Chapter 317
Chapter 317
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Number]
Chapter Title: Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler
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Behind Chen Shi, Black Pot quietly nudged the wooden cart with one paw. The cart wisely backed away.
The several Heavenly Listeners beside Zhuang Wuji's qilin palanquin stared fixedly at Black Pot, each stepping forward.
They were deacons and venerables among the Heavenly Listeners, with strength far surpassing what apostles could match.
Compared to those dull-witted apostles, these deacons and venerables were far more agile. Wherever they passed, a force field akin to a domain arose, sprouting countless ears.
As they took one step forward, Black Pot's domain shrank by a step. Clearly, they were suppressing it with their own power.
Black Pot stared at them and shifted to the side. The Heavenly Listener deacons and venerables followed its movement, gradually drawing away from Chen Shi and Zhuang Wuji.
Chen Shi's expression remained calm.
"So, what kind of person do you think deserves the Innate Dao Embryo?"
Zhuang Wuji's face grew solemn, tinged even with a trace of reverence. He replied gravely,
"The Innate Dao Embryo harbors vast and majestic power—the Dao bestowed by the True God himself. One who possesses the Dao Embryo must boast heaven-defying insight and talent, aptitude utterly unmatched in the world! Such a person is boundlessly intelligent, comprehending a hundred truths from one glimpse, mastering a hundred arts from one technique. Any Dao method is grasped at a glance, any move perfected upon learning! Even immortal arts pose no challenge! Their cultivation speed is unmatched, leaving others unable to even glimpse their back—even geniuses pursuing desperately fall short! Chen Shi, do you know who I speak of?"
Chen Shi looked at him inquiringly.
"Who?"
"You! The you from eleven years ago!"
Zhuang Wuji said indifferently, "Eleven years ago, I met you. You were only nine then, the child scholar renowned throughout the land. Many doubted you possessed an Innate Dao Embryo and tested you. I considered myself a rare genius, but the moment I saw you, you astonished me. I still remember how you cultivated immortal arts back then—mastering them instantly, comprehending at once, enlightened in a flash."
Upon hearing this, Black Pot looked stunned. It ceased clashing with those Heavenly Listeners and craned its head to look over.
Zhuang Wuji continued, "My purpose here is to claim that Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler from the underworld and make it my own. But it was stolen by thieves, so I sought out that unparalleled child scholar from back then. I heard he had revived and slain the Young Master. I wanted to see once more that extraordinary child scholar who so thoroughly convinced me."
Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly.
"So that's what it's called—the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler. Not a stick? What an odd name. But fitting—it can measure the heavens."
Zhuang Wuji's eyes showed appreciation.
"The first time I met you, I had the Heavenly Listeners compile your records for me to review carefully. I discovered far too much information had been fed to them by your family's dog—too many falsehoods. That impressed me. But that was the dog's feat, not yours."
Chen Shi asked, "And the second time?"
"Today marks the second. You slew those men with ruthless dominance—even while sitting unmoving in your cart. Your strength crowns all your peers; in the mortal world, scarce a dozen at the same realm could cross swords with you."
Zhuang Wuji said, "The Young Master's death at your hands was no injustice. Eleven years ago, when I saw him, he was still young, yet he devoted too much energy to winning hearts, currying favor with the Thirteen Great Families, and amassing wealth. Had he spent half that effort on cultivation..."
His words sharpened like a sword piercing straight to the heart.
"You slew those three. The Hundred Forging Hall Lord fell to your profound cultivation. The God Pivot Battalion's commander, to the spell of your Heavenly Canopy. The spells, divine abilities, and treasures you used were all ordinary—no stunning brilliance. The little eunuch died to your sword's unexpected strike. You do not deserve the Innate Dao Embryo."
Disappointment seeped through his words, his demeanor desolate.
"You are no longer that scholar. You've truly died. The child scholar who convinced me has become lost in the crowd since reviving."
He turned toward the qilin palanquin.
