On the Path to the Great Dao Chapter 257: The Pre-selected Top Scholar 32

As soon these words were spoken, the surroundings suddenly fell silent, leaving only the clip-clop of hooves and the rumble of wheels.

No one spoke, the atmosphere sowhat oppressive.

Zhou Qianying smiled and said, "Minister Chen is a high-ranking official of the third rank. By your generation, Brother Chen, the foundation is still sowhat shallow. By the next generation, you could barely be called a great clan. If you have many children, spreading branches and leaves, you would beco a major clan."

When a prince establishes a state, and his descendants inherit it, that is a great clan.

But that was in the Divine Continent.

Although the Thirteen Great Clans were not the founding princes of the Ming Dynasty, they were the major clans that assisted the True King in opening up the Western Ox New Continent during the True King's Era. The Western Ox New Continent is independent overseas, the True King is equivalent to the Son of Heaven, the Western Capital is equivalent to the imperial court, and the Thirteen Great Clans also have the flavor of founding princes, which is why they can stand firm.

The criteria for great clans outside the Thirteen Great Clans are not so strict.

Nowadays, if for three generations, each generation serves as officials in the court, with official positions passed down, they begin to have the shadow of a great clan.

If they spread branches and leaves, have many bloodline descendants, and form a power, they beco a major clan.

If they are wealthy, own vast fertile lands, recruit retainers, and have extensive influence, they beco a powerful clan.

The terms for powerful clans and major clans originate from this.

But most powerful clans and major clans are small in scale, far from being as vast as the Thirteen Great Clans. Once they lose power, they quickly decline, and their foundations are far inferior to the Thirteen Great Clans.

From the True King's Era to the present, great clans have changed over ti, and among them, many colossal entities with scales not inferior to the Thirteen Great Clans have been born. But those that have stood firm to this day are still only the Thirteen Great Clans.

For three generations of the Chen family, calling them a great clan would be gilding the lily for the old Chen family.

Chen Yindu started from scratch, with the worst aptitude, accumulating steadily over ti, and in middle age, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, once holding the official position of Vice Minister of Rites. He compiled the cultivation manual "Heavenly Heart Righteousness Technique" for scholars across the land as a textbook. He originally had hope of becoming a great clan, but unfortunately, he later abandoned his official post to beco a freeholder, wandering the rivers and lakes.

Chen Yindu returned to his hotown at Qianyang Mountain once or twice a year. Chen Tang was raised loosely at ho, having this father was almost the sa as not having him.

In fact, Chen Yindu felt his son wasn't clever enough. He was better to Little Five and to the beekeeper A Zhuo than he was to Chen Tang. He taught Little Five and A Zhuo more than he taught Chen Tang.

Chen Tang ca from a poor family, was self-taught, passed the provincial and palace examinations. After Chen Shi died, Chen Tang worked hard with determination, and now, in his forties, he holds the official position of Vice Minister of Revenue.

Eight years after Chen Shi died, he was resurrected by Chen Yindu. Chen Tang viewed Chen Shi as a monster, showed him no care at all, didn't return ho for the New Year, just like Chen Yindu in the past.

Chen Yindu didn't teach Chen Shi any cultivation techniques. Chen Shi never attended school and could only follow the hanged ghost Scholar Zhu to learn reading and writing. He ventured alone into the True King's Tomb, obtained the Three Lights Righteousness Technique, and only then embarked on the path of cultivation. Most of the techniques he later obtained were gained from exploring the True King's Tomb.

For three generations, they all ca from humble origins, without great clan heritage, not even a scholarly family.

"The Chen family might possibly beco a great clan, but being the top scholar? That's still far off."

At this mont, a voice ca, breaking the silence.

Everyone looked towards the source and saw a handso young master walking towards them. He wore a large-collared brocade Daoist robe, a black gauze hat, rode a donkey, and had an elegant, refined air.

The handso young master appeared to be in his twenties, not yet thirty, with a handso appearance. The donkey carried him without his feet touching the ground. Whenever its hooves landed, clouds and mist would appear, lifting the donkey.

In front of the donkey was a burly man leading it, like an iron tower, about ten to thirteen feet tall, with rugged muscles all over, his chest bare and covered in thick black hair, like a black bear that had cultivated into human form, powerful and strong.

He led the donkey, walking extrely fast, catching up to the group!

"He's cultivated the warrior thod to such a degree!" Everyone was shocked in their hearts.

The handso young master's cultivation strength couldn't be discerned, but that burly man had cultivated a thod similar to that of the Yellow Turban Warrior, refining his body to the level of a Yellow Turban Warrior!

