Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi lowered his head, spread out the talisman paper, took out a small knife from the bookcase, and stood up to walk toward Li Xiaoding.

The nearest imperial guard to Li Xiaoding saw the small knife in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then, quickly realizing what was happening, shouted in alarm, "What are you doing? He has a knife!"

Hearing this, the other imperial guards hurriedly stirred their True Qi, behind their heads divine lights surged, Divine Shrines appeared with Divine Embryos seated within, each preparing their spells and rushing over here!

Li Xiaoding, too, was startled by the words "He has a knife" and rolled off the recliner in a panic, confused and unquestioning, he took out a paper talisman.

With a buzzing sound, the paper talisman ignited, and instantly a miraculous power burst forth, turning him radiant with golden light, like a giant bell being upturned, enveloping him in a protective circle!

Chen Shi's face showed panic, his body trembling, the small knife inadvertently dropped to the ground, and he quickly cried out loudly, "I need black dog blood to draw the talisman! Don't kill me! Big brother Li Guang, save me!"

The seven imperial guards, who were ready with their spells, heard this and each held back, the spells ready but not unleashed.

Li Xiaoding also got up from the ground and quickly looked to Li Guang. Li Guang was also ready with a spell to finish off Chen Shi but upon hearing this, he suddenly came to his understanding and quickly laughed, "It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Back to the young master, indeed black dog blood is needed as a primer for drawing the talismans. Black dog blood is strong with positive energy, and when combined with cinnabar, the power of the talisman is greatly enhanced."

Li Xiaoding kicked the nearby Black Pot with his foot, cursing with a smile, "I thought someone was after me again, turns out it's this beast that's set to die. Damn it, you gave me quite the scare!"

He kicked Black Pot again and laughed, "Aren't you going to roll over there and face your death?"

Black Pot, having been kicked twice, sulkily swung its tail, resenting the fickleness of humans, who not long ago had been petting its head and praising it as a good dog, and were now cursing it.

Black Pot walked towards Chen Shi, who breathed a sigh of relief and bent over to pick up the small knife.

At the same time, Li Guang and the other seven imperial guards also relaxed and dispersed the ready spells; six of them also dispersed their Divine Shrines, turning to go about their respective tasks. Only Li Guang's Divine Shrine still floated behind his head, not letting down his guard.

Chen Shi bent down to pick up the knife, eyeing the positions of the seven men around him in his peripheral vision.

Each person lifting their foot, ready to turn, were clearly imprinted in his mind.

"Four of them are less than ten feet away from me, two are further, and Li Guang is the closest. Now is the best opportunity to strike!"

Chen Shi's hand gripped the handle of the knife, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, his first target was Li Guang!

Although Li Guang was still maintaining the Divine Shrine Divine Embryo, Chen Shi had full confidence that he could deliver a fatal blow before Li Guang could even release his spell!

"Is this Li Xiaoding's young master's camp?" Suddenly, a pleasant voice sounded.

A girl dressed in a bright red gauze pants and wearing a purple train skirt outside came to the edge of the camp, carrying a large basket of fruit, smiling, "I'm Zi E from the Ding Family, following the fourth young miss on a hunting trip. My fourth young miss is still setting up camp, heard that young master Li also came to hunt and enjoy the spring, so she asked me to come over to connect the affections of both families, and see if I could talk to the brothers here to help pitch our camp properly."

Chen Shi's expression changed slightly, hand on the knife handle as he got up, the murderous look in his eyes vanished.

This maid named Zi E from the Ding Family coming here had cost him the best opportunity to strike.

Indeed, he could take the chance when everyone's attention was attracted by Zi E for a moment, but Zi E outside the camp could be ready with her spells in time!

Even if he killed seven imperial guards, he would still die at the hands of Zi E, and he might not even have time to kill Li Xiaoding.

Moreover, even if Zi E did not take action, if she ran away, his act of killing Li Xiaoding would be exposed, bringing disaster upon his grandfather and even bringing doom to Huangpo Village!

That was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

"I can only give up this chance."

Chen Shi called over Black Pot and walked towards the table. Zi E was just a casual visitor, aiming to make the Ding and Li families closer; she probably wouldn't stay long, and he would still have other chances.

Elsewhere, one of the imperial guards hurriedly let Zi E in, laughing, "Our young master was just talking about visiting your place, and I didn't expect the young lady to come first." As he spoke, he reached out to take the fruit basket from Zi E's hands.

Zi E took out an invitation and walked toward Li Xiaoding, smiling, "Young master Li is quite the celebrity in Water Buffalo County! The last village examination saw young master Li astonishing everyone, my fourth young miss also said she didn't expect young master Li to hide his strength so well... I am Zi E, I've seen young master Li, this is my mistress's invitation."

She moved gracefully, her already pretty features enhanced by makeup, became even more dazzling, drawing the attention of the imperial guards who were about to go work, each of them turned back, hoping to talk more with her, to get closer.

After all, enjoying the spring was an activity for both men and women to seek closeness, otherwise, who would run to the mountains to hunt?

Chen Shi sat on the stool, bent over and prepared to bleed Black Pot when he suddenly froze.

