Chapter 78: The Dagger is Revealed

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Dagger is Revealed

"Xuanli, can’t you see what’s happening in Youlin County? The gutters are crawling with ghouls and demons of every kind. We don’t even know if we’ll survive this crisis, and you’re still talking about some bullshit about a foundation and long-term stability?"

Chen Zhige’s laughter cut off abruptly. His expression turned incredibly solemn, even taking on a ferocious edge as his eyes locked onto Chen Xuanli’s.

"Your strength! Your cultivation! That is our only, and greatest, assurance of long-term stability! Only when you are stronger, when you break through to the Refining Organ Realm, can our Chen Family stand firm in the coming storm and even seize greater profits!

Otherwise, it’s all an illusion—a castle in the air! When our enemies come knocking, if you can’t hold them back, then even a talented Alchemy Master will become someone else’s prize!"

Chen Xuanli’s frame trembled slightly, and the turmoil deep in his eyes intensified. He remained silent, his brow tightly furrowed. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, his words carrying a hint of compromise.

"This is a grave matter. We should discuss it with Chen Jing first. We must have a clear plan before we act..."

"Discuss? A clear plan before we act?"

Chen Zhige looked as though he had been utterly enraged. He jabbed a finger at Chen Xuanli, the digit trembling from sheer disappointment and fury.

"Chen Xuanli! You’re still as indecisive and foolishly compassionate as ever! If you had just listened to me back then and allowed me to use the Human Pill Technique, would you have had your foundation shattered and your path forward severed when you fought for that opportunity?

Would we have been forced to this desperate point, with our backs against the wall, before finally embarking on this perilous path?

If you had just had enough Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills and Snow Ginseng Jade Marrow Ointment to solidify your foundation and nourish your Divine Soul, would your breakthrough to the Marrow Refining Realm have been so arduous and perilous? Would it have left you with so many latent injuries?

One step ahead opens up a world of possibilities! One step behind could mean plunging into an endless abyss! How can you still not understand this simple truth?!"

These words were like the sharpest of daggers, stabbing deep into the scars and hidden pain in Chen Xuanli’s heart.

The disastrous defeat in his fight for that opportunity, the despair of being mortally wounded, the agony of his path being severed, and the subsequent struggle of being forced to condone—and even rely on—the Human Pill were all mercilessly ripped open by Chen Zhige.

"You!"

The aura around Chen Xuanli erupted, and the oppressive might of the Marrow Refining Realm radiated out of his control. The very air in the Alchemy Room seemed to congeal, and the flame of the oil lamp flickered wildly.

His eyes, like lightning, shot toward Chen Zhige, filled with an icy, provoked fury.

However, when he saw the undisguised mockery on Chen Zhige’s face, and deep within his eyes, a hint of a similar madness and paranoia born from the torment of the past, his surging anger suddenly froze before slowly beginning to dissipate.

’Indecisive... Foolish compassion...’

’In many things, he who hesitates is lost.’

’The current crisis was imminent. If he continued to hesitate, perhaps it would be just as Zhige had said—he would miss his chance and lose everything.’

Chen Xuanli slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

When he opened his eyes again, all hesitation was gone.

He didn’t speak. He simply looked at Chen Zhige and nodded.

Seeing this, a smile that was a mixture of triumph, madness, and anticipation spread across Chen Zhige’s face.

He knew that his stubborn kinsman had finally been moved.

The Alchemy Room fell silent once more, with only the occasional crackle of the oil lamp’s flame.

...

「At the faint light of dawn, a thin, gauzy mist shrouded the quiet courtyard of Tingzhu Pavilion.」

Chen Yue stood bare-chested in the courtyard, wearing only a pair of loose cloth trousers. His eyes were slightly closed, his breathing long and steady as he practiced a Palm Technique.

The technique’s movements were not complex, appearing almost simple and clumsy, yet every palm strike he pushed out carried an indescribable sense of condensed weight and power.

As his arms moved, his muscles and bones hummed in unison, emitting faint CRACKLING sounds, as if thunder and wind were gathering and rolling just beneath his skin.