Ordinary cultivators could at most buy a few Yellow Turban Warrior Talismans for ergencies. Few could find the Yellow Turban Warrior cultivation thod.

But in major great clans, they specifically raised a type of person who specialized in cultivating the Yellow Turban Warrior thod, refining bodies of bronze sinews and iron bones, indestructible, with imnse strength.

To travel with a Yellow Turban Warrior, and one refined to a ten-foot true body, showed the handso young master's significant background.

Zhou Qianying hurriedly saluted and said, "I am Zhou Qianying from the Zhou Family of Wind City. May I ask your honorable na, brother?"

The handso young master returned the salute, smiling, "I dare not. I am Ma Zongzhou from the Ma Family of izhou."

"The Ma Family of izhou?"

Everyone beca excited. Zhou Qianying exclaid in surprise, "Could you be from that Ma Family of izhou among the Thirteen Great Clans?"

The handso young master Ma Zongzhou smiled, "Is there a second Ma Family in izhou?"

Everyone hurriedly dismounted from their horses, bowing in greeting, "Wang Ping from the Wang Family of Wind City, pays respects to Young Master Ma!" "Fang Hu from the Fang Family of Lixian, pays respects to Young Master Ma!" "Wei Liuchuan from the Wei Family of Naoxian, pays respects to Young Master Ma!"

Ma Zongzhou jumped down from the donkey's back, returning salutes to everyone one by one, smiling, "You sha ! Everyone, please rise quickly! I still need to return your salutes, it will exhaust Zongzhou!"

However, even with the children of minor great clans from less famous places, he returned their salutes ticulously, clearly showing excellent upbringing.

He treated everyone with great warmth, making them feel as if bathed in a spring breeze. Everyone, who had been half-dead with anger from Chen Shi earlier, now felt their wrinkled hearts ironed smooth and comfortable.

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Ma Zongzhou finally looked at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi was still sitting in the wooden cart, hugging the horn-shaped Underworld Lamp to warm himself.

Ma Zongzhou smiled slightly and said, "Do you know why I said you cannot beco the top scholar?"

Chen Shi asked, puzzled, "Are you saying that you are the destined top scholar?"

Wang Ping shouted, "Brother Chen, how are you speaking? Wouldn't Brother Ma becoming the top scholar be well-deserved? Compare family wealth, compare background, compare official position, compare heritage—in which can you compare to Brother Ma?"

Ma Zongzhou shook his head, saying seriously, "Brother Wang, you are wrong. The imperial court has always deeply detested examination fraud. The tropolitan and palace examinations compare talent and ability. If we compare background, then what's the point of taking the exams?"

Wang Ping repeatedly agreed, "Brother Ma's lesson is correct. Brother Ma is imnsely talented and exceptionally powerful. You will surely be the top graduate of the tropolitan examination and the top scholar of the palace examination this ti."

Ma Zongzhou's expression turned solemn as he shook his head, "Although I think highly of myself, I also know I am not top scholar material. In the past, I might have been able to compete with the provincial graduates from the fifty provinces of the Western Ox New Continent. But this year's Spring Examinations tropolitan exam is different. Among the scholars participating this ti, there is one whose presence I also revere. He is..."

His expression grew even more serious, showing reverence, as he said softly, "The Young Master."

Chen Shi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Sun Yisheng frowned slightly, clearly having also heard of the Young Master's na.

Others were sowhat confused by this na, while so seed quite excited. The Young Master's na was gradually spreading.

Ma Zongzhou said, "I consider myself not inferior to the children of other great clans, and I also consider myself not weaker than the heroes of the world. But facing the Young Master, I feel ashad and willingly admit defeat. If the Young Master also participates in these imperial examinations, he will definitely be the top scholar. No one can take the top scholar position from him!"

His gaze fell on Chen Shi, and he smiled slightly, "As for sothing like a mud-legged top scholar, that's even more impossible."

Chen Shi, warming himself, said calmly, "The Young Master is also participating in these imperial examinations? So the top scholar has already been internally decided for him. I was still guessing who had such great face. So it's him. However, the Young Master, I will fight; the mud-legged top scholar, I will also take!"

Sun Yisheng was startled in his heart, about to speak, but after thinking, he paused, thinking, "Young people are naturally hot-blooded. I was like that too back then. But the Young Master's top scholar position really cannot be taken, much less fought for!"

Having served as an official in the capital, he had long heard of the Young Master's reputation.

Regarding this Young Master's origins, the Western Capital had long been buzzing with rumors.

