Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 230 - 191: Clear the Monarch’s Side!

Chapter 230: Chapter 191: Clear the Monarch’s Side!

The lifespan of deities is extraordinarily long; if there are no calamities, they may even achieve eternal life.

But mortals and cultivators have an ultimate limit to their lifespan.

Take Chen Jichuan as an example.

Even though he is the City God now, his own cultivation is stuck at Qi Refinement, Core Formation, and Night Travel stages, allowing him only three hundred years of life. When the time comes, he will ultimately be unable to escape death.

After death, however, he can continue to exist as a deity.

Yet at that point, priorities must shift. With the divine position taking precedence, entanglement with incense offerings and being disturbed by the thoughts of countless people, how could one continue cultivating?

The only option would be to painstakingly manage the divine position and seek to perfect one’s merits in the hope of advancing the divine rank.

Yet the lifespan of deities is long, and without earth-shattering merits, the advancement of divine rank requires painstaking accumulation over a protracted period.

A hundred years.

A thousand years.

Ten thousand years.

Under such circumstances, the unchanging life of the Divine Dao is enough to grind down a person’s will. Moreover, the enjoyment of incense offerings inevitably incurs karmic entanglements. When calamity occurs, even deities may fall.

"If cultivating becomes hopeless, the Divine Dao is at least a decent refuge."

"Better to eke out survival than die a good death."

"At least it lets you live many more years."

"But it holds little appeal to me."

Chen Jichuan shook his head.

Simply put.

’Part-time deity’ offers many benefits.

’Full-time deity’ presents myriad limitations.

The choice between these was not difficult for Chen Jichuan.

"I still have forty to fifty good years left in this life. If I were to remain in the City God position after death, I would inevitably be drawn into the Divine Dao, unable to break free. At that point, relying on incense offerings would be of no benefit to my cultivation."

"Merely a waste of time."

In the Dao Fruit World, in the end, the path must return to cultivation.

...

Taiping Prefecture.

Prince Chen’s Mansion.

Bam!

Snap!

In the courtyard, Chen Jichuan was practicing his punches, maneuvering his Qi and blood.

Each punch and kick seemed ordinary, but the vitality of his Qi and blood was so strong that fierce ghosts retreated in fear, not daring to come near. If fully unleashed, his entire being would resemble a blazing sun, reducing any ghost in sight to ash.

Swoosh!

As fists and feet moved, one could distinctly hear the sound of his blood coursing through his body. His Qi and blood flowed like mighty rivers, surging powerfully.

Chen Jichuan was still refining the "Five Forms Eight Techniques Fist."

But compared to its initial creation during his time in the Qinling World, it had undergone tremendous transformation. This fist technique had integrated numerous martial arts from the Qinling World and absorbed others from the Great Rong World, raising it to a level unmatched by any top-tier technique across those two lifetimes.

If he could set aside modesty, Chen Jichuan might have even declared it as his "self-created" ultimate skill.

But Chen Jichuan valued his reputation.

In truth.

The "Five Forms Eight Techniques Fist" was merely a sophisticated martial art that he compiled by gathering the strengths of many schools.

It was far from the level of a "self-created" martial art.

If this martial art were spread, the masters across the Qinling World and the Great Rong World would surely find traces of their own martial techniques in it.

Yet regardless of whether it was ’self-created’ or ’fusion-based,’ the brilliance of the "Five Forms Eight Techniques Fist" was beyond dispute.

Especially after Chen Jichuan used ’Creation·Derivation’ to enhance it further, this technique became unrivaled throughout the world.

With every punch and kick, his Qi and blood were stirred.

Within Chen Jichuan’s heart, nine drops of blood glowed like nine blazing suns, illuminating his organs. A tenth drop of blood was intermittently congealing, pressuring his heart to the brink of rupture. Whenever his heart seemed unable to endure, the drop would suddenly dissipate, only to gather again when his heart recovered.

And so it repeated, alternating between congealing and dispersing.

Bam!

Bang-bang!

Bang-bang-bang!

Chen Jichuan’s heart pulsated strongly, his organs were continuously strengthened, and his blood flowed even more powerfully, purifying his entire body.

