Chapter 158 - System vs. System (8): Enlightenment, sudden understanding, people on the same road

Translator: kiribold

editor: sarah

Chi Xiaochi dragged Yan Jinhua away without looking back.

A real man never looks back at a lost pouch.

061 asked him, What if the Dinghai Pearl is picked up by someone else?

Chi Xiaochi replied without looking back, Then thats someone elses luck.

Chance was all about opportunity and fate

. If the treasure fell into the hands of good or bad people, it was all about timing and fate. But fate was about the unknown. If you knew where other peoples opportunities were ahead of time and stepped ahead to occupy the magpies nest to plunder it for yourself, no matter how you whitewash it, it was still theft.

As for Yan Jinhuas behavior, it wasnt simply stealing. It could be characterized as a complete home invasion and robbery, even molesting the owner in pa.s.sing, eating and taking. It was too shameless.

And Chi Xiaochis way of dealing with it, to put it simply and crudely: See this pearl? Id rather throw it away than give it to you.

After listening to Chi Xiaochis words, 061 let out a

hmm

.

then, Ill keep it for Duan Shujue for now.

The seven great formations were gathered in one mountain, but there were three thousand worlds inside, and the possibilities were infinite. The Jingxu ancestors set up the levels. The seven great formations changed every 30 years. Each time there were seven formations, but the levels werent the same, so there was no chance of cheating.

The outermost area was the Earth Sword Formation, which required riding a sword to get through. Many people were far more interested in competing with swordmasters than the sword in the stone that might be impossible to draw. They would choose to let go of the compet.i.tion directly in the outer area. There would often be chaos, and you might be tragically involved just pa.s.sing by.

If you came to join the fun and your strength wasnt good, then by estimation, you wouldnt even be able to touch the coat of the second formation. At most, you could do a Jingxu half-day tour and then pack your bags and return home.

The second layer was the Windblades Formation. Those with weak spiritual sword skills would be chopped off their horses, regrettably folding.

After going through big waves to wash sand

, those who came to the third level were all who were at least competent in sword techniques.

The third level was a simple Labyrinth Formation. Some sword cultivators were obsessed with the blade and didnt understand formations. They could only be trapped in the dense maze of fog, never allowed to pa.s.s.

The fourth formation was a Bamboo Forest, in which there were bamboo beasts that sucked the spiritual energies of heaven and earth. To cross the formation, you had to obtain a piece of scale armor from a living bamboo beast as the key.

With their territory invaded and their armor and scales stripped, of course, the beasts were unwilling. As a result, there were head-to-head battles all over the bamboo forest.

Chi Xiaochi carried Yan Jinhua from the first level straight through the fourth level.

Yan Jinhua thrashed the entire way, his incessant anger suffocating.

When he woke up and found that the Dinghai Pearl he always carried was missing, even though he was horrified, it was too late.

He had to face the terrible truth:

If he knocked out or injured Duan Shujue, let alone getting close to the sword in the stone, even wanting to get out would be a fools errand.

However, if he was allowed to clear the levels all the way inside, how would Yan Jinhua obtain his luck from Duan Shujue? Did he really give Surname Duan advantages for nothing?

After weighing it several times, he still couldnt think of any brilliant tricks. His unconscious anxiety was unbearable, his anger rose, but he had to maintain face to pretend nothing was wrong, which was a torment.

After breaking through the fourth level with great difficulty, there were very few people who pa.s.sed. Yan Jinhua looked around. Determined that no one was there, he pretended to be tired and stretched out. Lets take a break.

Chi Xiaochi complied and sat down with his sword.

His left arm had an inch-deep incision, probably because of a blood vessel injury. There was quite a bit of blood flowing, which stained a small half of his arm red.

Chi Xiaochi rolled up his sleeves. He wanted to tear some cloth to stop the bleeding. Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, he noticed that there was a spiritual herb growing under a rock on his right-hand side. It was the kind he had seen in a certain pharmacopeia a few days ago. It had miraculous effects on hemostasis and a.n.a.lgesia, but this medicine was extremely rare. Jingxu Peak was considered a blessed land of immortal mountains, but even if you searched all sixteen peaks, you still might not be able to find three or two plants.

