Chi Jie

No sooner had Su Yao finished speaking than another beam of Buddhist light shot into the sky from the direction of the Nanzhao Royal City.

The Buddha's light was purer than the previous one, not as mixed and dazzling as before. Instead, it had a very faint and soft warm yellow hue, like the first ray of light leaking from the eaves of an ancient temple in the early morning, gentle and restrained.

Within the Buddha's light, a golden phantom could be vaguely seen sitting on a lotus platform, with a halo behind it like a full moon, illuminating half the sky with a faint golden hue.

Su Yao gazed at the beam of Buddha's light, slowly set down his teacup, and said calmly:

"The dust has settled."

Upon hearing this, Yang Nan immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Abbot, is this what you mean?"

Su Yao laughed, "That previous beam of Buddha's light belonged to the Tubo Monk Mao, but this one... it seems the Chan (Zen) school of Chan School from the Central Plains is still superior. The Three Sages Temple near the Nanzhao Royal City has ultimately fallen into the hands of the Chan School."

He paused, then looked at Yang Nan and reassured her:

"Rest assured, your Yang Household has moved to the vicinity of my Qixia Mountain, so there's no problem. If there were any problems, you would have been captured by the Great Qing Heavenly Army back then." He paused, then added, "As for Nanzhao, it's certain that Buddhist School has taken over this place, but my Mysterious Gate also has True Lord establishing a lineage in West Mountain, where the former Witch Hall was located in the Southern Frontier. We won't allow Buddhist School to grow unchecked."

Upon hearing this, Yang Nan finally nodded.

Seeing this, Su Yao said no more and looked at Yunsong:

"I entrust this place to you. If I attain enlightenment, this place will rise to immortality and ascend to a celestial realm; if I perish seeking a golden body, you should take the mountain's formations, Spirit Treasure, and so on, relinquish your divine position, and go to Qixia. If necessary, give Cibi Lake and Golden Ao Mountain to Cixin; I believe Cixin will be willing to lend you a hand."

Upon hearing this, Yunsong nodded in agreement, and then asked:

"Master, I wonder if Xu Qingluo and the other three have now completed their Secret Method? Would you be so kind as to bestow spiritual objects upon them so they can go into seclusion?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Nan's expression shifted; among these four were his juniors.

Su Yao smiled upon hearing this:

"I intend to return to Qixia and seclude myself for twenty years, and then begin my quest for gold approximately fifty years later. I have tested several of them; their Daoxing Spirit Transformation are not a problem. It all depends on their Boundless Illusion and Boundless Ignorance." He paused. "Let them carefully examine themselves for three years before beginning their seclusion. Let them test whether they can break through ignorance on their own. If not, I suppose if I succeed in my quest for gold, they can also rely on their intertwined destinies with me to successfully break through ignorance."

Upon hearing this, Yunsong nodded, and Yang Nan's expression brightened, since there were no talented members of his clan.

Seeing this, Su Yao picked up the Fusang Sun-Illuminating Branch, put it into his Storage Bag, and then looked at Yang Nan and Lu Yuan Human Dao:

"Then come back to Qixia with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yao transformed into a rainbow of light and vanished into the Great Void. Seeing this, Lu Yuan and Yang Nan also transformed into rainbows of light and disappeared into the Subterranean Water.

Half an hour later, Su Yao intended to return directly to Qixia, but halfway there, he sensed a True Person lingering uncertainly in the Great Void ahead.

Su Yao paused, drawing his sword in a defensive stance.

Upon getting closer and seeing who it was, Su Yao put away the Pear Blossom Return with a smile:

"Ji Jie Daoist Ji Jie, it's been a long time."

The visitor was none other than Ji Jie, a Ji Jie of the Red Emperor who had once studied Daoism on Penglai Island under the Highest Clarity Sect.

Back then, Su Yao, who was still at the Foundation Establishment, had only been in Nanzhao for a short time when he was challenged to a duel between Mianning, the young master of the Jade Void Palace Jade Jasper Palace, and Jiangzhen, the young master of Biyao Palace. Su Yao won with his Sword Essence.

