by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
Blood flew as he pulled out the sword.
“No!” Everyone let out startled cries. By doing this, all his blood would rush out and he would immediately die.
As he pulled out the sword, Long Chen felt that drop of divine life energy healing his heart, quickly fusing the injured portion. It stopped bleeding in just a breath.
As he had thought, that Spirit World expert had truly been powerful. This thing she had left behind for him was incomparably precious. He would definitely have to be careful with how he used it in the future.
But at the same time, he remembered her last words. These drops of divine life energy were a kind of contract. He would need to help her out in the future. Long Chen truly wanted to go to that so-called Spirit World, but that kind of thing was far too distant for the current him.
“Boss, you… you’re not dying?” Guo Ran was shocked. The opening on his chest had rapidly fused back together, and he couldn’t help but babble out nonsense.
Long Chen was about to say something when exhaustion battered him and he felt a burst of dizziness.
He had lost too much blood for now. Although that drop of divine life energy had healed him, it wasn’t able to make up for his blood loss that fast.
“Boss!” Guo Ran immediately ran up to support him.
Long Chen shook his head around, still feeling a bout of weakness overcome him. He had lost too much blood. It would probably take him a long time before he could advance to the eleventh Heavenstage of Blood Condensation.
“Long Chen!”
Long Chen had only just managed to steady himself slightly when a fragrant breeze blew over and a soft body embraced him.
The instant Tang Wan-er had awoken and seen Long Chen still alive, she couldn’t help but hug onto him and cry.
“Long Chen, you scared me to death… you scoundrel…”Tang Wan-er had become like a little child again. Her tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Hey, hey, I like that you want to hug me, but can we find somewhere without others looking? With so many onlookers, I can’t really…” Long Chen ‘bashfully’ whispered into Tang Wan-er’s ear.
“You! Bastard!”
Tang Wan-er raged. She wanted to give him a punch, but seeing how pale he was, she decided against it and ran off.
“Boss, this…” Guo Ran didn’t really know what to do.
“Just let her go. It’ll be good for her to vent some of her emotions,” laughed Long Chen. He then turned and cupped his fist towards everyone.
They had all begged the sect leader to save him. Whether they were sincere, fake, or just going with the crowd, Long Chen still accepted that emotion.
Everyone hastily got up and bowed in response. They then scattered from this place. They all knew that this matter had reached its conclusion and there was nothing else for them to see. If they still didn’t leave now, they’d just be shooed off.
Everyone quickly left, including the Elders and law enforcers. Now it was only Wilde and his master, Ling Yunzi, Tu Fang, and Long Chen.
“Excellent.” Ling Yunzi looked at Long Chen with praise. His strength had already surpassed his expectations.
Long Chen’s strength wasn’t in his cultivation technique, it wasn’t in his physical body, nor was it in his Battle Skills. His strength lay in his will.
In front of an enemy he couldn’t possibly defeat, he still didn’t feel the slightest despair or panic. That kind of will was something that even those old Elders had not achieved.
“Thanks for the praise, sect leader,” Long Chen slightly modestly said. Long Chen felt a great deal of respect for those who had powerful cultivation bases yet still remained virtuous and upright.
“I’ve already heard what happened. The monastery’s rules truly do have gaps, but I do not possess the authority to change those rules,” sighed Ling Yunzi.
Long Chen shook his head. “There are no perfect rules in this world. Even heaven and earth are imperfect, let alone man-made rules. So thank you for the support sect leader. This little one was brash and refused your good intentions, so please forgive me.”
Ling Yunzi hadn’t been optimistic about Long Chen’s life and death challenge, and that was why he had given Long Chen so many warnings. Although Long Chen had had his own difficulties, he truly had put Ling Yunzi in a tight spot.
But despite that, Ling Yunzi had never expressed his displeasure to him. That kind of amicability and temperament had convinced Long Chen that Ling Yunzi was worthy of his respect.
