Illusion

Chenzhong Terrace.

Li Gan carried his master, Zhou Buping, back here on his back.

He prepared a bed for his master.

He laid out clean bedding.

He also lit a stove in the room to drive away the deep winter chill.

Zhou Buping watched from the side.

Once Li Gan finished his chores, Zhou Buping asked him to sit down and asked, "It has been over three years since I took you as my disciple, yet I still know nothing of your family situation. Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Master, my family is a minor official household in Baibi City. There is nothing worth mentioning."

Li Gan said.

"I have noticed you have never returned home. Since you have family, how can you cut off all ties? Practicing the martial path does not mean one must sever all worldly connections."

Zhou Buping countered.

He could hear the bells of Chenzhong ringing every day. Aside from the one time a year Li Gan went out to complete missions, the sound of the bells practically never ceased.

This also showed that Li Gan never left the Divine Sword Sect.

Li Gan could not say that he was a transmigrator or that he felt no closeness to the family, so he could only recount the experiences of this body in a calm tone.

"You, you still have the mindset of a child. No matter how flawed your family may be, they are still your family in the end."

Zhou Buping shook his head and sighed. "Would you like to hear about my past?"

"If Master wishes to speak, this disciple is naturally willing to listen."

Li Gan nodded.

He was quite curious about how his master had spent decades guarding Yanmen Valley, wasting away his prime years, only to end up all alone.

"My experiences in my youth were actually quite similar to yours. My mother died early, and my father was harsh, so I was very rebellious. Since my family were merchants with a modest fortune, my father had high hopes for me from a young age, wishing for me to inherit his business. But I had no interest in commerce; instead, I yearned for the life of chivalry and justice found in storybooks. Unfortunately, my aptitude was mediocre, and I could only serve as a menial disciple in the Divine Sword Sect. Five or six years passed this way. To gather resources for my cultivation, my father almost emptied the family coffers, yet I remained unable to enter the ranks. My father told me to give up martial arts and return to help him. I refused stubbornly, we had a huge argument, and from that moment on, my father cut off all my financial support. My cultivation almost came to a standstill. It wasn't until over a year later that I suddenly received the tragic news: my family had offended someone, my father was framed and imprisoned, and in the end, our home was raided, and my father and several relatives all died miserably in prison."

Zhou Buping narrated his past calmly.

His expression was peaceful, devoid of sorrow or joy.

Li Gan listened quietly as well.

He could sense a trace of turbulence within his master's heart beneath those calm words.

"After I heard the news, I was completely devastated. It was the greatest blow I had ever received in my life. I had once hated my father, but in the end, I realized he was the most important person in my heart."

Zhou Buping suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile. "Perhaps it was the support of hatred. Ever since then, it was as if I had been enlightened. My cultivation of the Sword Piercing Fist progressed by leaps and bounds. In just three short years, with almost no cultivation resources, I opened my ren and du meridians, successfully completed my entry into the martial path, and even brought the Sword Piercing Fist to perfection. In the end, I also obtained the inheritance of the Heartless Sword Art."

"Although I later avenged my father and relatives, they could never come back to life."

Zhou Buping looked at Li Gan. "Your master only wants to use my personal experience to tell you that if there is still anyone in this world who cares about you, it must be your family."

Li Gan fell silent.

Because he knew his master was right.

It was just that his situation was truly different.

How was he supposed to explain it?

"So, you should go home and visit more often in the future. Try your best not to let it become the greatest regret in your heart later on."

After saying this, Zhou Buping patted Li Gan's shoulder with deep meaning.

"Master, I will remember that."

Li Gan said quickly.

Regardless of whether he had taken it to heart, he still had to maintain the proper attitude.

Cough, cough.

Zhou Buping had spoken too much and couldn't help but cough violently, even coughing up blood.

Li Gan hurriedly went up to pat his back, and after a good while, he caught his breath.

Just like that, Zhou Buping settled down at Chenzhong Terrace.

Li Gan rang the bell and practiced every day.

Zhou Buping spent most of his time lying on the bed. Because his sea of qi was damaged, he could not circulate true qi to heal himself and could only rely on taking various medicinal pills every day to rest and recover.

After a period of time, Zhou Buping's injuries did not worsen; they seemed to have stabilized.

