying Zheng thought for a moment and replied.

Xu Fu hurriedly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, my master is still suppressed at the bottom of the North Sea. Please go and rescue him.”

Ying Zheng pondered and stated, “My esteemed master granted me the Elixir Pills of Immortality, an immeasurable favor. I must rescue him!”

Wukong asked, “Fellow Daoist, who is your honored master?”

Xu Fu answered, “It’s Shen Bao from the past, also known as Shen Gongbao.”

Upon hearing this, Wukong thought to himself that this was significant. Shen Bao, also honorably referred to as Shen Gongbao, was once a declining god within the Chan Taoist sect. His phrase “Fellow Daoist, please halt” had killed countless Golden Immortals. Seeing that going against heaven was difficult and fearing punishment from the Lord of Primordial Beginning, this individual actually switched allegiance to the Tong Tian Sect Master, joining the Jie Taoist sect to oppose the Chan Taoist sect. After the war for the deification of gods, Shen Gongbao, for his part in aiding the tyrant, along with Tong Tian Sect Master’s Extermination Immortal Sword, was suppressed underwater in the North Sea.

Yuan Tiangang was also astonished. This was indeed a declining god in the truest sense!

Xu Fu explained, “My master encountered me when I was traveling overseas to search for the Elixir of Immortality on behalf of Your Majesty. At that time, far out at sea with great winds, and as the North Sea’s Abyss began to gather water, it sucked me in. Inside the Abyss, I met my master who, after learning why I had come, bestowed upon me the elixir pills and transmitted to me the Cultivation Method… Your Majesty’s accomplishments today are also my master’s doing.”

“What is your master’s cultivation?” Wukong asked.

“A Daluo Golden Immortal as well!” Xu Fu replied.

Inwardly, Wukong exclaimed, “Goodness!” It seemed the figures from the war for the deification of gods were formidable indeed; even Shen Gongbao, a notorious figure, had such impressive cultivation. One could only imagine how formidable the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Taoist sect were, though several of them had entered the Buddhist Sect, like Guanyin of the South Sea, who was Ci Hang, Manjushri Bodhisattva who was Manjushri, and Samantabhadra…

Ying Zheng wondered, “If he is a Daluo Golden Immortal and still cannot escape, of what use would it be for us to go?”

Xu Fu said, “The disaster of my master’s suppression was because of that Extermination Immortal Sword. This sword is fierce, suppressing the bottom of the sea, and cannot be moved without the mana of a Daluo Golden Immortal.”

Ying Zheng then asked, “There are probably quite a few Daluo Golden Immortals in the world, and the Extermination Immortal Sword is a peerless Magical Treasure; why has no one taken it?”

Xu Fu sighed and explained, “My teacher’s suppression was an act of necessity by the Tong Tian Sect Master. With his heavenly mana, who would dare to claim it?”

The Tong Tian Sect Master, one of the Three Pure Ones, also known as the Lord of Spiritual Treasures, had already attained sainthood who knows how many years ago, deterring the Four Seas. Even though everyone in Heaven and Earth knew that the Extermination Immortal Sword was a treasure, who would dare to take it? Provoking the Sect Master’s wrath, the Slaying Immortals Sword’s murderous aura could tremble at will, reducing people to blood and water.

Bai Qi stated, “I heard that the four Slaying Swords of the Tong Tian Sect Master have unparalleled murderous aura. Being called the god of killing, I would also like to take a look. It might be of great use to my Path of Slaughter.”

Having achieved the status of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, one must seek out one’s own Dao, firm up one’s own Dao, to make the alchemy Dao integrated and complete, and then comprehend the realm of a Daluo Golden Immortal, thereby attaining it! Bai Qi’s cultivation was of the path of slaughter. When he was but a mortal commander, he slew countless people, and from this, he gained some understanding of the path of slaughter. He stumbled along the way, but fortunately, the path of slaughter is a fast track to success. Having killed six hundred thousand people, he achieved the status of a Taiyi Golden Immortal. However, he has been lying dormant within the mausoleum of the First Emperor and unable to kill, which is why his cultivation has not progressed for so long.

Ying Zheng nodded and said, “Very good! I am entangled with my esteemed teacher in karma and must go to his rescue.”

Wukong felt vaguely in his heart that when Xu Fu left the East Sea, but was sucked in by the North Sea Eye instead, it was probably a grand scheme laid out by the Tong Tian Sect Master, finding an excuse to entangle the First Emperor Ying Zheng in karma, to rescue this disciple of his. The heart of a Saint is profound and inscrutable; who can fathom it?

Yuan Tiangang also said, “Then let’s go and take a look.”

With those words, he transformed into his original form.

Thus, the group rode on clouds towards the North Sea.

The North Sea, being close to the Northern Region Demon Abyss, is shrouded in mystery, and no one wishes to associate with it. Therefore, they agreed to take a detour.

From a distance, Wukong saw Demonic Qi swirling above the Northern Region Demon Abyss with billowing black fog, and demons roaring within the abyss, utterly terrifying. He thought to himself, “I wonder how the Six-Eared Macaque and Black Bear Demon are faring inside? In a few days, I shall delve into this abyss and explore.”

