Chapter 336
Chapter 336
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Undisclosed]
Chapter Title: Days of Recovery and the Traitor's Counterattack
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The day after Chen Shi's mother awoke, she was already able to get out of bed and walk around.
The family of three stepped out of their home to pay respects to the village elders. Chen Shi busied himself preparing a reunion banquet, treating the villagers to fish and meat. Everyone in the village came to feast, and it was quite lively.
On the third day, they paid respects to Grandpa, their godmother, and Scholar Zhu before entering the mountains to honor the spirits of Qianyang Mountain, such as Xuan Shan and Granny Zhuang.
On the fourth day, they visited Granny Sha, Hu Xiaoliang, and the other elders.
On the fifth day, the Heavenly Court Token from Red Mountain Hall arrived in Hu Feifei's hands. Hu Feifei activated the token, opening the passage between New Township and the Little Minor Heavens. She then distributed the other Heavenly Court Tokens to Granny Sha, Qing Yang, Hu Xiaoliang, and others—Chen Tang also received one.
Scholar Chen Shi returned to his old routine: rising early each morning for his dawn exercises and cultivation, then heading to Huangpo Hill to pay respects to his godmother and Scholar Zhu, listening to Scholar Zhu expound on the scriptures before returning home for a meal.
In addition, he now had one more task: lecturing in the Little Minor Heavens, proclaiming the cultivation methods inscribed on the stele forest outside the Tomb of the True King.
Whenever he did so, crowds always gathered in the Little Minor Heavens. They were fellow juren and jinshi from his cohort, now serving as officials across the fifty provinces of West Niu New Continent. The highest-ranking among them was County Magistrate Hu Feifei.
Though their positions were not lofty, they were all young and promising.
Some were former low-level clerks like Sun Yisheng, who had been dismissed by the Ministry of Revenue and were now talisman masters of Red Mountain Hall. They too came to the Little Minor Heavens to listen.
These clerks' cultivations were extraordinarily impressive—often at God Descent Realm or Void Refining Realm, with many having refined three-zhang primordial spirits or established their own dao fields!
As low-level clerks in the Ministry of Revenue, they hadn't even held official posts, let alone access to advanced cultivation methods.
With just a little guidance, they would immediately break through to the next realm.
Chen Tang said to Chen Shi,
"They are talents selected by the full might of the imperial court—far quicker than personally visiting and handpicking them yourself."
Chen Shi pondered this.
"In the future, I too shall use the imperial examinations to select even more talents."
"Starting right away, we'll trial it within Red Mountain Hall. Have Zhuge Jian formulate proper regulations for talent selection!"
He grew excited and immediately set to work.
Chen Tang watched his son's departing figure before softly saying to his wife Wu Qingjia,
"Your son thinks he's the prime minister now."
Wu Qingjia's eyes flickered with amusement as she smiled.
"It's good to learn from others—just don't let him mess around."
Chen Tang shot her a glance, inwardly sensing that his son had clearly picked up a few of his mother's sly habits.
As night fell, Blackie Pot perked up its ears and quietly leaped over the courtyard wall, swiftly heading out of the village.
In the dense forest of Qianyang Mountain outside the village, moonlight illuminated patches here and there, but much remained shrouded in darkness. Amid the shadows, a pair of eerie green eyes opened, accompanied by faint whispers drifting through the air.
Blackie Pot followed the pair of green eyes into the darkness, as if stepping into the underworld. Soon, two figures appeared—Huo Dou and another. Huo Dou taught Blackie Pot cultivation methods, combat techniques, and the ways of the demonic path. He led it deep into the perilous depths of the underworld, shoving it into desperate straits amid swarms of rampaging demons, forcing it to fight and slaughter for survival.
Before dawn, Huo Dou returned the battered and bruised Blackie Pot home. Blackie Pot crawled back exhausted, wanting nothing more than to collapse and sleep—but it forced itself onward.
By then, Chen Tang and Wu Qingjia had prepared a meal and called it over to eat. The couple acted as if they saw nothing of the wounds covering its body.
Every midnight, Blackie Pot would sneak out again, repeating the routine without fail.
In just a few days, Blackie Pot's cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, progressing at an astonishing speed.
Meanwhile, Chen Shi selected the Taiyi Hunyuan Scripture from the Ten True Cultivation Books for his own practice. Though this foundational method was dangerous and inconvenient—absorbing moonlight in West Niu New Continent often led to corruption into minor evils and spirits—he persisted in cultivating under the moon.
He first guided his mother into the temple for cultivation. Wu Qingjia already had a foundation in the arts. During her soul-separation phase, Chen Shi and Chen Tang assisted her, and with her exceptionally solid roots, her progress was swift.
"Have you heard where Li Zaiqing is hiding these days?"
