156: Dream

As Chen Cuo expended every ounce of his strength to refine the chessboard, the third round of the Lingbao Mountain True Disciple selection officially began.

Chen Cuo's assessment was precisely to repair this chessboard, but before he could even react, a strong sense of weightlessness assailed him. He felt like he was being pulled around like a noodle, finally landing on the ground.

After a long while, he finally regained consciousness. When he came to his senses and looked closely, he saw a huge workshop in front of him, filled with various types of granite, Taihu stones, and so on.

And in front of him was an old man with a hunched figure, bent over and disheveled.

He held a chisel in his left hand and a hammer in his right, tapping ceaselessly, meticulously carving a giant stone tablet. The stone tablet in front of him lacked none of the intricate carvings of Dragons and Phoenixes.

The scenes above were clear, elegant, with birds, beasts, Dragons, and Phoenixes, lifelike. The lower part of the stone tablet, however, was carved with: “Sending offerings to the deceased husband, Scholar Zhao, honoring Heaven and revering ancestors!”

His birth year and month were all present, yet there was something amusing about it. Chen Cuo realized that this old man was not some high-flying Immortal, but merely a mortal stone carver, and carving tombstones was his livelihood.

Chen Cuo finally came to his senses. “Wasn't I undergoing the True Disciple assessment? How did I end up here? Where is my magic power?”

Chen Cuo stared intently at the stone carver’s face. It was winter, yet the old man was working despite the cold. He was already drenched in sweat, a truly admirable sight.

The old man's craftsmanship quickly attracted the attention of many people, some openly, some secretly.

This included Chen Cuo.

It should be said that Chen Cuo, upon entering this world, possessed the Physical Body of a young beggar, suffering from cold, hunger, and a serious illness. This child had almost frozen and starved to death but was unexpectedly discovered by the stone carver, who spent money to save him and invited a famous doctor to treat him.

After a month, the young beggar was finally rescued from the brink of death, but he was still very weak.

Just now, this child, due to his physical weakness, insufficient blood Qi in his Physical Body, and a fragmented Divine Soul, felt an overwhelming sense of physical and mental exhaustion. He then closed his eyes to rest for a while and never woke up again.

The young beggar died peacefully in his sleep.

Then Chen Cuo came and occupied his Physical Body.

The first thing he saw was the stone carver, the old man, meticulously working on carving a tombstone. The man's focus was absolute.

This was the old man's workshop. After receiving the young beggar's Divine Soul memories, he learned that the old man was a renowned stone carver. With this skill, he was highly sought after throughout the entire Xu Ling Island, almost monopolizing all the tombstone carving business in the vicinity.

He had no worries about food or clothing. Although his profession was considered low-class, he was still respected by many.

This was all thanks to his skill.

At this moment, several clean and pretty boys and girls stood beside Chen Cuo, also staring intently at the old man's movements.

The old man carved very slowly, allowing the many boys and girls to see the process very clearly.

He didn't talk much, nor did he offer much instruction. He mostly maintained his focus while carving.

It was true that Chen Cuo knew Artifact Refining, but Artifact Refining did not mean he could repair damaged Spirit Treasures, especially Spirit Treasures that required special methods to repair.

For example, this chessboard required carving.

However, Chen Cuo did not possess this skill. This dream-like trial was therefore crucial.

“Is this a dream, or real history? What role am I playing now?”

Chen Cuo couldn't help but question his situation.

The next moment, the old man finally finished carving. Looking at the many apprentices, and the young beggar who now looked much healthier, the ancient, unruffled expression on his face finally showed a hint of a smile.

He said, “I will conduct an assessment once a week. Those who fail the assessment need not continue to learn carving from me. Go back to where you came from!”

“It all depends on your performance!”

The old man instantly stood up, walking slowly and deliberately. However, Chen Cuo could tell that his strong, gnarled hands were definitely very powerful.

The stone carver let down the long sleeves of his robe, which were tucked into his waist, and then slowly departed. The boys and girls had good figures and fair skin, clearly from decent families, though their clothes looked rather ordinary, not from wealthy households, otherwise they wouldn't need to come here to learn this skill.

“Farewell, Master!”

Among the group, a young man who looked quite sturdy, waited until the old man was about to leave, then led everyone in a respectful bow.

In the young beggar’s memory, this person was the old stone carver's first Disciple. His name was Lu Bo, and he was also everyone's Senior Brother.

The stone carver seemed to be a man of few words. Even when teaching everyone to carve, his instructions were concise. Instead, the Disciples mostly learned the art of carving from this Senior Brother.

The young beggar was picked up by the stone carver. Today, he was supposed to observe the art of carving, but due to his frail health, he died and went to the Yellow Springs, his Soul having been fundamentally replaced.

Chen Cuo knew that this was an Opportunity.

The task of repairing this chessboard must be greatly related to his current situation.

“Senior Brother, what exactly are the assessment contents that Master mentioned? Recently, we have been learning carving from Master, and our hands are still unskilled, with not much practical experience. I wonder if this assessment will be difficult?”

Lu Bo patted his chest and said to everyone, “Everyone, don't worry. Master has his own considerations, but you also need to work hard. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me!”

Immediately, two or three people stepped forward to ask for guidance. Lu Bo had been learning stone carving from the stone carver for two or three years and was considered semi-proficient. He could even occasionally take on small jobs.

After a long time, Chen Cuo finally found an Opportunity to approach Lu Bo: “Senior Brother, I also want to learn stone carving!”