On the Path to the Great Dao

Ten years ago, Chen Shi—the top talent across all fifty provinces—had set an unbreakable record of thirty-six zhang. Now, his achievement of eighty-four zhang was sure to shock the world. One could only imagine the uproar once the report reached the higher authorities!

"Right, Chen Shi doesn't have a score!"

Tian Huaiyi's eyes suddenly lit up as he spoke rapidly.

"His sword qi blasted every grass mat along the path to smithereens, sending it flying out of the martial field. No sword marks left on the mats, so it doesn't count. Record him as failing the martial exam, and we won't have to report it to the court!"

Fu Leisheng let out a sigh.

"With so many people from Xinxiang County watching, the news is bound to reach Xijing sooner or later."

Tian Huaiyi deflated, murmuring to himself.

"Then what do we do?"

Fu Leisheng suddenly chuckled.

"He's formed a Golden Core, right? Doesn't that mean we can invalidate the score?" Tian Huaiyi froze.

"Chen Shi has already reached the Golden Core Realm?"

Fu Leisheng replied.

"I saw him kill the county magistrate and his wife. The qi and blood in his body had condensed into a Golden Core—pure beyond compare!"

"The county magistrate couple—he killed them?"

Tian Huaiyi turned to look at Chen Shi. He'd always assumed it was Fu Leisheng's handiwork. He never imagined Chen Shi had taken down those two evils!

"But he has no Divine Embryo. How could he form a Golden Core? Is he some kind of evil himself?"

Fu Leisheng shook his head.

"No."

Tian Huaiyi asked.

"With Golden Core cultivation, how far can the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword fly?"

The two men exchanged a glance and each unleashed a strand of sword qi.

Both were at the Golden Core Realm, where cultivation was divided into nine revolutions. Fu Leisheng's foundation was the thickest, having reached the ninth revolution—his Golden Core a deep ochre hue, just one step shy of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Tian Huaiyi had spent his early days garrisoned at the border, fending off evils. Though only at the seventh revolution, his cultivation was no less formidable.

Each sent forth a strand of sword qi—the first form of the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword, the Thrusting Sword Style. The qi flew more than thirty zhang before its momentum gave out, suddenly dispersing back into true qi with nothing to sustain it.

The two exchanged another glance, both deep in thought.

The Golden Core Realm couldn't explain how Chen Shi's sword qi had flown so far.

Their own cultivations surpassed Chen Shi's, yet their sword qi could only reach just over thirty zhang. That was simply the limit of the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword.

Chen Shi's farthest strike should have been the Thrusting Sword Style. Unfortunately, the wind had thrown it off course, sending it drifting into the sky. Otherwise, it surely would have exceeded eighty-four zhang.

"How in the world did he do it?"

The pair felt lost. Chen Shi's starting stance, posture, sword incantations, and movements were all sloppy—clear signs of little practice. Yet the power was staggering.

Could it be that Chen Shi was the one practicing it correctly?

"Perhaps we should just submit the score after all."

Fu Leisheng spoke up suddenly.

Tian Huaiyi looked at him in confusion.

Fu Leisheng gazed into the distance. Tian Huaiyi followed his line of sight and spotted several elegantly dressed individuals outside the martial field, pointing and whispering toward them.

"Looks like people from one of the great clans!"

Tian Huaiyi's heart stirred as the implication dawned on him.

With representatives from a great clan now in Xinxiang County—having personally witnessed the might of Chen Shi's Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword—falsifying the results was impossible.

There was no hiding it now.

Fu Leisheng grinned.

"Worst case, I'll disband the Wencai Academy and hide out in Qianyang Mountain. Criminals have been fleeing into those mountains for generations, and the authorities have caught precious few."

Tian Huaiyi laughed.

"Teacher, your righteousness shines through. If it comes to that, I'll accompany you to Qianyang Mountain."

The weight lifted from their hearts.

Tian Huaiyi said.

"Honored teacher, with the clan representatives here, I must go greet them and feel out their intentions."

Fu Leisheng nodded gravely.

"Huaiyi, always keep the greater good in mind. Don't let personal gain sway you."

