Chapter 285: Rebirth - I Became the Grandpa (Part 9)
In the imperial capital of the Great Wind Dynasty, Chen Xuan attended the rare ten-year poetry gathering.
[Ding!]
A system notification rang in his mind. His heart clenched violently.
[Chen Lanlan's favorability toward the host -100.]
[Chen Lanlan's favorability has reset to zero. The beloved relationship has been severed. Penalty triggered: host's cultivation reduced by two minor realms. Current cultivation: Spirit Sea sixth layer.]
[Chen Lanlan has died.]
On a pleasure boat drifting along the river with fireworks lighting up the sky, a gentle woman sat across from Chen Xuan. Moments earlier, he had been fine, but he suddenly lost consciousness. His face turned deathly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Tao Wan panicked. She had been prepared for many things, but not this. She had no choice but to bring the unconscious Chen Xuan ashore.
The next day, Chen Xuan woke up. He discovered that his cultivation had dropped by two full minor realms and that Chen Lanlan's favorability toward him had vanished completely.
"Chen Lanlan… you actually betrayed me!"
Rage burned in Chen Xuan's heart. Chen Lanlan had been the first woman to reach full favorability with him—and the only one. The loss of that favorability inflicted a severe penalty, costing him two layers of cultivation. The last trace of guilt in his heart disappeared, replaced by deep resentment toward her.
...
Stone Mountain City.
Several days had passed with no activity from the Chen Family. One morning, someone noticed something was wrong and entered the estate. What they found was a scene of utter horror—corpses littered the ground, already rotting and emitting a foul stench.
Silence fell over the city. Then came the earthquake of shock. Everyone's hair stood on end. The entire Chen Family had been wiped out without a sound. Even their Spirit Sea realm ancestor was dead.
Who could have done such a thing?
After the Chen Family's destruction, no further major incidents occurred in Stone Mountain City. The mountains that had once loomed over them had collapsed one after another. Under currents surged beneath the surface as new great clans rose to replace the Chen Family's former position.
Dongfang Yunxing had no interest in what happened next in Stone Mountain City.
After annihilating the Chen Family, he came to a desolate mountain. There stood ninety-nine stone tablets that he had carved himself to honor the ninety-nine members of the Dongfang.
Dongfang Yunxing had been kneeling there for three full days.
Su Chen did not disturb him. This was something his disciple needed to experience.
During those three days, a mysterious power gradually emerged from within Dongfang Yunxing, washing through his body and improving both his Talent and comprehension.
"Perhaps this little fellow can break the limits of the Nirvana Art," Su Chen thought with anticipation.
The Undying Nirvana Art had limits to how much it could improve one's talent, but with the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, Dongfang Yunxing might have a chance to shatter those shackles and take another step forward—becoming a true immortal seed.
Dongfang Yunxing knew nothing of Su Chen's thoughts.
A golden flower slowly condensed above his head, sprouting a single leaf. Golden runes and patterns surfaced across his body, resonating with the golden flower. A powerful, visible current of qi swirled around him—the mark of a spirit physique.
After destroying the Chen Family, the Heaven's Mandate Pearl had absorbed dozens of times more energy than before. This massive influx had transformed Dongfang Yunxing's talent and comprehension.
As the light gradually faded, Dongfang Yunxing slowly rose to his feet. He bowed deeply toward the tablets ahead.
He was ready to step into a far broader world beyond the confines of Stone Mountain City. He still had one final enemy left.
"Master…" Dongfang Yunxing called softly.
A response came from within the Heaven's Mandate Pearl. "Your master is here."
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Dongfang Yunxing's mouth. He pulled the black sword from the ground beside him and walked resolutely toward the rising sun in the distance.
His figure stretched longer and longer in the morning light. On this path, he was no longer alone.
Chen Xuan discovered that his luck seemed to have turned sour ever since Chen Lanlan's death.
The very next day, he faced a challenge. Previously, he could have easily suppressed the young genius, but because of the favorability drop with Chen Lanlan, his cultivation had fallen by two minor realms and he was still suffering from heavy injuries. In front of a large crowd, he was defeated.
Because of that loss, nearly all the women's favorability toward him halved—including Tao Wan, who admired his talent, and Princess Yun Mengyan, whom he had pursued so relentlessly.
All that talk of admiring his talent and not caring about his background or cultivation level? Complete nonsense.
Chen Xuan sneered coldly in his heart. He had finally seen the true faces of those women.
