"We’re late!"

Yangshuo Mountain Man stomped his foot. "All the good Holy Lands and good seedlings have been dug away by these dog bastards!"

"You can’t dig away two hundred thousand people."

Shantang Scholar said, "Penglai West is vast enough, with plenty of Holy Lands inside. There will always be something suitable for us."

Yangshuo Mountain Man looked at him with a wary gaze, like he was looking at a dog bastard competing with him for disciples and Holy Lands.

Penglai West was bustling inside and out. This round of preaching and teaching had taken too long, and it quickly reached the ten‑day deadline Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran had set, leaving the two of them unable to sit still.

The two hurriedly found Chen Yindou.

Du Yiran paced back and forth anxiously. "Old Chen, I claimed to the outside world that I’d be in seclusion for ten days. Now that the ten days are over and I still haven’t returned, I’m afraid my Zao Fu Palace has already been turned upside down!"

Sha Qiutong was as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, speaking in a rush: "I also set ten days of seclusion. Hurry up and think of something!"

Chen Yindou said helplessly, "I still haven’t managed to break Little Ten’s Sealing. If Creation Little Five were here, I should be able to fathom the subtleties of his Sealing."

"We can’t wait any longer!"

Sha Qiutong said urgently, "Old Hu is still in the Immortal Court! Once we left, he became a hostage! Now that we haven’t gone back for ten days, I’m afraid the Immortal Court will make a move on Old Hu!"

The Old Hu she spoke of was the Heavenly Fox Hu Xiaoliang. Back then the four of them had come to the Earth Immortal Realm together: Chen Yindou was taken as a disciple by Hidden Dragon Ancestor, Du Yiran went to Zao Fu Palace, and Sha Qiutong went to Nine Nether Valley.

Only Hu Xiaoliang, because he was from the Demon Clan—and the Demon Clan’s status in the Immortal Court was low, often reduced to mounts—was spared the fate of a mount thanks to Chen Yindou’s face and instead served as a decoration in Heavenly Beauty Garden.

—The sort that stand on both sides when honored guests arrive, godly, magnificent mutant beasts that look awe‑inspiring; hence the name "decoration."

At least the Immortal Court fed and housed him; Immortal Pills and Spiritual Energy were in ample supply, and all kinds of Cultivation Techniques for Demon Immortals were available. As a result, Hu Xiaoliang’s days were actually the most carefree among the four of them.

This time, Chen Yindou came to look for Chen Shi and could bring Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran along because both of them had their own Immortal Palaces and could claim to be in seclusion. But Hu Xiaoliang, being just a decoration and having no Immortal Palace of his own, wasn’t brought.

Now that the three of them had been gone for so long, Hu Xiaoliang’s good days were likely coming to an end.

Chen Yindou pondered. "As long as the Primordial Talismans passed on by Little Ten reach the Immortal Court, the old fox won’t die. My master Hidden Dragon will definitely keep him alive. Only if the old fox doesn’t die can he have leverage over us and figure out where the Primordial Talismans came from. With his intelligence, he should deduce that the Primordial Talismans Little Ten spread came from me. Since he knows my value, he will definitely preserve the old fox."

Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran were slightly relieved at these words.

Du Yiran said, "Hidden Dragon has Hu’s life in his grasp. How are we supposed to rescue him?"

Chen Yindou frowned slightly. Hidden Dragon Ancestor was absolutely a difficult character to deal with—clever and quick‑witted, no less than himself. What’s more, his Cultivation was vast; he was a standout among Taiyi Golden Immortals. How to rescue the Heavenly Fox was indeed a tough problem.

"Right now, we still have to think of a way to escape from Little Ten’s hands!"

Immortal Court, Yuan Ting Palace.

Hidden Dragon Ancestor had already received the first Primordial Talisman sent from Penglai West.

The Right Heavenly Master wore a grave expression as he repeatedly examined this Primordial Talisman, probing its structure and comprehending its Daoist subtlety.

He was the founder of the Primordial Talisman system; the very first Primordial Talisman was created by him. But he had too many tedious affairs and had to help the Immortal Emperor manage the Immortal Court, leaving him no time to devote all his energy to Primordial Talismans. Thus he could only summon Chen Yindou and other peerlessly gifted minds to expand the system together.

Even after collecting Daoist Skills from all under heaven and gathering the sixteen smartest people in the world to research, they had only managed to perfect the Primordial Talismans by twenty percent.

Yet now, the Primordial Talisman floating before him was perfected to more than eighty percent.

The corner of Hidden Dragon Ancestor’s eye twitched. The Primordial Talisman before his eyes was already near ultimate perfection; in his view, it was even more perfect than the Dao Patterns of the Immortal Dao. Even the most beautiful woman in the world couldn’t compare to one‑ten‑thousandth of this Primordial Talisman.

But how could that little Teacher on Golden Turtle Island possess such a perfect Primordial Talisman?

"Chen! Yin! dou!"

He recalled the first time he’d met Chen Shi. At that time Chen Shi and Chen Yindou had already met and spent some time together. Clearly it was then that Chen Yindou passed the Primordial Talisman to Chen Shi.

However, the Primordial Talisman Chen Yindou had mastered at that time was only perfected by two tenths.

Who had perfected this eighty‑percent Primordial Talisman?

Whose wisdom was this high?

"Was it that little Teacher on Golden Turtle Island? I truly underestimated him."

