No More Pretending—Time to Go All In!

No More Pretending—Time to Go All In!

"Come, let me see what this child's talent and innate physique are like."

The moment Chen Daoyan said this.

"This..."

Chen Tianliang and his wife exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat conflicted.

Once today's test of talent and innate physique began, it would determine the child's standing within the family.

It could even determine the standing of their branch within the family.

If the child's innate physique was good, then naturally, all kinds of resources would come pouring in.

If it was good enough, they could even be like Chen Tianxiong's branch—riding their son's coattails and soaring straight into the sky! But if it was poor, Chen Zhixing would be destined to have no standing in the family from then on.

To put it another way.

Even dogs wouldn't spare you a glance.

This would undoubtedly affect Chen Zhixing's childhood.

"Family Head, Zhixing has only just reached his Full Moon. Isn't it a little too early to test his talent and innate physique?"

Chen Tianliang drew a deep breath and said.

As for Chen Zhixing, he did not actually have any great expectations at present.

He only wanted his child to live a happy childhood every day.

"Foolishness!"

Chen Daoyan frowned. "If Zhixing has good talent, yet you refuse to test his innate physique and let him grow freely, wouldn't that be letting a pearl gather dust and wasting time for nothing? On the path of cultivation, being one step ahead means being ahead for a lifetime! How can time be wasted?"

Seeing this, Chen Tianxiong smiled and chimed in, "The Family Head is right. Look at my Zhaosheng—he triggered a phenomenon the moment he was born. After his talent and innate physique were tested, the family's resources poured into him, and now his cultivation has been smooth sailing."

After a pause, Chen Tianxiong changed the subject with a smile. "Could it be that Third Brother already knows his child's talent is poor, which is why he keeps resisting in every possible way? It's all right. The first lesson for us parents is learning to accept our children's ordinariness."

"After all, not everyone can be like my Zhaosheng. What was that saying again? Right—excellence belongs only to a few; mediocrity is the norm."

Before he could finish.

"Say less! As the eldest son of the First Branch, all you know is how to needle your brothers of the same bloodline. How can you ever amount to anything?"

Chen Daoyan shot Chen Tianxiong a cold look, immediately choking off his words. He opened his mouth, stammering, several times wanting to speak but stopping himself.

He still wanted to offer a few explanations.

But Chen Daoyan ignored him and turned toward Chen Zhixing in his swaddling clothes, his expression softening.

"You need not worry too much either. No matter what this child's talent may be, he is still a member of the Chen Family, with Chen Family blood flowing through his veins. Even if we take ten thousand steps back, even if he cannot cultivate, this Family Head will not let him live poorly. I will ensure him wealth and honor for life."

With things already said to this extent, Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang naturally could not continue refusing.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhixing, lying in his swaddling clothes, calmly listened to their conversation.

These people were not too different from the character settings and personalities they had in the game from his previous life.

According to the plot of Great Cultivation in his previous life.

Although Chen Daoyan, the Family Head, seemed difficult to approach on the surface.

In truth, he was upright and open, conducting himself with complete candor.

He could not be called good or bad. He was simply a qualified Family Head—everything he said and did was for the sake of the family.

And indeed, just as he had said.

In the Great Cultivation game, even after Chen Zhixing could no longer cultivate, he had still lived a rather comfortable life of wealth and honor.

Even in the end, when Chen Zhixing was killed, this Family Head, Chen Daoyan, had personally gone to avenge him.

As for the result.

Naturally, he still could not overcome the protagonist's built-in halo and died at the protagonist's hands.

As for Chen Tianxiong and Chen Zhaosheng... Chen Zhixing's gaze turned cold.

He remembered very clearly how, in the game's plot, after Chen Tianliang was crippled, their family had been bullied and mocked by Chen Tianxiong's family.

A large part of the reason for Chen Zhixing's descent into darkness and his tragic ending.

Came from the oppression of Chen Tianxiong's family!

This immediately made Chen Zhixing change his original decision.

Originally, he had intended to imitate the protagonists of certain webnovels from his previous life—quietly lying low and developing, swallowing insults with a smile even when bullied, pretending not to care.

Only occasionally, while concealing his identity, would he step out to play the pig and eat the tiger.

