Chapter 85: Imagination

If spoken in the imperial court, Chen Zhao's words would be hailed as loyal and patriotic, but here and now, they sound utterly nonsensical.

The old man is already a Nascent Soul; even if he violates sect rules, who dares say a word against him?

But.

Lin Yutang, having lost face, showed not the slightest anger; seeing Chen Zhao's resolute expression, he smiled instead:

"This matter is not urgent."

This boy's fortune defies heaven—he carries immense karmic ties, yet his character is exceptional, leaving him deeply conflicted.

Had it not been for that Transformation-Defying Talisman, he too would have descended to take him as a disciple.

Lin Yutang paused, then added:

I can grant you the position of True Disciple; if you change your mind later, you may still come to become my apprentice.

Chen Zhao bowed in thanks and turned to leave the hall.

Looking back at the once-vast mountain ranges, only a few main peaks of the various halls remained; the rest was flat plain.

He looked down and saw Han City in ruins, his vision unobstructed in every direction.

"Truly devastating."

In this battle, the Heavenly Emperor's core survived untouched, but not a single soul below survived.

"This is how the cultivation world works: tens of thousands of Qi Refining practitioners exchanged for zero Golden Core losses among the Eight Sects—it's a calculable cost, and even the old man's kindness couldn't refuse."

The voice was rich and resonant; Chen Zhao turned back and said, "Master Mo."

He rolled up his scholar's headband and nodded, continuing:

"Under the great calamity, Foundation Establishment is barely enough for self-preservation; only above Golden Core can one move freely."

"I know of your gift of the talisman, but we are fated; if you have questions later, come to the peak of Dan Tang—you need not kneel and become my disciple."

With that, he soared into the clouds and vanished.

Chen Zhao froze.

What connection could he possibly have with a Golden Core?

He had retreated from the storm, hoping to escape entanglement, yet still found himself caught in karmic webs.

Whatever. I'll go see later.

Not long after.

Two towered Flying Boats descended slowly; Xin Tong appeared in an instant.

Below Golden Core, none had sensed the time-stopping; they merely saw Chen Zhao, one moment under siege, the next standing in Ling Tian.

The enemies had vanished entirely, and the Elders had ordered a counterattack, leaving everyone stunned.

After some inquiries, they learned the Sect Master had intervened.

"No wonder he's a Foundation Establishment expert—his guts have grown this big!"

Xin Tong's cheeks puffed out in anger, glaring—no, looking up—at Chen Zhao.

Though she had backup, she was still outnumbered; she and Xiao Bai could not have reached him in time.

Chen Zhao's gaze drifted.

He had the divination—he couldn't possibly say this outright, could he?

He took Xin Tong's hand and flew straight to a secluded spot.

Leaving the others standing dumbfounded; Su Wanyao's face flushed red, while Liu Chen stared at their retreating backs, clutching his Foundation Establishment Pill tightly.

Only the Chen siblings' expressions turned grim as they chased after them.

They felt guilt inside—they simply had to speak out.

Fortunately, Chen Zhao had not hidden his whereabouts; the siblings wandered for a while before finally landing in a forest.

Rustling.

There was movement in the woods.

They exchanged glances, both with strange expressions.

They hadn't expected their Elder Chen, having just established his Dao foundation, to still be as amorous as ever; Chen Jingying frowned, turned away in indignation.

Just then.

Storm clouds suddenly appeared overhead; a bolt of lightning struck, sending them both scrambling in panic.

"Sis, Elder Chen really isn't the type to do that!"

Chen Jing'an was about to turn back when he saw more thunderbolts on the path behind them—his heart pounded wildly.

Good heavens, what kind of day is this for tribulation?

……

After a quarter-hour, the thunder subsided.

Both of them completed Foundation Establishment smoothly.

Xin Tong, having received Chen Zhao's guidance, appeared calm; Liu Chen, though lacking talent, had deep resources and spent three Foundation Establishment Pills outright.

"Liu Chen's imagery is the sword—quite fitting, yet…"

Chen Zhao watched Xin Tong breathing and drawing in Qi, his brow furrowing.

"When you established your Foundation, why did you have no imagery at all?"

"This…"

Xin Tong scratched her head, her face full of confusion.

