# Chapter 141: The Path of Divine Concealment
In the spring of the thirty-third year of the New Kingdom, many things happened.
First, the Great Zhou Emperor issued an edict requiring the Li Palace to quickly elect a new Pope. This matter caused an uproar. Few people knew that after issuing that edict, the Emperor sat on his throne in a daze for a very long time, then had his junior brother send a letter to Holy Maiden Peak.
The Taiping Way was also quite lively. The Prince of Zhongshan scolded the new cook like cow dung because the taste of the fried sauce noodles was wrong. Not far away at the Xue Estate, Xue Yejin, who had taken second place in the Grand Court Examination, found that the first thing after leaving the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was being dragged by his mother to arranged meetings everywhere, sighing long and deeply every night. The secret residence of Zhou Tong next to the Xue Estate had been secretly acquired by Mo Yu. Recently, her favorite thing after court was studying how to make sour radish delicious with the Prince of Louyang. It seemed she really was pregnant.
The former Fenggui Lord of Xunyang City had remained in the Snow Old City, reportedly studying opera singing methods. The achievements of the demon civilization were unceremoniously shared with the world by the Great Zhou Dynasty. The most precious research notes of the Tongusian scholar were split between the imperial court and Li Mountain, each taking half. Up to now, Gou Hanshi had not left the main peak for three years, day and night accompanied by those research notes. As for Qiu Shanjun, after only three days of reading, he ignored his father's earnest pleas, left alone, and headed for the distant, cold snow plains. By the time Guan Feibai heard the news and rushed back from Wenshui, he could no longer see him, nor did he have the chance to ask what exactly was in the letter the senior brother had written to Liang Banhu back then.
No one knew that Qiu Shanjun had gone to the North Sea, where he found Yichun Shanren and Jingpo Shanren. He did not hide his intentions, directly telling the two mountain recluses that he planned to live by the North Sea for many years, waiting for them to die of old age naturally, and then he would dissect and study their bodies using the Tongusian scholar's notes, hoping to find a way for the demons to continue reproducing. The two mountain recluses were not angry, nor did they think he was a madman. They smiled and agreed to his request.
The next morning, Qiu Shanjun saw Nanke and realized she had already been living here for several years. Only, her illness seemed not to have improved but rather worsened.
He smiled and said, "What a coincidence. I recently learned a sword song. Would you like to hear it?"
...
...
Everything in the world was fine. Tang Thirty-Six was not so fine.
No matter how arrogant he acted in Wenshui City, it showed no real skill. Returning to the capital, he couldn't stand the sight of Zhexiu and Qijian, that pair of dogs and bitches, showing off their love. The old patriarch was in good health, clearly not dying for decades yet. His father's poison had been completely cured, and he could live at least a few hundred more years. What could he do?
He went to the Peach Blossom Mountain outside the city, entered that Peach Blossom Nunnery, ordered a cup of peach blossom tea, and sat there for three autumns, yet never received a reply.
Luo Luo was also not doing well. In spring, she was officially crowned the Crown Princess, but that didn't affect her life much. Aside from reading, practicing, and painting pear blossoms, her most common activity was gazing at the sea of clouds, unconsciously rubbing that stone in her fingers, her expression lonely.
Xuan Yuan Po did not continue leading troops, nor did he go farming with Jin Yulü. He became Luo Luo's guard officer.
When Luo Luo stood by the round window staring blankly at the sea of clouds, he also stared blankly at her. He knew Her Highness would not stay here long, because her cultivation was truly diligent, and the day she crossed that threshold, she would surely go to that world to find Chen Changsheng.
Under dusk, the Tong River was as beautiful as a golden ribbon.
Life in the small town remained peaceful and leisurely.
The green bamboo tiles fell onto the table, drawing exclamations.
All of one suit.
Xu Yourong stared quietly at the bamboo tiles and suddenly said, "It feels good."
The matron and the other two players were about to echo her when they felt something was off.
Her words didn't seem to be about the tiles.
...
...
The mist that shrouded Holy Maiden Peak all year round suddenly dispersed. Countless rare birds flew in from all over the continent, as if on a pilgrimage.
An autumn rain washed the Tong River, and there were responses everywhere in the world.
Wang Po stood under the parasol tree, looking toward Nanxi Zhai, and said with emotion, "Remarkable."
He knew very well that back then, Xu Yourong did not leave with Chen Changsheng, not because of Nanxi Zhai's affairs or because the world's situation was unsettled.
She was simply unconvinced. She wanted to leave on her own.
Back then, when Chen Changsheng broke through to the Divine Domain in the Snow Old City, there were various reasons, and the process could not be repeated.
If you counted properly, Xu Yourong was the youngest to enter the Divine Domain.
...
...
Before leaving, Xu Yourong received a letter from the capital.
The handwriting was very clean, somewhat like Chen Changsheng's, and somewhat like Yu Ren's.
The content of the letter was a direct transcription of Yu Ren's words.
"Three years from now, I will abdicate. Go find him and bring him back to take my place."
...
...
Someone left this world earlier than Xu Yourong, also to find Chen Changsheng.
