Food System in Cultivation World-Chapter 514 - 465: Heaven’s Will Like a Blade, The Truth of the World (Part 2)
If he were a moment later, his heart would have leapt in his chest to the point of self-destruction!
Thump, thump, thump—
The terrifying heartbeat thundered in Chen Xu’s ears, as if resounding throughout the entire world.
In that instant, Chen Xu felt as though his whole world was buzzing with a deafening hum.
And at that very moment—a solar eclipse, tian gou shi ri—the world was plunged into darkness.
Some truths are not to be touched.
Once touched, it is as though the entire world rings out in response.
At the same time, atop Xiaofeng Mountain in Jichuan County.
Old Master Zhou, who had been leisurely playing Go with the ugly monkey, suddenly wore a grave expression.
The white piece he held between his fingers hung suspended in mid-air, and he uttered a startled exclamation:
"Heaven’s will is like a blade. After but a single day apart, he... he has actually touched the truth of this world!
To grow so swiftly—could it be he has boarded the Azure Cloud’s wings?
I..."
Ever composed as he was, Old Master Zhou now found himself speechless.
Never before had he shown such helplessness as at this moment.
The white Go piece in his hand was already riddled with cracks, yet he seemed not to notice at all. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
The ugly monkey shrieked "Zhi!" in alarm and sprang up from the stone stool, letting out a string of strange cries.
"Master! The Xuan River is in turmoil—what exactly did that brat touch upon?
Is the world about to be noticed by that one?
Shouldn’t we get out of here—change to another world instead...
Aoo aoo aoo, this old monkey is furious!
How could there be anyone so prone to stirring up trouble? Master, Master, what should we do..."
Before he’d even finished, Old Master Zhou—with the Go piece shattered in his hand—suddenly released the white fragments betwixt his fingers.
The cast fragments flew backward into the air.
At first, the debris was tiny, utterly inconspicuous.
Yet as those minuscule shards shot beyond the clouds like starlight, in a flash—like treasures breaking free from their shackles—clattering, the fragments all grew long in flight—
Boom!
In but a breath, countless fragments converged into a ribbon-like flood of white.
The torrent surged magnificently, transforming into a long river, becoming a watery curtain—and once again, shrouding the entire world.
"Cough!"
Upon Xiaofeng Mountain, Old Master Zhou, as he slowly withdrew his hand, abruptly clenched it into a fist and pressed it to his jaw.
He coughed violently, and dark blood welled from his parched lips.
Old Master Zhou—he was wounded!
He had flung the white Go piece, and though he had once more covered this world in veils, this time he was injured.
Or rather, he had never recovered from a grave illness—only managed to suppress it, before now.
But after suffering the abrupt change just now, that which he had kept suppressed could no longer be held back.
He did not stop at a single cough; he hacked repeatedly, again and again, racked with spasms.
The ugly monkey spun about anxiously, leaping atop the stone table, right before Old Master Zhou, and cried in worry:
"Master, why do you concern yourself? If this world is exposed, we can simply change to another one.
Why must you exhaust your true strength like this? At this rate—how much longer can you hold out?"
The ugly monkey truly felt he would die of frustration.
If Chen Xu were before him now, he would have already extended his claws for three hundred bouts of scratching.
But alas, Chen Xu was nowhere to be found, and Old Master Zhou actually showed a slight smile:
"Monkey, it is worth it."
Worth it? Worth what?
Old Master Zhou did not explain; the ugly monkey surmised that what he meant was—everything he did for Chen Xu was worth it.
At this, the ugly monkey was even more incensed.
His ugly face was contorted with fury, grievance, and agitation.
The mind a wild horse, the heart a restless ape—the ugly monkey was the embodiment of inner chaos and stray thoughts.
And all of this, Chen Xu knew nothing about.
The sky remained utterly dark; the chaos of the solar eclipse—tian gou shi ri—was still spreading across the world.
And within the Twelve-Storey Tower, perhaps because Chen Xu had brushed against part of the world’s truth, a long scroll unfurled itself in this wondrous tower out of thin air.
Chen Xu placed his feet upon it, and when people asked if reaching the twelfth layer of the Twelve-Storey Tower was the same as ascending, Chen Xu replied:
"At a glance, the Twelve-Storey Tower is but twelve stories high, its height not exceeding thirty-six zhang. Yet in essence, this tower does indeed connect to the firmament.
Thus, if one can ascend to the twelfth storey, to call it ascension would not be wrong.
But this ascension is not that ascension.
Have you ever pondered, truly—if you attain ascension, what sort of world lies beyond?"
This... this question genuinely stumped some among them.
But the quick-witted blurted out:
"Wouldn’t it be the Celestial Realm, after ascending?"
Chen Xu smiled. He walked slowly upon that scroll, which was like a road through the heavens; each step pressed upon him formless pressure from beyond the sky.
It seemed as if some strange force tried to veil his eyes, cloud his breath, muddle his perception.
The higher he climbed, the greater the pressure grew.
Yet Chen Xu still wished to ascend.
He sought power, sought transformation—to wield the might to traverse heaven and earth, to attain true freedom.
He sought to tear a rift open in this decaying world, to save those worth saving, and to slay all deserving of death.
Naturally, he would not halt his steps.
No one could stop his pursuit of strength—not even himself!
A smile on his lips, he countered, "After ascension lies the Celestial Realm? Pray tell—what is the Celestial Realm like?"
Below, the one who had responded hesitated for a moment, his eyes filled with yearning, and said:
"The Celestial Realm, I imagine, is a place without disaster, without tribulation, without pain, without strife...
Everywhere are jade trees and crystalline blossoms, the ground covered in celestial herbs and spiritual medicine.
Immortals take wind and dew as sustenance, living long, unaging, in daily freedom and ease..."
The more this man spoke, the more wondrous it sounded, and he drew many to nod in eager assent.
"Indeed, indeed—the Celestial Realm must be thus. To ascend and become immortal, to live eternally—ah! If I could ascend, I would die with no regrets!"
This was spoken by none other than the legendary Xiao Zhengde, Old Master Xiao, famed for "growing young again."
His words were impassioned; evidently, he harbored an infinite longing for longevity.
And among the several thousand in the banquet hall, how many were not the same?
More and more voices echoed support, and the mood grew ever more heated.
Until Chen Xu countered yet again: "You seek ascension for immortality. But if you must die to attain eternal life—what, then, is the worth of immortality?"
"That..." Xiao Zhengde was left dumbfounded.
He wished to say that his earlier remark about "dying with no regrets" was but hyperbole to express emotion. In truth, he didn’t want to die at all.
If he truly wished for death, and was truly willing, why would he have racked his brains to obtain that Longevity Pill?
But poised on his lips, these explanations became impossible to utter—the words ensnared him in his own prior boast, and he would not contradict himself.
Chen Xu then said:
"Just assume that after ascending to the Celestial Realm, all is as you wish.
May I ask, then—were you truly to ascend,
upon becoming an immortal, for all daily affairs, would you handle everything yourself, or still require servants and attendants?"
This time, it was not Xiao Zhengde who answered; from the crowd, someone blurted out:
"If one is an immortal, how could one be without boy attendants beside one’s seat?
To be immortal and carefree, one naturally requires servants and followers!"
Someone wished to retort, but most simply nodded their assent.
"Just so—immortals too must have immortal servants, else where is the dignity of an immortal?"
Amid the hubbub, Chen Xu took another step upward.
A smile still curled at his lips.
