My Wife Is The Final Boss-Chapter 827 - 463: Xu Chang’an’s Significance to Wen Li (Double - ) (2)
That kid wouldn’t think losing is a big deal.
However, Li Zhibai still felt something was off. If Tong Jun is now worldly and cares about reputation, then... why would Wen Li care about winning or losing?
She hesitated whether to win against Zhu Tongjun of the Cloud Soaring Realm earlier, but now she’s terribly serious.
So, when Wen Li’s aura reached its peak, Li Zhibai spoke.
"Ah Li."
"Master Li." Wen Li opened her eyes. At this moment, strands of colorless Sword Intent were swirling around her, stirring a breeze that slightly moved Li Zhibai’s red dress.
"You seem very serious." Li Zhibai looked at her.
"Yes." Wen Li nodded, her tone calm: "Master Li, this is my first time facing the Taixu Realm."
"Rest assured, I’ll set Tongjun’s realm reasonably." Li Zhibai smiled.
She certainly wouldn’t go overboard and would set Zhu Tongjun’s strength at a level Wen Li could handle... otherwise, today’s Wen Li would not withstand one move from Zhu Tongjun.
"Thank you." Wen Li wouldn’t stubbornly refuse Li Zhibai’s assistance; she’s not fond of taking beatings.
"Just... does facing Taixu Realm for the first time have any special significance to you?" Li Zhibai asked, feeling earlier Wen Li was somewhat complex in tone when mentioning ’Taixu Realm’.
"Significance, yes." Wen Li nodded.
The Taixu Realm held extremely special meaning for her.
Sword Intent flowed like a ribbon in Wen Li’s hand, she suddenly asked: "Master Li, what is Taixu? What is the Taixu Realm?"
Li Zhibai glanced at Wen Li and explained: "Taixu is the Dao."
"All things are born from the Dao and return to the Dao, thus the path of Taixu is accessible everywhere."
Therefore, the Taixu Realm is entirely different from all previous realms; it is a huge watershed, reaching this realm one can truly say they are walking ’on the path’ of cultivation and have their own Dao.
"Seeking Dao is a very difficult task." Li Zhibai sighed and then said: "But Ah Li, you don’t need to worry... your Dao is very clear now, no need to reach Taixu Realm."
Wen Li has already walked her own path.
"Master Li..." Wen Li shook her head, saying: "I didn’t initially walk on this path."
"What do you mean?" Li Zhibai frowned.
"After understanding the meaning of Taixu... I once thought." Wen Li’s tone was gentle: "Since Taixu is the Dao, and everything is Dao... then what is the meaning of Sword Dao? Since everything can be Dao, how does Sword Dao differ from the Three Thousand Great Dao?"
Li Zhibai felt a jolt hearing Wen Li’s words.
Hiss.
This girl isn’t unsteady in her Sword Heart, is she?
Especially thinking about Wen Li contemplating temporarily abandoning Sword Dao, Li Zhibai sensed a troubling air.
But she pretended to be calm and asked: "So?"
Wen Li shook her head, feeling the flowing Sword Intent around her.
"Back then, I doubted everything, thought about many random things... stuck in the Mingxin Realm, unable to advance."
Li Zhibai relaxed hearing Wen Li say ’back then’.
If it was in the past, that’s fine.
This self-doubt about one’s Dao is unacceptable; the so-called Heart Demon is nothing but this.
If Wen Li hadn’t figured it out back then... at the mildest her Sword Heart would collapse and everything would restart, at worst she’d directly fall.
Li Zhibai never knew this Senior Sister at Muyu Peak, this girl who had smooth sailing in the Sword Dao... once doubted the meaning of Sword Dao.
"Ah Li, what did you think about back then?" Li Zhibai asked.
"Many things." Wen Li earnestly counted.
"For example... must a sword really be used as a sword?"
"A sword... is it truly meant to harm?"
"Is my purpose in wielding Sword Dao merely for bravado or rivalry? If only for destruction, I could directly comprehend the path of destruction, why bother seeking Sword Dao afar."
