Chapter 395 : Changes After Returning Home
Chapter 395: Changes After Returning Home
“Indeed, it is already very impressive.”
Sensing Zhi Ling’s thoughts, Chen Beiwu rubbed her head and secretly laughed in his heart.
The little fellow casually talked about suppressing others for five hundred years. She was truly a ruthless one.
Chen Beiwu’s divine sense continued communicating with the depths of Zhi Ling’s Art Vein, looking toward the final Mystic Ability.
【Mystic Ability】: Great Void Claw
【Attribute】: Possesses all Five Elements, primarily Earth, with Spatial Attribute
【Grade】: Fifth-Tier Creation Origin Art
【Introduction】: Silent annihilation, Dao erosion without form, the edge of the claw brings life and death, impossible to defend against.
Upon activating this Mystic Ability, the Seven-Tailed Purple Fox’s claws emerged silently. It could erode and contaminate the spiritual light of Mystic Treasures and Origin Artifacts, causing cultivators’ protective true qi to collapse and dissipate.
Those struck would not notice anything unusual at first. Only after receiving three consecutive claw strikes and triggering the void Dao erosion would they realize their own true qi was collapsing and their souls were dispersing. No pill could cure it, and even True Venerables would find it difficult to save them.
‘Interesting.’ Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly.
Without a doubt, the Great Void Claw was a killing Mystic Ability similar to the Three Extremes True Astral, but it was also different.
The first difference was its concealment.
The claw strikes silently, and those struck would not notice. After three claw strikes, the void Dao erosion would erupt all at once. From this perspective, this Creation Origin Art was practically an essential killing divine ability for assassinations.
The second difference was its fatality.
No pill could cure it, and True Venerables would find it difficult to save them. What kind of concept was that?
This meant that unless the target had already abandoned their body and escaped with their Nascent Soul beforehand, once struck by three claw attacks, even a peak Nascent Soul True Monarch would meet a fallen end.
Of course, this Creation Origin Art was not without drawbacks.
Powerful Nascent Soul True Monarchs possessed formidable spiritual perception and were not fools. Even if they could not sense the threat of the Great Void Claw, they would not foolishly endure three claw strikes.
Furthermore, Zhi Ling’s current Dao cultivation was shallow. Under circumstances where she calculated with intention against the unprepared, being able to land one claw strike on a Nascent Soul True Monarch would already be remarkable. Wanting to land three consecutive claw strikes was extremely difficult!
However, when used against Third-Realm Beast Generals, Chen Beiwu only needed to activate the Supreme Firmament Silent Illumination Divine-Slaying Thorn to easily kill them. There was no need to go through the trouble of having Zhi Ling use the Great Void Claw.
Therefore, overall speaking, this Creation Origin Art was somewhat mediocre while Zhi Ling’s cultivation was still shallow. But once she advanced to the Fourth-Realm Beast King Realm in the future, this Origin Art would become the best Mystic Ability for breaking through the Three Immortalities of Beast Kings, preventing her from being dragged into a prolonged war of attrition by Fourth-Realm Beast Kings.
“With your current Dao cultivation, how many times can you use the Great Void Claw in one day?” Chen Beiwu asked through thought.
“Using it fewer than ten times is no problem.”
Zhi Ling extended her front paw. Five slender, nearly transparent spatial cracks silently spread from her claw tips, instantly enveloping a massive boulder at a speed surpassing space itself.
In the next moment, the boulder silently disappeared, leaving behind only a pit as proof of its former existence.
Chen Beiwu slightly nodded.
The Great Void Claw truly was mysterious and impossible to defend against.
If not for the fact that he had formed a Companion Contract with Zhi Ling and could see the process of the Great Void Claw’s activation, under normal circumstances, avoiding this Creation Origin Art could only rely on spiritual perception to sense it in advance and evade.
Furthermore, the Great Void Claw possessed some characteristics that could obscure cultivators’ spiritual perception. Even with Chen Beiwu possessing divine sense comparable to a middle-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he could only sense part of the threat, let alone Golden Core True Persons with weaker divine senses.
Seeing Chen Beiwu’s reaction, Zhi Ling raised her little head and revealed a proud smile.
