Chapter 565: The Difference Between Immortals and Gods

After a moment, the Empress of Earth emerged from the rear hall, having changed into men's clothing. She wore a form-fitting black top that cinched at the waist, paired with a black skirt and robe beneath, layered over a crimson inner skirt embroidered with golden branches and emerald leaves. As she walked, the red underskirt would peek out from beneath the black, the contrast of black and red striking to the eye.

Her hair ornamentation was far simpler, merely tied up, wrapped with a green cloth, and fastened with a wooden hairpin.

She wore no earrings or other head ornaments, and only a thin veil covered her face.

"We can set out now." The Empress of Earth's eyes sparkled, looking quite dashing and bold.

Chen Shi thought for a moment, then asked, "Does Your Ladyship know the shape of the Crimson Origin Furnace?"

"I do!"

The two arrived at the base of the lotus platform, leaped together, and plunged into the radiant light, following its path.

Beyond the radiant light lay darkness and obscurity.

Walking within the glow, one could distinctly smell the scent of incense offerings.

This was Her Ladyship's divine path ability, different from immortal path abilities.

Chen Shi walked the path of achieving immortality through cultivation, and had little understanding of becoming a god through the divine path. He asked the Empress of Earth about it, and she laughed, saying, "The divine path initially follows the route of becoming a god through incense offerings. But once one cultivates to a certain realm, one must walk the path of a Great Dao god. So-called Dao gods refer to those born from the Great Dao itself. For example, the God of Wealth, who masters the way of wealth. The God of Wealth is further divided into civil and martial. The civil God of Wealth's mastery of wealth differs from the martial God of Wealth's."

Chen Shi suddenly understood. Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, was the Martial God of Wealth, having mastered the way of generating wealth through battle and slaughter, which was walking the path of a Dao god. Mazu sheltered those who ventured out to sea, mastering the way of the ocean, also treading the path of a Dao god.

Some deities sheltered a particular region, such as the Sage King Who Opened Zhangzhou, who protected his domain, walking the path of becoming a god through incense offerings, yet to reach the level of a Dao god.

"Deities who guard a region often shoulder responsibilities like marriage, blessings for wealth and children, and favorable weather. Ironically, these are considered lower-ranking, difficult to grow into anything significant, unable to transition from incense gods to Great Dao gods, and can only remain in the mortal world. However, if an incense god cultivates for long enough, they can also acquire extraordinary power, not necessarily much weaker than a Great Dao god."

The Empress of Earth explained at length, elaborating in great detail on the cultivation path of the divine way.

"Among the Four Great Continents, there are quite a few such incense gods with remarkable strength. This type of deity is often called a Prefect. There is another category of deities, where the sun, moon, and stars, after being bathed in mortals' incense offerings for a long time, gradually develop divine manifestations and give birth to deities. This type is called a Star Lord."

"What kind of deity is Godmother?" Chen Shi inquired.

The Empress of Earth smiled and said, "I was first an incense god, then I entered the Netherworld and became a Great Dao god. Wherever there is earth, wherever there is the Netherworld, wherever there is life and death, all are my domain. But within the cycle of reincarnation, within life and death, all living beings, whether heavenly, earthly, human, divine, or ghostly, whether of the scaled, feathered, furry, or shelled, all fall under the jurisdiction of my Great Dao."

Chen Shi was startled and blurted out, "Doesn't that mean Your Ladyship has tremendous power?"

The Empress of Earth sighed and said, "It seems like great power, but in truth, I am merely a slave of the Great Dao, driven by it, with not a shred of freedom. Moreover, immortals who leap out of the cycle of reincarnation are no longer under my jurisdiction. There are always immortals who interfere with the Netherworld, disrupt reincarnation, and commit evil deeds without suffering consequences."

She sounded somewhat indignant, having clearly accumulated much resentment.

"Is there no way to punish them?"

"Perhaps there is. Perhaps Opening the Calamity is precisely the means to punish immortals. But immortals also possess treasures like earthly treasures and spiritual roots that can carry them through the calamity."

The Empress of Earth shook her head at this point.

Chen Shi asked, "Are there deities born innately?"

"There is an innate Great Dao, but no innate deities."