At this moment, the Human Dao on the other side said:

"Fellow Daoist Su, it's been over three hundred years, and you still possess the same charm. But..." He paused before continuing, "I am no longer called Ji Jie; I am now known as Chi Jie."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao paused for a moment, then realized the key point and advised:

"Fellow Daoist is a descendant of the Red Emperor, and his surname is Chi, which is no less than Ji in the Penglai ranking. Moreover, Fellow Daoist was born noble, and is the grandson of True Lord. Chi is the true color of the Fire Virtue. Fellow Daoist taking Chi as his surname is to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his lineage. Why bother with those empty names?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Su, you flatter me. I heard some time ago that you went to Nanzhao again. I had just come out of seclusion and, after hearing from my clansmen, I waited here for a few days and indeed met you." He paused and said, "I brought some fine wine from my clan. How about we go to the pavilion on the lower mountain for a chat?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yao looked down through the Great Void at the desolate mountain peak in the present world. He saw a pavilion there, and after examining it with Prism, he found nothing unusual. He then said:

"Good."

Then he looked at Yang Nan and Lu Yuan behind him:

"You should go back to Qixia first; you don't need to wait for me."

Upon hearing this, the two nodded, knowing that if anything happened, they would both be a burden. Then they transformed into streaks of light and quickly headed towards Qixia.

A solitary pavilion stands amidst the desolate mountains, where Immortal Truth gather to discuss existence and non-existence.

Do not say that such a place does not exist in the human world; deep in the clouds, one cannot know the way home.

Inside the pavilion, Su Yao and Chi Jie sat facing each other.

Chi Jie his hands, and four maids appeared, offering delicacies and rare treats.

Then a maid appeared, carrying two wine bottles, one crimson and the other emerald green.

At this moment, Chi Jie pointed to the emerald green wine bottle and said:

"This was bestowed upon me by my master in Penglai when I was young; it is named ' Jade Sea Rising Tide Brew '."

Su Yao said upon hearing this:

"The Jade Sea Rising Tide Brew, its beauty known throughout the world."

Chi Jie smiled upon hearing this, then pointed to the crimson wine bottle and said:

"This was indeed brewed by the great-great-grandson of our ancestor, the Red Emperor, and is called ' Primordial Fire '."

Having said that, he beckoned, and a maid stepped forward to pour a cup of Jade Sea Rising Tide Brew for Su Yao and Chi Jie, then placed both bottles on the table. Chi Jie waved his hand, and all the maids disappeared.

Then Chi Jie raised his wine cup and said:

"Fellow Daoist Su, let me first offer you a cup of wine. This cup is to thank you for slaying demons and eliminating evil spirits in the South Sea."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao was both amused and exasperated. The Yuanfu's reputation was truly... Cixin had used the same term before, and now Chi Jie was doing the same. So he raised his wine cup and said:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. I have been working on your Purple Mansion achievement for many years, and I have never had the chance to visit you. Today, I would like to offer my congratulations."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie said:

"Our clan is not like your esteemed temple. Back then, the three Dao Ancestors, instigated by certain evil spirits, issued a decree that all the descendants of the Three Sovereigns Five Emperors were imprisoned in one place, deprived of their freedom. Although their status is noble, they cannot be seen in the vast world."

Having said that, he didn't say anything more, raised his head and drank it all, his expression full of loneliness.

Seeing this, Su Yao smiled and drank it all as well.

Then, Chi Jie poured Su Yao another cup of Primordial Fire Brew and said with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist is a member of the Mysterious Gate Xuanmen sect, so you must be familiar with Penglai Immortal Wine. However, this Primordial Fire Brew is unique to my clan. Back when our Taizu was in Nanzhao, he passed through Mount Ziyi, and our clan presented him with this wine. Our Taizu and composed a poem—" He paused, then recited:

"The crimson fire melts the gold to brew a cup, and we drink it with the three armies at the Mount Ziyi."

"If a man is emboldened by this wine, he can traverse Guan Mountain and rivers."

