"Chen Shi" neither denied nor confirmed it, walking straight out of the crowd.

Blue Goat followed him, his heart filled with doubt and unease.

Danchengzi wasn't someone from the True King's Era, but rather a sect master of Tai Hua Qingyang Palace from over three thousand years ago, from the same era as Blue Goat, with equal seniority.

Back then, Blue Goat wasn't a patriarch yet—he was just a young little goat, running wild all over the mountains, jumping onto the roof of Blue Goat Palace to stand there gazing at the peaks, and nestling under his parents' knees for their affection.

Danchengzi died young, before he even reached a hundred years old.

Blue Goat's parents also died, never getting to see him grow up.

After that, Blue Goat became much more composed, no longer frolicking wildly across the mountains. Instead, he took his seat at Blue Goat Palace, receiving the incense offerings from the Daoists and faithful.

He gradually became Patriarch Blue Goat of Tai Hua Mountain, seeing off generation after generation of Daoists.

Among these Daoist cultivators, not a single one managed to become an immortal. No matter what means they used, they only had a lifespan of one or two hundred years.

"Is he really Danchengzi?"

Blue Goat kept studying "Chen Shi," silently thinking, "How did he become a Cataclysm? Why did he end up in the underworld? And how did he enter Little Ten's body? Why does he call Little Ten the 'Emperor'?"

Danchengzi moved with an airy grace, walking through the Tai Hua mountains.

He arrived at Blue Goat Palace, saw nothing but ruins, and could only let out a desolate sigh. Then he went to Ascension Cliff—a place where legend said the Three Sages had sought the Dao and attained immortality. Standing there, the Three Sages had merged with heaven and earth through Dao Unification, ultimately ascending.

After that, Blue Goat became much more composed, no longer frolicking wildly across the mountains. Instead, he took his seat at Blue Goat Palace, receiving the incense offerings from the Daoists and faithful.

Blue Goat cried out, "The Three Sages' ascension is false?!"

"The Three Sages followed the traditional cultivation system, unable to achieve Dao Unification. Of course their ascension was fake."

Danchengzi let out a derisive snort and turned to leave. "The Three Sages either still exist somewhere in the world, or they were executed by the True King. They couldn't possibly have ascended."

He arrived at the Demon Sealing Cave, reminiscing about the days when he guarded this place, and then went to the Eighty-eight Demon Peaks, paying homage to the traces left by the founding masters in their battle to purge demons.

"Was 'demon' really 'demon'?" he asked, staring at these eighty-eight peaks, then shook his head.

Danchengzi returned to the main peak of Tai Hua and came to the living quarters of the young Daoists—Clear Void Temple. Newly joined Daoists of Tai Hua Qing Palace often lived here; some would stay for over a decade or even decades, aging themselves into middle-aged or elderly Daoists.

Danchengzi had lived here for a long time, so he felt a deep attachment to Clear Void Temple.

"We found the True Martial Exorcising Sword!" The joyful cry of Patriarch Qiongyang came through.

Patriarch Qiongyang had also suffered this time, affected by Jinghong's evil mutation and plunged into metamorphosis. But at the time, she had tumbled into the forest, and no one had discovered her transformation. After the evil mutation ended, she woke up, found her discarded skin, and hurriedly put on her clothes.

The True Martial Exorcising Sword had fallen not far from where she metamorphosed. When Chen Shi had borrowed Blue Goat's magical power and nearly killed Jinghong with a single sword strike, the immortal sword had flown out of his hand and pierced deep into the mountain. Without careful searching, it was hard to find.

Danchengzi walked over, his expression somewhat agitated. "This immortal artifact—I've never seen it before either."

Blue Goat followed him, his eyes flickering. "This sword was a treasure used by the True King to kill Daoist Tianzhen. The one who raised this sword must have been a peerless master of my Blue Goat Palace."

Danchengzi pondered, "Then the one who raised it was probably the sect master of that time. He likely killed the immortal on the True King's orders."

"Do you know when Tianzhen died?"

Blue Goat asked, "If we know the time, we can identify which sect master it was."

Danchengzi shook his head.