He could find a place to rest at random and simply raise his hand to grab the plant now. The degree of convenience was no different from grabbing common gra.s.s on the roadside.

Chi Xiaochi sighed at 061. Look, it really is the protagonists treatment.

061 felt distressed for him. Hurry up and use it.

After confirming that he wasnt wrong, Chi Xiaochi picked the herbs, crushed them, and rubbed them on the sword wound.

The spiritual herb showed immediate results. The wound stopped bleeding, and the pain subsided.

Yan Jinhua was still thinking about the pearl. After sitting down, his eyes flicked back and forth a few times, and he said, This master and disciple should head back.

Although he learned from the system that someone had picked up the pearl, he suddenly lost his treasure. Yan Jinhua felt physical pain and heartache, so much so that he was restless.

He had been carrying the pearl for many years resisting the desire to use it to do things, afraid that people would notice. It was all to let go today. Who wanted to graduate without success and let someone else take this advantage for nothing? How could he be willing?

Since the system said he was an immortal master, he must want face. Yan Jinhua only needed to lie that this was his family heirloom, and he had inadvertently lost it in the sword compet.i.tion. He probably wouldnt dare to take it.

Duan Shujue was a little surprised when he heard the words. Yan-da ge doesnt want the sword in the stone?

Yan Jinhua looked into his eyes and used a smile to hide his anxiety. Im afraid youll get hurt again.

Duan Shujue replied, Im not afraid.

Yan Jinhua,

Duan Shujue looked at Yan Jinhua sincerely. I also want to see what the sword in the stone that Yan-da ges heart longs for looks like.

Yan Jinhua,

These two simple sentences blocked Yan Jinhuas path.

Before he came, he deliberately and vividly told Duan Shujue about the magic of the sword in the stone because he was afraid that he was used to staying at home and wouldnt want to leave.

Now, Duan Shujue wanted wholeheartedly to see the sword in the stone, and he couldnt find any decent reason to stop Duan Shujue.

He could pretend to be injured and ask Duan Shujue to send him down the mountain. He knew what Duan Shujues personality was. He would definitely give up the sword meeting and send him down the mountain if such an accident happened.

But Duan Shujue was stubborn, and Yan Jinhua had watertight protection the whole time. At most, his body was scratched by the wind blades in a few places. If he fell to the ground and played dead, it would be too fake.

After a short rest, Duan Shujue urged him to continue.

There was no choice. Yan Jinhua dawdled up.

Forget it. He could take his time. At worst, he could wait until they were near the stone in the sword and then find an opportunity to act.

After the two slowly left, the youth in white who picked up the treasured pearl and was called little s.h.i.+shu by Su Yun strolled out of the bamboo forest behind them.

The little s.h.i.+shu held an umbrella. Bamboo leaves fell like rain, floating down onto the umbrellas surface, emitting a fine rustling sound.

He kept a not-too-close nor too-far distance from the two of them all the way forward.

He pa.s.sed by where Chi Xiaochi had picked the herb and waved his hand slightly.

In an instant, the pit Chi Xiaochi dug and the remaining half of the herbs turned into data and disappeared without a trace.

He stroked his palm lightly with his thumb and laughed.

It wasnt some protagonist treatment. Its because you were the one who got hurt.

The fifth level was no longer a test of swordsmans.h.i.+p or formations.

A long pitch-black river with a width of about a hundred feet, a depth of about a thousand feet, and surging waves stretched before Chi Xiaochi. There was a stone tablet by the river, which stated the name of this place. It was called the Three Extinction River. The fish were extinct, the birds were extinct, and the people were extinct.

Three thousand swift water depths and goose feathers sank to the bottom. Not to mention boats, they couldnt fly, cross, or swim, and even birds couldnt soar above it.

And they had to reach the other side of the river to pa.s.s the checkpoint.

Chi Xiaochi thought, wasnt this the

Liusha River

?

After thinking it over, he and Yan Jinhua agreed that he would go into the water to investigate first. Once he found the pa.s.sage, he would immediately release a signal from the bottom of the water to let Yan Jinhua come down.

