Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 523: 168 Living in the Present
Chapter 523: Chapter 168 Living in the Present
“There’s one thing, Yan’er, you might not be very clear about. There were rumors that at his peak, Divine Fist Li had the strength to slay gods, but for some unknown reason, he faced the Void Thunder Tribulation and was nearly schemed against to the brink of death and annihilation of his Dao.
Even if Divine Fist Li fell, he still managed to outwit the Thunder Origin Sword God, nearly causing him to kill himself. Hence, the Thunder Origin Sword God was confined within the Thunderflame Breaking Path Mountain.
Now, it’s common knowledge that you are the inheritor of Divine Fist Li, his direct disciple. Given that, the Thunder Origin Sword God will surely not spare the disciple of his enemy. This is the simplest of truths.
Yet at present, Yan’er, you remain unscathed, which is indeed the biggest surprise. Don’t you think so?”
Zhuge Guyan pondered as he spoke.
Zhou Yan was deep in thought. He had considered many possibilities, but he hadn’t summed up these possibilities, because once he did, things would become even more complicated.
This matter surpassed his imagination; Zhou Yan did not wish for Zhuge Guyan to continue deducing, for the result, the consequences, could be unimaginable.
“Uncle Gu Yan, you worry too much. What I received was just a part of Divine Fist Li’s insights after his soul annihilation. The Thunder Origin Sword God once imparted the ancient Dao to me at the Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, treating me as his disciple. There probably isn’t any intention to harm me. Otherwise, with his power, why would he need to resort to any tricks? So, please be at ease, Uncle Gu Yan.”
“Is that so? Perhaps, I am just overthinking it. I always feel that he is hiding some monumental secret. But since you, Yan’er, feel no sense of crisis, let’s consider I never mentioned it.”
Gu Yan thought it over. Knowing that this matter had no evidence and no insights to rely on, speaking of it would only add troubles to Zhou Yan. Thus, he chose not to speak further, deciding to keep a secret watch over it instead.
…
After discussing this matter, Zhou Yan asked Zhuge Guyan about his eyes. Zhuge Guyan said that upon returning to Tianji Mountain and comprehending the Heavenly Mechanism Skill, there should be a turning point. If Zhuge Jiayue’s life chart manifests, then there will be no issue.
With this conclusion, Zhou Yan felt much relieved.
In fact, before this conversation, Zhou Yan had already felt some apprehension about the Thunder Origin Sword God. Zhou Yan, observing words and colors, knew that Zhuge Guyan understood and deduced things that were likely more profound, but Zhuge Guyan had chosen to shoulder them alone.
Once all matters were discussed, Zhou Yan and Zhuge Guyan left the Purple Flame Void together.
Outside, his disciple, Hou Chen, was happily interacting with Jia Yongheng, Yan Ran the mysterious, and others, seemingly discussing the training methods of the Sword Dao of humble life.
From afar, Zhou Yan saw the joyful group and felt heartened.
He didn’t join them but instead walked with Zhuge Guyan across the distance of the Secondary Main Peak 5294.
“Yan’er, you needn’t see me out any further; I’m returning to Tianji Mountain. After returning, I might undergo a transformation in my cultivation. The next time we meet, I won’t just be Gu Yan, but Zhuge Guyan, Young Master of Tianji Mountain. We shall treat each other as equals from then on.”
Gu Yan’s somewhat empty gaze turned a bit more profound. Outsiders could never tell that he was actually blind.
“Uncle, I understand your meaning. As strength grows and progresses, the once third-generation disciple becomes a second-generation disciple, and with that, status and seniority gradually change as well. But Uncle Gu Yan will always be my uncle, just like a father.”
Zhou Yan said earnestly.
“I understand your sentiment. Many who have lived a third lifetime do not value their third life, but they fail to realize that it’s the imperfections of the second life that should be discarded. In this life, my main fate line still lies with Tianji Mountain, so everything about Tianji Mountain cannot be abandoned. But this kinship, this friendship, I will not cast aside, no matter how Tianji Mountain may change, it will become your support. Tianji Mountain has some unstable elements, but it doesn’t affect anything. Yan’er, you can fully trust this power,” Zhuge Guyan said.
“I understand, so everything in this life, that is my dominion. The second life, where Lee Sha was robbed of his perfect talents, where Divine Fist Li was wronged, I will not let it penetrate my spirit. No matter how formidable the Lei Yan King is, how much he believes in ‘Only I Am Supreme’, that is the Lei Yan King.
In this life, I am myself, my own self, and will not change my convictions or life because of anyone’s influence,” Zhou Yan stated seriously.
It was only to Zhuge Guyan that he would express himself so earnestly.
Zhuge Guyan was momentarily stunned, seemingly surprised that Zhou Yan could be aware of those secrets, yet he wasn’t too astonished, nodding his head and saying, “It’s good to think this way. The past, regardless of its achievements and backgrounds, ultimately does not belong to this life. All of it can be regarded as just a dream. If one can’t live well in this lifetime, talking about past lives and future lives is frankly quite ridiculous.”
