Chapter 386: The thousand mountains are not as high as this one; have the teammates arrived?

Lu Chen was noncommittal about this.

He recalled the last time he personally participated in a simulation during his previous life as "Lu Chen"—it began inexplicably and ended just as inexplicably.

He had wasted a 【Personal Participation】 for nothing.

Now, the Master had gone to great lengths to make him descend into this world and activate the God-Startling Array, all to trap him.

Lu Chen looked up at the sky, though everything had returned to normal.

The night remained deep, the moon hung high, casting down its clear radiance.

The Master opposite him seemed to have no heart left for conversation.

Dong Cheng said with emotion: "Perhaps, since the dawn of time in this world, no one has ever forced you into such a plight."

Lu Chen knew the Master had already glimpsed the secret of the Kunxu Cauldron—that it contained a world within itself, carrying the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.

"Heaven and Earth nurture all things; you do not think to repay this kindness, yet you harbor a hatred that would swallow the heavens?"

Lu Chen looked at the Master and said slowly, "I do not know where you obtained this God-Startling Array. What exactly are you plotting by doing this?"

The Master's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly returned to calmness.

"A thousand years ago, had I attained the Dao and ascended, I would have surely been grateful to this world and wished to leave my name in history like Lu Chen."

"Three hundred years later, I swore that if I ascended, I would ensure the people of Great Qi, and indeed all living beings under heaven, would be far from the strife of war."

"Another three hundred years passed, and if Heaven and Earth allowed my ascension, I would have sent disciples to travel the world, spreading grace and saving all beings."

"Heaven and Earth treated me with great righteousness, and I repaid Heaven and Earth with the spring and autumn."

"Yet, to this day, I know well that Heaven and Earth have never favored me, so I shall play the part of... one who defies the heavens."

Lu Chen merely smiled slightly and said no more.

"Is that truly so?"

"Is it not that you wish to replace Heaven and act on its behalf? To enjoy a lifespan equal to Heaven and Earth!"

The Master stared at Lu Chen's expression, which seemed to have long since pierced through his thoughts, and his face grew increasingly gloomy.

Ordinary people could naturally never touch his heartstrings, but standing opposite him was the embodiment of the "Dao" of this world.

"That you still have the leisure to waste words with me shows that your situation is exactly as I expected; otherwise, I would have already been dead and buried."

"You disdain to speak with me, but today, I insist on telling you."

"It is precisely we, the existences you view as mere ants—just as when spiritual energy dissipated six thousand years ago, mortals toppled the altars and temples and trampled the immortals beneath their feet."

Having said this!

The Master's aura suddenly became deep, the winds and clouds of heaven and earth churned like ink, and his figure transformed into a void vortex that swallowed all things.

A bone-chilling cold permeated the air, more biting than the dead of winter.

The mist by the river grew thicker, and the breeze that brushed past carried endless cold.

The dense fog by the riverbank condensed into frost on the planted willow trees, falling with a rustle.

The hair of "Xie Guan" was gently stirred by the cold wind; Lu Chen felt as if he were standing on a peak of ten thousand blades, with vast snowy mountains before his eyes and biting cold winds rushing toward him, impossible to climb.

It was truly too cold!

Cold to the very marrow of his bones.

The air he inhaled felt like ice needles piercing his lungs.

Lu Chen had no choice but to circulate his entire cultivation base, mobilizing the Primordial Qi he had cultivated within his body, struggling to resist this cold.

It seemed the Master was prepared to get serious.

Lu Chen opened his eyes abruptly and invoked the "Startling Waves Buddha Hand" taught by Master Lianchi; a glazed golden Buddha hand instantly enveloped his entire body.

However, it lasted only an instant!

Under the assault of the cold wind, cracks appeared on the Buddha hand, and it shattered with a boom.

Seeing this, the old man shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with a touch of pity and indifference.

"As expected, you are truly too weak right now."