Aside from lacking imagery, she felt no difference from other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

For her, Array was paramount, spells secondary; as long as she sought immortality, fewer Dharma Battles didn't matter.

Chen Zhao shook his head and silently divined.

A character "Ji" suddenly appeared.

He silently exhaled in relief and began to inventory his gains.

Previously, time had abruptly stopped; he had only taken the Storage Bags of Xu Jing and Liu Yicheng, while the rest he had been forced to surrender to the sect.

Yet even so.

Chen Zhao flipped open the first Storage Bag and couldn't help but smile with narrowed eyes.

One segment of a top-grade Dharma Treasure, the Immortal Binding Rope; a supreme-grade Silver Moon Long Blade; the Mysterious Grade Lower Tier Soul Slashing Blade Technique; and seventy mid-grade Spirit Stones.

At this moment, Juxian Pavilion still required time to rebuild, the Su Family's financial aid had become negligible, and his Spirit Stones were exhausted—he was precisely in need of money.

As for the other.

It contained only the Mysterious Grade Mid-tier Nianhua Finger, one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones, one copy of Arhat Crossing, and one copy of the Sutra for Guiding Souls.

"This Sutra for Guiding Souls urges people to worship the Vajra Arhat—it's completely different from mine."

Chen Zhao skimmed through Arhat Crossing and immediately lost interest.

"So it's about doing favors for others, with Incense Fire Qi flowing back to oneself—and the higher the deity's status, the denser the Incense Fire Qi generated by devotees."

Chen Zhao had no intention of serving beneath another.

After Foundation Establishment, the Xuan Shui Chang Sheng Lu had advanced further; he had already attained the Freehand Realm.

Though this realm could only replicate one person, requiring days of effort, reciting the Sutra for Guiding Souls could temporarily elevate his true body's strength to Foundation Establishment mid-stage.

This avatar was no ordinary illusion—it could mimic another's spiritual energy fluctuations, perform spells and hand seals, and possessed strength only three-tenths weaker than his own.

In addition,

The Foundation Establishment imagery could also be projected outward, allowing temporary replication of objects other than the avatar, indistinguishable from reality.

With a thought, his realm spread from behind him like a scroll slowly unfurling.

Chen Zhao condensed a drop of ink at his fingertip and drew a few strokes in midair.

Instantly, the surroundings transformed: an ancient city street, lanterns hung in celebration, as if it were the New Year in the mortal world.

Unlike illusion arrays, every brick and tile here was real; the lanterns emitted actual warmth!

Xin Tong's eyes lit up—it truly resembled a mortal city, with not a single flaw!

She wandered about, intending to thoroughly explore, but after half a stick of incense had burned, the imagery vanished, and the surroundings reverted to empty ground.

Looking back, Chen Zhao's face was pale with exhaustion, his spiritual energy utterly depleted.

"Zhao… we've been partners for years, and I've never seen you look like this."

Xin Tong chuckled teasingly.

Suddenly, memories of past events flashed through her mind—always herself leaning against the wall, exhausted—and a spark of cunning gleamed in her eyes.

"Perfect timing, Zhao… just wait until you bow down and submit!"

The Array Disk glowed, enveloping the two in a Concealment Array, leaving only the ground trembling and mountains shaking…

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Zhao sat cross-legged, breathing in and out; the Spirit Qi around him was sucked into vacuum, his internal spiritual fluid flowing like a gentle stream into every limb and vein.

In his arms, Xin Tong felt a sudden chill at the nape of her neck, yet her entire body was limp and powerless—she could only let out a soft whimper and nuzzle against his chest.

Chen Zhao shook his head with a wry smile, pulled out two Qi Replenishment Pills, and slipped them into her cherry-red lips.

But she took advantage—after swallowing them, she opened her mouth again, clearly still unsatisfied.

"I gave you the last two. What more do you want?"

Chen Zhao could no longer bear her incompetence and greediness; he flicked her forehead with his finger.

"We're both Foundation Establishment now—what use are Qi Refining Pills?"

Xin Tong, tears in her eyes, clutched her forehead and spoke hoarsely.

Chen Zhao simply had no way to deal with her.

Yet upon reflection, he realized he had no second-rank Spirit Pill Prescription—future cultivation and Dharma Battles would no longer be as effortless as before.

"I wonder what opportunities might arise with Hall Master Mo?"