The Empress of Earth laughed, "Without consciousness, how could one be a deity? Deities are born from the consciousness of living beings. Without the consciousness of all creatures, deities would not exist. Perhaps there are miraculous places in the cosmic star sea that give birth to beings strong from birth, but if no one worships or venerates them, they are not deities, merely stronger creatures. The primordial insect, most likely, is a powerful creature discovered by someone in the darkness. There are many strange and bizarre things lurking in the darkness surrounding the Earth Immortal Realm."

She frowned slightly and said, "Many spiritual creatures capable of surviving Opening the Calamity come from within that darkness. Back when the Three Purities campaigned against Great Shang, destroyed the Black Bird Celestial Court, established the Hao Tian Celestial Court, and carved out the Dark Sea to define the Earth Immortal Realm, these years, although immortals have expanded the territory of the Earth Immortal Realm considerably, they still know very little about the darkness beyond it."

Chen Shi was deeply shaken.

The Earth Immortal Realm was carved out by the Three Purities?

The darkness beyond the Earth Immortal Realm had yet to be fully explored?

Why hadn't these powerful immortals been able to carve out the darkness? Could they have encountered some resistance?

And where exactly was the Western Ox New Continent located?

At the edge of the darkness? Or deep within it?

No wonder this place was a land of exile, a place even the Empress of Earth was reluctant to visit.

Chen Shi reined in his wandering thoughts and asked, "Godmother, immortals are also seekers of the Dao. What is the difference between gods and immortals?"

"The difference is vast."

The Empress of Earth decided not to rush, walking shoulder to shoulder with him in the radiant light, saying, "A deity can be a dead person, enshrined as a god after death, or a living person who achieves sainthood through their physical body. They can also be inanimate objects that develop sentience within incense offerings. They are bound and constrained by the expectations living beings place upon them, denied all freedom.

"An immortal, however, can only be cultivated from a living being. Among all living creatures, humans are the most intelligent, born with awakened consciousness and the ability to cultivate. It is humanity's desire for longevity, their desire to master the Great Dao, that gave birth to immortal arts, immortal techniques, and the immortal path."

She raised her hand, and a wisp of immortal light danced at her fingertip, but it quickly dimmed. "The divine path and the immortal path do not connect. You see, even I cannot master the immortal path. I know very little of it."

She sighed and said, "After the Black Bird Celestial Court fell, the Three Purities supported the establishment of the Hao Tian Celestial Court, and the divine path and immortal path were completely separated. People speak of 'gods and immortals' in one breath, but gods and immortals are two entirely different existences that cannot be conflated. Moreover, ever since the Three Purities vanished into seclusion, the conflict between immortals and gods has grown ever more intense."

She fell silent.

Immortals felt that deities governed too much, preventing them from acting freely, while deities felt that immortals acted with reckless abandon, interfering in mortal affairs.

Both sides viewed each other with deep displeasure.

Even the Empress of Earth herself harbored considerable dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

Immortals leap beyond the Three Realms, existing outside the Five Elements. The deities of the heavenly, earthly, and human realms, the gods of the Five Elements, none can touch them. If they leap out of the cycle of reincarnation, even she could do nothing against them.

Yet burdened by the expectations of all beings, she had no choice but to attempt to interfere with these immortals.

In recent years, the conflicts between immortals and gods had grown increasingly severe, with battles frequently breaking out, showing signs of spiraling out of control.

Immortals often came to the Celestial Court to lodge complaints, and within the Celestial Court itself, no small number of deities filed grievances as well.

Chen Shi changed the subject and said, "Godmother, this Fairy Maiden Yuan Bixia, does she reside in the Earth Immortal Realm? Is her Dao Realm also there?"

"She is in the Earth Immortal Realm, but it is not the true immortal realm. Rather, it is a world like the Western Ox New Continent."

Her Ladyship said, "When immortals ascend, they all ascend to the Earth Immortal Realm. However, when immortals undergo Dao Unification, they often do so within the world where they live. Very few can achieve Dao Unification in the Earth Immortal Realm. Those who do are mostly descendants of immortals."

She shook her head: "Immortals who come from other worlds hold a much lower status than those native to the Earth Immortal Realm."

Chen Shi's heart stirred, thinking of himself.

When he underwent Dao Unification, he had used the Celestial True God as his Divine Embryo, transforming the entire Western Ox New Continent into his Dao Realm.

