Nine Ancient Marks Wielder! Heaven's Chosen!

Fourth! Fifth!!

Sixth!!! In an instant, three more Ancient Patterns emerged on that Ancient Jade!!

The blinding radiance turned the entire hall a searing white! "Hm?"

Chen Daoyan raised a brow, and a look of gratification rose on his face.

Six Ancient Marks meant Chen Zhixing's talent had reached the level of a solid pillar.

The "pillar" in "solid pillar" did not mean average—it meant a mainstay, a pillar holding up the current! Though cultivators of such talent could not be called Heavenly Prides, in any Dao Lineage or aristocratic family, they were more than worthy of being nurtured as elite descendants!

What was more...

Six Ancient Marks were considered outstanding even among solid pillars.

They were only one mark away from the Seven Ancient Marks of a Heavenly Pride.

"Hahaha, my son has Six Ancient Marks!"

Chen Tianliang could not help bursting into laughter.

Ying Shuangshuang clenched her fists, her entire body trembling with excitement.

Six Ancient Marks were not particularly remarkable. As descendants of a Long-lived aristocratic family, they had seen plenty of them.

Especially Chen Tianliang, a True Self Realm powerhouse who had judged countless people.

But... through the filter of loving parents, they were satisfied beyond measure.

"Only Six Ancient Marks. What's so remarkable about that?" Chen Tianxiong was about to toss out a few sarcastic remarks.

Smack! Chen Daoyan slapped the back of Chen Tianxiong's head, scolding him in exasperation, "Why is your mouth like the crotch of padded trousers? You have to pass judgment on everything? With no breadth of vision at all, how can you be the head of a family?"

Chen Tianxiong: "..."

I... Heaven and earth bear witness! If Chen Tianliang hadn't always targeted me and refused to treat me, his Big Brother, with any respect, would I be like this? Compared with everyone else's varied reactions, only Chen Zhaosheng, who was not yet three years old, remained composed from beginning to end.

Before anyone could react—

On that Ancient Jade—

The seventh Ancient Pattern suddenly lit up!

"Seven Ancient Marks?"

A faint smile appeared on Chen Daoyan's face as he said "not bad" for the first time.

"Seven Ancient Marks are quite rare. If the family nurtures him well in the future, he can become a force in his own right."

"Our Zhaosheng will have another helper in the future."

However—

Just as the seventh Ancient Pattern lit up—

The eighth dim Ancient Pattern erupted with light once more!!

In an instant! Chen Daoyan's pupils contracted violently.

Eight Ancient Marks were already a Dragon and Phoenix Form!!

Among all Dao Lineages and aristocratic families, they were undoubtedly among the very finest!!

After a moment of stunned silence, intense delight burst across Chen Tianliang and Ying Shuangshuang's faces.

"Hehehehe, my Chen Tianliang's child has Eight Ancient Marks?!"

A flush immediately spread across Chen Tianliang's cheeks. It felt as though the gloom in his heart had finally been vented, and he nearly threw back his head and howled at the sky.

Eight Ancient Marks! This meant that, as long as his child encountered no great setbacks in the future, he would surely attain the True Self Realm!

What in this world could be more satisfying than a father seeing his own child make something of himself with his own eyes? Then—

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Chen Tianxiong's stiff expression, and joy nearly bloomed in his heart.

So you loved using your son to lord it over me every day, huh? This feels great!! The next moment—

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he looked at Chen Zhixing and suddenly had an even bolder thought.

"Son, can you push a little further... Just a little further."

"Your father's wealth and glory are counting on you!"

Only then did Chen Daoyan smile in gratification. "Good, good, good! Two Heavenly Prides in one family! Our Chen Family has two Prodigies—why should we fear that it will not flourish?"

At that moment, Chen Daoyan could already envision the scene, not far in the future, of Chen Zhaosheng and Chen Zhixing rising like twin suns! However—

It was not over yet! Chen Zhixing had said he was going to make this a big one—how could he stop here? Boom—!!! The Ninth Ancient Mark suddenly blazed with light!! A dazzling rainbow beam shot out from the Ancient Jade.

That rainbow beam was like a surging river.

In the blink of an eye—

It cut across sun and moon! It pierced heaven and earth! In an instant! Countless members of the Chen Family sensed something. They stopped what they were doing and looked up at the blinding rainbow beam soaring into the sky.