After external cultivation reaches the Core Formation stage, progressing from initial Core Formation to the refinement of Gang Strength, and finally to the stage of seeing the divine and remaining unbroken, it’s a step-by-step journey.

At the ninth layer of Core Formation.

The physical body, organs, and muscles were refined to an extraordinarily profound degree. At that stage, Core Formation compression concentrates the entirety of one’s essence, Qi, and spirit, as well as blood marrow, into a single point. This doesn’t lead to an outburst but instead results in extreme refinement.

Ultimately, this produces a drop of ’Essence Blood,’ stored in the heart, hence often called ’Heart’s Blood.’

A single drop of Essence Blood contains immense energy.

When stored in the heart, it significantly strengthens the organs. But in life-or-death combat, its sudden release is capable of shaking the heavens and shattering the earth.

Martial artists at the peak of Core Formation may still differ in strength.

Some cultivate the Core Formation stage carelessly, with mediocre foundations, and when they finally condense their Qi and blood, they might only manage to produce one or two drops of Essence Blood—or perhaps none. They remain stuck at the ninth layer of Core Formation.

But those with solid foundations who master this stage thoroughly can effortlessly produce three to five or even seven or eight drops of Essence Blood.

Chen Jichuan, with repeated cultivation through lifetimes, inherently had solid foundations.

Sparring and exchanging insights with countless martial artists, he absorbed the essence of martial arts from both the Qinling World and the Great Rong World. By further enhancing his cultivation method to the side-door level, his understanding of the Core Formation stage was exceptional.

Thus, upon reaching the tenth layer of Core Formation, he easily condensed nine drops of Essence Blood.

Now, the tenth drop of Essence Blood was nearly complete.

For a martial artist who has reached the tenth layer of Core Formation—the Ten Blood stage—they are exceedingly rare in the Great Rong, deserving the title of first-order supreme.

But this was still only first-order.

It was still within the Core Formation realm.

To go further and advance to second-order ’Soul Refining Realm,’ one must unveil the Seven Spirits.

But the human Divine Soul is dispersed and barely perceptible. The Seven Spirits are hidden within the body—how can one reveal them?

No one knows.

Chen Jichuan was equally lost.

All he could do was diligently cultivate day by day, searching inch by inch.

Break through the void, see the divine unbroken.

Upon reaching this state, one can achieve perfect control over their body, understanding every part of it with unparalleled clarity.

This heightened sensitivity in cultivation must reach its peak, allowing one to perceive every microcosm within the body.

Only at this level can one seek the ’Seven Spirits.’

"At the tenth layer of Core Formation, whether at the One Blood stage or the Ten Blood stage, these are merely accumulations of strength, not advancements in realm. Even if one reaches Hundred Blood or Thousand Blood, without finding the Seven Spirits, it’s all meaningless."

Chen Jichuan’s foundation was strong, his Qi and blood vigorous—these were the prerequisites for advancing to the ’Soul Refining Realm.’ Beyond this foundation, true breakthroughs require a certain degree of insight, spirit, and luck.

Chen Jichuan knew his aptitude was average.

But diligence can make up for it. With lifetimes of accumulation, reinforcing his foundation while expanding his experience and knowledge, he would inevitably cross this threshold with ease.

If he was still unable to break through, it simply meant his accumulation was insufficient or his knowledge was lacking.

"Battle."

"Intense battles, with the body pushed to its limits, the mind in a heightened state, and countless adaptions and bursts of inspiration during combat—this can aid in breakthroughs."

Many martial artists and cultivators have broken through during combat precisely because of this.

Chen Jichuan, now at the tenth layer of Core Formation, also needed a series of evenly-matched battles to help him continue accumulating, to stimulate and push him toward breaking through this bottleneck.

"Ordinary battles won’t suffice."

"It must be life-or-death combat."

Chen Jichuan moved with heart and mind aligned, throwing out a punch—

Bang!

The void shattered, reverberating with an explosive sound, as the tenth drop of Essence Blood fully condensed in his heart.

Qi and blood blazed, stronger than ever.

...

Within Taiping Prefecture.

Over the past five hundred years, the first three hundred undoubtedly belonged to the Taiping City God at his peak. He swept through the prefecture, wiped out demons and ghosts, suppressed various magic sects, and truly dominated the region.

