Chapter 208: Donkey

"What sorcery is this? What have you done to my Pivot Construct?"

Situ Wen was both shocked and furious. He urged the Pivot Construct forward, trying to stomp Chen Shi to death with one foot. Unexpectedly, the Pivot Construct shook and twisted, unable to steady itself as it toppled to one side!

The houses forming the Pivot Construct were nearly as numerous as those in an entire town. As this colossal thing crashed down with a rumbling roar, the Pivot Construct shattered into pieces, though the individual houses remained intact.

One by one, the houses rolled across the ground, then sprouted thick, sturdy limbs and actually stood up, scampering off in all directions!

"We’re free!"

One of the houses opened its gaping maw, its long tongue whipping about as it cried out.

The pavilion where Situ Wen resided hadn’t been stamped with the Creation Treasure Mirror talisman by Chen Shi.

Even so, the fall from the heights still left him battered.

Situ Wen crawled to his feet, only to see house after house stumbling and staggering away in every direction. Where was the majesty of the Luban Sect’s town guardian treasure? They were clearly nothing more than a pack of possessed haunted houses!

"Give me back my town guardian treasure!"

Situ Wen was filled with grief and rage. He bellowed fiercely and summoned his automata. Seven elegantly dressed automaton beauties flew out from the doors and windows of various houses, lunging toward Chen Shi.

He had once boasted that he could control over three hundred automata, but in battle, he could manage at most seven.

Yet the instant these seven automaton beauties emerged from their houses, the structures themselves opened wide mouths. Long tongues lashed out, wrapping the automata up tight and yanking them back inside!

Situ Wen was livid. He summoned more automata from other houses.

Those automata met the same fate as the beauties—they had barely escaped before being snatched back by the houses.

Chen Shi laughed.

"It’s my town guardian treasure now!"

He pinched a talismanic gesture, and house after house came racing back.

Soon, they reassembled into a Pivot Construct over ten zhang tall.

"You scheming Chen! You’ve tricked me!"

Situ Wen nearly exploded with fury. He roared and charged at Chen Shi.

"Even without automata, I can still kill you!"

He came on ferociously. His Divine Shrine emerged, his Divine Embryo manifested, and his Nascent Soul rose into the air. He formed a spell gesture and circulated his cultivation technique. The ground rumbled violently as countless clods of earth and stone flew up, coalescing into an earth-and-stone dragon over ten zhang long.

The dragon’s head reared proudly, its body writhed with power, its claws were sharp and massive, and its horns curved to lethal points. This dragon was vividly lifelike.

Chen Shi stood atop the pavilion, astonished.

"Dragon Pivot Formula?"

Situ Wen bore down on him, shouting,

"You know of our Luban Sect’s Dragon Formula too? Today, you’ll die by the Dragon Pivot Formula!"

He threw a punch from afar. The dragon twisted and surged forward, arriving before Chen Shi in an instant. An overwhelmingly heavy force crushed down toward him!

Chen Shi could tell this strike carried immense power—too much for him to block head-on. Even a Ninth-Cycle Golden Core’s force field would be pierced through. He immediately activated the Pivot Construct to meet the dragon’s assault!

Operating the Pivot Construct required the furnace to burn continuously, while thirty-six manmade golden cores shuttled about in ceaseless motion. Situ Wen relied on his automaton arts to control his puppets in handling all this. But now that the Pivot Construct was in Chen Shi’s hands, the houses themselves used their tongues to coil up coal and feed it into the furnace—no need for him to divert his attention to command them.

Situ Wen’s Dragon Pivot Formula assault was weighty and unstoppable, but against a treasure like the Pivot Construct, it was utterly ineffective.

The moment they collided, the earth-and-stone dragon shattered under the Pivot Construct’s fist!

Situ Wen took a step forward, thrusting both palms out from his waist. Over ten zhang away,

the ground quaked once more. Two earth-and-stone dragons rose thrashing from the soil, lunging at him together!

Chen Shi likewise stepped forward, palms thrusting from his waist as he unleashed the Dragon Pivot Formula. The Pivot Construct’s arms twisted and transformed, houses shifting into two long dragons to counter Situ Wen’s double dragon strike!

"Brother Situ, your Dragon Pivot Formula isn’t the authentic version!"

Situ Wen’s two dragons broke apart. He immediately followed with Looking Back Double Hook, then Stellar Kick and Rush Hammer as he advanced, unleashing a full set of Emperor Taizu Long Fist!

Stones and earth churned around him with deafening booms. Mountains and boulders uprooted themselves one after another, morphing into dragons that danced about him, striking at his foe dozens of zhang away!

Chen Shi countered with the Dragon Pivot Formula as well—unyielding bridge, steadfast horse—meeting the assault with the Pivot Construct.

The two stood dozens of zhang apart, their spells identical, crashing together with earth-shaking might.

The technique Situ Wen wielded was the Luban Sect’s Dragon Pivot Formula!

Though incomplete,

it was still a supreme art, capable of awakening dragons in ley lines. Cultivated to the Great Vehicle Realm, one could turn entire mountain ranges into dragons to slay one’s enemies, its power boundless.

