togophonebook Chapter 32 Is this the method of a great cultivator?
Chapter 32 Is this the method of a great cultivator?
He raised his head, his eyes clear and bright, showing no fear whatsoever, but rather a sharp, eager look.
"This matter need not be done by Master. Since I have received the grace of Master's teachings, I will diligently cultivate and practice. One day, I will personally go to the Seven Fiends and kill that old Gu worm. This will settle the karmic debt and serve as a proper pledge of allegiance to Master."
Upon hearing this, Chi Mingzi was slightly taken aback at first, then grinned, revealing a set of uneven, yellow teeth, and burst into laughter. His loud laughter shook the surrounding gravel, causing it to rustle.
"Good, good, that's ambitious." He exclaimed three times, his cloudy old eyes filled with admiration. "That's more like it! A cultivator clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment, and bears the consequences of their own actions. What kind of skill is it to hide and rely on the protection of one's master? Since you have this intention, I'll wait and see you bring that old Gu worm's head to your drink!"
The more he looked at Xu Changqing, the more pleasing he became. This disciple of his was of excellent talent and temperament, decisive in killing, and even more rare was his fearless spirit in the face of powerful enemies and his willingness to bear the consequences of his actions, which perfectly aligned with the true meaning of the Pure Yang Path: to temper the mind through killing.
"Alright, enough with the nonsense." Chi Mingzi stroked his messy beard, waved his hand, and said, "Take your master to meet his family. I want to see what kind of blessed land Qingyang Temple is that could produce a disciple like you."
"Master, please wait a moment." Xu Changqing smiled slightly upon hearing this, but did not move immediately. His figure swayed, and several blood lotuses bloomed out of thin air beneath his feet, disappearing without a trace.
A glint flashed in Chi Mingzi's cloudy old eyes. He paused, stroking his beard, and muttered, "Heh, half a step into Foundation Establishment and already playing with 'lotus blossoms with every step'? This kid has quite a few tricks up his sleeve..."
Xu Changqing, stepping on lotus shadows and holding the Blood Jade Square Token, a storage artifact, strolled leisurely through the ruins of the repeatedly ravaged giant pit.
After acquiring the painted-skin corpse, Yuan Hong's black staff magic weapon, and other familiar items such as the Blood Sword and Jia Yu's thumb ring, Xu Changqing was so happy that his eyes almost disappeared.
Having done all this, he swayed, the blood lotus beneath his feet dissipated, and he gracefully landed back beside Chi Mingzi. He clapped his hands, a satisfied look on his face: "Alright, Master, we can go now."
Chi Mingzi watched his movements with interest the whole time, arms crossed, before finally chuckling, "You little rascal, you're quite the opportunist."
Even so, a hint of approval flashed in his cloudy eyes. On the path of cultivation, resources are provisions; knowing how to gather them is a skill, but more importantly, it's a way to survive.
"Even a mosquito's leg is still meat," Xu Changqing said with a nonchalant smile. "Master, please."
"Boy, quickly show me the way, and I'll show you what the style of a sword immortal is all about."
Chi Mingzi grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and a piercing light suddenly flashed in his cloudy old eyes. He clearly intended to show off his skills in front of his newly accepted disciple, so that he would know what true extraordinary abilities were and what the foundation of the Pure Yang Dao was.
"Kid, watch closely."
Before Chi Mingzi finished speaking, and without any apparent movement, the unassuming red gourd at his waist suddenly began to vibrate and hum. A flash of red light appeared at the gourd's mouth, and a crimson sword light shot into the sky.
Chi Mingzi casually placed his withered hand on Xu Changqing's shoulder. "Let's go."
The crimson sword light suddenly erupted, transforming into a crimson lightning bolt that tore through the sky.
Xu Changqing felt his vision instantly shrink into a blurry crimson stream of light.
The sharp whistling of sword light tearing through the air filled their ears, and the shattered Black Wind Mountain and charred forest beneath their feet instantly shrank into chessboard-sized patches of color, which were then left far behind and disappeared from sight.