The black-clad girl walked out of the abyss, looked ahead at that majestic ice fortress, listened to the shouts coming from the city walls, and was utterly confused.
If she hadn't misheard, those people were shouting "Dragon Knight," but weren't those things flying through the wind and snow just a bunch of lizards?
...
...
Chen Changsheng crouched by the stream, carefully wiped the water droplets clean with a handkerchief, stood up, walked through the woods, crossed the fence, and headed toward that building in the distance.
His hair had been cut short, slightly curly, jet black and thick. He could no longer tie it in a Daoist bun, but it looked very neat.
His clothes were washed spotless, forming a sharp contrast with the other magic apprentices.
Perhaps for this reason, whether it was the professors at the academy or the aunties at the ranch, they all liked him very much.
Chen Changsheng was now an ordinary magic apprentice.
In the Duchy of Greycastle, there were tens of thousands of magic apprentices like him.
He wasn't worried about anyone discovering his secret or knowing he came from another world, even though this academy had many excellent mages, including two archmages.
In the magic academy, he performed very ordinarily. Whether it was his magical fluctuation or his mental strength, there was nothing special about them.
If he wished, those faint magical fluctuations could disappear at any time, turning him into a truly ordinary person.
Even if a god saw him, they probably couldn't discover his true identity, because he had truly achieved divine concealment within.
The moment he arrived in the Holy Light Continent, he found that the heavens and earth were filled with holy light everywhere.
That holy light was the same thing as the holy light in his body. The two naturally merged, which also meant he had truly achieved unity with heaven and earth.
Yes, he was now at the Divine Concealment realm, the same realm the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress had achieved back then.
Other humans who came to the Holy Light Continent probably wouldn't receive such terrifying enhancement as he did, but they should still become much stronger.
Energy was everywhere between heaven and earth.
Years ago, Su Li could cut through a spatial channel with a single sword strike, which was likely related to this.
Back in the Middle Earth Continent, although his sword was also very powerful, it probably wasn't strong to this extent.
Back in the Abandoned Land, he had once wondered: since the Garan Temple was a spatial rift, why didn't the gods break open a spatial channel from there?
Wang Zhice told him it was because even the gods couldn't guarantee that spatial channel was one-way.
Now he understood the reason.
The gods were afraid.
They were afraid of humans coming to the Holy Light Continent.
...
...
Dusk fell on the window.
Chen Changsheng walked to the window and looked out at the lawn surrounding the academy.
On the lawn, many teachers and students were heading to dinner. Seeing him at the window, they warmly greeted him.
Looking at the people, he suddenly felt some reluctance.
It was time to leave.
In these past few years, he had studied very seriously at the academy. The history of the entire continent, magical knowledge, geography, and records related to humanities—he had already mastered them all thoroughly.
And according to his calculations, Yourong should be arriving soon.
The world was so big; he was worried she wouldn't be able to find him.
He had once inquired about Su Li's whereabouts but found nothing. Even a Red-robed Cardinal he had happened to subdue hadn't heard anything.
The only person who could so perfectly conceal his tracks and news was that Assassin Leader.
Of course, another possibility was that the Church was deliberately blocking the news.
He decided to go to the Holy City and see the situation of the Church.
Most importantly, he was certain Xu Yourong would definitely go to the Holy City.
Because the Pope was there.
The Holy Emperor and the Pope were the most powerful people in the Holy Light Continent. No one could determine whose power was greater.
What could be determined was that the Pope was the strongest person in the Holy Light Continent.
He was called the man closest to the gods.
...
...
From Greenbow County to the Holy City, using the fastest carriage, it took a month and a half—truly a long journey.
Many travelers were accustomed to making a brief rest at the Larochelle Monastery, replenishing some food.
Chen Changsheng looked at the mashed potatoes, hard black bread, and fried fish on his plate, and began to feel homesick like never before.
After casually finishing dinner, he returned to his room, washed up carefully, lay down in bed at exactly ten o'clock, and began to sleep, waiting to wake up at five.
Strangely, whether because the moon outside the window was too pale or the final cries of the autumn cicadas were too shrill, he couldn't fall asleep.
Looking at the frost-like moonlight before his bed, he decided that once he picked up Yourong, he would accompany her for a stroll around here, then go back, without waiting for Luo Luo and the others.
Having made the decision, he still couldn't calm down. He still couldn't sleep.
Chen Changsheng didn't wave his hand to kill all the autumn cicadas around the monastery, nor did he summon a dark cloud to block the moon. He put on a coat and went outside for a walk.
Without realizing it, he reached the deepest part of the monastery. It was a stone fortress with no lights at all, appearing especially eerie.
For someone at the Divine Concealment realm, there was no such thing as "without realizing it." He had long sensed the problem but simply didn't want to bother with it.
Except for the Pope and a very few others, no one in this world could threaten him. Traps and ambushes were even more meaningless.
Beneath the stone fortress was an array. In the weeds, invisible magical threads were everywhere. Even strong ones at the level of Cardinals and Holy Knights couldn't cross them.
Chen Changsheng heard a cry for help.
The cry came from an underground prison. Only by pushing aside the weeds could one see a very small ventilation hole.
There were no lights in the underground prison, but he could see everything inside clearly.