Chen Shi was also using the Dragon Pivot Formula—but the version inscribed on the stele outside the Tomb of the True King.

He had ventured into the True King’s stele forest multiple times, studying the techniques there. The Dragon Formula lay right beside the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art, and he had memorized it completely.

To him, though, the art was little more than a curiosity—unsuited to his own path of cultivation. He had committed it to memory but never practiced it.

Had Situ Wen not demonstrated the Dragon Pivot Formula right before his eyes, Chen Shi never would have bothered cultivating it.

But now that Situ Wen had unleashed it, Chen Shi gave it a try on a whim. To his surprise, pairing it with the Pivot Construct unleashed tremendous power!

The Pivot Construct had clearly been forged according to the Dragon Pivot Formula.

Situ Wen grew more shocked and furious with each exchange. He pressed his relentless assault on Chen Shi, but he was steadily forced back.

In Chen Shi’s hands, the Luban Sect’s town guardian treasure danced with fluid transformations—more agile than it had ever been under its original master. Houses formed dragon veins, twisting and shifting to strike and wound with exquisite precision that surpassed even Situ Wen’s own skill!

Not only did his Dragon Pivot Formula fall short of Chen Shi’s, even his command of the Pivot Construct paled in comparison!

In this moment, he even wondered who the true Luban Sect Leader was—himself, or Chen Shi?

"Could I be the impostor?"

An absurd thought bubbled up in his mind.

At that instant, he exhausted his techniques, while Chen Shi’s Pivot Construct pressed its attack.

The moves it executed were ones even he, the Luban Sect Leader, had never seen before!

Cold sweat beaded on Situ Wen’s forehead as he retreated nonstop, dodging the Pivot Construct’s strikes.

Chen Shi advanced while chanting,

"Northwest to Kongtong, tens of thousands of li; east to the Three Hans, across the Mystic Sea.

Only the southern dragon enters the Middle Kingdom, its embryonic ancestor birthing wonders strange and profound."

The Pivot Construct suddenly disassembled. No longer humanoid, it became twin Kongtong mountain ranges surging toward him!

Situ Wen fell back dozens of zhang, straining to evade the blow!

Chen Shi rode a long dragon, standing atop the head of the house-dragon formed by the Pivot Construct. His left foot advanced in a sealing strike, the twin dragons lunging with the same!

Situ Wen’s face drained of color. He tumbled and rolled, barely dodging the attack.

Chen Shi chanted on,

"The Yellow River’s nine bends form the great intestines, the Yangtze’s twists the bladder.

Limbs part, veins sprawl in every direction; qi and blood link where waters halt!"

The Pivot Construct, split in two, transformed again—like the nine-bending Yellow River and the twisting Yangtze, weaving left and right to strangle Situ Wen.

Situ Wen dodged in abject misery, but the house-dragons still grazed him. His Nascent Soul force field pierced through, he grunted dully and tumbled over a hundred zhang away!

"Dragons move with innate truth; starry peaks rugged form the dragon’s frame.

High mountains must heed starry peaks’ rise; dragons on flat ground bear their own names!"

Chen Shi’s chant had yet to fade when the Pivot Construct charged ahead. In midair, it disassembled and reformed—starry peaks jagged, dragon forms shifting endlessly. The sheer variety left Situ Wen’s eyes glazing over.

"I’m the false sect leader... he’s the true one..."

Despair filled him. He simply ceased resistance, dispersed his Nascent Soul force field, closed his eyes, and awaited death where he stood.

"I must be the fake one. All these years, I’ve been a pretender sect leader! After cultivating the Dragon Pivot Formula for so long, I still can’t match a twelve-year-old brat. How can I face our ancestors?"

Suddenly, the massive dragon formed by the Pivot Construct halted, stopping right before Situ Wen.

Situ Wen opened his eyes. Chen Shi stood atop the house-dragon’s head, looking down at him with a smile.

Desolation overwhelmed Situ Wen’s heart.

"I’ve lost. You’ve taken the sect leader’s throne, and even our core arts pale before you.

You beat me with our Luban Sect’s own techniques. I yield body and soul.

Kill me, then. You become the Luban Sect Leader."

Chen Shi laughed.

"Why would I become Luban Sect Leader? Aren’t you curious how I know the Dragon Pivot Formula?"

Hearing this, Situ Wen’s curiosity stirred despite himself.

"How do you know the Dragon Pivot Formula? Wait—I’ve got it! You must be the reincarnation of one of our Luban ancestors! You possessed Chen Shi’s body, granting you the Dragon Formula!"

Chen Shi was taken aback.

This Situ Sect Leader’s mind seemed to leap in strange directions.

"I’m no ancestor of yours. The Dragon Pivot Formula is simply a family heirloom of my own."

Chen Shi laughed.

"You’ve lost to my family art. No injustice there."

Situ Wen half-believed him.

"The Dragon Formula is our Luban Sect’s ancestral legacy. Though fragmentary, it’s a supreme technique. Mastered fully, it awakens dragons in mountain ranges to fight for you, wielding boundless might! How could it possibly be your family heirloom?"

