Chapter 384
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 385
Chapter Title: Molestation
The Azure Cloud Chariot passed by the calf of this deity. Chen Shi observed it carefully. The rune markings on the leg were intricately engraved—not painted on top, but rather as if they had grown out along with the body itself.
He felt a stir in his heart.
"The Thirteen Great Families have their own unique methods when it comes to deity cultivation."
He knew the most about the folk customs in Xixiang. The godmothers in various villages and hamlets were also divine manifestations, but they were formed from extraordinary power and constantly absorbed incense offerings to strengthen themselves. The Thirteen Great Families, however, clearly took a different path.
They incorporated talismans, using extraordinary power as spiritual energy to forge a groundbreaking path in deity cultivation.
The Azure Cloud Chariot pressed onward, and he spotted even more powerful deities.
These were heavenly god-like existences, standing tall within the World Above the Realm. A single thought from one of them could influence the weather across thousands of li in the surrounding area.
One such deity swept its gaze over, and with a single thought, winds and clouds stirred. Mists surged across thousands of li, forcing the Azure Cloud Chariot to travel blindly through the fog, losing its bearings.
"A show of force to put me in my place?"
Chen Shi paid it no mind.
Another deity raised its hand, and with a thought, thunder and rain erupted. Across thousands of li of territory, lightning flashed like golden serpents, and torrential rain poured down.
The Azure Cloud Chariot traversed this stormy domain. Then, a thousand-zhang heavenly god slowly rose, and with a thought, seas of fire ignited, enveloping the chariot in overwhelming flames. Their power was truly boundless.
The chariot threaded through the inferno, at risk of incineration at any moment.
However, these ancestors of the Thirteen Great Families were merely demonstrating their invincible might to Chen Shi—there was no malice behind it. Otherwise, not even a treasure like the Azure Cloud Chariot could have protected him.
The Azure Cloud Chariot raced along. The vastness of the World Above the Realm far exceeded the fifty provinces of West Ox New Continent, immense and boundless, with no end in sight.
The Void Great Realms of Great Vehicle Realm experts were carved out in the void, often spanning thousands of li. Since the end of the True King Era, nearly two thousand sect masters from the Thirteen Great Families had personally contributed their Void Great Realms at the end of their lives to construct this divine world as part of the World Above the Realm project.
Even though Chen Shi held no fondness for the Thirteen Great Families, the existence of the World Above the Realm still left him deeply shocked.
He was full of admiration.
The white-clothed fairy immortal was no longer sleeping. She sidled up to him, and together they squeezed by the window to peer outside, full of interest.
Chen Shi turned and saw her face close by—her fair skin smooth and tender, soft to the touch; her lips red and glossy, seemingly soft and sweet. A few strands of hair had drifted from her ear to beside her eyes, swaying slightly in her big, dark eyes, probably stirred by Chen Shi's breath.
The strands teased her long lashes. The girl rubbed her eyes, then turned to find him staring at her and quickly turned away again.
Chen Shi's thoughts wandered wildly. He very much wanted to pull this girl into his arms by the waist and feel her. But he quickly grew alert.
"It's probably my Peng stirring things up from the Yuan Chen Palace, messing with my mind! I can't wait any longer. After I defeat Yang Bi, I'll go and behead it!"
Suddenly, his nose itched, and he couldn't help but sneeze.
The white-clothed fairy immortal giggled, smugly twirling a lock of her hair with her finger—she had just secretly poked Chen Shi's nostril with a strand of her own hair.
Chen Shi plucked a lock of hair from his temple, twirled it around his finger, and grinned.
"You poked my nostril, so now I'm poking yours!"
The white-clothed fairy immortal let out a startled cry and hurriedly shrank back to dodge.
Chen Shi lunged forward, but the girl was nimble as a cat, evading his grasp with ease.
Chen Shi missed with his first pounce and spread his arms for another. Her white robes fluttered, and he swiped at empty air again.
Though the Azure Cloud Chariot's space was vast when activated, it was now suppressed by the divine might of the World Above the Realm, returning to normal size. After a few dodges, the white-clothed fairy immortal was cornered against the wall.
She laughed until her body went limp, slumping down against the wall.
Chen Shi grinned and advanced with his hair to poke her nostril. As he drew gradually closer, he saw the beauty looking pitiful and enchanting beyond words. Tears welled in her eyes—whether from laughter or fear—and she shook her head, begging him not to poke.
Chen Shi's heart raced like a startled deer. He felt today's Peng was especially vigorous, overwhelming his resistance, making the girl's lips look unusually vivid. In that moment, he was about to pin her down and kiss those red lips.
Frightened, the white-clothed fairy immortal thrust out both hands.
Chen Shi felt as if a thousand-zhang iron rod had slammed into his chest. The world spun, and he flew backward, crashing into the opposite wall with a boom, dangling there like a hung painting.
Yang Bi's Yang-surnamed attendant was driving three dragon steeds through the clouds, showing Chen Shi the might of the World Above the Realm, when suddenly the Azure Cloud Chariot boomed with a massive crash. The entire treasure chariot was struck by some unknown force from who-knows-where and tumbled sideways through the air.
