In the imperial garden, Chen Fan looked at Chen Zhengqing, Nangong Yue, and Nangong Baxiong and said, “Father, Mother, Uncle, I will now perform Enlightenment Infusion for you three.” [1]
Although the Chen Clan had become the Great Chu Empire’s new ruler, it was still too weak.
Their strongest, Nangong Baxiong, was only at the seventh-level Core Formation realm, and he even lost an arm during the blood calamity.
His parents were only at the fifth level of the Core Formation realm—insufficient to command respect throughout the empire.
Chen Fan couldn't stay in the Great Chu Empire indefinitely; after he left, Chen Zhengqing and the others would manage the royal family.
Although they had the Spring Autumn Sect behind them, true strength needed to come from within.
“Come on,” Chen Zhengqing said with a straight face.
“Alright.” Wasting no time, Chen Fan waved his arm, igniting a sea of primeval stones. He also took out a piece of hell ore, extracting its purified energy.
With his current power, helping the three break through to the Divine Nascent realm posed no challenge.
The trio’s aura instantly soared, rapidly breaking through multiple cultivation levels.
The intense influx of energy nearly overwhelmed them, pushing them to the limit.
To strengthen them, Chen Fan provided metal primeval water to harden their flesh and enhance resilience.
For his loved ones, Chen Fan would never be stingy.
Nangong Baxiong broke through to the ninth-level Core Formation realm soon, racing through the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Core in an instant.
“Roar!” A roar came from his mouth.
Immediately afterward, Nangong Baxiong’s golden core began to crack. His divine nascent began to converge. A powerful Divine Nascent realm aura erupted from him as thunderous booms filled the air, and tribulation clouds formed instantly.
Nangong Baxiong’s divine nascent tribulation was nothing compared to Chen Fan’s. With his help, Nangong Baxiong easily overcame it and ascended to the Divine Nascent realm.
Next, Chen Zhengqing and Nangong Yue also stepped into the Divine Nascent realm one after another.
Chen Fan could finally set aside his worries now.
In the Great Chu Empire, Divine Nascent realm experts were apex experts. Even after Chen Fan left, they could carry the empire on their backs.
He then entered secluded cultivation to advance further.
Although he had suffered heavy injuries in the battle against Xue Huang and Xue Luan, his gains were immense. His Chaos Will had devoured their dao will, reaching the sixth level.
Now fully healed, with his dantian brimming with true primeval energy, he broke through to the sixth-level Heavenly Star realm.
Everyone had seen the heavenly tribulations over the royal palace, so the whole of the imperial city learned that Chen Zhengqing and the others had advanced to the Divine Nascent realm.
Countless people were shocked, marveling at Chen Fan’s godly methods.
A huge crowd stood outside the royal palace, looking at the majestic royal palace. Endless emotions surged in their hearts. Some old people in the group couldn’t help but cry bitterly, burying their heads on the ground and kowtowing to the royal palace.
They were the Nangong Clan’s clansmen.
“Nangong Xuan harmed our Nangong Clan.”
The Nangong Clan used to be four great clans of the imperial city that could call the winds and summon the rain in the city. However, after Chen Fan cast them into ruin, they began a rapid decline—all due to Nangong Xuan's choice.
Had Nangong Xuan chosen neutrality instead of opposing Chen Fan, the Nangong Clan could have been in the royal palace, revered by the people.
Take the Moon Bloodline, for example. Now, with Nangong Baxiong’s recent breakthrough, he held the title of Prince Regent, second only to the emperor.
Yet, this success didn’t belong to the Nangong Clan. Their once-glorious family collapsed in the blood calamity and faded into history.
Nangong Qingshuang was also among the crowd. She still looked as beautiful as ever but appeared slightly pale.
In the past, as the Sun Bloodline’s princess, she was the target of envy for the younger generation in the imperial city.
She was like a white swan, soaring in the sky. When she first met Chen Fan, he did not enter her eyes at all, until the Bloodlines Martial Meet, where Chen Fan saved the Moon Bloodline and crushed her and Qin Jian in the process.
Even then, she ignored him, seeing him as an ant before the might of the Nangong and Qin Clans—someone they could easily crush.
However, on her wedding day, Chen Fan and Chen Zhengqing had aggressively ruined “the wedding of the century” before destroying the Qin Clan.
From then on, the Chen Clan became the number one clan of the imperial city, while the Nangong Clan fell into decline.
All of this felt like it was yesterday.
Nangong Qingshuang wondered—if the Sun and Star Bloodlines hadn’t harmed Chen Fan’s mother back then, even resisting pressure from the Qin Clan and recognizing Chen Zhengqing, would the Nangong Clan be the ones ruling from the royal palace now?
Seeing as the Chen Clan had now become the new rulers of the Great Chu Empire, with the world submitting to them, what kinds of emotion were these people from the Nangong Clan feeling right now? Regret and pain seemed the only words to describe it.
Had things gone differently, the Nangong Clan might have occupied the royal palace, feared and revered by all. Such honor would have been theirs.
Nangong Xuan had spent his life striving for the Nangong Clan’s glory, yet a single misstep had cost them everything.
Time passed day by day. Chen Fan finally succeeded in breaking through to the sixth-level Heavenly Star realm.
On that day, a group arrived at the royal palace—Li Yao, Xiao Zhen, and others.
“Haha, Chen Fan, now, everyone in the entire Hong Domain sees you as their savior,” Xiao Zhen said cheerfully.
He had a straightforward personality. Despite knowing the gap between his strength and Chen Fan’s, he showed no awkwardness.
Chen Fan smiled helplessly and said, “Stop teasing me, you guys. Did something happen for all of you to come here?”
“Yes, of course, there’s something.” Xiao Zhen said, “Did you forget that the True Martial Assembly is about to begin?”
Chen Fan came back to his senses and smiled. “I almost forgot, thanks for reminding me.”
“Hehe, let’s go. We came today to get ready to return to the True Martial Academy. We can’t participate in the Heavenly Star realm group’s battle, but for the Divine Nascent realm group, we’ll uphold the Hong Domain’s name.”
“Alright then, wait a little for me,” Chen Fan replied. His figure blurred as he disappeared.
Chen Fan went to find Chen Zhengqing and the others and went straight to the point. “Father, Mother, I’m returning to the True Martial Academy.”
“Go ahead,” Chen Zhengqing replied with a smile. “Don’t worry about us. Your mother and I are Divine Nascent realm experts now. Few in the Great Chu Empire can threaten us.”
Chen Zhengqing understood that keeping Chen Fan in the empire would only limit his potential.
Chen Fan was a true dragon destined for a vast world—far beyond what the Great Chu Empire, or even the Hong Domain, could contain.
He left behind a true qi incarnation and returned to the True Martial Academy with Li Yao and the others.
1. Concept introduced in 203, known as martial infusion, basically just powerleveling, but the author changed the wording again, just like the soul jade strip. ☜