Chapter 281
Chapter 281
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Unknown]
Chapter Title: Ancestral Bonds and Father-Son Clash
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Jade Spirit Child felt a tumult of sorrow and joy, finally steadying his mind with great effort.
His master had taught him that extremes of joy or grief could damage one's vital energy and cultivation base. Cultivators facing such situations had to remain as calm as drifting clouds and flowing water, untroubled by emotions. Jade Spirit Child struggled to his feet and mobilized his Primordial Spirit to reconnect the bones that Blackie Pot had trampled and snapped on Uncle-Master Mei's body.
His Primordial Spirit hovered in the void. Reaching out a hand, it could pass through Uncle-Master Mei's hide and deep into the flesh to locate the broken bones, realigning them without inflicting new wounds. Daoism boasted many divine healers—for instance, Medicine Saint Sun Simiao had been one of their own—and Jade Spirit Child carried an array of spirit medicines. Using his Primordial Spirit, he could deliver the drugs straight to the depths of the injury.
Just moments ago, Chen Shi had healed Jade Spirit Child in the same way, employing his own Nascent Soul to ferry medicine deep into the wounds and hasten absorption. The throat bone that had been shattered was now no great concern.
Before long, he had mended all of Uncle-Master Mei's fractures and dosed his five viscera and six bowels. There was no longer any danger to his life, though full recovery would take two or three months of rest. Jade Spirit Child's own wounds were far from minor; his Primordial Spirit had been gravely injured and would be slow to mend.
He let out a sigh, regretting his decision to seek out Chen Shi.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Struggling backward, he dispelled the spells that had turned those Heavenly Listeners into trees.
The Heavenly Listeners swiftly reverted from trees to their original forms, good as new, then flapped their enormous ears and flew off. Unless absolutely necessary, he had no desire to harm anyone.
"These Heavenly Listeners—were they spying on me, or on Chen Shi?"
Jade Spirit Child peered around. The number of Heavenly Listeners in the vicinity was overwhelming. He had been surveilled by them before, but never in such numbers! Moreover, once he lifted the wood-transformation spells, their flight path led unmistakably toward the Western Capital.
Clearly, Chen Shi was their primary target. Jade Spirit Child returned to Uncle-Master Mei's side.
Uncle-Master Mei was far too massive to drag, especially in his injured state. Hauling him back to the Western Capital would utterly humiliate Taihua Azure Palace. Word would spread through the city that Uncle-Master Mei had been mauled by a dog, antlers and all snapped off.
Jade Spirit Child produced a Thousand-Li Sound Transmission Talisman and contacted several of his uncles.
Taihua Azure Palace, a sacred ground of Daoism, maintained its own temple in the Western Capital for conducting business, relaying messages to the holy land, and sharing intelligence. As the talisman ignited, Jade Spirit Child had just begun to call out for his uncles when a voice answered from no farther than shouting distance.
He whirled toward the sound. A group of male and female Daoists came strolling over, chuckling and joking. All young, in their thirties or forties, they lacked any air of otherworldly poise—instead, they came off as roguish and irreverent.
"Liao Uncle-Master! Han Uncle-Master! Yue Uncle-Master! What are you doing here?"
Jade Spirit Child hastily snuffed out the talisman, bewildered.
The woman at the fore was the Yue Uncle-Master he had named—her lay name Yue Hongyin, known in Daoist circles as Hongyin Daoist. She stepped up with a grin.
"We've been right here the whole time."
Jade Spirit Child's face turned as black as iron. His neck stiff, he rasped,
"Right here?"
Yue Hongyin nodded, beaming.
"You came looking for Chen Shi, so we tagged along."
Liao Daoist chuckled.
"When he was thrashing you, Yue Uncle-Master here pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds. We hadn't even finished cracking them before you started stumbling through those pompous platitudes."
Jade Spirit Child's face flushed the color of a pig's liver. Stammering,
"Y-You... why didn't you step in to save me?"
"Jade unpolished is no gem."
Han Uncle-Master drew near and patted his head.
"You've been trailing after the Young Master these days, basking in the limelight, adored by crowds calling you the Dao Child. It's gone straight to your head—you've forgotten how much you really weigh."