He paused and said:

"It was because of this poem that I had the opportunity to go to Penglai to study Daoism back then."

Su Yao was even more puzzled upon hearing this. "Back then, wasn't it Taizong who ordered Renzong to issue an edict allowing you to return to your clan and inherit the Red Emperor's lineage...? If this poem existed, it shouldn't have happened... No matter what, Taizong wouldn't have disobeyed Taizu's order."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie said with a hint of anger:

"I've heard that some evil spirit slandered him before Taizong."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao sighed softly and advised:

"They are powerful. We can only hope to reach the summit one day and avenge our humiliation. Come, let's drink."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie was overjoyed, and the two raised their cups and drank them down in one gulp.

After drinking it all, Chi Jie said again:

"The day when you seek gold, fellow Daoist, should not be far off."

Upon hearing this Su Yao nodded:

"It will happen within the next hundred years."

Chi Jie couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, more than three hundred years ago, we were both at the Foundation Establishment. I should have gone into the Purple Mansion a few years earlier than you to break through to the Purple Mansion, but we actually succeeded at the same time. Now, so many years have passed, and you have already Five Laws Perfection, while I have only just reached the Three Divine Ability... The gap between us is truly beyond my reach."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao comforted him, "Fellow Daoist, why belittle yourself? Back then, we were both in the Foundation Establishment, and you even went into seclusion a few years earlier than me. Although I have now Five Laws Perfection, you have already attained the Three Divine Ability. The path of cultivation is long, and everyone has their own destiny and their own Dao Path. You are born into the Red Emperor lineage, with noble blood and profound foundation, but you were simply unlucky and hindered by those evil spirits. There is still a long way to go, and you may very well surpass them later."

Upon hearing Chi Jie, Chijie shook his head with a wry smile:

"Fellow Daoist Su, there's no need to comfort me. I know my own situation. However..." He paused, raised his wine cup, and a hint of youthful sharpness suddenly appeared in his eyes, "Fellow Daoist is right. There's plenty of time. I might just be able to surpass you. Come, let's drink another cup!"

The two raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks, Chi Jie suddenly said:

"Fellow Daoist Su, drinking alone is no fun. How about we play a drinking game?"

Su Yao laughed and said, "How can that be?"

Chi Jie said, "Let's start with 'fire.' You and I will each recite a line of poetry or prose related to fire. Whoever can't continue will be penalized with three cups of wine."

Su Yao nodded. "Okay."

Chi Jie first said, "The Red Emperor governs fire, and his virtue is fiery."

Su Yao continued, "Li Fire is light, illuminating all directions."

Chi Jie added, "When a fire first starts, it flickers and never goes out."

Su Yao continued, "A single spark can start a prairie fire; its momentum is unstoppable."

Chi Jie spoke several sentences in succession, and Su Yao responded to each one.

When it was Su Yao's turn to pose a question, he smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, I'm going to pose a difficult one—'Planting a lotus in fire'."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie pondered for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "What a wonderful 'planting a lotus in fire'! I can't match it, so I'll be punished with three cups of wine!" After saying this, he drank three cups in a row, his face slightly flushed, but he laughed heartily.

Su Yao also smiled, and the two raised their cups to drink together, filling the pavilion with laughter.

After laughing, Chi Jie looked at Su Yao and suddenly said:

"Fellow Daoist Su, do you still remember the bet between Mianning and Jiangzhen back then, the battle between you and me?"

Su Yao nodded. "Of course I remember."

Chi Jie said, "In that battle, I lost fair and square. Back then, you suppressed my Heavenly Thunder with your Sword Essence; I still remember the sharpness of that sword light." He paused, a hint of reminiscence in his voice, "The first time I heard news of you was when you comprehended Sword Intent and slew those lackeys of the Yuanfu. At that time, I thought, that boy who defeated me with Sword Essence back then has actually comprehended Sword Intent." He raised his head, looking at Su Yao, a hint of youthful stubbornness in his eyes, "Later, you displayed your Sword Intent with great power in the South Sea, slaying the Devil Lord, destroying evil spirits, and even Great True Person Five Laws Perfection couldn't withstand a single strike from you. Today... would you allow me to witness your Sword Intent, fellow Daoist?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yao put down his wine glass, looked at him for a long while, and then said:

"Fellow Daoist wishes to see me draw my sword?"

