Martial Cultivator

Above the sea of clouds, Chen Chao’s towering dharma idol continued advancing forward. After destroying that black dragon, the momentum of this newly advanced Fuyun youngster rose higher and higher, and the aura of the entire dharma idol became much stronger than before.

Previously, when the Demon Emperor fought the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, although the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had continuously unleashed his sword, it was always the Demon Emperor who held the upper hand and advanced forward. Never had he waited for others to come and kill him like now.

But now, the situation seemed completely reversed.

Chen Chao’s towering dharma idol once again tangled together with the Demon Emperor’s colossal dharma idol. These two terrifying dharma idols collided violently above the sea of clouds. In many ways, dharma idols were manifestations of the cultivators themselves. As the strongest of the demon race, the Demon Emperor’s dharma idol was incomparably sturdy, while Chen Chao also happened to possess one of the toughest bodies among the martial artists of the world. His dharma idol matched his physique.

In this regard, against the Demon Emperor, perhaps he could not be said to hold the advantage, but he certainly would not fall too far behind either.

As the two dharma idols fought fiercely, Cao Chong also sat down cross-legged and sighed with a smile, “A newborn calf does not fear the tiger. This young Lord Warden Commander truly has a fierce temper.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master swallowed that pill and regulated his breathing for a long while. In truth, his condition had already improved greatly, but it was already destined that he could not change the course of the battle, so he no longer wished to unnecessarily deliver that sword strike that would not have made any difference.

He lowered his head to look at the flying sword resting on his knees. This battle could also be said to have brought him tremendous benefit. If he could leave this place alive and be given some time to digest today’s gains, then it was certain that he would advance another step forward.

Although even advancing one more step did not necessarily mean he would become a match for the Demon Emperor, powerhouses like them had all been geniuses of their respective eras, and there was no reason for them to stop progressing.

“Though it looks this grand, he still has little hope of defeating the Demon Emperor. After cultivating for several hundred years, the Demon Emperor’s cultivation is unfathomably deep. There is absolutely no way he can be defeated so easily.”

Probably only after personally fighting the Demon Emperor could one truly understand his terror.

This ruler of myriad demons truly deserved the title of number one person under heaven.

Cao Chong smiled. “You can’t speak so early. Though it’s difficult, there may not be no chance at all. Besides, how old is he? Give it another few years, and the title of number one person under heaven will fall from the head of this ruler of myriad demons onto his.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master nodded. He had no doubts about Chen Chao’s potential. The greatest problem was whether the current Demon Emperor or the demon race would give him that opportunity.

Cao Chong suddenly asked, “How many Fuyun great demons do you think the demon race still has?”

For all these years, the demon race had always suppressed the human race. In those past years, if those true powerhouses had not disdained to act, it was hard to say whether humanity could even have persisted until now.

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master said, “Unless it reaches the point of life and death, those who never appeared before on either side still will not appear now. It’s true that the demon race has some Fuyun great demons, but within the Infatuation Daoist Temple, there are likely old daoists like that as well. But look, even during the Great Jin Dynasty, when the Divine Continent nearly sank, not a single one of them stood out. In those years when the human race suffered so greatly, didn’t you also never appear?”

Cao Chong glanced at the Sword Sect’s Sect Master and said helplessly, “You really know how to hit where it hurts. Hearing Sect Master say that truly makes one blush.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master did not explain anything. He had devoted himself wholeheartedly to the sword and had never been the scheming sort. What he said was merely casual, not deliberate.

But after thinking about it, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master still said, “In the past, I also devoted myself solely to swordsmanship and never did anything for this world.”

“Back then, I thought it was only natural. On the cultivation path, it has always been that the Great Dao stretches toward heaven while each walks their own side. No one should obstruct anyone else. But why is it that the martial artists of Great Liang do not understand this principle?”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master took a deep breath. There was some guilt in his eyes as he shook his head. “Actually, they definitely understand. They just didn’t choose that path. They chose to stand out and protect those weak compatriots. That is admirable.”

Cao Chong also sighed and nodded. “Abandoning their own Great Dao to do so much for others, only to be cursed by the world for hundreds of years as crude martial artists in the end—it truly has been difficult.”

The Sword Sect’s Sect Master said calmly, “During all those years when we looked down on them, they never thought highly of us either. In their eyes, we were all just old bastards who lived a long time.”

“Well scolded.”

For no reason at all, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master once again thought of that old sword cultivator. Living in this world, there were always some things one had to do. Just like him, being the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, he ought to properly manage the Sword Sect and take care of the sword cultivators of the Sword Sect.

And after that, he should also properly take care of the world.

Because going back many years, when he had not yet stood upon the mountaintop, he too had walked up from the foot of the mountain. Perhaps if one casually picked some ordinary Great Liang commoner and pushed back countless years, the two might even share some distant blood relation.

It was just as that old sword cultivator had said: after practicing the sword until today, leaving aside whether one could face others with a clear conscience, could one even face one’s own parents with a clear conscience?

When your parents watched you leave your hometown to cultivate and learn the sword, did they hope that you would never return home again in this lifetime, forgetting where you were born?

The answer was no.

No matter how dazzling and eye-catching a rare spiritual medicine might be, its roots would always remain planted in this land.

Without the endless nourishment from the soil, could you ever have grown to such a stage?

______