Patriarch Qu Ping was in a daze. He walked to the bank of Mi Luo River, looking haggard and haggard. His eyes were filled with a vacant look.
Sometimes he looked at the river, sometimes he looked at the distant mountains, sometimes he looked at his own reflection in the river.
Everywhere he looked, everything was tainted with boundless sorrow.
The originally clear and cloudless sky suddenly became gloomy and dusky, and a continuous rain began to fall.
The green mountains in the distance suddenly lost all color and turned gray.
The originally beautiful Miluo River suddenly lost all its vitality. The river water turned into a rapid current, slapping the shore with raging waves. Just like Patriarch Qu Ping's heart, he could not calm down at all.
"Sigh! Why did it suddenly rain all of a sudden? " There had been many Chu people fishing and working by the river. Seeing the weather change, they all ran to a grass hut by the river to hide from the rain.
However, Patriarch Qu Ping did not take shelter from the rain. Like an unusual creature, he stood right in the middle of the rain, completely out of tune with the world.
Seeing this scene, some of the people hiding from the rain in the straw huts sneered, while others sighed repeatedly.
"Could it be that the Third Minister is really as crazy as the rumors say? It's raining, yet you don't even bother to hide. Aren't you afraid of getting sick? "
"Watch your words! The Third Minister is a noble of Chu. He is just grieving. How dare you say that he has gone mad?! "
"The news of Ying Capital's destruction is a huge blow to him …"
"How pitiful. If the late king was willing to listen to the advice of Senior Minister San Lu, how could our Chu Country end up like this …"
"Hmm? Look over there, there's a little kid who hasn't taken shelter from the rain. He doesn't even know how to take shelter on a rainy day. Could he be an idiot too? "
The little doll that everyone was referring to was none other than Ning Fan who had transformed into a child.
Ning Fan went ashore and slowly walked along the riverside. From time to time, the water splashed down and dripped onto his body, but he did not bother to wipe it off.
The rain fell on him, but he did not dodge. It was as if his body was one with the Dao, as if he had become one with the rain. It was as if the rain was a part of him.
Be it the splashes or the rain, they were all cold. Even with Ning Fan's cultivation base, he still felt a bone-piercing chill.
What was cold was not the rain or water, but the Dao intent and grief that permeated it.
"This person is my opponent in the Dao Sense Battle … This person's Dao Sense is very strong! This person's cultivation has clearly not reached the third step, but his Dao intent is so strong that it has faintly reached the third step … "
Ning Fan's expression did not change, but he was a little surprised.
This haggard, despairing, and sorrowful old man was actually such a powerful figure!
His cultivation hadn't reached the third step, but his Dao Insight was extremely powerful!
If he's at his peak, then even if I occupy all sorts of advantages, I would only have a 50% chance of winning this Dao Insight battle. Three points would be a draw, and the remaining two points would be a loss … "
"Unfortunately, there's nothing more sorrowful than a dead heart. This person's heart is already dead. Thus, his Dao Sense has lost all warmth. It's not difficult to defeat such a dejected Dao Sense …" Green light flickered in Ning Fan's eyes.
Although he didn't remember who he was, he could use some of his divine abilities instinctively.
Old Ancestor Qu Ping acted as if he did not see Ning Fan who was standing in the distance.
He did not remember that he was currently in a battle of Dao Will.
He only remembered half of who he was.
He only remembered the first half of his life, but he couldn't remember the second half of his life.
In the first half of his life, he was Qu Ping, the Third Minister of Chu, a sinner who was exiled twice.
But what crime did he commit?
Hehe.
If it was a crime to be loyal and direct, if it was a crime to be unwilling to associate with the filthy world, then he was really guilty of the most heinous crime.
If it was in the past, he still hoped that the king of Chu would come to his senses and understand his loyalty. Then, he would be able to save the declining fate of the country …
But now, everything was not important anymore.
The moment the capital of Chu was breached, his heart was completely dead.
The king abandoned the capital and fled in panic. Although the current Chu Country was still safe for the time being, the moment the capital was breached, the fate of the country had been completely taken away by the Qin people.
The fate of the country was gone, and the fate of the country was exhausted. The Divine Continent would fall into the hands of the Qin people sooner or later. This was fate. It was too difficult to resist it.
