Chapter 505 - 498: The Dao Has No High or Low, Strong or Weak
Chapter 505: Chapter 498: The Dao Has No High or Low, Strong or Weak
Just as Jing Ruoxu was about to answer, Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted not far away.
It was like ripples suddenly spreading from the center of a calm pond.
Du Youqian squinted. Visually, not much had changed. It seemed only that more yellow sand was being swept up, the sandstorm growing a bit stronger, as if a tornado were forming.
However, his Divine Sense perceived a behemoth rising from beneath the ground. But the colossal structure was clearly not real—it was merely an illusion.
The proof was that the yellow sand passed through the behemoth without obstruction, completely unaffected.
But gradually, a grain or two of sand began to be blocked.
More and more of the sand was blocked. The behemoth was transforming from illusory to solid!
Several streaks of light flew toward the behemoth. Some Nascent Soul Masters could no longer restrain themselves, wanting to secure an advantageous position to be the first to rush in once the dwelling completely solidified.
Apparently, many people knew that there were no treacherous traps or Arrays within the dwelling.
The members of the Demon Race, however, seemed more cautious. They remained on the periphery, eager but not yet rushing in.
Jing Ruoxu turned back. "Fellow Daoist Ximen, since you’re interested in the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object, why aren’t you fighting to be first? Don’t waste your time with me."
Du Youqian smiled faintly. "Fight to be first? There’s no need. I am determined to obtain that Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object. Right now, I’m actually more interested in you, Fellow Daoist."
Jing Ruoxu smiled as well.
His smile was somewhat stiff, not because he was intentionally giving Du Youqian a cold shoulder, but because he seemed to smile very rarely.
"Oh? And why might Fellow Daoist Ximen be interested in me?"
Du Youqian said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Jing seems to have formed his Sword Pill using both the Celestial Dao Sword and the Heartless Sword simultaneously. I find this quite puzzling. Do they not conflict?"
"I did use a little trick," Jing Ruoxu said.
He said only that, clearly having no intention of explaining it to Du Youqian.
Du Youqian hadn’t expected to uncover someone’s core cultivation secrets through casual conversation. It was just an excuse to break the ice.
Jing Ruoxu then asked, "Fellow Daoist Ximen seems very familiar with my sect’s cultivation."
Du Youqian smiled. "I once had friends from the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion."
"Oh? Who might that be?" Jing Ruoxu asked.
Du Youqian shook his head, saying nothing, a smile playing on his lips. "Fellow Daoist Jing, did you come to this dwelling to challenge all the heroes here? I’ve heard that when Sword Cultivators from the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion feel they’ve accumulated enough and wish to achieve a breakthrough, they often travel far and wide, fighting to temper their Sword Heart before breaking through their Realm in one final push. In this process, winning every battle isn’t necessary. In fact, losing a few fights can be even more beneficial for Breaking Realm."
Jing Ruoxu smiled stiffly again as he sized up Du Youqian. "It seems Fellow Daoist Ximen is truly a close friend of some disciples from my sect. While these aren’t our core secrets, they aren’t things we tell just anyone, either."
Du Youqian laughed, finally revealing his true intentions. "Fellow Daoist, why not form a temporary alliance with me? After I obtain the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object, not only will I give you a gift in gratitude, but I will also engage you in Sword Fighting and let you taste the bitterness of defeat."
Jing Ruoxu’s eyes flashed. "You wish to grant me a defeat? Though we have never met, I feel you are not merely boasting, but truly confident. Excellent, excellent! With a worthy opponent like you, Fellow Daoist Ximen, I’ve lost all interest in the dwelling. Why don’t we fight a match right now?"
As he spoke, the Sword Intent flared from his body, and he looked eager for a fight.
Du Youqian shook his head. "I am, however, a very goal-oriented person. If you insist on Sword Fighting with me at this moment, Fellow Daoist Jing, I will only use every means at my disposal to evade you. I must avoid injury, as it would affect my chances of acquiring the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object. But if you help me obtain it, then I can fight you without any other concerns, and we can determine who is superior with only the Sword in Hand."
Jing Ruoxu considered this, then glanced at the now almost completely solid dwelling and nodded. "Very well. Go and contend for the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object first. I’ll start with some appetizers. If you need help and I happen to be nearby, I can lend you the strength of my sword."
Having secured a free ally with just a few sentences, Du Youqian was overjoyed.
’This Jing Ruoxu must be the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion’s Sword Cultivator with the greatest chance of reaching Divinity Transformation. His Sect must have prepared a Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object for him long ago, right?’
’As for Master Wu Yi, a True Inheritor of the Taihe Sect, having to fight to the death for a Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object himself... it’s actually not surprising when I think about it.’
’After all, while the Taihe Sect is a massive and powerful organization, it has an even greater number of geniuses, so an uneven distribution of resources is inevitable.’
’And while the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion is a step below and not as wealthy, Jing Ruoxu’s strength is enough to dominate his entire generation within the Sect, which earns him their full-fledged support.’
Jing Ruoxu looked at the dwelling and suddenly sighed.
"Why do you sigh, Fellow Daoist Jing?" Du Youqian asked, curious.
He wasn’t just feeding him a line, not that Jing Ruoxu needed one. The man was too earnest for that.
