Chapter 277
Chapter 277
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Sparring Defeats and Roadside Ambush
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In the inner city of Xijing, the Chen Mansion.
Chen Shi leaped up from the bed and shouted, "Chen Tang, this round doesn't count! One more round! Chen Tang?"
Blackie Pot trotted in and barked at him twice.
"He went to court and hasn't come back yet?"
Chen Shi then noticed he was in his room, with daylight already filling the sky. Evidently, Chen Tang had knocked him out and carried him to bed to rest. Yet he bore no trace of injury whatsoever—not even at the spot where Chen Tang had struck him with chopsticks the day before. There wasn't a bruise to be seen.
On the contrary, after a good night's sleep, he felt more refreshed than ever, all the exhaustion from the past few days swept clean away.
Just then, Chen Tang returned from court, carrying a bag of steamed buns as he walked into the courtyard from outside and called the maids and servants to breakfast.
Chen Shi charged out at once, intending to challenge him to another round, but promptly stopped in his tracks and went off to brush his teeth and wash up.
Seeing how composed he had become—neither arrogant in victory nor impatient in defeat—Chen Tang felt greatly pleased.
After breakfast, Chen Shi still didn't seek out Chen Tang for another fight. Instead, he quietly pondered his own shortcomings.
He was currently at the perfect Nascent Soul realm. Last night, Chen Tang had unleashed the power of the Soul Transformation realm, but the gap in their cultivation wasn't actually that vast. For two cultivators with the same divine embryo, practicing the same techniques, a single realm's difference could mean a world of disparity in power.
But the technique Chen Shi cultivated, the Cloudwave Emperor Scripture, was an immortal-grade method. What Chen Tang wielded was the Mysterious Subtlety Sword Canon from the Ten Books of Cultivation Truth—an immortal-grade near-miss that could only be cultivated up to the Ascension Realm, with no path beyond.
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul was larger than a normal one, its soul nearly solid. Moreover, he possessed three "divine embryos": Shiji, Tianji, and his Nascent Soul. Any gap in realm could be entirely bridged.
"I lost because of my moves."
Chen Shi's eyes flickered. For so long, he had relied on near-instinctual combat, with little technique to speak of—pursuing the simplest strikes to fell or kill foes at the fastest speed.
This killing instinct was etched into his very bloodline, kicking in the moment battle began and turning him into a predator. But against a master like Chen Tang, such simple, pure moves lost all utility.
Chen Tang seemed to anticipate his every action. With a single chopstick, he could intercept Chen Shi's techniques before they landed, shattering the power contained in his fists and feet. This foresight was precisely the perfect counter to Chen Shi's close-combat style!
Blackie Pot pushed Chen Shi's mother out for a stroll and parked her wheelchair beside him. Chen Shi sat there in a daze, while in the little temple behind his head, his Nascent Soul rehearsed spell after spell.
In the stele forest outside the Tomb of the True King, spells abounded—every kind of method available in full. For anyone else cultivating these, they would first need to practice corresponding techniques to synergize with the spells and unleash their full might.
For instance, Li Tianqing's old Six Yin Jade Wheel Art included the Six Yin Jade Wheel spell, which required a matching circulation method to cast. Or Granny Sha's Eight Trigrams Bodyguard Art, where channeling the technique made the eight trigrams shift endlessly, forming a spell of astonishing power.
But Chen Shi drove all spells with his single Cloudwave Emperor Scripture, an immortal-grade method encompassing vast principles. Spells came to him at will.
He mastered them so swiftly for three reasons. First, the Cloudwave Emperor Scripture was immortal-grade, broad in scope. Second, Grandpa Chen Yindu had taught him all manner of talismans—and talisman arts were spell variants, just inscribed on paper or in the air.
Third, Chen Shi's comprehension was extraordinary.
Though he sat by his mother's side, seemingly just sunning himself, his command of the Dao was advancing by leaps and bounds.
He grasped more and more spells. His Nascent Soul wielded them effortlessly—even inverting them, turning spells into talismans!
By the time he had mastered every spell on the steles, a full day had slipped by unnoticed.
At dinner, Chen Shi sat at the table, eating with utter focus. Once full, he stayed put, staring at his empty bowl.
Chen Shi's mother ate slowest, always needing a maid to attend her, always finishing last. Chen Tang had finished too but wasn't in a rush. He sat at the table and waited.
Once Chen Shi's mother finished, the maid wheeled her away. Blackie Pot cleared the bowls and dishes, wiped down the table several times. Chen Shi remained seated and spoke up.
"Blackie Pot, no need to close the doors today. I'm going to beat him out that door."
Blackie Pot had been about to shut the doors and flee this trouble spot, but at his words, it opened them wide again.
Chen Tang's face was like a placid ancient well, undisturbed. He said softly,
"You slept very soundly last night. Looks like a full belly restored your confidence."
Chen Shi kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, and replied,
"A cultivator's body is mighty, but they must also master all manner of spells. My body hasn't yet reached the Dao Body stage. Once it does, I'll achieve Dao Body Spellcasting—spells at my fingertips. I've learned many spells before, but never truly mastered them. After a day of hard cultivation, I've mastered them all, refined them into talismans I can summon at will. Talisman and spell arts are one; the higher my talisman skill, the greater my spell prowess."
