Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1461 Divine Inheritance
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The tension in the hall, which had eased slightly due to the decisive action, was abruptly broken by another deep sentence from Chen Xiaojun.

His brows furrowed, as if he were scrutinizing a bottomless, unknown abyss: "I even suspect... that the ruins that Tang Haotian and Tang Xuanhuang discovered back then might... be related to the legacy of some deity?!"

"Divine inheritance?!" Xia Qingyun's voice was filled with a moment of astonishment, and she asked the question almost instinctively.

Under the lamplight, her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the wine jug.

“Yes.” Chen Xiaojun raised his head, meeting Xia Qingyun’s gaze, his tone unusually calm, even carrying an undeniable sense of distance, “But Grandma, this may not be a good omen.”

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"Accepting a gift from the gods usually also means...accepting the invisible shackles that come with that gift."

“Shackles?” Xia Qingyun repeated, her sharp gaze fixed on Chen Xiaojun, clearly moved by the word.

Chen Xiaojun took a deep breath and organized his thoughts: "For example, it's like... the 'Holy Pillar Trial' on Seagod Island."

"The believers go through trials and tribulations, seemingly getting closer to the glory of the gods step by step, but in reality, each step is constantly deepening their bond with the will of the sea god."

He emphasized, concluding: "The principle is the same; there is a fatal limitation in the inheritance of divine power—the divine office is unique, and the position is unique."

"A deity who has received a divine inheritance cannot pass on his divine position."

"And to accept this inherited power bearing an extremely strong divine imprint..."

Chen Xiaojun's tone turned sharp: "If you're lucky, you might become a priest who protects its will and serve it for life."

"If you're unlucky... that power might become a brand that nails your soul to the altar, enslaving and driving you for life, and depriving you of true free will."

"This is the heaviest price to pay for relying on foreign faith and the path of divine succession."

He paused for a moment, then spoke with unwavering resolve, imbued with youthful spirit and crystal-clear understanding.

"So... rather than binding one's fate to the shackles of some unknown entity?!"

"Why not choose the path that seems a thousand times more difficult, yet truly belongs to you—ascend to the heavens, shatter the void, and prove your divine status through your own power!"

"Become a god yourself, and live a carefree life as an immortal!"

Chen Xiaojun's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm, icy lake; no one spoke again, and that silence was closer to eternity than ever before.

What Chen Xiaojun didn't say was that while the inheritance of divine power was the case for the Chen family, it was different for the Tang family, who might be able to inherit the divine position.

……

More than an hour passed quietly.

In the courtyard outside the side hall, the moonlight was cold and clear, and the ministers who had been waiting for a long time had gathered in groups to chat.

Men and women dispersed into small groups, chatting and laughing in hushed tones, occasionally glancing at the tightly closed palace doors.

Chen Zhang, carrying a small silver wine pot, waved it at Chen Shihua, who was sitting at the stone table, his voice carrying a hint of the cool night breeze: "Hey Seventeenth Uncle, really not going to have some? To warm yourself up."

Chen Shihua waved her hand, her gaze calmly fixed on the direction of the palace gate: "You guys drink, I'm too old for this kind of thing." Her tone was flat, without any emotional fluctuation.

Chen Wu chimed in, "Uncle, don't worry about that. Those people inside are probably discussing important matters. There's no point in us waiting outside."

Chen Hua immediately caught this and smiled mischievously: "Oh? From what Fourth Brother is saying, it sounds like you have experience."

Chen Wu wasn't annoyed when Chen Wu pointed it out, and he laughed and admitted, "Haha, more or less, I'm used to it."

“I knew Xiao Jun was a cunning fellow, he must be hiding a lot of things from us.” “That’s right.” Chen Zhang took a swig of wine and shook his head with a hint of self-deprecation, “Just now inside, even I was almost confused by Xiao Liu Zi’s (Chen Xiao Jun’s) series of deductions.”

"This kid is getting more and more talkative."

Lu Xiaoxiao, who was engrossed in eating a skewer of grilled meat not far away, looked up when she heard this, her lips still glistening with oil, and asked blankly, "Confused? Who's confused?"

Chen Hua smiled and explained, "Brother Xiao, you don't know. Xiao Liu is the best at making things sound ambiguous, saying what needs to be said and hiding the truth from everything."

"They're inside now, and who knows, they might be about to lay their cards on the table."

Chen Wu sighed, his voice a mix of helplessness and indulgent complaint: "This kid will use any trickery or deception to achieve his goals."

"We almost got dragged into this by him and followed his train of thought."

"His greatest strength is his long-term planning. He has already thoroughly considered the worst-case scenario for the future changes of the Haotian Sect and has definitely come up with a complete plan in advance."

“Over the past few years, we uncles have suffered quite a bit at his hands.”

After listening, Lu Xiaoxiao touched her nose and smiled awkwardly.

Looking back, it seems that my expression of support in the hall just now also made me one of those who were "lured" in.

Chen Wu clearly didn't want to continue the topic, so he turned to Lu Xiaoxiao and asked with a hint of elder's concern, "By the way, Brother Xiao, why did your son go all the way to Yuehua Academy? Silves isn't close to our Tosk."

Lu Xiaoxiao immediately shrugged, looking helpless: "Sigh, it's all because of the Great Clan Festival three years ago. I was tricked by that girl Yan Wu, caught in a bet, and ended up losing completely."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhang nodded and interjected, "Going to the ancestral land to gain experience and broaden one's horizons is a good thing."

Chen Hua seemed to have thought of something interesting, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Chen Zhang: "Hey, if that's the case, what if the Chang'an team that Xiao Jun is leading goes up against the Yuehua Academy where Yan Wu is? Wouldn't that be a good show to watch?"

"By the way, Fifth Brother, how's things going with Feng'er at Sword Rain Academy?"

"It's going well." Chen Zhang relaxed a lot when he mentioned his child. "I put Sword Master in charge, and Feng'er is helping out. It's going quite well."

"Ever since he lost the last Sino-British match, Feng'er has been itching to get revenge. He's been rubbing his hands together every day, ready to make up for it."

He then asked in return, "What about Xiao Mu? And what about Jian Jun's Fighting Spirit Team? I heard they're doing quite well too."

Chen Hua smiled like a loving father: "Mu'er is doing well following Xiao Jun's lead and treating the provincial competition as a training ground. He has already broken through to the Soul King level."

Then, he felt both relieved and troubled: "As for that kid Jianjun? He's not bad, but I think about him too much."

"Ever since the news of Xiao Yi's return spread, Jian Jun has also become nervous, probably waiting to meet her on the field."

Chen Wu became interested as he listened: "Haha, this year's Gao Ying Competition is truly a grand contest for the Chen family's elite."

"Xiao Jun, Xiao Yi, Jian Jun, Yan Wu, Jian Zun, Feng Er, Mu Er..."

"All the troublesome youngsters from our Chen family have gathered together, along with many followers, so it's bound to be quite a spectacle."

"It's lively, yes," Chen Zhang said, taking a sip of wine, his tone tinged with composure, "but I'm afraid that if we get too much attention, our Chen family will become the target of everyone's criticism again."

Chen Hua wholeheartedly agreed: "We're already in the eye of the storm."

"Then there will definitely be even bigger waves and uproar. We from all the gangs will have to be on high alert."

Chen Shihua, who had been silent all along, nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

Chen Zhang and Chen Wu nodded as well.

(End of this chapter)