That night, Chen Shi had seized twenty-four artillery carriages under Cao Chuting's command, capturing over two thousand cannonballs the size of human heads. He had placed them all around Cao Chuting's camp overnight, waiting precisely for this mont.
The light from the explosions illuminated the sky. Even Tian Yue'e and the others, over a hundred li away, could see the fireballs soaring into the sky, resembling a giant golden mushroom.
And on the periphery of that mushroom, there were also silvery-white, blazing lightning bolts. The crisscrossing flashes of thunder swept across the ground like a plow, terrifying beyond asure.
Such destructive power could annihilate even those with heaven-piercing, earth-shaking cultivation!
Furthermore, the explosions stirred up a violent gale that swept along the ground, shattering everything in its path!
Chen Shi watched as the thunder and fire gradually dissipated. Only after the gale had passed did he approach the camp site, carefully checking for any survivors. If there were any, he would need to eliminate them root and stem.
Cao Chuting's camp had already transford into a giant crater of magma. The ground had been lted, and nothing remained.
"The power of thunder and fire is truly too formidable."
Chen Shi felt a shiver of awe, and his admiration for the Qianyang Mountain Lord involuntarily increased by several degrees.
He quietly retreated, following his original route back.
By daybreak, Tian Yue'e, Huang Fengnian, and the others had spent a night in fear and trembling. However, nothing had happened; it had been peaceful and safe. Only a few evil spirits had co near the wooden cart, chatting with a few provincial graduates who couldn't sleep, talking about mundane family matters, trying to trick them into going out to have so fun.
There were also evil spirits dancing wildly in the strong wind, striking seductive poses, alluring and graceful. It was a pity no one was tempted by them.
Everyone stayed near the wooden cart; not a single person stepped half a foot outside.
When dawn arrived, the wind ceased, the sky was clear for thousands of li, and the evil spirits all vanished.
Black Pot straightened his back, took down the lantern, blew out the candle inside, and put it away as usual. He then fetched rice, flour, oil, and other supplies from the small courtyard, brought out tables, chairs, benches, pots, bowls, and utensils. Everyone helped start a fire and cook.
Occasionally, soone felt sothing was a bit off, but the feeling would soon return to normal. Others felt there was an extra person among them, but they couldn't quite figure out who that extra person was.
Black Pot busied himself back and forth. They called him "classmate," and he seed to be one of them, as if he were also a provincial graduate heading to the capital for the exams.
So even felt that Black Pot had also been at the private school, that he was their classmate, that they had studied together for several years, and their friendship was incredibly strong.
They talked to Black Pot, and although Black Pot never responded, each person felt they had received a reply.
At that mont, soone spotted Chen Shi walking towards them from afar and quickly put down what they were doing. The others also noticed him and, one after another, stopped their tasks to watch him approach.
"It's already over," Chen Shi said to them with a smile.
Over?
These provincial graduates were sowhat bewildered. Had the people who were shelling them retreated?
Sun Yisheng woke up, his injuries extrely severe. He lay paralyzed in the wooden cart, opening his eyes and looking around in confusion.
Chen Shi ca to his side. Black Pot scooped a bowl of thin porridge, which Chen Shi took. He tested the temperature; it was no longer scalding hot. So, he helped Sun Yisheng sit up, leaning against sothing, and fed him the porridge.
"Go back ho."
Tears rolled from Sun Yisheng's eyes into the porridge. The corner of his mouth trembled slightly, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "Young Master, go back ho. Western Capital is too dangerous. Lord Chen Tang cannot protect you. Going back, you can still preserve your life. Living is better than anything else..."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Lord Sun, living is of course better than anything else. But if one can live an even better life, one still has to strive for it. Look at these provincial graduates; they are also risking their lives to rush to Western Capital. I consider myself no weaker than others, so how could I be willing to fall behind?"
He paused for a mont, then continued, "There's another thing. Cao Chuting, the Commander of the Divine chanism Battalion, wasn't stronger than you, and he couldn't withstand the thunder and fire either."