The three dragon steeds roared furiously, unleashing their full power and transforming into colossal beasts a hundred zhang long, trying to hold the chariot steady—but they were dragged along with it, plummeting diagonally downward!
The Yang-surnamed attendant was also flung off, his head spinning in confusion, utterly bewildered as to what had happened.
He hurriedly gave chase with all his might. He saw the chariot tumbling through the air, dragging the three dragon steeds toward a mountainside.
The three dragons each roared, their feet treading fiery clouds as their sharp claws dug into the void, straining against the impact with all they had—yet they were still dragged more than ten li.
Just as collision with the mountain peak seemed inevitable, the three dragon steeds finally stabilized, narrowly avoiding it and hauling the Azure Cloud Chariot past one side of the peak.
The Yang-surnamed attendant caught up to the chariot and leaped onto the driver's seat, staring in shock and suspicion. Looking back, he saw a human-shaped dent in the upper left corner of the Azure Cloud Chariot—it looked like a back.
"Grand Top Scholar Chen, are you alright?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm fine—cough cough cough!"
Chen Shi's voice came weakly.
"Maybe a few broken bones—"
The Yang-surnamed attendant's heart pounded wildly, filled with dread.
"Who ambushed us? Strange—the ancestors shouldn't have missed someone sneaking into the World Above the Realm. Could it be Despair Slope?"
He grew uneasy and timid, scanning their surroundings vigilantly.
Inside the chariot, Chen Shi struggled free from the upper wall corner and thudded to the floor.
The white-clothed fairy immortal shuffled over, both guilty and shy, to check if he was dead.
She shook Chen Shi's shoulder, begging him not to be angry, then pressed her cheek close, pursing her lips to indicate he could kiss her this time—she absolutely wouldn't resist.
Chen Shi coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He strained to shift his butt away, trying to put some distance between them.
He now understood why, back then, when he had summoned the white-clothed fairy immortal to block Tianzhen Daoist's full-powered strike amid the evil transformation, Tianzhen Daoist had been sent flying.
This girl's gentle push packed such force—what if she went all out? With a crack, he'd probably shatter outright.
Vaporize.
"Don't touch me yet!"
Seeing the girl inching closer again, Chen Shi hurriedly said,
"I'll reconnect my broken bones first. I'm afraid your hands are too strong and you'll break a few more."
The white-clothed fairy immortal squatted aggrievedly to the side, watching as he summoned his nascent soul. His palm delved into his body to set the broken bones.
Chen Shi used his nascent soul to refine the blood within him, suppressing the injury. He then plucked a few spirit herbs from the little shrine and swallowed them,
promoting wound recovery. With his life no longer in peril, he finally exhaled in relief, thinking,
"I just arrived in the World Above the Realm and already suffered a grievous wound. How am I supposed to honor my duel agreement with Yang Bi now?"
At that moment, the Azure Cloud Chariot gradually slowed, arriving before a range of mountains floating amid a sea of clouds.
These mountains resembled immortal peaks, drifting in the cloud sea, wreathed in rosy glows that bespoke their extraordinary nature.
The chariot wove between the peaks, heading toward a palace complex on one immortal mountain, finally coming to a stop on the platform before it.
The Yang-surnamed attendant opened the carriage door and bowed.
"Top Scholar Chen, please."
Chen Shi's face was pallid. With the white-clothed fairy immortal's support, he slowly disembarked.
The Yang-surnamed attendant was stunned—he hadn't expected the injuries to be so severe. He felt deep guilt.
"It was our World Above the Realm's failure to protect you, leading to this ambush and your wounding."
That palace complex was precisely Yang Bi's secluded cultivation site. At this moment, Yang Bi stood waiting at the entrance with a young man and woman.
The woman asked curiously,
"Brother Yang, why do you place such importance on this Chen Shi? His innate dao embryo was severed—how can he still be so formidable that you treat him with such regard?"
She was Li Qianyun of the Li Family. Some days prior, after losing to Li Tianqing, the Li Family's sect master had sent her to the World Above the Realm.
Since arriving, she had observed the Li Family's various deities and received pointers from the ancestors, causing her cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.
Having heard of Chen Shi's duel with Yang Bi, she had come to spectate.
Yang Bi did not reply. The other young man smiled faintly and said,
"If Chen Shi had amounted to nothing after his innate dao embryo was severed, he wouldn't have slain the young master in Xijing, nor would the Thirteen Great Families have been nearly wiped out, allowing him to claim the top scholar title."
He was Zhang You, the current runner-up.
Many experts from the Thirteen Great Families had participated in the imperial examinations, but aside from him, the fates of the others were unknown.
Zhang You was the sole survivor among the Thirteen Great Families' participants in that round of exams.
Likewise, he was a candidate for the next Zhang Family sect master and had been sent to the World Above the Realm for cultivation.
He had a prior connection with Chen Shi. Hearing of Chen Shi's arrival for the duel, he had come to wait here.