Li Gan guessed that the sound of the bell at Chenzhong Terrace must have played some role.

More than three months passed in this manner.

During this time, Li Gan took care of Zhou Buping with all his heart and soul.

Except for the first half-month or so when he needed Li Gan's care, as his injuries gradually improved, Zhou Buping was basically able to take care of himself.

During this period, elders and peak masters from the Divine Sword Sect came to visit one after another.

In particular, the sect master of the Divine Sword Sect was very surprised by the speed of Zhou Buping's recovery.

That day, after Li Gan finished striking the chen bell, he began practicing the immaculate sword body right there on the side. Once he finished a cycle, his entire body felt comfortable, filled with a sense of unbridled exhilaration.

Practicing the immaculate sword body now placed a burden on his meridians that was essentially so small it could be ignored.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he summoned the system interface to check the latest information.

Host: Li Gan.

Cultivation: Postnatal realm (9th layer 99/100).

Sacrificial Vessel: Chen bell (Dharma 1252/10000).

Martial Arts: Sword piercing fist (perfected), heartless sword art (perfected), immaculate sword body (great success 26/100).

Martial Intent: Heartless sword intent (virtual image 93/100).

Secret Technique: Myriad transformation sword qi.

The progress of his immaculate sword body had now reached 26 in great success.

Basically, it took ten days to increase the progress by one point.

As for the heartless sword intent, the difficulty was even greater; it took at least twelve days to increase the progress by a single point.

At the current rate, it would take at least two to three years for the immaculate sword body to reach perfection.

However, the progress of his heartless sword intent had already reached ninety-three; if he were to break through, it might happen within the next few months.

Above the virtual image level of martial intent was the illusion level.

If the virtual image level of martial intent could only inflict a certain degree of mental shock upon an enemy, then the illusion level of martial intent could make those affected feel as if they were trapped in an illusory realm, suffering from various auditory and visual hallucinations, unable to extricate themselves.

A xiantian martial artist who grasped the illusion level of martial intent was known as a martial arts grandmaster.

Therefore, he was now somewhat expectant: could he elevate his martial intent to the illusion level without even entering the xiantian realm?

Descending from the bell tower, Li Gan saw his master, Zhou Buping, instructing Chen Yong in the sword piercing fist.

Perhaps it was out of boredom.

Or perhaps the master saw his former self in Chen Yong.

That was why Zhou Buping often took the time to guide Chen Yong.

Compared to Li Gan, Zhou Buping's martial arts attainments were naturally much higher, so he could naturally provide better advice.

Chen Yong had already opened his du meridian and was currently attempting to break through the ren meridian, the last of the eight extraordinary meridians.

Once able to clear them, one could become a ranked martial artist.

Li Gan merely glanced at it before starting to prepare lunch.

With his master present, Li Gan could not be too casual about their three daily meals.

Once he finished cooking, he called his master to eat.

"Old Master, Brother Gan, I'm heading down the mountain now."

Chen Yong spoke up hurriedly.

"Stay and eat with us," Li Gan said.

Chen Yong felt a bit embarrassed.

An occasional meal was fine, but if he stayed to eat too often, he would be taking too much advantage of them.

Because he knew what Brother Gan ate at every meal.

He was already very satisfied with the guidance he received from the Old Master and Brother Gan, which had saved him from taking many detours.

"Stop being so wishy-washy."

Seeing the lad's shy and honest demeanor, Li Gan put on a stern face.

Chen Yong had no choice but to enter the house.

Aside from a large basin of medicinal meal meat porridge, there was a plate of stir-fried meat with horseradish, a plate of braised chicken chunks, and a plate of stir-fried greens.

The latter three dishes used only ordinary ingredients.

The focus was on the flavor.

Because his master, Zhou Buping, loved to eat.

Li Gan ladled a large bowl of medicinal meal meat porridge for himself and Chen Yong.

To him, the effects of this medicinal meal were better than nothing, but for Chen Yong, it was a great tonic.

Chen Yong lacked cultivation resources; although he worked hard at his training, it easily led to a deficiency in his body's qi and blood, which was unfavorable for clearing the ren and du meridians.

That was why Li Gan often kept Chen Yong behind for meals.