Martial Cultivator

Whether in terms of age, cultivation realm, or significance in the world, there was an immense gap between the two.

Barely any Great Beyond Realm cultivator in the world would dare act this way toward the Sword Sect's Sect Master.

Not just barely any, it was probably only Chen Chao alone who dared.

"Do you want to kill me?"

The Sword Sect's Sect Master looked at this young man, whose reputation was already formidable, and thought of some amusing tales.

Chen Chao replied, "I know that even if I swung my saber at Sect Master a hundred times, it wouldn't be enough to kill you."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master looked at him without any expression.

Chen Chao continued, as if speaking to himself, "But for some reason, I still feel like taking a few swings at Sect Master."

Hearing this, the Sword Sect's Sect Master suddenly smiled. "When you've walked to the end of Nepenthe, I'll naturally be willing to face you in a duel."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master cast Chen Chao a glance, and Chen Chao immediately retreated several steps. Invisible sword qi filled the air, blooming in the finest details.

This was the strength of the world's number one person in Sword Dao.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master might tolerate such words from someone like the old monk Pingdu, but not necessarily from a young man like Chen Chao.

Even though this young man might one day become one of the most remarkable figures in the world, that was a story for the future.

It did not mean that Chen Chao had the qualifications to say such things to him at this moment.

Chen Chao held his saber horizontally before him, blocking several meager streams of sword qi from the Sword Sect's Sect Master. Before he could say anything, another remnant stream of sword qi approached him.

Chen Chao swung his saber in a powerful strike, retreating explosively dozens of steps in the process.

But the Sword Sect's Sect Master's casual strike was far from over.

The sword qi circled around Chen Chao, shredding his black robe in an instant and leaving countless tears in the fabric.

His black robe was now in tatters.

The qi within Chen Chao's body erupted violently as he unleashed a flurry of saber strikes, each aimed at slicing apart the streams of sword qi around him.

The gap between the Great Beyond Realm and the end of Nepenthe was truly too great. If it had been an ordinary cultivator of the Great Beyond Realm, they would likely have already perished in an instant.

Chen Chao's face remained expressionless as he continued swinging his saber, tirelessly cutting apart and tearing through the sword qi.

Still, some sword qi managed to land on him, adding new wounds to his body.

Blood streamed down his figure, pooling onto the ground below.

Fortunately, this ordeal did not last long and completely dissipated after a brief moment.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master glanced at Chen Chao but refrained from striking again. For someone like him, making a move against a junior like Chen Chao once was already enough. Attacking him relentlessly would seem unreasonable.

However, Chen Chao’s performance exceeded the Sword Sect's Sect Master’s expectations.

“You've built a solid foundation for your physique. No wonder they say you're the hardest youngster to kill in this generation."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master raised an eyebrow, offering some rare praise.

Chen Chao replied, “For someone like Sect Master, I imagine there's no concept of ‘hard to kill.’” In the eyes of a person like him, the world could only be divided into two types of people: those who could be killed and those who could not.

Those who could be killed would be killed. Those who could not be killed simply remained.

And the number of those who could not be killed was likely very small.

“Do you want me to kill you?”

The Sword Sect's Sect Master gave the young man before him a strange look. He understood that this youth's identity was far from ordinary, but that alone did not justify speaking to him in such a manner.

Chen Chao shook his head. “No one in the world seeks death.”

The Sword Sect's Sect Master gazed indifferently at Chen Chao.

Chen Chao also met the Sword Sect's Sect Master's gaze.

“Perhaps one day, you'll truly be qualified for me to unleash a sword at you seriously. I hope that day isn't too far away.”

After finishing his words, the Sword Sect's Sect Master cast a deep look at Chen Chao. Then, he transformed into a beam of sword light and vanished from the spot.

Chen Chao gazed at the place where the Sword Sect's Sect Master had disappeared, his expression complicated.

He had intended to stop this Sword Sect's Sect Master, but unexpectedly, he was still too late.

One step late, and everything was too late.

Chen Chao glanced at the distant small temple with a trace of disappointment and remained silent for a long time.

No sound came from within the temple.

Disappointed, Chen Chao turned to leave.

“Come here.”

An ancient and hoarse voice suddenly rang out. It carried the weight of history's dust and the passage of millennia.

Chen Chao froze, then turned back to look at the small temple.

An old monk walked out of the temple and sat down on the doorstep, his gaze kind and serene as he looked in Chen Chao’s direction.