Sun Yisheng's body trembled slightly. "Commander Cao Chuting? Was it him who ambushed us? Where is he now?"
Chen Shi said, "I heard that last night, while handling gunpowder, he accidentally blew himself up."
Sun Yisheng glanced at him.
Chen Shi's expression remained unchanged. Sun Yisheng wasn't sure if Chen Shi's words were a joke or not.
Although Cao Chuting was just a minor commander, his strength was exceptionally formidable. Moreover, he was from the Divine chanism Battalion and handled gunpowder year-round. How could he blow himself up?
He found it very hard to believe.
Chen Shi fed him porridge and said with a smile, "Don't let your thoughts run wild. Focus on recovering from your injuries. Try to be fully healed by the ti we return to Western Capital, and get plump and fair-skinned, so Chen Tang won't think I mistreated you."
Sun Yisheng snorted inwardly, thinking, "Young Master Chen is always worried about leaving a bad impression on Chen Tang."
"Cao Chuting was just a commander. Within the Divine chanism Battalion, there are sixteen similar commanders."
He took the bowl and started eating by himself, his voice muffled as he said, "He was in charge of the red cannons. There are others specifically responsible for Frankish cannons, which are even faster; one unit is equipped with forty-eight Frankish cannons. There are also those in charge of bowl-mouthed blunderbusses. The barrels of those fire guns are as wide as a bowl's mouth, loaded with three-inch cannonballs. One shot can shatter the Primordial Spirit of a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator. One unit has four hundred n, all equipped with such bowl-mouthed blunderbusses. Besides that, there's the Fire Sickle Unit, whose mbers primarily cultivate thunder and fire spells, supplented with gunpowder. Heh, wherever they pass, even mountains are flattened."
After finishing his al, he handed the bowl to the dog, signaling for another serving, and said, "Cao Chuting ca to kill you; he must have been commissioned by soone. If the first attempt failed, will that person send others again? You must be careful."
Chen Shi felt a chill in his heart and said, "I will be cautious."
Sun Yisheng drank two large bowls of thin porridge in a row, felt a bit more energetic, and lay down in the wooden cart to rest.
After everyone finished breakfast and were packing up, another group of examination candidates caught up with them. There were over ten people, also scholars carrying book boxes and trudging along with difficulty.
Everyone traveled together, chatting and laughing rrily.
Before this trip to Western Capital, Chen Shi had lingered at the True King's Tomb for several days. Apart from the scroll of the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique from the tomb's Library Pavilion, he had basically morized all the cultivation techniques on the stele forest outside the tomb.
The True King's purpose in leaving these techniques was to pass on the legacy to the Western Ox New Continent. Chen Shi spoke with each person, understanding their cultivation paths and personalities, discerning which techniques suited them, and then taught them accordingly, passing on the techniques from the stele forest.
Tian Yue'e had a straightforward and decisive nature, acting swiftly. Chen Shi taught her the Du Tian Thunder God Incantation.
Huang Fengnian was skilled in dicine and intended to delve deeper into this field. Chen Shi taught him the Purple Canopy Primordial Crimson Great thod.
Fang Wuji was bold and unrestrained. Chen Shi thus taught him the Three Primalities Mountain-Suppressing Formula.
Fu Xiu had a calm and indifferent nature. Chen Shi taught him the Limitless Jade Pearl Formula.
Hu Guang'an had a lively and restless personality, so he was taught the Dragon God Mysterious Formula.
...
Each person needed to comprehend their different techniques, so they moved forward slowly. When they encountered parts they didn't understand, they would ask Chen Shi for guidance. Chen Shi hadn't cultivated these techniques either, so he would contemplate them while teaching the others.
Additionally, the road was difficult, dangers were everywhere, and strong winds were frequent. The group moved slower and slower.
Later, other groups of provincial graduates kept catching up. Everyone gathered together, gradually forming a group of over a hundred people.
Within this group, breakthroughs happened frequently. People would often advance their Golden Core by one revolution. In a single day, over a dozen people would often break through bottlenecks that had troubled them for a long ti.