Still, for the sake of system missions, he continued to fawn over them. This time, however, the former passion in his heart had vanished, replaced by growing indifference.
His cultivation advanced rapidly. He broke through to the Spirit Soul realm and was hailed as one of the Ten Great Prodigies of the Great Wind Dynasty.
Yet Chen Xuan was still not satisfied. Only absolute power was the true path.
After he defeated the fifth-ranked genius of the younger generation in the Great Wind Dynasty and rose to fame across the land, both Tao Wan's and Yun Mengyan's favorability toward him not only recovered but surpassed their previous levels.
[Ding…]
The system's voice rang out in Chen Xuan's mind at the perfect moment. Joy surged through him.
"The Ghost Clan ruins have opened!"
The Ghost Clan ruins were remnants left behind when the Ghost Clan invaded the Vast Continent. After powerful Ghost Clan experts were slain by human powerhouses, the site had transformed over tens of thousands of years into a place filled with opportunities. For Chen Xuan, it also offered the second-most generous system reward yet—three full minor realms of cultivation.
He could not miss it.
"The title of number one genius in the Great Wind Dynasty should change hands," Chen Xuan declared confidently.
With the system by his side, he would eventually surpass everyone.
...
Ever since leaving Stone Mountain City, Dongfang Yunxing had walked the line between life and death without pause. Even though his current Talent far surpassed what it once was, he never grew arrogant.
Su Chen had seen countless prodigies and monsters in his time—including unparalleled freaks who had survived ten Emperor tribulations and been rated with ten-star Talent. He had even slain one. Yet Su Chen believed Dongfang Yunxing would not be inferior to them. In fact, he might surpass them all.
Just how terrifying would the Heaven's Mandate Pearl become once it shattered the limits of the Undying Nirvana Art?
It might not stop at ten-star Talent.
Talent alone did not determine everything. However, Su Chen had watched Dongfang Yunxing's Dao heart gradually grow firm and resolute. As his master, he knew those changes better than anyone.
"Disciple, your master still has one more technique," Su Chen said. "It is an experiment I have yet to complete. It may lead you down an unprecedented path of power, allowing you to surpass all others and step into the realm of true immortality. Or it may cause you to perish with the masses. Are you willing to learn it?"
Chapter 286: Rebirth - I Became the Grandpa (Part 10)
Su Chen floated out from the Heaven's Mandate Pearl.
Dongfang Yunxing asked curiously, "Master, what is an immortal true immortal?"
Su Chen: "..."
He had no choice but to explain the cultivation realms to his disciple once again. The attempt to show off had fallen rather flat.
Su Chen patiently described the path from the Spirit Awakening realm all the way to the Great Emperor who stood unrivaled across the universe.
Dongfang Yunxing thought for a moment before asking again, "Then Master… what exactly is the immortal true immortal realm?"
Su Chen looked at his disciple, whose curiosity burned brightly, and said calmly, "True immortal is a realm above the Great Emperor. It transcends the limits of lifespan and should be eternal and undying. With a flip of the hand, one can destroy myriad worlds. With a single thought, one can create them."
In truth, Su Chen had never seen a true immortal expert. Still, he figured that such feats should not be difficult for one.
A look of longing appeared in Dongfang Yunxing's eyes. Though he only half-understood, he knew it must be an existence of unimaginable power.
"Master, are you a Great Emperor?" Dongfang Yunxing's eyes suddenly lit up.
A Great Emperor stood near the very peak of cultivation. He himself was only at the Spirit Sea realm, with eight major realms still separating him from the Emperor realm.
Hiss!
Su Chen slowly placed his hands behind his back, raised his head slightly, and replied with an indifferent expression, "Your master is merely an ordinary Great Emperor."
Dongfang Yunxing's eyes widened, shining with admiration. Even an ordinary Great Emperor was still a Great Emperor!
"Disciple is willing to learn! Please teach me this unrivaled technique, Master!" Dongfang Yunxing nodded eagerly.
This was a path that could lead to the true immortal realm.
Su Chen said, "I have not yet reached the end of this great path. The difficulties of cultivating it may be a thousand or ten thousand times greater than other methods. It could be the strongest path, or it could be the weakest. Have you truly made up your mind?"
Dongfang Yunxing answered firmly, "Since Master says this path can lead to true immortality, then it must be the strongest path. Since it is the strongest, your disciple naturally wants to learn the strongest!"
His voice carried unshakable resolve.