"What else can I do? What can I do … Don't tell me you want me to die for the country? Hahaha, it's so easy to die for the country. As long as the king summons me, even if the fate of Great Chu is exhausted, I'm willing to follow the king and die for the country! "
"Carrying a long sword and a bow, my head and body are separated, but my heart will not be punished!"
"My heart is kind. Even if I have to die nine times, I will not regret it!"
"What a pity! How hateful! How sad! Until now, the king still doesn't need me and treats me like grass. My loyalty has always been wishful thinking … "
Patriarch Qu Ping's sorrowful thoughts were getting more and more sorrowful.
He walked crazily by the river.
Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he screamed, and sometimes he recited sorrowful and heroic poems.
In the straw hut in the distance, some people laughed at him, some sympathized with him, and some pitied him. But no one could understand him.
"What a pity! The Third Minister of Chu's body was already weak. After being drenched by the rain, he became even more deranged." Sighs could be heard coming from the straw hut.
"Not good! Why is he getting closer and closer to the river? Could it be that he wants to jump into the river?! "Some of them noticed something was wrong.
Immediately, a few men rose to their feet and rushed out of the straw hut, trying to stop Patriarch Qu Ping from jumping into the river.
However, they could not get close to him!
Patriarch Qu Ping's Dao Sense was too strong. It was impossible for a few mortals to pass through his layers of Dao Sense and get close to his body.
His aura was as if the Heavens would not allow him to die if he wanted to live!
If he wanted to die, the Heavens would not allow him to live either!
Hehe! Why don't I just go back! Why don't I just go back!
Patriarch Qu Ping stepped into the river.
When Ning Fan saw that his opponent actually took the initiative to seek death, he was stunned at first. Then, he fell into deep thought and his expression changed slightly. He took a quick step forward, trying to stop Qu Ping from drowning himself in the river.
Why?!
It turned out that although Patriarch Qu Ping did not want to be in the Dao Sense battle, he had the thought of seeking for death at this moment. If Patriarch Qu Ping really succeeded in seeking for death, Ning Fan would be considered to have lost!
"This is the First Level of Dao Sense of this old man. I name it Miluo!"
At this moment, Ning Fan seemed to have been touched. He recalled many things. He recalled what Patriarch Qu Ping said before the Dao Sense battle began.
Since he mentioned the First Level of Dao Sense, there must be a Second Level of Dao Sense or even a Third or Fourth Level of Dao Sense … In other words, this Dao Sense battle would not only have one confrontation. It was highly likely that there would be many confrontations.
What Ning Fan was facing now should be the first confrontation of Dao Sense.
He must defeat this man's intention to jump into the river and commit suicide!
* Rumble *
It was the sound of Ning Fan's Dao Sense and Patriarch Qu Ping's Dao Sense clashing intensely!
Ordinary people could not get close to Patriarch Qu Ping but Ning Fan could. He was forcefully advancing forward while withstanding the boundless Dao Sense of Patriarch Qu Ping!
The momentum of the collision of Dao Sense was extremely great. However, ordinary people could not see this scene.
The people in the straw hut could only see a fisherman walking slowly towards Patriarch Qu Ping. Then, they felt a strong gust of wind and thunder rumbling across heaven and earth.
However, the strange thing was that they could not see the shadow of lightning at all. They thought to themselves, 'Could it be that the thunder is coming from somewhere far away?'
The closer Ning Fan got to Patriarch Qu Ping, the greater the obstruction of the Dao Sense he faced.
The collision of their Dao Sense became more and more intense. It actually showed signs of breaking through heaven and earth of this world!
If heaven and earth were to collapse, this Dao Sense battle would probably end in a draw.
"Humph! Little heaven and earth! Did I allow you to collapse?! "Seeing that this Dao Sense battle would probably end in a draw due to the collapse of heaven and earth, one of them was displeased.
Far away, Old Man Han stood on the fishing boat. His face was filled with displeasure as he glared at the vast heavens and earth. With just a gaze, the Yin and Yang Qi of heaven and earth were forcefully locked, preventing heaven and earth from collapsing.