Chen Shi's voice came from behind him.
"So you know who obtained my Innate Dao Embryo?"
Zhuang Wuji halted.
Chen Shi said, "Your obsession with the Innate Dao Embryo stems not just from that fleeting glimpse eleven years ago, but because on Despair Slope, you often see it. The one who got the Dao Embryo gained heaven-defying insight and talent, peerless aptitude because of it—but that person isn't you. You were once evenly matched, yet now he surpasses you. You, a genius of keen talent and supreme arrogance—you were neck and neck, but after he claimed the Dao Embryo, you lag in every way."
Zhuang Wuji clenched his fists.
Hearing this, Black Pot perked up at once and resumed confronting those Heavenly Listeners.
Chen Shi stared at his back, each word like a knife stabbing into Zhuang Wuji's heart.
"When learning Dao arts, he grasps instantly, masters upon learning, comprehends a hundred from one, proficient in a hundred from one. You can only painstakingly ponder. You wish you had several brains to match his wit. Your realms were once close, but since he obtained the Dao Embryo, he's left you far behind—the gap widening, impossible to bridge."
Zhuang Wuji stood motionless, then burst into laughter.
Chen Shi pressed on. "The gulf grows ever wider. You chase desperately, yet he merely dabbles and refines casually, far outstripping your frantic efforts. Thus, resentment festers—you crave to reclaim your superiority. Hearing of my revival and the Young Master's death at my hands, you came seeking me. You know the True God won't bestow a second Divine Embryo, so you inspect mine, see me lost in the masses, to sate your competitive heart. What you mean is: even without the Dao Embryo, the child scholar is just another failure like you."
"Hahaha!" Zhuang Wuji laughed, shaking his head.
"Zhuang Wuji, the one you've chased your whole life and can never catch is merely the one who took my Dao Embryo."
Chen Shi said coldly, "Without it, I remain the child scholar, remain Top Scholar Chen. You, pinned down by my Dao Embryo, will never rise on Despair Slope."
Zhuang Wuji's laughter faded. He gripped his fists tightly, then relaxed, shaking his head with a smile.
"Chen Shi, your words ring true, but you lost the Dao Embryo all the same."
He walked to the qilin palanquin, paused at the side, and turned with a smile.
"Even without the Innate Dao Embryo, our fates differ like heaven and earth. I reign supreme on Despair Slope; you struggle for survival in the mortal realm. I diligently cultivate yet can't match that person's Dao arts—immortal techniques you'll never touch. You wallow in shit pits a lifetime, enduring torment of death to claw survival, exhausting all to claim the top scholar title—a trifle I scorn."
His aura surged stronger. Behind him manifested a towering primordial spirit, nearly a hundred zhang tall, looming over Chen Shi. Its voice boomed like thunder.
"Eleven years, and I've reached God-Refining Realm, severed my three corpses, refined my Pure Yang Godhead, cultivated a hundred-zhang primordial spirit! We both started mortal, but differing fates mean our gap widens endlessly."
He entered the palanquin and sat.
"Chen Shi, in another century, you'll be dust, while I remain as now."
Chen Shi smiled faintly, ignoring him.
Zhuang Wuji laughed.
"See this fire qilin? It was the Young Master's mount. With him dead, it sought a new master—so I took it in. In time, you'll be far beneath it. At your deathbed, I'll send it to offer incense in your honor."
Chen Shi scoffed dismissively, leaped onto the wooden cart, called Black Pot, and departed swaggeringly.
Zhuang Wuji roared with laughter, barked a command, and the fire qilin trod fiery clouds, hauling the treasure palanquin skyward.
Black Pot kept glancing at Chen Shi, seeing his face unchanged, utterly unaffected.
It sighed in relief, truly fearing its young master had been rattled by Zhuang Wuji.
Now, it seemed his mental cultivation had soared far beyond before. Back then...
Suddenly, Chen Shi's face turned greenish, features twisting slightly, startling Black Pot.
