Chapter 64: Fooled Even Myself

—

Two days later, an explosive piece of news spread across Xia Nation, sparking widespread discussion.

Cheng Huang, the old master of the Cheng family, had been severely injured during his birthday celebration, and the Cheng family estate was destroyed. Two Flame Pillars had pursued the assailant but failed to capture him—instead, they were injured themselves.

The assailant’s cultivation level and identity remained unknown.

—

Xu Shen read the news with a satisfied nod.

“Boss, this is insane! A Yinshen Realm expert got wrecked?” Xu Guang exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the headline on his tablet. “What kind of monster could do that?”

Xu Shen sipped his wine calmly. “Maybe… a Flame Mastery cultivator?”

Xu Guang burst out laughing. “Boss, that’s the worst joke I’ve ever heard.”

“A Flame Mastery cultivator taking down a Yinshen Realm expert? If that’s possible, I’ll eat… noodles while standing on my head!”

He had intended to say something harsher but held back at the last moment, remembering Xu Shen’s terrifying capabilities. Sometimes, it was better not to tempt fate.

Xu Shen chuckled softly. The old man really is at Flame Mastery. No joke there.

—

“Someone’s here—it’s that professor. Put on your mask,” Dong Tianming’s voice called down from upstairs.

Xu Shen and Xu Guang immediately donned their masks.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, an elderly man with white hair appeared at the gate and called out in a clear voice:

“Old Chen Gui is here again. Is the shop owner back?”

—

“Boss, that old man’s been here several times,” Xu Guang whispered. “He’s Xuexue’s grandfather—the engraving professor.”

Xu Shen nodded and stepped outside to greet him.

When Chen Gui saw the gray-masked figure—the mysterious shop owner known as Ming—his eyes lit up with excitement.

—

“Old Master Chen, I’ve heard about your visits. Apologies for not being here earlier—I was away on a mission,” Xu Shen said politely, cupping his hands in greeting.

Despite Chen Gui’s advanced age and status as a professor at Capital University, his repeated visits left Xu Shen with a favorable impression. At least the old man seemed sincere.

“No need to apologize,” Chen Gui replied with a hearty laugh. “An old man like me needs the exercise anyway.”

“Please, come in,” Xu Shen said, leading him inside.

—

Xu Guang had already gone to the kitchen to prepare tea.

“Young friend,” Chen Gui began as he sat down, “I heard you personally modified Xiao Yun’s fire rune?”

“That’s correct,” Xu Shen replied simply.

“May I ask who your teacher is? Master Jiang or Master Xia?” Chen Gui asked seriously, his tone tinged with admiration.

—

Chen Gui had examined Xiao Yun’s fire rune closely. The modified lines were flawless—so perfect that they surpassed the original design. Some of the intricate details were unlike anything he had ever seen before.

After careful study, Chen Gui was left in awe. Every stroke was precise and deliberate, enhancing the rune in ways that hinted at the potential for Destruction Realm engraving—a level few could achieve.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he had visited multiple times just to meet this mysterious engraver.

Now that he was finally face-to-face with Ming, Chen Gui was even more shocked by how young his voice sounded. Such talent at this age could only mean one thing: he must be a disciple of one of Xia Nation’s two Destruction Realm masters.

But when Xu Shen shook his head, Chen Gui was stunned.

“I’m not anyone’s disciple,” Xu Shen said casually. “My methods are self-taught—maybe you could call them unconventional.”

Chen Gui chuckled at this. Unconventional? If this is unconventional, then I’m not even qualified to be called an engraver.

—

“Young friend,” Chen Gui continued with a smile, “I noticed that the lines on Xiao Yun’s fire rune were incredibly smooth and uninterrupted. May I ask what tool you used?”

“Sure,” Xu Shen replied, flipping his hand to reveal his small black blade.

Chen Gui: …?

“You… used a knife?” Chen Gui asked after a long pause, his face twitching as he stared at the rusty blade in Xu Shen’s hand.

Xu Shen nodded earnestly.

—

To his surprise, instead of looking skeptical, Chen Gui began muttering to himself thoughtfully.

“A slanted blade… it offers better control than pointed tools. And the direction of the blade naturally creates smoother lines—something pointed tools can’t achieve…”

His eyes grew brighter as he spoke.

Xu Shen remained silent. It’s not like I have a choice—I can only use this black blade. Without it, I’d probably be worse than an engraving apprentice.

—

“Young friend,” Chen Gui said suddenly, standing up and bowing deeply. “I have a question that has troubled me for years. Please enlighten me.”

Startled, Xu Shen quickly stepped aside and helped him up. “Old Master Chen, if you have a question, just ask! No need for all this formality—you’ll shorten my lifespan!”

