From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 348 The Days Without Xinzhai

Darkness, light and fire, floating corpses, dust falling everywhere, blood stench permeating the air, and the frantic roars of resentment echoing through the desolate ruins.

"Woo!" The black cat stood up like a little bear, baring its sharp teeth and looking fierce. Its little claws danced wildly like heavenly blades, smearing the face of the dragon god opposite it.

This is an extremely dangerous battle between the Daoist traditions, because Thunder Qi has the power to suppress evil spirits, so the Lesser Underworld is at a disadvantage in the direct confrontation with the Lesser Dragon Palace.

Although the Black and White True Lord is the strongest Chosen One in the world, it is hard to say who will win against the Ze Long Demon Lord. Now, the two are fighting somewhere unknown.

"Meow~" The black cat's claws cracked and bled, but she was worried about Lord Black and White's current situation.

Just then, news from afar rippled through the immortal energy.

"What? Xinzhai has exploded! Three True Monarchs have fallen!" The Thunder Dragon God on the opposite side exclaimed in shock, his face full of astonishment, and stopped his attack.

“Other True Lords avoided him at the mere sight of him, including some Great True Lords.”

The entire region trembled!

This shocking news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the land and shaking the entire universe within just a few days. It finally arrived at this battlefield, hundreds of millions of miles away from Yunmeng Prefecture.

"That scoundrel Chen is such a liar, so amazing!" Xuanmao exclaimed in surprise, her little mouth agape and her bright eyes wide open.

The news was terrifying; even the minor underworld messenger in charge of life and death felt a sense of unreality. But as more concrete information came in, no one continued to doubt the veracity of the news.

Xinzhai truly killed Zhenjun, and in the end, even drew his sword towards the Immortal Palace.

An eerie silence fell over the battlefield.

"The bloody battle ended quickly. The methods those True Lords used to deal with the evil spirits sealed by Xinzhai Heaven were completely ineffective. Xinzhai Heaven is now manipulating them!" Thunder Dragon God muttered to himself.

"Xinzhai is ruined, or perhaps it has been usurped by ancient evil spirits!"

"The little guy is really decisive. Knowing that he will never have a moment of peace if he possesses Xinzhai, he went straight for the kill."

"There's no need to keep fighting to the death because of Xinzhai; that thing is useless now."

One of the Dragon Gods who followed the True Lord whispered, "We should go find the Myriad Worlds Venerable. Since the Little Azure Heaven Dao Master took away the Southern Crown, the Myriad Worlds Venerable has no place for them."

This battle for the Daoist lineage was too brutal. Those puppet-like Taiyin Shenyou and Zhenjun, whether relying on the authority of the Lesser Underworld or the power of the Black and White Heavenly Mandate, died in battle and were reborn, endlessly reincarnating.

The Little Underworld's attitude of occupying Chen Xuan's destiny was too resolute, making it inconvenient to continue the struggle.

……

A dry wind blew across the land of Yunmeng, and the crimson fog had long since dissipated.

However, the Qi practitioners of Yunmeng Prefecture still could not forget the fear brought about by the battle a few days ago. That extremely terrifying blood-black figure traversed the sky and forcefully pierced through the combined pressure of the True Monarchs from other places.

"It is said that the Great Demon of the Green Bag is one of the five leaders of the Mountain and Sea Banquet," a Qi practitioner said to his companion.

The heroes of the world gather at the mountains and seas, and those who ultimately stand at the summit inspire awe just by hearing their names.

"What a great era it is to produce outstanding talents! A young man who came from the barren land of Yaoguang Prefecture has reached this point in just over three years."

"Who in the world does not know the name Xinzhai!"

"What do you know?! Chen Xuan is a true-blue Yunmeng Prefecture native. Going back 521 generations, his ancestors were from Yunmeng Prefecture!"

"What a pity! Heaven is jealous of heroes. I heard he's already crippled. That damned out-of-town True Lord!"

"..."

Across the land of Yunmeng, discussions were rife. For a time, Chen Xuan's fame even overshadowed that of the most active True Monarchs.

The market town at the foot of Qingnang Mountain was even more bustling, with people talking about Chen Xuan everywhere.

The afternoon sun shone through the window lattice and into the tranquil teahouse, where the clear sound of chanting rose and fell.

"The human heart naturally desires tranquility, but desires pull it away. If one can constantly dispel desires, the heart will naturally be at peace; if one can purify the heart, the spirit will naturally be clear..."

"Spiritual and unsettling? Try another one!"