Blue Goat said, "Little Ten came here at Tianzhen's request to return the True Martial Exorcising Sword. He also asked Tai Hua Qing Palace to retrieve Tianzhen's remains and bring them back to Tai Hua Mountain."

Danchengzi sighed emotionally, "That little fire-tending Daoist boy of Patriarch True Yang turned out to be so formidable that the sect master at the time had to deploy the True Martial Exorcising Sword just to kill him. If he hadn't died, who knows—he might have actually blazed a new path to Dao Unification using the old methods."

He finally saw the True Martial Exorcising Sword. Stepping forward, he caressed the blade, feeling the boundless power of the immortal artifact, praising it over and over. "No wonder it's an immortal sword. After all this time, it still hasn't been eroded by this world and undergone evil mutation."

Hearing this, Patriarch Qiongyang was stunned. She stared at him and suddenly said, "You're not Little Ten! Who are you?"

Danchengzi sized her up and smiled, "The Thunderous Great Vigor Mantra? You've cultivated it well. Have you cultivated the Ascending Spirit Mantra within it?"

Patriarch Qiongyang's body and mind shook violently. She blurted out, "How do you know the Ascending Spirit Mantra is within the Great Vigor Mantra? Chen Yindu once told me that this cultivation technique was missing a section of incantation, and if it could be completed, one could ascend! He tried to complete it but ultimately fell short... No! Who exactly are you?"

Danchengzi smiled faintly. "Want to learn? I can teach you. I've found the complete Ascending Spirit Mantra, I guarantee it's the authentic transmission."

Patriarch Qiongyang was overjoyed and was about to ask for guidance when Blue Goat's face darkened. He bellowed, "Qiongyang, show some respect! Withdraw!"

Patriarch Qiongyang's heart itched with eagerness; she desperately wanted to learn the Ascending Spirit Mantra—it was a major flaw in her cultivation technique and a major regret in her life. She had spent a long time with Chen Yindu researching it, yet still hadn't managed to complete the technique.

But Blue Goat was still her patriarch, and when he gave an order, Qiongyang had no choice but to withdraw.

Blue Goat stared at Danchengzi. "If someone cultivates the Ascending Spirit Mantra from your Great Vigor Mantra, will they end up like Jinghong?"

Danchengzi smiled. "Very likely."

"You want to harm her!" Blue Goat said coldly.

Danchengzi shook his head. "How is this harming her? The purpose of Dao cultivation is to seek immortality. If she seeks immortality but doesn't even have the courage to undergo evil mutation, how is she worthy of immortality?"

Blue Goat gave him a deep look. Earlier, when he heard that the Cataclysm was Danchengzi, he couldn't help but feel joy in his heart. It was only now that he had regained his rationality.

Danchengzi might be a patriarch of Tai Hua Qing Palace, but he was still a Cataclysm—more dangerous than a demon, more terrifying than Jinghong!

He was even more deeply affected by the Demonic Energy of heaven and earth, harboring ulterior motives.

"Danchengzi, what cultivation technique did you practice?"

Blue Goat suddenly asked, "It shouldn't be the Golden Cicada Shedding Immortal Diagram, right? Could it be that the Immortal Diagram was deliberately placed in your coffin by you? The Immortal Diagram was just an experiment of yours, wasn't it?"

Danchengzi clasped his hands behind his back and walked outside the palace, chuckling. "The Immortal Diagram is a method for immortality. Those who cultivate it can indeed live forever. Whoever dared to dig open my grave must have been someone willing to defy the world's greatest taboos. He had to have talent, ambition. Perhaps he could actually make this method work."

Blue Goat sneered, "But what you didn't expect was that the person who dug up your grave looked down on the Immortal Diagram you left behind, believing it could only produce a 'fake immortal.' In the end, that technique fell into Jinghong's hands. You left that Immortal Diagram with malicious intent!"

Danchengzi scoffed. "It's heaven and earth that are mutating into evil. What does that have to do with cultivation methods? What does that have to do with cultivators? I'm merely following the times. That's all."

Blue Goat quietly gripped the True Martial Exorcising Sword. "So you're saying that you became a Cataclysm in your pursuit of immortality?"