"With Little Ning's personality, he definitely won't be happy to end this Dao Sense battle like this …" Old Man Han muttered to himself. Deep down, he was feeling rather puzzled. He could not understand why he knew Ning Fan's personality so well.
There were still ten steps left.
Nine steps.
Eight steps.
Ning Fan was getting closer and closer to Patriarch Qu Ping.
Even though Patriarch Qu Ping's Dao Sense was strong, it could not stop him from getting closer!
Three steps.
Two steps.
One step.
Ning Fan finally arrived in front of Patriarch Qu Ping. He also stepped into the river and pulled Patriarch Qu Ping back.
Almost at the same time when Ning Fan stopped Patriarch Qu Ping from jumping into the river, the two Dao Senses that were clashing against each other in heaven and earth ended their collision.
The winner had been decided.
Ning Fan won.
However, it could only be considered as him winning one round.
The competition of this Dao Sense battle was definitely not just limited to this round. Being in the lead for a while did not mean that Ning Fan would be the final winner.
"Little kid, why did you stop me?" Patriarch Qu Ping asked in surprise.
It seemed like he did not realize that he had unintentionally released his boundless Dao Sense. He also did not know that a Dao Sense battle had broken out between him and Ning Fan.
He did not remember anything at all.
Everything happened in an unconscious state.
"Just by releasing his Dao Sense unconsciously, he is already so strong. If this person is conscious and his Dao Heart is not dead, what kind of state would he be in …" Ning Fan suppressed the heaviness in his heart.
At this moment, since the other party did not remember that he was his opponent, he would not take the initiative to reveal his identity.
He cupped his fists politely, as if he was really just an ordinary fisherman. Then, he asked, "Aren't you the Third Minister of the Imperial Court? Why did you come here to seek death?"
Obviously, Ning Fan had heard the discussions about Old Ancestor Qu Ping from the passersby and found out that he was the Third Minister of the Imperial Court.
It was just an ordinary question.
However, it made Old Ancestor Qu Ping's eyes look even more dazed. He felt as if he had been in a different world.
It was as if the same scene had already happened a long time ago. There was also someone who asked him the same question when he was contemplating about jumping into the river.
"Zi Fei is the Third Minister of the Imperial Court? Why did he have to go to this extent? "
Strange.
"Child, you are still young. You still don't understand the difficulties of the world. There is a kind of pain that is more torturous than death. That is, when the whole world is dirty, I am the only one who is clear. When everyone is drunk, I am the only one who is sober … "
Ning Fan frowned slightly.
Initially, he thought that he had already defeated his opponent's intention of jumping into the river. However, he realized that his opponent still had the desire to die in his words.
His victory just now did not leave a single crack in Old Ancestor Qu Ping's Dao Heart. It did not even make his Dao Heart waver.
"What is drunk? What is awake? "Ning Fan remained silent for a while and suddenly asked.
Qu Ping was stunned. He studied Ning Fan seriously, seemingly curious as to why Ning Fan would ask such a question.
When Qu Ping saw that Ning Fan's face was filled with seriousness and did not seem like he was just asking a random question, he felt curious. It was rare for him to have a conversation with Ning Fan. "In ancient times, there was a Lin Er whose name was Xiang Tuo. He became the master of a Saint at the age of seven. Now, it seems like you are not an ordinary child. I'm afraid you want to debate with me by asking this question. If that's the case, I will chat with you for a bit before I seek death. "
"You asked me what is drunk? What is awake? This question has reminded me of some past events. "
"When I was young, I once passed by the Dreamy Cloud Swampland and met a god. At that time, this god was drinking wine in the clouds, shining as brightly as the sun and the moon. I was delighted to see this god and went forward to ask him about it. However, this god did not say much to me. He just descended from the clouds, holding the wine in his hand. He pointed at the wine in his cup and said, 'All living beings lead a befuddled life and dream of death'. After that, he drifted away. "
"At that time, I naturally did not understand it. But now, I vaguely understand it. Being drunk is life. Dreaming is death. There are people of the Yin World who live in the Illusory Dream World that is endlessly far away. There are also countless immortals and deities of the True World who live forever. However, they live in a drunken state for the rest of their lives and have never truly sobered up … Some of them can't wake up and some of them just drift with the flow, unwilling to wake up. Can my answer satisfy you? "
Qu Ping answered.