“Abandon limbs, discard intelligence, separate from form and knowledge, and become one with the Great Void…” Xiao Hou then turned to the next chapter of the Zhuangzi, sat upright, and continued to recite the Taoist scriptures for calming the mind.

"Old Xiao, keep your voice down! Can you stop making such a racket?!"

Chen Xuan, lying on the bed, felt dizzy listening to the conversation and reprimanded him in an unpleasant tone.

“Your mind is ruined, you are very ill. Master Zhang instructed you to listen to scriptures more often to cultivate your character and eliminate distracting thoughts.” Xiao Hou picked up his teacup, moistened his hoarse throat, and continued, “You see, you are always easily angered, your temper is too volatile.”

Chen Xuan's act of burning away his spiritual essence and summoning the evil spirits of the Spiritual Essence Heaven to descend into the world was too crazy. After all, it was a scene of mutual destruction no matter how you looked at it.

After all, even if those True Lords captured him, it would be humiliating, but they wouldn't necessarily take his life. But now, his entire foundation of the Great Dao is gone.

"Old Xiao, tell me the truth, did you take the glass money from Hua Liuli?" Chen Xuan wrapped himself in the blanket and asked, puzzled.

It was a truly bizarre scene to have a chosen one chanting scriptures in his ear every day.

"Yes, I got the money."

Xiao Hou nodded vigorously, his eyes shining, and said, "I am now the second guest elder of Qingnang Dojo. Qingnang is in dire need of reconstruction, and I am in charge of alchemy and weapon forging."

During the banquet, Xiao Hou was struck by Niu Ben's staff and reduced to a remnant soul, nearly dying.

Out of respect for Chen Xuan, Hua Liuli rescued this chosen junior. Due to the large amount of precious resources spent, Xiao Hou has signed a contract with the Two Realms Market and become the second guest minister of Qingnang.

However, Xiao Hou, like Chen Xuan, was still recovering from his injuries. Since Chen Xuan disliked reading those dry and boring scriptures, Xiao Hou was assigned to the task.

"Foolish! All those fancy glass coins are privately printed. That money has no credibility and can't be spent in many places," Chen Xuan said in a low voice. The more glass coins he had, the deeper his connection with the Two Realms Market.

Xiao Hou was stunned upon hearing this, but not wanting to discuss matters of cultivation, he continued to chant scriptures.

"What major events have happened outside recently?" Chen Xuan asked, exasperated. Xiao Hou was being extremely diligent, like a mosquito, constantly making noise day and night.

"I heard that one of the three defeated True Lords has manifested the image of a True Lord's demise," Xiao Hou replied. "The other two are probably not far from death either. Your Xinzhai is truly domineering."

The aftershocks of that battle continue to cause great commotion in the cultivation world.

Chen Xuan frowned and pondered.

"It's a pity you've lost Xinzhai now," Xiao Hou sighed, then laughed, "But losing Xinzhai might not be a bad thing. With your abilities, your future is still bright."

At this moment, the remnant soul of Yao Chenzi in Xiao Hou's Xuan Ring also flew out, with a kind smile on his face.

"Little fellow, losing Xinzhai is a blessing in disguise. Your path of Qi cultivation is now safe, and there will be no more conspiracies or tricks." Yao Chenzi's remnant soul spoke with a kind and benevolent expression.

When Chen Xuan had his meditation retreat, this gloomy old man never showed his ring, but now he dared to come out and talk to Chen Xuan, and even his appearance became gentle, showing the demeanor of an elder.

"Would you like to have this kind of good fortune?"

Chen Xuan replied irritably, then looked at Xiao Hou and asked, "Are you all happy that I've lost Xinzhai?"

"It's not that I'm gloating, it's just that I feel more relaxed around you now," Xiao Hou replied frankly.

When the Heavenly Immortal Seed comes into contact with Xinzhai, it would be a lie to say that he is not at all concerned. His heartstrings will be taut and he will be in a state of tension at all times.

"Hmph! Of all the people here, you're the most honest and don't lie," Chen Xuan commented.

"Crench!"

Just as Chen Xuan was trying to stop Xiao Hou from continuing to chant sutras, Hua Liuli entered the room carrying a bowl of medicinal soup.

Xiao Hou turned around upon hearing this, and said respectfully, "Your Highness Xuan Nu, Chen Xuan is quite unruly. You should discipline him properly." Hua Liuli is not only a kind-hearted senior chosen one, but also a cultivator who has transcended worldly concerns. She deserves our utmost respect.

