Chen Changsheng's words made Chen Feng frown.
"The highest realm of swordsmanship is to have no sword in your hand, but a sword in your heart."
"If you make me put down even the sword in my heart, am I still a swordsman?"
"I never wanted you to become a 'swordsman,' much less a 'sword immortal.'"
Those decisive words silenced Chen Feng, because he could not make sense of the reasoning behind Chen Changsheng's theory either.
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng continued looking out at the sea and spoke calmly.
"A sword has two edges. One careless move can wound both your enemy and yourself."
"Judging by its shape alone, a 'sword' is a merciless weapon."
"The character for 'immortal' depicts a 'person in the mountains.' A person retreats into the mountains to sever the seven emotions and six desires."
"A merciless weapon paired with an immortal who has severed all emotion and desire—that is what the world calls a 'sword immortal.'"
"But without those emotions and desires, what does the person holding the sword have left to swing it with? How can his sword cleave through everything?"
Hearing Chen Changsheng's words, Chen Feng smacked his lips. "This is the first time I've heard a theory like that."
"What about swordsmen, then? Surely swordsmen don't sever all emotion and desire like sword immortals."
"Of course swordsmen don't sever all emotion and desire. Compared with sword immortals, swordsmen retain a few measures of the mortal world."
"With those few measures of worldly attachment, swordsmen always find it easier to draw their swords than sword immortals do."
"But those worldly attachments also shackle the sword in a swordsman's hand. A shackled sword naturally loses its edge."
"So both sword immortals and swordsmen walk the wrong path."
"Only by putting down the sword in