Chapter 266 Night Talk on the Winter Cart 2

"Human civilization has grown and developed through the accumulation of countless experiences and knowledge, and even we witchers follow similar rules. Countless mystical theories, magical knowledge, and training are all meant to help us manipulate magic more skillfully," Wintercar continued. "However, the essence of magic may very well be in the opposite direction. The more we learn, the more easily we are bound by preconceived notions, and the fewer possibilities there are for magic."

"If accumulating experience and summarizing knowledge is the path of civilization and the path that humanity should follow, then magical power is clearly a force that deviates from humanity and is anti-civilization."

His words resonated with my past experiences.

Sometimes I feel that the limits my flames exhibit aren't my true limits, but rather the limits of my way of thinking. The reason my flames can't do certain things is because I believe I have no reason to believe I can. And I can't escape that kind of thinking.

This was especially evident when I transformed the original form of the girl Lu Chan—the National First-Class Demon Hunter Medal. When I wasn't thinking too much about it, I could easily disintegrate that silver medal into my own flames and carry it with me, but now I certainly can't do anything like that anymore. Because I've realized that it's not my own possession anymore.

The reason Silver Moon is so terrifying is that she is not bound by human thought, allowing her magic to produce many absurd and fantastical effects. However, there are some things that humans can do that she may not be able to do; I just haven't observed them yet, or perhaps she hides them very well.

Ultimately, the Silver Moon is also a sentient being and should possess certain fixed patterns of thought.

Those who can truly unleash the essence of magic may not be users with advanced wisdom, but rather blind and foolish users.

“Experience and knowledge are like a high mountain. We climb this mountain to reach the top, but the height of the mountain also determines our limits. Therefore, when a demon hunter reaches a certain level and peak through cultivation, if he wants to go further, he must overcome his limits, which means clearing away his own intellectual barriers,” Dongche said. “This step is also called ‘returning from the acquired to the innate.’ Successfully taking this step is the Great Accomplishment stage.”

"Needless to say, this step is extremely difficult, equivalent to abandoning everything that made you stronger in the past. The consequence of jumping off a cliff is death, which is like asking the person jumping off a cliff to grow wings and fly into the sky. Throughout history, countless demon hunters who have reached the advanced level have failed at this step."

"The breakthrough experience of each master is unique and cannot be replicated. If one tries to follow the path that predecessors have walked, one will only end up falling to one's death."

This is why those at the Grand Master level are called "Witchers who surpass Witchers".

Transcending the limits of what is common sense for Witchers, and climbing to the summit without stopping, he soared into the sky... I suddenly understood why Mr. Zhu said that if I only defeated Chenlong, it would seem to lack significance in Luoshan's eyes, because Chenlong probably didn't have that kind of unrepeatable breakthrough experience.

In reality, Chenlong did indeed seem weaker than Shenqiang to me; his "teleportation armor," beneath its powerful exterior, was riddled with signs of wear and tear. Perhaps Chenlong wasn't a true Grandmaster-level cultivator, but merely possessed "Grandmaster-level combat power."

Maybe Asahi also had the same doubts about herself.

“But even at the Great Completion stage, it doesn’t seem to demonstrate the infinite possibilities of magical power,” I questioned. “Furthermore, if the difference between the Completion level and the Great Completion stage lies in the obstruction of perception, then what is the difference between the Great Completion stage and the Great Impermanence stage?”

"The Great Completion level relies not on experience and knowledge to manipulate magic, but on transcendent intuition and instinct. And even intuition and instinct are not without limits," Dongche explained carefully. "To put it bluntly, breaking through from the Completion level to the Great Completion level simply unleashes the talents that a Demon Hunter could not fully utilize due to the existence of the perception barrier."

"As for the difference between the Great Completion Rank and the Great Impermanence Rank... I'm not very clear about that, but there's a saying that's been circulating in Luoshan for a long time."

"If the only unrepeatable aspect of advancing from the basic level to the advanced level is the method of breakthrough, then the existence of the Great Impermanence is itself unrepeatable."

"How so?" I asked, curious.