"Everyone is close again, the perfect opportunity to strike has reappeared, but now there is one more person, Zi E... to hell with Zi E!"

Black Pot clenched its teeth, feeling somewhat reluctant. The old master would cut it and throw it a piece of Exotic Beast Meat to replenish, but the young master would cut it without giving it meat to recover.

It closed its eyes, bracing for the knife, suddenly a gust of wind blew, and in the blink of an eye, Chen Shi who had been holding the knife vanished from in front of it.

Black Pot was stunned, about to turn its head, when Chen Shi's knife had already plunged into Li Guang's throat, pulled forcefully, and blood sprayed out!

Li Guang's eyes widened, his mouth agape, about to shout, when Chen Shi's bloodstained knife had already reached behind another brocade-clad guard. The sharp dagger plunged into the guard's heart from his back, neatly avoiding each rib.

Then, withdrawing the blade and turning around, Chen Shi moved in front of the brocade-clad guard, the dagger piercing his chest into his heart, another stab that also neatly avoided each rib.

Chen Shi tried to pull out the blade, but his hand slipped, the hilt eluding his grasp, unable to pull it out. The knife was covered in blood and particularly slippery.

Without thinking, Chen Shi stepped forward, covering a distance of over three yards, his fingers spread and jabbing into the eyes of the third brocade-clad guard. Both of the guard's eyeballs burst as he poked them, his fingers penetrating the skull, scrambling the brain matter.

Chen Shi pulled out his fingers, twisting his waist, turning around, and stepping out with his left foot as he did so. By the time his left foot touched the ground, he had covered eight feet, and in the instant he landed, his right foot flew up, striking the neck of the fourth brocade-clad guard.

This kick, like a heavy cleaver, chopped down on the man's neck, the sheer force twisting it and producing a sickening sound of breaking bones.

As the man's body fell sideways to the ground, his face not yet hitting the dirt, Chen Shi had already leapt over him, his palms slamming heavily on the ears of the fifth brocade-clad guard. Blood immediately flowed from the guard's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets!

Simultaneously, Li Guang's shout finally came, but with it came a whistling sound, his voice mingling with the blood that spewed out.

Li Guang raised his hand to his neck, only then realizing that Chen Shi's cut had almost severed it, leaving only the muscles at the back of his neck intact.

"This kid's so fast!"

A thought flashed through his mind, "Why does he want to kill us?"

His vision darkening, he only saw Chen Shi's diminutive figure pouncing on the sixth person, who still had a look of shock on his face, clearly not recovered from the surprise.

Chen Shi's right hand curled into a fist that wasn't quite a fist. He thrust it with immense force into the chest of the sixth brocade-clad guard, a chorus of cracking bones sounding out.

The brocade-clad guard spat out blood, but a Divine Shrine had already formed at the back of his head. However, he had no time to invoke Spell as Chen Shi's left hand pressed down on his face, an immense force bursting forth, making him feel as if an elephant was stepping on and pushing back his face!

"Thud!"

The back of his head slammed into a rock on the ground, and both the rock and his skull shattered!

Chen Shi then squatted down in a bow stance, his gaze falling on the seventh brocade-clad guard.

The brocade-clad guard channeled his True Qi, activating his Divine Shrine and awakening the Divine Embryo within. Divine Power surged through his entire body, filling his limbs and bones.

But no sooner had this Divine Power surged through him than Chen Shi's knee landed viciously between his legs, smashing his groin and its dangling appendages to pieces!

His body was lifted by the force, flipping head over heels backward, but before he could land, the tip of Chen Shi's other foot kicked his temple.

Crack.

His neck twisted grotesquely to one side.

At that moment, a thud was heard; Li Guang collapsed, followed by the second and third brocade-clad guards, swaying and on the verge of toppling over.

Suddenly, a figure flashed. Chen Shi was back in front of the second brocade-clad guard, reaching for his knife, withdrawing the blade.

The crowd had not anticipated this turn of events; by the time they reacted, it was too late. Zi E was especially flabbergasted, about to stimulate her Divine Embryo and call upon her Spell. She had just started to form the Meridian Evil Slayer Sword when her chest suddenly hurt. Looking down, she saw two bloodstained hands gripping her head and jaw.

Zi E's vision shook violently, her perspective leaping from her chest to her back in an instant.

With both hands, Chen Shi twisted the woman's neck, breaking it. Before her body could fall, his palm reached her chest, pulling the small knife from her breastbone.

"Thump."

"Thump."

"Thump."

One after another, the bodies fell.

Suddenly there was a buzzing sound, and Chen Shi turned to see Li Xiaoding, young Master Li, burning a Golden Bell Talisman. As the Golden Bell Talisman burned, it sent out a dazzling golden light, taking on the shape of a large bell.

Li Xiaoding trembled all over, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Chen Shi standing there.

He was a Cultivator of the Divine Embryo Realm, capable of easily killing Chen Shi if he unleashed a Spell.

But he was too afraid, his mind a blank slate, unable to remember any of the Spells he had learned.

He had even forgotten that he was a Cultivator, that he possessed a Divine Embryo!

——The next chapter updates at six o'clock in the evening! During the launch of this new book, votes and promotions are appreciated~