Chi Jie nodded, his gaze frank. "I cultivate the Penglai Heavenly Thunder Dao, and I never practice swordsmanship. After I was defeated by your sword back then, I tried to practice Sword Essence. But Sword Intent is something that is ultimately beyond my reach. Later, after breaking through to the Purple Mansion, I completely gave up this idea. Today, I do not seek to compete in swordsmanship, but only to observe."

Su Yao was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled:

"Very well. Then let me see what that Sword Essence from back then has become now."

The two got up and walked to an open space outside the pavilion.

Dusk stretched their shadows long, and the blood-red sunset blanketed half the sky.

Chi Jie flipped his right hand, and a crimson longsword materialized from his palm. The sword was entirely crimson gold, engraved with dense lightning patterns, and a point of crimson light at the tip was like lightning—this Sword Essence was the condensation of his sword cultivation over several years of arduous practice.

Although he had not yet grasped the Sword Intent, the Sword Essence itself was already extremely profound, with each strike carrying the ferocity of Heavenly Thunder and the heat of the Red Emperor's bloodline.

Su Yao raised his right hand, Pear Blossom Return was already in his palm.

However, he neither activated his Law Power nor used Divine Ability; he simply held his sword horizontally in front of him and began with pure sword techniques.

Chi Jie moved swiftly, his crimson longsword flashing like lightning, aiming straight for Su Yao's face.

This sword strike was devoid of any fancy moves; it relied solely on the sheer power of the Sword Essence's energy and the ferocity of the Heavenly Thunder to achieve its victory. However, wherever the sword's edge passed, faint flashes of lightning danced in the air.

Su Yao dodged to the side, Pear Blossom Return accurately struck the side of the sword, deflecting the attack.

Chi Jie patterns surged, and a crimson Sword-Ray, like lightning, slashed towards Su Yao's waist.

Su Yao swung his sword horizontally, using the "sticking" technique from his swordplay to gently guide Chi Jie's sword momentum into empty space.

The two exchanged blows, their swordplay growing faster and faster. Chi Jie's Sword Essence was powerful and violent, each strike accompanied by the roar of Heavenly Thunder; Su Yao's swordplay was light and precise, each strike striking the weaknesses in Chi Jie's swordplay. After dozens of moves, Chi Jie grew increasingly alarmed.

He discovered that no matter how he changed his moves, Su Yao could always accurately find the gaps in his Sword Essence circulation and, with a light flick of his sword, neutralize his attacks.

Su Yao's sword moves never contained a trace of Sword Intent; they were purely sword techniques, sword principles, and the way of the sword.

"Fellow Daoist Su!" Chi Jie slashed out with his sword, using the recoil to stagger back several steps. "You really only use sword techniques?"

Su Yao withdrew the Pear Blossom Return, stood with his hands behind his back, and smiled:

"In terms of sword techniques alone, I have already lost. Fellow Daoist's Sword Essence is far more profound than mine was back then."

Chi Jie was taken aback, then gave a wry smile:

"But I can't break your sword techniques."

Su Yao looked at him, his gaze calm:

"What you want to see, fellow Daoist, is my Sword Intent."

Chi-no ...

Su Yao said no more.

He raised his right hand, Pear Blossom Return diagonally at the ground, its tip gleaming with a clear, faint light. He did not activate his Law Power or use Divine Ability; he simply released his Sword Intent slowly.

The Sword Intent was extremely subtle, quiet, and clear, like the quietest ray of light before dawn, silently spreading from the tip of the sword. In the twilight, the Sword Intent was like the faintest ray of dawn, enveloping the entire desolate mountain wilderness in a layer of extremely faint silvery-white radiance.

