Talisman Emperor

Chen Xi was slightly embarrassed from being interrupted like that by Senior White, A'Liang, and Ye Yan. He coughed dryly and smiled. "I never expected that I would gain so many pleasant surprises upon returning to the sect this time. It has truly taken me by surprise."

A'Liang spoke happily with a clear and melodious voice. "Young Master, A'Liang is very happy to see you return safely as well."

Chen Xi chuckled. He glanced at Zhen Liuqing, and then he glanced at Senior White and Ye Yan before he said, "Since we've finally been reunited after a long time, shouldn't we drink and celebrate?"

Senior White grunted coldly and said, "Look, this fellow is started to change the topic."

Even though he said that, he still flapped his wings with joy and said anxiously. "Quickly! Quickly! Cut the crap! Quickly bring out the wine! Your ancestor, I, hasn't had wine for many years!"

Everyone couldn't help but chuckle.

…

Chen Xi immediately withdrew some fine wine that he'd stored for many years, and then all of them sat casually on the ground before they started to chat merrily and drink happily while toasting each other.

Senior White and the others were very curious about Chen Xi's experiences throughout these years, and he didn't conceal anything from them. He described everything since he headed to the Primal Chaos Origin until he arrived back at Oracle Mountain.

He'd spoken concisely about it and in a flat voice, but when these stories entered into the ears of Senior White and the others, it still caused their hearts to surge and be unable to calm down for a long time.

The Primal Chaos Origin.

The mysterious Origin World.

The Grand Heaven Mine.

Who could have imagined that Chen Xi would actually experience so many inconceivable events in a few dozen years of time? And could anyone imagine how much danger he'd faced?

…

It wasn't long before all of them were tipsy.

Even A'Liang's eyes were narrowed and blurry, and she had her arms around her knees as she rested sideways on a bronze wine cup that was much larger than her. Moreover, her pretty and clear little face was rosy, and it was a rather beautiful sight.

"Senior White, do you know why the Heaven Dao has changed so unexpectedly?" Chen Xi suddenly asked this question. With Senior White's title as the 'Master of All' that possessed both ancient and current knowledge, Chen Xi really wanted to know what Senior White thought about the sudden change in the Heaven Dao.

"A calamity." Senior White revealed a rare period of silence before he sighed with emotion. "Even though I know a huge amount, there are many things that I can't figure out, and the Heaven Dao is one of them."

"Oh." Chen Xi was stunned because Senior White's words were actually rather similar to what Li Yang had told him earlier.

"However, I'm able to roughly determine that this calamity is bound to surpass the calamities of the past, and it's bound to cause immeasurable effects to the Ancient God Domain." Senior White added.

"How do you think this calamity can be stopped?" Chen Xi couldn't help but ask this question.

"Stop it?" Senior White shook his head. "How would I know? It's an unexpected change in the Heaven Dao! The Heaven Dao is extraordinarily ethereal and supreme, so how could it possibly be figured out? Unless…."

When he spoke up to here, Senior White suddenly chuckled and joked. "Unless you're able to defeat the Heaven Dao, then perhaps this calamity will come to an end."

"Defeat the Heaven Dao?" Chen Xi felt his heart tremble, and it was like a bolt of lightning had struck his mind. Defeat Godsbane Heaven? Why didn't I think of that?

In the beginning when the Chaos of the three dimensions had just been split, numerous Heaven Daos had been born, and a battle between them had erupted. In the end, Godsbane Heaven had defeated and fused all the other Heaven Daos into itself, and it obtained the final victory.

During this entire process, only Origin Heaven had obtained the River Diagram's assistance, and it avoided being swallowed and merged into Godsbane Heaven.

Now, Godsbane Heaven's energy had fully covered the three dimensions, the Ancient God Domain, and various other areas. It could be said to be supreme, boundless, and possessing awe-inspiring divine might. It made the myriad of living beings in the fear going against its rules.

Even since he'd started cultivating until now, Chen Xi had never given serious thought to whether the Heaven Dao could be defeated, or perhaps he'd unconsciously avoided arousing even a single thought about it.

After all, once such thoughts arose in one's head, then it was equivalent to 'opposing the heavens'. It was a form of disrespect to the Heaven Dao's dignity. The Heaven Dao possessed vast and inviolable divine might in the hearts of every single cultivator, so they felt that they were bound to suffer the wrath of the heavens if they were to arouse such thoughts!

Yet now, Chen Xi had seen through all of this, and he was clearly aware that the so-called 'divine might' was merely the energy of the Laws and Order through circulated within the Heaven Dao.

So, he was fearful yet wasn't reverent towards the Heaven Dao.

At this moment, when Senior White's joke reminded him about all of this, Chen Xi suddenly aroused an unprecedented thought — Since Godsbane Heaven has suddenly changed and caused calamity to descend throughout the entire Ancient God Domain, then why can't I defeat it and put a complete stop to the spread of this chaos and calamity?

Defeat Godsbane Heaven?

Defeat Godsbane Heaven?

Defeat….

As he kept thinking about it, all sorts of strange emotions appeared in Chen Xi's heart, and he became even more excited and delighted. It was like the yearning in the depths of his heart had erupted completely.

Chen Xi couldn't explain why he felt so excited, and even he was quite surprised when he sensed the rapid change in his emotions.

