Before long, the group dashed out of the brothel in disarray, closely followed by the madam and pimps who chased after them, cursing, "If you’ve got no money, why bother visiting a whorehouse? Go ho and play with yourselves!"
The n were both ashad and angry, running off like rats fleeing for their lives.
Li Juan asked, "Tianqing, do you have any Silver Coin on you?"
Li Tianqing shook his head, "My allowance is just a few taels of silver each month, how could that be enough?"
The young masters of the Li Family, unable to show their faces back on the painted boat, left in frustration, and in the end, it was Chen Shi who paid the boat fare.
Li Tianqing also intended to go ashore, but Chen Shi shook his head and said, "Boat girl, set sail."
As the two reached the bow of the boat, Chen Shi gazed at the bustling crowd on the shore. After a long while, he suddenly burst into roaring laughter, so intense that he bent over backward.
Li Tianqing felt very awkward but couldn’t help laughing along shortly thereafter.
"This is Pure Stream, good at talking big, but without any real skills, always taking advantage of their eloquence," he said.
Li Tianqing chuckled, "If you were in the provincial city, no matter which of the fifty provinces, you’ll find many like the Pure Stream there. When you called them ’scholars of discernnt,’ I knew you hadn’t t them before, so I didn’t join in."
Chen Shi laughed, "Now I have indeed seen for myself. If the world’s scholars are mostly like this, then I could not only return to Qianyang Mountain to be a lord, but I could also be lord of the entire West Bull New Continent!"
A surge of grand ambition welled up in his chest.
What’s the big deal about throwing weight around in Huangpo Village?
If one has the skills, one might as well beco the lord of the entire world!
Li Tianqing shook his head, "Even though there are many fools and incompetents in the families of the aristocracy, there are also those who endure hardships and strive for improvent. Do you think it’s that easy to beco the lord of West Bull New Continent?"
Chen Shi gave him a half-smiling look, "Are you suggesting perhaps you’re one of those who strive for greatness?"
Li Tianqing answered indifferently, "After returning ho, I dedicated myself to cultivation, advancing boldly and vigorously, and finally managed to form my Golden Core just recently. With the Golden Core accomplished, no one in the Li Family worries about my Purple Jade Divine Fetus anymore. Now, the sky’s the limit for , and the vast ocean awaits my leap."
Behind his head, the shine from the shrine was bright, with a Divine Embryo seated in the center. With a slight parting of lips, a green Divine Pill flew out, its radiance reflecting off the surrounding air, making it ripple as if it was clear water, and the painted boat seed to be sailing through the depths.
Chen Shi, with the presence of a fierce tiger, locked his eyes on him and said, "Tianqing, I hear ambition in your words."
Li Tianqing, slight of fra, smiled, "As a man, I naturally hold grand aspirations. Little Ten, though you excel in both letters and martial arts and will surely pass the Literary Examination, without the Divine Embryo, you would still be coveted. Even if you acquire the Divine Embryo, others will set their sights on you. You’ll struggle to avoid this misfortune, whereas I can always take the lead, staying ahead of you."
Chen Shi smiled faintly, "Golden Core, you say? Though I lack the Divine Embryo, I too have achieved it."
His aura suddenly surged, and within him, the palace of his inner core blazed like a sea of fire. The Golden Core shone like the sun, illuminating every internal organ, refining his ridians, Qi-Blood, essence, bones, marrow, physique, and spirit, undergoing seven cycles, eight transformations, and nine returns to primordiality.
Li Tianqing beheld him as if looking at the morning sun rising from the ocean.
His Golden Core made the boat seem like it was sailing underwater, and Chen Shi was like the rising sun at dawn!
Li Tianqing shook, his face showing disbelief, as he exclaid, "How did you achieve it?"
Chen Shi, triumphantly: "Did you think that by forming a Golden Core, you’d be able to surpass ? I, with the body of a Divine Embryo, have cultivated the Holy Embryo Body and finally broken through, refining the profound pill with my Qi-Blood!"
Li Tianqing snorted dismissively, "Heterodox thods! I have one more Divine Embryo than you, which ans I am one whole realm above you!"
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He strode forward, took a step, and landed on the water’s surface. Without pause, he raced forward, seemingly running across the waves!
"Little Ten, co, let show you the true essence of the Golden Core!"
With his newly ford Golden Core, he was full of vigor and issued a challenge to Chen Shi. In a blink, he dashed off more than thirty feet.
His Golden Core, suspended above his head, its divine light shining, caused the water surface to dip gently beneath him, yet lifted his form, allowing him to walk on the ripples as if upon flat ground!
Witnessing this, Chen Shi couldn’t help but admire inwardly, "Truly worthy of an aristocratic family, in mastering the Golden Core, they indeed surpass by a great deal!"
Just as he was about to leap onto the river’s surface, the boat girl caught his sleeve, "You haven’t paid yet!"