“As mentioned before, the Great Completion rank merely unleashes all the talents of a demon hunter. In the era of myths and legends, some people were born walking upright and speaking human language, while others experienced extraordinary phenomena while still in their mother's womb. Would you consider their talents to be the same as those of ordinary people?” Dongche seemed to be trying to find examples. “Take Xuanming, for instance, who defected from Luoshan… It is said that he was the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty thousands of years ago, and his birth was closely related to the Heavenly Bird of Destiny.”

Compared to such a person, the self-proclaimed demon hunters are nothing but ordinary mortals. Rather than being human, he is more like a born god walking in the world in human form. He was qualified to become a god from the very beginning.

"Of course, not all Great Impermanence have such bizarre origins. There are also a few who seem ordinary but later become Great Impermanence inexplicably. For example, Zhu Yi, the ancestor of the Zhu family, and Old Fist God, Willow Tree Shadow... However, most demon hunters believe that they were all people who had the qualifications to become gods from the beginning."

"And Senior Zhuang Cheng, you are the same."

"Although the age of mythology has long passed, the birth of gods may not have completely ended. There are rumors in Luoshan that you may be the new god of fire who was born among humans after Xuanming."

I?

Although I'm not particularly fond of this "origin theory," I really can't directly refute it. After all, to say that all my "power" came from my own hard work and diligent practice wouldn't even fool myself to one percent. I've possessed the power of the Great Impermanence level from the very beginning; I just haven't fully unleashed it yet, and I know this better than anyone else.

However, to say that I am a "born god of fire" is probably debatable.

I've always had lingering doubts about the origin of my superpowers.

I am probably not one of the Witchers of Mount Luo, nor the kind of naturally great person that Dongche thinks I am.

"Senior Zhuang Cheng, was my answer helpful to you?" Dong Che looked at my expression hesitantly.

I said solemnly, "Thank you for your help."

“That’s great!” he said joyfully.

Then, he showed a curious expression and asked, "However, Senior Zhuang Cheng, it seems you have other things you want to ask me?"

Why do I only meet people with such keen intuition...? I thought to myself as I answered, "Yes."

"What is it?"

As he spoke, a shadow fell over Dongche's face: "Is it related to my master?"

"No. Even if I asked you about the fortune teller, you wouldn't be able to answer, would you?" I said.

Dongche might be a pawn of the Divination Master—even knowing this, I don't intend to harm him. After all, under that assumption, he's merely a victim manipulated by the Divination Master. As for whether he'll return to the Extraordinary Sect and the Divination Master's ranks in the future, that's a matter for the future; I don't want to use a potential future to settle scores with him now. And considering our current friendly relationship, if Fufeng intends to harm him, I might even lend him a hand.

Although he didn't seem to be human—facing the unmistakably human Fuyusha, I belatedly recalled this mystery once again.

At the same time, I voiced my question: "What I want to ask you is about Asahi. When you were with us before, you were always secretly watching her, weren't you?"

"Hmm... I guess I was found out after all?" he said sheepishly.

I cut to the chase and asked, "Do you like spicy breakfast?"

Upon hearing this, he remained silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I did consider whether that was the case at first, but..."

"But?" I pressed.

“If I like her, then I think I like you too,” he said.

"--ah?"

This was probably the first time I'd ever been so wary of a boy several years younger than myself, and I involuntarily took a step back, then another.

Seeing this, Dongche quickly protested, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant!"

“You better not be,” I said.

"Actually, I don't know why I'm so focused on her. I just don't know why I feel like she's so attractive. But, Senior Zhuang Cheng, you're also very attractive to me. Uh, how should I put it..." he said, troubled. "I'm sorry... I don't know how to explain it to you. Anyway, I really didn't mean it that way."

He looked quite troubled, but I already knew what was going on.

The reason he pays attention to Asahi is probably because Asahi's jinx constitution attracts him, an external being. The reason the same phenomenon occurs in me is either because he originally admired me (it's really embarrassing for me to say this), or because the jinx constitution's collective punishment mechanism has also made me attract external beings.

However, there still seems to be something that doesn't make sense. Why is Fuyusha paying more attention to me than Asahi? The strange attraction I have should be less than Asahi's.

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but realize more anomalies and contradictions—

When I was with Asa, she should have attracted a lot of weird and strange things. And she did attract a lot of weird things, but for some reason, almost none of them were directed at her. Instead, they came at me through our relationship.

(End of this chapter)