His expression was filled with endless nostalgia, as if he was recalling the scenes when he met that god that day.
"Not satisfied." Ning Fan shook his head.
"Why?"
"Because this is the answer of that god in the clouds, not yours. Since you said that you are sober and all living beings are intoxicated, you must have your own conclusion. "
"Hehe. What a clever little fellow. However, I can't brush him off with just a few words." Qu Ping smiled bitterly.
It seems like I have to waste some time talking to this child today.
"Little Brother, have you ever seen a drunk person? The more drunk a person is, the more they will say that they are not drunk, which means that they are really drunk. However, there are also some people who are clearly awake but pretend to be drunk for various reasons. The human heart is unpredictable. How can you tell who is really drunk and who is pretending to be drunk with just a pair of eyes? Please forgive me for what I said just now. When I said that I am sober and all living beings are intoxicated, it was probably just my drunken words. As for being sober, I don't know what is sober and I don't know who is truly sober. I can't even tell whether I am sober or drunk. Perhaps, I can only know the truth after dying once … Is my answer satisfactory to you this time? "
"Not bad."
"Just not bad? Little Brother, your requirements are really strict." Qu Ping smiled casually and did not take it seriously.
"It's because these words seem right but are actually wrong. They are still not the words in your heart." Ning Fan could communicate with all living beings. He could roughly tell whether a person was speaking the words in his heart or not.
"Oh? Little Brother, you seem to know me very well. According to what you said, what are the words in my heart? "Qu Ping was greatly surprised. This time, he really treated the child in front of him as an equal.
"It's not that you know that I am the only one who is sober when all living beings are intoxicated. After all, this is a world that exists as long as you believe in it! "Ning Fan's words were like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding in Qu Ping's heart.
His eyes were filled with astonishment. It was the first time in his life that his heart was directly exposed by someone!
"Hmm? After taking a closer look, Little Brother seems to be a little familiar. Have we met somewhere before …? "Qu Ping asked in puzzlement.
"Perhaps." Ning Fan naturally would not take the initiative to say that he was his opponent in the battle of Dao Sense.
Then, he asked another question. "What is pure? What is turbid? "
"There is a saying in the Dao. The pure will rise while the turbid will sink. The sky is pure. This land is turbid. "Qu Ping answered.
"This is not what you really think." Ning Fan shook his head and said.
"However, it is what everyone in the world thinks. If everyone in the world has the same thought, what's the use of my own thought? "Qu Ping asked in return.
"Do you want to seek your own death just because your Dao is different?" Ning Fan asked.
"If our Dao is different, we would rather die!"
"Oh? I heard that your words are filled with stubbornness. I see. Fellow Daoist cultivates the Dao of Persistence! "Ning Fan probed and seemed to have confirmed something.
It turned out that this Old Ancestor Qu Ping in front of him was also a Dao of Persistence. He was a stubborn and stubborn person.
"If you are not afraid of death, why would you be afraid of life?" Ning Fan was trying to persuade Qu Ping to give up the thought of seeking death.
"Little friend, are you going to argue with me about who's better and who's worse? If that's the case, I'm afraid we are going to stray from the topic. Let's continue talking about purity and turbid. "Qu Ping said with a smile.
This smile was truly from the bottom of his heart. He was happy that he had met a true Daoist.
"I'm willing to hear your opinion." Ning Fan nodded his head and stopped talking about life and death.
The rain in the sky became even heavier.
Both of them returned to the shore and sat on the ground despite the heavy rain. It was as if they were going to discuss the Dao while sitting down.
"Since Fellow Daoist wants to hear my point of view, then I will tell you. What is pure and what is turbid? Isn't the answer written on it from the very beginning? Whether it is pure or turbid, everything we are talking about is water. This water is clear and this water is also turbid. "As he spoke, Qu Ping pointed at the Mi Luo River.