"I can't swallow this insult! Bear it, and why bother being top scholar?"
Chen Shi said rapidly.
"Black Pot, affect the nearby Heavenly Listeners!"
Black Pot hurriedly scanned around, locking onto each Heavenly Listener and warping their perceptions.
Chen Shi drew the black iron rod, activated the treasure, and invoked the Thousand-Li Flying Sword Art.
This Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler differed from other treasures: at just over three chi, it weighed a mere three or four jin, growing heavier with size. When expanded to a pillar piercing heaven and earth, even Great Vehicle Realm experts couldn't budge it!
Marvelous as it was, Chen Shi's transformation art from the Thousand-Li Flying Sword couldn't turn it into a flying bird.
Yet the bird form merely conserved mana. Previously, with weak cultivation, conservation was vital; now, with abundant mana and short distance, it was unnecessary.
"Rise!"
Chen Shi barked, and the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler shot skyward.
The fire qilin's speed was blistering, accelerating in flight till surpassing sound, thundering like galloping lightning, trails of thunder echoing in the sky.
The treasure palanquin gifted by Yan Xianzhi to Zhuang Wuji was extraordinary too. Amid the qilin's inferno and thunderous clamor, the interior remained pleasant—flames parting automatically, no heat or noise. Crafting such required talismans: water-repelling, fire-repelling, wind-steadying, thunder-driving, plus silence and spring talismans.
In less than a quarter-hour, the qilin palanquin covered a hundred li.
At that pace, four thousand li per hour—enviable swiftness.
Yet the fire qilin needed rest, unable to sprint at full tilt forever. Zhuang Wuji sat inside, smile lingering, then stiffening, twisting his features.
"Is that brat's mentality truly so unshakable? I failed to rile him but irked myself. Had he attacked, I could've seized the chance to thrash him thoroughly."
Thinking of Chen Shi's death in a century and the fire qilin offering condolences eased him greatly.
Suddenly, he sensed mana fluctuations behind. His eyes lit up, and he laughed.
"So much for your vaunted mental attainment—you couldn't hold back after all. This time, learn the heights of heaven and earth's depths..."
He turned, staring in horror at the approaching object.
A three-chi-eight-cun black iron rod, infant-wrist thick, etched with strange patterns—all now glowing brilliantly!
This was the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler he'd sought desperately!
Its speed dwarfed the qilin palanquin's—Chen Shi's sword-qi velocity!
A li from the palanquin, rings of Grand Ultimate Fire Realm suddenly enveloped the Iron Ruler. Five innate righteous qi rapidly coalesced, pouring into it!
Zhuang Wuji recalled the Meridian Gate shattered into five in West Capital City, the Taihe Hall pierced through—chills ran down his spine.
The fire qilin sensed doom and bolted forward desperately.
An impossibly massive pillar struck the palanquin's rear at eye-defying speed. Though Yan Xianzhi's gift, forged a thousand times over with astonishing defenses, it shattered instantly on impact!
The fire qilin never lived to mourn Chen Shi, pulverized by the li-thick colossus—bones crushed, flesh to paste!
Just before collision, Zhuang Wuji unleashed his Ghost God Domain at full power, twisting surrounding space into looping corridors. This was the domain that had trapped Chen Shi's cart earlier—folding space like facing mirrors, mirror in mirror, infinite cycles.
Better termed a divine ability, learned on Despair Slope: Space-Folding Mirror Return.
Theoretically, it folded spacetime endlessly afar, keeping attacks eternally at bay—but mere theory.
Limits abounded: cultivation depth, insight level, invocation speed.
The instant Zhuang Wuji cast it, he realized his Space-Folding Mirror Return lagged far behind the Iron Ruler's expansion!
He folded a chi into a hundred li—next instant, the hundred li blasted through!
Zhuang Wuji roared, merging primordial spirit with body. At fusion, his flesh turned pure yang, mana surging; his body swelled to hundred-zhang in moments, a majestic heavenly god!