Yue Hongyin stepped up and clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh.
"That's why you needed a proper thrashing. But as your uncles, we can't lay hands on you ourselves. Let someone else do the honors, and it won't strain our sect bonds."
Liao Daoist added,
"Besides, Taihua Azure Palace has ties to Chen Shi. Him giving you a tune-up doesn't besmirch our name."
Jade Spirit Child's cheeks burned hotter. He had indeed savored endless flattery shadowing the Young Master. No matter what he did, admirers heaped praise: his righteousness, his prowess, his devotion to the common folk.
Jade Spirit Child reflected on himself thrice daily, yet each time the verdict rang true: I really am that great. Realization dawned.
"Chen Shi has ties to Taihua Azure Palace? What kind?"
Yue Hongyin replied,
"Chen Yindu once studied at Taihua Azure Palace, served as a Daoist for two years, and shared a close bond with one of our old ancestors."
Han Uncle-Master approached Uncle-Master Mei. Mana surged forth, levitating the great deer. He bowed.
"Uncle-Master, return to the temple and recuperate."
Uncle-Master Mei rose against his will and flew toward the Daoist temple in the Western Capital.
"Jade Spirit Child, can you still walk? If so, come meet a sect senior."
Jade Spirit Child bore the pain and followed the trio toward High Mountain County, wondering, "I wonder which sect senior these three uncles plan to see?" At nightfall, they reached the county seat and made straight for Red Mountain Hall, announcing themselves.
Jade Spirit Child grew suspicious. He had heard of Red Mountain Hall—newly gaining renown around the capital as a talisman masters' mutual aid society, slaying evils and spirits everywhere. Did it harbor an expert from Taihua Azure Palace?
"Ancestor!"
Yue Hongyin and the others lit up with joy, rushing forward en masse to surround a green sheep basking in the moonlight outside Red Mountain Hall.
"Azure Sheep Ancestor, your disciples have finally found you!"
"When will Ancestor return to Azure Sheep Palace?"
"With you gone from Azure Sheep Palace, they even changed the name to just Azure Palace!"
Jade Spirit Child gaped in shock. As he reeled, Yue Hongyin turned and beckoned.
"Jade Spirit Child, over here! Kowtow to Azure Sheep Ancestor! Look, Ancestor—this is your grand-disciple from Azure Sheep Palace. Don't you miss your disciples and grand-disciples?"
Jade Spirit Child stepped forward and kowtowed. Azure Sheep sized him up, puzzled.
"How'd you get banged up like this? Who dares harm a disciple of my Azure Sheep Palace?"
"Chen Shi."
Azure Sheep demanded,
"What did you do wrong? Why would he beat you and not anyone else?"
Jade Spirit Child stood speechless, mouth agape.
Yue Hongyin and the others cajoled relentlessly, intent on convincing Azure Sheep to return to Taihua Azure Palace. The sheep pushed back repeatedly.
"The palace is no fun—someone even polices my grazing. I'm not going back. I'm dead already, turned into an evil spirit. You'd just bully me more."
Despite their desperate pleas, Yue Hongyin and company couldn't sway Azure Sheep. They settled in a ruined temple outside High Mountain County.
"Sincerity can move mountains and part stones. If we beg shamelessly enough, Ancestor will come around."
Jade Spirit Child asked,
"Yue Uncle-Master, what's the story with this Azure Sheep Ancestor?"
Yue Hongyin sighed and explained at length.
"It's hearsay to me, but back then, after Chen Yindu resigned his post, he came to our Taihua Azure Palace to study. His aptitude was extraordinary; he mastered our Daoist arts in no time. The whole sect took a shine to him. My own master even became his Dao companion—they cultivated together as a pair. But Chen Yindu grew restless, deemed Taihua Azure Palace's arts mediocre, quit the Daoist life, and left the palace."
Jade Spirit Child gasped.
"Qiongyang Ancestral Master was Grandpa Chen Shi's Dao companion?"
Qiongyang Ancestral Master ranked among Taihua Azure Palace's mightiest, her cultivation profound beyond measure. Disciples spoke her name with profound reverence, like gazing at distant peaks. To think she had once been Chen Yindu's Dao companion.
