Chapter 7: Breakthrough—This One Brings Great Terror!

Family Head's residence East Courtyard.

Chen Lie was practicing the family's inherited martial art, Furious Whale Force.

Each move, each form, meticulous.

Beside him, Chen Meng knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and reported everything that had occurred between Chen Zheng and the father‑son pair Chen Fu Yi.

He described every detail clearly, as if he had witnessed it himself.

At the end, Chen Meng raised his head and said, "Young master, I think Chen Zheng had previously concealed his strength; his true realm is Physical Body Sixth Layer, which caused Chen Jihou's carelessness, a single strike to a vital point, and the loss of his ability to fight again."

"If Chen Zheng is so scheming, he may become a threat later; should we…?"

At the end of his speech, a ruthless glint flashed in Chen Meng's eyes, but Chen Lie's calm words cut him off: "No need."

"Even if Chen Zheng is Physical Body Sixfold or even Seventh, and even if he is scheming, can he withstand my fist?"

Chen Lie's voice boomed like a great bell; his right arm moved like a soaring dragon, each joint crackling with a rapid fire‑crack sound, like metal clashing, and he slammed a fierce fist onto the test‑strength stone tablet before him.

The test‑strength stone tablet, about a yard tall, shuddered violently, its interior emitting crackling sounds, and fissures spread instantly.

"This… "

Chen Meng trembled all over, then erupted in wild joy.

The test‑strength stone tablet is the clan's instrument for warriors from Physical Body First to Eighth Layers to gauge their own power, essentially a "scale."

Because of its special material, even a Physical Body Ninth Layer warrior normally cannot damage it at all.

But now.

Chen Lie's single punch shattered it!

What this means is self‑evident.

Chen Lie is likely not far from Physical Body Tenfold.

In the Divine Transformation realm, among the Chen clan's tens of thousands, there is only one Family Head, Chen Xingye.

Once Chen Lie breaks through, the next Family Head Position will be unquestionable, belonging to none other than him.

Chen Zheng, Chen Mo, scheming—before absolute strength, all are empty delusions.

Useless to the last degree!

"Congratulations, young master!"

Chen Meng lowered both knees to the ground, sincerely admiring the proudly standing Chen Lie before him.

…

Family Head's residence South Courtyard.

Like last time, Chen Mo sat upright on a pavilion by the lake, fishing, but his demeanor was no longer as composed, tinged with a hint of gloom.

Beside him were two stretchers, each bearing a wounded person: Chen Fu Yi and Chen Jihou.

Their faces twisted, they screamed and complained to Chen Mo hoarsely, as if driven mad.

Without that thing, it truly would drive one mad.

"Enough noise, send them to recover."

Chen Mo didn't glance at the father‑son pair, and ordered a servant nearby to carry the two down.

"Go and sever Chen Zheng's limbs."

Chen Mo spoke again, concise yet sounding like a cold wind blowing from the deepest hell, ominously eerie.

"Yes, second young master!"

The black‑armored guard behind bowed and withdrew.

…

"How delightful; no wonder the books say cultivation is the happiest thing in the world, addictive, far beyond any affair between men and women—ancient sages truly did not deceive me."

Family Head's residence West, inside a training hall dedicated to martial practice, Chen Zheng, bare‑chested and muscular, sat upright in a large vat, arms spread on its rim, eyes half‑closed, face full of rapture.

The vat was filled with vicious shark blood.

Around it were another nineteen identical vats.

That means Chen Fu this time supplied Chen Zheng with a full twenty vats of shark blood.

All of this was exchanged for Qi‑Blood Pills.

Chen Fu no longer intends to cultivate?

Indeed so.

Chen Fu's talent for martial arts is poor; he isn't much stronger than that white‑eyed wolf Chen Fu Yi.

If he continues training by the usual method, he'll never reach Physical Body Tenfold in a lifetime.

Even the Eighth seems doubtful.

His hope of contending for the Family Head Position is slim.

It's just that, being in this spot, Chen Fu can't help but feel a bit unwilling to forgo a chance.

But after seeing Chen Zheng's innate divine strength and potential to enter the Shen Tong Mi Jing, Chen Fu resolutely abandoned his original plan.

Cultivating himself has no future.

It's far more worthwhile to fully support Chen Zheng, helping him breach the Shen Tong Mi Jing.

The Shen Tong Mi Jing is a legend within a legend for the entire Chen clan.

Across the Chen clan's centuries of history, not only have no such strong figures emerged, but even anyone with the prospect of breaching it has never existed.

One can imagine how unattainable the Shen Tong Mi Jing truly is.

Now that Chen Fu sees this possibility in Chen Zheng, he naturally does not wish to miss it.

This may be his only chance to alter his own fate.

Once Chen Zheng attains divine power, Chen Fu will rise with him, calling wind and rain over Golden Feather Island.