Chen Shi let out a hearty laugh and tossed her a tael of silver.
"Keep the change!"
He stepped forward, his footsteps landing on the river’s surface. The Golden Core within him circulated with Qi-Blood pumping into his legs. When he hit the water, the surface exploded with a roaring blast!
Chen Shi, like an arrow released from its bow, dashed forth. A silhouette, swift as an arrow, flew across, causing continuous explosions on the water’s surface as it rushed directly toward Li Tianqing!
Li Tianqing sprinted atop the water, suddenly flipping like a wild goose. Six invisible jade rings flew out beneath him, moving in all directions, fast and slow, attacking Chen Shi!
Chen Shi’s hands ford a sword technique, or slashing or lifting, continuously changing. Waves of invisible Sword Qi shattered the six jade rings, while his other fist unleashed a punch, stirring up the river with fierce waves, as the howling winds carried them crashing toward Li Tianqing!
Li Tianqing’s Golden Core protected his body, allowing him to pass through the giant waves and advance, jade rings spinning around his body as he t Chen Shi’s punch head-on.
The tumultuous energy from both n caused a massive wave on the river to suddenly burst forth, the splashing water closely followed by Chen Shi leaping onto the stone bridge, looking down only to see the serene river below, with Li Tianqing standing on the water surface, floating downstream with the current.
Chen Shi, his Golden Core throbbing, was about to leap off the bridge for another assault, but spotted several small boats in the Pure Stream River teetering from side to side, their boatn and boat girls cursing loudly, a truly unpleasant scene, so he quickly discarded the idea and left, whistling as he went.
Li Tianqing stood ready to counter his charge, only to see Chen Shi walking away as if he didn’t recognize him. While puzzled, a small boat glided past him shakily, its old boatman shouting at him, "Blockhead, your ancestor’s plunged into the water! Blasting and blasting, what a blasted ss!"
The man’s words laced with local accent, Li Tianqing didn’t understand at first, but as it dawned on him, his face reddened with embarrassnt, and he hastily made his way to the bank.
He intended to seek out Chen Shi, but seeing Fourth Uncle Li Xiaozheng and others approaching, he reluctantly abandoned the idea of settling the score with Chen Shi.
After the Literary and Martial Examinations, one must wait for the announcent of results, which could take a few days. Only after the results were released, would the Divine Descent Grand Ceremony take place.
Chen Shi found himself with nothing to do in the city, so he simply returned to Huangpo Village.
"Little Ten is back from the Scholar exam, eh? Did you pass?"
Old Lady Wu Zhu stood by the roadside, her eyes lighting up with a flattering smile as she saw Chen Shi, inviting, "Little Ten, co have so waterlon in the field."
Chen Shi smiled, "The results won’t be out for a few more days."
Old Lady Wu Zhu kicked a waterlon back into the field as if she hadn’t noticed him.
Chen Shi returned to the village and went up to Huangtu Hill to see Zhu Xiucai, who eagerly inquired about the exam questions. Chen Shi relayed them truthfully.
"I’ve gone over this topic!"
Zhu Xiucai exclaid excitedly, "You’re guaranteed to pass, guaranteed! Don’t you worry, it’s a sure thing!"
Chen Shi was also elated, saying, "I feel the sa way! I just offered incense to Grandfather, and smoke was rising from his grave!"
After pondering a mont, he hurriedly fetched more incense to offer to his godmother. As soon as he finished and was about to speak to Zhu Xiucai, a stream of light like flowing water shimred from the stele, shooting out and rging into the back of his head!
Chen Shi’s vision plunged into pitch darkness, unable to see anything.
Sensing trouble, he hurriedly opened his eyes, only to find himself still enveloped by an impenetrable darkness, entirely alone.
The willow tree, godmother, Zhu Xiucai, Grocer Dog, Huangpo Village, Qianyang Mountain, all had vanished!
"A run-in with evil spirits?"
Chen Shi was amazed, "Now, what kind of evil dares to bump into ?"
Gradually, a glimr of light began to appear before his eyes.
He waited patiently, the light spreading like white ink diffusing in darkness, expanding slowly, with a grainy texture, as if the space before him were made of white and black grains of sand.
In this peculiar space stood a temple.
The temple was small, without a courtyard, a solitary hall about seventeen or eighteen feet high and just over twenty feet wide, with three steps leading to its entrance flanked by vermilion pillars, all exuding an ancient simplicity.
The roof was covered in glazed tiles, layered upon each other, with neither Immortal beasts nor dragon heads adorning the ridges.
Approaching, Chen Shi saw inscriptions on the pillars, divided to left and right, reading:
Embodying Heaven’s law, Heaven’s mandate and Earth’s pattern are my own likeness
Content in my nature, better to seek within than beseech gods or spirits.
Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on freew(e)bnove(l).𝓬𝓸𝓶
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