Immediately afterward, the seven tails behind her gently swayed, creating ripples in space.
Within the spatial ripples, a point of warm purple light slowly emerged.
The point of purple light was initially the size of a bean. It then released gentle radiance, revealing an exquisite purple storage ring.
“What is this?”
Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly as he looked at the storage ring quietly floating in the air.
“This is my dowry.”
Zhi Ling extended her front paw, removed the ring, and solemnly handed it to Chen Beiwu.
“Na!”
Hearing this, Xue Le immediately could not sit still and hurriedly approached Zhi Ling.
“Look at your hopeless appearance.”
Chen Beiwu shook his head and teased the Five Qi Vine. He reached out and pressed down Zhi Ling’s front paw.
“Keep this dowry properly yourself. Don’t lose it.”
“Na!!!”
Xue Le felt as if the sky had collapsed. It widened its eyes and stared at Zhi Ling eagerly.
The Seven-Tailed Purple Fox did not act shamelessly either. She took out nine Fourth-Tier Mystic Medicines from the storage ring and handed them to Xue Le.
Xue Le immediately smiled brightly, accepted the Mystic Medicines, and patted its chest, guaranteeing that it would definitely take good care of these spirit plants.
“No, extend your hand. I want to put the ring on you.”
After sending Xue Le away, Zhi Ling lowered her head to look at the storage ring, then solemnly walked before Chen Beiwu.
Looking at Zhi Ling’s determined eyes, Chen Beiwu’s heart softened, and he extended his left hand.
“Hum.”
The instant the ring touched Chen Beiwu’s skin, purple radiance flashed, and the light immediately became restrained.
Zhi Ling let out a breath of relief, lay in Chen Beiwu’s embrace, and affectionately rubbed her forehead against his palm.
“I’ll do it too.”
Golden Egg could not stand watching anymore. It made a heavy leap and landed on Chen Beiwu’s shoulder.
Seeing this scene, Iron Egg slightly shook its head and yawned.
To it, becoming its master’s Companion Beast and accompanying his pursuit of the Dao was enough.
As for everything else, they were merely insignificant scenery.
Tonight, Chen Beiwu spent a sleepless night.
The reason was simple. The high-grade storage ring Zhi Ling gave him not only had an enormous space inside, but also contained a dazzling array of Mystic Treasures, Mystic Pills, Mystic Talismans, and Mystic Arrays.
Unfortunately, Nascent Soul-forming Mystic Pills were far too precious.
The pills inside the storage ring were mostly Mystic Pills used to assist Nascent Soul True Monarchs in their daily cultivation, rather than the Nascent Soul-forming Mystic Pills urgently needed by Iron Egg and Xue Le.
Afterward, Chen Beiwu stayed in Purple Lake Residence for a month.
Zhi Ling had newly advanced to the Beast General Realm. Although she had awakened many innate Mystic Abilities, she still needed to cultivate some Third-Tier Treasure Arts for self-defense and make up for her own shortcomings.
With an existence like the Purple Jade Demon King personally teaching and imparting techniques, Chen Beiwu was happy to stay a little longer and allow Golden Egg and the others to attend the lessons as well.
However, the Purple Jade Demon King’s patience was limited. During the first few days, Zhi Ling was still considered a treasure. After one month, Zhi Ling had already become grass in her eyes, and she urged them to leave.
Thus, Chen Beiwu packed his belongings and brought the little fellows home to visit his family.
They had not seen each other for more than fifty years, and he also somewhat missed his parents.
……
“Sorry, may I ask if you are Chen Beiwu, True Person Chen?”
Chen Beiwu looked up and saw a young girl.
She appeared to be around eighteen years old, with an oval-shaped face, jade-like skin, and slender dark brows. Standing in the aisle of the train carriage, her almond-shaped eyes carried a hint of surprise and shyness, while her temperament was eye-catching.
“Sorry, you have mistaken me for someone else.”
Chen Beiwu closed his eyes.
Being recognized by a beautiful woman on a train was certainly something worth being happy about. It showed that his fame was widespread and his reputation had traveled far.
However, Chen Beiwu had no interest in continuing the conversation.
The girl’s smile stiffened slightly. She had not expected Chen Beiwu to deny it so directly.