"This was merely my aura."

The Master rolled up his sleeves and slowly extended a hand, as if reaching out from a cold pool; the cold condensed and bore down directly on Lu Chen.

Lu Chen had long been poised for action; on the spiritual platform within his Niwan Palace, two sword intents waited for the right moment.

He formed sword fingers with both hands, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed his hands forward.

One sword to slay demons!

One sword to slay ghosts!

Two sword intents burst forth from between his index and middle fingers; one was as cold and bright as moonlight—this was the Ghost-Slaying Sword.

The other was as scorching and dazzling as the blazing sun—this was the Demon-Slaying Sword.

These two swords, nurtured for months and infused with the sword intent accumulated in the lake over many years, possessed power far exceeding Lu Chen's expectations.

The sword intent soared into the sky, its momentum like a rainbow!

Lu Chen was certain that even a powerhouse in the Upper Three Realms of martial arts could be killed!

The surrounding mist was shaken by the sword intent, all of it swept up by the two swords as they charged directly at the Master.

The bluestone slabs on the ground were overturned, soil churned, and like an earth dragon passing through, it left behind a deep trench.

The Primordial Qi and spiritual soul power within Lu Chen were completely exhausted in this moment; his breathing became rapid, his face turned slightly pale, and the Shaoyang meridian in his finger burned with a dull pain from the sword intent.

He endured the pain, circulated the "Spirit Turtle Nurturing Will Method" from the "Seven Yin Talisman Arts" to suppress his exhausted mind, and slowly absorbed the moon essence from the moonlight to repair his damaged Primordial Spirit.

At the same time, the pattern of the second art, the "Five Dragon Prosperous Fortune Talisman," had already taken shape in his heart-sea; this technique could keep his essence, energy, and spirit from declining, suppress his personal fortune, and help him stabilize his mind.

Lu Chen looked up, casting his gaze in the direction of the two sword intents.

He saw!

The old man was still standing in the same spot, his figure having not moved a fraction, a faint smile on his face.

Those two fierce sword intents, the moment they neared the Master's side, were torn into fragments by the invisible protective aura around him and vanished.

The ground was left with deep furrows, as if plowed by a field.

Dong Cheng spoke slowly, his voice icy:

"Borrowed sword intent is, in the end, not your own."

His gaze was like a torch, staring directly at Lu Chen. "If you have no other means... I forgot, since you descended into this world, you can only use the power of this world."

"Unfortunately, in this world, I am the supreme!"

As his voice fell, the world seemed to fall silent; even the mist and the river wind came to a standstill.

Lu Chen had exhausted his strength just resisting that cold, and his two sword strikes couldn't even get close to the Master.

"What realm have you reached?"

Hearing this, the Master looked up at the sky; the horse-headed, dragon-bodied star sign on the God-Startling Array had fully formed, its starlight brilliant.

Several formations on the roads of the capital also shot up to the heavens to connect with the God-Startling Array, and a world-startling array was reflected in the firmament.

Only then did Dong Cheng reveal a genuine smile, his gaze turning to Xie Guan, his tone carrying a touch of arrogance:

"In the martial arts of the world, a martial artist reaches at most the Ninth Realm, the Profound Pill, but I have long since stepped into the Tenth Realm; my blood and energy do not decline, and even if only flesh and blood remain, I can be reborn."

"In Primordial Spirit cultivation, the highest is the Tenth Realm, the Yang Spirit; I have condensed a Nascent Soul, and even if I leave my physical body, I can walk the world."

"In the six thousand years since spiritual energy disappeared, I dare say I am the number one in the world. Even if Lu Yu, who three thousand years ago was called invincible under heaven and of whom it was said 'the thousand mountains are not as high as this one,' were alive, he would not equal me."

"Or rather, even if Lu Chen were resurrected, I could defeat him."

Lu Chen, however, felt that the Master had undergone a subtle change just now, gaining an extra measure of composure and confidence.

