Li Tianqing followed his gaze and saw an incredibly ancient cedar tree. The tree stood tall and straight, covered in scars and knots.
The mountain breeze rustled the leaves of the old tree, and a blue-white incense aura swirled around it, sometimes forming the shape of an old lady, and sometimes dispersing.
This tree, which protected Chen Shi, was forming a new divine image under the influence of extraordinary power.
"This mountain has a spirit," Li Jindou said with emotion. "These trees, rocks, and ruins, with the incense offerings from the mountain people, will form new godmothers to protect generation after generation."
Li Jindou continued, "As one godmother ages and a village declines, a new godmother will replace her, and new villages will form around her, living on stubbornly."
The grandfather and grandson followed Chen Shi deeper into the mysterious mountain.
Chen Shi was familiar with the area and didn’t think much of it, but Li Jindou was secretly amazed. "The geography of the mountain is so complex. Without a guide, finding this place would be a dream!"
The dense forest gave way to sparse vegetation and brick-and-stone kilns came into view.
Li Jindou was overwhelmed with excitement. "The kiln factory for making porcelain for the True King’s Tomb, we’ve finally arrived! Wait... the Spirit Realm!"
His face turned serious as he looked at the kiln factory ahead, stopping Chen Shi and Li Tianqing from entering.
"This is a Spirit Realm, not to be entered lightly," Li Jindou said gravely. "The True King’s Tomb is truly extraordinary, even the kiln factory has become a Spirit Realm. If you accidentally step into it, there’s no escaping!"
Chen Shi was shocked. He had brought many people here, none of whom noticed the strangeness of the kiln factory, and they fell into the Spirit Realm, turning into porcelain dolls.
He hadn’t expected this unassuming old man from the Li family to recognize it as a Spirit Realm!
"Tianqing’s grandfather is much stronger than I anticipated," he thought to himself.
Li Tianqing glanced at him, seeing his calm expression, and said nothing.
Li Jindou slowly paced around the kiln factory, marking the boundary of the Spirit Realm with each step, creating deep pits in the ground. After a full circle, he said, "I’ve marked the boundary of this realm. Don’t step inside. Remember, remember."
Facing the kiln factory, he took a deep breath. It filled him with fear, and he dared not enter easily.
Li Jindou steadied himself and said, "Tianqing, Chen Shi, wait here. I’ll go in and check it out! If I don’t come out, Tianqing, go back with Chen Shi."
He paused and said, "Return to the village, and first thing tomorrow, head back to Spring City. Don’t delay. When you get there, say you couldn’t solve the case of Uncle Seven’s disappearance. Old Jindou is ashamed before the ancestors of the Li family and ran away. Remember, say I ran away, not that I died!"
He turned back, his expression stern, and said, "If you say I ran away, the Li family might still look after you and your mother, so you won’t starve. If you say I died in the Spirit Realm, you and your mother are doomed, not even the Divine Fetus can be saved!"
Li Tianqing’s face was pale as he whispered, "Grandfather, Tianqing understands."
"You’ve always been sensible, putting people at ease. Take good care of your mother, she’s had a hard life."
Li Jindou smiled, took a step, and entered the kiln factory.
At the same time, a light shot up from behind his head, revealing a Divine Altar with a Divine Fetus sitting inside, and behind the altar appeared a towering Primordial Spirit.
As he entered the kiln factory, his body began to rapidly transform into porcelain, flesh turning into ceramic, and his Divine Altar and Divine Fetus were also rapidly porcelainizing!
Only the towering Primordial Spirit remained unchanged, unmoving.
Li Jindou moved forward, his body shrinking as it porcelainized, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed from a hunched old man to a porcelain doll less than a foot tall.
He walked through the kiln factory, his Primordial Spirit following, exploring the layout.
Chen Shi and Li Tianqing stood outside the kiln factory, peering inside.
But there were many kilns blocking their view.
Li Tianqing suddenly said, "Little Shi, you killed my cousin Li Xiaoding, didn’t you?"
Chen Shi, searching for the porcelain dolls like Zhao Erni, paused slightly and turned to look at him.