Chen Shi asked Li Zaiqing directly.
"You had her hide in Qianyang Mountain to evade Li Yi's pursuit, and now that Li Yi's men have come to Qianyang Mountain, you should have rushed back long ago. What's keeping you, and what are you learning?"
After further questioning about Many She Xuan Shan, Many She Xuan Shan informed him that two months prior, Li Yi's men had come to Qianyang Mountain. Grandpa's golden dou and his mother's arrangements had activated the village's protective array.
Fearing she would implicate them, Li Zaiqing had chosen to leave.
Chen Shi couldn't help worrying for her. He took out the Western King Jade Seal and activated the Landscape Governance Map to search. The jade seal's map revealed only a few illuminated areas, such as New Township and Gong Province. Searching those yielded no trace of Li Zaiqing.
"Where on earth are you hiding, Zaiqing?"
Xian Province, Five Locust Mountain.
At night, bursts of spellcasting and talisman soldier whooshes echoed from the mountain. Countless branches whipped through the darkness, ensnaring several of Li Yi's powerhouses from the center.
Li Yi's subordinates each unleashed their primordial spirits, channeling spells and talisman soldiers to sever the branches.
They had come to hunt Li Zaiqing, only to be lured by her into this extraordinarily perilous Chongshan range, where they suffered attacks from the native evil spirits.
These evil spirits were likely born from the mountain's locust trees, whose roots connected the yin and yang realms. Heavy with yin energy, they had long birthed minor evil spirits. The branches and roots formed paths for gods and ghosts, linking straight from the underworld to the mortal world, leaving Li Yi's hunters in dire straits.
From the darkness, a pair of eyes coldly observed every spell, technique, and talisman soldier deployed by Li Yi's men.
"Li Zaiqing cultivates the Azure Sea Vast Waves Art, which is profoundly robust. She excels at the Vast Waves Endless Tide technique—a move that mimics crashing sea waves splitting the shore, with vast coverage and immense power on attack. Casting any of its spells requires two snaps of the fingers, and her spellcasting speed demands precisely that interval. Within two snaps, disrupt her divine power field, and she falls."
"Li Zaiqing's former trusted subordinate betrayed her upon gaining power. Arrogant and talented, he scorned the common folk in Qing Province's herb fields and turned traitor! Now you get to witness Li Zaiqing's true supreme art!"
They continued their pursuit of Li Zaiqing in force.
On the second day, Li Qianyun and Li Yi's men were led by Li Zaiqing into Many Calamity Ridge, startling a herd of beasts. Three-headed cicadas erupted from the mountains, swarming and attacking the pursuers.
Li Zaiqing watched calmly from afar. She had already mastered the moves of Li Yi's pursuers, save for Li Qianyun's Fate-Robbing Transcendence Art, which required further observation to crack.
On the third night, Li Qianyun's hunters reached Jade Emperor Mountain, where underworld demon flowers bloomed a chi long from the center. Ghosts sprouted from the petals, yet detached from the demonic blossoms, merging flesh with the flowers.
The demon flowers controlled the ghosts within, feeding under cover of night.
Li Yi's men had been lured here and nearly lost their lives to the demon flowers and ghosts. Li Qianyun unleashed her full power, desperately battling the demon flowers and ghosts.
Li Zaiqing continued observing.
On the fourth day, she led Li Qianyun's group into another perilous spot: Black Wind Valley, where black winds birthed evil spirits, gods, and ghosts.
On the fourth night, Li Qianyun's pursuers reached White Bone River. At night, the river surged massively as countless white bones revived, seeking flesh and blood.
"Find the flaws!"
On the morning of the eighth day, light gleamed in Li Zaiqing's eyes. She quietly withdrew.
In a nearby county town, she checked into an inn, bathed and changed into clean clothes—her few sets of soiled garments finally washed.
She trimmed her hair and bought a new pair of shoes before sleeping the night in the county seat.
On the ninth day, refreshed and spirited, she ate breakfast and left the city.
Li Qianyun and the others had followed her trail back to Jiangyuan Ancient City. Overnight, it transformed into a ghost town: all livestock vanished without trace, houses stood empty as if abandoned, and no one dared settle there.
Li Yi's men spread out four ways, searching every hundred paces for signs of Li Zaiqing.
Li Qianyun called out loudly,
"Zaiqing, you've repeatedly lured us into dangers. Is it to borrow those perils for your kills, or to observe our techniques for weaknesses? Have you observed long enough? Do you dare face us alone? Or are you just a cowardly rat?"
No response came at first.
Li Yi's other powerhouses laughed mockingly.
"Having betrayed Li Yi, do you dare show your face?"
"Within Li Yi's clan, you've already been named the whetstone. Whichever young elite kills you claims the next successor position!"
"Enjoy the traitor's fate on your own!"