"The top scholar was already renowned across the land twelve years ago. After having his innate dao embryo severed, not only did he not die, but he made a comeback."
Zhang You said,
"Just that alone makes him one of the pinnacle experts of the younger generation. If it were me, I'd probably be dead— and even if saved, a cripple."
Li Qianyun pondered deeply. If her own divine embryo had been severed, even if she survived, she'd be no better than a cripple. She smiled.
"The top scholar is truly admirable."
Yang Bi watched the incoming Azure Cloud Chariot and said gravely,
"The extraterrestrial true god bestowed an innate dao embryo precisely because of his heaven-defying talent. Even without it, he's still a terribly formidable opponent. He's here. You two, come with me to welcome the top scholar!"
The chariot landed. Yang Bi strode forward, with Li Qianyun and Zhang You following.
Upon seeing Chen Shi's state, the three were startled.
Zhang You hurried up and asked,
"Top Scholar Chen, you're injured? Who did this to you?"
His gaze fell on the white-clothed fairy immortal, and his heart pounded.
"How can there be such a beautiful girl in the world?"
Li Qianyun looked at the white-clothed fairy immortal and felt the other was stunningly gorgeous, inspiring an urge to draw close.
Only Yang Bi paled upon seeing the woman—he clearly recognized her and thought,
"No wonder Vice Minister Chen didn't come along! Though Vice Minister Chen's strength is top-tier, he's still inferior to this prehistoric evil spirit. But she was gravely wounded by the True King's Nine Palaces and barely survived—her remaining power should be limited, right?"
Chen Shi composed himself and said,
"I accidentally took a minor injury just now. A few days' rest and I'll recover. Brother Zhang, why are you here too?"
Zhang You tore his eyes from the white-clothed fairy immortal, steadied his mind, and smiled.
"I failed to claim the top scholar title, so the sect master ordered me to cultivate here in preparation for future contingencies."
Li Qianyun stepped forward and curtsied gracefully.
"Li Qianyun of the Quanzhou Li Family, greeting Young Master Chen."
Chen Shi's face was ashen, his aura unsteady. He smiled.
"If Miss Qianyun doesn't mind, just call me Top Scholar Chen. Calling me young master always reminds me of an old acquaintance."
Li Qianyun asked curiously,
"An old acquaintance?"
"The one I beat to death. He was called Young Master too."
Chen Shi smiled amiably.
"Does Qianyun know Tianqing? The two of us were thick as thieves, sharing even our pants."
Li Qianyun's expression soured at that, and she fell silent, mumbling.
The Yang-surnamed attendant hurried to Yang Bi's side and whispered a few words.
Yang Bi's heart stirred slightly. He shook his head lightly and thought,
"Our Thirteen Great Families began plotting the World Above the Realm as far back as the True King Era—our schemes run deep. If Despair Slope had discovered it, they would have intervened long ago. But if it wasn't Despair Slope who ambushed Chen Shi, then who? Could it be ancestors from other families?"
He felt a twinge of unease.
Many in the Thirteen Great Families disapproved of Chen Shi's actions, and even the ancestors who had become heavenly gods were liable to feel the same. Some might not want Yang Bi to lose to Chen Shi and could have struck en route.
"But it seems Chen Shi has no intention of pursuing the matter. Wait—this Azure Cloud Chariot looks like it was struck from the inside. This human-shaped bulge indicates the attack came from within—"
He eyed Chen Shi suspiciously, then glanced at the white-clothed fairy immortal, thinking,
"Could the top scholar have been injured by the prehistoric evil spirit? He's at the Body Integration Realm, when the three corpse gods are at their strongest—especially his lower corpse god Peng, which is exceptionally domineering."
Know thyself and thy enemy, and you will win every battle.
Before facing Chen Shi, Yang Bi had visited the Immortal Capital and surveilled outside Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace.
Every night, Chen Shi's three household gods would fly out to complain to Yama in the underworld.
At such times, one could observe Chen Shi's three corpse gods—and from them, discern a person's weaknesses.
"Wasn't it his lower corpse god acting up, trying to molest the prehistoric evil spirit?"
Yang Bi thought,
"That's a major weakness. It could be exploited before he severs his three corpses. But that said, his Peng is terrifyingly strong!"
He recalled the horrifying, eerie sight of Chen Shi's Peng emerging from the Yuan Chen Palace—like a demon god descending—and couldn't help shivering.
"Chen Shi's fleshly body was refined into a corpse-dissolution immortal by Chen Yindu, making its toughness far superior to others—and that's what produced such powerful household gods." He mused inwardly.
At this moment, the white-clothed fairy immortal seemed to sense something. She whipped her head toward the depths of the World Above the Realm, her gaze sharpening.
Chen Shi noticed and whispered,
"What are you looking at?"
The white-clothed fairy immortal stuttered and hemmed for a long while before barely managing words.
"Kin—kin—kin·—spirits, spir—its!"
"Kin?" Chen Shi was stunned and followed her gaze.
Did this World Above the Realm harbor her kin?