Tian Huaiyi's heart trembled. He turned back with a smile.

"Teacher, after all your guidance, how could I not know my own character?"

He strode toward the group.

"This lowly official, chief examiner of Xinxiang County Tian Huaiyi, greets the lords."

Tian Huaiyi approached and bowed deeply.

"No need for such formalities, Lord Tian."

The leader was a lean middle-aged man in a cyan robe trimmed with blue, a wide sash at his waist and a tall Dongpo turban on his head. His eyes gleamed with spirit, his gaze sharp as he spoke.

"I am Li Xiaozheng of Quanzhou. I've come at the Cabinet's behest to assume my post in Xinxiang Province."

Tian Huaiyi's heart pounded wildly at the words.

This wasn't just one piece of news—it was four!

Li Xiaozheng of Quanzhou!

From the Quanzhou Li family!

Sent by the Cabinet to take office in Xinxiang Province—the new Provincial Governor of Xinxiang!

With the Zhao family fallen, the Li family was finally making its move on Xinxiang Province—on the Tomb of the True King in Qianyang Mountain!

"This subordinate pays respects to the Governor!"

He bowed again in haste.

"Rise."

Li Xiaozheng said coolly.

"I haven't assumed office yet, so I'm not Governor. Lord Tian, your Xinxiang County truly breeds exceptional talents. To think there's someone who can send a sword flying over eighty zhang with one strike—this will stun the realm. If I'd heard of it from the provincial capital after taking office, I'd have suspected fraud. But seeing it with my own eyes... it's genuinely awe-inspiring."

He shook his head.

"I'll have to report this to Xijing. Those in the capital will get quite the fright. Eighty-plus zhang with the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword—unheard of since ancient times."

Even as he spoke, he found it absurd. Yet it had happened right before him.

And even then, he could scarcely believe it!

A young man surnamed Li stepped forward from behind Li Xiaozheng and unleashed the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword. A piercing whoosh cut through the air as the sword qi shot forth.

He drew power from his Golden Core, making the sword qi's might many times greater than that of any Divine Embryo Realm cultivator!

But the strand flew only a little over thirty zhang before scattering.

The other Li clansmen tried as well upon seeing this. One even summoned his Nascent Soul to power the technique, but the farthest reached just thirty-six zhang before the sword qi collapsed into true qi. None broke past thirty-six zhang.

Horror rippled through the group.

Li Xiaozheng's gaze settled on Chen Shi.

"No need for more tests. The child scholar who topped all fifty provinces ten years ago already proved the limit of the Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword: thirty-six zhang exactly. Though it's the simplest sword art, its simplicity grants it immense power. That same power demands far more to maintain the sword form once the true qi condenses—more than most other spells."

He explained patiently.

"The stronger the sword qi's power, the greater the force needed to bind its shape. That's the brilliance of the Qianyang Mountain Man who created it. He capped the sword qi's range at thirty-six zhang from the start. The child scholar back then was a once-in-a-generation genius. If anyone was going to break that limit, it would've been him—no one else."

The Li clansmen remained baffled.

The young Li man spoke up.

"Father, then how did this child make his sword qi reach eighty zhang?"

"I'd like to know myself."

Li Xiaozheng eyed Chen Shi with keen curiosity.

"His swordsmanship is crude—he must have just started practicing. But the power is overwhelming, which means the binding force required is immense. How did he keep the sword qi from dispersing?"

Even with the Li family's ancient lineage and vast library, he had no answer.

Li Xiaozheng composed himself.

"Lord Tian, what's the child's name?"

Tian Huaiyi replied.

"Chen Shi, from Bridge Bay Town under Xinxiang County."

"Xinxiang County, Bridge Bay Town?"

Li Xiaozheng paused, his expression shifting subtly.

"Chen Shi of Huangpo Village?"

Tian Huaiyi blinked in surprise.

"Does my lord know Chen Shi?"

Li Xiaozheng's face cycled through a riot of colors—pale, flushed, sallow, green.

"Child scholar! Haha—child scholar!"

