Entering the World, Living in the World

Entering the World, Living in the World "...Why wade into this muddy water of the mortal world again?"

Shen Hui smiled without answering directly.

He merely lifted his teacup, gazed at the light-brown tea within, and slowly said:

"This poor Daoist may close his eyes and refuse to look upon the filth of this world. But if I close my eyes, will those things cease to exist?"

He took a sip of tea and shook his head.

"People live between Heaven and Earth, already within this murky world. How can they truly withdraw from it?"

The Old Man was taken aback, then smiled.

"When the heart is distant, even the ground beneath one's feet becomes remote. As a Core Formation cultivator, so long as you wish it, you can naturally avoid this mortal world."

Shen Hui set down his teacup and smiled at the Old Man.

"This poor Daoist believes that a distant heart need not mean a distant body."

Seeing that he could not be swayed by either soft or hard words, the Old Man sighed. His gaze passed over Shen Hui and settled on the rolling mountain mist beyond the fence.

"I said the same thing when I was young. Back then, I entered the world with sword in hand, believing that with my own strength, I could sweep away all injustice. But after seeing more, I came to understand that one person's strength was nothing more than a cup of water against a cartload of firewood."

As he spoke, he kept shaking his head, his words steeped in desolation.

"For every person you save, ten more suffer. For every demon you kill, ten more wreak havoc. In the end, you waste your strength, invite karma all over yourself, and delay your cultivation."

Shen Hui did not refute