Now that the Celestial True God had transformed into radiant light and ceased to exist, was the Western Ox New Continent still his Dao Realm?

With his current cultivation, there was no way he could possess such an enormous Dao Realm.

If the Western Ox New Continent was no longer his Dao Realm, could he go to the Earth Immortal Realm to undergo Dao Unification? Would he gain greater benefits?

"Once I return to the Western Ox New Continent, I'll test whether it's still my Dao Realm!" he thought to himself.

Her Ladyship continued, "Yuan Bixia is the same. She was a cultivator from Guangyuan Realm. If she hadn't come to the Earth Immortal Realm and found a good dao companion, becoming a concubine to Immortal Lord Hua, she wouldn't have her current status. But advancing further is immensely difficult for her. The identity of a lord's concubine can only allow her to cultivate to True Immortal. To reach Gold Immortal, she would need a heaven-sent opportunity."

Chen Shi was silent for a long time, then said, "Is the Earth Immortal Realm like this too?"

The Empress of Earth gave an ambiguous smile and said, "The better the resources, the more so it is. The Earth Immortal Realm has the best resources and the finest opportunities, which is why everyone wants to go there."

"What did Fairy Maiden Yuan Bixia do to offend Godmother?"

"It wasn't anything major. She was originally a cultivator from a cultivation sect in Guangyuan Realm, betrothed to her senior martial brother. It was through his guidance and support that she cultivated to the Great Ascension Realm. When the two of them were about to undergo tribulation, the heavenly treasures and earthly treasures he had prepared weren't enough for both of them to cross over. So he gave her all the magic treasures and spiritual elixirs he had painstakingly forged."

Her Ladyship said, "That senior martial brother was a sincere man. He hoped that after she crossed the tribulation and ascended, she could go to the Earth Immortal Realm, find some heavenly treasures and earthly treasures, and pull him up as well, helping him survive his heavenly tribulation, so the two could fly together in the Earth Immortal Realm."

Chen Shi asked in confusion, "Isn't this Fairy Maiden Yuan Bixia the concubine of Immortal Lord Hua? How does she also have a fiancé?"

Her Ladyship said, "That is precisely the problem. She ascended to the Earth Immortal Realm, witnessed its splendor, and never returned for a very long time. Later, Immortal Lord Hua took a liking to her and wanted to take her as a concubine. But becoming a concubine of Immortal Lord Hua isn't something one can simply do. She had to sever all ties with the mortal world."

Chen Shi was somewhat indignant: "Did she break off the engagement with her senior martial brother?"

"She killed him."

Her Ladyship paused, then said, "On the surface, it wasn't her who killed him. She returned to the sect bringing the refined magic treasure, letting her senior martial brother use it to cross his tribulation. But in truth, she had tampered with the treasure. Her senior martial brother didn't survive, dying in the heavenly tribulation, and she could then peacefully become Immortal Lord Hua's concubine."

"Something like this actually happened?"

"Mhm. There's a saying in the Earth Immortal Realm, 'To ascend, first slay the one in your heart,' and it's quite accurate. Later, after she became Immortal Lord Hua's concubine, she received his guidance, found an opportunity in the Dark Sea, and refined this Crimson Origin Furnace."

The two chatted along the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived outside the Guangyuan Realm.

Chen Shi stood in the radiant light, looking at this world. He could see verdant mountains, singing birds, fragrant flowers, and pleasant scenery. The people lived peaceful and contented lives, with occasional cultivators wandering among the seas of clouds and the great mountains.

The cultivators in this world appeared to be few in number, perhaps because there was no one like Chen Yindu who had created the Heavenly Heart Righteousness Technique.

In this world, most cultivators were found among the famous mountains and great rivers, likely belonging to prestigious sects.

The Western Ox New Continent had spread the Heavenly Heart Righteousness Technique to impoverished households, hence the extremely large number of cultivators. But in worlds governed by sects, the number of cultivators would be far fewer.

The radiant light carried them into the Guangyuan Realm, arriving above a prestigious sect.

That prestigious sect was the one Yuan Bixia had joined before her ascension. Chen Shi was already at the immortal realm now, and even arriving above the sect with the Empress of Earth, no one noticed them.

"This is Yuan Bixia's Dao Realm."

