Borrowing and Possessing

"The Primordial Chaos Origin and earth? The Supreme Saint? Is it that powerful?" Yue Qianchou's tone was somewhat doubtful.

Bi Changchun nodded and said, "You don't need to doubt this. I can tell from your control over water and fire that it's not because your cultivation level is so high that you can forcibly control them, but because the Method Formula you cultivate allows you to easily utilize the essence of water and fire. Water and fire are you, and you are water and fire. The essence of water and fire has already merged with you. You can summon them at will and dismiss them at will. It's so profound that how could a supreme technique that allows you to use it at will not be powerful?"

Although what he said made sense, Yue Qianchou was far beyond his level of understanding. He didn't care about the concepts of unity or mystery; to put it bluntly, he didn't understand what made it so powerful. Yue Qianchou frowned, his face full of confusion.

"Still don't understand?" Bi Changchun also realized it.

Yue Qianchou shook his head and honestly replied, "This disciple is ignorant and does not understand."

Bi Changchun paused for a moment, then asked, "How does He Li's cultivation level compare to yours?"

"I am not as good as He Li. When I fought him before, his cultivation had reached the mid Tribulation stage, while I was only at the late Core Formation stage. I was five levels lower than him."

"You, at the late Core Formation stage, were able to kill someone at the mid Tribulation stage. Haven't you realized the power of the Method Formula you've mastered? At least when I was at the late Core Formation stage, I couldn't kill someone at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage."

"Master, this is different. He Li did not die from my Method Formula, but from the domineering power of Qing Huo. If I hadn't planned ahead, given the difference in cultivation between us, even if Qing Huo was powerful, he wouldn't have been able to touch him at all, let alone kill him." Yue Qianchou smile, showing that he was self-aware.

"What's the difference? He Li was ultimately defeated by your fire technique."

"It's really different, Master. That's because He Li didn't react in time. By the time he did, it was too late. If He Li's cultivation had reached the late Tribulation Transcendence stage Transcending stage, he could have used teleportation to dodge as soon as he realized something was wrong. I wouldn't have been able to even hurt him, let alone kill him. At that time, I would have been the one killed."

"Truly a piece of rotten wood, guarding a treasure mountain but not knowing how to use it." Bi Changchun sighed, "No matter how powerful the Method Formula in this world is, no matter who it is in the hands of, only the one who uses it well can be invincible. If you can't use it well, what use is the Method Formula, no matter how powerful it is? Yue Qianchou, since you know that it was your own scheme and Qinghuo's domineering that killed He Li, you should understand that using it well is the most powerful Method Formula, not the Method Formula itself."

Damn it! Anyone can spout Great Dao, but even if I'm skilled in using them, I can't split a mountain in half with a single sword strike. Yue Qianchou pondered for a moment and said, "This disciple has two questions I would like to ask Master for clarification."

"Speak." Bi Changchun gave him a meaningful look, knowing that if he didn't make things clear to him today, even if he verbally Qi Ingestion, he wouldn't truly Qi Ingestion.

Yue Qianchou bowed and said, "First question: If I had fought He Li that day without practicing the fire technique, but instead used the water technique I had just learned, how could I have defeated him? Second question: I recently saw a stone mountain that had been split in half. I heard that it was split in half by Master's sword. I ask myself, even if I were skilled, I could not possibly split such a large stone mountain in half with one sword. To be able to unleash such a domineering sword strike, it must be due to Master's cultivation level and the Method Formula he practiced!"

"Do you know my cultivation journey? Let me tell you." Bi Changchun smiled faintly, stood by the lake with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant horizon, and said in a weathered voice, "More than two thousand years ago, I was a young scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations. My greatest desire at the time was to pass the exams and bring glory to my ancestors. However, life is unpredictable. I fell seriously ill because I got caught in the rain before the exams, so I went to the examination hall with my illness. Naturally, I failed to pass. Ashamed, I felt I could not face my hometown elders again, and I had the thought of taking my own life. I staggered to a cliff and jumped off..."

"Ah!" Yue Qianchou was dumbfounded. This Punishment Envoy who was so powerful in the Demon Ghost Domain had actually attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff when he was young? What did he mean by telling him this? Did he find some secret manual at the foot of the mountain, or meet some reclusive master?

"As you can see, I'm standing here, of course I'm not dead. After jumping off the cliff, I luckily fell into a deep pool, experiencing life and death, and then life again. I no longer had the thought of dying, but I became trapped inside the cliff and couldn't get out. There was a corpse at the bottom of the cliff, and I picked up a scroll next to it. When I opened it, it was about cultivation methods..."

