Chapter 290
Chapter 290
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Unknown]
Chapter Title: Beating Father and Vowing for Zhuangyuan
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Chen Shi returned home. Chen Tang saw him come back and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Blackie Pot came back and said you stayed overnight at Chen Wu's place. He didn't give you any trouble, right?"
"No, Fifth Uncle treated me extremely well," Chen Shi said.
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"That's good. He's not a good person with an eccentric temper. When you were little, he even wanted to eat you."
Chen Shi laughed.
"He mentioned that incident too."
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Chen Tang saw that he didn't take it seriously and frowned slightly.
"He has killed countless people and has no sense of good or evil. Your grandpa suppressed him many times before."
Chen Shi nodded lightly.
"I know."
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"He's extremely dangerous. Stay away from him."
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"He treats me very well, just like his own son. I think the two of us are a lot alike," Chen Shi said.
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Chen Tang clenched his fist. After a moment, he slowly relaxed it.
"Tonight, let's have another match."
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Chen Shi shook his head.
"Not tonight. I definitely can't beat you tonight. Besides, I still have to go stay at Fifth Uncle's place. I can't stay home."
Chen Tang frowned slightly, feeling a bit tense inside.
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That evening, Chen Shi went out. Chen Tang's expression flickered between dark and stormy.
Chen Shi was going to become Chen Wu's son!
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His greatest worry was about to come true.
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Chen Shi arrived at Fifth Uncle's residence. The two of them headed to the Gathering Immortals Tower and found Shao Jing.
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Shao Jing was overjoyed to see Chen Shi again. After some pleasantries, Chen Shi asked,
"Accountant, can you cash in some goods with questionable origins?"
Shao Jing got the hint and smiled.
"Instructor, bring them over for me to take a look."
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Chen Shi looked toward Fifth Uncle.
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Fifth Uncle lightly swiped through the air. It was as if space itself split open with a crack, and countless magic treasures and valuables poured out like flowing water, piling up into a mountain.
Shao Jing jumped in fright and hurriedly shut the doors of the Gathering Immortals Tower before inspecting the treasures.
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The treasures here were of all kinds—even over a dozen astonishingly powerful magic treasures, along with various jewels and ornaments. Though not magic treasures themselves, they were talisman weapons, forged and tempered a thousand times over.
Shao Jing's scalp went numb. He stammered,
"Where did these treasures come from, Instructor? We're rich now!"
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His voice trembled slightly.
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"Accountant, have you heard of the corpse cloud over Xijing?" Chen Shi said.
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Shao Jing's heart chilled. He had heard plenty of legends about that corpse cloud—wild and eerie tales circulating throughout Xijing. He stopped inquiring about the treasures' origins.
"These things... the magic treasures will be hard to offload, but the rest should be fine. As long as we disassemble and reconstruct them so no one recognizes them, we can sell them."
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Shao Jing examined them carefully.
"But cashing everything in will be tricky. We'll need to do business in other parts of the Western Ox New Continent, steering clear of Xijing."
Chen Shi looked at Fifth Uncle. Fifth Uncle couldn't care less.
"Give me some silver first. I'm out of money."
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Shao Jing was stunned. He looked to Chen Shi, who nodded lightly.
"Take your time selling the goods. Grab some silver first. Fifth Uncle, from now on, whenever you need money, just come to the Gathering Immortals Tower."
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Shao Jing hurriedly fetched a dozen-plus banknotes.
"The Gathering Immortals Tower currently has branches in Xijing and Xinxian, but we'll soon be opening in other provinces too. Fifth Uncle, help yourself whenever you need funds."
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Fifth Uncle took the banknotes and glanced at the amounts. He was very pleased and laughed.
"Rent's paid, and plenty left over. Let's go—back to cultivation."
Chen Shi followed him away.
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After seeing them off, Shao Jing returned to the Gathering Immortals Tower and stared blankly at the mountain of treasures. After a long moment, he slapped himself twice across the face before realizing it wasn't a dream.
"Money for rebellion—we've got it!"
