Third-tier bugs aren’t scary in themselves, but third-tier bugs that can devour an entire world are enough to make anyone handle them with extreme caution.
The key point is, the entire Seventh Heaven has already been eaten clean—there’s no food left. So how did these bugs survive?
Zhang Chen’s Primordial Spirit flickered and appeared in the Material Realm, landing in the Quiet Chamber. His physical body slowly relaxed, then gradually stood up, walked to the Soul-Forming Lamp, and added oil to it.
"With the Six Paths of Reincarnation missing, the speed at which the Soul-Forming Lamp gathers souls has slowed a thousandfold." Zhang Chen looked at the Soul Fragments inside the Soul-Forming Lamp, which seemed utterly unchanged, and couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious. If he couldn’t gather Han Suzhen’s soul before Chen Sanliang and Zhou Qiucheng held their Dao debate, then when the time came, Han Suzhen’s soul would still be incomplete, and using her to persuade Chen Sanliang would lose much of its impact.
"But there’s nothing we can do about that. Who could have known the Corpse Ancestor would be this strong? For now we can only wait for the Princess to recover from her injuries." Zhang Chen was powerless before the situation at hand.
Fortunately, he had already found a way to get back some ground: as long as he drove the Corpse Ancestor out of the Spiritual World into the Material Realm, when that happened he might not necessarily be without the strength to fight.
"I wonder how Zhou Qiucheng is doing now. Zhou Qiucheng has gathered such a vast amount of Incense Faith; that Incense poison has been absorbed by the Great Freedom Celestial Demon. Who knows what kind of trouble that will stir up in the end." Zhang Chen was somewhat worried about Zhou Qiucheng. That fellow fancied himself in control of everything, with every situation firmly in his grasp; if he ended up dragging his own side into a pit, that would be quite troublesome.
"I’d better go pay him a visit. Even if something really does blow up later, I’ll at least have a chance to remedy it." Zhang Chen was afraid Zhou Qiucheng might be too full of himself and bungle things, so he stepped out and headed toward Chongzheng Academy. After just a few flickers, he had already arrived at the foot of the academy’s mountain.
"The disciples in Chongzheng Academy seem even fewer. There’s a bit more chill in the air and a bit less human presence." Standing at the mountain’s base and taking a brief look around, Zhang Chen already sensed that the academy’s popularity had dwindled again—noticeably less than when he had last left the mountain gate.
He then saw himself walking slowly into the mountain, looking at the scenery along the way, until he reached the Exquisite Tower. At this moment, the twelve-storey Exquisite Tower had inexplicably grown another level, becoming a thirteen-storey Exquisite Tower.
"What are you doing here?" Jiang Nan was just carrying a tray of tea under the Exquisite Tower, heading inward. She saw Zhang Chen from afar, her steps halted, and her eyes showed a distinct hint of unwelcome.
"You’re actually still in Chongzheng Academy? If I were you, I’d have lost the face to stay here long ago. He ran away from the marriage—what face do you have to keep lingering here?" Hearing Jiang Nan’s words, Zhang Chen instantly got annoyed. Him coming to the academy was none of her business, was it? And of course he knew exactly where to stick the knife so it hurt most; without the slightest hesitation he jabbed straight at Jiang Nan’s wound.
Jiang Nan’s body trembled with anger at his words, her delicate face turning deathly pale. Her eyes locked onto Zhang Chen, wishing she could tear him apart and swallow him alive.
"A few days without seeing you, and your mouth is still just as vicious." Jiang Nan gave a cold snort, turned around, and walked into the Exquisite Tower, refusing to waste any more words on Zhang Chen.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen secretly shook his head. Jiang Nan truly wasn’t an ordinary person: after suffering such an intolerable humiliation in Chongzheng Academy, she was still choosing to stay. Her temperament clearly was not that of some common woman.
Just as Zhang Chen was about to enter the Exquisite Tower, Zhou Qiucheng came walking out of it, glaring at him irritably. "You brat don’t know how to show a little mercy with your tongue, do you? This whole matter is already something my father and I owe Jiang Nan for; it’s already hurt her enough, and yet you still come here to rip open her wound."
"It’s not like I wanted to rip her wound open—it’s her who insisted on picking a fight with me." Zhang Chen’s voice was full of grievance.
Zhou Qiucheng shook his head, saying helplessly, "There’s really no dealing with you. Come with me."
The two walked together toward the back mountain and arrived at Zhou Qiucheng’s study. Zhou Qiucheng brewed the tea, poured Zhang Chen a bowl, and once they were seated inside, he said, "Didn’t I tell you to get out of Jinling City as soon as you could? What are you doing running back to Chongzheng Academy?"
"I’ve been worried about you, sir, so I thought I’d come take a look." Zhang Chen said.
At that, Zhou Qiucheng let out a faint sigh. "The academy’s disciples have already scattered seven or eight parts out of ten, yet you’re still voluntarily coming back. That alone shows you’re not a smart man."
"They don’t have confidence in you, sir? You’ve already stepped into the Divine Dao, and even repaired another level of the Exquisite Tower—your strength has climbed another step. How can they have so little faith in you?" Zhang Chen took a sip of tea and muttered in displeasure.
"I may have improved, my cultivation far beyond what it was before, but Chen Sanliang’s progress has been even faster. I’ve heard people say Chen Sanliang broke and then rebuilt himself, his strength increased once more; he’s taken another great stride and even condensed the embryonic form of a ’Holy Dao Magical Artifact’. His Dao has not only spread fully among the Demon Race, but the Northern Land has entirely fallen under his command. Now, in Jiangnan, his doctrine is sweeping across like a swarm of locusts. Everywhere, scholars are poring over his theories looking for flaws, and in the process they’re discussing his Dao and further aiding its dissemination. At this point, Chen Sanliang’s scholarship has completely diffused through the world." Zhou Qiucheng’s voice was steeped in bitterness.