"Here it comes! Here it comes! I really found the secret manual! I'm going to jump off a few cliffs someday!" Yue Qianchou's eyes lit up.

"At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about the Cultivation World. When I saw the contents of the scroll, I thought it was a wonderful Method Formula of immortals and was overjoyed. Later, when I gained more knowledge, I realized that it was just a beginner's cultivation manual. I then practiced under the cliff according to the scroll for more than ten years. I drank from mountain springs when I was thirsty and ate wild fruits when I was hungry. In this way, I actually cultivated to the Level Ten Qi Refining. The contents recorded in the scroll ended there. However, by chance, I accidentally ate a spiritual fruit and broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm in a fortuitous opportunity."

"Hehe! Master is indeed lucky. I have suffered a lot in order to achieve Foundation Establishment," Yue Qianchou laughed.

"When I buried the corpse, I took his sword. With my Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, I comprehended the art of sword control and flew off the cliff. When I saw that I could fly, I thought I had mastered the immortal arts and become an immortal. After I came out, I secretly went home, only to find that the entire village had been destroyed by the war. From then on, I wandered around with my Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. Later, after meeting some people from the Cultivation World, I realized my insignificance. I was just a Foundation Establishment Realm Rogue Cultivator without any sect or school. There are higher realms beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Yue Qianchou gave Bi Changchun a strange look and thought to himself, "It's really lucky that a mere Foundation Establishment Realm with no skills dares to run around like this and hasn't been killed yet."

"During my years traveling in the Cultivation World, I did indeed suffer a lot. But I thought, aren't the cultivation Method Formula of those various sects created by humans, not innate? Why can't I create my own cultivation Method Formula? Besides, my method of Sword Flight was created by myself, so it's not an insurmountable task. With this thought in mind, I traveled alone through the world, carefully observing the things and events around me."

"Master's ambition is indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people." Yue Qianchou seized the opportunity to flatter him.

Unfortunately, the effect was not good. Bi Changchun didn't even look at him and continued, "I have watched the floating clouds over the sea, the sunrise and sunset, and the changing of the stars from the mountaintop. I have watched the tides rise and fall at the seaside. I have watched wild beasts hunt in the deep mountains. I have watched eagles fight rabbits on the grasslands. I have watched Thunderous Power in the rainy night. I have watched dragonflies skim the water by the pond. I have watched water drip through stone under the eaves. I have watched people come and go in the bustling city. I have watched two armies fight bloody battles on the battlefield. After many years, I have gained a lot of insights. Once I understood, my cultivation improved by leaps and bounds, which is why I am where I am today."

Upon hearing the claim that cultivation could progress by leaps and bounds, Yue Qianchou's eyes lit up with envy. He swallowed hard and said, "Master, could you teach me the Method Formula you've come to understand? I sincerely wish to learn."

"You still don't understand what I mean?" Bi Changchun turned around, looking at him with bright, piercing eyes.

Damn it! Who could understand what you were saying? Jumping off cliffs, looking at stars, looking at ponds, and looking at rabbits—you can't expect me to go and see all that stuff just because I've eaten my fill! I definitely wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Yue Qianchou muttered to himself, then respectfully said, "This disciple is truly ignorant."

"I left my insights from my cultivation to the Four Great Families. Do you know why none of them were able to comprehend them?" Bi Changchun asked.

"I don't know." Yue Qianchou answered readily, thinking to himself, "Old man, can't you just speak clearly? We have a generation gap of over two thousand years, it's really hard to communicate! I don't know why you're talking so much nonsense."

"Truly foolish! Don't you understand? My cultivation has no fixed Method Formula; it follows the Way of Heaven and Earth. All things in heaven and earth have their own way, and all things that are interconnected can be borrowed and used by me. This is my way to defeat enemies, and it is also why no one in the Four Great Families can learn it. My way relies on enlightenment, not learning." Bi Changchun looked at him and sighed, "All things in heaven and earth have their origins. I can only borrow them, while you can possess them. The difference is obvious. Borrowing means being limited, while possessing means doing whatever you want!"

Now Yue Qianchou finally understood something and stood there lost in thought.

Seeing his expression, Bi Changchun shook his head slightly, turned around and pointed to the lake, saying, "This water may seem calm and powerless, but if used properly, it can be ever-changing and its power can be overwhelming. How could it be unable to defeat an enemy? You've comprehended the water technique but can't feel or utilize its power, which shows you can't use it properly. This can be seen from your clumsy fire control technique. Yue Qianchou, watch carefully now. I want to use this lake water to demonstrate its power. I'll only do it once; whether you can comprehend it or not depends on yourself..."

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