Since Taixu is everything, why persist in the sword?
——
Sword Qi swirled around Wen Li, her voice calm, but... Zhu Pingniang outside could hear her breaking into cold sweat.
Good heavens.
These thoughts... are too dangerous.
Zhu Pingniang could almost see bewildered Wen Li standing at the edge of a cliff, one wrong thought away from plunging into an abyss never to return.
She hadn’t heard Wen Li had this phase.
Or to say, all of Muyu Peak didn’t know Wen Li ever doubted her own path...
After all, Wen Li was naturally reserved, and her talent is daunting, so generally no one would discuss ’Dao’ with Wen Li, fearing misleading her.
Zhu Pingniang felt deep fear, had Wen Li not thought clearly, trouble would be significant.
"... Is that so." Li Zhibai listened to Wen Li, twitching her eyes slightly.
"Ah Li, things aren’t as simple as you think, Sword Dao... has its own significance."
"I know." Wen Li nodded, Sword Intent weaving around her finger, her tone earnest: "But it is a weapon."
Wen Li released the Sword Intent in her hand, watching it return around her, her tone exceptionally calm.
"A sword is sharp, has lethal capability, double-edged, thin as paper, pointed, can stab, slash, chop, cleave." Wen Li picked up the Second-Grade Longsword given by Zhu Pingniang, her eyes devoid of ripples: "It is a light weapon, can harm, can defend, can decorate, portable, a versatile weapon that can be both literary and martial."
"Overall, it is flexible." Wen Li looked at Li Zhibai, asking: "Yet even so, it remains a weapon, just a tool for achieving ends."
"Hm... hm."
Li Zhibai didn’t often lack words, simply meeting Wen Li’s gaze, trying to appear dependable: "A sword is a weapon, then... what are you saying?"
"A sword is a tool for achieving ends, does it really qualify to be called a ’Dao’?" Wen Li shook her head: "Or is the characteristic of Sword Dao simply its portability, concealment, flexibility?"
This represents Wen Li’s view on the existence of Sword Dao.
Such a mere weapon, what qualifies it to be called Sword Dao.
A means of achieving ends, how is it worthy of being called life’s Taixu as Dao?
This was her past thought.
The so-called sword was merely a tool for achieving goals, for reaching ’Chang’an’.
Always, in Wen Li’s heart, to resort to violence means defeat.
——
Li Zhibai: "..."
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
Listening to Wen Li now, both Zhu Pingniang and Li Zhibai fell silent.
Undeniably, the girl named Wen Li was fearfully calm, she held her own views on everything and wouldn’t readily adapt them for external notions, with few words, Zhu Pingniang and Li Zhibai could sense Wen Li’s previous doubt of the existence of ’Sword Dao’.
They admitted to being helpless.
At least, had the questioning Wen Li sought Zhu Pingniang’s advice back then... Zhu Pingniang, ignorant of Sword Dao, wouldn’t know how to guide Wen Li.
The answer was too simple.
Whether sword or weapon, both are merely tools towards the Great Dao—everyone knows this.
But precisely because everyone knows the answer is too straightforward, it is hard to convince Wen Li.
This problem, lightly, is a maiden’s doubt.
Essentially, it’s Wen Li’s total negation of ’Sword Dao’.
If Wen Li, this pioneer of Sword Dao, denied it, the consequence, for both Wen Li and sword cultivators... would be disastrous.
"Thankfully..." Zhu Pingniang and Li Zhibai sighed in relief. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
As Wen Li now appears, she navigated those uncertain times well, found the meaning of learning sword.
It sounds appalling now, but it has passed after all.
Thus, both Li Zhibai and Zhu Pingniang were curious, curious how Wen Li got through those times...
Li Zhibai pondered.
But Zhu Pingniang suddenly realized something, her eyes widening slightly.
"... Chang’an?"
Indeed.
Wen Li slowly rose from leaning against the tree, a watery ripple in her eyes: "It was my junior brother."
Xu Chang’an, held extremely special meaning for Wen Li.
