Why discuss the Dao?

This is an interesting topic.

Simply put, the heavens are boundless, the Dao is infinite. For one person to seek the Dao is like an ant entering the sea, either going with the flow or being blinded by a leaf.

Appropriate communication is necessary.

Zhang Kui also sought advice from Elder Huayan.

Although the other practiced the path of the Outer Pill, Zhang Kui was still confused by what was said, but he gained some insight.

He was equally interested in Sword Cultivation.

Zhu Sheng's expression was very solemn, sitting there straight as an imposing Treasure Sword.

"Sword has form and formlessness. The sword of form, refined from five metals. The sword of formlessness arises from the sun and moon, refining the essence of heaven and earth into a sword..."

"The sword of form, refined day and night, connects with divine intent, emerging in danger, a hundred miles chasing the soul..."

"The sword of formlessness, refining Qi into the body, controlling the sword with Qi, uniting man and sword, flying with sword, all evils retreat..."

Zhang Kui listened intently, coming to a realization.

The sword of form is somewhat like the Sword Immortal's Magical Treasure from the past life, but the process of sword training is very arduous, and materials are surely hard to find. Otherwise, Zhu Sheng's sect wouldn't have only one, treating it like an ancestor.

What he is currently learning is more like the sword of formlessness.

The Demon-slaying Skill condenses Gang and refines Evil, extremely fierce, but still in the Qi Cultivation stage. The name of the next-level skill after reaching the pinnacle is simple, called Swordsmanship. When Qi is cultivated into the body, who knows what kind of power it will possess...

"Brother, do you have any guidance?"

After Zhu Sheng finished speaking, he asked seriously.

Elder Huayan mentioned that this is the etiquette of discussing the Dao, where both parties exchange cultivation experiences and seek each other's advice.

He was still confused, how could he teach others?

But Zhang Kui thought for a moment and still said:

"I once heard of someone who, driven by emotions, became extreme in swordsmanship; and another, who was emotionless, brought one sword from the west, an Immortal flying from beyond the heavens..."

"Perhaps, what you lack is a Sword Heart."

Zhang Kui casually said, but unexpectedly Zhu Sheng was shocked, turned to look at the Sword Box, fists clenched, "I understand now!"

Zhang Kui nearly spat out his tea.

What did you realize...

Zhu Sheng smiled bitterly, eyes fixed on the long bow on the wall.

"Success because of the Ancient Artifact, and failure because of the Ancient Artifact."

"I was born in the bamboo forest, my parents both perished to a Fierce Ghost, luckily saved by my master. This Treasure Bow became my Guardian afterward, and I couldn't part from it whenever there was danger, forgetting my own identity."

"No wonder my master often said to me, without a sword in the heart, one cannot be called a Sword Cultivator..."

At this point, Zhu Sheng bowed solemnly,

"Thank you for the guidance, brother!"

"No need for such courtesy, it's only right..."

Zhang Kui took an awkward sip of tea.

Zhu Sheng was straightforward and honest, and Zhang Kui naturally wouldn't hide anything and spoke of his insights on condensing Gang and refining Evil.

Zhu Sheng frowned upon hearing it,

"We also need to refine with Evil Qi in sword training, but doing it like you is truly frightening, a slight mistake could backfire."

Zhang Kui chuckled, "My physique is special, no problem, the more potent the Evil Qi, the more delighted I am."

"Is that so..."

Zhu Sheng pondered for a moment, "My teacher, Songfengzi, while traveling, once saw an ancient cave where the Geng Metal Evil inside was exceptionally fierce. Even with his Grain Avoidance Realm cultivation, it was difficult to enter."

Zhang Kui's eyes lit up,

"Where is this place?"

"Southwest of Qingzhou, Qin Mountain Ancient Path."

...

They say the autumn breeze is refreshing, but it's not as dreary as the autumn rain.

A misty drizzle fell continuously for two days, covering the inn courtyard floor with fallen parasol leaves, carrying a hint of desolation in the cold and damp.

By the inn's window, Zhang Kui sat cross-legged with closed eyes, exhaling a mouthful of purple Qi after a while, immediately filling the room with fragrance.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the small table before him where the bottle of Jade Flower Rose Pill was already empty, feeling somewhat wistful.

This thing is good; after consuming two bottles, his Mana surged significantly, and it also nurtured his body. No wonder the corpse of an Old Demon from the Grain Avoidance Realm could only be traded for one bottle.

According to Elder Huayan, if not for the support from the Qian Imperial Court's Inner Treasury, he really couldn't gather all the necessary herbs.

The two bottles of Pill were specially delivered a few days ago, along with two letters.

One was from Liu Mao'Er.

This old man, although not seriously ill, was ultimately weakened with age after a major illness, and the injuries and ailments from his youth frequently recurred, causing him to abandon his ambition to roam the Jianghu.

The winery located in the suburbs of the Capital City is long completed, with Wu Siyuan's family providing a lot of support. This year's several hundred jars of freshly brewed strong wine caused an immediate sensation upon release.

Now, the wine called "Heroic Blood" has become popular in the Capital City, and the old man secretly buried a hundred jars of the finest underground, saving them for Zhang Kui.

After rambling on for a while, he mentioned an important matter.

The Xunfeng Eagles of Celestial Eagle Manor have laid their eggs, reminding him to collect one.

The other letter was from Wu Siyuan.

First, he mentioned the movements of Qingzhou's Astronomical Bureau, rushing around under Tianji Zi's urging, searching for that nameless Demoness.