Just at this moment!

From within the dense fog, a familiar female voice rang out.

"Old Master Dong, you have no shame in boasting. Grandmaster Lu Yu only cultivated for forty-eight years before shattering the void and ascending alone."

"Master Dong, take a look at your own age."

Lu Chen followed the sound and looked, seeing several figures approaching vaguely through the dense fog.

After he had just unleashed "Demon-Slaying" and "Ghost-Slaying," he had sensed several auras approaching, three of which were particularly familiar.

The mist gradually dispersed, and several figures became clear.

On the left was an old monk in cloth robes, his face kind, eyes slightly closed, twisting a string of prayer beads in his hand.

In the middle was a woman in Daoist robes wearing a bamboo hat; her figure was hidden by the wide robes, and her face was concealed beneath the hat. It was she who had just mocked Dong Cheng.

On the right stood a mature middle-aged man with his hands behind his back, his temples slightly gray, his temperament elegant.

The last to appear was an ordinary-looking youth, but his eyes revealed a weariness inconsistent with his age.

Lu Chen recognized Master Lianchi, Lu Hua, and the Demon Master Xu Jiangxian; only that youth he had never seen before.

As the four of them appeared!

The Master's aura receded, and that chill gradually vanished.

Only then did Yu Ke have a chance to catch his breath, slowly exhaling to recover his vitality.

Seeing "Xie Guan" here, Lu Hua's face first lit up with joy, but then she thought of something else.

The young man among the four stepped forward, looked at the Master, and bowed respectfully.

"Student Xu Xian pays his respects to the Master."

The Master seemed to have long anticipated their arrival; his eyes lifted slightly, scanning the group without the slightest surprise.

Finally, his gaze fell upon Xu Xian, and he said indifferently:

"Xu Xi, you and I have long ceased to be master and disciple, and I have never truly regarded you as one. When we left the East Sea back then, it was you who steered the boat; we were merely companions traveling together."

"When the four of you joined forces to kill me back then, you were the only one who held back the most."

"I never imagined that you would be the one to arrive first today."

A flash of pain crossed Xu Xian's face, but he shook his head, his tone firm: "A teacher for a day is a father for life."

After he finished speaking, he straightened his body.

"Today, Xu Xian comes because he has no other choice."

Xie Guan realized that this young man was actually the Great Master of the Academy.

Hearing this, the Master sneered, "The bond of master and disciple? It is nothing more than a delusional trick within the cycle of the Dao."

"This so-called 'having no choice'—is it for your own selfish desires, or for the sake of the so-called common people?"

His gaze shifted to Lu Hua, his tone flat: "You are the Lu Lu Tian Shi of the Sanzhen Sect? Yet at such a shallow age, you do not know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. Even the ancestor of your ancestors would need to respectfully address me as 'Yu Shixiong' upon seeing me."

From beneath her bamboo hat, Lu Hua let out a cold, contemptuous laugh:

"Old Master Dong, our Sanzhen ancestor long ago saw through your secret of stealing your senior brother's physical body, which is why he lured you into the Tomb of the Living Dead on Mount Zhongnan. If you were truly invincible in this world, why did you flee in such a wretched state on Mount Zhongnan?"

Hearing this, Yu Ke felt a stir in his heart; the Lu Hua before him was exactly the same as the fearless image in the simulation.

Sure enough, Lu Hua was the Lu Lu Tian Shi of the Sanzhen Sect!

Upon hearing this, the Master's expression remained as calm as water, and he even nodded slightly.

"The Sanzhen Sect—every generation of its ancestors has been extraordinary."

His tone was detached, as if he were speaking of someone else's affairs.

The Master had undergone many corpse-dissolution rebirths, founding the Great Qi, the Eternal Heaven, and the Buddhist Kingdom, all while remaining invincible.