But looking at Chen Beiwu, whose eyes were already closed, the words at the tip of her tongue unexpectedly swallowed themselves back. She awkwardly returned to her seat.
For a Qi Refining cultivator like her to encounter an Immortal Alliance Golden Core genius was already fortunate. She did not dare make Chen Beiwu displeased.
“Pingchen County has arrived. Passengers getting off, please take note.”
The next morning, the train station broadcast slowly sounded.
Chen Beiwu opened his eyes and looked outside the window. The three characters ‘Pingchen County’ on the platform sign were exceptionally eye-catching.
At the same time, as the train gradually slowed down, the conversations of passengers in the surrounding VIP carriages entered Chen Beiwu’s divine sense perception.
“Eh? What Pingchen County? Isn’t the place we are going to Pingchen Township?”
“Brother, your information is outdated. As early as thirty years ago, Pingchen Township was upgraded from a township to a county.”
“What? Even a poor and remote place like Pingchen Township can become a county?”
“Shh, brother, be careful what you say. Pingchen Township is remote, but it produced a true dragon.”
“That’s right. Among the seven counties of Fallen Dragon Prefecture, Pingchen is the most prestigious. After producing Chen Beiwu, True Person Chen, that true dragon, the cultivators of Pingchen County now stand straighter when they go out. Even female cultivators from other counties of Fallen Dragon Prefecture want to marry into Pingchen County and absorb the true dragon’s aura from this blessed land.”
“Ah? Isn’t that too exaggerated?”
“Exaggerated? Do you know what it means when one person attains the Dao and even his chickens and dogs ascend?”
At this point, that person lowered his voice slightly. “I only heard this, but it is said that Pingchen County may have a chance to be promoted from a county directly into a prefecture in the future!”
“Hiss, no wonder female cultivators want to marry into Pingchen County. So they want to use this opportunity to invest and obtain prefecture-city household registration.”
Listening to the surrounding passengers’ discussions, Chen Beiwu smiled calmly and stepped off the train.
The moment he walked out of the exit, Chen Beiwu’s eyes moved slightly, and his divine sense landed on the crowd not far away.
Unlike the father in his memories, his father now wore a brocade robe symbolizing official status, with a jade belt around his waist. His brows carried a dignified aura that made people feel his authority without anger. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators with condensed auras followed beside him.
Besides them, there was also a cultivator dressed in luxurious clothing standing before his father with a lowered posture and a kind smile.
‘As expected, status and power are what nourish people the most.’
Chen Beiwu secretly laughed and quickly walked forward.
Seeing Chen Beiwu appear, Chen Dong’s eyes lit up. He cupped his hands toward the people beside him and said:
“Everyone’s kindness is appreciated by Chen, but there are still matters at home. Let us gather another day.”
“Oh, County Master Chen, you are too polite.”
The three people spoke in unison, making farewell gestures. Then they turned and left without the slightest entanglement.
The cultivators who could stand here were all intelligent people. They understood clearly that deliberate flattery and approaching too closely could easily have the opposite effect. It was better to simply show their faces before True Person Chen and then leave.
“Dad, when did you become the County Master?” Chen Beiwu teased.
“You brat, you make fun of your old man the moment you return.”
Chen Dong smiled and shook his head, carrying a hint of self-mockery.
“Isn’t it all thanks to you? Otherwise, with my middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, forget County Master, I would not even have been able to touch the position of County Deputy.”
The ruler of a county was called a County Magistrate, commonly known as the first-in-command.
The County Master was a position second only to the County Magistrate, commonly known as the second-in-command. Normally, a cultivator needed Golden Core cultivation to hold the position, with the minimum being peak Foundation Establishment.
However, Chen Dong’s situation was special. Because Pingchen Township had been upgraded into a county, there was a shortage of administrative personnel, so special circumstances called for special handling.
As a result, with middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was exceptionally appointed by the Lord of Fallen Dragon Prefecture and temporarily served as County Master. He had never fully received permanent confirmation, and no replacement had been sent from above.
Chen Dong understood this clearly.
If not for his son rising and soaring into the heavens, he would most likely still be a factory laborer. How could he possibly have suddenly become the second-in-command of an entire county?