Until, in the end, his cultivation was completely accomplished, and he became a god in a single battle! Then, amid everyone's reactions of "his mighty aura shook," "the whole hall was in uproar," "I can't believe it," "their faces were stricken with horror," "they sucked in cold breaths," and "how could it be that useless trash," he would be thrilled beyond measure.

As an old reader in his previous life, he knew these tropes like the back of his hand.

Three words—crystal clear!

But Chen Zhixing suddenly felt.

In a place where one needed to rely on talent to fight for resources.

Having heaven-defying talent, yet hiding it away and living like a miserable pauper.

Being able to feast on delicacies from mountains and seas, yet eating the scraps others did not want.

Then blaming others for failing to recognize one's worth, looking like someone suffering from persecution mania, and even dragging one's parents down to be looked down upon—was truly stupid.

So.

He decided.

Heh, no more pretending. I'm laying my cards on the table!

I'm going all in and playing for the big stakes!

Just as Chen Zhixing was pondering this.

Chen Daoyan flipped his right hand and placed an ancient jade pendant engraved with Ten Ancient Patterns against Chen Zhixing's brow.

This was a simple testing stone, capable of testing one's innate physique and talent.

The testing method was also simple: it measured how many of the acupoints within the body were blocked! The fewer the blockages, the greater the talent!

The fewer the blockages, the faster one's cultivation speed in the future and the greater one's achievements!!

Puff! A Misty Yellow Light immediately flowed in through Chen Zhixing's brow and entered his body.

At the sight of this, Chen Tianliang and his wife instantly became nervous.

Calling this a moment that decided life and death would not be an exaggeration!

"Son, do us proud!"

"Son, your father's wealth and honor are all depending on you!"

Sweat seeped from Chen Tianliang's palms, and a suppressed ferocity appeared on his face.

Ying Shuangshuang closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently prayed in her heart.

"Heavens, please bless my Zhixing."

"I do not ask for Zhixing to possess peerless talent. I only ask that his talent not be too poor, so that he can have a happy childhood."

Chen Tianxiong, on the other hand, looked relaxed.

Naturally, he would be delighted if Chen Zhixing's talent was poor. It would give him another chance to stomp hard on Chen Tianliang's branch.

And if Chen Zhixing's talent was good... so what?

Could it possibly be better than his own Zhaosheng's? Beside him, the young Chen Zhaosheng's little face showed a trace of curiosity.

He also wanted to see.

What kind of talent the child of his father's sworn rival possessed.

As everyone entertained different thoughts.

Sss! Of the Testing Ancient Jade's ten dim long patterns, one slowly lit up.

"Ten percent." Chen Daoyan nodded without much expression.

Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang both let out a slight sigh of relief.

This meant that at least ten percent of Chen Zhixing's blocked acupoints had opened.

Though his talent was extremely poor, it was still better than those born with a sealed constitution, incapable of cultivation.

Their child would be able to cultivate in the future!

Before everyone could recover their senses.

Sss! Sss!

Two more long patterns on the Testing Ancient Jade suddenly lit up!!

"Thirty percent. A lower-grade aptitude." Chen Daoyan nodded slightly.

Thirty percent of his blocked acupoints had opened!

This was the physique of the vast majority of cultivators throughout the Cultivation World! It also meant that Chen Zhixing had reached the passing line! Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang exchanged a glance, and the heavy stone in their hearts finally fell away.

Their child had thirty percent of his blocked acupoints opened. They... were satisfied.

With thirty percent of his blocked acupoints opened.

With the two of them giving their all to help him, Chen Zhixing's future achievements would not be too low.

"Third Brother, you're satisfied with just thirty percent? My Zhaosheng possesses the Ancient Saint Body, with ninety percent opened," Chen Tianxiong teased.

Chen Zhixing, in his swaddling clothes, nodded in agreement.

That was right.

He had said he was going to play big.

What was thirty percent worth?

The next moment, Chen Zhixing silently circulated the Innate Chaos Great Dao Scripture.

Boom—!!! On the Testing Ancient Jade.

A blinding incandescent light suddenly burst forth!!!

Unable to sleep in the middle of the night, so I'm posting a chapter early. The second chapter will still be posted at five in the afternoon.

And then, I humbly beg for all kinds of support!!!