Chapter 636: A Sentimental Heart, Merciless Spells

　　Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

　　After listening, Shen Lian pondered briefly and said casually, “actually, it does not matter whether he is alive or not. The past is like a veil of cloud and smoke; besides, Ruoxi you have underestimated your uncle’s ability.”

　　Ruoxi had doubts. After some brief perceivement, she noticed that although her uncle was within a stone’s throw from her, it felt as if he was at the far end of the world, incomprehensible and elusive.

　　Her attainment at that time would be considered great. Having survived a near-death experience, her attainment has far surpassed what it was before. And yet she discovered the significant gap in power between her and her uncle. Only then she knew that the reason she was worried about whether Yanxu lived was because she had perceived her uncle’s situation through past perceptions.

　　After Ruoxi’s near-death experience, Shen Lian held a small Devotion Ceremony to celebrate. Then he wandered around the Five Peaks of Qing Xuan, he took no heed to avoid fellow disciples and doyens. This affirmed the legend that the Headmaster of Taishang was easy-going.

　　Moreover, Shen Lian’s every little move represented a profoundly abstruse law of heaven and earth. Those disciples did not need to ask Shen Lian about the difficulties in cultivation. Having only seen him, many of the difficulties of cultivation had already shown signs of resolving.

　　As The Book of Dao said:

　　The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way; The names that can be named are not unvarying names; it is the mystery of mysteries, the gateway to spirituality.

　　Therefore, in their eyes, Shen Lian was like the sky, the earth, the seas, everything; and yet, nothing.

　　However, Chen Jinchan felt it slightly weird. He only sensed that the honored master was weaker than when he first returned, but yet he seemed stronger.

　　In actuality, his perception was not wrong. Shen Lian stripped himself of the mark of Shangqing’s Primordial Spirit and dissolved it in the Painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale – giving the newly shaped magical talisman of infinite possibilities. At the same time, it enabled him to break away from the vestiges of the Supreme Art of Spiritual Enhancement in The Mastery of Senses for the first time.

　　In terms of individual strength, he has indeed weakened. But it was also the beginning of his attempt in purging himself of some of the shadows that these great people shed on him.

　　He dared not say that he was already his own man, but this step was inevitable. Regardless of whether the shadows of those great people brought good or bad to him, it would not have been as valuable as being purely himself.

　　Once there was a sage with a single bamboo dish of rice, a single gourd dish of drink. While others could not have endured the distress, he did not allow his joy to be affected by it. The reason being the sage had obtained self-liberation, and had rid himself of the various false pleasures derived from external materials; and was spiritually satisfied. That was not happiness on a false pretense/faked happiness, but it was a pleasure derived from freedom.

　　After experiencing the baptism of his state of mind towards the secular and monastic life, Shen Lian vaguely felt those stages. It was that he had too much to bear, hence, it was too early to say that he was completely relieved.

　　Finally, with ten days left to the Longhua ceremony, Shen Lian disappeared from Mount Qingxuan. No one knew that he had left.

　　The bright moonlight followed the clear waves outside Tianmen Straits. After a thousand years, he, Shen Lian, has once again reached the mountain gate of the Xuantian Sect.

　　At that time, there was a ferryman from the Underworld Demon Sect who steered the boat for Zhao Xiaoyu and him. And now he was alone, as he stared blankly at the water.

　　However, he did not immediately cross the water. He merely stood silently by the waterfront and looked as the moonlight changed into wafting smoke, dancing gracefully. Lastly, a sampan has arrived through the shuffling waves. A young man stood at the bow of the sampan, looking towards Shen Lian’s direction.

　　In an instant, the sampan paused before Shen Lian. The young man took on an inviting pose.

　　Shen Lian smiled and said, “Qingyi, I have said that you would prove to be formidable, it seems that I was indeed not wrong.”

　　Song Qingyi said, “had it been someone else who told me that, I would have taken it seriously. But for you to say this, Shen Lian, it sounded more like sarcasm.”

