Above the Great Dao

Chen Shi showed a smile, turned his head to glance at him, and said, "I've killed the young master, defeated Li Qianyun, Xia Tianjie, and others, yet you still think I might not be able to beat you? What if I defeat Yang Bi?"

Zhang You laughed and said, "Perhaps I'm not a match for Yang Bi, but in a fight to the death, the outcome is always uncertain."

Chen Shi looked at him deeply. Zhang You had never made a move, whether at the imperial exam or in the Buddhist Hell, Chen Shi had never seen him display spell or magic skills. However, Chen Shi was proficient in the True King's Tomb martial arts, which included the Zhang family's ultimate technique.

Zhang You sensed his gaze, which was heavily aggressive and oppressive, instantly triggering his qi interaction, his qi-blood autonomously circulating.

This circulation exposed his cultivation technique.

"Mystic Truth Spiritual Treasure Talisman! No, it's the Emperor Dragon Head Scripture... also incorrect. His qi-blood circulation bears traces of multiple techniques."

Chen Shi was surprised; Zhang You's qi-blood inner refining had become unfamiliar.

He leaped out from the limitations of the Zhang family's ancestral techniques, with traces of many Zhang family techniques in his cultivation; apart from the Zhang family, there were influences from other families. But these were not what surprised Chen Shi.

What surprised Chen Shi was that Zhang You's cultivation contained his own creations.

He should still be exploring, but to integrate other techniques and incorporate his own innovations, even if just a little, was worthy of being called a grandmaster!

Like the Innocent Taoist, who created Yin Yang Refining, purifying his own evil energy, suppressing evil transformations, thus becoming a Great Grandmaster!

Zhang You was far from reaching the level of the Innocent Taoist, but he was young and had already broken free from the confines of the Zhang family's techniques, showing great potential for growth!

"Having an opponent like you in the world is also a blessing." Chen Shi laughed.

Zhang You stood quietly beside him, and after a long while he said, "Thank you."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "Thank you for what? You're worthy of acknowledgment. In the future, perhaps I'll be the one to send you off."

Zhang You laughed and said, "If a fixed term of life ends, dying at the hands of the Scholar Chen is also my blessing."

Chen Shi laughed and shook his head, and said, "I have a friend named Li Tianqing, he also comes from a family..."

"I am different from Li Tianqing. He never benefited from his family but was burdened by it. I have been taught by the Zhang family, learned the Zhang family's methods, fed by the Zhang family's bounty, fulfilled the Zhang family duty, therefore I must go through fire and water."

Zhang You bowed and bid farewell, saying, "Therefore, even if recognizing the Zhang family's faults, I would still be willing to give my life to defend the Zhang family. Chen top scorer, farewell."

Chen Shi bowed to see him off.

After Zhang You left, the white-clothed Fairy finally dared to come out. Earlier, there were too many people, which made her uncomfortable. Now with only Chen Shi nearby, she relaxed a lot.

"Could she really be the Fairy of Qixia Temple?" Chen Shi thought.

The white-clothed Fairy was pressing her head against him, circling around him, nudging from front to back. Lately, she seemed fond of this childish behavior, and Chen Shi suspected maybe it's because her skull was growing, considering he had hit her hard at that time, possibly cracking her skull, damaging her brain.

"However, if she is indeed the Fairy of Qixia Temple, her skull should be very strong, so she likely wasn't made foolish by my beating."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "Surely it's the court cabinet activating the True King Nine Palaces that made her silly."

But he immediately wondered if the True King Nine Palaces merely cracked the Fairy's skull, without causing her foolishness?

Could it be possible that it was he who hammered the girl's cracked skull with a big stone, causing her silliness?

Chen Shi sighed, shielding the white-clothed Fairy's head with his hand, feeling for any cracks in her skull.

The white-clothed Fairy stood quietly, very docile, allowing him to feel her head all over, then Chen Shi proceeded to touch her cheeks, ears, and pinch her chin.

The white-clothed Fairy's cheeks flushed red from his touch, her watery eyes gazing at him.

Chen Shi pinched her nose and laughed heartily, then released her, thinking, "Peng Jue is trying to confuse me, I won't let it succeed!"

The white-clothed Fairy kept pressing her head against him.

Chen Shi suddenly realized, "She's not having an itchy skull, she's imitating Wen Wuyu! Wen Wuyu and I once turned into little Bull Head demons, head-butting each other!"

Understanding this, he laughed, "I'll humor you then!"

He bent over and lowered his head, bumping heads with the white-clothed Fairy.

"Bang!"

Chen Shi felt the world spinning, golden stars danced before his eyes, and just before losing consciousness, a thought flashed through his mind: "Her head is really hard... "

When he came to, his ears were still buzzing, his mind somewhat muddled.

Chen Shi opened his eyes, finding himself lying on a bed, Yang Bi standing by the windowsill, hands behind his back, gazing outside, the window somehow opened wide, showing the scenery outside.

"You've been injured again."

Yang Bi noticed him waking up, turned around, shook his head with a hint of helplessness, and said, "Chen top scorer, it's been less than ten days since you came to the Upper Realm, and you've been injured three times. If word got out, they would surely say our Upper Realm tried to assassinate you, but I know we Upper Realm haven't touched a hair on your head."

Chen Shi touched his forehead, which had swollen into a big bump, pressing on it, it felt soft, likely filled with clotted blood.

"Your Primordial Spirit is wounded too, the Primordial Spirit Arena likewise got smashed into a pit."

Yang Bi sincerely said, "Can you tell me, who exactly injured you like this?"

Chen Shi glanced toward the corner of the bed.

Yang Bi followed his gaze to see the white-clothed Fairy sitting in the bed corner, hugging the quilt with her arms, her eyes filled with guilt and a bit of timidity.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, laying over her shoulders with part of it on the quilt. During the time Chen Shi was unconscious, she must have been taking care of him.