Defeat Godsbane Heaven….

In the hearts of every single cultivator throughout the world, such a thing was simply like a high treason and a taboo!

Obviously, once one acted in that way, it was undoubtedly equivalent to going against the supreme Order and Laws that covered the entire world.

How could the heavens possibly be defeated!?

If it were to be defeated, then wouldn't the entire world be thrown into chaos?

But….

Could anyone prove that the Heaven Dao couldn't be defeated?

Chen Xi's heart shook while he fell into deep thought.

…

Huff!

After an unknown period passed, Chen Xi finally recovered from the shock these thoughts brought him. At the moment he opened his eyes, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and his black pupils that seemed like two abysses had become firm and deep again.

Senior White's words were like a stroke of lightning that broke open the barriers in the depths of Chen Xi's heart, and it seeded a seed within him that silently sprouted within him.

Was defeating the Heaven Dao crazy?

It was crazy indeed to all the cultivators throughout the world, and it was even insane and treacherous.

However, Chen Xi intended to give it a try instead!

Because he possessed the energy of Samsara and the complete River Diagram, and he even possessed the energy of a completely new Law and Order of the Heaven Dao, the Core or Origin World, the Origin Heaven!

Even though Chen Xi didn't have even a trace of confidence in his ability to defeat Godsbane Heaven now and was even unaware of the exact method to accomplish it, he believed that all of this would come to pass one day!

"You're awake?" A calm and clear voice resounded by his ear. Chen Xi raised his head and noticed that only Zhen Liuqing and him remained in the entire hall.

At this moment, she was staring at him while her clear and completely pure eyes carried a faint trace of concern.

"Where are the others?" Chen Xi spoke with surprise.

"They were afraid of disturbing you. They left yesterday," said Zhen Liuqing lightly.

"Yesterday?" Chen Xi was slightly surprised. "A day has passed?"

Zhen Liuqing nodded.

Chen Xi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when he heard this. I was actually in a trance for an entire day because of a single thought, and I didn't pay any attention to Senior White and the others. That was really bad of me.

"Are… are you alright?" Zhen Liuqing hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but ask this question in the end.

She'd watched helplessly as Chen Xi sat motionlessly there in a trace for an entire day, and when she thought about how it had been caused by an absurd thing like defeating the Heaven Dao which Senior White spoke about, how could she not be worried about the state Chen Xi was in?

"I'm fine." Chen Xi took a deep breath, and he completely cleared his mind before he said, "There's no need to worry. I wouldn't be silly enough to think about going against the Heaven Dao right now."

Zhen Liuqing's curved brows that were like fine and long willow tree leaves had knit together as she said, "What about in the future?"

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Who knows what will happen in the future?"

He didn't intend to tell her the thoughts he had in the depths of his heart so that she wouldn't be too worried. After all, it was simply extremely absurd and preposterous in the hearts of others.

"I believe that you won't do anything silly until you've made sufficient preparations." Zhen Liuqing smiled while her clear and pure eyes were suffused with a dim glow. She seemed to have understood Chen Xi's thoughts yet didn't say anything about it.

This was what she was like. She had a natural and tranquil bearing, and she was extraordinarily intelligent yet didn't show it off. So, others couldn't help but become close to her.

Chen Xi suddenly said, "Right, why were you and your Master, Daoist Dao Que, captured by the Gongye Clan all those years ago?"

"Didn't you take a look at the jade slip?" Zhen Liuqing was stunned.

Chen Xi recalled that he'd obtained a bloody jade slip from Ye Yan after she escaped the Gongye Clan, and she'd said that it had been formed from Daoist Dao Que's remains, and it was exactly that jade slip which the Gongye Clan strongly desired.

At that time, Chen Xi knew that it was probably that jade slip which had brought calamity upon Daoist Dao Que and Zhen Liuqing, but he hadn't looked through it.

It was a form of respect to her, but most importantly, Chen Xi didn't believe that Zhen Liuqing would perish at all.

In his opinion, since the bloody jade slip was something Daoist Dao Que had left behind, then it should naturally be kept for Zhen Liuqing. He wasn't willing to overstep his boundaries.

"I didn't." Chen Xi shook his head.

Zhen Liuqing couldn't help but ask. "Why?"

Chen Xi said casually, "I believed that you would definitely wake up."

Just these words allowed Zhen Liuqing to fully understand Chen Xi's thoughts at the time, and an unusual form of warmth couldn't help but arise in her heart.

Because this man before her had experienced the tempering of countless storms, yet he'd still maintained a heart that was extremely considerate to others, and he hadn't changed at all from the time they knew each other in the Darchu Dynasty.

One's cultivation could change, one's lifespan could change, and even one's wisdom could change…. But how many could maintain a clear and firm heart until now?

Perhaps this is exactly what attracted me when I met him for the first time?

When she thought up to this point, a wisp of a heartfelt smile couldn't help but appear on the corners of her mouth.

Her starry eyes glistened brightly as she stared at Chen Xi for a long time, and then she spoke in a gentle voice. "The location of a mysterious area is recorded in that jade slip. According to my Master, it's a place that all the cultivators who wholeheartedly seek the Ultimate Path towards the Dao yearn for with all their heart. At the same time, only cultivators who have stepped foot onto the Ultimate Path towards the Dao are capable of entering it!"