He thrust both palms forward, meeting the hundred-li-piercing pillar.
Boom!
Zhuang Wuji shuddered violently, shoved backward by the still-expanding colossus.
Terrifying pressure assailed; blood poured from eyes, ears, mouth, nose. Skin tore, robes shredded!
The Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler ground him back over a hundred li, slamming into a mountain with a boom. Its tail end now three or four li thick—not inferior to the peak—shoving the entire mountain sliding miles ahead!
Finally, the Iron Ruler halted.
Zhuang Wuji's eye twitched; bones cracked within. Even his divine body couldn't withstand the onslaught. Suddenly, the Iron Ruler shrank rapidly, reverting to a three-chi-eight-cun black rod in an instant, tumbling through air with a whoosh.
Zhuang Wuji reached to grab—spewing fresh blood!
Embedded in the mountainside, he hastily withdrew his primordial spirit. The hundred-zhang form shrank swiftly; he tumbled from the crag.
Landing, his legs snapped with a crack—he knelt involuntarily.
His heart sank: legs broken.
"No great harm—won't die!"
Suppressing wounds, gritting through pain, he muttered, "So you stole the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler! No mercy this time! I must summon the Heavenly Listener Lords at once!"
As the thought struck, a pair of feet appeared before him.
Zhuang Wuji looked up slowly, seeing a tall, stalwart young official standing there unawares.
"Chen Tang?"
His heart pounded wildly, voice hoarse.
"Father of the child scholar,"
Chen Tang stood hands behind back, gazing past him.
"Would sir manifest your Divine Embryo? I'd like to see if it's my son's Innate Dao Embryo."
Zhuang Wuji inwardly wailed, steeling himself with a laugh.
"Chen Tang, don't act rashly! I'm a guest of Despair Slope—even the Thirteen Great Families treat me with..."
"You won't show it? I'll take it myself!"
Chen Tang pointed, striking his brow.
Zhuang Wuji jolted; his occiput thrummed. The Divine Shrine flew from his body involuntarily.
Shame and fury surged. Chen Tang examined the shrine at will, but Zhuang Wuji could only kneel, immobile, unable to resist.
He, heaven's proud son of Despair Slope—when had he endured such humiliation?
Chen Tang inspected, then showed disappointment, murmuring, "So, you don't deserve my son's Innate Dao Embryo after all."
Tears welled in Zhuang Wuji's eyes. First ambushed by Chen Shi, now humiliated by Chen Tang—today's grievances eclipsed a lifetime!
"Recite aloud what you said insulting my son."
Chen Tang ordered.
Zhuang Wuji's eyes bulged, glaring fiercely.
Chen Tang's face was expressionless.
"No use scheming. I alone match a Great Family—you summon however many Heavenly Listener Lords, all die. Recite!"
After a silent moment, a halting voice echoed from the mountain base.
"The Innate Dao Embryo harbors vast and majestic power..."
"But that was the dog's feat, not yours."
"I reign supreme on Despair Slope; you struggle for survival in the mortal realm..."
"At your deathbed, I'll send it to offer incense in your honor."
Zhuang Wuji finished reciting. Tears streamed down his cheeks; he wept aloud.
"Chen Tang, I remember this humiliation! One day, I'll repay it a hundredfold!"
Chen Tang ignored him and turned away.
Zhuang Wuji collapsed sobbing, venting awhile before collecting himself. Nursing wounds, he hastened to Despair Slope.
He summoned no Heavenly Listeners—too humiliating.
Half a month later, he finally reached Despair Slope, heart gladdened.
"Back on the slope, I'll cultivate tenfold harder, repay the Chen father-son duo's humiliation a hundredfold!"
The thought fresh, a young man approached with a smile.
The youth resembled Chen Shi and Chen Tang somewhat, but grinned amiably, seeming friendly.
Zhuang Wuji's heart lurched.
"Creation Little Five!"
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