Even with snow weighing down the branches, oranges still grow.
"Where's my phone, Dr. Xu?"
Dr. Xu: "Let's wait a bit longer. Shall we read magazines and newspapers?"
You Youju shook her head; their only interaction in the past few days had come to an end. Lying in her hospital bed, she watched the white clouds drift by outside the window.
For the next few days, he forced himself to sleep and sleep, but he kept waking up and waking up, and in the end he never returned to that courtyard and never saw that child.
Finally, one afternoon, when he opened his eyes again, he was in a stone chamber. In one instant, his mind was filled with the devastation of the world, and in another instant, birdsong filled the air and grass grew, bringing life to all things and quenching the parched fields.
He hurriedly left the stone chamber, unable to wait to see the child who was on his mind. Outside was a courtyard, larger and more beautiful than theirs. There were no osmanthus trees, no rocking chairs, no Yao Guang chasing birds, and no boy practicing swordsmanship.
Outside, only a thousand feet of frost remained, a vast expanse of desolation.
Suddenly, a white figure appeared in his field of vision. Not far away, on the edge of a rocky cliff, stood a tall and familiar figure. His white robes were as white as snow, and his black hair flowed like a waterfall.
In an instant, the world fell silent except for the sound of his heartbeat. Youju opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a word. The life-and-death separation of that day was still vivid in his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his longing was like a thunderstorm, pounding painfully in his heart. So he rushed forward and pulled the other person into his arms.
But they came up empty-handed.
"Gui Chen, you've arrived?" A woman with white hair and a youthful face appeared before me.
You Youju frowned, silently responding to her confusion.
The woman smiled slightly and touched You Youju's brow with a finger. A burning sensation emanated from between his brows, and then, unfamiliar spiritual energy rushed into his mind as if a seal had been broken.
"The God of War is about to descend upon the world. Take immediate rest and prepare to welcome His Highness in three years."
You Youju stared at the woman, her eyes filled with disbelief. What was going on? He had come back to the past?! And he was going to be Cen Chaolan's master?! What about Zhu Xun?! Would Zhu Xun still have to suffer those hardships?! No!
He stumbled and fell.
"Calm down."
"This is your tribulation. Return to dust, the Great Dao is thus, I hope you can comprehend it." This was a telepathic message.
After delivering those words, the woman disappeared and never appeared again, as if her arrival was merely to guide You Youju to learn acceptance amidst absurdity.
Before this, You Youju had already lived through many years, and in the blink of an eye, everything had changed, causing him to feel unprecedented confusion.
You Youju stopped, looked up at the sky, his gaze deep, filled with inquiry and condemnation. He wandered around, unable to find a foothold. Perhaps in a fleeting moment, he caught a glimpse of something, but that moment was as slippery as an eel, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
From then on, he should forget his past and only remember the God of War's master. Without the Heavenly Decree, until the prince came of age, he was not allowed to set foot on the mountain peak. The vast, snow-covered Cangshan Mountain was an endless expanse of white.
When I came to my senses, the woman had already disappeared.
Throughout history, war gods have only been born into the royal family, with a cycle of birth and death occurring every thirty years. They are born with supernatural powers and do not inherit the throne in the mortal realm.
In this world where humans and demons coexist, the heir of the God of War must enter the immortal sect at the age of three to study magic, cultivate his foundation, and eventually leave the mountain.
If a Demon Emperor were to wreak havoc, the God of War would personally take to the battlefield to protect his people. His position would surpass even that of the Emperor. If thirty years of peace were to pass, the God of War would have to sacrifice himself by sitting in meditation on the Purple Emperor Sword to increase its suppressive power. The people would love and protect him, and he, in turn, would love and protect the people.
This is both a mission and a transaction.
In the book, Cen Chaolan is a disciple of the Chaoyun Mountain Sect.
The number one mountain in the world, the number one school in the world.
Elder Guichen of Yundi Peak in Chaoyun Mountain Sect...
What makes Yundi Peak so special is not that it has only one elder, but that the person in charge of Yundi Peak has been the teacher of the God of War since the first generation of the God of War.
He only accepted one disciple in his lifetime: the heir to the God of War and a member of the royal family.
This identity... is so heavy.
