Cultivation

"Young Master Murong."

After Chen Zihang left, the two wealthy young ladies Murong Zhi had invited out earlier hurried in from outside. They rushed to his side, supported him, and helped him up from the floor.

Their faces were filled with concern. They had not easily managed to attach themselves to someone as powerful as Murong Zhi, so naturally, they feared something might happen to him.

Supported by the two women, Murong Zhi got to his feet. He stared toward the doorway, his eyes brimming with hatred.

"Chen Zihang!"

Murong Zhi practically ground the name out through clenched teeth.

"Brother Murong, your injuries are serious. We should hurry and take you back so we can find a Physician to treat you," one of the women said anxiously.

Murong Zhi's expression gradually eased. With a flick of his fingers, he took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring. He poured out a healing pill and hurriedly swallowed it. Only after the medicine took effect did the pain on his face lessen somewhat.

"Let's go." With that, Murong Zhi swiftly left with the two women.

Only after Murong Zhi had left did the people in the shop finally come back to their senses.

Earlier, when Chen Zihang had called out Murong Zhi's name, they had all been terrified.

Murong Zhi's reputation was immense, yet someone had beaten him into such a state. Everyone in the shop was an ordinary person; none of them had the nerve to get involved in a conflict of this level.

"That was Murong Zhi just now? Who would dare seriously injure him? He's the Marquis's disciple—isn't that a challenge to the Marquis's authority?" someone whispered, sounding frightened even as he spoke.

"That man was truly arrogant. He seriously injured Murong Zhi, then simply walked away as if nothing mattered," another said.

"Ah, forget it, forget it. Could someone who dares oppose Murong Zhi have an ordinary background? Shopkeeper, I'll take that hammer from earlier. How about twenty silver coins?" someone said.

But the shopkeeper's gaze remained fixed on the large hole Murong Zhi had smashed through.

"That damned fool had to come fight in my shop. Fixing such a big hole will cost a fortune. What am I supposed to do?"

The shopkeeper wore a deeply troubled expression as he thought to himself.

One side of the conflict was Murong Zhi, and the other party's identity was surely not simple either. It would be fine if they were reasonable enough to leave some money behind before departing. But if Chen Zihang and the others had not even noticed the hole they had made, then as a commoner, he had little hope of demanding compensation. He could only bear all the losses himself.

After a while, the City Guard patrolling the streets was drawn over by the commotion. More than ten men rushed into the general store, and the leader shouted, "What happened here just now?"

Chen Ye's room, underground chamber.

Chen Cheng sat cross-legged in the Poisonous Calamity Pool with his eyes slightly closed. Purple-black gas flowed around his body.

Within the Poisonous Calamity Pool, the purple poisonous mist was drawn by Chen Cheng's body and formed into a marvelous formation. Then, threads of purple energy seeped through Chen Cheng's pores and flowed into his body.

Chen Cheng had already consumed the poison necessary to cultivate the Source of Deadly Poison and had begun his cultivation.

Only when he first swallowed the poison did Chen Cheng feel intense pain. But after gradually gaining control of the Source of Deadly Poison, that pain disappeared. Instead, as the poisonous energy entered his body, it made him feel exceptionally comfortable.

Streams of warmth circulated through every part of Chen Cheng's body. The poison washed over him, and without his noticing, his already formidable body became even more solid and resilient.

Chen Ye stood beside the pool, watching Chen Cheng circulate his cultivation method within it, looking immensely gratified.

Although Cheng'er doesn't possess the Calamity Poison Body, he shows no resistance whatsoever to this deadly poison. His body has an extremely high affinity for toxins. Not only that, he also has a high affinity for both Fire Attribute and Ice Attribute energy. I truly don't know what kind of physique he has. It may not compare to the Calamity Poison Body, but its compatibility is outstanding. Chen Ye thought.

The Calamity Poison Body was equivalent to having one's poison attribute fully maxed out, while Chen Cheng's physique distributed its potential evenly across every attribute.

Neither could be called superior; each had its own strengths.

Even without the Calamity Poison Body, the Source of Deadly Poison was still an Earth Middle-Rank cultivation method. A middle-rank cultivation method was already superior to the methods cultivated by ninety-nine percent of the people in this world. This Earth Middle-Rank cultivation method also brought Chen Cheng tremendous benefits.

With poison serving as a guide and the poisonous mist from the Poisonous Calamity Pool, Chen Cheng's cultivation advanced rapidly.

Copy System

Name: Chen Cheng

Cultivation: Six-Star Dou Practitioner

Abilities: Low-Level Combat Lv2, Poison Art, Fire Control

Summoning System

Name: Chen Cheng

Cultivation: Six-Star Dou Practitioner

Comprehensive Combat Power: Seven-Star Dou Shi

Summoned Characters: Red Serpent, Huang Yaoshi, Yan Lingji, Jiang Yu Yan, Tian Yan

After cultivating the Source of Deadly Poison for only one day, Chen Cheng's cultivation had risen by an entire level. This Earth Rank cultivation method was truly beyond imagination.

Because of this Earth Rank cultivation method, Chen Cheng's dou qi quality was exceptionally high. Combined with the heavy toxins within his body, the Fallen Body Needle's lethality had increased, greatly raising his Comprehensive Combat Power.

It was not until nightfall that Chen Cheng left the underground chamber and returned to Linjiang Courtyard.

Lying on the soft couch with his eyes half-closed, he enjoyed Yan Lingji's gentle massage as the exhaustion throughout his body melted away.

"Master, Tian Yan has already infiltrated Qing Xing Courtyard and has initially gained Chen Zihang's trust. Chen Zihang is highly vigilant, though. It will take another two days before she can get close to Feng Ruoxue."

Yan Lingji reported as she massaged him.

"She infiltrated it that quickly? Tian Yan's abilities truly cannot be underestimated," Chen Cheng said in praise upon hearing her report.

"Oh, Tian Yan also learned something else. Chen Zihang will be leaving Anyang City in seven days to take up a post in another prefecture," Yan Lingji said.

"Take up a post? Why haven't I heard about this?" Chen Cheng opened his eyes and asked gravely.

"Your father has left as well. The Chu Yun Royal Family has just handed over three commanderies, and your father needs to take them over. I heard that war is about to begin. The Chen Family intends to overthrow the Chu Yun Royal Family, and everywhere else, troops are being mobilized and recruits enlisted," Yan Lingji said calmly.

"When did this happen? How come I didn't receive any news at all?" Chen Cheng asked, deeply puzzled.

Such a major matter, yet Chen Cheng knew absolutely nothing about it. Everyone had been keeping it from him. It suddenly occurred to him that, without him knowing anything, the Chen Family might overthrow the Chu Yun Royal Family and establish a new empire. And he, without even realizing it, would go from the Young Family Head of the Chen Family to the crown prince of the new empire.

Chen Cheng had always been busy cultivating. It seemed that, in everyone else's eyes, his cultivation was the top priority. As for everything else, there would naturally be others to handle it for him, paving the way so that Chen Cheng only needed to reap the benefits.

Chen Cheng's cultivation was too low. Even counting the few Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling under his command, they would not have much impact on the overall course of the war.

By comparison, Chen Cheng's cultivation truly was the most important thing.

The Chen Family needed a leader with absolute strength to guide them. Chen Cheng's talent had won everyone's recognition. As long as he cultivated diligently and reached the Dou Emperor realm, he would become the Chen Family's unquestioned leader. They had no need for Chen Cheng to take part in military warfare; there was little point in that. The Chen Family was full of talented people, and matters of war would naturally be handled by others.

Chen Cheng pondered in silence, gradually coming to understand what everyone else was thinking.