Martial Cultivator

Yun Jianyue walked to a spot not far from Daoist Wuyang. The martial uncle and martial nephew stood atop the shattered mountain, and for a moment neither spoke.

Daoist Wuyang hesitated briefly before asking, “When you drew that blood talisman, your Great Dao origin was damaged by half. Do you not regret it?”

Hearing the word regret, Yun Jianyue hesitated for a long time and did not speak.

“If it was to kill you, Martial Uncle, whose mind could not be changed, this disciple would not regret it. But if it is only about killing Martial Uncle, it is not regret, it is reluctance.”

Yun Jianyue looked at Daoist Wuyang. Though there was still some reluctance in his eyes, he was extremely resolute.

In this fight, let alone losing half of his Great Dao origin now, even if it were all of it, it would not matter.

In short, compared to doing nothing and watching Daoist Wuyang continue letting this world remain as it was, Yun Jianyue would rather die like this.

Daoist Wuyang looked at Yun Jianyue and said, ”If one day Ye Zhihua goes against your Great Dao, would you also kill her without hesitation?”

Yun Jianyue shook his head.

Daoist Wuyang smiled, ”Still a bit reluctant, right.”

Yun Jianyue still shook his head. ”Senior Sister’s realm is not high enough. Even if she develops some bad thoughts, this disciple can first debate the Dao with Senior Sister. If Senior Sister does not listen, then I can just confine her. Even if Senior Sister wants to do many things, as long as she cannot do them, then it does not count as any real problem.” ”But Martial Uncle is different. Martial Uncle will not listen to reason, and cannot be confined, so between Martial Uncle and me, life and death must be decided.’

Daoist Wuyang said, ”A’Yue, if one day you discover that everything you have done is wrong, what will become of your Dao heart?”

Yun Jianyue said nothing.

If there really were such a day...

This thought flickered across Yun Jianyue’s mind. He looked at Daoist Wuyang and shook his head. ”I do not think such thoughts.”

”You really do have a resolute Dao heart.”

Daoist Wuyang had cultivated for a hundred years. In this world, he was recognized for extremely high talent and extremely profound daoist techniques. Naturally, he was also extremely proud. All these years, in his eyes, among the cultivators of this era, there was not a single person worthy to enter his sight.

At most, he would give a decent evaluation.

But at this moment, facing Yun Jianyue before him, Daoist Wuyang truly felt that beyond admiration, there was also a sense of acknowledgment.

Although not walking the same path, the other party was qualified to sit and discuss the Dao with him as equals.

Thinking of this, with his vitality nearly exhausted, Daoist Wuyang extended a hand and pulled out a mote of light from the very center of his own brow.

”A hundred years of cultivation, and this is all that is left.”

Before his voice fell, Daoist Wuyang pressed his fingertip against Yun Jianyue’s glabella and sent that point of light into Yun Jianyue’s body.

”The year you ascended the mountain, I watched you from above and already thought you were pretty good. ”Actually, at that time I should have known that you and I were not the same kind of person. But I probably thought then, such a youth, even if our paths differ now, what does it matter? If I teach you well, walking the same path is only a matter of time.”

”It is only that sometimes I overestimate myself and underestimate others. After all, since you could enter even my eyes, how could you possibly be some ordinary mortal? It is only natural that I cannot make you walk with me.”

”A’Yue, after a hundred years of cultivation, it is not that Martial Uncle has always thought heaven and earth may be discarded as long as Infatuation Daoist Temple remains. It is only that too many futures are overly changeable. Even if one exhausts a lifetime of strength, one cannot alter them. Since that is the case, then why change?

”Once changed, with what face would our Infatuation Daoist Temple meet the world? How would it maintain a foothold? These are all problems. You are young, perhaps you would not think about these things. But I must consider them. It may also be that with age comes lack of courage, or perhaps deep down I am simply unwilling to change. In short, as far as I am concerned, this world remaining the same for tens of thousands of years would be best.”