After a brief rest, Chi Xiaochi plunged into the water. The river sucked him to the bottom, unable to move.

If he had to use an a.n.a.logy, Chi Xiaochi felt like a turtle who just ate a weight.

According to common sense, ordinary cultivators had neither become immortals nor grown gills. They either waited to be soaked into becoming part of river drift, or they could use all their spiritual power to get out of the water. However, once they did this, their strength would be exhausted, and it would take a long time to recover.

Chi Xiaochi looked around in the murky water for a while and found that his surroundings were entirely dark, and he couldnt see anything.

A normal person might have already panicked at this time.

Chi Xiaochis heart was completely stable.

He wrote with his left hand on the palm of his right, Go.

Duan Shujue, in his body, wrote back to him with his right hand on his left hand, Which way?

Chi Xiaochi replied, There is no way.

Duan Shujue seemed to understand.

Chi Xiaochi continued to write. If there is no way, open the way.

The interior and exterior pair reached a consensus.

Duan Shujues fingertips ignited a mermaid fire, illuminating the surface of the water. He sent the signal. When Yan Jinhua entered the water, he instantly drew his sword, mobilizing the spiritual power in his whole body. He didnt jump up but smeared the flat blade of the sword with one finger, and then the magnificent sword energy coved with a layer of pure blue mermaid fire swept along the water and slashed straight beneath his feet.

Suddenly, the crust cracked.

Beneath the chipped, muddy soil buried a ray of heavenly light.

In a blink of an eye, they were standing on the land on the other side of the Black Water River.

Yan Jinhuas body was drenched with water. In comparison, Duan Shujues body was dry, and not even a single piece of his lapel was wet.

Yan Jinhua didnt think more about it. He thought that Duan Shujue opened the door to life, so he would get preferential treatment. He was just a door hopper, and being covered in mud was something that couldnt be helped.

The river itself was weird, and a cleansing spell wouldnt work. He could only walk along, enduring the strong fishy water smell all the way while trying to tear off the sticky, rotten algae on his head.

Chi Xiaochi walked ahead to open the way.

061s heart was full of admiration and affection, and a smile followed his voice. How did you come up with the location of the road?

It was simple. Chi Xiaochi said, Youve seen Journey to the West, right, and you havent heard that song?

061,

Chi Xiaochi sang,

Dare to ask where the road is? The road is underfoot. The road is underfoot.

Duan Shujue,

Duan Shujue froze for a long time, trying to find a realistic basis for the existence of this kind of song in the rhythmic structure he had learned.

But 061 unexpectedly felt that this wasnt too bad.

He didnt know if he had listened to Chi Xiaochi humming songs too much, but now listening to him sing, 061 thought it was pretty cute.

After walking for a while, the two met a clear stream.

Yan Jinhua couldnt stand the smell of fishy water on his body, so he took off his clothes and went to take a bath in the river.

Chi Xiaochi leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes to rest.

061 had some doubts on his mind, but he knew that it wasnt a good time to ask this question, so he swallowed it and tried to make the clothes on Chi Xiaochis body as dry and soft as possible.

But as if Chi Xiaochi had insight into his mind, he closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly, and asked, Liu-laos.h.i.+, do you want to ask me something?

061 said, No.

Chi Xiaochi said, You want to ask me, why didnt I drown Yan Jinhua under the water?

Just now, at the bottom of the Black Water River, he only needed to release the mermaid fire. If he didnt open the gate of life, there was an 80% certainty that he wouldve drowned this waste in the water.

Its said that it takes ten to fifteen minutes for a person to drown. Let Yan Jinhua stay awake during this time and have Duan Shujue stand in front of him, watching him die. That would be enough for the make him regret meeting Duan Shujue value. Definitely enough.

It was a deep pool that could sink goose feathers to the bottom. There werent a small number of casualties at every sword meeting. If he were buried at the bottom of the pool, it would be absolutely unknown, and no one would think that he died at the hands of Duan Shujue.

During the conversation with Chi Xiaochi, the white-clad little s.h.i.+shu also arrived at the end of the Black Water River.