He burst into laughter, though his eyes brimmed with terror. It was as if he beheld a blood-soaked Xijing: countless corpses, shattered banners, and the silhouette of a towering elder turning his back on the capital's trembling elite.

"He did it! He ultimately succeeded!"

Cold sweat beaded on Li Xiaozheng's forehead, trickling down in rivulets as his voice grew hoarse.

Reversing life and death—someone had actually done it!

The man who'd "died" ten years ago had left an unbreakable record.

Ten years later, he returned from resurrection and shattered his own mark, elevating it to an unattainable pinnacle!

Was this a declaration to the foes who'd ripped out his Divine Embryo?

It had to be!

His return was surely to hunt down those enemies—to uncover the truth of his murder!

That eighty-zhang sword qi proclaimed to the world: even without an innate Dao Embryo, he remained unmatched!

Only after a long moment did Li Xiaozheng steady his nerves, his face returning to normal as he smiled wryly.

"Someone, contact the Cabinet lords at once. Report the eighty-plus-zhang Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword and share this wonderful news."

He exhaled heavily, thinking to himself.

"I won't suffer this shock alone. Those old fogeys will lose sleep over it, no doubt. Xijing's about to get lively."

An attendant promptly produced a Thousand-Li Sound Transmission Talisman to reach Xijing. Moments later, the capital received the message.

Li Xiaozheng grinned at the sounds from the talisman: chairs toppling, chaos erupting, shouts and curses flying.

"The capital's bigwigs will all hear soon enough. They'll be tearing their hair out."

Chen Shi stepped out of the martial field, intending to call for Blackie Pot and head back to Huangpo Village at once. Then a familiar voice rang out.

"Little Ten, we meet again!"

Chen Shi whipped around, thrilled and astonished. Sure enough, there was Li Tianqing. He rushed over, beaming.

"Tianqing! After you went home, did your family cut out your Divine Embryo? Oh, right—where's your grandpa?"

Li Tianqing still looked a bit frail and bookish. He smiled.

"The Li family sent me this time to investigate the stone boat. The new Provincial Governor was heading to Xinxiang Province anyway, so we passed through and stopped here. Grandpa's legs aren't up to it, so he didn't come. But I suspect he's tailing me out of worry for my safety. I'm always afraid he'll wander off and get lost."

He sighed—his grandfather was more trouble than he was worth.

"Oh, right—your grandpa?"

Chen Shi's face fell.

"My grandpa went to the underworld."

Li Tianqing fell silent, unsure how to console him.

Chen Shi forced a smile.

"But he's doing great down there. I burned him heaps of paper money—and even a paper old lady. Did you catch my Zi-Wu Evil-Slaying Sword just now?"

Li Tianqing took the cue to change the subject.

"I did."

Chen Shi asked nervously.

"What'd you think?"

"Your sword qi's power is more than enough. But your starting stance, posture, incantations, movements, and recovery all have major flaws—they might dock points for that."

Li Tianqing demonstrated as he spoke, his motions textbook perfect.

"Did you learn from the book I gave you? Reaching this level so quickly is seriously impressive!"

The two boys stood outside the martial field, one teaching and one learning with utmost seriousness.

Moments later, Li Tianqing praised him.

"Little Ten, you pick it up so fast. Hey, how'd the literary exam go?"

"Piece of cake—guaranteed pass. The martial exam's the one I'm iffy on."

Chen Shi grumbled.

"Should've started learning from you sooner. Who'd you come with? If you're free, let's go have some fun!"

Li Tianqing sighed in equal frustration.

"Afraid I can't. The Li family's delegation this time is no small affair. The leader's Li Xiaozheng—my fourth uncle and the new Provincial Governor of Xinxiang. Besides him, there are several key power players from the family. Looks like I'll be joining you for the autumn provincial exams. Oh, by the way—have you thought about what happens if the true god doesn't grant you a Divine Embryo?"

His words hit Chen Shi like a thunderbolt, leaving him dumbfounded.

Right—he'd received an innate Dao Embryo ten years ago. If the true god remembered and held back now, he'd be stuck as a mere scholar. How could he return to Huangpo Village in glory to lord over the villagers and oppress the common folk?