Li Tianqing pressed his thin lips together and said, "You didn’t use a Strength Talisman, yet you could carry a Red Barbarian Cannon on your shoulder. A cannon weighing two or three thousand pounds was nothing to you, your strength must be immense.
I investigated Uncle Seven’s case, and he went to the countryside because of my cousin Li Xiaoding’s death. The case was taken over by a clerk named Zhuge Jian, who was very clever.
He found that the perpetrator was incredibly strong, able to move within ten feet like lightning, with fists and feet heavy enough to crack skulls, comparable to a cultivator at the Golden Core stage."
Zhuge Jian had burned the documents recording the origins of Chen Shi and Chen Yin, but the written records of the crime scene remained. Li Tianqing naturally reviewed these records while investigating Li Kefa’s disappearance.
Chen Shi scratched his head. "Zhuge Jian left those things behind?"
Li Tianqing nodded lightly. "Zhuge Jian also said that the culprit was less than five feet tall, with a childlike body, a talisman master, and accompanied by a large black dog."
Chen Shi sighed. "All these traits match me perfectly."
Li Tianqing continued, "You brought my grandfather and me to this kiln factory with ill intentions. You knew it was a Spirit Realm, planning to lead us into the kiln factory and trap us inside, using the Spirit Realm to deal with us. This isn’t your first time doing something like this, you must be quite familiar with it."
Without waiting for Chen Shi to respond, he said, "I’ve reviewed the disappearance cases around Heavenly Yang Mountain over the years, especially in the last two years. There have been fifteen cases near Yellow Slope Village, involving over two hundred people. Most of these disappearances are likely related to you and your grandfather! Chen Shi, others might say you’re bloodthirsty, but I know you’re actually protecting the people of Yellow Slope Village."
He paused and said, "You tied red cloth strips and offered incense to every spirit along the way, showing you want to protect the villagers, keeping them safe. When outsiders come to the village looking for the True King’s Tomb, they’re bound to think about silencing the villagers. Those villagers don’t realize that without you, Yellow Slope Village would have been wiped out fifteen times over!"
He knew these treasure hunters too well.
They came from powerful families, treating human lives like grass, and would have no qualms about wiping out a village to keep the True King’s Tomb a secret. They would definitely do it!
Chen Shi was silent for a moment, then praised, "Tianqing, you’re indeed a smart person, smarter than I thought. Why are you revealing this now?"
Li Tianqing’s face darkened.
"I’m happy to have met you, but I care about my grandfather and my mother. I want to survive in the Li family! During the divine descent ceremony, I was favored by the True God and received the Purple Jade Divine Fetus.
Although it’s not the best, it’s still remarkable. Some in the family suggested taking my Divine Fetus out and giving it to the eldest son of the clan leader. I’m from a collateral branch and illegitimate, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
My grandfather beat up the person who suggested it and took me to hide elsewhere, only returning after more than a year."
His face was pale as he continued, "This time, we’re trying to redeem ourselves. If we solve Uncle Seven’s case or find the True King’s Tomb, we can return to the Li family, and my mother won’t be humiliated, and I can survive! Chen Shi, I must earn this credit!"
He activated his technique, and the Divine Altar appeared behind his head, with the Divine Fetus sitting inside.
His Divine Fetus emitted a purple aura, surrounded by divine light, exuding a sacred majesty.
True God descended and bestowed the Divine Fetus.
The Divine Fetus is divided into nine grades, with the ninth grade being the lowest, like the Illusionary Fetus of Chen Shi’s grandfather, Chen Yin, which is extremely faint, transparent or semi-transparent, visible to the naked eye, and almost falling apart with a breeze.
The eighth grade, the Mysterious Fetus, also known as the Mysterious Ice Fetus, is also semi-transparent, not much better than the ninth grade.
With each grade improvement, the quality of the Divine Fetus doubles.
The first grade is the best, the Purple Jade Divine Fetus, like that of Prince Xiao.
Li Tianqing’s is the same.
The divine power contained in his Divine Fetus is 256 times that of the ninth grade!
In other words, their starting point is 256 times higher than Chen Shi’s grandfather!