Hua Liuli glanced at Chen Xuan, who looked helpless on the bed, and laughed, "Drink your medicine quickly, you're badly injured, you're almost dead."

Chen Xuan twitched the corner of his mouth and muttered, "It's not as serious as you guys are making it out to be..."

He forcibly summoned the evil spirit of Xinzhaitian to descend to earth, which caused serious aftereffects. Although it was troublesome, he was confident that he could resolve the consequences.

"You're about to die!" Hua Liuli said seriously as she brought in a medicinal soup that smelled strongly of herbs. "It's not serious yet. You used to seem unapproachable, and no one dared to joke with you. Now you finally look like a normal person."

"Uh……"

"Quick, this medicine is the Nine-Leaf Lingzhi, which was obtained at great expense. It has miraculous effects in nourishing essence and spirit, and healing injuries." Hua Liuli pointed to the medicinal soup that had been simmering for a long time with divine fire.

"Why waste that money? I can just drink some [Immortal Tribulation Elixir] and make up for it," Chen Xuan replied.

Although the Immortal Tribulation Liquid is not a healing substance, it possesses immense energy that can be forcibly refined by an immortal body. Moreover, the large quantity provides ample sustenance, and with so much energy, it can naturally repair injuries as well.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're just born to suffer."

Hua Liuli said irritably, "Use Immortal Tribulation Elixir to heal injuries? Does that sound like something a normal person would say? It's terrifying! Besides, the Qingnang Dojo isn't that poor."

She placed the medicinal soup on the table, casually tied her hair up, and said with a smile, "Little Chen, come here, let me see if your injury has healed."

"It's nothing serious, I'll be fine in a few days!" Chen Xuan wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and refused. Recently, everyone had been saying that he was seriously injured and was about to die, making a big fuss about it, but the actual situation was not serious at all.

"You're so stubborn, you've lost your inner peace." Hua Liuli snorted.

She knew that Chen Xuan hadn't suffered much damage in the battle against the True Lord, but it was very difficult to drive away the mourning child who had possessed him. He had to break his fast to barely finish the fight and was seriously injured as a result.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan sighed and asked, "Has anything major happened in the Southern Wilderness recently?"

"I haven't heard anything about it. Everything is normal," Hua Liuli replied. She had a market in Yaoguang Prefecture and was well-informed, so she hadn't heard of any changes.

"That's good." Chen Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Old Zhang had asked him to go to the Southern Wilderness to "seek help," but how could he bother the Mountain Spirit Goddess who was secretly doing something important because of his own affairs?

“After reciting the sutra once, all the great sages of the heavens simultaneously praised it as good…” In the corner, Xiao Hou, with a solemn expression, began to chant the sutra again, looking very serious about his work.

"...Alright, you lackey, stop chanting. It's giving me a headache." Chen Xuan immediately interrupted Xiao Hou, waving his hand and saying, "Come on, Old Xiao, help Benxinzhai up. I need to take some tonics."

"Let me do it." Seeing Xiao Hou tidying up the scriptures, Hua Liuli immediately put down the medicine soup, pulled Chen Xuan up with both hands, and leaned down gracefully to tuck a pillow behind his back, saying, "The injured have the opportunity to be served by me..."

As Chen Xuan looked up, he was immediately hit twice on the forehead by the "big ball": "Hey, Lord Flower God, be careful!"

Hua Liuli looked down in surprise, then slapped Chen Xuan on the head: "How dare you! Xiao Hou is right, you're not honest at all..."

"Hua Hua, you guys are really disrespecting me." Chen Xuan scratched his forehead.

In the short few days since Xinzhai was lost, everyone has gradually changed.

No longer being so cautious.

……

Outside Qingnang Mountain, in the area beyond Zhang Dongxuan's jurisdiction, a divine mirror hangs in the air, its surface shimmering with rosy light, reflecting the scene inside the market between the two realms.

Two powerful True Lords, their auras concealed, stared intently at the scene in the mirror.

“Xinzhai is indeed gone; it doesn’t seem fake,” one of the red-robed True Lords said slowly.

The divine mirror, specially crafted to sense the fasting of the mind, showed no trace of the fasting of the mind.

“Supreme Creation…” another figure spoke carefully, choosing his words.

"Several days have passed; how could the supreme creation still reside in a mere cauldron?"

The Crimson-Robed True Monarch shook his head coldly and sneered, "If he were still Xin Zhai, he might have a chance to bear the destiny, but now, he's just an ordinary genius. The forces of the Lesser Underworld would discard him like trash..."