Even his own father had to bow and submit. Even if we step back ten thousand steps, Chen Zheng cannot cultivate to Shen Tong Mi Jing, but he can most likely cultivate to Tenfold, enough to keep Chen Fu's later life worry‑free.

But then again, making this decision still requires great courage.

Chen Zheng also admired Chen Fu a bit, and was happy to see it happen, with no psychological burden at all.

When his cultivation succeeds later, he will then support Chen Fu.

No matter how poor Chen Fu's talent is, as long as he becomes strong enough to elevate Chen Fu to Shen Tong Mi Jing, or even higher realms, it will be as easy as turning over one's hand.

Time drifts slowly.

The blood in the vat sinks little by little, and Chen Zheng is fully immersed in the cultivation of the Nether King True Body.

Outside.

The matter of Chen Fu Yi and his father both being stripped of their vital essence by Chen Zheng spread throughout the clan, sparking widespread discussion.

Even with schemers fanning the flames, it has already become a bustling uproar, a storm over the whole city.

The black‑armored guards sent by Chen Mo also arrived, demanding Chen Zheng from Chen Fu.

You have reached this novel.

The black‑armored guards said Chen Zheng had grievously injured a clan member without cause, had entered the Demonic Path, and must be captured and severely punished.

But he was blocked by Chen Fu at the courtyard gate.

Chen Fu said, if you want to trouble Chen Zheng, you must step over my corpse.

He also said that if he were injured because of this, even if it were just a small skin abrasion, he would go complain to Chen Xingye, who is in seclusion.

This made the group led by the black‑armored guards very apprehensive, unwilling to force their way in.

They could only confront Chen Fu outside the courtyard and sent one of them to report the matter to Chen Mo.

Soon, Chen Mo himself arrived, his aura stormy, and came to the outside of Chen Fu's courtyard, ready to force his way in.

Chen Fu could not possibly stop him.

Fortunately at that moment, Liu Fu finally arrived with a group of reinforcements.

They were more than ten elders, all senior members of the clan's side branches, some of notable standing.

They blocked Chen Mo and, in a clamor, told Chen Mo that Chen Zheng injured Chen Fu Yi and his father, all because the father‑son pair had insulted Chen Zheng's late father.

Chen Zheng's father had once done great favors for Chen Fu Yi's family, and now they treat the benefactor's son this way.

Chen Fu and Chen Fu Yi are repaying kindness with hatred.

Chen Zheng acted on impulse, which is understandable.

Moreover, many clan members outside are siding with Chen Zheng, cursing Chen Fu Yi and his father as shameless.

If you, Chen Mo, severely punish Chen Zheng, you will lose the clan's support.

Better let Chen Zheng compensate Chen Fu Yi and his father with a sum for medicinal expenses, turning the big matter into a small one, and the small matter into nothing.

After the elders' earnest persuasion and seeing public opinion turn against his side, Chen Mo could only temporarily stand down.

He tossed aside the hundred Qi Blood Pills that Chen Fu had offered as compensation for Chen Zheng, then left with a sullen face.

He knows clearly that if he still wishes to vie for the Family Head Position, he cannot defy the great injustice of the world.

Thus the matter fell into an unresolved conclusion.

……

Chen Zheng, ignoring everything else, continues cultivating inside the training hall.

He has already reached the summit of the Physical Body Sixth Layer.

The Seventh Layer is the Inner Strength realm, where a warrior's internal organs become as hard as iron, with no impurities.

Chen Zheng at this moment is advancing toward that direction.

When he had absorbed almost all of the twenty vats of Evil Shark Blood, he naturally ascended.

Thump— thump— thump!

As soon as he ascended, a series of explosive booms rang from Chen Zheng's chest, like thunder, shaking the steel‑forged training hall.

Weapon racks collapsed, and the large vats were shattered into powder.

"Young Master Chen Zheng…"

Liu Fu, who had just arrived outside the training hall, heard the commotion, thought something had happened inside, and rushed in.

Inside was a wreck, the steel walls creaked and cracked inch by inch.

In the center of the hall, Chen Zheng stood bare‑torso, tall, his eyes cold and deep, exuding a chilling demonic aura.

The Chen Zheng before me was so unfamiliar.

It was as if he had become a great demon who regarded all things as ants.

"This…"

Liu Fu felt a bone‑chilling cold, his knees went weak, and he couldn't help but want to kneel.

"Uncle Liu, no need to be nervous; I just broke through and couldn't control my momentum."

Chen Zheng gave a faint smile, like a gentle spring rain, dispelling his demonic aura and returning to his usual gentle, scholarly demeanor.

Everything just now seemed like an illusion.

"Yes… Young Master."

"The young master sent me to tell you, the merchant ship will load Golden Feather Grass tomorrow at dawn and set sail to Ban Yue Fang Shi."

Liu Fu forced down his horror, bowed his head, unable to look at Chen Zheng, let alone wipe the cold sweat dripping from his forehead to his nose.

He knew it wasn't an illusion.

This child harbors great terror.

(End of Chapter)