"I'm ashamed to admit that I built this business through some dishonest means in my early years, and I truly feel guilty about it." Zhou Kunsheng gave a helpless bitter smile: "If I don't do something meaningful, I'll also feel truly guilty..."
"Let's not flatter each other like that. You've come to me for something else, right? Just say it," Ye Xingchen said.
Zhou Kunsheng hosted a banquet for him, praising him from all sides, which of course had other intentions. After going around in circles for so long, shouldn't we get to the point?
“Mr. Ye… I actually wanted to ask you about cultivation.” Zhou Kunsheng said somewhat awkwardly.
"You want to know more about why your father left? Or rather, you want to know what level he is on the path of cultivation now?" Ye Xingchen understood what he meant.
“Yes…” Zhou Kunsheng was silent for a moment: “We should have been a happy family, but my father suddenly left to pursue so-called cultivation. I want to know, what is the ultimate goal of cultivation? Immortality?”
"Immortality?" Ye Xingchen laughed: "You're underestimating the goals of cultivators."
He slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked at the lakeside, and gazed up at the starry sky.
Zhou Kunsheng's villa is located in the suburbs, half on a mountain and half by a lake, where the air quality is exceptionally good, unlike in the city, where even on a clear day, there is a thin mist in the night sky.
At this moment, the sky seemed to have been washed with water, and a Milky Way stretched across the starry sky.
"Do you know... how big the universe is?" Ye Xingchen asked.
"Endless." Zhou Kunsheng thought for a moment and used only this word to describe it.
"To explain it scientifically, with the help of various technological means, we now know that the observable universe is 93 billion light-years wide. With our current capabilities, even if we spend our entire lives, we will not be able to leave our solar system."
Ye Xingchen said, "These 93 billion light-years are only the limit that humans can observe, not the limit of the universe. So it is not an exaggeration for you to describe the universe as infinite."
"Cultivation is less about cultivation and more about exploring the limits of the universe and constantly surpassing oneself."
"I don't know what the end of cultivation is. With my current understanding, I only know that martial arts are divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Above the Heaven Realm are the Four Realms of Celestial Phenomena... After the Four Realms of Celestial Phenomena is entering sainthood..."
"Entering the realm of sainthood is merely the limit for ordinary people. The next step is to reach the Three Pure Ones and Nine Realms of cultivators. Breaking through the Nine Realms is the limit of our world."
"And this is far from the end..."
"Those who go even higher can achieve physical sainthood, transcending Yin and Yang, and no longer bound by the Five Elements... Even more extraordinary, they can shatter the void, ride the wind for thousands of miles, and roam the universe. A single divine journey can traverse countless light-years, reaching planes that humans can never reach. The universe is infinitely vast, and so is cultivation, endless and without limit..."
"I don't know what the ultimate pursuit of a cultivator is. I only know the Great Dao of the Universe, and that humanity is as insignificant as a grain of sand."
"Your father had an epiphany about the Dao back then. In his eyes, all living beings were like ants. Would you feel kinship or affection for an ant?"
"No... In his eyes, are the three of us already like ants?" Zhou Kunsheng was shocked, and his hands were trembling slightly.
"It's cruel, but it's the reality. That's right, those who have seen through the ways of heaven will regard even those closest to them as ants." Ye Xingchen said, "You and he are no longer from the same world."
"Perhaps you can't let go of what happened back then, but that's how cruel fate is. Even if you can't let go, you should try to."
Zhou Kun let out a long sigh. Yes, it has come to this point. Even if he can't let go, he should try to.
Because his father was no longer his father.
"Thank you, Mr. Ye, for clearing up my doubts... Perhaps it's time for me to let go of my obsession with him." Zhou Kunsheng slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Ye Xingchen.
"It's good that you think that way," Ye Xingchen said. "In this world, everyone has their own path to walk. He has one, and so do you."
"This is the Way of Heaven..."
Several hundred kilometers southwest of Yun City lies Xuan City.
This place was originally called Xuan County, and it had a small population and was located right next to the border.
Beyond the border, a river separates the suspended city from the border, and this place has an extremely special location, at the intersection of several countries.
Looking southwest from a high vantage point, the tallest building in Jinluo City is faintly visible.
Despite the extremely strict border security, some things are still impossible to stop. People often try to cross the border in hopes of making a quick fortune on the other side.
However, when they actually arrived on the other side, they discovered that the place that had been described as a great place to make money was actually a scam.
Of those who have crossed the border and traversed the no-man's-land over the years, only one in a hundred has ever returned.
However, despite these measures, some situations persist despite repeated prohibitions.
Although the city is small, it has all the necessary amenities. However, due to its relatively poor security, it has a large number of entertainment venues and casinos.
Many wealthy business owners come here with cash to gamble, while people of modest means bring their entire fortune in an attempt to get rich overnight.
However, reality often exposes those who try to get rich overnight to their true colors, because there are no shortcuts in this world.
Ye Xingchen drove an SUV and stopped in front of a huge rock.
The stone is engraved with the words "Xuan Shi" (悬市), and it also serves as a road sign pointing the way.
The road here is not a smooth asphalt road like those in China, but a simple dirt road paved with sand and gravel. When it rains, this place becomes muddy and impassable.
Ye Xingchen didn't intend to stop; the tire just got flat here.
If all goes well, there should be a repair shop nearby that specializes in tire repair.
Sure enough, not far from the edge of the market, there was a simple shed made of sheet metal.
"Hey buddy, got a flat tire? We're from a nearby repair shop, an officially certified non-profit shop, not far away." A bearded man walked over with a few other people.
The bearded man looked like he was from Xinjiang. Although he was big and burly, he had a kind and friendly smile.
"Could you fix my tire?" Ye Xingchen smiled slightly, though he knew it wasn't that simple.
In a desolate, sparsely populated place like this, they won't be satisfied until they've ripped you off three to five thousand for a tire repair.
He just wanted to get the tire fixed quickly so as not to delay things. He was willing to accept being ripped off; he wasn't short of money.
"Okay, no problem, brothers, let's get to work." The bearded man clapped his hands, and the men began checking the tires.
“Brother, your car has anti-theft screws on it. We can’t pry them off with the tools we have. We’ll have to take it to a repair shop. They have special tools there,” the bearded man said after inspecting the car.
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