He stood by the tumbling river, thinking and thinking, intending to listen to Chi Xiaochis thoughts. Why?

The voice as clear as water transmitted into Chi Xiaochis brain synchronously as 061 asked him, Why?

Chi Xiaochi lowered his voice deliberately and said with a smile, Thats boring.

Its better to take him and let him see with his own eyes that all the things he wants are in Duan Shujues hands. Letting him die at this time would be too cheap for him.

The little s.h.i.+shu, who was on the other side of the river, chuckled helplessly. Holding the blue carp umbrella, he walked towards the river.

But he didnt dive to the bottom of the river.

The moment he stepped on the water, a piece of water under his feet instantly turned into ice. When he withdrew his foot and walked forward, the ice cubes condensed by the change in data pattern melted like lotus blossoms under his feet, while he stepped on the lotus to pa.s.s.

He rarely commented on Chi Xiaochis thoughts, and most of the time, he just listened.

But 061 knew too well how much pressure and black mud had acc.u.mulated in Chi Xiaochis heart on behalf of the hosts going through these worlds.

061, or rather the little s.h.i.+shu, while holding the umbrella and slowly walking with his head down, he asked softly, Do you really think so?

Chi Xiaochi opened his eyes slightly. Huh?

He said, Youre actually thinking, Duan Shujue would never do something like seeing someone near death and not helping. Thats all.

Chi Xiaochi was startled, I

061 said firmly, These are your thoughts.

Chi Xiaochi had never heard 061 speak to him like this before.

Gentle, firm, with a little bit of force, but not in a way that made people uncomfortable.

the feeling was familiar.

Whenever he got a problem wrong as a child, someone would pull over his workbook and teach him carefully.

It felt so familiar that he became absent-minded.

A wicked person will only blame the outside world when he does evil things; a good person will blame themself if they do bad things. Its convenient to be a wicked person, and have peace of mind. Its difficult to be a good person, so its also very precious. If you really watched Yan Jinhua drown at the bottom of the river. The pain of watching someone die but not saving them would be left to Duan Shujue, wholl always think of it. As for you, it shouldnt have any effect on you.

Whenever it comes down to harming others, itll always have an impact on someones character, whether big or small.

Chi Xiaochi raised his hand and touched the tip of his nose, smiling in a panic, You say that as if you know me very well.

061 said decisively and forcefully, Of course I do.

Chi Xiaochis habits, Chi Xiaochis thoughts, Chi Xiaochis physiological and psychological structure, he knew all of them well and also liked them very much.

He had already crossed the river while speaking.

His feet landed on the soil of the other side, looking at Chi Xiaochis back leaning against the tree from a distance. His tone softened a little, You always think of yourself in the worst way, this is a bad habit, and it needs to be changed.

Chi Xiaochis heart trembled, he blurted out, You are

At this moment, a hand patted Chi Xiaochis shoulder from behind.

A dewdrop on the tree behind the person was startled by the movement and impartially landed on Chi Xiaochis cheek, Shujue, lets go. Lets get the sword.

it was Yan Jinhua.

Chi Xiaochi blinked.

It took him half a second to collect himself and two seconds to organize his thoughts. When he opened his eyes again, the redness that had just appeared around his eyes had dissipated. His eyes were full of the gentleness and elegance that belonged to Duan Shujue, Go.

After receiving 061s reminder, Chi Xiaochi was shocked to realize that his way of thinking was a bit biased. His true thoughts and purposes were hidden and muddled by feelings of self-loathing.

This wasnt good for the host or himself.

He should be walking on the bright and promising road that belonged to Duan Shujue.

There wasnt a conspiracy, only overt plotting. Unashamedly, taking back what was lost was the best way to handle Duan Shujue in this world.

Chi Xiaochi didnt notice that two cultivators who had crossed the river also arrived at the upstream location.

They both came from breaking the river bed and through the gate of life. They were both covered in stench and sludge, complaining while undressing and bathing.

And the little s.h.i.+shu in white trailed behind Chi Xiaochi unhurriedly, walking with his umbrella, which covered the upper half of his face, only revealing the corners of his smiling lips.