However, it was as if Dongguo Feng couldnât even see it. He said nothing.
There was no doubt about it. The leading figure of the Dongguo Familyâs younger generation had suffered far too great a shock.
Despite his firm, determined sword heart, he couldnât regain his senses so quickly.
When the crowd saw this, they couldnât help but sigh to themselves.
The Dongguo Family had lost far too badly!
First, Dongguo Feng, the heaven-defying monstrous genius seventh on the Ranking of Stars, lost to Su Yi in a one-on-one duel.
Immediately afterward, six Spiritual Incarnation experts under the leadership of Dongguo Hai fell beneath Su Yiâs sword, one by one!
Anyone would have realized that this battle represented an absolutely devastating blow to the Dongguo Family, one of the nine top ancient factions!
âMiss Xinzhao, letâs get going.â
The silence was oppressive, but Su Yi acted like it had nothing to do with him. He just smiled and beckoned Wen Xinzhao, Daoist Master Coldsmoke, and Qing Ya over.
âOkay!â Wen Xinzhao agreed. Soon, all three women left with Su Yi.
From beginning to end, neither the leader of Cloudsky Divine Palace, Yu Jiuzhen, nor the remaining Dongguo Family experts dared try to stop them!
âWe had an expert among us, but we didnât know itâŠâ The middle-aged scholar whoâd traveled here alongside Su Yi couldnât help but mutter.
The youths were all stunned and silent.
Their hearts had once been full of longing. They thought that if they made it into Cloudsky Divine Palace, theyâd be like carp leaping over the dragonâs gate. They thought it would change their paths of cultivationâand their livesâforever.
But after everything theyâd just witnessed, they suddenly realized a cruel truth: as strong as Cloudsky Divine Palace was, to the Dongguo Family, it was merely a subordinate faction they could treat however they pleased.
However, although the Dongguo Family was one of the top seven ancient factions, they werenât really omnipotent, and it wasnât true that no one dared provoke them.
Because today, a young man like an immortal from on high cut through their experts, making blood run like a river!
âThey brought about their own ruin!â sighed Yu Jiuzhen.
The other Cloudsky Divine Palace experts had complicated looks on their faces.
Todayâs incident could have ended after Dongguo Fengâs defeat, and Su Yiâs enmity with the Dongguo Family could have stayed between him and Dongguo Feng.
However, Dongguo Hai and the othersâ arrival ruined everything!
In the end, Dongguo Hai and his followers paid with their lives. What was that, if not bringing about their own ruin?
It was then that Dongguo Feng seemed to come back to his senses, but he ignored even the God-Burning Talisman and left on his own, walking into the distance.
âYoung Master! Where are you going?â One of the Dongguo Family experts couldnât help but ask.
Dongguo Feng ignored him.
His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were tattered and stained with blood. His stick-thin frame was covered with wounds that had yet to heal.
The injuries heâd suffered in his earlier duel were far too severe.
But it was as if he didnât care about that in the least. He just walked off all on his own.
His solitary silhouette had a certain bleak, lonely air to it. Gradually, he disappeared into the misty light of dusk.
When the crowd saw this, their spirits sank.
It was the seventeenth day of the second lunar month.
On this day, Su Yi arrived before Cloudsky Divine Palace, defeated Dongguo Feng, the leading figure of the Dongguo Familyâs younger generation, and cut down the group of seven Dongguo Family Spiritual Incarnation Realm experts led by Dongguo Hai. He then led Wen Xinzhao, Qing Ya, and Daoist Master Coldsmoke away.
It was easy to predict that when word of this incident spread, it would shake the nation. The resulting waves were sure to spread throughout the Great Xia!
âŠâŠ
How great of an impact would this battle have? What waves would it create? Su Yi didnât care at all.
Heâd come to Cloudsky Divine Palace purely for Wen Xinzhao.
He did, however, quite admire Dongguo Feng.
Even if they were enemies, that didnât stop Su Yi from acknowledging Dongguo Fengâs attainments in the Dao of the Sword.
âSword force, sword intent, and oneâs cultivation base ultimately cannot compare to an ironclad sword heart. Even those of inferior talent can reach ever greater heights of the Dao of the Sword so long as they have such a sword heart.
âThatâs what they mean when they say that with time, drops of water can penetrate stone.
âOf course, regardless of aptitude, striving relentlessly to improve oneâs swordsmanship is, in and of itself, a rare and precious quality.â
A campfire blazed in the center of a run-down Daoist temple deep in the wilderness. Su Yi sprawled out in his wicker chair, using his arms as a pillow. His whole body was completely relaxed.
Wen Xinzhao, Qing Ya, and Daoist Master Coldsmoke sat off to the side. Oneâs gaze was bright and beautiful, another innocent and guileless, the other tranquil and charming.
âDongguo Feng was severely injured this time, and he suffered a heavy mental blow. If he can overcome it, his mental state will reach a higher level,â said Su Yi. He then took out a jug of wine and drank with relish.
Qing Ya asked curiously, âBig Brother Su Yi, which is more important when pursuing the Grand Dao: hard work or talent?â
Su Yi smiled. âThe vast majority of the worldâs cultivators have no business relying on talent alone. When you truly have nothing to lean on but your talent, that means youâve encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation.
âBesides, the path of cultivation is full of possibilities. Even dull, untalented cultivators can, as they make breakthroughs and rise through the ranks, change their natural aptitude.
