Chapter 40

Su Chen walked and watched, gaining a bit more understanding of this world in his heart.

His destination for this trip was the Divine Continent of Dongsheng.

To reach there, he had to pass through the Southern Continent of Nanzhan.

One day, as evening approached, a light drizzle began to fall in the air.

Su Chen walked to a three-way intersection and was preparing to find a place to shelter from the rain when he saw a dilapidated ancient temple not far away.

The ancient temple didn't know how many years it had been abandoned; most of the courtyard walls had collapsed, and the temple gate was also crumbling, with only the three characters "Fulong Temple" still barely recognizable.

Seeing this, Su Chen walked over, preparing to rest in the temple for the night.

He pushed open the half-hidden temple gate, and a damp, musty aura rushed toward him.

The temple was covered in spiderwebs, and the statues had long since collapsed, leaving only half a body with blurred features.

In the center of the main hall, a small bonfire was burning.

A youth wearing coarse cloth clothes, with a somewhat thin figure, was sitting with his back to him by the bonfire, focused on roasting a flour cake in his hand.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, the youth looked back vigilantly.

The youth was about sixteen or seventeen years old; although his clothes were simple and even had a few patches, his face was exceptionally handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a pair of eyes that were startlingly bright under the reflection of the jumping firelight.

He carried a sense of composure and nobility that did not match his age.

Even in this dilapidated temple in the wilderness, his back remained straight, like a javelin.

Seeing Su Chen, this uninvited guest, a trace of vigilance flashed in the youth's eyes.

He moved the long sword wrapped in cloth strips beside him closer to his side without a sound.

Su Chen saw his wariness but didn't mind.

He performed a Daoist salute to the youth and said in a gentle voice: "This priest is Wu Chen, a wandering Daoist. Because of the heavy rain, I would like to borrow a place to stay for the night; I wonder if it's convenient?"

The youth looked Su Chen up and down.

Seeing his refined temperament and clear eyes, he didn't look like a bad person.

Furthermore, this dilapidated temple was ownerless land, and he had no reason to refuse.

So, he nodded and said in a clear voice: "Daoist, please make yourself at home."

His voice was very pleasant, carrying a unique magnetism that made one feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze upon hearing it.

"Thank you."

Su Chen thanked him, walked to the other side of the main hall, found a corner that was still relatively clean, and sat down cross-legged.

For a time, the dilapidated temple returned to silence.

Only the sound of the rain "pitter-patter" outside and the "crackle" of the bonfire remained.

The youth roasted the flour cake in his hand until it was golden, then broke it in half and handed it toward Su Chen.

"Daoist, meeting is fate. If you don't mind, let's have some together."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen was slightly stunned.

He hadn't expected that although the youth looked cold, his heart was actually quite good.

He smiled, didn't refuse, stood up, walked over, and took the half flour cake.

"Thank you, little brother."

Su Chen sat by the bonfire and took a bite of the flour cake.

The flour cake was somewhat dry and hard, but after being roasted by the fire, it carried a unique charred fragrance of grain, and the taste wasn't bad.

"Are you also on a journey, little brother?" Su Chen asked casually.

"Yes," the youth nodded, his gaze fixed on the jumping flames, his mood seeming somewhat low.

Su Chen saw the trace of worry between his brows and didn't ask any more questions.

The two ate in silence.

After a while, the youth took the initiative to speak.

"Daoist, I see that your temperament is extraordinary; you must be a person of the Dao. I have a confusion in my heart; I wonder if I may ask for your guidance?"

"Little brother, feel free to speak," Su Chen said.

The youth put down the flour cake in his hand, raised his head, looked at Su Chen with burning eyes, and asked word by word: "Daoist, tell me, is there really such a thing as gods and immortals in this world?"

Upon hearing this question, Su Chen was slightly stunned.

It was normal for mortals to yearn for the path of immortality.

However, the look in the youth's eyes when he asked this was not like yearning, but more like seeking verification.

Su Chen pondered for a moment, did not answer directly, but asked instead: "Little brother, why do you ask this?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of struggle and pain flashed in the youth's eyes.

He was silent for a long time before slowly opening his mouth, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"I won't hide it from you, Daoist. I come from a family that is still considered prominent. Since I was small, I have been well-versed in classics and history, and I have also fantasized about using my own learning to assist the monarch, clarify the universe, and create a peaceful and prosperous age for the people of this world."

"But I later discovered that I was wrong."

A trace of self-deprecating laughter appeared on the youth's face.

"Human power has its limits. The power of one person is simply too insignificant in the face of the grand trend. I watched helplessly as treacherous officials held power in the imperial court and loyal officials were wronged; I watched helplessly as foreign tribes knocked at the borders and smoke and fire rose everywhere; I watched helplessly as this great landscape suffered from natural and man-made disasters, with starving people everywhere..."

"I tried to change it, but everything I did was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an ant trying to shake a tree. I couldn't even protect my own relatives."

By the end, his voice already carried a trace of choking, and his fists were unconsciously clenched.

"So, I thought. If there really are immortals and gods in this world, if I could obtain the help of immortals and gods, could I sweep away all the injustice in this world? Could I let the people of this world live and work in peace and contentment, no longer suffering from hunger and cold?"

His voice was not loud, yet it echoed endlessly in this small dilapidated temple, ringing with conviction.

Su Chen looked at him, feeling slightly surprised in his heart.

He finally knew why he felt this youth was extraordinary.

Because, in this youth, he saw something.

This youth, although in a difficult situation, had thoughts and concerns that had long since transcended the scope of personal gain or loss.

"This kid is interesting."

Su Chen thought to himself.

He remembered the feeling in his heart when he saw those displaced people in the Jiang Kingdom.

Immortal magic could grant him longevity and allow him to slay demons and eliminate evil.

However, could immortal magic make the world peaceful?

He didn't know.

At the very least, he couldn't do it yet.

And this mortal youth before him was thinking about this question and wanted to find the answer.

"Little brother," Su Chen spoke slowly, his voice becoming solemn, "I cannot answer this question for you."

Upon hearing this, a trace of disappointment flashed in the youth's eyes.

"However..." Su Chen's tone shifted, "I can tell you something else."

"What is it?" the youth asked hurriedly.

Su Chen looked at him and said word by word: "Seeking immortality and asking for the Dao is not as good as seeking within oneself. Placing hope in illusory immortals and gods is not as good as believing in the power in your own hands."

"My own power?" the youth muttered to himself, a look of contemplation appearing in his eyes.

"Not bad," Su Chen nodded. "The power of immortals and gods is ultimately an external object. Only the power that originates from oneself truly belongs to you. When a person's will is firm enough, and when the backbone of a nation is straight enough, then, humans can triumph over Heaven!"

Su Chen said these words with absolute certainty.

Because he had seen it with his own eyes in his previous life.

Listening to Su Chen's words, the youth felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his whole person appeared somewhat sluggish.

"Humans... can triumph over Heaven?"

He chewed on these four words repeatedly, feeling as if a door in his mind had been pushed open with a bang.