Since ancient times, wealth has moved people’s hearts, let alone the Divine Fetus?
Even within the family, there’s a desire for such a Divine Fetus. Li Tianqing, being from a collateral branch and illegitimate, has a low status in the Li family. Without Li Jindou, he couldn’t protect the Divine Fetus, or even his life!
Chen Shi was puzzled. "If you knew I killed Li Xiaoding, why didn’t you tell your grandfather?"
Li Tianqing pressed his lips together. "My grandfather isn’t a match for your grandfather. If I told him, he’d try to deal with you on the way, and your grandfather, hiding in the dark, would seize the opportunity to kill him."
Chen Shi looked around, unable to find where his grandfather was hiding, and secretly laughed at his own caution. "So you’ve held back until now?"
Li Tianqing’s face was serious. "Now that my grandfather has entered the kiln factory, his life is uncertain, and I’ve reached a dead end. I have no choice but to fight."
He had no other options left. If he couldn’t bring Chen Shi back, both his mother and he would likely lose their lives.
"Chen Shi, I practice the Li family’s unique Six Yin Jade Wheel Art, different from the Heavenly Heart True Qi Technique learned by other students. The so-called Six Yin refers to the Greater Yin Spleen Meridian, Greater Yin Lung Meridian, Lesser Yin Heart Meridian, Lesser Yin Kidney Meridian, Reverting Yin Liver Meridian, and Reverting Yin Pericardium Meridian, with True Qi from these six meridians condensing into a wheel shape."
Li Tianqing activated the Jade Wheel, forming seals with his hands, with six different techniques.
Each time the technique changed, the Purple Jade Divine Fetus sitting in the Divine Altar also formed the corresponding hand seal.
Chen Shi sensed an invisible True Qi forming around Li Tianqing.
He focused his vision, only to see Li Tianqing’s body gradually blur. It was the Jade Wheel spinning, vibrating rapidly, causing air vibrations.
"My Six Yin Jade Wheel is invisible to the naked eye. My arms can fit inside it for close combat, and when opponents get close, they’ll be cut by the Jade Wheel."
Li Tianqing took a step forward, moving his feet and performing the Six Yin Jade Wheel Art techniques, somewhat similar to martial arts moves. The footwork was called the Jade Ring Step, moving in circular lines, with many changes.
However, unlike martial arts moves, each move was accompanied by a different seal technique, combined with the Jade Ring Step, making it unpredictable.
"The Six Yin Jade Wheel can also attack from a distance. With my Divine Fetus Stage cultivation, I can attack within a range of sixteen yards."
Li Tianqing stood with a composed demeanor, showing a master’s presence despite his young age. "Outsiders don’t understand our Li family’s Six Yin Jade Wheel Art, and when they fight us, they’re often killed in one move. You’re my friend, and I don’t want you to die without knowing why."
Chen Shi activated the Three Lights True Qi Technique, the Big Dipper Seven Stars forming talismans, creating a cluster of starlight, orbiting him slowly.
He suddenly stepped forward, his body colliding with the air, a thunderous sound echoing in his mind. In one step, he was already in front of Li Tianqing, the surging air blasting against Li Tianqing, making his clothes flutter and his red belt sway!
"I’ve made progress since I killed Li Xiaoding."
Chen Shi stepped on the Pivot Star, moving like a ghost, circling Li Tianqing from front to back, left to right, his figure breaking through the air, the sound deafening.
"I’ve cultivated the Sacred Fetus Body, and now I can instantly cover a distance of fifteen feet. Within fifteen feet, my speed is faster than spells!"
"My fists and feet are as powerful as spells!"
"Pay attention to my footwork, this is the Big Dipper Pivot Star Step!"
Chen Shi’s footsteps fell, the starlight exploding, refining his body with star power, and making his footwork more mysterious.
"Besides that, I’m also skilled in the Gem Star, Steady Star, Jade Light, Sunlight, Power Star, and Balance Star steps!"
Chen Shi demonstrated these six steps one by one, suddenly stopping, standing firm, and calming his surging energy.
"Tianqing, please!"
Outside the kiln factory, the two young men moved simultaneously!