âAnd thatâs before considering that this world has no shortage of lucky breaks and fortuitous encounters, much less divine medicines and powers capable of transforming a cultivatorâs talent. However, all of this is contingent on your own hard work; you have to seek it out.â
His words moved both Wen Xinzhao and Daoist Master Coldsmoke.
Qing Ya chirped, âI understand! So long as you work hard, you have an opportunity to change everything! But talent? Even if itâs heaven-defying, itâll all go to waste if you donât work hard!â
Su Yi nodded. âExactly.â
âI can tell that even though heâs your enemy, you quite admire Dongguo Feng,â said Wen Xinzhao with a smile.
Su Yi said casually, âMore than him, I admire your powers of comprehension when it comes to swordsmanship. Right, that reminds me of something.
âTwo old monks once argued. One said that the body is the Bodhi tree, and that the heart is the stand of a clear mirror. Its surface needs constant polishing to prevent it from accumulating dust.
âThe other said the Bodhiâenlightenmentâwas never a tree to begin with, and that the mirror is not its stand. Emptiness is pure by its very nature; how could it possibly accumulate dust?
âWhich monk do you think was more impressive?â
As he spoke, Su Yi looked at Wen Xinzhao, but Qing Ya interjected, âThe second monk!â
Daoist Master Coldsmoke nodded.
However, Wen Xingzhao hesitated. âIn terms of raw powers of comprehension, the second monk is naturally superior. However, in terms of cultivation, the first is better.â
Su Yi smiled. âThatâs one correct way of understanding it. There are numerous different views on the matter amongst Buddhists, but to sword cultivators like us, both are correct. The two concepts complement each other.â
âThey complement each other?â His three companions asked in confusion.
âThe first sentence emphasizes polishing oneâs foundations during cultivation, while the second is about enlightenment. Itâs only by regularly âpolishing oneâs mirrorâ that you can achieve instantaneous enlightenment and break through.â
Wen Xinzhao pondered for a while. Finally, she said, âAlthough Iâm no Buddhist cultivator, your explanation is most in line with my perception.â
Su Yi smiled. âWhen it comes to the Dao of the Sword, your powers of comprehension far surpass Dongguo Feng. However, going forward, you must remember to take your time to polish and temper yourself, too.â
Wen Xinzhaoâs heart shook. She suddenly realized that Su Yi was using this as an opportunity to enlighten her!
Her gaze was determined, and she said softly, âBrother Su, rest assured. Iâll bear that firmly in mind.â
The campfire blazed.
Time slipped by.
Su Yi had already told his traveling companions that he was headed for the capital, Nine Tripod City.
However, Wen Xinzhao was a bit worried about Daoist Master Coldsmoke and Qing Ya. After all, the three of them had effectively left Cloudsky Divine Palace, becoming rootless rogue cultivators. They no longer had their pillar of support.
Wen Xinzhao shared these worries with Su Yi, who laughed. âRelax. Once the true Radiant Epoch begins, the worldâs balance of power will inevitably shift once more. No one knows who will smile in the end. Until then, all we need to do is calm our hearts and wait.â
Wen Xinzhao nodded.
It was already late at night. Throughout the wilderness, everything was still and silent, save for the occasional roaring of beasts.
Suddenlyââ
Su Yiâs eyebrows shot up, and he looked outside the Daoist temple.
The faint, nigh-indiscernible sound of a bell resounded deep within the night sky. It was melodious and ethereal, with a strange, mysterious quality.
Why⊠would the sound of that bell appear in this world? Su Yi fell into a daze, looking utterly flabbergasted, as if he dared not believe his ears.
A while later, he silently rose to his feet. âXinzhao, stay here for a while. Iâm going on a walk.â
As he spoke, he left the dilapidated temple.
The night was dark as ink, with neither moon nor stars.
A single, solitary figure traveled blindly through the wilderness.
His hair was disheveled, he was covered in bloodstains, and his face was pale and wooden. His eyes were hollow, as if heâd lost his soul.
This was none other than Dongguo Feng!
Suddenly, the ethereal, melodious sound of a bell reverberated throughout the night sky.
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Dongguo Feng stiffened, and suddenly recovered from his muddled, dazed mental state.
He looked around, only to discover that he was in the middle of completely unfamiliar wilderness.
And here I thought my sword heart was as firm as iron. I thought that heaven and earth could switch places without affecting my mental state. Whoâd have thought that todayâs loss would make me lose control to such an extentâŠ? Dongguo Feng sighed to himself.
Heâd already realized how dangerous his earlier mental state had been. If not for the melodious sound of that bell, heâd most likely still be in a daze, little different from a walking corpse!
Wait, a bell?
Why is there a bell this deep in the wilderness? Where is that sound coming from?
Dongguo Feng scanned his surroundings in confusion. He suddenly realized that, although he wasnât sure when it had gotten there, the light of a lantern illuminated shone beneath the distant curtain of the night.
Donât tell me thereâs a temple or something out there? Dongguo Feng walked right toward the light.
When he arrived, he saw a bamboo building standing before a mountain.
The building was only two stories tall, and there was just one lantern hanging from the eaves, but its orange glow was full of warmth.
Heaven and earth were dark, save for a single lantern.
That trace of light emanated an air he couldnât quite put into words. Just looking at it was calming, and it felt warm.
Dongguo Feng looked up.
There was a sign hanging from the bamboo buildingâs gates.
One word was written in big characters: âpawnshopâ!
Beneath the orange glow of the lantern, the characters flickered in and out of view, giving them an additional mysteriousness.
Why would a pawnshop appear randomly in the middle of the wilderness? Dongguo Feng realized that something wasnât right here, but he couldnât suppress his curiosity.