Chapter 3444: Light and Darkness
Summer heat blazed, the scorching sun like fire.
Outside the Sword Pavilion, there was a sacred lake stretching three hundred miles, with azure waters touching the sky and white mist like smoke. By the lakeshore, green bamboo formed shade, and exotic flowers bloomed everywhere.
On the lake surface, bursts of intense light flickered, and sword energy crisscrossed.
Zhang Ruochen sat in a bamboo pavilion by the lake, drinking ancient tea with Chi Kunlun and Xue Wuye.
On the table, a stove burned beast charcoal, and the spring water in the pot had already boiled.
Thirty steps away from the bamboo pavilion, a zither player veiled in white gauze performed music, her skill extraordinary, the sound like high mountains and flowing waters, pure and refined—clearly a master hand from the Zither Sect.
According to Chi Kunlun, she was the Sixth Princess of the empire, Zhang Jingyu.
In other words, she was his sixth daughter, Zhang Ruochen's direct granddaughter.
Xue Wuye's gaze fixed on the figure practicing swordsmanship on the lake, and he sighed, "Ten years make a small era, a hundred years a great era. Over a thousand years have passed, and new talents emerge in the land, one generation replacing the old. We are all old!"
"In the eyes of the mortal world, we are indeed old. But in the world of gods, we have only just been born," Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Kunlun said, "What distinction is there between old and new? Isn't life about reproduction and inheritance?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Actually, it depends on the environment! If the environment is suitable for life, life chooses to reproduce. Conversely, if the environment is harsh and unsuitable, life pursues immortality!"
"Now that the Kunlun Realm is thriving, with new generations of talents emerging in abundance, doesn't that prove the internal environment is superior, peaceful and harmonious, a picture of a prosperous era?"
Chi Kunlun said, "All of this was fought for by the great powers of the divine realm, especially Tai Shang. It is he who has been guarding the Kunlun Realm all along, allowing it to enjoy so many years of peace and prosperity."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Kunlun Realm needs not only Tai Shang but also the efforts of generation after generation. The older generation of cultivators will eventually have their day of passing."
After a long silence, Chi Kunlun stood up and said, "Father, I am preparing to step down!"
Zhang Ruochen looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Chi Kunlun said, "Kong Le went to the Hell Realm for cultivation. Hong Chen entered the Truth Divine Temple to go into seclusion for cultivation, and it's very likely she will break through the boundary of forty trillion sacred dao rules, becoming another Eon-level genius of this era."
"Look at the little junior sister—how many years has she been cultivating? She has already reached the Great Saint Hundred Shackles Realm, fierce and unstoppable. Her future achievements will definitely not lose to Hong Chen's."
"If I don't step down from the position of emperor, delayed by worldly affairs, I will surely be left far behind by them in the future. Gods should walk the path of gods; worldly matters should still be left to worldly cultivators."
Zhang Ruochen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Make your own decision. There's no need to ask for my approval on this."
Chi Kunlun felt reassured, and his gaze grew more determined.
"What are your plans for the future?" Zhang Ruochen suddenly asked.
Chi Kunlun said, "I want to go to the Abyss of Darkness to cultivate."
"To find your master?"
From what Zhang Ruochen had learned from the Dragon Lord, the Dark Abyss Yan Clan, under the leadership of Wu Qingzong, had already joined the Sword Realm.
But Yan Wushen had entered the Abyss of Darkness for bitter cultivation!
Chi Kunlun said, "No! I believe the Abyss of Darkness is an excellent place for training, which will help me improve my cultivation faster."
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, "Don't go to the Abyss of Darkness. Go to the Space Divine Temple instead! You are a Space Controller, and your main cultivation is the Way of Space. If you don't train in the Space Divine Temple, it will be difficult to comprehend the true essence of space."
Xue Wuye's expression turned strange, and he said, "The enmity you have with the Space Divine Temple is not small! Besides, it was you who exposed the fact that the Great Elder of the Space Divine Temple was a member of the Quantity Organization—you haven't forgotten that, have you? The Quantity Venerable behind him hasn't even been found yet! If Kunlun goes to cultivate at the Space Divine Temple, it will be extremely dangerous."
"The Abyss of Darkness is only ten times more dangerous than the Space Divine Temple. At least, on the surface, he will be safe."
Zhang Ruochen looked at Chi Kunlun and said, "What do you think?"
"Father wants me to go to the Space Divine Temple to investigate clues about the Quantity Organization?" Chi Kunlun said.
"You are not yet qualified to contend with a Quantity Venerable. This trip is only for cultivation, and... to survive."
Zhang Ruochen took out a God Venerable Talisman and handed it to him, then added, "When you leave, you can visit the Calamity Venerable and ask for an ancestral relic. Whether you can get it depends on your own ability!"
Chi Kunlun took the God Venerable Talisman, accepting Zhang Ruochen's arrangement.
On the lake, the sword light dissipated.
A strikingly beautiful and ethereal figure sheathed her sword, revealing herself. She stepped lightly on a black-and-white Taiji Seal, wearing a green Daoist robe, her long hair jet-black, tied in a bun with a wooden hairpin, like a Lingbo Fairy, exuding no worldly aura.
She floated to the outside of the bamboo pavilion, bowed to Zhang Ruochen, and said, "Master, what do you think of this set of Light Sword Techniques I created myself?"
Qingjing was Zhang Ruochen's youngest disciple, the daughter of his senior brother, Qingxiao.