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Chen Shi hid inside the Fox Grape Mirror, cultivating on one side while following Fifth Uncle to learn the Grand Zhoutian Liturgy.
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The Grand Zhoutian Liturgy encompassed two thousand four hundred god positions—two thousand four hundred talismans in total. Chen Shi's grandpa had only taught him twelve hundred of them; the rest were not passed on.
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That was because Chen Yindu hadn't completed the remaining twelve hundred talismans either. Back then, most of his energy had gone toward rescuing and reviving Chen Shi, leaving no time to fill in the gaps.
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However, Fifth Uncle had been suppressed by him for several years. During those years, he had devoted himself entirely to mastering the full set of talismans and had largely completed the Grand Zhoutian Liturgy. It was still incomplete—some talismans were merely Fifth Uncle's own scholarly supplements for the missing parts—but they were usable enough.
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Chen Shi trained and studied under him. In just five or six days, he had fully memorized all twelve hundred talismans.
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"Perhaps I can add another layer to Mu Che's Luo Umbrella—creating a double-layered heaven. One layer the Grand Luotian Liturgy, the other the Grand Zhoutian Liturgy. The power would surely be even greater!" Chen Shi thought to himself.
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In these past few days of cultivation within the Minor Zhutian Realm, his progress had been lightning-fast. His Nascent Soul had already grown to three feet tall. And the Skyroar Emperor Codex had finally reached the Ninth Heaven.
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With all nine heavens open, his cultivation speed was even faster!
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At this rate, forming a Nascent Soul equal to his body size would take at most a month.
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"From the Grand Zhoutian Liturgy, I've comprehended the Zhoutian Transformation. It can turn Xijing into my Ghost God Domain, divided into three hundred sixty-five degrees. Every segment of space can be reorganized and reconstructed at my whim."
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Fifth Uncle led Chen Shi walking down the streets of Xijing. With this one step, what had clearly been Chang'an Avenue ahead suddenly shifted—streets and buildings rushed toward them only to brush past.
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Chen Shi was utterly astonished. In that single step, they had traversed over a dozen streets, going from Chang'an Avenue to Guiyang Street. Those dozen streets bustled with pedestrians, yet none seemed to notice anything amiss.
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As Fifth Uncle walked onward, he said,
"Once you've comprehended the Zhoutian Transformation, you're fit to contend with the world's strongest. But comprehending the Zhoutian Transformation is far too difficult. There's not much more I can teach you."
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He led Chen Shi forward. The terrain ahead changed dramatically into the imperial palace. Buildings and halls flanked them, receding behind as they passed. Then they entered a grand hall where thirteen supreme experts emanated overwhelming auras—the thirteen cabinet ministers who governed the realm, deep in discussion.
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Fifth Uncle led Chen Shi straight through the midst of these thirteen pinnacle experts of the age. These masters from the great families completely ignored them, carrying on their heated debate over state affairs as if the pair weren't there.
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The two exited the cabinet hall and appeared at Caishikou Execution Grounds. A beheading was underway, the blade's gleam flashing down from above. Chen Shi and Fifth Uncle passed right through the blade light, unharmed by even a hair.
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Suddenly, the scene shifted. They were walking through Xijing's underworld, passing massive Nascent Souls.
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These were the Nascent Souls of the thirteen families and Xijing's various Void Returning and Great Ascension Realm experts, stationed in the void and peering into the netherworld. But upon seeing the two, they could only glare in impotent fury.
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Fifth Uncle laughed.
"After mastering the Grand Luotian Liturgy and Grand Zhoutian Liturgy, if you're just a bit smarter than your dad, you'll grasp the principles of the Zhoutian Transformation and comprehend your own Ghost God Domain. Watch."
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He drew a Supreme Eight Trigrams Guard Talisman, stretching it from a flat plane into a three-dimensional form so Chen Shi could clearly see the transformation process. The立体 Eight Trigrams began to shift, the eight trigrams morphing into wind and rain, into thunder, into azure sky and vast earth!
