That beggar was dressed in tattered clothes, his upper body leaning against the wall, exuding a foul stench. Many of his wounds had already festered, and he looked like he didn't have long to live. Although he had many injuries and his clothes were full of holes, one could still tell that he must have lived a life of luxury and fine food in better days.
His skin was very fair, his palms had no calluses, and his fingers were long and slender, showing no signs of hard labor.
People from the countryside who did manual work often had short, thick fingers and rough skin.
He clearly wasn't a country person.
Chen Shi's gaze flickered. "Master Craftsman Situ, is this beggar from your town?"
Situ Wen stepped forward, examined him carefully, and shook his head. "I don't recognize him. I haven't been back in many years, so there are plenty of people in town I don't know... Aunt Anxiu, do you recognize this man?"
An elderly woman walked over. Her spirits were still quite high as she studied the beggar. "I can't say for sure at first glance. He looks a bit unfamiliar..."
Chen Shi suppressed the pain at the back of his head and smiled. "Then he's a refugee from elsewhere?"
In the wooden cart, Black Pot suddenly noticed the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler beside him quietly floating up, along with the Western King's Jade Seal slowly rising as well. He was bandaged up like a dumpling and couldn't move, so he could only roll his eyes as he watched the prehistoric patterns on the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler gradually light up, as if lightning was flowing beneath those patterns.
At the same time, in the small temple behind Chen Shi's head, Scholar Zhu suddenly felt the righteous energy of heaven and earth surge through his entire body. Involuntarily, he floated up, startled. "Little Ten is using me as a Divine Embryo? Is there an enemy outside?"
Chen Shi rarely used him as a Divine Embryo, only having him assist in cultivation. This time, after facing off against over thirty underworld officers, he had also been injured, though not as severely as Black Pot. Now he was using Scholar Zhu as a Divine Embryo to borrow his magical power.
Little Duan also sensed an unusual atmosphere. Strands of righteous energy flowed through her entire body, connecting her cultivation to Chen Shi's.
The beggar spoke up. "Aunt Anxiu doesn't remember me. My name is Er Niu. I'm from the east end of town."
"Er Niu?"
Aunt Anxiu examined him closely, astonished. "It really is Er Niu. How did you end up in such a state?"
The beggar's breathing was labored. "I got into a fight with some people and was wounded by them. I fled all the way here. Aunt Anxiu, where are my parents?"
"He really is from Qinghe Town." Chen Shi suppressed his killing intent, and the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler in the wooden cart quietly settled back down.
The scar on the back of his head still burned fiercely, and the excruciating pain came again.
This scar only ached dully on rainy days. Normally, it neither hurt nor itched. The last time it hurt this much was at Tai Hua Qingyang Palace, when the senior disciple of Despair Slope had killed Daoist Jinghong.
Back then, he realized that whenever he got close to an Innate Dao Embryo, this scar would ache intensely.
"Wu Wang must be nearby!"
With a flicker of thought, his Primordial Spirit soared into the air, sweeping the surroundings from a high vantage point, taking in the entire hundred-li area at a glance.
Around Qinghe Town, aside from some sneaky ghosts and evil spirits, there were only passing souls. No other anomalies.
Situ Wen instructed a Lu Ban Sect disciple, "Go fetch Doctor Tan to treat Er Niu. We can't let him die."
From his high vantage point, Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit overlooked Qinghe Town, taking everything in. He found nothing.
He withdrew his Primordial Spirit and fixed his gaze on Er Niu again.
Behind him, Aunt Anxiu rambled on. "Er Niu is a pitiful child. His father was Old Man Zhong from the east end of town. He was a compulsive gambler. After losing all the family savings, he sold Er Niu to gamble again and lost everything. Then he sold his eldest son too, and the house, and his wife ran off."
Situ Wen chuckled. "It's impressive that Aunt Anxiu can still recognize him with that memory of yours."