Yue Hongyin nodded.
"After Chen Yindu left, Qiongyang Ancestral Master's temper soured—no one dared breathe a word of it in Taihua Azure Palace. Later, she shattered her emotional tribulations, her cultivation surging. She became one of Daoism's supreme powers and no longer minded the gossip."
Jade Spirit Child's shock lingered.
"So Lord Chen Tang is Qiongyang Ancestral Master's son? Chen Shi her grandson?"
Yue Hongyin shook her head.
"There were rumors to that effect, but Qiongyang Ancestral Master denied them. Chen Yindu was a notorious philanderer—who knows which woman bore Chen Tang."
Han Uncle-Master interjected,
"Yue Junior Sister, he's still a senior. Best not air his private affairs."
Yue Hongyin circled back.
"Chen Yindu ditching Qiongyang Ancestral Master was one thing, but abducting Azure Sheep Ancestor? That's grave. Azure Sheep Ancestor is thousands of years old—one of the three founding ancestors of Taihua Azure Palace, a descendant of the green sheep brought from Huaxia Divine Continent. Its cultivation isn't Daoism's pinnacle, but it watched countless Daoist leaders grow up. Its standing is exalted. Chen Yindu took it with him when he left.
Liao Daoist grumbled,
"Next we heard Azure Sheep Ancestor raising hell in the West Ox New Continent, racking up cases. The sect leader, fearing reprisals, renamed Azure Sheep Palace to just Azure Palace."
The three sighed in unison.
"Chen Yindu led Azure Sheep Ancestor astray!"
Yue Hongyin said,
"Now Chen Yindu's gone, the Six Great Evils are headless. Perfect chance to coax Azure Sheep Ancestor back into retirement."
The other two nodded vigorously.
Jade Spirit Child mulled things over, a touch gloomy.
Yue Hongyin prodded,
"Still brooding over Chen Shi beating you?"
Jade Spirit Child nodded, downcast.
"I didn't land a single move before he took me down—and he spared my life. I feel like if I'd unleashed the Supreme True Jade Art, I wouldn't have lost."
Yue Hongyin said,
"What's to mope about? Consider this: Azure Sheep Ancestor is his uncle, which makes him your uncle-master. Beaten by your own uncle-master—what's the shame? Feel better now?"
Jade Spirit Child pondered and did feel somewhat relieved.
"This time, helping the Young Master persuade Chen Shi to forfeit the top scholar bid was for the good of the realm. The Young Master bears the Zhu surname, True King's lineage. Seizing the top honor will gather heaven's momentum—he's destined for the throne. The Thirteen Families stand united; we can't let this golden hour slip, or who knows when the next will come. Plus, Taihua Azure Palace will reap founding merit. Once the Young Master claims True Kingship, our position solidifies. Uncles, will you help me talk to Chen Shi?"
Yue Hongyin rapped his head and laughed.
"Whoever claims True Kingship, Taihua Azure Palace remains Daoism's leader. Why scramble about like this? Don't bother with that."
Han Uncle-Master said,
"No True King in six millennia—can the Young Master really take the throne? Even the True King back then couldn't prevail against them. What makes you think the Young Master's schemes will?"
Jade Spirit Child fell silent.
"Hurry and do your evening recitations."
The four said no more, each turning to their cultivation.
Chen Shi returned to the Chen manor, still reflective.
"If only Chen Tang were as weak as Jade Spirit Child. Though, to be fair, I thought he was strong at first. Turns out he's about Xuanxuan's level."
He mulled it over and concluded their strengths were comparable.
Anyone he downed before they could make a move ranked about the same in his eyes.
"Wonder how the Thirteen Families' core disciples stack up against Jade Spirit Child."
Doubt crept in: Were the core disciples truly as formidable as Chen Tang claimed? After dinner, Blackie Pot cleared the dishes, wiped the table, and padded out of the room, leaving father and son alone.
Chen Shi smiled at Chen Tang.
"Chen Tang, I've figured it out—how to render your foresight useless."
"Hm?"