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Fifth Uncle seized the Qian trigram and Kun trigram, sacrificing them both. Heaven and earth inverted!
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Chen Shi looked up at the sky. Xijing now floated overhead. Palaces and pavilions faced downward toward the ground. People walked the streets of the skyborne Xijing, still bustling about their labors without sensing a thing.
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"Your grandpa once said his greatest taboo was rote memorization without understanding. When learning, you must comprehend and grasp the essence. He started with the worst aptitude, but through comprehension and insight, he became the strongest."
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Fifth Uncle spoke leisurely.
"The Supreme Eight Trigrams Guard is what I learned by following him. The Supreme Eight Trigrams Guard Art was passed to me by Granny Sha. But the Qiankun Shift—my Ghost God Domain—was something I comprehended from the guard talisman and its art. The Eight Trigrams Guard isn't particularly complex, nor is the art a top-tier technique. They're simple things, so why do they hold such immense power as a Ghost God Domain?"
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He tapped Chen Shi on the forehead and laughed.
"Use your own brain to sense it, to understand it. This is the ultimate secret my old man taught me. I'm passing it on to you. Defeating Chen Tang isn't hard—the hard part is comprehending this ultimate secret."
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He turned and departed, his voice drifting back.
"Go home. Defeat Chen Tang. Don't disappoint me."
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Heaven and earth returned to normal. Chen Shi stood once more on the bustling street, rooted in place for a long time.
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The street teemed with people coming and going, men and women brushing past him. Amid the marketplace clamor, Chen Shi felt as if he alone existed between heaven and earth.
The simplest talismans could yield a Ghost God Domain—what kind of genius was required for that!
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The world's greatest treasure trove wasn't the immortal arts of the Tomb of the True King, but these everyday talismans!
After a good while, Chen Shi finally moved, heading back to the Chen residence.
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At dinner, Chen Shi appeared mature and steady, showing his father the utmost respect. Chen Tang doted on him in turn, like a loving father with his cherished son.
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After the meal, Blackie Pot stepped forward to clear the bowls and chopsticks, then withdrew from the main hall, leaving father and son alone.
"Has Little Five taught you a lot?"
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Chen Tang said flatly,
"You can demonstrate them now."
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Chen Shi kept his eyes on his nose and his nose to his heart, smiling.
"Chen Tang, Fifth Uncle did teach me plenty, but I won't need any of it to deal with you."
Chen Tang let out a hum and said darkly,
"You haven't learned them, have you?"
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Chen Shi wore a smile.
"Chen Tang, I've seen your so-called core disciples of the great families. Nothing special."
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Chen Tang's face was expressionless.
"You're talking about those people in Perching Cloud Temple? They're not the core disciples I was referring to. The core disciples I mean are the current heads of the thirteen families. They've already reached the Void Returning Realm—nothing like those you encountered in Perching Cloud Temple."
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Chen Shi lifted his gaze to him.
"You knew I went to Perching Cloud Temple?"
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Chen Tang kept his eyes on his nose and his nose to his heart.
"You weren't thorough enough, just like Chen Yindu—sloppy in your work. Of course I went to check."
Chen Shi said,
"Chen Yindu is your father. Mind your tone when you speak of him. Have you ever crossed hands with true core disciples of the great families? How'd it go?"
Chen Tang's expression remained calm.
"If you can beat me, you can beat them."
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Chen Shi smiled faintly.
"Good."
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Blackie Pot stood guard outside the door. Suddenly, a gust of wind rose in the main hall—howling gales erupted. It turned to look and saw chopstick shadows flashing everywhere in the humble room. With a sudden *bang*, Chen Shi slammed into the wall, nearly crashing into Chen Yindu's spirit tablet. Chen Tang flew backward, skimming the ground before *bang*—smashing the fake mountain in the courtyard to pieces!
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Blackie Pot jumped in fright.
"Plop."
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Chen Tang tumbled into the pond beneath the fake mountain.
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A heavy thud came from the main hall as Chen Shi fell from the wall.