"This is..."

Countless mouths slowly fell open.

Inside the great hall—

The moment the ninth Ancient Pattern lit up—

Whether Chen Daoyan, Chen Tianxiong, or Chen Tianliang and his wife, all changed expression and could not help sucking in a cold breath.

"My heavens, n-nine Ancient Marks?!!"

Ying Shuangshuang covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Nine Ancient Marks! Looking across the entire Azure Profound Realm today, those with Nine Ancient Marks could be counted on one's fingers!

Nine Ancient Marks had another name throughout the Azure Profound Realm: Heaven's Chosen! It meant one carried heaven's mandate, was blessed beyond compare, and was a darling of heaven and earth!

"My Chen Tianliang's son has n-nine Ancient Marks?"

Chen Tianliang's pupils widened, his expression turning utterly blank.

He lowered his head woodenly and looked at Chen Zhixing, who seemed to be sleeping in the swaddling clothes. His mind buzzed endlessly.

He, Chen Tianliang, had given birth to a Heaven's Chosen? He rubbed his eyes, seemingly unable to believe it.

He had only entertained the thought before. He had not held even the slightest hope.

And yet, there really were Nine Ancient Marks?

"How is that possible? How could he have Nine Ancient Marks?! Could this Ancient Jade be faulty?" Chen Tianxiong cried out even more sharply, his gaze snapping toward Chen Zhixing in the swaddling clothes as his face turned crimson.

At those words, Chen Tianliang, who had been frozen in a daze, immediately came to his senses. His tone turned hostile. "What do you mean the Ancient Jade is faulty? So your son can have Nine Ancient Marks, but mine can't?"

Chen Tianxiong still wanted to speak.

"Enough!"

Chen Daoyan let out a low shout, his expression having somehow turned incomparably grave.

He formed a hand seal and waved casually, immediately concealing every phenomenon.

Then—

He lowered his head to look at Chen Zhixing in the swaddling clothes. His heart was far less calm than his face suggested.

He silently uttered four words:

"Heaven blesses the Chen Family!"

After Chen Zhaosheng—

The Chen Family had produced another Nine Ancient Marks Wielder! Though he was not Chen Zhaosheng, who possessed Nine Ancient Patterns and was born bearing the King's Diagram, Nine Ancient Marks alone meant his future achievements would be immeasurable!

Perhaps he might even have a sliver of a chance to reach for Great Longevity! "No one is to spread word of what happened today. Do you understand?" Chen Daoyan took a deep breath, his expression solemn as he spoke slowly.

Two Nine Ancient Marks Wielders born in one family at the same time! If news of this spread, it would surely stir towering waves across the entire Cultivation World! When that happened, no one knew what might occur.

After all, the Chen Family was not without enemies.

As their enemies, none of them would want to see the already declining Chen Family rise again.

If there were only one Nine Ancient Marks Wielder, Chen Zhaosheng, those enemies might still endure it.

But if word spread that the Chen Family had produced two Ancient Marks Wielders, those enemies would likely join forces at once and attack the Chen Family at any cost.

Time slowly passed.

Everyone in the hall stared fixedly at the final dim Ancient Pattern on the Testing Ancient Jade.

Unfortunately—

Even after roughly the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, that final Ancient Pattern did not light up.

Chen Daoyan removed the Testing Ancient Jade from Chen Zhixing's forehead, a trace of disappointment flashing through his eyes.

What a pity. In the end, there were no Ten Ancient Marks.

But that disappointment vanished in an instant.

I am being greedy. Chen Daoyan could not help laughing softly to himself.

Ten Ancient Marks—throughout the entire Azure Profound Realm, from ancient times to the present, there had only been a handful of them.

And almost all of those people had ultimately attained Great Longevity! How could such a thing appear so easily? Chen Tianliang and his wife exchanged a glance. For some reason, they instead felt relieved.

If their child truly were the legendary Ten Ancient Markings Wielder—

The two of them could not protect him.

Perhaps not even the entire Chen Family could protect him.

That would not be a blessing. It would only be a calamity vast enough to drown the heavens!

This chapter took a long time to write. It kept feeling a little off as I wrote, so the update was delayed somewhat. My apologies.

And then, I humbly beg for this book's first monthly vote and first tip. orz