Wherever the Sword Intent passed, the crimson of the sunset seemed to be covered by a thin layer of frost, the evening wind stopped, the birds ceased flying, and even the sound of the flowing water in the distant mountain stream seemed to be "silenced" by the Sword Intent.

Chi Jie shuddered.

He sensed the Sword Intent. Within that Sword Intent, there was not a trace of killing intent, nor any fluctuation of Law Power; only a pure, ultimate clarity.

Like the breaking of dawn, like the morning light illuminating the long night, thousands of rosy blades bloom simultaneously, or like the sunset being scattered by the night wind.

Chi Jie subconsciously pushed his Sword Essence to its limit, the lightning patterns on the crimson longsword shone brightly, and the crimson light at the tip of the sword surged, like a small red sun.

But before Su Yao's Sword Intent, the blazing sun was like a candle flame compared to the rising sun; no matter how much it struggled, it could not ultimately lift its head before that Sword Intent.

"Enough." Su Yao suddenly sheathed his sword.

The Sword Intent vanished in an instant, like the dawn being obscured by clouds, like the rosy glow being swallowed by night. The desolate mountains and wilderness were once again enveloped in the twilight, the evening breeze blew again, and the mountain streams murmured once more.

Chi Jie stood still, his Sword Essence slowly dissipating, and even the body of the Purple Mansion True Person, which was impervious to heat and cold, was covered in a layer of fine sweat.

He gazed at Su Yao, remaining silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice tinged with an indescribable complexity:

"This is the Sword Intent..."

Su Yao put the Pear Blossom Return into his Storage Bag and nodded.

"That Sword Essence from back then has now become like this."

Chi Jie lowered his head, looking at his empty palms, and suddenly smiled, "Only today do I realize that my defeat back then was not unjust." He raised his head and looked at Su Yao, the stubbornness of his youth now mostly gone, replaced by a faint sense of relief, yet still sharp. "Fellow Daoist Su, thank you. I will remember this sword strike today."

Su Yao looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Fellow Daoist, the matter of Sword Intent cannot be forced. Back then, I was only fortunate enough to comprehend Sword Intent at the confluence of the two rivers during my Foundation Establishment stage, at a critical moment of life and death... Fellow Daoist, you need not worry about it. The path of Heavenly Thunder is the right path for you."

Upon hearing this, Chi Jie shook his head and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Su, there's no need to comfort me. I know my own situation. Sword Intent is something that, once missed, is missed forever. To witness it with my own eyes today is already a wish fulfilled." He paused, raised his wine cup, and the youthful sharpness rekindled in his eyes, "Come, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's toast to your sword strike, and also to the Sword Intent I failed to comprehend back then!"

Su Yao also raised his glass, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

As dusk deepened, the evening glow faded.

Su Yao stood up, bowed to Chi Jie, turned around and transformed into a streak of rainbow light, disappearing into the depths of the Great Void.

Chi Jie stood in the pavilion, gazing at the receding rainbow light, and after a moment of silence, suddenly raised his voice and laughed:

"Su Yao! Next time we meet, I won't still be the Three Divine Ability!"

From the depths of the Great Void, a clear, melodious laugh echoed from afar:

"Then I'll wait!"

Chi Jie stood in the pavilion, looking up at the sky, the twilight stretching his shadow extremely long.

He glanced down at the Primordial Fire Brew on the table, then at the setting sun on the horizon, and suddenly whispered:

"Youthful spirit... as expected, it hasn't changed."

After saying that, he picked up the wine pot, poured himself another cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

He then placed the wine glass on the table and turned to walk down the mountain.

As dusk fell, his figure gradually disappeared into the desolate mountains and wilderness.

There is a word cloud:

In his youth, he aspired to great heights, his heart set on a single sword that could traverse ten thousand miles of sky.

The crimson flames melt the gold, the wine is still warm; the old promise of Penglai Mountain is sought in dreams.

Do not say that the people on the mountaintop are long gone; look at the spirit of today's youth.

Laughing heartily, I went out the door, and the world filled my heart.