"When the wind is calm and the waves are calm, the water in this river is clear. When the wind and the waves rise, the mud and sand will roll and turn into turbid water. Water is the clearest but it is also the most turbid. The same goes for the Dao. "
"Water has two sides: clear and turbid. The Dao also has two sides: clear and turbid. The sky can be the sky, but if the Heaven and Earth are reversed, the so-called sky will become the earth. "
"Those who are pure rise not because they are pure, but because they rise to the sky. Only then can they become pure. Please forgive me for what I said before. I said that the world is turbid and I am the only one who is pure. However, the truth might be the exact opposite. In the eyes of the people, perhaps only the Dao of Persistence is the world's turbid! Hahaha! "
"What is pure?!"
"Those who are pure will be pure!"
The rain was getting heavier.
Qu Ping was laughing in the heavy rain like a madman. The people in the thatched hut sighed when they saw him.
"It seems like the Third Minister has really gone mad …"
"I have yet to ask for Fellow Daoist's opinion! In Fellow Daoist's opinion, what do you think is pure and what is turbid? "After Qu Ping laughed, he changed the topic and asked Ning Fan.
"I have already told you my opinion. Could it be that Fellow Daoist has forgotten that this is a world that can exist as long as you believe in it? "Ning Fan said with a smile.
"Hahaha! That's great! It's time to drink it! "Qu Ping became happier. He looked at the child in front of him with a sympathetic gaze.
It was not the child that he was looking at.
Instead, it was the soul that was hiding under the body of the child.
Is this the ancient great cultivator Zhao Jian whose name shook the entire Northern Heaven? He's really an outstanding person!
However, it turned out that Qu Ping had already recalled everything after the conversation. Even Ning Fan also recalled everything during this confrontation.
This was originally a battle of Dao Sense where life and death must be determined. However, be it Qu Ping or Ning Fan, neither of them was willing to risk their lives to fight.
An elderly man and a young fisherman were sitting by the river, chatting amidst the rain. It was indescribably harmonious.
"Do you have any wine?" Qu Ping asked Ning Fan.
"We can't bring wine with us during the battle of Dao Sense." Ning Fan said with a smile.
"It's alright. This is easy." Qu Ping rose to his feet and walked towards the straw hut not far away. He then asked the few men in the straw hut.
"Everyone, do you have any wine? Can you lend me a pot?"
"I only have realgar wine that can expel insects and detoxify …" The few men were afraid that Qu Ping would go crazy. Thus, they had no choice but to lend him a pot.
"Do you have wine cups?" Qu Ping asked again.
"I only have a few broken bowls …"
"The broken bowls are enough. Lend me this wine and this bowl. I will repay you in my next life! "Qu Ping glanced around and coincidentally saw that the few of them had some karma with him in his next life. Thus, he expressed his gratitude with a solemn expression.
"* Cough * * Cough * It's just some wine. How can I accept the thanks of Doctor San Lu?!" The few men smiled bitterly.
What afterlife? They did not believe in such a ridiculous statement at all.
It's just a pot of wine from Doctor San Lu.
Since the doctor was planning to commit suicide, this pot of wine would be a farewell wine for him. If they offend this mad doctor, he might come to haunt them after he turns into a ghost … Hiss. Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
Thus, the wine was also available. However, this wine was realgar wine that could expel insects and detoxify.
The wine utensils were also available. However, these utensils were just a few broken bowls with mud stains on them.
However, in Ning Fan's eyes, this wine was incomparably precious.
"You are a great cultivator from the ancient times. Your karma is extremely heavy. Just to treat me to a wine, you have already promised several people karma. Aren't you afraid that it will affect your Dao?" Ning Fan sighed.
Even Quasi-Saints were afraid of the karma of the mortal world like snakes and scorpions, let alone a great cultivator from the ancient times.
Qu Ping stroked his white beard and smiled without replying. As the host, he should do his duty as a host. Thus, he had already taken the initiative to pour the wine for Ning Fan.
"Thank you for the wine, Master." Ning Fan did not care about the dirt on the bowl. He lifted the bowl and drained it in one gulp.
"Fellow Daoist, you're being too courteous. I should be the one thanking you. Today, I had a great time discussing the Dao with you. It helped me relieve the depression in my chest. Unfortunately, what I encountered today were just illusions in the battle of Dao Sense. If I had met you in the past, perhaps I wouldn't have chosen to jump into the river … "
As he spoke, Qu Ping unsheathed his sword and sang while playing with it.