Laughter echoed through the air. Suddenly, Li Zaiqing's delighted shout rang out:
"She's hiding right there!"
The group exclaimed in shock and joy, rushing toward the sound—only to see massive waves surging, flooding several streets. Muffled grunts followed, then a series of bangs as walls shattered.
Li Qianyun was the fastest, arriving along the noise. She found Li Zai leaning against a city wall, head drooped in a coma.
Li Qianyun was stunned. Li Zai's Azure Sea Vast Waves Art was extraordinarily powerful—slightly superior to her own Fate-Robbing Transcendence Art, and not by much. Yet she had unleashed a killing move before Li Zai could even fully cast!
Just then, a distant cry of alarm echoed, followed by thunderous explosions that shook the ground!
Li Qianyun rushed over without hesitation. Upon arrival, she saw five or six buildings collapsed into rubble around her. Li Mo stood amid his divine power field, face pale as paper. He had just arrived and hoarsely shouted,
"Qianyun, she pierced your spleen—save yourself quickly!"
Li Qianyun's face darkened. She tossed him a vial of wound salve and scanned the surroundings. The devastation bore marks of True Fire Five Dragon Slash—clearly, Li Zai had exploited a flaw in that very technique, piercing through the spell and stabbing Li Mo's spleen!
A sharp cry of alarm came from afar. Li Qianyun flashed forward at top speed, arriving to find Li Shuang kneeling on the ground, clutching his abdomen, face ashen, writhing in agony.
Qingyun Three Transformations—breached!
Short, agonized screams erupted three streets away. Li Qianyun hurried over to find five of Li Yi's elites sprawled in disarray. Their positions were close—within a dozen paces—indicating they had all been ambushed nearly simultaneously in the formation's heart!
A single strike.
Just one strike!
Li Zaiqing could shatter their arts or spells, striking at vital points!
Yet she hadn't killed them outright—likely because they were Li Yi's people. Having netted them all in one go, she merely inflicted pain without slaying.
More screams and wails echoed from various corners of the city. Li Qianyun raced about, finding each time another heavily wounded Li Yi elite—barely managing to block Li Zaiqing's strikes.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
This battle record alone proved it: the Li Yi supreme arts she cultivated, along with Li Zaiqing's own "Southern City Ancestral Yi Collection"—both pinnacle supreme techniques—had been mastered to the utmost degree!
"Had they truly reached such heights?"
By the time Li Qianyun arrived after the final screams, all of Li Yi's elites lay fallen around her.
Talismans plastered the walls, bearing Li Zaiqing's handwriting.
"Qianyun-jie, if we duel at Bai Ru, you're doomed to lose."
Li Qianyun clenched her fists. Suddenly, her primordial spirit soared skyward, overlooking the area from above. Li Zaiqing had vanished without trace, streaking through the air toward the outskirts of Bai Ru.
Li Qianyun withdrew her primordial spirit and waited calmly, her divine sense probing Li Zaiqing's trajectory.
Moments later, Li Zaiqing reached the outskirts of Bai Ru.
"Die!"
Li Qianyun roared, channeling the divine abilities of her Fate-Robbing Transcendence Art. A thousand calamity likenesses thundered forth, crashing toward Li Zaiqing in an instant across the Bai Ru distance!
Meanwhile, Li Zaiqing's spells invaded Jiangyuan Ancient City from the flanks!
She dodged with arts on one side while unleashing spells and divine abilities to assail Li Qianyun.
Buildings around Li Qianyun exploded one after another, smoke billowing. Her divine power field unfurled, repelling the smoke entirely.
Yet suddenly, Li Qianyun noticed strands of smoke worming like insects into her divine power field, slithering ever closer—reaching within half a chi of her body.
Cold sweat poured down her forehead. A thread-thin sword qi shot along the smoke's path into her divine power field, piercing her left chest and boring straight through her body!
"Qianyun-jie, at Bai Ru's distance, your spells decay—you can't kill from afar.
"You're afraid to get too close, lest you lose control of the power and kill your own. Pursue me again, and next time, I'll kill without mercy!"
Li Qianyun's true essence roiled wildly within her, qi and blood surging as pain wracked her trembling frame. Her voice hoarse, she transmitted,
"Zaiqing, why betray Li Yi? What place do you call home?"
"Li Yi has rotted away, no different from the evils and spirits."
Li Zaiqing's voice echoed from farther afield,
"Overthrow the evil Li Yi and rebuild it!"
Li Qianyun raged,
"Our ancestors would never allow it!"
Li Zaiqing's voice grew more ethereal.
"It's been a millennium—you are his ancestor!"
Li Qianyun cried out in shock and fury before fainting.
By then, Li Zaiqing had already fled far, racing toward Qianyang Mountain.