Suddenly, Hidden Dragon Ancestor thought of something and hurriedly summoned Zuo Gongming, ordering, "Chen Yindou is most likely not in seclusion; he has already escaped. He has a brother, the Heavenly Fox, still in Heavenly Beauty Garden. Go to Heavenly Beauty Garden at once and invite the Heavenly Fox here to me. Do not allow anyone to kill him!"

Zuo Gongming’s face changed slightly. "Master, Chen Yindou has indeed escaped. Sha Qiutong and Du Yiran have fled as well. A few junior brothers, when they heard, wanted to go to Heavenly Beauty Garden and kill the Heavenly Fox to vent their anger."

"Go quickly; you must stop them!"

Zuo Gongming hurried away.

Hidden Dragon Ancestor let out a turbid breath and said in a low voice, "As long as the Heavenly Fox doesn’t die, I can still keep a hold on Chen Yindou. And this little Teacher of Golden Turtle Island is quite the interesting fellow. Spreading the Primordial Talismans, making them public to the world, truly has the bearing and demeanor of a Teacher; I am far inferior. However, he won’t live long."

His expression was leisurely as he waved his horsetail whisk and walked toward Lingxiao Palace.

"By spreading the Primordial Talismans, you’ve thrown the battle formations of both Immortal Court and Heavenly Court into chaos. How are the Immortal Gods supposed to fight as one family now?"

He arrived at Lingxiao Palace to find civil and military officials already packed in the hall, all discussing the Golden Turtle Island Primordial Talismans. The two hundred thousand disciples on Golden Turtle Island were a mixed bag; various forces had planted people among them; even the Immortal Court had several factions’ spies inserted there.

In the past, when King Li discovered spies in the Heavenly Soldier Camp, he would usually send them off to die. But Chen Shi had taken the Heavenly Soldier Camp under his command without screening it, so all those spies from various powers were preserved.

"Hidden Dragon, you’ve come at just the right time."

Left Heavenly Master Leng Dongliu said, "Chen Shi of Golden Turtle Island is teaching his disciples Primordial Talismans on a grand scale. The Primordial Talismans he’s teaching are extraordinarily profound, even far surpassing yours. What exactly has happened here?"

Hidden Dragon Ancestor bowed to the Immortal Emperor. "Mr. Chen is extraordinarily gifted. He obtained the Primordial Talismans in private from my disciple Chen Yindou and then further perfected them."

Leng Dongliu frowned slightly. "Teacher? You’re elevating Chen Shi too much; it makes one question your intentions."

Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, "For preaching the Dao to all under heaven, a respectful title is due."

Leng Dongliu was about to argue when the Immortal Emperor raised his hand. "The two Heavenly Masters need not quarrel over this. Primordial Talismans were originally our Immortal Court’s trump card. The Three Pure Ones Realm and Western Heaven joined hands with our Immortal Court partly because of Heavenly Court’s unrighteousness, and partly because of the Primordial Talismans. Now that Mr. Chen has spread the Primordial Talismans, our Immortal Court has one less trump card. I’ve summoned you here to discuss what impact Mr. Chen’s preaching will have on the world’s situation."

Leng Dongliu said, "Once the Primordial Talismans are spread, Immortals and Gods will no longer be distinct, becoming one family; chaos will inevitably arise. But the struggle between Immortal Court and Heavenly Court will mostly have little to do with the lower‑level Immortals and Gods."

He paused, then said, "If the Immortal Dao won’t do, then we walk the Divine Dao. If one’s Cultivation is insufficient, then descend to the Lower Realm and gather incense. Without needing Holy Immortal Mountains, one can still achieve Enlightenment."

The Immortal Emperor said, "I never intended to seize the world. If the Primordial Talismans can bring peace under heaven and harmony between Immortal and God, then it would be no big deal for me not to be Immortal Emperor. I only fear that while the tree wishes to be still, the wind will not stop. Hidden Dragon, what do you think?"

Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, "Your Majesty, there is no difference between fighting over Immortal Mountain Holy Lands and fighting over incense. If Immortal Gods do not fight now, they will fight in the future, and still batter each other bloody. Since that’s the case, why not settle it once and for all?"

The Immortal Emperor consulted the court, and all civil and military officials agreed with Hidden Dragon’s words.

The Immortal Emperor sighed. "I have no desire to seize the world, but you gentlemen are all eager to render great service. In that case, what should our Immortal Court do now?"

Hidden Dragon Ancestor said, "Your Majesty should do nothing and quietly wait for news of Mr. Chen’s body perishing and Dao extinguished. Then raise the great banner, avenge Mr. Chen’s blood and hatred, and topple the Heavenly Court! In my view, Your Majesty can tolerate Mr. Chen, but the Jade Emperor cannot. News should arrive in the next few days."

Three Pure Ones Realm, Upper Pure Realm, Spirit Treasure Upper Pure Palace.

Venerable Yun Zhongzi, Sect Leader of the Upper Pure Spirit Treasure Lineage, was also examining the Primordial Talisman before him. After a long time, he was moved. "So this is the Primordial Talisman spread by Mr. Chen? It is indeed exquisitely marvelous, even surpassing the Immortal Court’s. With this act, Chen Shi fully deserves the title of Teacher; one can’t help but admire him."

He sighed and shook his head. "Pity that his life is not long."

Western Heaven, Ling Mountain.

The Buddha looked at the Primordial Talisman before him and sighed, shaking his head. "You’ve preached the Dao to the world, but sadly have ruined your own life. The way the Great Heavenly Venerate killed Taibai Star Lord back then is exactly how he can kill you."