If the Young Master wants to take the top scholar position, who dares to compete with him?

To compete with him is to overestimate oneself!

Ma Zongzhou looked around, smiling ambiguously, "You are all from good families, why mingle with this kind of bandit?"

Zhou Qianying asked, puzzled, "Bandit?"

Ma Zongzhou glanced at Chen Shi and sneered, "Young Master Chen committed atrocities in Qingzhou, disguised as a Red Horse Bandit, stole many of our Ma family's longevity spiritual dicines, and also killed and burned, exterminating the most charitable family in Qingzhou, leaving not a single survivor!"

Everyone was startled and moved further away from the wooden cart.

Chen Shi's face still had a sickly pallor. He looked up at Ma Zongzhou and smiled, "Your Ma family committed nurous evils in Qingzhou. When you announced the Ma family na, I didn't kill you directly on the spot. That's already my bodhisattva heart."

"Outrageous!"

The iron tower-like giant beside Ma Zongzhou roared angrily, stepping forward, a terrifying aura pressing towards Chen Shi, shouting, "Dare to speak to Young Master Ma like that? Break three of your ribs as punishnt!"

With this step he took, the movent truly seed empowered by thunder, pressing everyone to involuntarily slide back several dozen steps.

In the wooden cart, Sun Yisheng's figure flashed, blocking in front of the cart, clashing with the iron tower giant's aura.

The iron tower giant's eyes widened, activating his Yellow Turban Warrior true body, throwing a punch that erupted with a thunderous blast, even with lightning crackling in the space.

Sun Yisheng's expression changed instantly, his Dao Field erupting.

He was still far from severing the Three Corpses and refining a pure yang Primordial Spirit. Encountering such a close-combat expert who purely cultivated the physical body and could strike with thunderous explosive sounds made him sowhat apprehensive.

Such an attack could injure his Primordial Spirit!

Under normal circumstances, he could create distance, rise into the air, use spells to break the giant's true body, and then kill him. But now he was injured and had to protect Chen Shi, so he could only clash head-on!

Chen Shi's voice ca, "Minister Sun, can you hold on?"

Sun Yisheng took the iron tower giant's strike, grunted, suppressed the wound in his Primordial Spirit, and said in a deep voice, "I can hold on. You go first, don't worry about ! I'll catch up with you later!"

Chen Shi put down the horn-shaped Underworld Lamp, asking puzzled, "Go where?"

He stood up, stepped down from the wooden cart, and said to Ma Zongzhou, "Brother Ma, this is our first eting, and the giant beside you wants to break three of my ribs."

Ma Zongzhou smiled slightly, "Are three ribs too few? I can add two more. Chen Shi, I won't bully you. Hand over those spiritual dicines you stole, and I guarantee your life will be safe."

Chen Shi's face was pale. A gust of wind blew, making him shiver. He said earnestly, "Brother Ma, you want to break three of my ribs, so I'll also only break three of your ribs. Don't fight back. If you fight back, I might reflexively kill you."

Sun Yisheng's heart raced, "What is he doing? I told him to escape, what is he doing? He shouldn't act recklessly!"

He was secretly anxious, but the giant before him, who had refined the Yellow Turban Warrior true body, struck with punches and kicks like splitting mountains, carrying thunderous explosive sounds, making him extrely uncomfortable. His Primordial Spirit was already damaged, now injured further, leaving him unable to free his hands.

Ma Zongzhou sized up Chen Shi and smiled, "Your injuries haven't healed yet, do you have consumption? I can let you strike first."

The surrounding people laughed. Zhou Qianying smiled and said, "Little Brother Chen, you should just admit defeat, apologize to Brother Ma, and return the spiritual dicines you stole from him!"

Before she finished speaking, suddenly a thunderous roar sounded by her ear. Chen Shi took a step forward, his figure compressing the air to explode, erupting with rolling thunderous roars!

The iron tower giant who had been hamring Sun Yisheng like a nail suddenly widened his eyes, "Such a powerful true body! Young Master is in danger!"

Ma Zongzhou also sensed the danger imdiately and retreated at once!

He was from the Ma family's sect leader lineage, a clan disciple. Every month, three experienced teachers were invited to train him in combat and duel with him. He had also served in the border troops, fighting demonic monsters. His combat awareness could be said to be among the top tier among Ma family descendants.

As he retreated, he already mobilized his technique.