All of them were Taiyi Golden Immortals, and after traveling together for about an hour, they finally reached the North Sea.

Leading the group, Xu Fu made for the North Sea Eye, and after not much time, they finally arrived above the Eye.

The South Sea also has a Sea Eye, known as the Abyssal, rumored to be the gathering place of all the seas in the world, and it is also a place of profound mystery.

“It is right here.”

They saw a giant vortex in the area, where all the seawater was rotating, with such a strong suction that even Taiyi Golden Immortals flying on clouds above it, if they were not careful, might be sucked in.

Xu Fu shouted loudly, “Master, I’ve come to rescue you!”

After a long silence, a voice finally came from the Sea Eye, “The Extermination Immortal Sword is right within the Sea Eye; I ask the Ancestral Dragon Emperor to retrieve it for me.”

This voice must surely belong to Shen Gongbao, known as the “God of Decline.”

Thereupon, Ying Zheng waved his sleeve, casting a Water-Avoiding Technique to envelop the group, and then they slowly approached the vortex of the Sea Eye.

The absorption force in the Sea Eye was strong, with chaotic winds blowing forcefully, causing the golden light enveloping the group to waver.

Yuan Tiangang lamented, “Even a Daluo Golden Immortal suppressed in there for tens of thousands of years would find life worse than death, unbearably torturous!”

Having reached ten thousand zhang under the sea, faced with several million jin of pressure, even Ying Zheng felt quite uncomfortable, and the other Taiyi Golden Immortals had their faces turn red.

But Wukong had long been accustomed to such pressure. With a rotation of the Primordial Great Strength Technique, he instantly felt no obstruction.

Within the Eye of the Sea, there was a cage, and the person trapped inside was none other than Shen Gongbao. A poem attested to this: “Forging the genuine Five Elements Technique, moving mountains and overturning seas becomes more mystical; subduing the Dragon and Tiger at will, riding cranes and ascending dragons into the Nine Heavens. Purple Qi rises tens of thousands of feet, planting Golden Lotus when joyous; treading on rosy clouds, idling away time, the carefree life spans thousands of years.” It is evident that Shen Gongbao’s abilities are not weak!

Shen Gongbao got what he deserved; he became the scapegoat in the God-Sealing War, rebelling against the Heavenly Dao. And the Tong Tian Sect Master, being a Saint, how could he be the one punished? Shen Gongbao, not following the way of the Heavenly Dao, deserved to be punished and became the sacrificial offering. Nevertheless, the Tong Tian Sect Master, perhaps out of a bit of teacher-disciple sentiment or perhaps having a grander scheme, can compare with the Lord of Primordial Beginning in protecting his own kind. And Shen Gongbao was quite the talent too; otherwise, he would not have gone through all this trouble to set up this plan that lured the First Emperor Ying Zheng personally to the rescue.

A three feet and seven inches Divine Sword of green front hung above the cage, this Divine Sword had an emanating killing aura, several times stronger than the Sun-Shooting Bow and Sun-Shooting Arrow, with a song of praise: “Neither copper nor iron nor steel, once hidden beneath Mount Sumeru; no need for Yin and Yang to reverse refine, it is not without the tempering of water and fire. The Extermination Immortal Sword is lethal, the Slaying Immortal Sword brings despair, demons fall everywhere as red light rises; the wondrous changes of the Extermination Immortal, even Daluo Immortals are left with blood-stained garments.”

Yuan Tiangang exclaimed in astonishment, “This sword is unmatched in ferocity, I fear it has slaughtered countless beings!”

During the war between witches and demons, the Tong Tian Sect Master activated the Slaying Immortals Sword Formation, and countless mighty beings of the Demon Tribe died under this sword. Possessing such fierce killing aura, it was also expected.

Upon seeing the crowd, Shen Gongbao joyfully said, “It is wonderful that the First Emperor has achieved the Daluo Golden Immortal. Heaven has aided me as well!”

The First Emperor replied, “Taoist Master need not be modest; this is what Ying Zheng ought to do.”

Having said that, the First Emperor raised a Tiger Talisman, which was once used by the Qin Empire to dispatch troops. Unexpectedly, Ying Zheng had now refined it into a powerful Magical Treasure.

When the Tiger Talisman came together, a golden tiger burst forth, pouncing towards the Extermination Immortal Sword, bit down on it, and then with a vigorous tug, dragged the Extermination Immortal Sword down from above. Seeing the fierceness of the Extermination Immortal Sword, no one dared to take it, fearing the backlash from its killing aura.

Wukong asked, “General Bai Qi, can you take it?”

Bai Qi replied, “That will likely be difficult; such killing aura is not within my control.”

Wukong secretly rejoiced and said, “Since no one can take it, then I shall have my friend do it!”

Everyone was surprised; could that Taoist who shot Li Jing have such great ability? Suddenly, they saw a figure shooting down from the sky. It was the Heaven-Defying Taoist. He grasped the Extermination Immortal Sword in his hand and laughed loudly, “This sword suits my heart perfectly; thank you, thank you very much!”