Zhuge Guyan seemed to laugh at himself before continuing solemnly, “Yan’er, having Xi’er with you, I am already very reassured because I know that your goodness towards her even exceeds that towards yourself. What else could be more reassuring than that? And now, you being able to voice such thoughts, it reassures me even more. Good. Good. Good.”
Zhuge Guyan repeated the word ‘good’ three times, seeming only because Zhou Yan could see through that fact; seeming only because Zhou Yan could truly grasp his own self, living in the present.
Zhou Yan gained insight, recalling the changes within Wan Jian Tian when imprisoned by the Soul Killing Chains, his heart became a bit more enlightened.
Maybe, only by ‘living in the present’ could one truly understand the meaning of existence.
…
Thunderflame Breaking Path Mountain.
Endless thunderclouds, like a gorgeous yet unreal rainbow, hung inverted in the sky.
In the sky, a vertical eye’s phantom emerged.
Within this eye, there was no hint of human luster, yet it transmitted ripples of information.
Below the sky, there lay an ancient array, and within the array, it was as if a special world was growing on its own.
At the base of the array, a young man silently sat there, leaning against the base, his silhouette appearing somewhat desolate.
“It’s a pity that you didn’t pass the trial; it disappoints me.”
The vertical eye emitted a cold light, conveying an icy message.
“I understand, but I think you, Sword God, are aware that I actually could have passed this trial.”
The handsome young man forced a bitter smile as he spoke.
“Correct, at the last moment, you gave up. So, what do you want to say?”
The Thunder Origin Sword God’s vertical eye transmitted the question.
“Sword God, thank you for your generous love and confidence, but I, Xiao Ji Wu, have ultimately ruined my life.
Broken and then established, but I have broken beyond repair. For someone pursuing the Tao of Perfection, being broken means never being able to achieve true completeness.”
“Moreover, I, Xiao Ji Wu, have lost all face of my parents, lost my own dignity, and no longer have any face to continue living.”
Xiao Ji Wu’s voice conveyed a desolate tone.
“If you think like that, your natural talent is wasted. I also regret giving you a chance to come here.”
“Sword God, please quell your anger. I am well aware you cherish talent, but I, Xiao Ji Wu, recognize my own limitations. Even if I were restored to my original state through breaking and re-establishing, I would never be a match for Zhou Yan. Moreover, my parents gave up too much because of me. Now, it’s time that I do something for them.”
Xiao Ji Wu pondered for a moment, then said.
“Oh? So you’re saying that your deliberate failure in the trial is a change for your own incompetence?”
The vertical eye in the sky seemed somewhat surprised.
“Yes, I am aware that you, Sword God, cherish talent, and I, Xiao Ji Wu, once had a younger brother who surpassed me in both talent and natural intellect. His name is ‘Wu Ji,’ but because of his exceptional talent, I was jealous, plotted against him, and as a result, my parents threw him out in disappointment and eliminated much of his cultivation. Now, I have learned that you possess the ancient divine path of the Soul Path, which at its pinnacle can even extract someone’s natural potential. I wish to give up all of my potential to my brother Wu Ji.
I am willing to pay with my own demise, to let my brother stand again, to carry on our parent’s glory, and to ensure the Xiao Family of the Saint Clan isn’t disgraced for all eternity because of Xiao Ji Wu.”
Xiao Ji Wu narrated slowly, even relating how he had once been jealous of and plotted against his younger brother, Xiao Wuji.
The vertical eye in the void fell silent for a long time.
“If you enter the ancient array and undergo the highest difficulty trial one more time and succeed, I will grant your wish to empower your brother Wu Ji, giving him all your talent and fully healing his injuries, restoring the glory of the Xiao Family. If you fail, you will simply perish, and your brother’s life and death will have nothing to do with me.”
The vertical eye in the void sent out this message.
“Sword God, then start the ultimate difficulty trial, Xiao Ji Wu, is bound to pass.”
Xiao Ji Wu spoke with a calm complexion.
After enduring the torment of the Killing Spirit Divine Dao, Xiao Ji Wu had let go of everything. What he could no longer set aside was the guilt towards his parents and brother, which he could not repay. Thus, he sought death as an escape from this guilt and self-reproach.
…
The most challenging trial began.
Soon, the trial ended.
Xiao Ji Wu, as he said, passed without any suspense. His talent was undeniable. Even now, when all he could do was simulate everything, his strength was still formidable.
“Congratulations, you’ve passed. In fact, you could have fully stood up on your own to fulfill the regrets in your heart. Your talent secured you another chance, an opportunity for me to help you fully recover.”
The vertical eye in the sky conveyed an indifferent message.
“Let it be as I said earlier. A lifetime of arrogance and competitiveness, in the end, I’ve realized, has completely lost its meaning. I’m tired, and I don’t want to continue like this anymore. I have become a laughingstock in everyone’s eyes, a disgrace to my parents and the entire Xiao Family of the Saint Clan. My death has more meaning than my living.”
Xiao Ji Wu spoke as the blood and soul power within his body began to contract and condense on their own, and his soul consciousness gradually thinned.
“Very well, it shall be as you wish.”
The vertical eye, devoid of much emotion, spoke indifferently.