Sword Cultivators were all straightforward.
Jing Ruoxu gazed at the now-solidified dwelling. He didn’t fly, but walked toward it step by step. Each stride was simply enormous, covering dozens of yards in a single step. From a distance, it created the illusion of shrinking the earth with each footfall.
In truth, his movement technique was countless times more profound than the "earth-shrinking" techniques of the Mortal Martial World.
As he walked, he said, "Fairy Hengguan’s dwelling once contained an Immortal Spirit Spring. If that spring hadn’t dried up and dissipated, I would have had to contend for it. What a pity, what a pity. How excellent, how excellent."
Du Youqian didn’t know what an Immortal Spirit Spring was.
In Momenan, he had received the education of a Major Sect’s Direct Inheritance, which was equivalent to being a top student who attended a prestigious international school from elementary all the way through university.
But after arriving in the Human World, he’d been struggling in the lower echelons. It was like going to Australia for a master’s degree from a diploma mill for his postgraduate studies—his research abilities were clearly no longer top-tier.
Compared to those who conducted research under Nobel laureates, his talent and strength might not have been inferior, but the cutting-edge information and "industry" news he had access to were on a completely different level.
But thanks to that top-student foundation, he could still somewhat understand the reasoning behind Jing Ruoxu’s seemingly contradictory "what a pity" and "how excellent."
"What a pity" was because the Immortal Spirit Spring was incredibly valuable, and its absence was a great loss.
"How excellent" was because, without the distraction of such an external treasure, he could be free of worldly concerns. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit would be more focused, and he would gain more from the process of challenging the heroes gathered here.
Jing Ruoxu glanced back at Du Youqian, who was effortlessly keeping pace with him. "You understand."
Du Youqian nodded. "I understand, but I don’t agree."
"Why not?" Jing Ruoxu asked.
"To advance further, one must remain unmoved by gain or loss, even with an Immortal Spirit Spring right before you."
Jing Ruoxu’s lips moved, as if he were mulling over the words, tasting their meaning.
He didn’t stop until they reached the Grand Array before the dwelling.
Du Youqian stood beside him. The sandstorm raged, but not a single grain of sand could penetrate the three-yard radius around them.
Jing Ruoxu nodded. "My state of mind is inferior to yours."
Du Youqian smiled. "Why do you say that, Fellow Daoist Jing? The Dao has no hierarchy of strong or weak. There is only the distinction between one who has achieved Enlightenment and one who has not. Neither of us has achieved Enlightenment, nor have we glimpsed the splendor of the Great Dao. We are both the same, with no one superior to the other."
Jing Ruoxu turned and gave Du Youqian a deep look, as if committing his face to memory. "I truly look forward to experiencing your Swordsmanship after we emerge from this dwelling, Fellow Daoist Ximen."
Du Youqian nodded with a smile. "I am looking forward to it as well."
Some of the more impatient Nascent Soul Masters were already trying to break the Array, but Du Youqian and Jing Ruoxu didn’t rush forward.
Du Youqian’s gaze swept over Ye Rui Master and Chen Hongbo, then passed over Master Wu Yi and Jie Yu without pausing.
As for the members of the Demon Race, they remained on the periphery, seemingly wanting no interaction with the Human Race and preferring to enter the dwelling later.
After all, while there weren’t many traps or Arrays in the dwelling, the medicine garden was certainly protected by powerful Restrictions. The Demon Race wasn’t worried that the humans who entered first would be able to harvest all the Spirit Grass and Spirit Medicine in a short amount of time.
Even if these Nascent Soul Cultivators had brought Tier Four Forbidden-Breaking Talismans or Array-Breaking Talismans, it wouldn’t be that quick.
Jing Ruoxu said no more, and Du Youqian was no longer in the mood for conversation.
The two of them silently regulated their breathing, preparing for the slaughter to come.
Normally, once one’s Cultivation reached the Nascent Soul Realm, a Cultivator would rarely engage in life-or-death battles.
Take the Immortal City Alliance, for instance. Despite being in a standoff with the Five Races Alliance for so many years, the number of battles that occurred at the Nascent Soul level could be counted on one hand.
And sometimes, even when it appeared to those of lower cultivation that a Human Race Nascent Soul Cultivator and a Transformed Great Demon from the Demon Race were locked in a deathmatch, it was merely a performance put on by tacit agreement—much like the show Du Youqian had staged with the Long-tailed Golden Chicken clan.
But this time was different.
It takes an immense amount of time for the world to nurture a single Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object.
Most of the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Objects from the past have already been used by previous generations of Cultivators.
The number of Divinity Transformation Spiritual Objects that came into being each century was finite.
Therefore, fighting for a Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object was not just about fighting for a treasure; it was a battle for one’s path to Enlightenment.
There could be no retreat, no compromise.
For most of the Nascent Soul Cultivators present today, they had already wasted too much time. They couldn’t afford to wait for the Divinity Transformation Spiritual Objects that might appear in the next century, or the one after that.
Besides, even if they waited, any Divinity Transformation Spiritual Objects that appeared in the next hundred or two hundred years would either be claimed by the Major Sects and powerful Immortal Countries, or would still require them to risk their lives in a bloody struggle.
Since the fight was inevitable, why not fight for it today?
Today, blood would surely flow like a river within the dwelling.