Su Chen felt gratified. The path he spoke of was the Myriad Laws Dao he had once walked—the fusion of all heavenly laws into one, condensing the Myriad Laws Immortal Physique where one law encompassed all laws. If successful, it might even break free from the immortal positions of the Void Cosmic Sea.
But the path was incredibly difficult. Even with his previous life's talent, he had ultimately failed.
He was willing to pass this path on to Dongfang Yunxing. He also wanted to see whether, with the enhancements from the Heaven's Mandate Pearl and the Undying Nirvana Art, his disciple could succeed where he had not and walk this unprecedented road.
He had given Dongfang Yunxing the choice and clearly explained the risks, yet his disciple had still chosen the Myriad Laws Dao without hesitation—the most difficult path of all.
Dongfang Yunxing had no idea what lay ahead for him.
When Su Chen began teaching him the Myriad Laws Dao, Dongfang Yunxing grew more shocked the more he heard. Even with his current comprehension, he could only grasp a tiny, insignificant corner of the iceberg.
Even so, he was deeply shaken.
"One person… has to complete all paths? Is this something a human can truly achieve?"
Though his cultivation was still low, Dongfang Yunxing understood that a person's energy was limited. Walking even one path to its end was extremely difficult. To reach the end of every path was simply astonishing. No wonder his master had said this road would either be the strongest or the weakest.
"Are you afraid?" Su Chen asked with a smile. "If you are, your master has other unrivaled techniques. You can choose one of those instead."
Dongfang Yunxing shook his head firmly.
"Disciple was only marveling at how extraordinary Master's talent must be to create such an unrivaled path. If the remaining paths could be completed, how magnificent would that be?"
Su Chen chuckled as he watched his disciple put on a brave front.
For the next half year, Dongfang Yunxing immersed himself in cultivating the Myriad Laws Dao. The deeper he went, the more he realized just how terrifying his master truly was.
"I am still so far from Master. I wonder how many more Nirvanas I will need before I can reach the Talent of a Great Emperor," he thought to himself.
Just as he prepared to continue hunting beasts and advancing his cultivation, Su Chen's voice suddenly rang in his mind.
"Disciple, your master has found a new dungeon."
Dongfang Yunxing opened his eyes. He knew that when Su Chen mentioned a "dungeon," it meant a place filled with opportunities. Over the past half year, his progress on the Myriad Laws Dao and his breakthrough to the fifth layer of Spirit Sea had relied heavily on Su Chen's guidance as a living radar, leading him to countless fortunate encounters.
Of course, those opportunities had always come hand in hand with life-and-death crises.
Dongfang Yunxing's blood boiled with excitement.
"Master, where is this dungeon?"
Su Chen pointed him in the right direction.
"This dungeon is quite interesting," Su Chen continued. "Good disciple, this time your master will not help you. Everything will depend on you alone."
Dongfang Yunxing: "?"
"Master… Master…"
He felt the change was too sudden. He was still just a fledgling who had barely stepped into the world!
Unfortunately, no response came from the Heaven's Mandate Pearl.
Dongfang Yunxing smiled bitterly. His master had clearly decided to let him face this trial by himself.
Su Chen had sealed the pearl. He had sensed an intriguing presence—Chen Xuan, the main culprit behind the destruction of Dongfang Yunxing's entire family. He was likely a child of great destiny, and possibly a transmigrator who had seized a new body. Chen Xuan would serve as the perfect whetstone for his disciple.
Su Chen had no intention of offering any further help. Dongfang Yunxing needed to confront a child of great destiny on his own. With the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, he was destined to cross paths with such people frequently. Letting one's guard down against them would lead to total defeat.
The direction Dongfang Yunxing headed was exactly where the Ghost Clan ruins lay.
At that moment, the ruins had drawn prodigies from across the Great Wind Dynasty, along with powerful experts standing guard. All of them sought the opportunities hidden within.
Even after thousands of years, the Great Wind Dynasty had only explored less than a tenth of the Ghost Clan ruins. The treasures inside were extraordinary, and legacies from above the Profound Connection realm could even appear.
As the Ghost Clan ruins opened, a seemingly ordinary figure slipped inside.
His appearance was plain, his bearing unremarkable, easily overlooked by everyone.
Dongfang Yunxing noticed a familiar silhouette.
That figure had appeared countless times in his nightmares.
"Chen Xuan!"
Overwhelming hatred surged in Dongfang Yunxing's eyes, impossible to suppress any longer.