Although she had only been Zhang Ruochen's disciple for two hundred years, she had spent much of that time cultivating in the Sword Pavilion, so her actual cultivation time exceeded a thousand years.
Now, she was at the Great Saint Hundred Shackles Realm.
In fact, she could have broken through to the Thousand Questions Realm long ago, but she had been suppressing her cultivation to perfect a second-rank Sacred Intent.
"Only the form, not the true essence of light."
Zhang Ruochen gave a brief evaluation.
Zhang Jingyu, who had been playing the zither, was inwardly shaken, never expecting her grandfather to be so strict.
Qingjing was undoubtedly the number one figure of the new generation in the Kunlun Realm, having made a great name for herself even in the Heavenly Court, suppressing cultivators of the same generation from all realms. Even Zhang Hongchen, the number one figure of the mortal world, felt the pressure and went into seclusion at the Truth Divine Temple.
Cultivators from all realms of the Heavenly Court said:
"First comes the Hongchen Sword, then the Qing Fairy. Kunlun produces another startling guest, the foremost among the myriad realms and heavens."
But for such a stunningly extraordinary woman, who had created a profound Light Sword Technique, to be judged as "only the form"—who wouldn't be disheartened to hear that?
Zhang Ruochen changed the subject and said, "Given your cultivation at the Hundred Shackles Realm, to be able to combine the Way of Light with the Sword Dao and achieve its form is already no small feat."
"Qingjing, your main cultivation paths are the Way of Light and the Way of Darkness, right?"
Qingjing stood outside the pavilion, like a lotus after rain, naturally agile, carrying a sense of ethereal freedom, and said, "Disciple first cultivated the 'Innate Dao Method,' then observed the Taiji Two Forms Diagram Seal left by Master, and from the Two Forms, I comprehended light and darkness, life and death, white and black, heaven and earth."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "Wuji gives birth to Taiji, and Taiji gives birth to Two Forms. Wuji cannot be conveyed in words, but if you comprehend the Dao from Taiji, you may have the chance to cultivate a quasi-first-rank Sacred Intent. If you comprehend the Dao from the Two Forms, then a second-rank Sacred Intent is your limit!"
"Disciple has not seen Taiji."
Qingjing, who had been calm and indifferent, now spoke with a hint of regret in her tone.
Xue Wuye said, "It's already very good. How many cultivators are there in the myriad realms and heavens? Yet in one Eon, only one or two people can cultivate a perfected second-rank Sacred Intent. This Eon is a rare great age of contention, and only five Eon-level geniuses have cultivated a perfected second-rank Sacred Intent!"
"Your junior's Sacred Intent is not yet perfected," Qingjing said.
Zhang Ruochen took out a Sacred Intent Pill, suspended it in his palm, and slowly pushed it out.
"This pill was refined by the Tai Shang of the Yama Clan. I won it at the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet back then. It may help you."
"Your main cultivation is light and darkness, with the Sword Dao as a supplement. Merging these three paths will not allow you to cultivate a perfected second-rank Sacred Intent."
"The Sword Dao is yang and firm. You need to cultivate a yin and soft path to achieve balance."
Zhang Ruochen raised both hands, and between his palms, a Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal manifested, covering the entire sky. It rapidly contracted and flew out, imprinting itself on a cliff wall by the sacred lake.
"Your master has already perfected the Four Symbols. Observing this seal should help you in your Dao comprehension."
Qingjing said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Zhang Ruochen released all the Light Esoterica he had seized from gods like Ke Yangshan and others, waving his sleeve to send it into Qingjing's body.
Instantly, Qingjing's skin radiated a holy white light, crystal clear, with immortal-like flesh and jade bones, like a heavenly fairy descending to the mortal world.
"You want to create your own Light Sword Technique. This esoterica should help you."
At the same time, the Light Divine Robe that had belonged to Ke Yangshan, after being re-refined by Zhang Ruochen, also fell upon her.
Anyone could see Zhang Ruochen's fondness for his youngest disciple, placing great hopes on her.
Even Xue Wuye, a god, looked on with envy and was very tempted to immediately become a disciple.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Zhang Jingyu, who had stopped playing the zither and was preparing to leave, understanding why Chi Kunlun had arranged this.
Zhang Ruochen called out to her, "Sixth girl, you cultivate spiritual power. Grandfather doesn't have that much time to guide you. Take this spiritual power divine pill!"
A divine pill directly entered Zhang Jingyu's body, sealed within her Sea of Mind.
"Thank you, Grandfather!"
Zhang Jingyu immediately hugged her zither and bowed deeply.
Zhang Ruochen felt a strange sensation in his heart. He had inadvertently become the ancestor of a clan, even though he still felt like a passionate youth, not so weathered.
The auras of the Calamity Venerable and the gods of the Thousand Star Civilization were drawing closer and closer.
Zhang Ruochen frowned and said, "All of you, withdraw!"
Xue Wuye, Chi Kunlun, and Zhang Jingyu left one after another.
Qingjing took away the cliff wall imprinted with the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram, turned into a streak of cyan light, her robes fluttering, and disappeared into the tower gate of the Sword Pavilion.
Soon, footsteps sounded densely.
Accompanied by the voice of the guide, the Calamity Venerable: "See, he's right there. It's his true body, oh!"
A cacophony of voices arose: "Surround this place. Don't let him escape!"