"When I enter, I say nothing. When I leave, I say nothing.
I ride the returning wind and carry the flag of cloud.
Don't be sad. Life is parting.
Happy, happy, new acquaintance. "
When he finished singing, Qu Ping rose to his feet and threw his sword into the Mi Luo River. Then, he said in a carefree manner. "I've lost this battle."
He actually took the initiative to admit defeat in the battle of Dao Sense!
"The battle of Dao Sense between us has just begun. How can you say the result so easily?" Ning Fan frowned.
After discussing the Dao and drinking a pot of wine, he had a good impression of this Old Ancestor Qu Ping. If someone else takes the initiative to admit defeat, he would be more than happy to get a free victory. However, he was unwilling to take advantage of Old Ancestor Qu Ping.
"Fellow Daoist has defeated my first level of Dao Sense. This is your first victory."
"Fellow Daoist has seen through my true Dao Heart several times. This is your second victory."
"I can't even hide my deepest Dao Heart from you. How can my Dao Sense surpass yours? Fellow Daoist will easily find my flaws and defeat me. I might as well take the initiative to admit defeat and avoid humiliation. "
"These are not my true thoughts." Ning Fan shook his head and said.
"Hahaha. Indeed, I can't hide anything from you. Just as you expected, other than the first level of Mi Luo Sense, I also have the second level of Li Sao Sense and the third level of Nine Songs Sense. "
"This is the Li Sao Sense."
Old Ancestor Qu Ping's Dao Sense suddenly changed.
His Dao Insight didn't feel cold at all, and it instantly became unpredictable.
Under the influence of his Dao Sense, the scenery of heaven and earth changed again.
The rainstorm stopped. In the gloomy sky, a strange phenomenon of the sun and the moon shining at the same time appeared.
Countless massive stars emerged between heaven and earth. All of a sudden, the stars began to transform and turned into star characters that floated in the sky!
There were a total of over two thousand eight hundred star characters!
They emanated an unimaginable aura of Dao Sense!
Like an ancient Dao scripture, they hovered in the sky with supreme Dao laws lingering on them.
"With this Li Sao Sense, I would even dare to fight against a Primordial Divine Being. Unfortunately, Fellow Daoist knows my Dao Heart. I'm afraid it won't be too difficult for you to break my Dao Sense. What's the point of using it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Ping retracted his Dao Sense. However, he did not continue to display the third level of Dao Sense.
"Why don't you display the Nine Songs Sense?" Ning Fan asked.
"I'm still cultivating this Dao Sense. I can't control it freely yet. If I use it, even if there are Saints here to maintain it for us, I'm afraid it will still be difficult for us to achieve a result. Heaven and earth will still collapse and we can only end up in a draw in this world … If I use this Dao Sense in the outside world, the damage would be too great. I'm afraid half of Northern Heaven would collapse because of this Dao Sense. You and I aren't mortal enemies. There's no need for us to fight to that extent … "
Not only are we not mortal enemies, but we are also extremely good drinking buddies. Hahaha!
That was what he really meant.
However, Old Ancestor Qu Ping did not say it out loud.
Even though he did not say it out loud, Ning Fan could understand what he meant. He could only shake his head helplessly. "Even though you didn't use the Nine Songs Sense, I could see some clues and I know how powerful this Dao Sense is. Let's just consider our battle as a draw for the time being. "
Thus, a Dao Insight Battle that was approaching menacingly had ended anticlimactic just like that.
As soon as the battle of Dao Sense ended, Ning Fan naturally could not continue staying in this world.
He did not even have the time to bid farewell to Old Man Han. His Dao Sense had already flown away and disappeared.
"Stinky brat! He actually left without saying goodbye!" Old Man Han cursed. Inwardly, he felt as if he had lost something.
Strange! Strange!
I clearly just met a stinky brat in my dream that I slightly took a liking to him and almost took him in as my disciple. Why do I feel so reluctant to part with him when he leaves?
Could it be that I've also reached the age where my teacher's love overflows?
Fine. After I wake up from this dream, I'll go and take a few disciples that I like and increase the popularity of my sect.
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