He didn't rise, saying flatly,
"After a day of cultivation, it hit me all at once—I'm actually this strong. Dao Body and Dao Body Spellcasting are just one step away. Chen Tang, do you know? I'm already invincible at my realm. Even with your Soul Transformation realm power, I could take you down with ease."
Chen Tang made a small sound of acknowledgment.
"Looks like you've made real progress today. When people improve, they always get this illusion—they think they're invincible under heaven. You've walked right into it. I'm pleased."
His expression betrayed no pleasure whatsoever. He continued,
"When you're crying later, recite your epiphany from just now between sobs."
Chen Shi laughed heartily. His Nascent Soul flew out and declared,
"I'm no Dao Body, but my Nascent Soul is!"
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul stood one foot and two inches tall—a squat, stocky figure, snow-white and translucent. It pointed, unleashing the Demon-Vanquishing Eight Forms from the Demon-Exterminating Heart Art, rendered as talismans!
In an instant, the Nascent Soul unleashed the eight forms. The eight talismans flew at Chen Tang while morphing from flat scripts to three-dimensional constructs in midair, their shocking power on the verge of erupting.
Chen Tang thrust out with one chopstick—piercing, flicking, slicing, sweeping, dabbing, intercepting—snapping the talismans' vital flows, nullifying their power.
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul whirled around him at blinding speed—now high, now low, left, right. Heavenly Pass Art's Three Heavenly Pass Ultimates; Primordial Girdle Great Law's Bright Jade Treasure Wheel; Mysterious Truth Spiritual Treasure Jian's Thirteen Jian Sword Forms; Eight Might Summon Dragon Art's Seven Summon Dragon Methods; Turtle Mountain Profound's Serpentine-Black Tortoise Combined Strike Technique—spell after spell unleashed at will, assaulting Chen Tang madly!
Chen Tang's single chopstick danced up, down, left, right. Suddenly, it slipped from his grasp and rippled, splitting one into two, two into four, four into eight—multiplying rapidly. No matter how many spells Chen Shi's Nascent Soul hurled, all were severed, none erupting with power!
Seeing his Nascent Soul could do him no harm, Chen Shi kicked away his stool, rose, and stomped. At once, the Ten Absolutes Spirit Banner Talisman erupted—two hundred fifty-six divine talismans floating around him, on the verge of forming the Ten Absolutes Array for a killing blow on Chen Tang!
Suddenly, chopstick shadows stabbed into the forming array from everywhere, severing vital flows. Chen Shi felt all 256 divine talismans lose effect. Furious and frantic, he bellowed,
"Chen Tang, dare you let me complete one full move?"
Chen Tang didn't answer. Chopstick shadows landed on him one after another. Chen Shi knew things were bad—the struck spots on his limbs and organs went numb in a flash, until only his head remained aware. Clearly, Chen Tang meant to spare his mouth for tearful recitation of his arrogant epiphany.
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul drove the Nether Spring Roaming Dragon Sword, turning it to a streak of light stabbing at Chen Tang—blindingly fast!
Chen Shi was the one who'd broken his own record at the Divine Embryo Realm back then. His sword qi was incredibly swift; having cultivated Cold Mountain Wanderer's Ten Thousand Li Flying Sword Technique, it could reach hundreds of li away. This sudden sword light made Chen Tang's face shift. He snatched two chopsticks to pinch the Nether Spring Roaming Dragon Sword!
But he pinched empty air.
The Nether Spring Roaming Dragon Sword pierced the underworld, then emerged into the mortal world—now at Chen Tang's throat.
Chen Tang rose from his stool and retreated. His chopsticks flew out—ding ding!—striking the Nether Spring Roaming Dragon Sword true. The treasure's spirit went dormant at once; even the roaming dragon within seemed severed from all senses, falling into stunned slumber.
The Roaming Dragon Sword clanged to the floor.
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul tried for another strike but was tapped by a chopstick and lost control, plummeting from the air.
"Ashamed— this brat actually made me use three chopsticks."
Chen Tang secretly exhaled in relief, then grew angry.
"This brat actually used a treasure!"
Blackie Pot guarded the door outside. It hadn't seen Chen Tang forced from the house by Chen Shi, only heard Chen Shi's stumbling recitation from within:
"...It hit me all at once—I'm actually this strong... Chen Tang, do you know? I'm already invincible at my realm..."
Blackie Pot shook its head, its floppy ears smacking its own face.
Chen Shi finished reciting soul-crushingly. Chen Tang tapped his forehead with one chopstick.
"Sleep well tonight—no wild thoughts."
Chen Shi collapsed.
When he woke again, it was the next morning.
Chen Shi washed up, ate, and sat dazed by his mother's side. Chen Tang came over to trim her nails and comb her hair.
Chen Shi stepped up to help, massaging her to circulate her qi and blood, then resumed his daze.