Only within the Tomb of the Living Dead on Mount Zhongnan did he encounter the immortal physical bodies of the past ancestors, whose spiritual wills still remained; his own body was shattered by their combined efforts, forcing him to undergo corpse-dissolution once again.

The Demon Master Xu Jiangxian stared at the Master before him; merely releasing his spiritual sense felt like falling into a whirlpool or a quagmire, like a clay ox entering the sea.

Moreover, in his perception, the Master seemed to be empty of all things; had he not seen him with his own eyes, he would have found it nearly impossible to detect his existence.

A sense of not belonging to this world!

The Master had traversed the world for a thousand years; he was no mere man of empty fame.

According to the records in the Xu family's genealogy, the Xu family's mid-revival patriarch, who single-handedly forged the "Golden Bloodline" and elevated the Xu family to the throne of descendants of the supreme gods of the grasslands—

This person was highly likely to be the identity the Master assumed after one of his "corpse-dissolutions."

Cold light flickered in Xu Jiangxian's eyes.

The Master surveyed the four people present and said slowly: "One is the Demon Master of the Eternal Heaven, one is a walker of the world for the East Saint Sect, and another is my eldest disciple; it seems you are all connected to me."

"It is well that you have come; otherwise, I would have had to seek you out one by one later."

He then looked toward the Invitation to Immortals Pavilion at the Flower Banquet held after the water control.

The Master said indifferently, "However... I still have two good disciples: one is obsessed with the endgame of a chess match, and the other, out of guilt, has never once shown their face."

Master Lianchi pressed his palms together and chanted a low Buddhist name: "Amitabha. Donor Dong, cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is unerring. Ordinary men grasp at states, while the man of the Dao grasps at the heart; when both heart and state are forgotten, the true Dharma is revealed. When the heart arises, all kinds of phenomena arise; when the heart is extinguished, all kinds of phenomena are extinguished."

"With your cultivation realm, Donor, how can you still fail to see through this?"

Hearing this, the Master smiled slightly: "Buddhism speaks of reincarnation and cultivating the heart, but I have long since seen through the illusions of this world—why should I be attached to cultivation?"

"I am, by nature, an existence that transcends all things, just like the Tathagata!"

After hearing this, Master Lianchi merely chanted a soft Buddhist name: "Amitabha."

This Master had once incarnated as a monk a thousand years ago and was the second-generation ancestor of the East Saint Sect; the Buddhist scriptures he left behind were still circulated as classics within the East Saint Sect.

If one were to speak of Buddhist cultivation, the Master also possessed profound attainments.

Xu Xi's expression was complex, and his gaze finally landed on Xie Guan, who was present; he already had his own suspicions.

"Those who follow the Dao find many helpers; those who lose the Dao find few."

Hearing this, the Master seemed entirely unconcerned.

"Yet, what qualifications do you have to judge me?"

"I established nations, quelled wars, founded Confucian doctrines, and educated the masses. In the eyes of the world, I am that Sage."

Lu Hua could no longer restrain herself and retorted, "This world originally had no demons or monsters. Since the Tang Dynasty, they have run rampant, and the world says it is because the Tang King married a demon fox, leading to the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men. Little do they know, this all stems from your first corpse-dissolution, when you injected corpse-qi into the Tang Dynasty's destiny, thereby triggering the chaos of demons."

"How many common people have died over these thousand years? A Sage? Does such a Sage exist under heaven?"

"You are nothing but a wretch who clings to life and fears death."

Hearing this, the Master actually nodded and admitted:

"You are correct; I do indeed cling to life and fear death. But what I cling to is the supreme Dao, the great Dao of freedom and ease. What I fear is becoming mere bones in a grave, unable to learn the methods of longevity or the books of the immortals."

Xu Xian also knew that it was impossible to move the Master with a few words.

"Those with different Daos cannot make plans together; each follows their own will."

"This is what you taught me, Master, and today, the student returns it to you."

(End of chapter)