“It’s good that you can think about it in that way. Your wounds are fine, right?” asked Ling Yunzi.
He sensed that the drop of divine life energy which Long Chen had swallowed was extremely miraculous. It had immediately healed the fatal injury to his heart. That was practically inconceivable.
Even the Elders of the Healing Hall were absolutely unable to do that. The Healing Hall’s disciples’ spiritual qi had the greatest effect on external wounds, but as for internal wounds, they were almost powerless. They could only rely on a slow nourishment method, and that kind of effect was not even as good as using medicinal pills.
“Thank you for your care, sect leader. Disciple is fine,” said Long Chen. Although he still felt weak, he was quickly being restored.
The only regretful thing was that he had lost a great deal of his essence blood. He would need a long time to replenish that which really did give him a headache.
“Little fellow, you’re not bad. Do you want to take me as your master?” Wilde’s master was becoming increasingly pleased with Long Chen.
“Absolutely not!” Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang both shouted out at the same time.
Currently, Long Chen was no longer the same as he had been when he had just entered the monastery. As his cultivation base had grown, the Heavenly Daos had already concealed some of his oddities.
Divergents fundamentally could not exist amongst mankind. If he were to take Long Chen as an apprentice, he would be infected by powerful karma. That was not something he would be able to survive.
Long Chen had joined the monastery, but the Xuantian Monastery was just a branch of the Xuantian Supermonastery, and the supermonastery belonged to the entire Xuantian Dao Sect. That was also why Ling Yunzi, as a small sect leader of a branch monastery, did not possess the authority to alter any rules. Yet, it was also because of that powerful backing that the Xuantian Monastery was the strongest sect in its region.
The Xuantian Dao Sect possessed millions of years of history. Long Chen wouldn’t be able to affect such a huge existence with his karma. And even if he did, it would dilute itself throughout the entire Xuantian Dao Sect which would weaken its effect so that it wouldn’t be too severe.
But if someone dared become Long Chen’s master, then that would quickly bring about heavenly punishment, maybe killing him immediately.
And so both Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang immediately opened their mouths to shut this down, not leaving any room for discussion.
Wilde’s master became infuriated, raging, “Who said it’s not alright? If I say it’s fine, then it’s fine! What, do you dare oppose me?”
That old man had a violent temperament. And being refused flat-out like this immediately provoked him.
Ling Yunzi felt a headache. He knew that once this uncle-master of his became angry, he could overturn the entire monastery. Tu Fang hastily gave Long Chen a meaningful glance.
Although he didn’t understand what was going on, seeing that they refused this so seriously, Long Chen trusted them and apologetically said, “I appreciate your kindness, but I’m used to being with my brothers now, so I can’t accept senior’s good intentions.”
That old man finally calmed down. It wasn’t as if he absolutely had to have Long Chen as an apprentice, but it was simply that Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang’s attitude had provoked him.
Long Chen wished to stay with his brothers, and that was enough for him to see that Long Chen valued his comrades. That was something obvious just from seeing those dis
ciples willing to kneel down for him.
Seeing that old man finally calm down, Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Long Chen was so sensible.
Long Chen suddenly thought of something and his hope immediately rose. To the old man, he asked, “Senior, do you have any high rank Magical Beast essence blood?”
Chapter 227 Forging a Weapon
“Senior, do you have any high rank Magical Beast essence blood?” asked Long Chen hopefully.
And as he had expected, that old man nodded, “Of course. I have plenty of fourth rank Magical Beast essence blood. Do you need it?”
He had heard from Wilde that this master of his had brought him hunting and that he often ate fourth rank Magical Beasts. That was why his body was so powerful now.
Fourth rank Magical Beast essence blood was extremely precious. It had broad uses from tempering the body to being used to refine pills.
Long Chen was delighted by this reply and asked, “Can senior give me some?”