Chen Gui smiled but remained serious. “Do you think runes should break free from their original design frameworks to evolve? And if so, how should they extend into new patterns?”

—

Xu Shen froze. How would I know?!

He hadn’t even learned the basics of rune engraving properly—how was he supposed to answer such an advanced question?

Seeing Xu Shen’s contemplative expression, Chen Gui assumed he was deep in thought and waited patiently.

Xu Shen glanced at the expectant look in Chen Gui’s eyes and sighed inwardly. Looks like I’ll have to wing it.

—

After a long pause, Xu Shen finally spoke:

“Sometimes… it’s unnecessary to be bound by the original design.”

“Oh? Please elaborate,” Chen Gui said eagerly, his eyes lighting up like a student hungry for knowledge.

—

“For example,” Xu Shen began cautiously, “take the Skyhawk Rune—it’s always depicted as a hawk. That makes sense since it can manifest as one.”

Chen Gui nodded in agreement.

“But for runes like fire or cloud runes—forms that are inherently abstract—you can’t define their shape based solely on one diagram.”

Drawing inspiration from his own Weapon Rune, Xu Shen spoke with growing confidence—and even started believing his own words.

—

“You’re right!” Chen Gui exclaimed suddenly. “Abstract forms can’t be confined to a single diagram!”

For the first time in years, Chen Gui felt as though he had glimpsed an entirely new realm of possibilities.

—

“To put it another way,” Xu Shen continued smoothly, “light doesn’t have a fixed shape.”

“You could engrave a straight line and call it light—or use twisted lines and still call it light.”

“And when extending runes into new patterns—like adding longer wings to the Skyhawk Rune or surrounding it with clouds and waves—it could transform into something greater… like the legendary Kunpeng!”

By now, Xu Shen was fully immersed in his own nonsense—and it actually sounded plausible.

Maybe I should try creating something like this for Yang Dian later, he thought.

—

Chen Gui sat frozen as if struck by lightning. His eyes glimmered with newfound understanding as he processed Xu Shen’s words.

After what felt like an eternity, he stood up and bowed deeply once more.

This time, Xu Shen tried to dodge but found himself immobilized by a gentle yet unyielding force.

His eyes narrowed slightly. This aura… Yinshen Realm!

Chen Gui was undoubtedly a Yinshen Realm expert!

—

“I’ve been trapped in a cycle of rigid thinking,” Chen Gui admitted solemnly. “I focused too much on preserving original designs without considering the possibilities beyond them.”

“Young friend, your words have enlightened me today. This bow is my way of showing respect—you must accept it!”

As Chen Gui straightened up, his entire demeanor seemed sharper and more profound—as if he had reached a new level of clarity.

—

“Old Master Chen, you’re going to scare me to death,” Xu Shen said with a wry smile. He couldn’t help but admire the old man’s dedication—using his Yinshen Realm aura just to bow respectfully.

Still, this only deepened Xu Shen’s respect for him. Chen Gui was clearly someone who genuinely loved his craft above all else.

—

“By the way,” Xu Shen added suddenly, “this is just a theory—don’t go experimenting recklessly.”

“Runes are limited to one per person—that’s common knowledge. My idea is purely conceptual; it might not even work.”

“The last thing we need is someone exploding because of a failed experiment.”

Xu Shen shuddered at the thought of Chen Gui rushing off to test his theory on some poor soul.

—

Chen Gui shook his head with a smile. “No need to worry—your theory already has significant merit.”

“While it’s true that runes must align with one’s awakened attributes, your concept doesn’t stray from their essence.”

“For example,” he continued excitedly, “a Skyhawk Rune could evolve into a Kunpeng Rune—retaining its essence while gaining dual attributes: water and wind!”

“And these attributes wouldn’t come from innate talent but from the new rune itself!”

Chen Gui’s admiration for Xu Shen deepened as he spoke. This man may not be a Destruction Realm master yet—but once he reaches Tongyou Realm… Xia Nation will gain another Destruction Realm engraver.

—

“Young friend,” Chen Gui said after taking a deep breath, “would you consider becoming a professor in our university’s engraving department?”

Xu Shen immediately wanted to refuse. What kind of joke is this? I don’t have time to teach students—I barely know the basics myself!

But before he could speak, Dong Tianming’s voice echoed faintly in his mind:

“Accept it. Professors in Capital University’s engraving department hold high status—even the principal can’t interfere with their decisions.”

“It’ll make things much easier for you.”

—

Xu Shen hesitated for a moment before asking aloud:

“If I become a professor… what benefits would I get?”

Chen Gui’s face lit up with delight as he began explaining enthusiastically:

“Let me tell you—all the perks you’ll enjoy…”