Even the Great Rong Ancestor took notice, conferring him the title of ’Imperial Heavenly Enlightened King of Blessings and Clarity,’ as a mark of respect.

But the Taiping City God, being a deity, naturally retained a sense of distance from everyday common folk.

People prayed to him when they had needs.

But forgot him when they didn’t.

With Taiping Prefecture at peace for a long time, the prominence of the Taiping City God gradually faded.

In his place, ’Side-by-Side King’ Chen Jichuan rose to renown.

Two hundred years ago.

Prince Chen appeared out of nowhere, striking down Taiping Prefecture and defeating thirteen factions.

From an Assistant General in a single prefecture, he rose to become the ’Side-by-Side King,’ earning fame on the battlefield. Prince Chen’s mansion boasted brave generals and an army of elite troops.

Taiping Prefecture prospered, attracting plenty of migrants every year, including countless outlaws who turned bandits.

The people, no longer threatened by ghosts, now faced oppression and plundering by bandits and mountain outlaws.

Fortunately, Prince Chen often led troops on expeditions to eliminate bandits and marauders, allowing Taiping Prefecture’s citizens to live peacefully.

Over time.

Many citizens built shrines to honor Prince Chen, raising them within their homes. Throughout Taiping Prefecture, the number and incense offerings dedicated to the ’Prince Chen Temple’ were no less than those of the ’City God Temple,’ unmatched by any Daoist temple or shrine.

This demonstrated Prince Chen’s immense popularity.

The people within and beyond Taiping Prefecture hoped Prince Chen would raise an army to quell the nationwide unrest. Some even wished Prince Chen could replace the Great Rong Empire.

But unfortunately, Prince Chen remained ’content and obedient,’ staying rooted in Taiping Prefecture for two centuries, making no move.

He showed no signs of rebellion.

Leaving the people only sighing in vain.

On this day.

Inside Prince Chen’s mansion, numerous generals gathered, along with the mansion’s key officials.

Chen Jichuan sat high at the head, deliberating matters with his civil and military counselors.

Once the affairs of the mansion were concluded.

From the left side, the chief civil official—a dignified elder with long whiskers—stepped forward, lamenting emotionally, "The Great Rong is ever more in decline, plagued by corrupt officials running rampant. Civil servants embezzle without governing, while military generals shirk battle and neglect their duties, leaving the states and prefectures to act autonomously, carving out territories, indulging in senseless warfare, as the people suffer and wail in misery."

This was Zhang Yanghao, the chief official of Prince Chen’s mansion—a trusted minister of Prince Chen.

His impassioned words left some of the civil and military officials present astonished and stirred, a thought rising in their hearts, their emotions fervent.

Several officials remained impassive outwardly, though they already understood the prince’s intentions within. Hidden also was their own restrained excitement.

"Alas!"

"How the people suffer!"

Chen Jichuan listened, sighing and shaking his head.

In prosperity, the people suffer.

In ruin, the people suffer.

Turmoil and chaos across the world ultimately brought suffering to the people.

"The prince is merciful."

"But the current emperor, deceived by flatterers and corrupt officials, listens to slander about the prince, harboring baseless suspicions of him—leading to the present national decline. I humbly propose that the prince take up arms, eliminate the treacherous ministers, clear the emperor’s court, and restore peace and stability to the nation!"

With righteousness and fervor, Zhang Yanghao knelt fiercely before Chen Jichuan, crying out.

"Eliminate the traitorous ministers, clear the emperor’s court!"

The assembled officials perked up as they heard this, their spirits rising.

The Great Rong’s disorder had lingered far too long, and their prince had resided within Taiping Prefecture for far too long.

Without the prince’s action, they themselves could not achieve higher status. But should they ride the justification of ’clearing the emperor’s court’ to replace the Great Rong, they as old cadres of Prince Chen’s mansion would become founders of the new era, their status and glory rising immeasurably.

Thus.

They dreamed day and night of their prince raising an army.

But until now, Prince Chen’s formidable reputation had deterred any from broaching the subject—all they could do was subtly hint. Now that Zhang Yanghao dared to counsel publicly, it must signify—

...