You Youju was freed from her restlessness by that force, calmed down, focused her mind and energy, and sat down to meditate.
In a hazy state, his soul entered a void. In the void, he opened a door, and outside the door was a vast ocean with a boundless blue sky.
Floating on the sea surface were many crystals, clear as glass, square and wide. Inside the crystals were words shimmering with golden light, or scriptures? He wanted to see, so his body lightened, and he flew over as if he had done it a thousand times.
A wave leaped from beneath the crystal and remained motionless, yet You Ju stood steadily atop it. With a flick of the finger, each word appeared in the mind, each word imbued with meaning, as if one were there, experiencing a profound enlightenment.
He flew to an island in the middle of the vast ocean, where a towering tree stood, its branches draped with vines and lush greenery. The tree trunk was obscured by its winding branches and abundant leaves. Tiny stars twinkled on its branches, connecting and forming lines—a truly magical sight. Only one brightly colored fruit hung from the very top of the tree, completely out of place with the rest of the tree. He leaped down, plucked it, and, as if possessed, took a bite.
Suddenly, memories flooded in, filling every crevice of his mind.
He is Elder Guichen of Chaoyun Mountain—You Youju.
"The remaining snow weighs down the branches, yet the orange trees still stand tall; the frozen thunder startles the bamboo shoots, urging them to sprout."
The masters of war gods throughout history have received divine training within the sect since childhood, awaiting their destined mission—to become the next imperial tutor. As the years passed, their future selves finally arrived.
At that time, they were all just young men. They would pass on all their knowledge bit by bit, inch by inch, in order to burn themselves to illuminate this person who, like them, was born to bear a mission.
Their lives never belonged to themselves. And such people, perhaps favored by Heaven, only need to overcome one tribulation on their path to immortality. This tribulation, indeed, has been layered upon layered over thousands of years in a majestic and unchanging world.
In the secluded, cold cave, wandering souls scattered, transforming into insects, beasts, trees, and humans. Ants, mosquito larvae, mayflies, withered butterflies, cicadas, moths… defeated dogs, old oxen, swimming fish… saplings, weeds, rice stalks… beggars, wealthy merchants, scholars… He transformed into countless beings and things, sprinkling down gentle rain and bearing ripe, red fruits.
He experienced the growth of all things—wind and sun, rain and withered lotus, unmoving for centuries—standing solemnly and independently, embodying birth, aging, sickness and death, separation from loved ones, encounters with those he hated, the flourishing of the five aggregates, and the inability to obtain what he desired.
Ultimately, by transcending all things and comprehending suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, one can reap the fruit of compassion that evokes sorrow for the suffering of the people, pities all living beings, breaks free from worldly attachments, and transcends worldly concerns.
Love, hate, anger, and infatuation; joy and sorrow, separation and reunion; desire, evil, jealousy, and hatred; once willing to die ten thousand times, once in unbearable pain, once seeking but not obtaining... all these are but fleeting dust, what is there to seek or lament?
Quietly observe the moon, sit and watch the clouds.
A mere dozen or so years have passed, yet it feels like a century of rice paddies being harvested, and my heart has grown weary.
Only a wisp of his soul remained, lingering for a long time. That wisp was You Youju, who had been by Zhu Xun's side. For a moment, he had lost control and drifted aimlessly in the mortal world. Now, however, all nine have returned to one, and he can be considered to have successfully cultivated.
When Youju opened her eyes, she was already under the stars and moon, sitting alone in the courtyard.
Logically, he should have achieved enlightenment and peace of mind at this moment. However, he was unable to achieve a state of tranquility in both mind and body.
Who is he at this moment? Is he the dying You Youju from the 21st century, or a wandering soul of Elder Guichen? He can no longer distinguish which one is real.
Perhaps, even You Youju lying in the hospital is just a speck of dust in Elder Guichen's three thousand universes; perhaps, this is indeed just a dream of the unconscious You Youju.
So where is he now? Has he returned, or is he still inside another mustard seed?
He stared blankly at the red fruit in his hand, a few wisps of emotion drifting by, and before he knew it, dawn had broken.
You Youju smiled bitterly, attributing it to the aftereffects of the constant changes, wondering how strong one's mind must be to avoid mental breakdown in this hellish mode.
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