Aunt Anxiu laughed. "This kid Er Niu, his face hasn't changed much from back then. When he was sold, he was about ten years old or so. The Daoist who bought him led him away like he was leading livestock..."
Chen Shi's heart stirred. "Er Niu was bought by a Daoist? I wonder where you've been cultivating all these years?"
Zhong Er Niu looked up, meeting his gaze.
Zhong Er Niu was a young man, around twenty years old. His features were regular, not exactly handsome, but he had an extraordinary, transcendent air about him. Even with his tattered clothes and bloodstained body, he still seemed like a noble son.
The strange thing was that he wore an earring under his left ear. The earring was shaped like a sun on the outside, with a crescent moon inside, the crescent suspended in the middle of the sun. It was quite delicate.
"The Daoist took me to a slope to cultivate, and later he became my master," Zhong Er Niu said.
Chen Shi walked over to him, crouched down face to face with him, and said, "How many people are on your slope? What cultivation technique do you practice? I'm the top scholar now. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to speak up, and I'll guide you."
Zhong Er Niu looked away, his eyes lowered. "Thank you, but I don't need your guidance. I was the best among my peers on that slope. Even when my master encountered something he didn't understand, he had to consult me."
Chen Shi said, "You were only the best among your peers on that little slope of yours. Once you leave that small slope, you definitely won't cut it anymore. Tell me the cultivation technique you practice, and I'll surely be able to guide you. Plenty of people have benefited from me, and you might just be one of them too."
Zhong Er Niu chuckled softly, then suddenly coughed violently. After a moment, he caught his breath and said, "The sect's techniques must not be divulged. Please forgive me, sir."
Scholar Zhu's voice came through. "Little Ten, he didn't answer a single one of your questions. He's definitely suspicious!"
"So you're saying you don't actually want to benefit from me?" Chen Shi stared straight into Zhong Er Niu's eyes, as if trying to see into his very soul.
Zhong Er Niu looked up, and their gazes clashed.
He still didn't answer Chen Shi's questions.
Suddenly, the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler shot forward with a whoosh, like a sword energy, letting out a sharp whistle. In an instant, it reached Zhong Er Niu's face, about to pierce through his brow. But Chen Shi raised his hand abruptly and caught the iron ruler.
Chen Shi didn't blink, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Zhong Er Niu, as if watching to see if he would reveal any flaw.
If Zhong Er Niu had shown the slightest abnormality, Chen Shi wouldn't have caught the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler just now, but instead would have let it pierce through his head!
Yet Zhong Er Niu showed no abnormality at all.
But having no abnormality was the biggest abnormality of all.
Chen Shi broke into a smile, gently shook the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler, which instantly extended to about five feet in length, and stuffed it into Zhong Er Niu's hands. He laughed, "You left home when you were young, and you've been away for years. This time, you fled back here badly injured. You must not have gone back to your old home, right? Qinghe Town has changed a lot over the years; you might not even recognize the way home. I'll help you and see you home."
Zhong Er Niu's expression didn't change. With his support, he managed to stand up. "You're really a good person."
Chen Shi's eyes gleamed with murderous intent, but his face wore a smile as he supported him. Suddenly, he turned to Aunt Anxiu. "Where exactly is Er Niu's old home?"
Aunt Anxiu had been quite talkative, but somehow, when these two spoke, she felt as if she were pinned down by an overwhelming authority. She didn't dare say a single word. Hearing this, she quickly said, "Follow me."
As she said this, her throat felt hoarse, and her chest seemed blocked.
She hurriedly led the way.
Situ Wen could also sense something was wrong. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was as dry as a desert, and not a sound came out.
The conversation between Chen Shi and Zhong Er Niu was just ordinary talk, but the pressure was too strong. It made his heart pound wildly with a strong sense of unease.
"Master Situ doesn't need to follow," Chen Shi's voice came from ahead.
Situ Wen stopped in his tracks, feeling immensely relieved.
