Chapter 164: Chapter 157: The Great Dao is But a Struggle
The immortal path is long and arduous, a goal sought but rarely attained. This was true in Yunzhou, and it was true on Earth Element Star.
Moreover, once one set foot on this path, their fate was no longer their own. They would either perish along the way or struggle endlessly in the Immortal Sea, treading a road with no end.
This was ordained by the heavens; no one could change it.
At least, that was how it was on Earth Element Star.
Without a Spiritual Root, one could not even sense Spiritual Qi, doomed to live and die a mere mortal.
There was no such thing as a Fake Spirit Root. That was just a baseless rumor, a feat no one had ever accomplished.
"So what if she can’t practice Cultivation!"
Wu Neng stubbed his cigarette butt into an ashtray and said flatly,
"There are so many mortals on Earth Element Star. Not practicing Cultivation isn’t a death sentence. She can go to college, live a stable life, do what she wants, and have a perfectly ordinary existence."
After a few more pleasantries, Chen Che got up to leave, sighing with emotion.
A few days ago, he had promised her he would wait for her at Xianmen First Middle School.
But today, she had tested negative for a Spiritual Root.
It had to be said, fate was a cruel trickster.
Perhaps this was what they meant by ’the Great Dao is a struggle for supremacy.’ The culling of the weak began as early as the test for a Spiritual Root.
In the two years they had known each other, he had gradually learned from snippets of neighborhood gossip that Wu Rui was not Wu Neng’s biological daughter.
Years ago, Wu Neng had been a Flying Thief, a burglar who picked locks. He got caught, did three years in prison, and became a pariah. Then he found Wu Rui in a trash can by his door. Not only did he wash his hands of his criminal past, but he also came to see her as his own flesh and blood.
’Perhaps the people who abandoned Wu Rui back then did so because she had no Spiritual Root and couldn’t practice Cultivation.’
Chen Che slowly shook his head.
It was common for some families to abandon children without Spiritual Roots. Although there were efforts to curb this, it still happened on Earth Element Star.
It was said that the immortal path revealed all facets of life; some were unwilling to sever their worldly ties.
Yet others would abandon everything for the long road to immortality.
Down the street, a family whose child had tested for an Earth-grade Spirit Root was celebrating with firecrackers. The father stood at the door, thanking the neighbors for their congratulations, but a hidden worry for the costs of three years of high school and four years at a Daoist School flickered in his eyes.
Even with subsidies from the Immortal Sects.
But the daily expenses, food, and artifacts for a single Cultivator were more than an ordinary family could afford.
In any case, Chen Che’s slightly somber mood improved considerably upon arriving at the after-sales service center.
"I’ve finished modifying your Pure Jun Sword."
Zeng Buke took out a brocade box and opened it.
Chen Che tilted his head to look. Lying flat inside the box was a Spirit Sword. Its body was pitch-black, its hilt simple yet grand, and its spine was a line of gold.
Wisps of clear wind coiled and wove around the blade.
"The sword is 1.32 meters long, 7 centimeters wide, and weighs 296 kilograms. One of the two swords you gave me before seemed to have been made with some kind of Wind Attribute Ore, but its properties weren’t being utilized. I made some adjustments during the Forging."
Seeing Chen Che examining the Pure Jun Sword, Zeng Buke casually explained,
"Without consuming extra True Essence, it can increase your sword speed by about 10%. You can give it a try. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I can make further changes."
The Pure Jun Sword wasn’t drastically different from before, except for its increased weight, which had almost no effect on a Cultivator of his level. And after the modifications, its appearance was even more imposing and substantial than before.
He picked up the sword and infused a sliver of True Essence into it.
With a WHOOSH of wind, the blade’s edge glinted with an even colder light, and it felt nimbler as he swung it.
"Not bad. The material is tough, and it increases my sword speed. It’s a great fit for me!"
Chen Che stroked the cool blade, thoroughly satisfied.
Most importantly, it was only Tier Two Low Grade, so wielding it wouldn’t put any strain on his body.
Seeing Chen Che admiring the sword, unable to put it down, Zeng Buke’s lips curved into a smile as he continued,
"See the golden thread on the spine? I held something back during the Forging. I didn’t connect the inscriptions in this part with True Essence."
"Oh? I thought that golden thread was just for decoration!"
Following his instructions, Chen Che tried to infuse True Essence into it and, sure enough, felt a slight blockage as the True Essence flowed through the golden thread.
However, it didn’t affect normal use.
"If you need an upgrade in the future, you won’t have to make another trip to the service center. Just use your True Essence to forcibly break through this blockage, and the sword will immediately be promoted to Tier Two Middle Grade." Zeng Buke’s tone became a little proud.
He had clearly put a lot of thought into this sword.
"That’s much more convenient."
Chen Che was quite pleased with Zeng Buke’s thoughtful gesture.
He tested it a few more times before finally putting the Pure Jun Sword away.
Since it was still early, he chatted with Zeng Buke for a while longer. He learned that Zeng Buke had collected the leftover materials and planned to get some more scraps to forge another Tier Two Flying Sword. Of course, the price would be much lower than products from major companies.
This kind of thing was normal.
Not everyone could afford products from major companies, nor did everyone blindly trust big brands. With such massive demand, independent craftsmen had not yet died out.
That’s why people like Zeng Buke, who took on private jobs, still existed.
On his way back, he passed the locksmith shop.
A cigarette dangled from Wu Neng’s lips as he helped a neighbor open a safe. Wu Rui was outside the shop, cooking on an induction stove, a pile of dog-eared high school textbooks at her feet. When she saw Chen Che pass by, she smiled and nodded.
Clearly, the father and daughter had already accepted their reality.
