Qingyun Dao Sect, Back Cliff.
Su Changyu had already struck a pose.
He stood atop a massive boulder, wearing yesterday's long robe, looking every inch an immortal with Daoist bones. His right hand gripped his sword behind his back. As the breeze swept past, his long sideburns fluttered, bringing the Sword Immortal's bearing to life in every detail.
He was deep in thought.
Not about any Sword Dao, but about how he would fool his little junior brother later.
Su Changyu understood that even if he was bluffing, he absolutely could not bluff at random.
There had to be some basis, though it needed exaggeration and embellishment built upon it.
In other words, he needed to boast with logic rather than make things up out of thin air.
It was somewhat difficult, but Su Changyu felt that he could manage it.
Just as Su Changyu was pondering this.
A voice suddenly rang out, jolting Su Changyu awake.
"Junior Brother Ye Ping pays respects to Senior Brother."
Hearing Ye Ping's voice, Su Changyu emerged from his thoughts.
His expression was calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Mm. Have you eaten breakfast?"
Su Changyu asked calmly, yet he did not look at Ye Ping. It was not because he looked down on him, but because it helped set off his aloofness.
"Replying to Senior Brother, not yet."
Only upon hearing that did Ye Ping remember that he seemed not to have eaten breakfast.
"Not eating is quite good. We cultivators feed on rosy clouds and refine our qi; eating less coarse grain is good for the body."
Su Changyu said this.
Ye Ping nodded. He understood this: coarse grains were full of toxins, and after eating them, impurities would remain within the body, creating certain obstacles to cultivation.
But just then.
Su Changyu's voice rang out again.
"Little Junior Brother, Master has asked me to teach you the Sword Dao. But Senior Brother's Sword Dao is not taught to just anyone. If you lack talent in the Sword Dao, then even if I teach it to you, you will find it difficult to comprehend. So Senior Brother will ask you a question. If you can answer it, Senior Brother will teach you the Sword Dao. How about it?"
Su Changyu spoke with an air of unfathomable profundity.
He did not intend to teach Ye Ping the Sword Dao immediately. He would first ask a question and build up the atmosphere.
If he taught Ye Ping the Sword Dao so casually, would that not make him seem cheap?
Still, atmosphere was atmosphere. Su Changyu slightly glanced sideways at Ye Ping. If Ye Ping showed any displeasure, he would immediately say, "But I see that Junior Brother has a slight talent for the Sword Dao, so let us forget this question."
The main thing was whether Ye Ping knew how to play along.
As for Ye Ping.
After hearing those words, not only did he show no trace of displeasure, he instead nodded seriously and said.
"Junior Brother understands. The lineage of the Sword Dao appears simple, yet it contains the Great Dao. Please speak, Senior Brother. If Junior Brother truly has no talent, then I would not dare trouble Senior Brother."
Ye Ping was somewhat excited.
He had seen this kind of plot before.
Whenever a Peerless Expert imparted some secret technique, he would not teach it directly, but would first ask a question.
And such questions always seemed simple, yet concealed a realm of artistic conception within them.
Thinking of this, Ye Ping could not help growing a little nervous.
What if he could not answer it?
After hearing Ye Ping's words, Su Changyu could not help being slightly startled.
Oh my, he really knew how to play along?
He could even bring up the Great Dao?
Kid, not bad. You have a future ahead of you. Good, very good, extremely good.
Since you were so good at playing along, then do not blame Senior Brother.
Su Changyu was in a good mood, but outwardly, he retained that aloof posture. He withdrew his gaze and looked upon the heavens, earth, mountains, and rivers before slowly speaking.
"Junior Brother, do you know what the Sword Dao is?"
His voice sounded.
Ye Ping fell silent.
His guess had been completely correct.
Sure enough, it was this sort of question that appeared simple but contained supreme artistic conception.
Ye Ping drew a deep breath.
He was thinking.
What was the Sword Dao?
If it were an ordinary person, he would likely answer something like, "Slaying enemies is the Sword Dao," or "Being a gentleman is the Sword Dao."
But this question clearly was not asking something so superficial.
He needed to put his own artistic conception into it.
What was the Sword Dao?
Ye Ping pondered for a long time, a full hour, making Su Changyu, standing atop the boulder, somewhat uncomfortable.
Brother, I have been standing here for an hour. Could you not just answer something at random?
My legs are so tired, and my hand is so sore. Could you answer a little faster?
Please, I am begging you!
Su Changyu somewhat regretted putting on such an act.
Ye Ping did not answer, and Su Changyu did not dare change his posture either. He could only keep his back to Ye Ping, his right hand still holding the sword behind him. Though he was a cultivator, he could not endure standing as punishment for an hour.
Finally, after an hour and a half, Ye Ping gave his answer.
But Ye Ping's voice was rather soft.
It was a probing answer.
He did not dare answer carelessly. He could only rack his brains and pick out a few lines from the novels he had read.
"Senior Brother, is the heart the Sword Dao?"
After saying this, Ye Ping was a little afraid.
After all, this was his first time cultivating immortality and his first time practicing the sword. The other party was a Peerless Expert of the Sword Dao. If his answer did not satisfy him, would he not lose this opportunity for nothing?
Yet after hearing this answer, Su Changyu could not help being slightly stunned.
Hey!
That answer was rather interesting.
It was better than the answer he had given back then.
The kid had something to him.
But although the answer was good, Su Changyu turned around, silently changed his posture, then shook his head. His expression remained aloof as he said.
"Wrong."
That was right, wrong.
He simply did not care what Ye Ping answered. No matter how Ye Ping answered, his answer would be wrong.
If he acknowledged it right away, would that not seem hasty?
"Then, is heaven and earth the Sword Dao?"
Ye Ping still asked tentatively.
"Also wrong."
Su Changyu continued.
"Are the sun and moon the Sword Dao?"
"Still wrong."
"Are all things the Sword Dao?"
Ye Ping asked tentatively once more.
He truly did not know how to answer this question.
"Alas."
Su Changyu shook his head and looked at Ye Ping with a trace of helplessness.
"As expected, your talent in the Sword Dao is not very good. Senior Brother will change the question."
Su Changyu said.
Leaving Ye Ping feeling somewhat crushed.
Although he had prepared himself, he had not expected that he truly was dull in aptitude. But since Senior Brother was willing to give him another chance, Ye Ping did not lose heart.
"Ye Ping, Senior Brother asks you: how powerful do you think the ultimate realm of the Sword Dao is?"
Su Changyu asked seriously.
How powerful was the ultimate realm of the Sword Dao?
Ye Ping slightly furrowed his brow.
He had never even seen anyone perform sword arts.
This question touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.
But after thinking carefully, although he had never watched anyone practice the sword, he had at least read quite a few novels, had he not?
Thinking of this, Ye Ping began pondering again.
This time, it did not take long for Ye Ping to think of an answer.
"Senior Brother, Junior Brother believes that at the ultimate realm of the Sword Dao, one blade of grass should be able to cut down the sun, moon, and stars."
Ye Ping's voice was not loud, mainly because he lacked confidence.
But the moment he spoke those words.
Su Changyu froze where he stood.
Fortunately, his outward appearance remained aloof and cold, so no great change could be seen.
But in truth, raging waves had already overturned the sea within Su Changyu's heart.
Before you continue