Chapter 238 - 235: Reactions from All Sides
"That damn old dog, Shen Fuxing!"
BANG!
With a squeeze of Shen Chong’s hand,
the head of the long-robed, middle-aged man kneeling before him exploded, shattering into pieces. His headless corpse then collapsed limply to the ground.
However,
the fury on Shen Chong’s face did not lessen in the slightest with this violent release. Instead, it grew even more intense.
It was no wonder.
The information he had just extracted from the man’s mind was simply too infuriating.
He had to take several deep breaths
before he could barely suppress the inferno of rage threatening to erupt from his chest.
’So, Big Brother and I were just pawns he threw away to draw attention?’
’And Mother... Heh. Shen Fuxing, what a truly brilliant scheme!’
’What were we in his eyes? Probably nothing at all.’
A cold glint flashed in Shen Chong’s eyes.
His fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged and his knuckles crackled.
At that moment,
two figures appeared in his mind’s eye.
One was his big brother, who always shielded him whenever trouble arose.
The other was his mother. Whenever she saw him and his brother injured, she would first scold them for fighting, then, with an aching heart, press a warm egg to their bruises and bandage their wounds.
But now, they were gone...
As scene after scene from the past surfaced in his mind, a wave of sorrow washed over Shen Chong.
He closed his eyes,
forcefully suppressing the grief in his heart.
At the same time, a chilling killing intent began to emanate from him,
causing the surrounding air to plummet in temperature.
’I thought the main culprit behind all this was that venomous woman, but it seems that’s not the whole story...’
’Tsk, tsk. What a ruthless man.’
’Your father is quite the character. His forbearance, his cold and vicious nature... truly beyond the reach of any ordinary person.’
’Then again, that so-called brother of yours, Shen Changchuan, seems to have been hiding his strength as well. He quietly cultivated his power without anyone ever knowing... Like father, like son, indeed...’
The old, hoarse voice in Shen Chong’s mind clicked its tongue, full of a strange admiration.
"He is not our father, and he doesn’t deserve to be!"
At that,
Shen Chong opened his eyes again.
They were as calm and deep as an old well,
utterly indifferent.
Any lingering trace of affection he’d held for his father, any hope for their bond, had been utterly obliterated by the information he’d just extracted from the man’s mind.
In its place, there was only hatred.
’Shen Fuxing...’
’One day,’
’I will be back!’
’Hahaha! How interesting! To think that after slumbering for a century, I’d awaken to such an entertaining spectacle!’
’When you reach the pinnacle of power and stand before him, boy, the look on Shen Fuxing’s face will be priceless!’
’But... if you want to see that, you’ll have to work a lot harder. After all, killing a Soul Emergence Realm master while only in the Qi Introduction Realm... that so-called brother of yours is truly something else!’
’A talent like that is a rare sight in this part of the Immortal Cultivation Realm, perhaps seen only once a century.’
’Perhaps that boy will reach Soul Emergence before you, or even a higher Realm... What do you think? Regret giving him the secret to breaking through to Soul Emergence? If he forges a Spirit Body during his Foundation Establishment, his future will be limitless. So, how about you accept my terms? Just agree, and before long, I guarantee you’ll reach the Divine Travel Realm—perhaps even ascend to the heavens in a single bound!’
’With the power of the Divine Travel Realm, you might not rule the entire world, but dominating this corner of the Immortal Cultivation Realm would be no problem at all!’
The old, hoarse voice was filled with relish, as if keenly anticipating the future spectacle of father and son turned against each other.
But then, the voice changed its tack.
As it brought up the other shocking piece of information gleaned from the man’s Divine Soul—the news of Shen Changchuan killing a Soul Emergence Realm expert while only at the Qi Introduction Realm—
its tone became utterly seductive.
"There’s no need."
"In my life, I, Shen Chong, have never been inferior to anyone! Why would I need to rely on another’s power?!"
"I’m happy that Shen Changchuan was able to achieve such a feat."
"But I refuse to believe that I am any less than him!"
Faced with the entity’s temptation, a flicker of doubt crossed Shen Chong’s mind, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He allowed none of it to show on his face, however.
His words were filled with utter self-confidence.
....
Meanwhile,
at the former site of the Wu Family Collection,
within the Grotto Secret Realm,
Wu Tianhao had also heard the news about Shen Changchuan, and for a long moment, he was too stunned to speak.
"...My divination was correct... That boy truly possesses great fortune..."
"But I never expected him to progress so quickly..."
"To defeat a Soul Emergence master while in the Qi Introduction Realm? That is truly incredible!"
"And this... is perhaps only the beginning..."
Wu Tianhao murmured to himself,
a glimmer in his eyes as if he were plotting something.
For someone of his background—hailing from a rural, upstart clan—to have entered the Yuqing Immortal Sect, and even be taken as a Direct Disciple by Master Wandering Dragon, one of the Yuqing Seven Sons, was a testament to the fact that he had his own secrets.
It was precisely this secret that had allowed him to navigate the treacherous Immortal Cultivation Realm and survive to this day.
Relying on that secret, he had recognized early on that there was something extraordinary about Shen Changchuan...
But even though he had long been aware of Shen Changchuan’s remarkable nature,
he had never imagined
the young man could accomplish something so astounding.
Killing a Soul Emergence master from the Qi Introduction Realm! That was something he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of when he himself was at the Qi Introduction Ninth Layer Peak!
"Forget it. No matter what I plan, the final decision rests with Master. I should just report this to him."
’Come to think of it, the newly established Dragon Cloud Sect needs a genius Cultivator like him...’
And so,
Wu Tianhao immediately rose
and went to the cave residence deep within the grotto, requesting an audience with his master, Wandering Dragon, to whom he reported the full details about Shen Changchuan.
"Oh? Such a backward place can actually produce a genius like this?"
Master Wandering Dragon’s eyes narrowed slightly,
his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table beside him as he appeared lost in thought.
To be able to kill a Soul Emergence Realm expert while only in the Qi Introduction Realm.
Regardless of what methods or Magical Treasures were used,
his aptitude and talent undoubtedly marked him as a genius who far surpassed his peers.
With proper nurturing, a genius like that would have a boundless future.
However,
he comes from a local clan.
While the Tian Nan Shen Clan is nothing remarkable, it is still a local Immortal Cultivation Noble Clan presided over by a Divine Travel expert.
’Perhaps,’
’I could use this to win over these local powers... It would help the Dragon Cloud Sect integrate here more quickly and help me accomplish that task.’
"Go and make contact. If he is willing and can pass the Heart Inquiry Gate, I will take him as my own Direct Disciple."
After weighing the various benefits in his mind, Master Wandering Dragon finally made his decision.