Above the Great Dao

The woman in purple gazed at Chen Shi's retreating figure in surprise and asked, "He survived after the Divine Embryo was taken?"

Fang He was also puzzled and said, "Logically, one must crack open the skull to extract the Divine Embryo, and any cultivator who loses their Divine Embryo is undoubtedly doomed. So how is this boy still alive after his Divine Embryo was taken?"

Each year, many people die because their Divine Embryos are taken, which is quite common in the Great Ming dynasty. The fact that Chen Shi survived his Divine Embryo being taken was indeed a curious incident.

Fang He quickly stepped forward, reached behind Chen Shi, and probed his skull, indeed finding a scar that had long healed.

The scar was three to four inches long, with a raised section of bone beneath it.

"Chen Shi, don't move."

As Fang He spoke, he parted Chen Shi's hair, revealing the flesh-red scar that looked like a thick, red centipede clinging to the back of Chen Shi's head.

Chen Shi, munching on jerky, seemed indifferent to it.

The woman in purple also saw the scar and gasped in surprise. Someone had opened this young man's skull!

"It's truly a miracle he survived such a wound!" she exhaled a turbid breath.

Without the Divine Embryo, any True Qi is like a tree without roots or water without a source, ready to vanish at any moment. After Chen Shi's Divine Embryo had been taken, he had become useless. Thus, after consuming the spiritual jerky, the medicinal energy contained transformed into True Qi, rekindling his divine niche. But, without the Divine Embryo, both his divine niche and his cultivation were as insubstantial as a mirage.

Fang He lagged a few steps behind and lowered his voice, "Sir, last year in Water Buffalo County, County Magistrate Li's son, Li Xiaoding, made a sensational show at the village examination and claimed the title of Scholar, but I heard that Mr. Li is neither studious nor skilled in cultivation, and even quite foolish. He did not receive favor from the True God. Some say Mr. Li must have stolen a poor student's Divine Embryo..."

The woman in purple coughed softly, her words heavy with implication, "Though County Magistrate Li does not hold a high office, the Li Family is a mighty clan. How Mr. Li obtained the status of Scholar is none of our concern. This child, quite pitiable."

Her gaze fell on Chen Shi, and she instructed softly, "Give him a quick end later. Don't let him suffer."

She then turned her head towards Huangpo Village, her face softening as she murmured gently, "And this village, eliminate it too, to accompany the poor lad in death, to avoid any leakage of information, so no one can say the Zhao family acted improperly in discovering the True King's Tomb without informing them, creating trouble. After finding the True King's Tomb, arrange to cover this up. Do it cleanly."

Fang He bowed in agreement.

Chen Shi looked as usual, but his ears twitched.

Though he had lost his Divine Embryo, his hearing was extraordinary. Despite their hushed conversation, it had not escaped his ears.

"These people mean harm to me and my village; it appears they are the instigators. According to the Master's teachings, it's best to eradicate them root and stem, let them have no descendants."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "I certainly cannot defeat them. The Master says, 'A scholar does not discuss the bizarre and the chaotic.' My current strength is still not enough to command supernatural forces, so it's better to use a stratagem to kill. The Master's teachings, truly wisdom for all aspects of life!"

His admiration for his Master welled up spontaneously.

Chen Shi quietly slowed his pace, signaling the others to catch up.

The woman in purple and her companions followed him forward, only to see at the edge of the forest ahead, more than a dozen little figures about a foot tall playing by the stream.

These tiny figures had well-defined features, complete with arms and legs, dressed in green, with white skin, almost like living beings.

They touched each other, producing the sound of porcelain clashing, indicating they were not human.

The porcelain dolls frolicked by the mountain stream, splashing water and catching fish, blissfully unaware.

Their words were strangely alien, not in human language, consisting of indistinct sounds, yet the porcelain dolls understood each other and communicated, occasionally bursting into cheerful laughter.

Upon arriving behind Chen Shi, the lady in purple and her companions, stirred by the sight, whispered excitedly, "These must be porcelain artifacts from the True King's Tomb that have gained sentience. If we follow them, we can find the tomb!"

Taking a step forward, Chen Shi snapped a dry branch on the ground. Alerted by the sound, one of the porcelain dolls craned its neck to look around, and upon spotting Chen Shi, it let out a sharp call, shrill as the song of a yellow oriole.

The other porcelain dolls, upon seeing Chen Shi, twisted their faces into expressions of deep hatred and rolled up their sleeves, charging at him aggressively without apparent reason.

It was only then that the porcelain dolls noticed the lady in purple and the other strangers and let out a collective gasp of surprise, quickly hiding in the nearby bushes.

From the bushes came the animated chattering and cursing of the porcelain dolls, seemingly blaming Chen Shi for not being able to defeat them and yet calling for reinforcements.

Fang He and the others hurriedly advanced, parted the bushes, and followed the trail. They chased swiftly forward but saw only an expanse of vibrant green mountains and tall trees, the forest dark and immeasurable, disorienting them.

The porcelain dolls moved swiftly, darting through the trees and bushes, significantly challenging their pursuers who quickly lost track of them.

Suddenly, the lady in purple's eyes lit up, and she whispered, "Follow Cheng Shi!"

The group then realized that Chen Shi was moving swiftly through the woods, expertly chasing the porcelain dolls.

It was difficult for the group to catch up with the dolls, but Chen Shi, being larger and more visible, was easier to track, so they hurriedly followed him deeper into the forest.

The trees became denser, with only a few patches of dappled sunlight hitting the ground.

The group chased after Chen Shi, unknowingly covering a significant distance, before he suddenly vanished without a trace.

As they moved closer, they saw the trees around them growing rapidly, becoming taller and mightier as if reaching for the heavens, the lushness overwhelming, supporting the azure sky.

Even the wild grass thickened to the size of trees, and boulders now resembled hills; a small stream turned into a vast, majestic river.

In amazement, they heard someone exclaim, "It's not that the plants have grown, but we have shrunk!"

The lady in purple and her companions were horrified, examining each other to see that they had shrunk from adult size to less than a foot in mere moments!

The lady in purple looked at her skin, trembling slightly.

After a moment, she gathered her courage and lightly tapped her arm, producing a crisp porcelain clinking sound.

She nearly fainted.

She had turned into a porcelain doll!

Looking at her companions, she realized that all of the imperial guards with her had also turned into porcelain dolls!

"Ghost God Domain! We have ventured into a Ghost God Domain! Yes! Cheng Shi!"

The lady in purple clung to this revelation like a lifeline, "Cheng Shi has been here before. He must know what's happening...wait!"

Her face went pale. "If Cheng Shi knew that entering this place would turn us into porcelain dolls, why would he lead us here? Is Cheng Shi... really as honest as he appears?"

———— There will be another chapter update tonight, around six o'clock. Chapter length, 3000-4000 words.