He practiced the technique from the "Duke Wenzhuang's Treasure Mirror," which only the sect leader lineage could cultivate, called the Dragon Phoenix Literary Treasure Talisman. This technique was extrely difficult to cultivate. The difficulty lay in needing to find dragon blood and phoenix blood to ingest internally during Foundation Establishnt, while also drawing dragon-phoenix treasure talismans on the body surface.

Just the condition of dragon blood and phoenix blood made it impossible for ordinary great clans to cultivate. The Ma family also couldn't find true dragons or phoenixes, but there were many exotic beasts in the world with dragon-phoenix bloodlines. Extracting dragon and phoenix blood from these exotic beasts also allowed cultivation of this technique.

The Dragon Phoenix Literary Treasure Talisman cultivated both internally and externally. Once mastered, the body would be as if coiled by a true dragon, erupting with phoenix feather golden light, sharp beyond compare, killing enemies as easily as reaching into a bag.

Internal refinent made his cultivation imnsely profound, powerful, with dense and high-quality qi and blood. Even if an enemy had the sa cultivation level, they would be crushed and defeated by his more resilient qi and blood!

However...

"Too fast!"

Despair flashed in Ma Zongzhou's eyes as he saw Chen Shi already before him, while his qi and blood had just stirred, his technique not yet completing one cycle.

"Crack!"

Ma Zongzhou felt the crisp cracking sound transmitted from the fist striking the ribs under his armpit. One, two, three ribs, exactly three ribs, snapped cleanly. Because they broke at the sa ti, there was only one cracking sound.

The body tempered by the Dragon Phoenix Literary Treasure Talisman simply couldn't block this fist!

His qi and blood circulated, the Dragon Phoenix Literary Treasure Talisman completed a cycle. Behind him, seven-colored light like seven tangible yet intangible swords swished out repeatedly!

He was truly angered.

The opponent's strike was too fast, giving him no ti to react. But as long as the Dragon Phoenix Literary Treasure Talisman circulated, he could easily kill his opponent!

Chen Shi, amidst the seven-colored light, his palms flipped up and down continuously, slapping the sword bodies, avoiding their sharp edges, scattering the seven sword lights in all directions. Then he raised his leg and heavily chopped it against Ma Zongzhou's neck.

"Thump!"

Ma Zongzhou tumbled and rolled like a windmill towards the distance, his neck twisted, nearly severed.

He rolled for half a mile before stopping, trying to get up, but fell to the ground again.

Chen Shi was startled, then flew into a rage, rushing forward, delivering a series of fierce kicks to Ma Zongzhou's crotch and abdon.

"You fought back! Why did you fight back?"

"Do you know? I almost killed you!"

"I still have to pretend to be a good boy in front of Minister Sun!"

"I still have to leave a good impression on Chen Tang! You damn near made kill soone in front of him!"

Chen Shi kicked for a while, still not satisfied. Glancing aside, he saw a large stone weighing about a hundred pounds, picked it up, and smashed it on Ma Zongzhou's head. The stone shattered into pieces.

Ma Zongzhou, beaten half to death, felt furious and roared, "Stop hitting!"

Chen Shi was stunned for a mont, then erupted in fury. With a wave of his hand, the huagai from the wooden cart flew over. Chen Shi pulled out a pole from inside the huagai, as tall as a person and as thick as an arm, and rained blows down on Ma Zongzhou's head without discrimination, making Ma Zongzhou scream incessantly.

Ma Zongzhou was beaten unconscious. Chen Shi also got a bit tired from hitting. He wiped the blood off the pole with his hand and inserted it back into the huagai.

The huagai flew back to the wooden cart. Chen Shi dragged Ma Zongzhou back to the group and threw him to the iron tower giant.

The iron tower giant was startled and hurriedly stepped back, protecting Ma Zongzhou.

Sun Yisheng, shocked and uncertain, also stepped back, protecting Chen Shi.

Chen Shi got on the cart and said, "We were delayed for a while. Minister Sun, get on the cart."

Sun Yisheng didn't dare get on the cart, followed the wooden cart for a while, and seeing that the iron tower giant wasn't pursuing, he then climbed onto the cart.

The wooden cart sped away, leaving behind the dumbfounded Zhou Qianying, Wang Ping, and the others.

On the cart, Sun Yisheng and Chen Shi were silent for a long ti, neither speaking.

Sun Yisheng mustered his courage and was about to ask when Chen Shi broke the silence, saying, "Minister Sun, let's pretend today's events never happened. Don't tell Chen Tang."

Sun Yisheng was taken aback, probing, "So, in front of Minister Chen Tang, you're still a good boy?"

Chen Shi corrected him, "An obedient child."

Sun Yisheng thought for a mont and nodded.