　　Shen Lian laughed as he boarded the sampan.

　　The sampan did not have a hull, nor was there any oars; but it steadily broke through the winds and the waves. In the melodious waves, it sailed like an arrow.

　　Somewhere along the way, the boat paused. Song Qingyi pointed at a mark on the side of the boat and said, “the year I kept your Five Elements Magical Sword, I sunk it here. It will return to its rightful owner tonight.”

　　“It seems that Qingyi had always believed that I would return.”

　　Song Qingyi pointed at the surface of the water and a magical sword immediately leaped out of the surface and fell into his hands. He sighed, “I had always hoped that this day would not happen, but matters in the world were often contrary to what one had hoped. Maybe some would always get their way with things, but that would never be me.”

　　With his hands behind his back, Shen Lian fixed his eyes at the depths of Tianmen Straits, where the moonlight was clear, with wafting smoke and water.

　　He did not answer Song Qingyi’s words. Instead, he said, “by building that tower for Xiaoyu, Zhenren Xiangshan did not ill-treat her; but I know that she has always been one to dislike being restrained. To have such boundless nature, she could never fare against the preciousness freedom could offer. She has indeed suffered.”

　　Song Qingyi smiled bitterly and said, “My master could not just watch Zhao Fairy accept the fate of heaven and earth upon herself. Otherwise, fulfilling her would disappoint every living being.

　　Shen Lian smiled and said, “that is why the Laws of heaven is incomplete, there will always be someone who would have to suffer. But the reason you and I cultivated, was it not to lessen our sufferings?”

　　After that, the Five Elements Magical Sword leaped from Song Qingyi’s hands. It was ecstatic to be reunited with his old owner. The groaning of the sword was clearly audible.

　　It was that:

　　In a cold chilly environment, a tune could be heard; it sounded like the chimes of accessories, but also like the deafening roar of a dragon; in reality, it was a weapon capable of controlling the life and death.

　　Shen Lian continued, “go, my sword.”

　　Song Qingyi has yet to come to himself, the Five Elements Magical Sword flew towards the ancient tower like a dragon’s roar. The moonlight turned into smoke and dissipated. Only a glimpse of multicolored ray was seen breaking through the ancient tower. Only sounds could be heard from the collapse of the ancient tower, producing unlimited smoke and dust.

　　The Five Elements Magical Sword had passed the most magnificent journey of its life, reverting to the laws and vanished from the world.

　　Song Qingyi regretfully said, “It’s a pity, this sword.”

　　Shen Lian remained silent but did not show any sign of pity. How powerful was Lu Jiuyuan’s divine restriction, he had to retain his own strength to deal with Lu Jiuyuan. He could only sacrifice his beloved sword of a millennium years ago. That was also the most brilliant ride of the Five Elements Magical Sword.

　　Until that moment, it was only clear to Song Qingyi that night’s challenge was probably the biggest challenge his honored master had ever faced. For several millenniums, Lu Jiuyuan has dominated the seat of the strongest Demon King. Numerous warriors came and left, like a school of silver carps moving down a stream. However, there were no exceptions; not one was able to shake the honored master’s position.

　　And now Shen Lian has finally come, he was not the warrior that came to challenge the Demon King, but another Demon King.

　　To sacrifice the sword he had forged himself, a sword he held dear, to break through the ancient tower. It deeply reflected Shen Lian’s undeniable scariness at that time. With a sentimental heart, he casted merciless spells. It even declared that Song Qingyi’s strategy to move him with his emotions at that night a failure.

　　Song Qingyi had always believed that Shen Lian was a person who cared about long-standing relations. But not a shred of flaw could be found in Shen Lian that night, just like the full moon that hung in the sky.

　　The sampan continued to sail towards the depths of Xuantian Sect. Both were silent, with Song Qingyi not knowing what to say, and Shen Lian not having to say anything more.

　　The boat was already out of Song Qinyi’s control. Slowly it flew from the surface of the water. Throughout that process, there was no sound from the friction with the water surface.