Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 11 Am I Dead?
"good."

This time, Captain Nie finally gave clear praise, his gaze towards Chen Sheng filled with undisguised admiration.

Being able to lift a black gold stone lock weighing over 700 jin in the early stages of Foundation Establishment is enough to make him stand out among his peers.

Martial artists in the early stages of Foundation Establishment typically have a strength between 200 and 500 jin. Only those who have reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment—the Bone Forging Realm—can possess an arm strength of 500 to 1,000 jin.

This child's solid foundation and profound knowledge are evident.

Chen Sheng remained calm and respectfully bowed before slowly retreating to Wu Kuang's side.

Although Wu Kuang had long known that Chen Sheng was exceptionally strong, a hint of surprise still flashed in his eyes at this moment, but more so, satisfaction—Chen Sheng's actions undoubtedly earned him a lot of face.

"Is anyone else going forward?"

Captain Nie's gaze swept across the entire area once more, and the remaining deputy commanders all lowered their heads and gave way, none daring to respond.

Those with real ability have already tried, and the remaining people know their own limitations. Going forward now would only be humiliating, especially compared to Chen Sheng's three-breath performance, they would only appear even more pathetic.

After several breaths, the tent fell silent.

Knowing the outcome was already decided, Nie Yuanliu lingered his gaze on Chen Sheng for a moment, pondered briefly, and then raised his hand and waved it. An invisible force surged out, quietly lifting the black cloth covering Chen Sheng's back.

In an instant, three weapons appeared before everyone's eyes, resting quietly on a steel frame:
A long spear, entirely black and adorned with gilded patterns; a pair of large, heavy, snow-white silver hammers; and a narrow, long sword with a dark, gleaming blade.

"As I said beforehand, the winner will receive a prize."

Nie Yuanliu's voice was calm, yet as powerful as a boulder thrown into a lake: "These three weapons are all treasures, acquired by me in battle. You may choose one of them."

wow——

Upon hearing this, the entire large military tent suddenly fell silent, with everyone holding their breath.
A burning light flashed in the eyes of the commanders, while the deputy commanders could not suppress their extreme envy and jealousy, and their breathing became heavy.

The burly man who initially tried to wrestle and only lasted two breaths was now deathly pale, regretting his actions deeply—if he had known the prize was a precious weapon, he would have endured the damage to his internal organs to hold on for just one more breath!
Precious weapon!

This far exceeds what ordinary Foundation Establishment martial artists can hope for, not only because of its priceless value, but also because only innate experts who can project their true energy can truly unleash its power.

In the hands of a Foundation Establishment martial artist, even a powerful weapon can be difficult to fully unleash its potential.

However, it is still a weapon that ordinary Foundation Establishment martial artists dream of. With a treasure weapon in hand, a Foundation Establishment martial artist's strength can be increased by several times.

"Your subordinate thanks the Captain for the generous gift!"

Suppressing his excitement, Chen Shengqiang bowed again.

"Choose."

Nie Yuanliu said calmly.

For him, the treasured weapons were good, but not irreplaceable. In fact, if there hadn't been only three treasured weapons among the spoils of war, and six commanders in his tent, his parting gifts would have been a treasured weapon for each of them.

Of course, the pills he offered were by no means cheap.

"I am accustomed to using a long sword," Chen Sheng replied without hesitation.

Nie Yuanliu waved his hand again, and the dark, ink-black longsword was enveloped by an invisible force and floated steadily in front of Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. It felt cold and heavy to the touch, and an incomparably sharp aura rushed towards him. He knew that he could not unleash the full power of this sword at the moment, but even so, with this treasured sword in his hand, his strength would surely increase dramatically!
"Thank you for the sword, sir!"

Nie Yuanliu nodded slightly, said no more, and raised his cup, saying:

“The trivial matters are settled, everyone, let’s drink together.”

"Respect, Captain!" The atmosphere inside the tent reached another climax.