“That makes sense, but I never expected that the Black and White True Lords would end up with one-fifth of the fortune. What a pity,” said another True Lord.

The Crimson-Robed True Lord put away the divine mirror and said, "Since Xinzhai has disappeared, go after the Eternal Venerable. That Heavenly Mandate is also very useful."

In other nearby areas, there were also figures resembling True Lords, who used various means to spy on Chen Xuan's condition, but ultimately they all left with regret.

In recent days, batches of persistent True Lords have secretly descended upon the scene, but in the end they all concluded that Chen Xuan had lost his value and were forced to accept reality.

Chen Xuan possesses the Heart Fasting Technique, and many powerful forces even value him more than the Heavenly Fate Immortal Seed. But now, he is just an ordinary young genius. There are countless geniuses in the world, and he is not worth mentioning.

"Throughout history, half of the Xinzhai masters have remained unknown, and this generation of Xinzhai is ultimately just a fleeting moment of glory." This is how the last Zhenjun commented as he departed.

The most precious treasures are coveted by everyone, and are always fragile; so too is the mind.

One of the storm's epicenters in the great battle for immortality quietly drifted away from the land of Yunmeng.

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, more than ten days have passed.

Chen Xuan had fully recovered from his injuries and seized the opportunity when Xiao Hou was not around to sneak out of the teahouse for some fresh air. The sky was bright and clear, and he felt refreshed and relaxed all over.

Even when Xinzhai was away, he felt good. He felt relaxed and not depressed. It was like basking in the warm sunshine, and he had a sense of ease, like seeing the morning sun after the clouds had parted.

On Qingnang Mountain, a campfire flickered, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

"It smells so good, is someone roasting monsters and strange beasts?" Chen Xuan sniffed the strange fragrance in the air and smelled the aroma of wine. It was definitely the divine wine brewed by the Land Treasure Tree, which was incomparably fragrant and intoxicating.

Chen Xuan immediately climbed the mountain and saw Xiao Hou dressed as a chef, using a secret fire technique to roast precious ingredients: "Old Xiao, what are you celebrating?"

Not only Xiao Hou was present, but also Lao Zhang, Zhang Dongxuan, Hua Liuli, and a group of Qingnang disciples were at the banquet.

Even the black kitten was invited; she happily tilted her round face up, enjoying the delicious dried fish that Hua Liuli fed her.

"Celebrating your recovery," Xiao Hou replied. He was extremely busy, surrounded by a group of greedy Qingnang disciples begging for food.

"...Nobody notified me?" Chen Xuan was dumbfounded. He, the main character, wasn't even here. Were these people celebrating for thin air?
"Huh? No way, didn't Zhang Tianshi inform you?" Xiao Hou was stunned for a moment, then enthusiastically stuffed the golden-brown roasted bird wings in his hand into Chen Xuan's hand, saying, "You're here now, go and eat over there... Yuan Yang, this is yours."

"??"

Chen Xuan was stunned. He held the bird's wings, which were as big as a washbasin, in his hands, then silently walked to a corner and took a few bites.

"Old Xiao's skills are really good. He truly deserves to be called a genius at playing with fire." His eyes lit up, and he immediately began to devour the food.

"What, you feel a sense of loss as soon as you left Xinzhai? Your temperament still needs some polishing." Old Zhang spoke slowly from the rattan chair, sipping his wine with a satisfied smacking sound.

"What's wrong?" Chen Xuan's cheeks were bulging from eating. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and looked at the neurotic Old Zhang, asking suspiciously, "Old man, what are you up to behind my back again?"

"If you ask me for a favor, I'll find a way to help you..." Old Zhang paused, looked up at Chen Xuan, and saw him holding a large bird wing, his mouth glistening with oil from eating: "If you're not disappointed, what are you doing in this corner?"

"It's quiet here with fewer people," Chen Xuan replied.

"Are you truly not regretful about losing Xinzhai?" Old Zhang frowned and continued to ask.

"What's there to regret? Even without Xinzhai, I'm still a genius." Chen Xuan asked in confusion. Xinzhai wasn't originally his; he had managed to get it on the day he awoke.

"Without Xinzhai, what are you planning to do next?" Old Zhang stared at Chen Xuan for a long time before asking.

"What could I possibly be doing? Improving my cultivation and ascending to godhood as soon as possible," Chen Xuan replied. He had obtained many fine treasures at the Mountain and Sea Banquet, which he needed to refine. Afterwards, he should have a period of quiet time without being disturbed.

This was something I had planned before I proactively broke into Xinzhai.

(End of this chapter)