Dong Qitian looked askance at Yun Yang and cursed inwardly, "Dumb bird."
'You can come and chat with this old man if you're bored. Why do you have to provoke women? Don't you know that women are the most unreasonable creatures in this world? They're the only ones! '
Dong Qitian coughed and said, "I still remember the legend that the former lord of the East Celestial Palace was asked by a friend to give him two choices. One was to reason with his wife, and two was to fight the Demon Emperor. He was asked to choose either option. "
He said slowly, "Reasoning with his wife is just a matter of words, but fighting the Demon Emperor is a battle of life and death. There's a huge difference in difficulty. But do you know how he chose? "
Yun Yang was intrigued. "How?"
Dong Qitian said, "The lord lord chose to fight the Demon Emperor without any hesitation! And the last battle was really fought … "
Yun Yang was sweating profusely. He was sweating like a waterfall.
"That senior is truly a role model for our generation …"
…
At this moment, the hum of a sword and the hum of a saber rang out at the same time!
The unity of man and sword! The unity of man and saber!
As soon as the two of them made their moves, they both displayed their trump cards at the same time!
"Shi Wuchen has comprehended sword will and has reached the realm of having nothing else but his sword." Dong Qitian looked at the battlefield and said, "He's not far from the level of comprehending the heart of the sword."
"What about Luo Dajiang?"
"Luo Dajiang's level is about the same!" Dong Qitian said, "His saber will encompasses his entire body and has nothing else but his saber. Although he didn't comprehend much about the heart of the saber and didn't even go that way, he has comprehended something else. That is … there's nothing in this world that can't be used as a saber! "
"It doesn't matter who wins or loses this battle. The only thing that matters is … as long as these two people can continue to walk on this path, and they don't die prematurely … then, the Bound of Universe will give birth to a true Sword Emperor and Saber Emperor once again!"
As the battle progressed, the two men in the field were gradually getting serious.
Shi Wuchen and his sword turned into a murderous autumn wind, accompanied by the autumn rain, frost, and dew. The autumn wind, the autumn rain, and the autumn dew filled the field!
At this point in the battle, he had already used the Tri-Autumn Swordplay seven or eight times.
The sword intent became more and more bleak, more and more like the chill of autumn.
Basically, every time it was used, it would give birth to a completely new understanding.
As the Three Autumn Sword Technique continued to be used, the bright and beautiful spring was gradually dyed into a bleak autumn!
Shi Wuchen's state of mind grew colder and colder as he unleashed his sword will, but his sword light grew smoother and smoother. His face was filled with a desolate and excited murderous intent.
On the other hand, Luo Dajiang, on the other hand, maintained the strategy of attacking steadily and surely. He was like a towering mountain, unshakable, but he was not just defending without attacking. Once he switched to attacking, he was like a raging wave, indomitable and unyielding!
Dong Qitian watched the scene attentively and could not help but sigh softly.
"What is it?" Yun Yang asked.
Dong Qitian said faintly, "Shi Wuchen has already comprehended the true essence of the sword and is stepping into another stage. However, the stage he's stepping into now is the wrong path, a path that he can only look at but not reach. Even if he manages to step on it, it'll be difficult to turn back and there'll be endless troubles in the future."
Yun Yang was speechless.
Although Yun Yang's judgment was impressive, his experience was still miles away from Dong Qitian's. That was why he was puzzled by Dong Qitian's comment. In Yun Yang's opinion, Shi Wuchen had already gained the upper hand and was slowly steering the battle to his side. His chances of winning were very high, but why was it a terrible situation in Dong Qitian's eyes?
"Just based on this battle alone, the outcome is already clear. Shi Wuchen will win without a doubt! " Dong Qitian said, "Because he has comprehended his own heart of the sword in this battle. There's no doubt about it!"
"In spite of this, both sides have embarked on two completely different paths in this battle."
"After this battle, the main thrust of Shi Wuchen's sword intent is to abandon everything in this world and be loyal only to the sword, then to the Residence of Nine Supremes, and nothing else!"
"Luo Dajiang is different. Other than being loyal to the saber and the Residence of Nine Supremes, he's also loyal to himself, to his brothers, to his friendship, to his family … and to his ties."
Dong Qitian sighed softly.
Yun Yang was silent for a moment before he said in a low voice, "I kind of understand what you mean. Is it because Shi Wuchen's current sword realm is too extreme that even if he gains a momentary advantage, the consequences will be far-reaching? But Luo Dajiang doesn't have such a worry? "
Looking at the intense battle between the two men, Dong Qitian said, "Yes. This difference lies in the difference in the nature of these two men."
