Chapter 40: Effort Is Futile; Only Desperation Remains

Night fell.

The breeze blowing through Fanghua Garden, now that the sweltering heat had passed, carried with it the chirping of frogs and cicadas, lending the cool air a touch of tranquility. Chen Yi sat in a rocking chair in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky in deep thought. Ever since he heard news of Chen Yuan from Xia Wanwan and Zhou Wanyi earlier, he had been feeling uneasy. He had a lingering sense that something terrible was about to happen, or perhaps it was already unfolding. This feeling was inexplicable, unlike his previous encounters where he had at least some mental preparation. Yet, no matter how hard Chen Yi pondered, he could not identify what was wrong.

The eldest brother? He had already been admitted to Wuliang Mountain; even if the news had arrived two months later than Chen Taiping’s letters, it was unlikely anything had gone wrong.

His father? Even more impossible! As the commanding officer stationed at Beixiong Pass, if anything had happened to Chen Taiping, the capital would have received word long ago.

Then who could it be? Chen Yi went over the people and events around him, ultimately concluding that his mind was simply wandering.

"It seems I have grown attached to the capital and everything within the Marquis Wu’an Estate," he muttered to himself while looking up at the stars. "I didn't notice it before, but now that I have to leave for the Taixu Daoist Sect, I find myself reluctant to go."

Looking back on the nearly four years since he had arrived on the Tianyuan Continent, the feeling of living in a dream had long since vanished. Whether it was the outwardly strong but inwardly fragile Xia Wanwan, or Chen Taiping, Chen Yuan, Lin Xueru, or Du Yanqing from Xingwu Academy, they had all left their mark on his mind. They were no longer familiar strangers, but flesh-and-blood people who had become part of his life's journey. They were the proof that he had truly integrated into this world.

After a long moment of staring blankly, Chen Yi snapped out of it, a smile appearing on his young face. "I'll spend these few days wandering around the estate, and perhaps... spend more time with Mother. Who knows when I'll be back..."

...

At this moment, in the western borderlands of the Wei Dynasty, the Hexi Prefecture, which bordered the Western Buddhist Lands, was not the desolate, poverty-stricken place the people of the capital imagined. Instead, it possessed a beauty unique to exotic border regions.

There stood the majestic Hada Palace. Occupying two mountain peaks, the palace was constructed entirely from the ten-thousand-year-old ironwood found in the deep forests of the Southern Barbarians. There was the Heavenly Lake, as clear as a mirror, where one could occasionally admire the magnificent sight of water flooding the golden mountains. And, most notably, there was Wuliang Mountain, the foremost of the Daoist sects. Even in the dead of night, the magnificent dojo built upon the clouds at the summit remained radiant, like a fairyland on earth.

Yet, in a place untouched by the light of that dojo, deep within the mountain range stretching for thousands of miles, a weary, childlike voice spoke in broken fragments.

"Still... still a hundred feet to go..."

"Fifty feet!"

"Thirty!"

As the voice moved slowly from the foot of the mountain to the summit, the moonlight gradually illuminated his figure. It was none other than Chen Yuan, who had been admitted to Wuliang Mountain.

"Done!"

Chen Yuan looked down from the summit, then dragged his exhausted body to lean against a tree, gasping for air. Although the cliff face he had climbed was not overly steep and offered footholds, six full hours of climbing had drained almost every ounce of his strength.

"Is that all you've got?" A hoarse voice came from not far away.

Then, the owner of the voice appeared—a man in black, walking slowly with a limp. He was middle-aged, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and well-defined, full features. If one ignored his crippled leg, he could be called handsome. However, in the night, his figure looked like a flickering, ghastly specter, dark and terrifying.

"Bring it... bring it on!" Chen Yuan gritted his teeth, supporting himself against the tree trunk. Despite his small, thin frame, he remained stubbornly upright.

The limping man grinned, revealing a sinister smile that ill-fitted his handsome features. "What you just did was only for your second brother, Chen Yi. Don't forget, you have another brother, Chen Fan, don't you?"