This kind of scene was sothing they themselves hadn't dared to imagine, and even Chen Shi hadn't anticipated it.
Those who could beco provincial graduates were not foolish. Especially those who had survived to reach this point were outstanding talents among n, the cream of the crop among cultivators.
They had high natural talent, high comprehension, and good fortune as well. They were not inferior to the scions of great clans in any aspect. However, in the past, they had no techniques, no resources, no spiritual dicines. Forget breakthroughs; even getting enough to eat was difficult.
They were like tightly compressed springs. The more they were compressed, the stronger the force of their rebound.
Previously, they had only lacked an opportunity. Now that Chen Shi had given them this opportunity, these people didn't even need spiritual dicines or spirit jerky; they broke through directly!
After just a few days of travel, the group had gained six Nascent Soul realm cultivators.
Chen Shi taught them the techniques from the stele forest without seeking any repaynt. He felt that Xiao Wangsun, Scholar Zhu, and the True King had successively entrusted him with the Western King's Jade Seal, perhaps intending to use his hand to spread the techniques from the stele forest.
He was rely doing what he considered his duty; why should he expect repaynt from others?
However, in the hearts of Tian Yue'e and the others, this was an imnse kindness, even heavier than a teacher's grace—it was a grace of rebirth!
For a kindness as small as a drop of water, one should repay it with a gushing spring.
What could one use to repay a grace of rebirth?
In the face of such kindness, any words of gratitude seed impoverished, pale, and inadequate.
By mid-March, the group had grown to nearly two hundred people. They arrived at the largest and most magnificent mountain range in the western part of the Western Ox New Continent: the Huangyan Mountain Range. The mountain range stretched for over ten thousand li, running north to south.
This wasn't just one undulating mountain range, but dozens of mountain ranges spread out along the north-south axis.
They had to cross the great canyon between the mountains in March, pass through the miasma-filled jungles here, and walk out of this death zone amidst various strange beasts, evil spirits, and even demons and monsters, to reach Western Capital by early April!
In previous journeys to the capital for the exams, crossing the Huangyan Mountain Range had the highest mortality rate. Several dozen provincial graduates had arrived here, stopping before the mountain range, waiting for those behind to form a larger group to cross the canyon together. Seeing their group of two hundred arrive, they couldn't help but feel both shocked and delighted.
Everyone ford a large team of over two hundred and sixty people and marched majestically into the canyon.
This ti, among Chen Shi's group of over two hundred provincial graduates, many were excited fellows who had just broken through their cultivation realms. Along the way, they tested their newly learned spells. With their abundant energy having no outlet, they used the unobservant strange beasts and evil spirits as practice targets.
The strength of the over two hundred provincial graduates grew stronger and stronger. They fought their way as they traveled. If one couldn't defeat an enemy, ten would attack together. If ten couldn't, a hundred would join in. Wherever they passed, even old demons and monsters entrenched on mountain peaks were beaten to their knees, begging for rcy.
Seeing that the great canyon of the Huangyan Mountain Range was extrely treacherous, Chen Shi worried that soone might set up an ambush here. So, he organized everyone to practice the Ten Extremities Array. Each person was responsible for one talisman, totaling two hundred and fifty-six talismans. When the array was activated, they could transform into two hundred and fifty-six Chinese deities, forming a deadly tribulation array!
This array was the formation that guarded the immortal techniques within the scripture repository of the True King's Tomb. Its power was extraordinary; the talismans alone possessed the power to contend against formidable experts like Chen Yindu!
With two hundred and fifty-six provincial graduates forming the array, its power was even more unimaginable!
Chen Shi only tested it once. At that ti, they were in the great canyon, standing on the surface of a river several li wide, and they set up this array on the water's surface.
Chen Shi was at the array's eye. The mont the Ten Extremities Array was activated, a mighty and overwhelming force surged from the ground, cutting off the great river. The surrounding heaven and earth lost their color, and all sounds ceased, as if the world had fallen into dead silence, devoid of all life!
They didn't dare to continue the trial and quickly dispersed the Ten Extremities Array.
