Chapter 132: Discussing the Dao

Aside from his close friends and teachers, almost no one cared about Bian Chunzhou going into secluded cultivation.

However, Chen Zui’s successful Foundation Establishment quickly became a hot topic of conversation among the inner sect disciples.

It was not that everyone was so bored that they loved to gossip about the cultivation paths of low-level disciples, but rather that they all shared the same question Bian Chunzhou had: Did Junior Brother Chen actually break the Little Grand-Uncle Master’s Foundation Establishment record?

Back then, after the Little Grand-Uncle Master returned from the Five Sects Conference and watched the Foundation Establishment glow of the outer sect disciple Mingjing, he successfully established his foundation the very next day. At that time, the Little Grand-Uncle Master was twenty-four by nominal age, meaning his actual age was just over twenty-three, which was exactly the same as Junior Brother Chen now.

Granted, both of them were disciples of Yonglu Mountain, so whichever one held the record, it was a glory for Yonglu Mountain. As Sect Master Gu Wufang put it, the meat was rotting in the same pot anyway, so why fuss over it?

But they were just curious. Besides, Junior Brother Chen and the Little Grand-Uncle Master were close friends, so they probably knew the truth privately, right?

Soon, some busybodies sought out their friends on Saber Peak to ask for the truth, but…

“I think you’ve asked the wrong person. After spending three days mastering saber-riding, Junior Brother Chen went straight into the Back Mountain Secret Realm. As for when he’ll come out, I have no idea.” Pushing himself so hard right after Foundation Establishment… They had originally thought their junior brother would slow down his cultivation pace a bit to consolidate his realm. Who would have thought? It made them, the senior brothers, not dare to slack off in the slightest.

“Ah? He’s already entered the Back Mountain Secret Realm? If I remember correctly, during the last Sect Tournament, Junior Brother Chen entered the Back Mountain Secret Realm using a pre-allocated slot, didn’t he?”

The senior brother from Saber Peak nodded gloomily. “You remember correctly.”

…What was wrong with this batch of new disciples? Come to think of it, the inner sect had accepted five disciples during the last recruitment. Including the Little Grand-Uncle Master, two had already successfully established their foundations. Looking back at previous batches, reaching Foundation Establishment within ten years made someone a top-tier genius. Were geniuses cheap nowadays?

Furthermore, they were recruiting again next year. If another two monsters joined, wouldn’t they, the old-timers, be left stranded on the beach?

How could anyone gossip in peace with this hanging over them? “No, I feel the pressure. I’m going back to cultivate!”

Thus, instead of finding out the truth, a fierce wave of cultivation swept through the sect. This was especially true for Lin Congcong and Xia Ying, who had entered the sect alongside Wen Xu’s group. Upon receiving the news, they went into secluded cultivation one after another.

All of a sudden, the spirit of intense competition became the norm at Yonglu Mountain. Even the young boys and girls climbing up to Juyong Hall to watch the sunrise dwindled in number. While a certain Sect Master surnamed Gu felt gratified, he could not help but feel a bit empty and lonely.

Consequently, in his spare time, Gu Wufang carried some spiritual wine to the foot of Guochun Peak to apologize to a certain Divine Venerable. Today, the Grand-Uncle Master was presumably in a good mood, as he was actually allowed up the mountain.

As usual, Guochun Peak was bone-chillingly cold. Even with his Soul Transformation cultivation, he could not withstand the wind and snow covering the mountain. This peak had once been as warm as spring, hence the name Guochun. Now, it should be called Guodong Peak instead.

Gu Wufang sighed inwardly. Only Little Martial Uncle could receive the dragon’s exceptional protection, allowing him to move freely on Guochun Peak without suffering from the bitter cold and frost.

“Why are you here again?”

Gu Wufang naturally would not say he was here to apologize. That would be a textbook mistake and get him kicked down the mountain. “I just found two jars of spiritual wine. Thinking that Grand-Uncle Master would like them, I brought them for you to taste.”

Chengwei let out an “oh.” “I heard that when you went to Foguang Temple to burn incense this year, the incense snapped again?”

“…No such thing.” Even if it had snapped, he had used his spiritual energy to hold it together, forcing the offering to succeed.

Venerable Chengwei wore an indigo robe with wide sleeves today. However, he had never cared to dress properly, only draping the outer robe loosely over his shoulders. As he smiled, the robe nearly slipped off. “If you say there wasn’t, then there wasn’t.”

Gu Wufang thought, No wonder he let me up the mountain. He just wanted to laugh at me. How irritating.

“Alright, let’s get to business. Every time you come, you bring some trouble with you.” Chengwei’s expression suddenly became unfathomable. At least, if Wen Xu were here, he would never have seen his master look like this.

Gu Wufang figured that rolling down the mountain today was inevitable. But practice makes perfect, and he was already highly experienced. Besides, Little Martial Uncle could not see it, which practically meant nobody knew.

“Reporting to Grand-Uncle Master, someone has detected traces of demonic energy in the Far West Sea Area.”

Venerable Chengwei raised an eyebrow. “Oh? The Far West Sea Area? If I remember correctly, the sea to the west borders the Hanhai sea region. Are the Jiaoren of Hanhai City getting anxious?”

“…Hanhai City has never associated with the cultivation world. The appearance of a Jiaoren half-demon in the city last time was an exception.” That was why Hanhai City had taken the initiative to notify them when demonic energy appeared this time.

“So?” Chengwei leaned against the armrest with interest. “Who discovered the demonic energy?”

“What do you mean, Grand-Uncle Master?”

