Chapter 73: The Peerless Pill Venerable (1) |
Su Chen felt both delight and disappointment at the sight of 7000 Reverse Fate Points. Born into a declining sacred clan in this life, and without Lin Zhan's interference, leading to an untimely death before his lifespan ran out, his evaluation might have been even higher.
"People with great destiny are really damn hard to kill!"
The thought slipped through Su Chen's mind unbidden. Even as his enemy, he had to admit that his repeated targeting would have crushed any ordinary person a hundred times over. Yet Lin Zhan not only refused to collapse or give up—he transformed step by step until he finally became a saint.
Losing to someone like that didn't feel entirely unjust. Still, fair or not, Su Chen had no desire to encounter another person blessed with such an immense destiny ever again.
[Talent: 0 (+)]
[Comprehension: 0 (+)]
[Family Background: 0 (+)]
[Dao Heart: 300]
With 7000 Reverse Fate Points in hand, Su Chen glanced at Background… and added 100 points. That should at least keep him from spawning straight into an early grave. He poured the remaining 6900 points evenly into Talent and Comprehension, 3450 each. Then he turned the page and entered his next reincarnation.
Endless blue sky stretched above white clouds. A breeze swept low across the grass, revealing grazing cattle and sheep.
Su Chen opened his eyes and stared blankly. He looked down at the coarse hemp robe covering his body and felt the complete absence of any spiritual Qi within him.
What the hell? He had reincarnated as an ordinary mortal?
He hurriedly searched the new memories to figure out exactly what kind of situation he had landed in this time. At the very least, he had invested 100 points into Background—he refused to believe it was all for nothing.
In this life… he had been an abandoned infant left at the doorstep of a lonely old widower. The kind-hearted elder had taken him in and raised him. Notably, his name remained exactly the same as in his first life: Su Chen. Nothing had changed. The old man raised Su Chen to adulthood and turned him into a simple cowherd.
Su Chen: "…"
Starting as a cowherd?
Despite the less-than-ideal beginning, he quickly adjusted his mindset. In his previous life, he had been a Nirvana Realm Venerable after all. He possessed absolute confidence that even starting as a mortal, he could still rise to become a supreme powerhouse!
"The Gu clan techniques from my past life can't be cultivated again."
He had no idea whether that final self-detonation of the saint weapon had killed Lin Zhan. If it hadn't, and Lin Zhan discovered him practicing the Gu clan technique, he would immediately face a saint right from the start. The thought alone was despairing.
He casually selected a sovereign-grade technique from his mind and began to cultivate.
Time passed quickly. In less than three hours, Su Chen successfully broke through to the first layer of the Spirit Awakening Realm.
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The speed was astonishing. Ordinary geniuses usually need several years just to enter the Spirit Awakening Realm. Even in his previous life, with the help of the ancient clan's treasures and the Heavenly Origin Body constitution, it had still taken him a full day.
Yet Su Chen remained unsatisfied. Given sufficient resources, he was certain he could reach the Spirit Gathering Realm within three days. Unfortunately, right now he was dirt poor.
As the sky began to darken, Su Chen had no choice but to herd the cattle back home. When he reached the village entrance, a clear, bright voice called out to him.
"Brother Chen, Mother made fish soup. She asked me to bring you some."
A pretty young girl with twin ponytails stood at the village entrance holding a steaming bowl of fish soup. The moment she spotted Su Chen, her face lit up with a pure, innocent smile.
Su Chen also recalled the girl's name from his memories.
The girl was called Wang Fang, nicknamed Ah Fang. She was the daughter of the neighboring Aunt Wang and Uncle Wang. The two families had lived side by side for years, and the couple had often looked after Su Chen and the old man. He and Ah Fang had grown up together and could be considered childhood sweethearts.
Su Chen accepted the bowl of fish soup. It had already cooled somewhat. He did not drink it down in one go; instead, he simply thanked Ah Fang. As her figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Ah Fang stood there in a daze.
Today's Brother Chen felt different. He had returned later than usual, but more than that, something had changed. The timid, self-conscious boy she once knew seemed to have been replaced by a powerful, unshakable presence.
Back inside the dilapidated thatched hut, the room was messy and dim. Su Chen set the fish soup on the table and glanced around, but saw no sign of the old man.
Suddenly his entire body stiffened. A figure had appeared silently behind him without the slightest sound, causing his heart to skip a beat. To approach so close and evade his senses completely—this was the unmistakable application of the power of heaven and earth. The intruder was at least at the Spirit Soul Realm!
"It's Chen'er who's back."
The familiar, aged voice came from behind. Only then did Su Chen let out a long breath of relief. He turned around.
At the doorway stood a hunched old man leaning on a cane. His hair was snow-white, his face deeply wrinkled, and one eye was blind. This was Su Weichang—the man who had found the infant Su Chen abandoned in the snow and raised him as his own grandson. In his memories, Su Weichang had always been an ordinary old man.
Now, Su Chen understood: those 100 points invested in Background had not been wasted.
"Old man, this is the fish soup Aunt Wang made. Ah Fang asked me to bring it for you to taste."
Supporting the old man with one hand, Su Chen helped him sit on a stool. Su Weichang smiled and said, "Little Ah Fang is thoughtful. So are you, boy. Sit down and drink the soup with me."
Su Chen fetched two chipped bowls. Grandfather and grandson divided the fish soup between them.
After they finished, Su Weichang savored the aftertaste for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
"Chen'er, Ah Fang is truly a fine girl. If you marry her, she will surely be a virtuous wife and loving mother. She has feelings for you."
Su Chen fell silent. Of course, he knew. Yet he continued to feign ignorance. "Old man, Ah Fang is a very good girl. But what I want is not romantic attachments. I'm afraid I would only hold her back."
Su Weichang gave a faint smile. "What I once imagined was this: you would spend your whole life with Ah Fang. The two of you would have a big, healthy son, perhaps a few daughters too. You would live happily, surrounded by grandchildren, and pass your hundred years in peace.
"You would never step into the world of cultivation. You would never face deceit and betrayal. You would never witness endless life-and-death partings. You would never endure the torment of immortality."
Su Chen remained quiet for a long moment before replying, "But that is not what I want."
Now he understood why, despite such excellent aptitude and comprehension in this life, the old man had never taught him to cultivate.
Su Weichang's gaze dimmed. "I always knew this day would come. Your talent is the greatest I have ever seen in my life—and precisely because of that, I never wanted you to walk the path of cultivation.
"Never mind… never mind… Fate is fate. You have chosen this road after all. Since your mind is made up, I will not try to persuade you any longer."
Su Chen was surprised by how readily the old man accepted his decision.
"Chen'er…" Su Weichang said quietly, "… Do you want to learn alchemy?"