“Something like that is a small matter. And don’t call me senior all the time; it doesn’t sound good. My name is Cang Ming, and since you don’t want to accept me as master, then just call me uncle Cang Ming.” Cang Ming waved his hand.
Long Chen glanced at Ling Yunzi. If he called Cang Ming ‘uncle’, then wouldn’t that place him in the same generation as the sect leader?
Ling Yunzi saw what Long Chen was thinking and lightly smiled, “There’s nothing to worry about that. Our Xuantian Monastery isn’t the same as other sects. Other sects all have disciples accepting masters and masters accepting disciples, and so they care more about seniority. But our Xuantian Monastery’s style is closer to the secular world’s schools, and we’re not such sticklers for seniority.”
So, Long Chen turned to Cang Ming and smiled, “Long Chen greets uncle Cang Ming.”
“Hehe, little fellow, I really do like you. That kind of arrogance and ruthlessness within you is just like how I was back in the day.
“Only people like you are able to truly stand out when fighting against those sinister Corrupt path disciples.
“As for those greenhouse cabbages, goddamn, it’s not even worth evaluating them. Little Ling-zi, you don’t need to object.
“I’ve long since said the monastery’s rules are flawed. With such a framework, what kind of crap did you think you could raise?
“Tch, in a true battle, is the winner the one who is stronger? The one with more Battle Skills? The one with the most beautiful technique?
“Wrong! The goal of fighting is to use the least effort to kill your opponents. If you can kill someone in one blow, absolutely do not waste a second blow.
“If you encounter an opponent stronger than you, then you have to do it with exactly the same attitude as Long Chen did: you might kill me, but I’ll also bring you down with me.
“But what about that idiot, that Wu something?”
Cang Ming couldn’t even think of his name. Tu Fang supplemented, “Wu Qi.”
“Right, Wu Qi, he’s just a lump of dogshit. With that kind of empty arrogance and conceit, he’ll piss himself the instant he encounters those savage Corrupt path experts.
“In a life and death final battle, he still wanted to use little schemes and play some nonsense psychological war. These are the ‘experts’ you’ve raised?
“All you have raised is a bunch of pigs for the slaughter to send to the Corrupt path’s disciples. Continuing like that, every subsequent generation of disciples in our monastery will continue to decline.”
Cang Ming became more and more angry as he spoke, in the end sighing. Melancholy appeared in his eyes, seeming as if he had remembered a certain something.
Ling Yunzi didn’t say anything in reply to this scolding. He also knew the monastery’s rules had problems, but those rules were set from above, and he was unable to change them.
“Little Ling-zi, at the beginning, your talent was actually extremely great, but you lack a certain ruthlessness now. You act over cautiously about everything; you have no boldness.
“In the end, you became our monastery’s sect leader. But what about those fellow geniuses in your generation? What cultivation base have they reached?
“As a person, being overcautious and steady has its advantages. But as a cultivator, acting like that just leads to demise. If you have no courage or daring, it’s impossible for you to reach greater heights.
“Talent is just a fart. Maybe if you release it you might shock people with the noise, and smoke people out, but if you can’t release it, who knows what crap you’re holding in?”
Long Chen almost laughed at that final line. But Cang Ming’s words were really too right. His coarse words hit the nail right on the head.
Countless talents were born every day. But without the will to cultivate as if their lives depended on it, without the bravery to climb to the peak, without the determination to break free from the shackles of heaven and earth, all that talent was just wasted.
From the start, Long Chen had been a bit disdainful of the monastery’s disciple grooming method. Other than that first cave trial, he didn’t approve of any of it.
“Little Ling-zi, a person’s lifetime in this world passes by quickly, just like the passing of seasons for plants. Let me ask you, when you’re facing death, do you know what you’ll have left behind in your life?
“You will have left behind nothing, because in your lifetime, all you did was follow all the rules and play a role given to you by someone else!” Cang Ming shook his head with pity.