"Is it really that serious? Loyalty to the sword and the Residence of Nine Supremes — there's nothing else besides that. There doesn't seem to be anything bad about it. Why is it that it's hard to turn back from the past and leave lasting consequences?" Yun Yang asked.
"Whether it's good or bad depends on the person, and the wise man will understand it on his own."
Dong Qitian smiled. "Some people have selfish motives, some don't. Some live for their ideals, some live for reality. It's just a difference in perspective — there's no difference in superiority or inferiority."
"Living for ideals usually doesn't lead to a good ending, but living for reality allows one to experience life's various forms and achieve greatness," Dong Qitian said, "The reality I'm talking about here isn't selfishness. Do you understand this? "
"I do," Yun Yang answered.
"Shi Wuchen, as a swordsman, should be loyal to the sword, but he's too obsessed with it. That's … biased. Going too far is as bad as not going far enough."
"In other words, he's successfully entered the world of the sword, but he's immersed in it and can't get out. After a long time, how can it not be hard to turn back from the past and leave endless consequences?"
"A true expert must know when to advance and when to retreat, to be at ease. This is the best state to reach the peak!"
Dong Qitian said.
Yun Yang murmured, "He walked into the world of the sword, but he can't get out. He's obsessed with the sword …"
He felt that he seemed to understand a little, but there were still many things he did not understand.
Dong Qitian smiled and said, "It's not necessarily a bad thing that you don't understand now. However, if you can comprehend something from this, it'll be the best. "
Dong Qitian stood with his arms behind his back after he finished speaking, his gaze distant.
After a while, he said slowly, "Back then, there was a custom in my hometown. Whenever someone died in the village, they had to hire someone to play the suona. In our village, there's an old man called Old Uncle Qin. He's especially good at this kind of suona instrument. His first song makes people cry, and the second he plays it, it's heartbreaking. No matter which family holds a funeral, Old Uncle Qin is always invited. As soon as he arrived, the atmosphere, which was originally only thirty percent sorrowful, became ten percent sorrowful under his playing of the suona. The wailing of ghosts and the howling of gods was nothing difficult. "
As he spoke of the past of his hometown, Dong Qitian's face showed a rare hint of gentleness and nostalgia.
His gaze was distant, as if he had returned to the small mountain village of the past, the place that he yearned for day and night.
Thousands of years had passed … It had been so long since he had gone back!
He turned to ask Yun Yang, "Have you heard of the suona being played at a funeral?"
Yun Yang was confused. "Of course I have. It's the same custom in the Empire of Yutang. As long as one's family has some wealth, they'll hire someone to play the suona to send them off during the funeral … Hmm, it's probably the same in the Tianxuan Continent where I'm from."
Dong Qitian nodded in relief. "I've heard that the Bound of Universe and another realm came from the same source. It looks like the fundamental customs and traditions of both realms are the same, even though there's a clear distinction between the cultivators of both realms!"
"Back then, there was a child called Wugeng in our village. Both his parents had passed away, and he grew up eating food from other families. Old Father Qin was lonely all his life, still a bachelor in his old age. Seeing that Wugeng was pitiful, he took him in. Wugeng grew up gradually, but he didn't have any skills when he was in his teens, so he decided to learn how to play the suona from Old Father Qin for a living. "
Yun Yang was baffled by Dong Qitian's sudden story-telling.
Old Father Qin? Wugeng?
Suona? Funeral?
What was this all about?
How could these stories have anything to do with the intense battle before them and the obsession with the sword realm?
"However, Old Father Qin was unwilling to let Wugeng learn the suona from him. He kept saying, 'Child, it's not that I don't want to teach you, but … once you enter my line of work, it'll be hard for you to turn back. I'm afraid that I'll ruin your life."