Danchengzi's gaze fell on the True Martial Exorcising Sword. "Blue Goat, if heaven and earth are mutating into evil, how can a cultivator not mutate with evil and merge with heaven and earth through Dao Unification?"

Blue Goat looked down at the sword. "You passed the Primordial Star Chart down to us. Was that so we could achieve Dao Unification?"

Danchengzi laughed. "Blue Goat, you've cultivated the Primordial Star Chart. Tell me—is it an evil technique or a righteous one?"

Blue Goat gripped the True Martial Exorcising Sword tightly, his expression shifting between light and dark.

The Primordial Star Chart was not an evil technique.

But the Golden Cicada Shedding Immortal Diagram wasn't an evil technique either!

Yet it was a hundred times more sinister than any evil technique!

Danchengzi walked outward. "Wasn't the True King's purpose in sealing immortality to make all cultivators in the world practice the new methods and merge with heaven and earth through Dao Unification? Blue Goat, what did I do wrong?"

A ferocious glint flashed in Blue Goat's eyes. He lifted the sword and turned, walking toward him.

Danchengzi had his back to him, as if unaware of his murderous intent. He smiled, "Have you forgotten whose body this is?"

Blue Goat hesitated.

It was Chen Shi's body. He couldn't bring himself to strike.

Danchengzi chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't cause any trouble in the mortal world."

As he said this, Chen Shi suddenly collapsed stiffly, becoming a corpse without a soul.

Blue Goat thrust the True Martial Exorcising Sword into the ground, reached out to feel Chen Shi's breath, and found that his heart was still beating, his blood energy gradually recovering. It seemed Danchengzi had revived Chen Shi's physical body.

But Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit hadn't returned yet. He was just a living corpse.

"A strange Cataclysm. What is his real purpose? And why did he call Little Ten their 'Emperor'?"

Blue Goat pondered for a moment, then summoned a Daoist. "Go invite some people skilled in soul-summoning methods."

After Chen Shi died, his Primordial Spirit drifted, returning to the underworld and his skeletal body.

During this time, the Blood Lake Hell within his skeletal body had expanded to a vast hundred-li area. His magical power was immense, almost comparable to a master at the peak of the Refining Spirit Realm!

The Blood Lake Hell even showed signs of the Realm of Emptiness.

Especially his skeletal frame—tempered through countless refinements, even powerful magic treasures could barely scratch it. Every move he made gave the impression of shifting stars and moving constellations.

This small skeleton actually exuded a powerful sense of oppression!

However, the Blood Lake Sutra was still far from reaching the Blood Sea Hell level. It would be impossible to advance to the next realm anytime soon.

Chen Shi's mind was elsewhere, too distracted to check his skeletal body's cultivation progress. All his attention was on the mortal world.

His heart was a tangled mess as he paced back and forth.

"That young man who killed Jinghong—he's Wu Wang, the senior disciple of Despair Slope, isn't he?"

"The Divine Embryo he unleashed—was that my Innate Dao Embryo? It was indeed powerful!"

"Is Uncle Blue Goat safe? If Blue Goat seeks revenge against him, the outcome will be dire!"

"That Cataclysm that emerged after I died—will it harm others? Will Wu Wang eliminate it?"

He couldn't sit still, muttering to himself. After a long while, Chen Shi stopped walking and whispered, "Uncle Blue Goat, I don't need you to risk your life for me. I'll take revenge myself! I'll reclaim my Divine Embryo myself!"

Even though he was just a skeleton, he felt a burning heat in his chest cavity.

"I've only cultivated for three years. Three years, and I've already touched the Body Unification realm!"

"Give me ten years, and I'll trample Wu Wang under my feet!"

"Uncle Blue Goat, don't do anything foolish!"

He waited in silence, every moment an agony.

After who knows how long, Chen Shi suddenly felt a strange pulling force. It wasn't as strong as when Granny Sha summoned souls—likely done by someone else.

Without a second thought, he followed the pulling force, leaving his skeletal body in Heavenly Pool Kingdom.