...
「Yunzhou.」
Chen Che practiced his Cultivation in his Cave Mansion for a while, also attempting to improve the Concentration Incense.
However, the improvement was minimal.
Afterward, he returned to the Pill Shop and saw Meng Qingxuan already sitting there.
"Let me."
Seeing Chen Che return, Ding Fei started to get up to make tea.
However, Meng Qingxuan had already risen. Elegant and graceful, she rolled up her sleeves, brewed a pot of tea for Chen Che, and brought it to him.
"Sigh!"
Chen Che let out a long sigh and took the cup.
Seeing Chen Che accept the tea, Meng Qingxuan’s eyes filled with a smile.
"The Han Family came to our door to apologize yesterday!"
"Hm!?"
Chen Che was slightly taken aback.
He only understood after she explained.
After returning from the mine, Meng Qingxuan had told him that she planned to write a letter informing her family that they had been ambushed by Han Tong, so they could retaliate against the Han Family.
Of course, the letter omitted the fact that Chen Che had killed him in self-defense, stating only that Han Tong and his group had been devoured by a Demon Spider.
Chen Che had tacitly approved of this.
Meng Changtu learned that his beloved daughter had nearly been killed, but before he had a chance to make a move...
...the Han Family acted even faster.
That very same day, the Han Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Han Zaiyin, personally came to their door to atone.
Of course, they pushed all the blame onto Han Tong, claiming his actions were his own private doing. They also presented lavish gifts as an apology.
"And that’s it?"
Chen Che asked curiously.
"He took three palm strikes from my father and went back coughing up blood. Father said in his letter that it will take him years to recover. He also praised you for being meticulous and calm under pressure."
Meng Qingxuan was beaming, clearly delighted that her father approved of Chen Che.
At the same time, her words carried a hint of regret that Han Zaiyin had made it back alive.
’Coming to apologize in person?’
Chen Che couldn’t help but admire it. These Foundation Establishment Cultivators truly knew when to bow their heads, without the slightest hesitation.
If they hadn’t, it would have given the Meng Family an opening to attack.
Within a family that had been at peace for hundreds of years, there were always hawks and doves; their voices were never completely unified. But in a situation where they had lost face, or a core member’s life was threatened, it would surely stir up collective outrage, leading to swift and merciless retaliation.
The mortal world was a battlefield of fame, fortune, life, and death, and the Cultivation World was no different.
The Han Family’s actions not only gave the Meng Family plenty of face, but also provided an excuse for the doves who didn’t want to go to war.
Still, to vent his anger on his daughter’s behalf, Meng Changtu had still hit him with three palm strikes.
Of course, the Han Family was quite pragmatic.
Faced with the Meng Family, which had five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they chose to bow their heads. But against Jinyun Valley, whose strength was comparable to their own, they had no intention of visiting at all.
"There’s one more thing. The Evil Cultivator has reappeared."
Meng Qingxuan continued, "This time, a total of four hundred and sixty-seven people died... all of them were family members of Foundation Establishment Cultivators!"
"COUGH! COUGH!"
Chen Che spat the Spirit Tea he was about to drink all over the floor. He even wondered if he had misheard.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at a corner of the Market. Xiao Chan was sitting there, fanning himself with a cattail fan, leisurely selling tofu pudding. His stall had reappeared in the Market yesterday morning.
He had clearly succeeded in his Foundation Establishment.
"What happened?"
"Word is, that Evil Cultivator reached the Foundation Establishment Realm at some unknown time. He secretly infiltrated Primordial City and slaughtered the families of three Foundation Establishment Cultivators. As for the descendants of Cao Xiong, the Chief Tutor of the Primordial Sect, every last one of them was slain. Not a single one survived!"
Meng Qingxuan said methodically,
"Even three of his clan members who were in Cultivation at the Primordial Sect were lured back home... You could say his entire line has been wiped out."
"...Cao Xiong."
Chen Che sipped his tea in silence, his gaze flicking toward Xiao Chan.
A customer had just arrived at the tofu pudding stall. Xiao Chan was scooping out a serving, handing it to them with a beaming smile.
"I heard that when Cao Xiong was the Chief Tutor, that Evil Cultivator had sought his help regarding his father’s death. But not only did he get no results, Cao Xiong even told the man’s master, which led to him being punished."
Meng Qingxuan sighed.
This was a scandal for the Primordial Sect. Although they tried desperately to cover it up, fire cannot be wrapped in paper. The story was bound to get out eventually.
’Then he deserved it!’
A dark light flickered in the depths of Chen Che’s eyes.
If Cao Xiong had administered justice earlier, none of this would have happened. But not only did he refuse, he sold the man out. In Yunzhou, a world with no order, where only strength mattered, Cao Xiong’s actions had clearly forced Xiao Chan down the path of an Evil Cultivator.
On top of that, judging from that Attacking God and Heart-Questioning incident, the man was indeed a malicious character.
’I wonder if Cao Xiong is so actively involved in the hunt to eliminate a future threat, or because he was reprimanded by the Sect!’
Chen Che grumbled internally.
But he guessed it was probably both.
"No one knows when the Evil Cultivator killed those people or when he left Primordial City, let alone where he is now!"
At this, Meng Qingxuan slowly shook her head.
’Of course you don’t know. He’s right under your noses!’
Chen Che thought to himself.
As if sensing his gaze, Xiao Chan, still fanning himself, glanced over casually. Their eyes met. This time, Xiao Chan didn’t look away furtively as he had before. Instead, he gave a generous nod.
Just then, a figure stepped into the Pill Shop and clasped his hands in a warm greeting.
"Tributor Chen!"
Chen Che slowly looked up, raising a slight eyebrow.