This was precisely the Great Vajra Palm manual he had obtained from Gu Yiqiu—or rather, a version he had personally modified.

The original Secret Manual was indeed ninety percent genuine and ten percent false. The tampered sections were exceptionally well-hidden, all located at several key junctures related to the explosive release of Qi Blood.

If not for the panel pointing it out directly, combined with the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield’s profound insight into the body’s Qi and Blood Circulation and the Heart Nourishing Technique’s keen perception of his Heart Spirit, it would have been nearly impossible for Chen Yue to pinpoint those few subtle yet fatal flaws within the vast sea of cultivation instructions.

Once he knew where the problems lay, he had a direction for correcting them.

Combining his own understanding of strength, Chen Yue carefully adjusted and restructured the tampered sections related to the Luck Technique and the transitioning of Power.

While ensuring it retained its Vigorous characteristics, he placed a greater emphasis on the sustainability and controllability of the power, as well as its compatibility with his own Physique.

Once the modifications were complete, the words on his panel, [Great Vajra Palm (Altered)], quietly changed to [Great Vajra Palm (Revised)].

Although he didn’t know how its power compared to the original version, for Chen Yue, a Vigorous Palm Technique that he could cultivate safely was valuable enough.

As for using Source Points to optimize it further? He didn’t have any extra Source Points at the moment, and even if he did, he would be reluctant to spend them on this Palm Technique.

"HUPH!"

Chen Yue exhaled sharply as his eyes snapped open. He stepped forward with his right foot, twisted at the waist, and sent his right palm—which had long been gathering power—striking forward through the air without any flourish.

The strike was silent, with no visible Qi Force leaving his body, but a pagoda tree as thick as a bowl ten feet away reacted as if it had been slammed into.

"WHOOSH!"

The entire tree began to tremble violently. A great rustling sound, a loud WHOOSH, erupted from its lush canopy as countless withered yellow and fresh green leaves rained down.

On its tough trunk, a faint indentation had even appeared out of nowhere.

This single strike could already injure things from a distance. The Power was condensed, its penetrating force astonishing!

Chen Yue slowly retracted his palm, his breathing steadied, and he glanced at his panel.

[Skill: Great Vajra Palm (Revised) (Minor Success 73/2877)]

In just a few short days, by gaining over two hundred experience points daily, this newly acquired Palm Technique had already reached the realm of Minor Success.

Combined with his current terrifying strength, it was already quite a threat.

After regulating his breath for a moment, Chen Yue walked over to the half-man-high Purple Copper Alchemy Furnace in the corner of the yard.

He first skillfully opened the furnace, lit the fire, and refined a batch of Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills. Then, he started another batch and successfully refined some Bone-Enhancing Pills.

After storing the newly refined Elixirs, Chen Yue stood up, stretched his limbs, and prepared to continue his cultivation of the Vast Firm Essence Technique and the Heart Nourishing Technique.

For Chen Yue, his days in the Chen Mansion were so regular they were almost rigid.

Alchemy, practicing his techniques, occasionally studying Secret Manuals or developing Pill Formulas—to an outsider, it might seem dull and monotonous, but personally feeling his strength increase day by day, Chen Yue savored every moment.

This grounded feeling of taking his fate firmly into his own hands, this sense of growth, was far better than any superficial hustle and bustle.

"KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!"

A series of knocks broke the tranquility of the small courtyard. Chen Yue had just assumed the opening stance of the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield. Hearing the sound, he slowly relaxed his posture, drew his aura inward, walked to the gate, and pulled it open.

Two men stood outside. The one in the lead was a plump, middle-aged steward from the Chen Mansion’s inner court, and behind him stood none other than Lin Quan.

When the steward saw Chen Yue, his smile widened. He bowed slightly and said, "Chen the Pill Master, my apologies for disturbing your peaceful cultivation. Duke Zhige has some rare leisure time today, and he was thinking that you and Master Lin, as two fellow enthusiasts of the Alchemy Dao, have never had a proper chance to converse.

Duke Zhige has given special instructions to invite you both to his Alchemy Room to drink tea, discuss the Dao, and exchange some insights on alchemy. I wonder if Chen the Pill Master is free at the moment?"