A fierce, knife-like gale swept towards them, but before it could even get close, it was pulverized by the scorching, sharp sword intent.
The continuous mountain ranges receded rapidly like the spine of a giant dragon, the winding rivers turned into a line of shimmering waves, and the towns and villages were nothing more than scattered building blocks. Everything was flying backward at a dizzying speed.
This is... a sword immortal soaring through the air? This is the skill of a great cultivator?
Xu Changqing was deeply shocked. He could briefly take to the air with his own magic power or the evil dragon, but that was like a toddler learning to walk. Compared to this supreme sword escape that tore through the sky and covered thousands of miles in an instant, it was like heaven and earth.
For the first time, he felt so directly how insignificant his own cultivation level was in the face of a true great cultivator.
Chi Mingzi stood with his hands behind his back at the forefront of the sword light. His tattered Taoist robe fluttered wildly in the gale, and his beard and hair danced wildly, yet his figure remained as steady as a rock.
He didn't turn around, but Xu Changqing's shocking emotional fluctuations clearly did not escape his perception.
The old Taoist priest's lips curled into a barely perceptible smug smile, and then he took another swig of wine, his posture exuding an indescribable wildness and unruliness.
"Boy, watch closely, this is the true way of the sword." Chi Mingzi's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the sword's cry and the gale, and rang in Xu Changqing's ears. "My Pure Yang Dao's sword cuts through the shackles of heaven and earth, and the cage of the Great Dao. Once the sword is drawn, all laws will be shattered."
A thick, leaden rain cloud blocked their path, with lightning flashing wildly and thunder rumbling in the distance. Chi Mingzi didn't even glance at it, but flicked his finger lightly across the sword's edge.
A clear, resonant sword cry echoed through the heavens, and a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared at the tip of the crimson ribbon.
The sword light pierced the thunderclouds like a hot knife through butter. The raging lightning struck wildly, but was instantly annihilated by the flowing sword intent just three feet away from the sword light.
The crimson sword light carved a straight path through the pitch-black sea of clouds, and sunlight poured down like a waterfall from the crack.
Xu Changqing was captivated by what he saw, gaining a very direct understanding of swordsmanship.
In the blink of an eye, the sword light slowed down, and Chi Mingzi's lazy voice rang out again.
"We've arrived."
Xu Changqing looked closely and a beautiful mountain peak, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing an abyss on one side, came into view.
As the first rays of dawn illuminate the verdant mountains, the white-walled, black-tiled Taoist temple stands quietly amidst ancient pines. This is Qingyang Temple.
The sword light fell like a meteor, but the instant it touched the pine branches on the mountaintop, it became incredibly gentle.
Chi Mingzi, carrying Xu Changqing like two feathers, silently landed by the bluestone pond in the front courtyard of Qingyang Temple. The crimson ribbon transformed into a stream of light and disappeared back into the gourd.
The rising sun had just emerged from the eastern ridge, casting its first rays of golden light upon the Taoist temple.
The resentment and fear in the pond dissipated, and the red carp flicked its tail and dived under the lotus leaves. The morning dew rolled on the lotus leaves, refracting seven colors.
A mountain breeze carries the fragrance of pine resin and the scent of grass and trees, a stark contrast to the bloody devastation of Black Wind Mountain.
Xu Changqing stood by the pond, looking at the tranquil scene, and was momentarily lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally let out a long breath.
The world is so vast, indeed there are extraordinary people everywhere, and beautiful scenery everywhere.
Having witnessed the power of someone like Chi Mingzi and the Zhen family patriarch's ability to exert influence remotely, I realize that all my previous scheming was nothing more than the work of a frog in a well.
But it's all good. Seeing the high mountains makes you realize how long the road is; seeing the flowing water makes you realize that it's better to strive for length rather than speed.
In this cannibalistic world, one must cultivate oneself by knowing when to be submissive and when to fight back, in order to become a great being and an ancestor.