“By the way, why isn’t Mom here?” Chen Beiwu asked curiously.
“Your mother became obsessed with fishing these years. Every day she goes fishing in the Jingyuan River with a group of close friends. Occasionally, she even streams it. She has also inherited your work and raised the followers of your account to over 100,000.”
Chen Beiwu was slightly stunned.
“Wasn’t the Tianyuan Fishing Fortune account’s follower count over 200,000?”
“Yes, your mother never catches fish every day. Occasionally when she catches one, she even cooks hotpot on the spot, saying that eating it fresh is the best. As a result, the account lost over 100,000 followers.”
“Of course, it could also be because too much time has passed. Some followers grew older and no longer like watching fishing, and some cultivators may have reached the end of their lifespans, causing their accounts to be deleted.”
Chen Dong did not care.
The two chatted while boarding the County Master’s private vehicle and soon returned to their new home.
“For convenience in cultivation, I built two peak Third-Tier cultivation chambers at home. You can try them later.”
When he was still a laborer, earning spirit stones had been extremely difficult. Even after working hard for a month, it was difficult to earn more than a dozen low-grade spirit stones.
But after becoming County Master, just his monthly official salary was already a massive amount of spirit stones that Chen Dong could not have earned in his entire previous life. Otherwise, he could not have advanced to middle-stage Foundation Establishment within just several decades.
Chen Beiwu nodded and did not say more, sitting on the sofa.
Times had changed.
Third-Tier cultivation chambers were already beneath his notice.
His purpose in returning home this time was to settle the thoughts in his heart, meet his family, and then fully charge toward becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
“Click.” The door opened.
Mrs. Huang Xiaoling entered wearing luxurious clothes and holding a fish container.
“My son is back. I’ll cut you some fruit.”
She looked at Chen Beiwu sitting on the sofa with a calm expression.
“No need. Let Iron Egg do it.”
The moment Chen Beiwu finished speaking, Iron Egg rushed into the kitchen.
Seeing this scene, Huang Xiaoling did not say anything else. She looked Chen Beiwu up and down.
“Mom, what are you looking at?” Chen Beiwu raised his brows.
“You came back alone this time?”
Before Chen Beiwu could answer, Mrs. Huang Xiaoling revealed a gentle smile.
“Son, I heard there are countless female immortals in Yuqing Immortal Sect who admire you. Didn’t you bring one back?”
Chen Beiwu: “……”
“Mother isn’t trying to rush you. I just wanted to ask about your progress.”
Huang Xiaoling changed the topic.
“When you were at Qi Refining, you said you would discuss it after Foundation Establishment. When you were at Foundation Establishment, you said you would discuss it after Golden Core. I listened to you.”
“But now you are already peak Golden Core and are about to prove the Dao as a True Monarch. Why haven’t you started discussing it yet?”
“If you don’t find the female immortals in Yuqing Immortal Sect suitable, Mother can arrange female cultivators from Fallen Dragon Prefecture for you. Is ten enough? If not, I’ll arrange twenty.”
Hearing this, Chen Dong frowned slightly.
“Xiaoling, this isn’t good. Didn’t you say men should be more devoted? Besides, wouldn’t twenty be too many? Beiwu probably cannot handle that much. It might delay his future cultivation!”
“Devoted my ass.”
Huang Xiaoling glanced at Chen Dong.
“What’s wrong with a capable male cultivator being a little more romantic?”
“Then does that mean I also can……”
Chen Dong seemed somewhat eager, but before he could finish speaking, he felt a faint sense of danger and hurriedly closed his mouth.
“Son, why don’t you carefully consider it?”
Huang Xiaoling spoke softly.
Proving the Dao as a True Monarch was not ordinary. It sounded glorious and limitless, but in reality it was filled with danger. Countless geniuses had fallen halfway, and some cultivators did not even have the chance to reincarnate and cultivate again.
The reason she was urging her son to find a Dao companion now was not to expand the family line, but to continue the Chen family bloodline and leave behind a memory in case something unexpected happened.
As for her usual fishing livestreams, they were merely a social excuse she used to screen for a good daughter-in-law.