Above the Great Dao

In Chen Shi's small temple, Scholar Zhu clapped his hands in admiration: "Mencius said, 'If the ruler sees his people as grass, the people will see the ruler as an enemy.' The Thirteen Families occupy high positions, disregarding the common people and exploiting them. They deserve to be killed! Kill them well, kill them well, we should hang all those bastards!"

With a hanging rope around his neck, he leapt from the Divine Shrine, calling out: "Little Ten, you haven't done well enough, the killings aren't satisfying enough! You can't become like Mencius, you're not fierce enough! You need me to teach you by example!"

He was extremely excited. He had spoiled Chen Tang, turned him into a mild-mannered villain, sent him properly to take the imperial exams, become an official, but couldn't even become a top scorer!

It completely lost face for him.

Chen Tang couldn't protect their son, nor could he protect his wife, he hadn't gained power over the court as an official, let alone become a True King to save the masses from disaster!

In his view, his teaching was utterly a failure, having taught someone to be gentlemanly!

But Chen Shi, he absolutely could not spoil.

Chen Shi was taught excellently by him, "Analects" performed dynamically, and "Mencius" was beginning to be practiced.

Coinciding with these days, he could accompany Chen Shi in traveling through this absurd and bizarre world, surely able to teach by example, guiding Chen Shi onto the correct path!

"Once he cultivates 'Laozi,' he can become a True King!" Scholar Zhu thought silently to himself.

Above Chen Shi's head, a golden brick descended from the sky, its surface displaying various strange talisman patterns, swiftly transforming from the size of a palm into a perfectly square Golden Mountain, a hundred feet tall, wide, and long, with an astonishing weight!

As the Golden Mountain fell, Chen Shi's Daoist field expanded, Sixty-Four Trigram Zone spun, talisman patterns on the Golden Mountain crackled loudly, burning vigorously, being refined within the Daoist field, losing much of its power!

An elder of the Xia Family stepped forth, with hands raised high, fiercely declared: "You dare kill Fengyang Patriarch of the Xia Family? I'll have you dead!"

Behind him manifested a hundred-foot Primordial Spirit, unexpectedly a master of the God Refining Realm, whose Primordial Spirit simultaneously raised its hands, unleashing perfectly the power of the Golden Mountain!

Golden Mountain roared, crushed downward, and at the moment of nearly touching Chen Shi, this Magical Treasure was entirely melted by Chen Shi's Daoist field, burning away all talisman imprints, transforming into a stream of golden liquid and splashing around.

The scalding golden liquid formed a golden lake on the ground!

The Xia Family elder was shocked: "The Magical Treasure can't harm him?"

The power of the Magical Treasure is exceedingly strong, not something ordinary cultivators can withstand. Its inherent strength is already formidable, combined with long-due rituals, absorbing Incense Fire Qi, fierce and dominant, comparable to deities!

His golden brick was just such a Magical Treasure, having undergone ritual for over seven hundred years, absorbing over seven hundred years of Incense Fire Qi, condensed into Divine Power. This Divine Power, even surpassing his cultivation level, thus when summoned, it yields mighty power!

Chen Shi stood upon the golden lake, raised his hand to summon the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler, turned to look and declared: "You want me dead? I'll have you dead first!"

The Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler quickly shrank, from a colossal object of thousands of feet, transforming into a sewing needle, and with a flick of his fingers, whooshed swiftly into the air!

The Xia Family elder's Daoist field erupted, with True Dragons flying around, coiling around his body.

This technique is the Eight Might Dragon Rune Technique, transforming the vast Dao Power within the Daoist field into True Dragons, adhering to the body, enhancing defense while greatly boosting physical attack power.

He raised his hand to block, and with a piercing sound, Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler penetrated through his palm, shot into his forehead and out the back of his head, piercing through his physical body while also piercing the hundred-foot Primordial Spirit behind him!

Chen Shi raised his sword finger, the Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler stood behind his Primordial Spirit's head, swinging with the sword finger, and with a boom, shattered the Primordial Spirit of the Xia Family elder into pieces!

"Kill him!"

Ferocious roars erupted from Fengyang Manor, numerous ghost gods swarmed from all directions towards Chen Shi.

Xia Tianjie hastily raised his hands and shouted: "Don't take action! Everyone listen to me!"

Yet, none of the approaching ghost gods listened to him.

They were intent on avenging Fengyang Lord.

Fengyang Lord was a nail planted in the Underworld by the Xia Family, with similar nails in the Underworld numbering in the hundreds.

As one of the Thirteen Families, since the True King Era, the Xia Family has produced innumerable cultivators. The top tier, like the Sect Master, upon death enter the Upper Realm to practice Divine Dao.

The second tier, such as branch leaders, cultivating techniques from "Nangong Collection," can also reach Returning Void Realm or Mahayana Realm. After death, these powerful figures fall into the Underworld, serving as officials in the Underworld.

The third class are those like Fengyang Lord, who while alive served as regional officials, neither outstanding nor inadequate. Upon death they find a place in the Underworld, not claiming mountains as kings, but having a territory, ruling ghosts and spirits.

Fengyang Lord lived around the Min River area when alive, his cultivation wasn't very high, but he held great renown. All Xia Family members who served as regional officials in Min River region during their lifetime, upon death arrive at Fengyang Manor in the Underworld, all having some incense fire, enjoying ritual offerings.

These approaching ghost gods are Xia Family members who served as officials in Min River region during their lifetime, not ghosts of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

In Gongzhou, Xia Family masters post-death do not enter Hell, but in the Underworld, reside in Fengyang Lord's manor. Or, establish estates elsewhere, supported by Fengyang Lord, subduing ghost monsters, annexing Underworld territories, capturing ghosts of cultivators for slavery to serve themselves, living freer than in the Mortal World.