The person imprisoned in the underground prison wore an iron mask welded shut and tattered clothes.
When the pale moonlight fell on the iron mask, it was even more terrifying.
Weeds grew from the gaps in the iron mask.
No one knew how many years this person had been imprisoned here.
The prisoner saw Chen Changsheng, was overjoyed to the point of madness, and kept banging his iron head against the wall.
Chen Changsheng watched him quietly, waiting for him to calm down.
"Teacher, save me!"
The iron-faced man pressed against the ventilation hole, begging in a trembling voice.
Chen Changsheng asked, "Who are you?"
The iron-faced man said, "I am Augustus."
Chen Changsheng said, "You were waiting for me?"
Clearly, someone had tampered with the monastery, deliberately guiding Chen Changsheng here.
To silently influence Chen Changsheng's judgment, one had to say that person's realm was profound and unfathomable.
Chen Changsheng even smelled a familiar flavor from this arrangement, so he was in a good mood now and willing to hear what the other party had to say.
"A prophet who called himself a traveler once told me that if I waited patiently and prayed sincerely, you would come to take me as your student and save me."
The iron-faced man clearly wasn't lying.
Calling himself a traveler—only that one would be bored enough to do such a thing.
"How did you determine that person was me?"
Chen Changsheng asked.
The iron-faced man said excitedly, "To completely ignore the restrictions set by that villain Richelieu, it must be you!"
Chen Changsheng remembered that the Red-robed Cardinal named Richelieu was a supporter of the Holy Emperor.
"Who exactly are you?"
The iron-faced man said, "I am indeed called Augustus. I was once knighted as a Holy Knight, the twin brother of the Holy Emperor. I have been imprisoned here for many years..."
As he spoke, his voice trembled again, appearing very pained, filled with venomous emotion.
But his eyes naturally lacked these emotions, instead full of hope and tension, afraid Chen Changsheng would leave like this, with a hint of tears.
With such a simple sentence, one could deduce a very common court story.
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "I'm going to the Holy City. We might not be going the same way."
The iron-faced man said anxiously, "It will definitely be the same way! It will definitely be the same way! Even if you're going to hell, I will unhesitatingly follow your footsteps!"
Chen Changsheng said, "What if the place I'm going to is the Divine Kingdom?"
...
...
(The End)
Afterword
For certain reasons, this piece was written very scattered and short. I'm informing you in advance.
1. "What is meant to be will eventually be; what is not meant to be, you must strive for"—this is what the story of Ze Tian Ji wanted to write. This story initially prepared to write about the True Dragon, True Phoenix, and True Man, but because I was worried Qiu Shanjun would be written too well, I kept forcibly reducing his screen time. At the same time, this story is also about the character "Li" (separation/departure), whether it's the Li Palace or Li Mountain. Of course, this story is also a story of "thank you for not being polite," but in the last few dozen chapters, I hesitated for a long time and finally hid those six characters, because I didn't want any more farewells.
2. Why write a story about youth? Because I am gradually growing old, losing my passion. I am very afraid of becoming like the fat carp sinking into the mud, as written many times in the book. I want to remind myself not to decay, not to be afraid. Even if I dare not fight, silence is still an attitude. Chen Changsheng said to Xu Yourong that regarding the war with the demons, he was willing to give his life, but he didn't want to change his way of interacting with the world. Xu Yourong reminded him that such words couldn't be said outside—this is what that means.
3. Deleted.
4. The following miscellaneous plot points were not included in the main text due to length constraints, but are quite interesting: Black Dragon's favorite food is braised chicken wings. Because she hates the Phoenix, neither Nanke nor Xu Yourong's diets include poultry. The Heavenly Book Stele are fragments of the world, connected to each other. They can now be used for sound transmission and in the future for spatial travel. In the last few chapters, when mentioning that Wang Po did not take revenge on the Chen Imperial Dynasty, Xu Yourong was made to say "The country is dead"—this was something decided before the book began, forcefully used. Regarding Tang Thirty-Six, besides the line "rich in both spirit and matter," I also prepared for him to say: "I'm not targeting anyone, but everyone present..." Chen Changsheng is sick, so when he first looks at anyone, he cares about this, thinking everyone else is sick too. Mo Yan, Su Li, Nanke, Xuan Yuan, including the night Tang Thirty-Six was injured—he could tell at a glance.
5. Reader Qing Yuyan asked: "Catty, you said at the end of Chapter 110 'One Flower, One World' that you had determined who Tang Thirty-Six is in reality, and said you would announce it when this book was finished. I'm afraid you won't see it on the day of completion, so I'm posting it in advance." Answer: That person is my good friend Butterfly Blue.
6. In earlier years when I was writing, I loved my readers. Now it's not love, it's respect. Everyone living their own lives well—this is very important.
7. I should still love this world more and do better.
8. I will release a new book in August. The genre, title, temperament, and spirit—none of them have been decided yet. Oh, at this moment, I suddenly thought of a story. It feels very cool...
All of the above are sincere words, not a single falsehood.
I wish everyone good health and all the best.
These words may seem like a cliché, but they are also sincere.
///sougou/0/
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