“Originally, I was hoping to raise you into a true martial artist, but in the end, you listened to my senior apprentice-brother, acting like a well-behaved child.”
But when Cang Ming looked at Wilde, he said with satisfaction, “But at least the heavens treated me right and let me encounter such a wonder apprentice in my final years, hehe.”
“The heavens also treated me good to let me meet you old man. Now I can eat till I’m really full,” Wilde said gratefully.
Cang Ming immediately laughed heartily. Although Wilde was a bit naive and a bit foolish, he never beat around the bush. Although sometimes he infuriated him, he really did like this foolish kid.
He treated Wilde as his own child. He knew Wilde was extremely simple and honest. He would never go bully others. So as soon as he saw Wilde being bullied, he hadn’t cared about anything else and had directly given Elder Sun a slap in the face.
If he wasn’t worried about Ling Yunzi being right there, he probably would have already beaten Elder Sun dead. His gloominess at not being able to do that was immediately blown away by just a single sentence from Wilde.
Ling Yunzi sunk into thought for a moment and then turned to Long Chen. “Long Chen, how do you think the monastery should act in order to let the disciples grow stronger?”
Long Chen bitterly smiled. “Great sect leader, you’ve really overestimated me. I’m just an amateur in the Blood Condensation realm. How could my thoughts be worth your time?”
“That’s alright. Just tell me what you think. I want to hear it,” said Ling Yunzi solemnly.
Since he wasn’t joking, Long Chen also became serious.
“Since sect leader has ordered me, I can only tell you my own random thoughts. In my eyes, the monastery’s rules can be summed up like this: you want a horse to run, but you don’t give your horse any grass to eat.
“You want to raise your disciples, but you don’t give them enough space to grow. Instead, you make them play in a child-like competition. It is truly senseless!”
Tu Fang frowned, “Without competition, there won’t be any pressure, and without pressure, how can they quickly cultivate?” Obviously, Tu Fang was dissatisfied. If there was no competition and the resources were just split up evenly, then the disciples really would grow much slower.
“Competition is of course a good thing. But there is a precondition: it must be a healthy competition model.
“It’s very o
bvious that the monastery’s competition is a diseased method of competition. The original intent was actually quite good.
“To let everyone compete with each other in order to raise everyone up, using a mutual pressure to make them work harder, letting everyone have a desire to surpass their fellows and go all-out to cultivate.
“It’s just like uncle Cang Ming said. This kind of method in itself isn’t bad, but the so-called experts raised from this method are just a bunch of trash.
“They think that because their cultivation base is high, because their talent is good, because their Battle Skills are strong, that they can be unrivaled under the heavens.
“Such people will immediately find that those things they rely on are absolutely laughable in the face of a true life and death battle.
“Your opponents don’t care what your cultivation base is, they don’t care what Battle Skills you have, they don’t care what talent you possess. All they’ll care about is purely how to cut off your head.
“At such a time, the monastery’s disciples’ empty attacks and fighting style will be as weak as tofu in front of an enemy fighting with their life on the line. In the end, they will simply die by other people’s hands.”
Tu Fang and Ling Yunzi silently pondered over this. Long Chen had brought up the monastery’s current awkward state. But they were also helpless to change this.
It wasn’t as if they could have their disciples actually try to kill each other. Not only would that not be approved by the higher-ups, but then who would send their disciples here?
Just that final trial was enough to cause countless powers to shrink back. If they continued letting their disciples die, then they wouldn’t have any more disciples in the end.
“Then how can we change the current situation?” asked Ling Yunzi.
“Set up a common enemy,” Long Chen said extremely straightforwardly.
“Oh?”
“Aren’t we mortal enemies with the Corrupt path? Then we don’t even have to set it up ourselves. Our disciples have always been just whetstones for their disciples.
“Then why can’t we make them our whetstones? With a common enemy as a goal, everyone will grow for a common goal, everyone will end up on the same page.