Chen Shi supported Zhong Er Niu as he followed Aunt Anxiu, seemingly casually asking, "Er Niu, who was it that hurt you?"
Zhong Er Niu leaned on the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler with his other hand, hobbling forward. "Three old men. One named Yan, one named Fei, and one named Gu."
Chen Shi inquired, "What realm are you at?"
"Half a realm lower than them."
Zhong Er Niu answered very precisely. "But our realms are different from theirs. They might be missing a few realms. They walk the old path."
Chen Shi's expression was gentle. He smiled. "Old path, new path, both are paths to immortality. There's no difference when ascending. So you're saying you walk the new path. The people on your slope also walk the new path like you, right?"
Zhong Er Niu didn't answer.
Chen Shi said, "It seems there are people on your slope who walk the old path. The new path has four more realms than the old path: miniature shrine, Divine Embryo, Divine Descent, and Emptiness Refining. It lacks two realms: Tribulation Crossing and Ascension. It's hard to say which is better."
Zhong Er Niu said seriously, "Of course the new path is superior. The new path has a total of fourteen realms, while the old path has twelve. With two more realms, the gap is enough to make a difference. Otherwise, how could I have fought those three seniors using the new method?"
Chen Shi said unhurriedly, "The four realms of the new path all revolve around the Divine Embryo, borrowing the power of the Celestial True God. After all, it's borrowed power. Take you, for example. You cultivate the new path, but your Divine Embryo doesn't belong to you."
Zhong Er Niu gripped the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Aunt Anxiu stopped in front of an abandoned old house, interrupting their conversation. "Here we are. This is Old Man Zhong's house. But Old Man Zhong died long ago, driven to death by debt collectors. This house has been abandoned for years."
Chen Shi supported Zhong Er Niu as they passed by her, but instead of entering the Zhong family's old house, they walked toward the outskirts of town.
Aunt Anxiu was utterly bewildered and quickly called out, "Where are you going? This is the Zhong family's old house..."
"Aunt Anxiu, come back." Situ Wen called the old woman back.
Aunt Anxiu stopped and said to Situ Wen, "But this is clearly the Zhong house. I haven't made a mistake."
Situ Wen shook his head. "The Zhong family he's looking for isn't this one."
Aunt Anxiu was even more perplexed, muttering, "Besides this one, what other Zhong family is there?"
Just then, Doctor Tan hurried over from town and asked, "Who's sick?"
Situ Wen waved him off, signaling him not to come closer.
Doctor Tan froze, full of confusion.
As they spoke, Chen Shi and Zhong Er Niu had already left Qinghe Town and arrived outside.
Qinghe Town was built along a river, beside which ran the Clearwater River. At a bend in the Clearwater River, between farmland and woods, lay a cluster of graves where the town's deceased were often buried.
Chen Shi was supporting Zhong Er Niu as they walked straight toward this cemetery.
Zhong Er Niu coughed repeatedly, struggling to catch his breath. He said, "My Divine Embryo doesn't belong to me. Do other people's Divine Embryos belong to them? All Divine Embryos are merely borrowed from the Celestial True God. They belong to neither you nor me."
Chen Shi supported him as they entered the graveyard.
Headstones stood before each grave mound. Chen Shi studied the inscriptions on them as he said, "But people whose Divine Embryos are taken will die."
Zhong Er Niu said, "You've gone astray. Since ancient times, what's been strong isn't the Divine Embryo, but its owner."
Chen Shi's anger flared up. "What I'm saying is, people whose Divine Embryos are taken will die!"
Zhong Er Niu said, "Everyone will die."
Their gazes met and clashed.
Chen Shi smiled. "Without the Innate Dao Embryo, the Child Prodigy, after dying and coming back to life, is still the world-renowned top scholar Chen. But some people, without the Innate Dao Embryo, might be nothing at all. Er Niu, what's your father's name? I think I've found your home."
Before the two of them, a headstone stood before a grave mound covered in withered grass. This grave hadn't been tended to in a long time.