The Empress of Earth walked ahead, but Chen Shi suddenly stopped, looking down at the ancestral hall enshrined by the sect below. Among the patriarchs enshrined in that hall, there was actually a golden statue of a woman with a beautiful face, positioned in the center, while the golden statues of the other patriarchs stood on either side.

"That is Yuan Bixia."

The Empress of Earth glanced back and said, "She married Immortal Lord Hua, bringing glory to the sect, and her status surpassed that of the other ascended patriarchs. Therefore, in this sect, she must be placed at the center."

Chen Shi said, "And the senior martial brother?"

"Who knows? Who still remembers the failures?"

Chen Shi glanced at her. Others might not remember that senior martial brother, but the Empress of Earth had a ledger book here, and she would take it out and flip through it from time to time. Whenever she had the chance, the Empress of Earth would come to collect her debts.

The Empress of Earth stopped at the entrance to Yuan Bixia's Dao Realm, craning her neck, acting sneaky and nervous. "Your Majesty, I have prepared a detailed plan for this matter..."

Before she could even lay out the plan, she saw Chen Shi already walking into the Dao Realm.

The Empress of Earth quickly followed, quietly complaining, "What if we run into someone? Won't everything be exposed?"

Chen Shi laughed, "Godmother, when scholars rebel, nothing gets done even in three years. You haven't done these things often, but I'm well-versed in them. Sometimes the longer you plan, the more flaws appear. Acting directly often brings unexpected rewards. Since this Fairy Maiden Yuan Bixia isn't here, why should we be so particular? Let's just borrow her things and leave. There's no need for unnecessary theatrics."

The Empress of Earth touched the light veil on her face and laughed, "If you commit a crime and run back to the Western Ox New Continent, no one would recognize you. But there are far too many people in this world who recognize me."

Yuan Bixia was a True Immortal. The True Immortal Realm had six levels of Dao Realms: Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven, Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven, Qing Ming He Tong Heaven, Xuan Tai Ping Yu Heaven, Yuan Ming Wen Ju Heaven, and Shang Ming Qi Yao Heaven.

Yuan Bixia's Dao Realm was already at the Yuan Ming Wen Ju Heaven level.

Within this Dao Realm were Dao manifestations such as hollow voids, Jade Courts, purple wheels, cinnabar clouds, Ten Sage Lords, and Ten-Turn Skeletons.

Many women lived here, presumably female disciples of the sect, responsible for daily cleaning and upkeep.

Chen Shi led the Empress of Earth straight toward the Jade Court. The female disciples spotted them and hurriedly tried to block them, shouting, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into Lady Bixia's Dao Realm?"

The Empress of Earth raised her sleeve to cover her face, blushing deeply, and sprinted after Chen Shi.

Chen Shi charged into the Jade Court with a roar. With a wave of his hand, he sent the women flying, then rushed through hall after hall. Suddenly, he spotted a vermilion immortal furnace floating within a sea of flames, bobbing up and down. He quickly said, "Godmother, is this the treasure?"

The Empress of Earth peeked out from behind her sleeve with two eyes, glanced at it, and quickly nodded, not daring to speak.

Chen Shi stepped forward, suppressed the flames with his magical power, and swept up the Crimson Origin Furnace.

"That was all it took?"

The Empress of Earth stood stunned, suddenly feeling that stealing from an enemy's home wasn't so troublesome after all.

"Your Ladyship, take the furnace and get out first." Chen Shi handed the furnace to the Empress of Earth and glanced back.

The Empress of Earth flew away with the Crimson Origin Furnace, heading straight back the way they came.

Chen Shi remained in the alchemy room, glanced back at the doorway, then walked to the wall directly facing the entrance and wrote a line of poetry with his brush.

"King of the waves with a romantic bone, ascending with a blade to slay the former husband!"

He tossed down the brush and ink, took a deep breath, and activated the Great Wilderness Ming Dao Collection. In an instant, his consciousness connected with the Ancient Star Sea. The boundless starlight within the star sea was mobilized by him, transforming into imprints of stars that plastered themselves across the four walls of the alchemy room!

"When Fairy Maiden Yuan returns and hears that the Crimson Origin Furnace has been stolen, she'll rush over in a panic. When she sees this poem, her rage will ignite, and she'll storm into the alchemy room!"