In that instant, Chen Chao finally understood the true meaning of old age.

This was the very monk the abbot of Deercry Monastery had spoken about.

The old monk's two white eyebrows were astonishingly long, trailing down to the ground and extending into the shadows within the small temple.

Chen Chao looked at this person, said to be the longest-living individual in the world, unsure of what to say.

The old monk spoke first, "Buddhist teachings, Sword Dao, he asked about them. What about you? Do you have anything to ask?"

Chen Chao replied, "This junior doesn't cultivate Buddhism nor cultivates the sword. There's nothing to ask."

The deeply wrinkled face of the old monk showed no noticeable expression. "Then why did you push the door open?"

Chen Chao said, "My original intention was to keep Senior from speaking, but Senior has already finished speaking."

The old monk said slowly, "I've spoken very little over the years. Though the words have accumulated, there are few people worth speaking to. When I do encounter someone like that, I naturally have to say more."

Chen Chao said, "That's Senior's choice, I naturally cannot change it."

"But since Senior has already spoken to me, does that mean, in your eyes, I'm also someone worth speaking to?"

Chen Chao looked at the old monk sitting on the doorstep, who resembled a statue weathered by countless years, covered in dust.

"I... just wanted to see... what kind of person that little one chose, and I was also curious to see what sort of 'new friend' that person called a 'new friend'..."

The old monk's voice was faint, but he spoke slowly enough that Chen Chao could hear him clearly.

Chen Chao vaguely understood that the "little one" referred to the black-robed Nation Teacher, but he could not discern who "that person" mentioned afterward referred to.

The old monk said calmly, "You were born with a heart for killing. You're not a good person."

It seemed as though his eyes had never opened, but the instant they did, it felt as if nothing in the world could remain hidden from his gaze.

Chen Chao was silent for a moment before saying, "Whether I'm a good person or not may not be for Senior to decide."

Chen Chao never considered himself a good person, but in a certain sense, he had never done anything truly wicked either.

In Confucian history, there had been a famous debate between two saints regarding the nature of humanity.

One saint argued that human nature was inherently evil and that people must be guided to do good through acquired education and morality. The other saint believed human nature was inherently good, asserting that people were born kind and that the distinction between good and bad arose from their later experiences.

This debate became well-known across the world at the time, drawing countless scholars into its folds. Both sides continually took stances and engaged in endless disputes. Even after these two saints were recognized as celebrated figures in Confucian history, no definitive answer was ever reached.

To this day, the debate persists in modern controversies.

The old monk said, "To possess the cruelty to kill one's own kin is, in itself, the greatest evil in this world."

Chen Chao asked, "Shouldn’t right and wrong transcend familial ties?"

The old monk fell silent.

"But what's right, and what's wrong?"

After an unknown length of time, the old monk suddenly said, "Who decides what is right and wrong?"

Chen Chao listened to these words, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes.

But it quickly cleared.

Chen Chao smiled faintly and said, “Senior, right and wrong reside in my heart, not in Senior's words.”

After saying this, Chen Chao turned and walked away, unwilling to engage further with the old monk.

In all the long years, someone like Chen Chao had never appeared before.

In the distance, a monk in black robes watched him, pressing his palms together.

……

……

Chen Chao once again saw that old monk Pingdu. This abbot of Deercry Monastery looked at Chen Chao, immediately knowing that he had failed in his mission.

“In this world, there is nothing that's certain to be accomplished, nor is there anything that is absolutely impossible to achieve."

The old monk Pingdu said with vicissitudes of emotion, "You couldn't stop him, but that doesn't mean he'll truly comprehend that sword strike. Even if he does, it doesn't necessarily mean things will turn out so badly. Everything in this world follows its own karmic path; there's no need to rush, nor can it be rushed.”

Chen Chao did not know what to say and just remained silent.

The old monk Pingdu smiled gently at him. “The confusion in your heart comes from overthinking. But in this world, how many things are worth thinking about so much?”

Chen Chao said, “Master’s words are truly full of Zen wisdom.”

The old monk Pingdu monk and replied, “They're just ordinary words, nothing more.”

“If there's nothing else, you should head back."

The old monk Pingdu monk said. “It seems the monastery is of no further use to you."

Chen Chao nodded and turned to leave.

However, he did not plan to return to the Divine Capital after leaving Deercry Monastery. Instead, he intended to make a trip back to Wei Prefecture.

To meet an old friend.

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