The headstone bore a few hastily carved characters, marking the grave of a man named Zhong Yin.
Zhong Er Niu smiled faintly. "It's my father's grave."
"Boom!"
The Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler in his hand suddenly exploded. From an iron rod as thick as an egg, it expanded rapidly, in an instant becoming several li thick, leveling all the grave mounds!
Zhong Er Niu's palm had been gripping the Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler. It should have shattered his fingers as the ruler expanded, and the ruler should have slammed into his body, severely wounding him. But he seemed to have anticipated this, his palm shifting from a grip to a gentle push. As the iron ruler expanded several li, his body floated backward like a goose feather for several li.
The Heaven-Measuring Iron Ruler stopped at the edge of Qinghe Town, not harming the townspeople.
In Qinghe Town, everyone was knocked off balance by a fierce gale. When the wind passed and they looked up, they saw a black iron pillar several li thick standing before the town, completely blocking the other side of Qinghe Town.
This pillar was so massive that it completely blocked the residual waves of magical power and divine abilities from the other end, preventing them from endangering Qinghe Town.
On the other end of the pillar, Chen Shi's accumulated anger reached its peak. Scholar Zhu and Little Duan immediately sensed their cultivation being mobilized. Vast magical power erupted from within Chen Shi's body!
Chen Shi had never commanded such immense power before. This magical power was as vast and boundless as the ocean, as if the force of a heaven and earth spanning thousands of li was being channeled through him. Around him, the earth shattered, space trembled, heaven and earth were thrown into chaos, and water, fire, mountains, and swamps roiled endlessly!
Zhong Er Niu smiled, and a miniature shrine leaped out from behind him. The Divine Embryo inside, which had been meditating with eyes closed, suddenly opened its eyes. In that moment, the great Dao of heaven and earth, both righteous and demonic energy, seemed to all be at his disposal. Even the sixty-four transformations of the Eight Trigrams could not affect him in the slightest.
He was covered in wounds, but with this Divine Embryo, he actually began to encroach upon Chen Shi's Eight Trigrams Dao Field, turning the tables!
"Chen Shi, you'll never know how powerful your Innate Dao Embryo truly is."
Zhong Er Niu laughed. "You guessed right. I am Zhong Wuwang of Despair Slope. Your Innate Dao Embryo is in my hands."
Chen Shi roared, stepping forward. The Spirit Banner Ten Extremities Array took shape in an instant, transforming into a force that annihilated everything. It spun with his thrusting palm, destroying everything ahead!
Zhong Wuwang waved his hand, and the Innate Dao Embryo behind his head swung its palm along with him, carrying the Dao power of the surrounding heaven and earth, meeting the Spirit Banner Ten Extremities Array!
In the small temple behind Chen Shi's head, Scholar Zhu and Little Duan both felt their energies shaken, sensing the power from the Innate Dao Embryo.
"The Innate Dao Embryo is this strong?"
Scholar Zhu found it hard to believe. Back when Chen Shi had participated in the Xinxiang County-level Imperial Examination and received the True God's blessing, gaining the Innate Dao Embryo, it had been extremely impressive back then. But it hadn't been as terrifying as this.
Now, after undergoing Divine Descent and Emptiness Refining, the Innate Dao Embryo had reached a level where it could contend with him and even Little Duan Immortal!
The Spirit Banner Ten Extremities Array shattered with a crackling sound. The shadowy figures of the deities within it all annihilated and disappeared.
Chen Shi's palm turned over and fell.
Behind him, the Western King's Jade Seal rose up. The topographic map of the fifty provinces of Western Ox New Continent materialized. The maps of Xinxiang, Lingzhou, Gongzhou, Qingzhou, and other places grew bright. The power of the local deities was mobilized, empowering the jade seal!
Chen Shi invoked the supreme kingly authority of the Western Ox New Continent and slammed it down with a thunderous crash!
