Chapter 4196: Abandoned By The Sword
Li Qiye had opened a new page in the Physique Scripture previously and created a new grand dao for the next epoch.
The venerable was in awe. So he has been hugging one of the nine scriptures for so long.
âI might as well be blind.â He said: âThe jewel couldnât shine in my possession.â
The nine scriptures contained the ultimate merit laws. People just needed to learn one of them and would become invincible dao lords.
The entire original version was here with him for millions and millions of years yet he gained nothing from it. He started fantasizing about fully learning the complete grand dao within.
Alas, he knew that his comprehension was lacking. It wasnât meant to be.
Li Qiye glanced at him and said: âYour Soul Devourer is a top sword already with an impressive dao. Once you fuse with it, youâll gain a lifetime of benefits so no need to worry about the heavenly scripture. What you seek is already in your stomach. Absorb it and the path towards ascension awaits.â
âRight you are, Great Emperor.â The venerable stopped being obsessed with the heavenly scripture and said: âGreed knows no bounds. Iâm sure some would want to learn all the paths too after obtaining this.â
Finality Sword had nine paths. Each path would take the user to a supreme sword dao. Alas, cultivating one was immensely difficult, let alone all nine.
Seeking quantity wasnât always correct. After all, people had limited talent and time. Being too greedy meant knowing many arts in a superficial manner - something inferior to those who focus on a single dao.
Only the supreme geniuses could learn all the different schools. Otherwise, it would only be a waste of time. The venerable was naturally talented. He just couldnât compare to the greats.
âGreat Emperor, do you know how much longer itâll take for me to melt it?â He asked with anticipation.
âIs there anything you still worry about in this world?â Li Qiye asked.
âWell⦠no. I have no one left.â He pondered before shaking his head. This sounded rather sad but it was the reality for top masters.
His family and friends passed away eras ago. Even his sect has been reduced to ashes. Thus, he was completely alone.
âThen whatâs the point of coming out?â Li Qiye said: âThe world is still relatively the same, this was the case a billion years ago and will be so a billion years after. You have no worries or obsession, itâs the same staying here or being reclusive somewhere else.â
The venerable agreed with this logic after thinking about it. Before his lifespan ran low, he was living as a hermit in a reclusive mountain, eating simple meals every day. Today, he was also alone in this ocean. The difference was about the same.
âThe problem here is anxiety, you worry that you wonât be able to leave this place. It is a mental chain hindering your mind and heart. This, in turn, slows down your dao progression.â Li Qiye continued: âHave you thought about what you would do after leaving this place? Youâll most likely live reclusively again unless you want to see the world or compete with others.â
âRight, thereâs nowhere to go outside. Might as well stay hereâ¦â The venerable murmured to himself.
A weight was gone after hearing this. Li Qiye was right. So what if he could fuse with the swordâs grand dao? Where would he go afterward? There were no acquaintances or friends to catch up with. He didnât have any intention of becoming the number one and taking over the world.
He had tried to do so during his youth and prime. This was no longer part of his wish. It seemed that there was no point in leaving this place for him.
âA mind as free as flowing water; a dao as untethered as nature itself.â Li Qiye said: âLet the sword dao melt on its own, no need to be impatient. Your shackles will break eventually.â
âI understand, Great Emperor. Thank you.â The venerable prostrated.
He was trying too hard to break the shackles in the past. This actually slowed down the process and made it harder for him to digest the divine sword and its dao. Now, he realized that time was on his side. This place wasnât so bad after all.
âIâm finished here.â Li Qiye put away the heavenly scripture and wanted to leave.
âFarewell, Great Emperor. I hope that Iâll be able to contribute to your cause one day.â The venerable bowed.
Li Qiye accepted his gesture with a smile then left.
After Li Qiye was gone, he reflected on the past. He didnât expect to see an acquaintance after an epoch. Back in Stone Medicine World, he worked for Ye Qingcheng who was killed by Li Qiye. The latter had left the nine worlds yet they managed to meet again in this place. Mulberry fields have turned into blue seas but certain things still remain.
***
After Li Qiye left the sinkhole, he met others right away - Daoist Peng and Ningzhuâs group.
âYoung Noble, Iâve finally found you!â Daoist Peng seemed elated to see him as if he was a savior.
âWhy are you here?â Li Qiye glanced at the old man.
âIâ¦â The daoist rubbed his palms together awkwardly while looking at Li Qiye with puppy eyes.
âDaoist Peng lost his sword.â Ningzhu smiled and helped him out.
âYes.â The daoist nodded repeatedly like a chicken eating grain. He hurriedly added: âIt was so strange but my ancestral sword suddenly flew out one day and I couldnât catch it. I chased after and eventually saw it flying into this placeâ¦â
He paused for a bit before continuing: âI-Iâm lucky that everyone here decided to help me get to this place, but Iâve lost sight of the swordâ¦â
He saw Aâzhi and Tie Jian along the way and they helped him get inside. Otherwise, he would have died long ago.
Unfortunately, this place was massive and he had no idea where to go to look for his sword. This was a thousand times worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack.
He immediately thought about Li Qiye. The guy was magical on top of having numerous followers. Thus, he decided to look for Li Qiye.
Nonetheless, he knew that they had a shallow relationship, only acquaintances at best. Why would Li Qiye help him find the sword in this dangerous place?
Alas, he had no other option, hence the lack of confidence in his voice: âYoung-young Noble, if you can find my ancestral sword, I will give you everything I have as payment.â
This didnât make sense either since he was talking to the worldâs richest. A daoist like him could only muster a few coins.
Moreover, mobilizing his legion to find the sword would require untold expenses. He certainly couldnât afford this.
âI see.â Li Qiye wasnât surprised by this. He glanced at the daoist and said: âFine, Iâll help you out since youâve managed to find me.â
âThank you, Young Noble!â The daoist bowed deeply after hearing this.