”Of course, this is also because the Infatuation Daoist Temple is what it is today. If the Infatuation Daoist Temple were at the very bottom, perhaps I would have long sought change. Many times, there is no right or wrong; it is merely different positions.”

”Speaking of this now is not because I suddenly understood anything. Things have already reached this point. How I think no longer matters. Even if I lived again, I would still be the same, still disagreeing with what you have done. The reason I say these words is that since you, A’Yue, are the heir to my mantle, then I should wish for you to accomplish everything.”

”Yes, in this lifetime of cultivation, it seems I have been indifferent to all things. But toward the Infatuation Daoist Temple, toward you, I have never been able to be heartless.”

”That point of light, may it repair your Great Dao’s foundation. As for the remainder, it is my hundred years of cultivation insight, given to you as well.”

”I am about to part ways with heaven and earth. In this hundred-year life, I have done many things, and I do not feel regret.”

At this point, Daoist Wuyang had already begun to dissipate, starting from the hem of his robes.

In the very end, Daoist Wuyang vanished between heaven and earth. A prominent figure’s final curtain fell, leaving behind only one faint sentence.

”If only, that year when you ascended the mountain, you had not looked at the mountain.”

......

......

The uncle and nephew first arrived at the small town beneath Infatuation Daoist Temple. Returning again to that noodle shop, the shopkeeper was enthusiastic upon seeing Chen Chao return. But he soon noticed that the young man, who had only left not long ago, now looked pale, as if he had suffered a serious illness.

As for the middle-aged man behind him, the shopkeeper took one glance, and his expression changed. Damn it, was that not a legendary emperor robe? Although this was tens of thousands of miles from the Divine Capital, and beneath Infatuation Daoist Temple’s foot, that did not mean common folk had no concerns. Someone wearing a emperor robe?

The shopkeeper originally wanted to muster some courage to warn them, but recalling that the young man had spent lavishly before, casually paying with a skygold coin, he must not be an ordinary person. Maybe he was one of those immortals from the mountain. If that were the case, whether he wore an emperor robe or not was irrelevant. The imperial court could control them, but might not be able to control these immortals on the mountain.

So the shopkeeper forcefully suppressed his shock and asked what the two wanted to eat. The young man said he wanted two bowls of beef noodles, and once again produced a skygold coin.

”Honored customer, how could this be...”

Before the shopkeeper finished half the sentence, the young man shook his head, seemingly disinclined to speak. The shopkeeper could only accept the skygold coin and go boil the noodles.

The uncle and nephew sat down. Chen Chao softly recounted what he had done in recent days, choosing some events to mention since the Great Liang Emperor had headed north.

The Great Liang Emperor said with a smile, ”You did well. We had originally planned to visit Three Streams Manor myself, but knowing your temperament, you’d feel uneasy unless you avenged yourself personally, so We let it be.”

”As for the Demon Emperor, he truly was a remarkable figure. His breakthrough was not an accident. It’s just that now We cannot leave. Otherwise, We would head north once and cut him down.”

When he said this, the Great Liang Emperor sounded completely indifferent, as though speaking of a trivial matter.

Chen Chao had just opened his mouth to praise him when the Great Liang Emperor shook his head and said, ”It is actually not that easy.”

”Those cultivators We killed earlier, although all above Nepenthe, are much like the gap between others at the end of Nepenthe and you. Put that way, you likely understand?”

Chen Chao nodded. Even within the same realm, many were no match for him.

”Although they were all so-called heroes of various eras, before me they were still not worth mentioning.”

The Great Liang Emperor suddenly said with a sigh, ”These fellows probably once believed themselves the protagonists of heaven and earth. Too bad their luck was bad, and they just happened to run into Us.”

Chen Chao cooperatively nodded. ”Indeed, encountering Uncle is like trying to compete with the bright moon. Naturally, they were no match.”