"You’re already at the Tenth Tier of the Divine Dao, and you’ve repaired one level of the Exquisite Tower—do you still not have confidence in yourself?" Zhang Chen was puzzled.
"I’ve got seventy, eighty percent confidence. But because Chen Sanliang’s strength has grown too quickly, I can’t claim to have a full hundred percent." Zhou Qiucheng muttered, his tone carrying a faint hint of pride. Although his words were self-effacing, the voice itself was laced with a sense of assured confidence.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen’s heart gave a jolt. He felt something was off. His premonition had indeed come true: Zhou Qiucheng, convinced that his cultivation had risen and that he now had the means to deal with Chen Sanliang, still didn’t realize he was underestimating him.
But with Zhou Qiucheng this confident, Zhang Chen found himself unable to voice any warning. Was he supposed to tell Zhou Qiucheng to his face: You old man are getting carried away—there’s no way you can beat Chen Sanliang?
He couldn’t say that.
Going along with feelings and speaking pleasant words wins people over; being blunt just makes them hate you.
Facing a Zhou Qiucheng like this, what else could Zhang Chen possibly say?
He could only change the subject. "Sir, you have gathered Incense Faith and verified the Tenth Tier of the Divine Dao, but I wonder whether you will have the chance to step into the Eleventh Tier?"
"The Eleventh Tier is difficult! Relying solely on the Incense Faith in Jinling City is not enough." Zhou Qiucheng shook his head, his voice full of helplessness.
Zhang Chen actually wanted to ask whether, after Zhou Qiucheng stepped onto the Incense Divine Dao, there was anything he was not yet adapted to, but just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he swallowed them back down.
This was something he could not ask. If, in the future, something really did go wrong with Zhou Qiucheng, Zhang Chen would not be able to explain himself no matter what he said.
The two of them chatted for a while longer, and Zhang Chen stated his purpose. "This disciple came today because there is a scholarly question I wish to consult you on."
"What doubt do you have?" Zhou Qiucheng looked at Zhang Chen in curiosity; Zhang Chen asking him for scholarly instruction was indeed a rare thing.
Zhang Chen took out a sheet of paper. On it was drawn the image of a bug—exactly the bug Zhang Chen had seen in the Seventh Heaven.
"I wonder if sir has ever seen this bug before?"
Zhang Chen asked.
Zhou Qiucheng took the paper, stared at it for a while, then shook his head. "I have never seen it."
Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed in Zhang Chen’s eyes, and then he said, "This disciple wonders if I might enter the Library Pavilion to take a look? Perhaps I can find some clue about this bug?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiucheng nodded. "You may! Take this token, and you can enter the Library Pavilion."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen hastily bowed in thanks; this was precisely his purpose in coming here.
"Leave the paper here. I can inquire of my various fellow Daoists in Jiangnan for you; perhaps someone will know." Zhou Qiucheng added.
"This disciple thanks you, sir." Zhang Chen bowed once more to Zhou Qiucheng.
Then Zhang Chen went to pay his respects to his teacher’s wife, wandered around the mountain for a while, and only then came to the Library Pavilion.
The Library Pavilion of Chongzheng Academy could be called the largest in Jiangnan. It was as high as seven stories, reputed to hold a hundred thousand volumes, and was known as the foremost Confucian Dao tower in Jiangnan.
Zhang Chen walked into the pavilion and, after half a day of leafing through books, had no gains whatsoever. Seeing the sky darken, he rose and headed down the mountain.
"There is nothing to be seen within Chongzheng Academy; next I can only wait for the variables to arrive." Zhang Chen returned to his own courtyard, pondering the things he needed to pay attention to in the future:
First, the doctrinal debate between Zhou Qiucheng and Chen Sanliang.
Second, the Tree of Life Coffin.
Third, dragging that old fellow, the Corpse Ancestor, into the Material Realm.
With nothing else to do, Zhang Chen donned a bamboo hat to conceal his figure and wandered the streets of Jinling, observing the common folk of Jinling City along the way. He saw that the order in Jinling was still intact; the common people still lived in peace and contentment, and no scenes of unrest had appeared.
Walking along the long streets, Zhang Chen saw that Zhou Qiucheng’s faith had now become the only one throughout Jinling City. Statues of Zhou Qiucheng had been erected at every intersection in Jinling, and commoners ceaselessly knelt and bowed before them.
Watching the dense Incense Qi soar into the sky, a subtle expression flickered in Zhang Chen’s eyes. Ever since the Divine Dao had appeared, the common people had been completely reduced to lambs, becoming the source of faith for the lofty Divine Spirits above.
"Once I refine the God-Beating Whip, one day I will surely reshape the order of the Divine Dao." Zhang Chen muttered, and after a few turns he returned to his own courtyard.
At this time the day of the doctrinal debate drew ever nearer, and even Zhang Chen could not help but feel a sense of urgency rising in his heart. He knew that the Yellow Heaven Dao must be preparing something in secret, and that once the debate began, the Yellow Heaven Dao would surely take the opportunity to stir up trouble.
Back in his courtyard, Zhang Chen took out the Alchemy Furnace and looked at the Heaven and Earth Primordial Embryo being sacrificially refined inside. At this moment the Qi of Chaos circulated within, gradually transforming into the Heaven and Earth Membrane. Once the Heaven and Earth Membrane formed, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Embryo could be considered complete, and then he could move on to the next step of sacrificially refining the God-Beating Whip.
"Now that the Divine Dao is flourishing throughout the world, with the God-Beating Whip in my hand I will surely have the advantage." Zhang Chen put the lid back onto the Alchemy Furnace.