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Blackie Pot's perked ears drooped. It rose, shook its tail, and wandered off into the distance.
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Fifth Uncle crouched on the ridgepole of the Chen residence's roof, watching the scene unfold. He said excitedly,
"Nice hit!"
Blackie Pot looked up, but he was already gone.
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Not long after, Chen Shi and Chen Tang sat beneath the eaves. One was drenched head to toe with a bruised and swollen face; the other had several bloody gashes on his body. They sat there in a daze.
"Chen Tang, you went a bit heavy-handed," Chen Shi said, glancing at his wounds.
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"You kicked my groin and jabbed my eyes," Chen Tang said, his face dark.
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Chen Shi fell silent for a moment.
"Chen Tang, I can beat you now. I'm strong now. I want to go for zhuangyuan. Support me."
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"Fighting for zhuangyuan will put you in danger. Young Master Xiao is dead set on it. If you compete with him, he'll stop at nothing to keep you from it."
Chen Shi arched a brow.
"Me going for zhuangyuan puts you in a tough spot? Ruins your official prospects?"
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"How dare you talk to me like that?"
Chen Tang flew into a rage and shot to his feet.
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Blackie Pot was carrying fresh clothes, about to bring them over, but stopped at the words.
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Chen Shi snorted.
"I'm going for this zhuangyuan, no matter what. Chen Tang, back when you took the capital exams, you could only place fourteenth. You didn't dare compete with them—you're a coward. I'm not going to be a coward like you. When I do something, I do it to be first!"
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Chen Tang erupted in fury and raised his hand as if to strike.
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Chen Shi stood tall, craning his neck and thrusting his face forward.
"Go on, hit me! Why don't you? After Grandpa revived me, you never once came back to see us!"
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Chen Shi's anger blazed.
"You didn't come home for New Year's, or any festivals! You didn't even come when Grandpa passed! Chen Wu might be a shady character, but at least he came back to kowtow a few times for Grandpa! You're not even as good as Chen Wu! Hit me then! Come on—beat your own son, throw your weight around at home, play the big hero!"
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Chen Tang was forced back step by step.
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Chen Shi shoved his head forward and sneered.
"You're the hero! You dumped me and Grandpa in the countryside. You never raised me, never saw Grandpa off. And now you want to hit me? Kill me then—I'm not even your son anyway! You're worse than a eunuch—Eunuch Feng at least supports me! Chen Tang, if you're a hero, then right here in front of Blackie Pot, in front of Mom, in front of Grandpa's spirit tablet—kill me!"
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Chen Tang snorted in rage and abruptly pulled back his hand.
"I'm worried about your safety!"
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Chen Shi sneered.
"Chen Tang, your good little son? Laozi's done playing that role! This zhuangyuan—I'm claiming it. Young Master Xiao—I'm killing him!"
"You're rebelling!"
Chen Tang trembled with fury.
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"Then I'll rebel!"
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Chen Shi summoned the little temple and tossed the Talisman God Celestial Machine from the god shrine right in front of him.
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The Talisman God Celestial Machine was still repairing his body—mostly restored now, with full arms and even a backside, though still legless. He sat on the ground, somewhat deranged. Spotting Chen Tang, he suddenly recognized him.
"Chen Tang, your dad wants you to come home."
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He paused, then added,
"Your dad misses you."
Chen Tang's mind reeled, and tears streamed down his face unbidden.
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The Talisman God Celestial Machine suddenly went berserk, knocking him flat and pummeling him furiously with eight arms.
"Little Five! Fight me to the death!"
Chen Shi startled—afraid the Talisman God Celestial Machine would beat him to death—and hurriedly withdrew him back into the little temple.
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The Talisman God Celestial Machine grew muddled again, crawling up to sit in the Divine Shrine.
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Chen Shi looked at Chen Tang, who sat dazed on the ground, beaten black and blue, somewhat lost.
"You really want to go for zhuangyuan?"
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Chen Tang shakily got to his feet.
"Back then, I didn't dare go for it. But if my son wants zhuangyuan, I'll support him for sure."