Chen Tang drew two chopsticks from the holder and set them lightly on the table, signaling him to begin.
Chen Shi rose and slid the round stool beneath the table. Thunder crashed abruptly. Without invoking any Dao art or divine ability, he used his finger as a sword, channeling qi and blood in a single thrust straight at Chen Tang's brow!
His speed was blinding. The instant his finger extended, its tip shattered the sound barrier. As thunder boomed, his sword-finger reached Chen Tang's forehead!
Chen Tang's chopsticks never budged. His body drifted backward, weightless, as if borne to the rear wall by the wind from the thrusting finger. Chen Shi unleashed sword-qi!
Chen Tang retreated swiftly, but the sword-qi outpaced him.
Chen Tang twisted aside. The sword-qi punched through the wall, boring through layer after layer before streaking skyward as a beam of light! It burst from the Western Capital, soaring a hundred li distant!
Chen Shi advanced a step, repeating the thrusting sword-form, sword-finger lancing out! His assault unfolded in two phases: first, the sword-finger itself.
His movement was thunder-swift, the sword-finger outstripping any blade. Fail to block or evade, and it would pierce flesh outright! The second phase was the sword-qi of the thrust.
The simplest technique, distilled to one principle: thrust!
Sword-qi sundered thunder, unyielding and unstoppable, laden with power to rattle the Primordial Spirit and breach all defenses!
Chen Tang practiced the Profound Subtlety Sword Canon from the Ten Tomes of True Cultivation—a technique whose very name evoked peerless intricacy and profundity. In complexity, only immortal arts might surpass it.
Chen Shi's swordplay derived from the most rudimentary technique in Grandpa Chen Yindu's Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Art: the thrust, simplest of the six basic forms in the Midnight-Noon Evil-Cleaving Sword. The simplest shattered the most intricate through one secret: speed!
Chen Shi's figure pursued Chen Tang relentlessly, striking left and right. Each sword-finger thrust embodied flawless mastery of flesh, qi-blood, and Nascent Soul! His qi-blood surged forth with every stab, as did the Nascent Soul enshrined in the little temple's Divine Shrine.
The pair's forms flickered like lightning amid the hall's three walls, flipping and darting. Tiny punctures riddled the walls in moments, soon pocked a thousand times over! Fortunately, the holes angled skyward; otherwise, given the sword-qi's relentlessness, the devastation and death toll would be unthinkable!
Too fast!
Chen Tang now tasted the same helplessness that had gripped Jade Spirit Child and Xuan Saintess. Chen Shi's strikes came too quickly, alchemizing the mundane into miracle—his chopsticks couldn't hope to parry!
Gales howled through the hall. Chen Tang vaulted outside, landing in the courtyard and wheeling to face the hall.
Chen Shi emerged at a leisurely pace, a faint smile on his lips.
"Chen Tang, you didn't just rise—you left the hall entirely."
Chen Tang betrayed a glimmer of approval.
"You can now force a Soul Transformation Realm family scion to go all-out."
His form lifted abruptly, hovering midair, gazing down at Chen Shi in the yard.
Chen Shi craned his neck. Legs coiling like springs, he prepared to launch skyward at Chen Tang—when two chopsticks plummeted from above, multiplying in an instant to two thousand forty-eight, engulfing him like as many flying swords!
"You won't overwhelm me with numbers!"
Chen Shi bellowed. Sixfold Ruins materialized behind him, their radiance flooding half the Western Capital's inner city. The six force fields plummeted, stacking in layers!
"Chen Tang, let's see you break my Skywave Force Field!"
As Chen Shi spoke, the two thousand forty-eight chopstick phantoms converged into a colossal sword-shape and plunged into the sixfold Skywave Force Field. At his feet, six Emperor Seals blossomed with light, pushing his Nascent Soul force field to its limit in defiance of the blade!
The chopstick phantoms comprising the sword detonated one after another, yet they bored onward relentlessly, shattering the overlapped fields and arriving before Chen Shi. In the next breath, his front—his entire body—bristled with chopstick phantoms, packed so densely no gap remained.
Chen Shi's awareness plunged into darkness. He toppled ramrod straight to the ground.