NOVEL WEB Chapter 1 - Young Marquis
“Young marquis! Morning!”
“Young marquis! Buying things!”
“Young marquis! I have a rare piece of ancient jade here, would you be interested?”
“Young marquis! I've been waiting for you for a long time, why haven't you come for so long?”
“Mei-Niang! What nonsense are you talking about? The Young Marquis is going to be engaged to Miss Wang Yan, the Great Young Miss of the Wang Family, in a few days.”
“What a pity! It's such a pity.”
“Indeed, it's such a pity!”
Both uttered the same phrases, incomprehensible to the average person. While they tried to convey a message, Chen Shaofeng was far from foolish; he clearly grasped their underlying intent.
Essentially, they implied he was undeserving of the esteemed Miss Wang from the Wang Family.
Chen Shaofeng had long become accustomed to such insinuations.
He paid no mind to the nearby shops and vendors.
Their continued politeness was solely due to his identity as Chi Yunhou's son.
Without that status, many wouldn't even deign to look his way.
Chen Shaofeng was fully aware of their motives and sentiments. Yet, he brushed it aside, remaining unperturbed by their views.
His primary concern was Wang Yan's perspective. As for the rest, they could opine as they pleased!
“Chen Shaofeng! Stop right there.”
Just as Chen Shaofeng was preparing to depart, a voice beckoned him from behind.
He pivoted to identify the caller and upon recognition, his brow furrowed, questioning, “What do you want?”
“Chen Shaofeng! I suggest you forget about my sister. She's beyond the reach of someone like you.”
The individual confronting him was Wang Ze, the second heir of the Wang Family.
Their animosity was a recent development, sprouting after Chen Shaofeng's breakthrough at age ten. Prior to that, Wang Ze had revered Chen Shaofeng, addressing him affectionately as his elder brother.
Wang Ze's demeanor shifted drastically when he learned of Chen Shaofeng's inability to progress to the truth realm. He began demeaning him and persistently thwarted his attempts to see Wang Yan.
“Regardless of my flaws, you're no match for me,” Chen Shaofeng retorted stoically.
“I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of my sister!”
Without hesitation, Chen Shaofeng initiated an attack. Despite his limitations in reaching the truth realm, his mastery in Qi Refining was unparalleled. He was confident in overpowering an opponent yet to reach the truth realm.
But to his astonishment, before he could react, he was propelled into the air, landing with a harsh thud as blood stained the surroundings.
“How is this possible?”
Until now, Chen Shaofeng still had not reacted to what had happened.
“Idiot!” Do you see me as insignificant as you? Let me clarify something: a month ago, I already advanced to the preliminary phase of the Nascent Soul stage,” Wang Ze said with palpable contempt.
His laughter was bold and unapologetic, the taunting look on his face unmistakable.
Chen Shaofeng found himself on the ground, his face shadowed with anger. Over the last seven years, he had been on the receiving end of countless taunts and humiliations.
What made this more painful was the identity of his assailant: Wang Ze, the blood brother of Wang Yan, who had always trailed behind him, addressing him as ‘Big Brother.'
Presently, being overpowered by Wang Ze was a hard pill for him to swallow.
Yet, reality was what it was. His only option now was to immerse himself in cultivation, striving to reach the truth realm.
The body refining phase for martial artists consisted of nine specific stages: skin refining, flesh refining, blood refining, bone refining, marrow refining, meridians refining, essence refining, and lastly, true essence.
Each of these stages had its own sub-stages: initial, middle, late, and great perfection.
This was the pivotal step before advancing to the Xiantian realm, marking the beginning of the Xiantian transition phase.
Thus, reaching the truth realm was a monumental challenge. Some never attain this in their lifetime, while even prodigies might require a couple of years for a breakthrough.
In the past, this is where Chen Shaofeng hit a wall. To this day, he remains baffled: why does his energy always vanish when he's on the brink of a breakthrough?
He didn't understand, really didn't understand.
He had consistently sought this answer, yet it always eluded him.
It must be understood that before one steps into the true realm, the difference between the two states is immeasurable. This explains why, with just a beginner's experience in the true realm, Wang Ze could effortlessly knock down Chen Shaofeng.
In that instant, observing Wang Ze's conceited expression, Chen Shaofeng wished he could retaliate with a blow.
However, Chen Shaofeng recognized that given his present capabilities, such an act was unfeasible. His only option was to bear the insult quietly.
A silver lining was that someone empathized with him - Wang Yan, his childhood companion and fiancée through an arranged commitment.
Yet, Wang Ze's utterances soon made him question this reassurance.
“Chen Shaofeng! My sister has not only reached the truth realm but surpasses even me in strength. I am here on her behalf, relaying her message: she deems you unworthy and refuses to wed someone she sees as beneath her.
In a short time, she'll join the esteemed Great Tang Academy, elevating her status further. It's clear you two are worlds apart. For your own good, perhaps you should willingly break off the engagement.”
“Do you expect me to fall for such an obvious deception?” Rising from the ground, Chen Shaofeng responded with a scoff.
He found it hard to believe Wang Yan would act so coldly and opted to dismiss Wang Ze's claims.
“At this moment, it'd take merely a hand to best you. Why would I resort to deception?” Wang Ze retorted with a chilling laugh.
Chen Shaofeng's demeanor shifted, but he countered, “I might be persuaded, but only if your sister herself delivers the message.”
“Indeed, some won't see reason until faced with dire consequences. Very well, bear the consequences of your disbelief.”
Being inherently impetuous and having an aversion to Chen Shaofeng, Wang Ze's temper flared upon hearing this defiance, leading him to strike Chen Shaofeng directly.
“Am I afraid of you?”
While Chen Shaofeng hadn't yet achieved the truth realm, his years at the pinnacle of the Qi Refining stage had granted him significant strength.
So, as Wang Ze's punch approached, Chen Shaofeng retaliated with a powerful punch of his own.
Given his advanced Qi Refining capabilities, Chen Shaofeng had no choice but to give it his all; otherwise, he'd be the one taking damage from Wang Ze.
On the other hand, Wang Ze underestimated Chen Shaofeng, not utilizing even half of his potential power when striking.
In Wang Ze's view, Chen Shaofeng's capabilities were no match for his. He believed that using less than half his strength was sufficient to counter him.
But was that really the case?
What Wang Ze seemed to overlook was that although he had entered the initial phase of the Nascent Soul Stage, it was a recent advancement.
Despite Chen Shaofeng's standing at the zenith of the Refinement Realm and having held that position for many years, Wang Ze erroneously thought he could overpower him using less than half his strength.