He still suspected Chen Shi was some ancestor reborn.

A nod from Chen Shi, and he’d kowtow on the spot to acknowledge his master.

"Why is the Luban Sect’s Dragon Formula inheritance outside the Tomb of the True King?"

Unbidden, Chen Shi’s thoughts turned to the True King’s death.

The True King had cultivated the Water-Fire Tempering Art. Even at worst, he could have achieved corpse-dissection immortality—but someone had severed his head, robbing him of that chance.

And outside his tomb lay all these technique inheritances. Clearly, some massive upheaval had struck the True King in his later years. Foreseeing a coming collapse of legacies across sects, he had compelled each to submit their arts before his death.

In other words, the stele forest outside the Tomb of the True King was his effort to preserve a copy of West Ox New Continent’s inheritances for posterity.

Chen Shi thought to himself.

Chen Shi laughed.

"The Dragon Pivot Formula may be my family art, but I never said it couldn’t be shared.

Your Luban Sect’s version is incomplete. I can teach you the full Dragon Pivot Formula."

Situ Wen was stunned.

"You’ll teach me the complete Dragon Formula?"

Chen Shi stepped down from the Pivot Construct. The ghostly talismans on the houses faded, and they returned to normal. He smiled.

"I won’t take the Pivot Construct either. Here—back to you.

Tomorrow, come to Hu Village. I’ll leave the complete Dragon Formula for you."

Situ Wen’s expression grew complicated. Suddenly, he said,

"Young Master has treated me with utmost kindness. I won’t betray him."

Chen Shi laughed.

"You must have your reasons."

Situ Wen said,

"Artisans under my sect built a stretch of city wall that collapsed under demon assault. The authorities meant to punish me.

Young Master interceded, sparing me prison.

He’s done me favors. Knowing our Luban Sect’s Pivot Construct ran poorly, he sent over a dozen grand talisman masters to repair it, restoring a treasure we thought useless!"

Chen Shi said,

"Such恩情, you couldn’t possibly leave unrequited.

So you pledged yourself to him—even when he’s done heinous things, you remain utterly loyal."

Situ Wen hesitated, then said,

"Chen Shi, Young Master can change this world. He can right its injustices. He has grand vision, ambition, ideals, methods, connections—he can remake heaven and earth! Even if his personal virtues fall short, I’ll follow him!"

He leaped onto the Pivot Construct and said gravely,

"I can’t repay your mercy with anything but this: I won’t take part in your feud with Young Master.

As for the Dragon Formula... I won’t claim it!"

He activated the Pivot Construct to depart.

Chen Shi’s voice came from behind.

"Situ Sect Leader, you’re nothing but a donkey."

Veins throbbed on Situ Wen’s forehead. He sneered coldly.

"Say what you like!"

Chen Shi laughed.

"Do you know why they blindfold a donkey pulling a millstone with a black cloth?"

Situ Wen snorted and kept walking.

"If the donkey knew it was just going in circles no matter how far it walked, it’d stop.

That’s why they blindfold it."

Chen Shi’s mocking voice rang out.

"Young Master’s blindfolded you with a black cloth called ‘gratitude,’ called ‘ideals.’

That cloth keeps you from seeing right and wrong, from seeing his endless evils.

You follow him, and you’re just going in circles!"

"You’ll not confuse my mind!"

Situ Wen shouted, urging the Pivot Construct forward in massive strides.

Chen Shi laughed heartily.

"He’s already committing atrocities before achieving anything. Once he succeeds, how’s it any different from the current world?"

Situ Wen didn’t turn back, yelling,

"I won’t listen to you!"

Chen Shi called out loudly,

"Once he succeeds, the world won’t change a bit!

Because he *is* this world! Part of it!"

Situ Wen’s face turned ashen. He pressed on.

Some time later, he reached the outskirts of Yudu City when someone hailed him.

"Situ Sect Leader, did you find Chen Shi?"

It was Auntie Xue from the Matchmaker Society. The society was mostly women engaged in matchmaking and brokerage, and she knew Situ Wen well.

"I’ve learned Chen Shi lives in Huangpo Village on Qianyang Mountain."

Auntie Xue suggested,

"Since you can’t track him down, why not raze Huangpo Village? Slaughter everyone there to vent your hatred!"

Situ Wen, who had been wrestling with himself, felt his mind jolt.

"So Young Master truly is part of this world."

Not long after Chen Shi returned to Hu Village, a little fox girl came to report,

"Grandpa Chen, there’s a man outside claiming to be Situ Wen, here to see you."

Chen Shi smiled at Hu Feifei.

"See? I told you I wasn’t going to fight."

Hu Feifei asked curiously,

"If not to fight, how did you convince Situ Wen to betray Young Master?"

Chen Shi laughed.

"I called him a donkey."

"He must’ve seen the light. He really is one."

He went to the village outskirts, where Situ Wen awaited. Seeing him, Situ Wen bowed deeply and intoned gravely,

"Luban Sect Leader Situ Wen pays respects to Master Chen.

Master, I no longer wish to be a donkey going in circles."