Sun Yisheng, lying in the wooden cart, felt his heart pounding with fear, nearly scared to the point of his Primordial Spirit shattering.
The pressure was too imnse, too terrifying!
Even an expert like him, who had reached the Refining Void realm and cultivated a Dao Field, felt that if he stepped into that array, he would absolutely die without a doubt!
"What kind of evil spirit is the young master of Lord Chen Tang's family?"
He was secretly shocked in his heart. Over two hundred provincial graduates could unleash such a terrifying array, surpassing thousands of troops and horses, surpassing all the arrays of the three great battalions in Western Capital. Even if he spoke of it, probably no one would believe him!
At that mont, he sensed powerful auras rapidly retreating from all directions, dozens to a hundred li away. He couldn't help but be slightly stunned, then imdiately realized.
"Soone had ambushed many experts along the road, preparing to ambush and kill us!"
His heart thumped wildly. He had only detected these powerful individuals as they were leaving, which clearly indicated their cultivation was extrely high. So were probably even above his own level!
But these people had been frightened away by the Ten Extremities Array!
They had set up an ambush here but hadn't dared to attack. After sensing the terrifying aura of the Ten Extremities Array, they had proactively retreated.
"I don't know who set up the ambush."
Sun Yisheng thought to himself, "However, if it were , sensing the aura of the Ten Extremities Array, I would also imdiately lose all will to fight and not dare to make a move. That aura simply annihilates everything!"
Chen Shi and the others actually passed through the Huangyan Mountain Range peacefully all the way, erging from the mountains by the end of March.
Along the journey, Chen Shi answered everyone's various cultivation confusions. He hadn't cultivated those techniques on the stone steles himself, but in the process of helping everyone solve them, it was equivalent to him comprehending them once over. Moreover, exchanging ideas with everyone was also a way to indirectly gather the strengths of various schools.
After exiting the Huangyan Mountain Range, he cald his mind to contemplate the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique. Suddenly, he found that all the previously incomprehensible mysterious formulas were now easily solved!
Chen Shi was stunned.
The Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique—originally, just morizing this technique had strained his mind. But now, he could actually comprehend it!
"My cultivation hasn't improved much during this period; what has improved is my knowledge. In the process of teaching everyone, I was also learning and comprehending."
He had a feeling of spiritual brilliance within, his wisdom becoming rounded and interconnected.
He cautiously attempted cultivating this technique bit by bit, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. After all, this was an immortal-level technique, profound and unfathomable. If he cultivated it incorrectly, correcting the mistake would likely be extrely difficult.
A few more days passed, and Western Capital ca into view.
The two to three hundred provincial graduates gazed at the ancient capital ahead, their excitent overflowing beyond words.
And in Western Capital, nurous pairs of eyes also looked towards these provincial graduates.
On the official road leading to Western Capital, miniature shrines rose one after another, emitting divine light. Golden Cores shone in all directions, reflecting various colors. Simultaneously, small Nascent Souls sat in the void, channeling the righteous energy of heaven and earth. Streams of azure energy ca from the surrounding mountains, stretching for hundreds of li.
A voice said, "We couldn't find any opportunity to attack along the entire journey. But upon reaching Western Capital, an opportunity has instead arisen!"
Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared above Western Capital. Bolts of thunder descended from the sky, slashing towards those Golden Cores and Nascent Souls.
At that very mont, a parasol rose and spun, expanding to cover an area of about a mu. Beneath the parasol, divine figures were densely packed like a celestial palace, blocking all the thunder outside.
Soone activated a spell, shattering the thunder-summoning talismans high in the sky.
The parasol spun and shrank but was not put away. It remained suspended above the heads of the provincial graduates.
Beneath the parasol, divine sounds arose loudly, as if nurous deities were chanting, protecting the provincial graduates.
Under the watchful eyes of all, Chen Shi led over two hundred and sixty provincial graduates into Western Capital City.
Sun Yisheng, lying and leaning in the wooden cart, felt nurous gazes falling upon them. His heart was filled with anxiety. "This is too high-profile. We are being far too high-profile."
User Comments
0 comments from readers