"Just... just tell me what I need to do!" Chen Yuan glared at him fiercely.

The limping man paused, then clapped his hands with a laugh. "A great expression. That's it, that's exactly how it should be, hahahaha..."

He laughed like a madman, then shouted, "If you want to inherit the legacy of the 'Absolute Blade,' diligence is useless—you must be willing to risk your life! Now, pick up your blade and swing it five thousand times before daybreak. If you succeed, then just as before, I will ensure the Old Marquis does not lay a hand on your third brother. If you fail, then I will..."

Before he could finish, Chen Yuan had already picked up the blade and began chopping, his back turned to the man.

"One, two, three..."

With every downward swing, Chen Yuan gritted his teeth and counted. Even though he was utterly exhausted and his strength was spent, he persisted. Every stroke was raised high and brought down heavily, slow but powerful.

"Hmph!" The limping man’s manic laughter stalled. Watching the boy's back as he swung the blade, his own deadened heart felt a ripple.

*What a foolish boy, so attached to his kin...*

*Pity. The Absolute Blade was able to stand out among the many legacies of Wuliang Mountain, even surpassing the Heaven-Turning and Sea-Covering Daos in some respects—not because of sentiment, but because of absolute ruthlessness!*

After watching for a while, the limping man seemed to hear a noise and frowned with annoyance. Then, he vanished into a shadow.

Sensing his departure, Chen Yuan paused for a moment before continuing to swing. During those three months in the dungeon, he had learned many things. Beyond ferocity, the lesson that struck him most deeply was this: relying on others is useless; one must rely on oneself! Especially after having his intelligence awakened several times during this period, he became even more convinced of this truth.

But his second and third brothers... Chen Yuan dared not gamble. Even if there was only the slightest possibility, he would not give up. If he ever discovered that these people had lied to him—he would exact blood for blood!

...

Just as Chen Yuan was swinging his blade with all his might, the limping man had arrived at another mountain peak. He looked at the old butler of the Jingye Marquis Estate, Chen Ke, who stood behind a tree, and said with a gloomy expression, "Chen Ke, you still haven't left Wuliang Mountain?"

"Chen Ke is dead. Now, there is only Chen Ku." The old butler’s withered face was calm. His gaze passed through the trees to land on the distant Chen Yuan as he asked, "How is he?"

The limping man looked over and scoffed, "The disciple I took in is, naturally, a supreme genius."

"That is good."

With that, Chen Ku tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned to leave.

"Wait!" The limping man reached out to stop him. "Answer two questions before you go."

Chen Ku glanced at him and said with a calm expression, "Yan Hai, you know I have always been tight-lipped."

"'Tight-lipped'?" The limping man sneered. "Why don't I find those scouts to bear witness, and then you can tell me?"

*Swish!*

As soon as he finished speaking, a blade of wind grazed his ear.

*Boom—*

Dozens of thick trees were sliced through simultaneously and crashed to the ground, shattering the silence of the mountain night. Yan Hai, as if he hadn't noticed, wiped the blood from his ear and laughed viciously. "It's been years, and your blade art is still so fragile."

"It is enough to kill you."

With that, Chen Ku walked away. Watching his retreating figure, the expression on Yan Hai’s face instantly smoothed over, as if his previous ferocity and madness were all a facade. Deep down, however, he was puzzled.

*What exactly is that Jingye Marquis planning? To not even spare a child, his own great-grandson? And those scouts—they look like they came from the north. Chen Taiping's men?*

Yan Hai pondered for a while, then began to grumble and curse. "These noble families, all thousands of years old—they truly know how to scheme, not a shred of straightforwardness in them! Damn it, the people in the capital are the only ones who really know how to play the game..."

*And Chen Ke, hmph!*

Yan Hai cursed even louder. If it hadn't been for the incident at the Taizhou Mountain battlefield, he would have drawn his blade and killed that old man just now!

*Just wait. Eventually, I'll have my disciple kill you!*