He then included a large stack of materials, all secretly gathered information from the Astronomical Bureau on various Demons and Monsters in the southwest of Qingzhou.

Although seemingly chaotic, Zhang Kui understood his intention, implying he couldn't offer any help, yet subtly expressing some resentment.

Zhang Kui thought for a moment and picked up a pen to reply to Liu Mao'Er.

Nowadays, the Xunfeng Eagle, which is regarded as a treasure by people of the Jianghu, is of no use to him, so he might as well give it to the little girl Li Dong'Er to play with.

Once the matters in Qingzhou are settled, he would set off for the Capital City to witness the thousand-year prosperity of the Qian Dynasty.

As for Wu Siyuan, Zhang Kui thought about it and decided not to reply, as with that old Taoist Tianji Zi making mischief, anything said would be useless.

The ethereal sound of a flute came from next door, and Zhang Kui carried a jug of wine out the door and walked over.

"Why play that thing, let's drink!"

Zhu Sheng put away the bamboo flute and didn't say much, "Okay."

The two hit it off, and over the past two days, they drank a lot. After a few rounds back and forth, a jug of wine was empty, and they asked the server to bring over two more bottles.

Zhang Kui raised a bowl of wine, "Brother Zhu, I will leave tomorrow, let's count this meal as a farewell."

Zhu Sheng furrowed his brow slightly,

"Brother Zhang, are you going to the southwest?"

Zhang Kui chuckled,

"That's right, it's quite chaotic over there. Watch me, Old Zhang, stir up heaven and earth."

"Brother Zhang, what boldness!"

Zhu Sheng raised his bowl and drank it all in one go,

"I just can't keep still either, I'll go with you!"

Seeing Zhang Kui frown as if he was about to say something, Zhu Sheng waved his hand and smiled freely.

"Brother Zhang, don't persuade me. My mind is made up. My master said that the path of the sword cultivator is full of obstacles, and only by braving thorns and thistles can one move forward."

"If I die on this journey and my way is obliterated, please, Brother Zhang, return my Nether Void Sword to the sect."

After saying this, he solemnly bowed.

Zhang Kui's eyes were serious,

"Alright, I won't fail you!"

He suddenly understood that Zhu Sheng was not only doing it for him but wanted to sharpen his Sword Heart between life and death, perhaps not even intending to bring that Ancient Treasure Bow.

A true tough guy...

At this moment, Ye Fei stumbled in, took a deep breath, and presented an iron sword, bowing,

"Please, sir, judge the sword!"

"Still a bit off."

Zhu Sheng glanced at it without interest and casually threw it out the window, the sword hitting the wall, shattering with a clang.

Ye Fei's face turned bright red, and he gritted his teeth fiercely, "I'll forge another one."

With that, he turned and ran out.

Zhang Kui watched from the side, shaking his head repeatedly.

This kid had already forged three swords constantly, day and night, each one better than the last, but none of them had met Zhu Sheng's Dharma Eye, and he didn't know why.

But it's someone else's way of teaching his disciple, it's not his place to interfere.

Watching Ye Fei's figure fading away, Zhu Sheng shook his head, "Brother Zhang, can you wait a few more days?"

Zhang Kui smiled, "Sure."

He also wanted to see if this kid could succeed.

Waiting like this took another four or five days, and a trace of disappointment already appeared in Zhu Sheng's eyes, "Perhaps it's not meant to be. Brother Zhang, let's go."

Zhang Kui nodded, picked up his already packed bags, and the two of them walked towards the city gate.

Who would have thought that just outside the city gate, Ye Fei, dirty and disheveled, with bloodshot eyes, chased after them, panting heavily and presenting a sword, angrily shouting:

"Please, sir, judge the sword!"

This kid had become quite obsessed, seemingly filled with frustration, appearing a bit rude.

Zhu Sheng, with a blank expression, took it, flicked it lightly, and the sword let out a long and pleasant ring.

Zhang Kui nodded from the side, although the sword couldn't be considered a famous weapon, being able to forge such a sword in such a short time showed that Ye Fei was obviously extraordinarily gifted.

Who knows, Zhu Sheng suddenly sneered,

"Still a bit off!"

Finishing that, he tossed it to the ground.

"Don't throw my sword!"

Ye Fei shouted angrily, lunging forward, trying to catch the blade with his bare hands, not caring that his hands might be ruined.

Buzz!

However, instead of shattering on the ground as he expected, the sword trembled and stopped mid-air.

Zhu Sheng burst out laughing, grabbed the sword, and handed it back, "Indeed, it's a good sword, the disciple must cherish it."

Seeing Ye Fei's confusion, Zhu Sheng smiled and said:

"As a sword cultivator, you must first sincerely believe in your own sword. If you don't trust your own sword, then why cultivate in swordsmanship at all?"

Ye Fei's face shifted from surprise to joy, and he quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing, "The disciple greets the master!"

Zhu Sheng nodded with a smile,

"Go to Senior Brother Chen and take my Treasure Bow as proof. I've heard there's an elderly ape on Yunhou Mountain, a guardian of our sect. Train with him for five years; if you can't endure the hardships, leave the mountain yourself."

Ye Fei flashed a bright smile,

"Rest assured, Master, I'd rather die than leave!"

Zhu Sheng and Zhang Kui exchanged looks and burst into laughter, their figures swiftly flickering and disappearing into the wilderness...

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