As soon as he returned to his seat, Wu Kuang whispered, "This sword is called 'Shehan'. It is incomparably sharp. It was obtained by Captain Nie two months ago when he killed the rebel leader 'Hunjianglong'. You must not tarnish the reputation of this sword."

“My lord,” Chen Sheng noticed the fleeting gleam in Wu Kuang’s eyes just now. Although he knew Wu Kuang probably wouldn’t actually ask for it, he still needed to express his opinion. “This sword would be a waste of its potential if it were in my hands. Only someone of your skill level, my lord, could truly unleash its power…”

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang's lips curled into a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown:

"Alright, stop trying to play tricks on me. This precious sword was personally bestowed by Captain Nie. Who in the camp would dare to covet it? Besides, I'm not good with swords. Just keep it safe."

"Yes!"

Chen Sheng was finally at ease and carefully stroked the cold blade.

Watching this scene, Huang Ren felt a mix of emotions, a complex blend of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

The following day, just as Captain Nie had predicted, the order from above arrived as scheduled. The army camp was filled with shouts and the neighing of horses. Troops began to move in an orderly manner, with one team after another leaving the camp to join forces with the troops of other large camps in the surrounding area.

Chen Sheng noticed that Wu Kuang and Captain Nie seemed to be discussing something in hushed tones as they saw each other off. The two walked slowly to the training ground, and when they got close to him, Chen Sheng immediately stopped his stance training and bowed respectfully.

Captain Nie was clearly impressed by him, and asked with a smile:

"Chen Sheng, the skill you practice originates from the Buddhist lineage, doesn't it?"

"Your Excellency is wise." Chen Sheng felt a slight chill in his heart.

"Buddhist practices do have unique features and distinct characteristics in terms of body refinement, but they are not without their drawbacks."

Nie Yuanliu spoke casually, yet with a hint of guidance, “After you have completed your Foundation Establishment, try not to delve deeper into Buddhist cultivation techniques unless absolutely necessary.”

"May I ask, sir, why is this?"

Chen Sheng pressed for more information out of curiosity.

“Buddhist techniques can easily corrupt people’s minds. There are many examples in the martial arts world of people who have diligently practiced Buddhist arts, but in the end, their character has changed drastically, and some have even converted to Buddhism.” Nie Yuanliu said a few words, and then continued walking forward with Wu Kuang.

Chen Sheng remained, deep in thought.

……

Three days later.

The main force of the Mountain Battalion has all set off for the border.

Lieutenant Nie also left yesterday, and Wu Kuang's transfer order was finally fully implemented. He immediately ordered Chen Sheng to prepare his sixty personal guards and be ready to set off from the camp at any time.

Outside the camp gate, sixty carefully selected, fierce soldiers, fully armored, stood in solemn formation.

Chen Sheng finally mounted a tall, fine horse, making him stand out from the ordinary soldiers.

However, at this moment, his entire focus was not on his troops, but on the Heavenly Book of "Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune" that had reappeared on its own.

This time, the two characters "避凶" (avoiding misfortune) shone with an intense, blood-red light!

My name is Chen Sheng. By the time you see this, I will already be dead... On the day of my transfer, I knew that Wu Kuang would be promoted after taking up his post as the county magistrate of Changshan. In order to show my abilities, I volunteered to be the first to lead the way.

However, not long after leaving the camp, we were ambushed by the elite rebels. It was then that I learned that Captain Nie had not left in advance, but had received intelligence and secretly hid in Wu Kuang's carriage to set up an ambush!
Unfortunately, as the vanguard, my conspicuous armor made me a prime target for the rebels. An arrow imbued with innate true energy pierced through the air at such a speed that I had no time to dodge... and was pierced through the chest by the arrow!
Even Captain Nie couldn't save me in time, and in the end, I died... No one knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. If I had known this beforehand, I would never have volunteered to clear the way...

(End of this chapter)