“Whoever wants to investigate can go. I’m certainly not going. Besides, you’ll definitely share the news with the other three major sects, won’t you?” The cultivation world paled at the mere mention of demons, but Chengwei remained completely unbothered. This was partly due to his own formidable strength, and partly because he had no interest in the future of the cultivation world. “Also, don’t trust those Jiaoren too much.”

In the ocean, the reputation of the Jiaoren might be even worse than it was on land.

“Alright, is there anything else?”

Having understood the Grand-Uncle Master’s attitude, Gu Wufang immediately stood ready to be “sent” down the mountain. His familiarity with the process was almost pitiful.

Chengwei was not in a great mood. The cultivation world was just one mess after another. After finally enjoying five hundred years of peace, restless things were starting to crop up again.

But it was no big deal. At worst, the cultivation world would be destroyed. If it really came to that, the Heavenly Dao would surely be the first to panic. So what did he have to fear? He was not afraid at all.

With that thought, Chengwei’s mood improved slightly. He picked up the newly offered spiritual wine and headed to the Sword Practice Terrace to watch his young disciple practice.

“Master.”

Venerable Chengwei waved his hand. “Keep practicing. I’m just here to watch.” His young disciple was indeed much easier on the eyes. Compared to cultivators who carried the weight of the world on their shoulders, he still preferred children who were a bit more selfish.

The Dao of Heartlessness? What a load of rubbish. Remembering the nonsense from back then, Chengwei’s mood visibly soured again.

With Wen Xu’s sharp perception, he naturally noticed it quickly. But since his master did not tell him to speak, he silently practiced his swordplay. It was not until the sky grew dark that he slowly lowered his hands, exhaling a large cloud of cold, white breath.

He could not do it. He could not practice his sword continuously like Chen Zui did.

“Finished practicing?”

Wen Xu nodded. “Master, are you in a bad mood?”

Chengwei nodded quite honestly. “A little bit. Gu Wufang was here just now. You saw him, right?”

Wen Xu thought, It would have been rather difficult not to see him. After all, he slid down face-first against the mountainside. That must have hurt.

“He’s a harbinger of bad news. I find him a bit annoying.” More accurately, he was annoyed by the news Gu Wufang brought.

Wen Xu thought, If even Master finds it annoying, it seems the news the Sect Master brought this time… Perhaps it’s about the Demon Seed from last time…

“Stop guessing. That clever brain of yours doesn’t need to spin so fast all the time, A-Xu.” Chengwei reached out and poked his disciple’s forehead. “You’re close to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, aren’t you?”

Wen Xu felt a touch of coldness on his forehead. A shiver ran through him, and he nodded. “Yes.”

“Eager to form your Core?”

He nodded honestly once again.

“A cultivator’s Foundation Establishment is the laying of the foundation of their cultivation, the official start of their journey. Forming a Core, however, is about determining where the Great Dao in your heart ultimately leads. Have you thought about it?”

There are countless Daos. For some, following their heart is their Dao; for others, it is conflict. There is also the Dao of Carefree Wandering, the Dao of Inaction, and, of course, the most famous of all: the Dao of Heartlessness.

The Dao of Heartlessness stands at the very head of all Daos, universally recognized in the cultivation world as the most powerful path. If someone could master the Great Dao of Heartlessness, they would immediately ascend on the spot, successfully passing their tribulation. Yet throughout history, not a single person has ever succeeded.

“Your disciple has not thought about it.” To be honest, before reaching Foundation Establishment, Wen Xu had only thought about returning to the Mortal Realm for revenge. Besides, the future held too many uncertainties, and he was better at focusing on his immediate goals.

“Have you heard of the Dao of Heartlessness?”

Wen Xu paused. Of course he had heard of it, but why was his master bringing it up out of nowhere? “Master, do you wish for your disciple to practice this Dao?” If it was what his master wanted, it was not out of the question.

“…You, practicing this Dao?” Chengwei was so startled he knocked over his spiritual wine. “A-Xu, do you still remember what your fate is?”

Wen Xu, however, did not think much of it and simply nodded. “I remember. Master said that I have an Emperor Fate. But isn’t the Dao of Heartlessness just sitting on a high platform, looking down upon the world?”

“…You actually understand it that way?” Venerable Chengwei was somewhat surprised. “Isn’t the Dao of Heartlessness about severing all love and emotion, transcending the mortal dust?”

Wen Xu thought to himself, Would that even be human? If one isn’t even human, what is the point of cultivation? That goes against human nature. If that was what the Dao of Heartlessness truly was, he would absolutely never walk this path. Though he had a cold temperament, he had no desire to truly become a solitary figure, completely cut off from all love and emotion.

“Your disciple does not know.”

Chengwei’s interest was piqued, and he completely ignored the spilled spiritual wine. “Tell me, what is your understanding of the Dao of Heartlessness?”

Perhaps because his master had mentioned his fate, Wen Xu was somewhat predisposed. “The Dao of Heartlessness should be a path of universal love and equality. It is just like an emperor. The First Emperor referred to himself as ‘the Solitary One^[1]‘ because he aligned his personal feelings with the world. No one could stand by his side or become special to him. When he cares for the entire world, the gains and losses of individual entities no longer concern him. Thus, in the eyes of others, this is heartlessness.”

The Dao of Heartlessness was also known as the Dao of the Gods in the past. The world said that gods severed all love and were completely impartial, so… Chengwei looked at his disciple in astonishment. Was the influence of the Emperor Fate really this immense?

This entire speech was all about “divinity.” “What you mean to say is, the more one favors the whole, the more heartless one becomes toward the individual?”

So the Dao of Heartlessness is not viewed from one’s own perspective, but rather… from the eyes of others?!