His skeletal body's single thought would dominate, continuing its routine cultivation as its power grew day by day.

Chen Shi woke up groggily to find himself surrounded by a bunch of Daoists with crooked noses. The lead old Daoist was Jing Yue Daoist from the Four Elders of Tai Hua, who excelled at soul-summoning. But fearing mistakes, Blue Goat had gathered all Daoists in Tai Hua Mountain skilled in soul-summoning methods to perform the ritual for Chen Shi together.

Seeing Blue Goat, Chen Shi let out a long sigh of relief, a huge weight lifting from his heart.

"Thank you, everyone, for lending a hand." Chen Shi stood up and bowed to the crowd.

"We dare not accept!"

Everyone returned the bow. Jing Yue Daoist hastily returned the gesture as well, smiling, "Young Scholar Chen returned the True Martial Exorcising Sword and even sacrificed his life to save others. Summoning your soul is the least we can do to show our gratitude."

Chen Shi said, "Esteemed Elder, you're too kind. If you don't mind, next time call me Scholar Chen or Master Chen. I'm the only top scholar in my family; my father never passed the exams."

Jing Yue Daoist thought, "Just like his grandfather—loves to show off. But, well, he's our benefactor."

So he addressed him as Scholar Master Chen.

Chen Shi was delighted. He felt that Tai Hua Qing Palace's ability to stand unshaken for so many years was indeed unique.

Blue Goat walked over, and Chen Shi bowed slightly. "Uncle Goat."

Blue Goat looked him up and down, a smile breaking across his face. "Since you're fine, I can rest easy."

Chen Shi smiled back. "Since you're all safe, I can rest easy too."

Blue Goat laughed heartily. "I've figured it out. I already gave my life once for your grandfather. I can't foolishly give my life again for you. Your revenge is yours to take. If you can't beat them, then I'll help you."

Chen Shi stepped forward and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Let go, Little Ten! Let go! It hurts, it hurts!"

Blue Goat cried out, "I still have injuries! It hurts so much!"

Chen Shi released him, his eyes reddening, a little embarrassed. "Uncle Goat, I thought I'd never see you again. I was so worried in the underworld..."

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

Blue Goat was silent for a moment, then smiled. "I'm not that stupid. Don't worry. If something this dangerous happens again, I won't rush in."

He said that, but Chen Shi knew that if such a thing happened again, Blue Goat would still be the first to charge forward.

Among the Six Great Villains of the Five Lakes, Blue Goat had the harshest tongue but the warmest heart, always taking the lead. In the face of danger, he was always the first to rush in, enduring the strongest attacks to give the other five a chance to survive.

"Little Ten, there's one more thing."

Blue Goat hesitated, then recounted in detail the appearance of the Cataclysm Danchengzi. "Danchengzi passed down the Primordial Star Chart to us, most likely with malicious intent. Your grandfather and I dug up his grave back then and found the Golden Cicada Shedding Immortal Diagram, which he probably deliberately placed in his own tomb."

Chen Shi's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "He wanted to experiment—whether cultivating the new methods and merging with the great Dao of heaven and earth could achieve immortality! But the risk was too great, so he chose to experiment on others! My grandfather, however, saw through it and saw the method he passed down was mediocre at best, so he didn't fall for it. Jinghong found the technique my grandfather had copied and treated it like treasure, which led to this disaster."

Blue Goat nodded slightly. "And there's another thing. When I mentioned Daoist Tianzhen to him, he didn't show any surprise—as if he already knew about Tianzhen. Chang Ying Daoist is also a sect master, but Chang Ying doesn't know about Tianzhen."

Chen Shi asked in confusion, "What are you saying..."

Blue Goat said, "That immortal flame that burned away Tianzhen's seal might have been related to him. Even if he didn't set it himself, he probably knows who did."

Chen Shi was stunned. "The Cataclysm Danchengzi released Daoist Tianzhen, letting him wreak havoc in both the mortal world and the underworld—what is he scheming?"

Blue Goat hesitated for a moment, then decided to spill everything. "Little Ten, Danchengzi called you the Emperor. Did you do something illegal in the underworld?"