He strove to recall the contents of the Ten Books of Cultivation Truth, trying to find flaws in Chen Tang's Mysterious Subtlety Sword Canon moves.
But the Mysterious Subtlety Sword Canon was exquisitely profound, its swordsmanship unfathomably deep—impossible to fully grasp in short order, let alone spot flaws. Chen Shi simply studied the sword canon earnestly, diligently learning the sword arts.
That evening, after dinner, Blackie Pot cleared the dishes and left the main hall to guard the door outside.
Chen Shi placed the Nether Spring Roaming Dragon Sword on the table, declaring he wouldn't use it. He took a chopstick from the holder and said,
"I'll use one chopstick to drive you from this room."
Chen Tang raised an eyebrow.
"You're discarding your greatest strength to fight me with my specialty. You'll lose even faster."
Chen Shi wielded the chopstick as a sword. In a flash, chopstick shadows filled the room, whistling sharply—but they vanished just as quick. Chen Shi slumped over the table, fast asleep.
Chen Tang hoisted him onto his shoulder and carried him back to bed in his room.
When Chen Shi woke again, enlightenment struck:
"Chen Tang said I discarded my greatest strength. So what is my greatest strength? My combat instinct! My offensive awareness! My speed, fast enough; my timing, precise enough! I can't master every spell and divine ability, can't know every cultivation path. Nor do I need to.
"The best move is one that stops the enemy from making any!"
"Chen Tang can anticipate me, but if I reach the point where even his foresight can't stop me, I'll drive him from the main hall!"
His inner turmoil vanished. He rose, washed up, and after breakfast, told Chen Tang,
"It's been days since I went to the Guangji Arsenal. I'm heading there today."
Chen Tang nodded lightly.
"Watch yourself on the road."
Chen Shi took Blackie Pot and departed by cart.
Four or five li from the Guangji Arsenal, at a crossroads, Shen Hongniang sat in her sedan chair, fanning herself with a handkerchief to dispel the day's heat.
"Hall Master, it's already si hour. That Chen fellow surely won't show for duty today either."
The porters looked up.
"Let's head back. Not many pregnant beasts left anyway."
Shen Hongniang was still reluctant, but she knew if Chen Shi meant to come, he'd have clocked in by now. No sign of him meant he wasn't coming.
"Everyone says Chen Tang's incorruptible. Hah, he's just as crooked as the rest—sending his boy to the Guangji Arsenal to draw empty pay!"
Shen Hongniang was indignant. She sneered,
"Hard-luck folk like us have to grovel as 'master' and 'madame' just to scrape by. Let's go—we're done waiting!"
The shepherds drove their cattle and sheep ahead. Only four or five pregnant beasts remained of what they'd scrounged with such effort; the women due to give birth hadn't held out either, delivering early days ago.
The shepherds drove cattle and sheep in front, porters hoisted the sedan behind. The handful of men at the tea stall and the tea seller packed up too, preparing to return to Xijing. The group grumbled as they took the post road.
The Guangji Arsenal held only firearms. Years ago, a massive explosion had razed dozens of li—men and horses shredded, trees uprooted, homes demolished. No one dared come near.
But after setting off, they met a wooden cart coming the opposite way. It brushed past the men and tea seller, plunging into the herd of cattle and sheep. The men gawked, halting and turning to stare dumbly at the young bailiff on the cart.
The shepherd girls froze too, watching Chen Shi's cart about to emerge from the herd.
The sedan porters spotted Chen Shi too. One's heart pounded wildly; he stammered,
"Hall Master."
Shen Hongniang lifted the curtain and saw the oncoming cart. Her face drained of color.
It happened in a flash—the cart emerged from the herd, brushing past Shen Hongniang's sedan. Her heart hammered; thoughts whirled in her mind!
They'd laid this trap here precisely to eliminate Chen Shi—to avenge Lady Xue of Yudu, to remove a major threat to the Young Master!
They'd waited so long, and now opportunity fell right into their laps!
The youth on the cart seemed to sense something amiss and turned toward the sedan. Shen Hongniang opened her mouth to shout the attack—
When sudden chill gripped her neck. A flowing sword light stabbed from the sedan's side, through the cabin, piercing her throat.
Shen Hongniang's nascent soul burst from her body. As its soul field erupted, Chen Shi's palm shattered the sedan. Five fingers wreathed in lightning smashed into her nascent soul!
"Boom!"
Her nascent soul was blasted miles away by the Five Thunders Method, tumbling across the wasteland. Beside her, Chen Shi's hand slammed her occiput, caving in her skull with a massive dent—eyeballs nearly popping from their sockets!
Shen Hongniang's nascent soul howled back. Atop the cart, the Luo Umbrella flew up, hovering ten zhang high, covering an acre. Divine light blazed beneath its canopy as gods and demons chanted.
The Luo Umbrella spun wildly, sucking up every shepherd girl, every burly man and porter, and the tea-seller old man.
The Luo Umbrella shrank rapidly, its handle landing in Chen Shi's grip.
He shook it hard. Fresh blood and shattered bones gushed from within.
"Can't beat Chen Tang, but can't beat you lot?"