"However, Wugeng didn't understand Old Father Qin's words at all. Learning this skill didn't just mean that he'd gain a skill, he'd be respected by everyone in the surrounding villages. They'd invite him whenever they needed him, and he'd be treated as a distinguished guest. Why would he ruin my life? I'd have food to eat, drinks to drink, and I could earn money too. How could that not be good? "
"However, Old Father Qin refused to teach him. It was not until he grew old and could no longer play the suona, that Wugeng still didn't have a skill. He begged him again and again, saying, 'You're getting on in years, you might not be able to play the suona anymore. I still don't know anything, and when you leave, I can only be a beggar. Are you still unwilling to teach me? Are you going to watch me die of hunger and cold? ' It wasn't just Wugeng. A few elders in the village also came to persuade him. "
"Old Father Qin sighed and said, 'Since that's the case, I'll teach you. However, there's one thing I have to make clear. Don't hate me in the future. 'Wugeng's face was full of joy and he agreed repeatedly. "
"Hence, Old Father Qin began to teach Wugeng how to play the suona. Wugeng had some talent in the suona, and he'd been by Old Father Qin's side for a long time. He was influenced by what he saw and heard, and his foundation was very good. He quickly got the hang of it, and the rhythm he played was perfect. However, it didn't have that sorrowful and desolate feeling. Hence, every time Old Father Qin went to a funeral, he would bring him along so that he could personally experience the sorrowful and desolate feeling of the funeral suona."
"Old Father Qin said that when playing the funeral suona, you definitely couldn't play it in a festive manner. Funerals had to have their own style and rhythm. If you couldn't play it, even if you learned how to play it, no one would invite you. "
"Wu Geng firmly remembered Old Papa Qin's words and wholeheartedly followed Old Papa Qin to learn how to play the suona. After a few years, everyone said that Wu Geng's suona playing was becoming more and more like Old Papa Qin. Everyone fought to invite him. That year, when Old Father Qin passed away, Wugeng played the suona the entire night. From then on, whenever there was a funeral, everyone would invite Wugeng to send them off. Wugeng would play the suona in this kind of atmosphere. The more he played, the more desolate it became. The more he played, the sadder his mood became. The more he played, the sadder his mood became … In the end, Wugeng didn't find a wife, and he didn't have any children even when he was old. "
"When he was old, he finally understood what Old Father Qin meant when he said that it would ruin his life. Funerals were sorrowful, parting, despair, desolation, and misery. The suona player had to have the same mood to play the suona. Only then could he truly match the family's mood … Only with this kind of skill would people often invite him. However, if he maintained such a mood for a long time, how could he find a wife and take care of his children? He wouldn't even have that thought anymore … He would only feel that life was boring, filled with sorrow … "
"Therefore, before Wugeng died, he buried the suona that had accompanied him his entire life into the ground. In his later years, there were many young people who wanted to learn from him, promising to take care of him when he was old, but he never accepted a single disciple throughout his entire life."
"After that, the elders in the village who had heard Old Father Qin play the suona at Wugeng's funeral said that ever since Old Father Qin and Wugeng died, the people in the village no longer felt like they were dead."
Dong Qitian finished his story in a desolate tone and said, "Do you understand now? Shi Wuchen's sword has gone into the cold. "
Yun Yang exhaled softly and said, "I understand now. Everything comes back to its origin, and no matter how it changes, it remains the same. Cultivating the way of the sword is the same as the way of the suona. If one doesn't put his heart and soul into it, it'll be difficult to learn it, learn it well, and achieve nothing. However, once he puts his heart and soul into it, he won't be able to control himself. He can enter but can't exit, and he might be controlled and trapped by his own cultivation, losing himself. That's what you mean, right? "
Dong Qitian said, "That's right. Everything comes back to its origin, and the source is the same."
"In other words, Shi Wuchen is now on the path of being obsessed with the sword and being controlled by the sword. He's not controlling the sword now, but the sword is controlling him. Is that what you mean?"
Yun Yang asked.
Dong Qitian sighed and said, "That's right. Shi Wuchen is now in the upper realm of the sword, where there's nothing else but the sword. He no longer cared about anything in the world, and even himself was no exception. The only fortunate thing is that he hasn't gone too far on this path. There's still affection in his heart, and there's still the Residence of Nine Supremes. There's still a chance for him to turn back. "
Yun Yang turned his head and looked at the ongoing battle. His gaze was fixed on Shi Wuchen, who was gradually gaining the upper hand, and he did not say a word.
Dong Qitian continued, "If there comes a day when he doesn't even care about these, then he'll truly be a slave to the sword. Once he's devoured by his inner demon, he'll sink into hell with no turning back. Once the cold penetrates his heart, there'll be no turning back. "
"This isn't an exaggeration. When that time comes, any expert or expert can only kill him at most, but it'll be impossible to pull him back. Because he'll only be … another Wu Geng! "
Dong Qitian looked at Yun Yang meaningfully.
…
'I've read this story before and suddenly remembered it. Then, I thought of Lu Xiaofeng's friend, Ximen Chuixue, the peerless swordsman who was merciless after his battle with Ye Gucheng …'
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