Chapter 153 Clarifying One's Intentions:
"That's really why!" Rong Xie felt a headache coming on. "It was just a... dream, how could you take it so seriously?"
Shen Bingsi was silent for a moment, then looked at Rong Xie: "Was it really just a dream?"
Rong Xie's heart skipped a beat.
"If it's just a dream, why does it feel so real?" Shen Bingsi continued to ask. "Why are there the Ruthless Dao Palace, the Immortal-Cleaning Platform, and even the Mirror Palace's backyard inside? Why are these places, which you've never seen before, exactly the same as in reality?"
Rong Xie couldn't answer.
Fortunately, Shen Bingsi did not press him further. He began to answer his own question: "...Perhaps those dreams borrowed my memories. That's the only explanation. But it was all too real."
Rong Xie turned his face away, his hand unconsciously pressing against his chest, feeling as if his heart was being pulled. He still remembered how he felt when he had his first precognitive dream, and he knew what Shen Bingsi meant by "too real".
“A dream is a dream, it’s not real. How can you seek reality in a dream?” Rong Xie said calmly.
As he spoke words he himself didn't believe, his tone became weak, and Rong Xie felt a dryness in his throat.
But at this moment, all he could say was that calming Shen Bingsi down was the most important thing. Once Elder Bai arrived and resolved the worries about her shattered Dao Heart, he could say whatever he wanted.
"Is that so?" Shen Bingsi's eyes became confused.
He could still clearly recall the scene in his last dream where he saw blood flowing from Rong Xie's arms, quickly soaking the grass in the backyard of the Mirror Palace and seeping into the black soil.
His hand passed through Rong Xie's body, but he couldn't grasp anything. He could only let that "future self" destroy everything and leave.
Every time Shen Bingsi recalls that scene, she feels her blood surging in her chest, as if she has been pierced by red-hot iron pincers, her internal organs churning into a mess.
Since then, he has been unable to control his flying sword. His spiritual power has repeatedly gone out of control, and the backlash has become stronger with each wave.
Left with no other choice, he used the Heaven-Severing Blade again to sever that memory and temporarily forget it, which finally stabilized his condition.
However, this apparent stability did not last long.
As long as Rong Xie is by his side, he will constantly recall the image of the vibrant person before him lying coldly on the ground, with blood staining the grass.
“Of course!” Rong Xie said decisively. “What’s real is real, and what’s fake is fake. I can tell you, that dream is just a dream. What happens in a dream won’t happen. So why do you want it to affect your reality? Do you know how serious the consequences of a shattered Dao Heart are?”
His Dao heart shattered. He experienced the five signs of decay in a celestial being and died from his body exploding.
Each one is terrifying.
As he spoke, Rong Xie became somewhat agitated. He got off the couch, grabbed Shen Bingsi's shoulder, and tried to bring him back to his senses.
“Cultivators don’t dream randomly; their dreams are often closely related to themselves. Even if what you dream isn’t real, it still represents a certain degree of truth.” Shen Bingsi remained unmoved.
"Stop thinking about it, at least until Elder Bai returns... Don't you know how to use the Heaven-Severing Blade? Use that to cut off these thoughts!"
Rong Xie tightened his grip, feeling as if he were pinching a hard rock.
“The Blade of Heaven-Slaying is useless now.” Shen Bing stared at the corner of the couch. “Before my master left, he left a message: ‘The Blade of Heaven-Slaying is nothing but self-deception.’ I’ve never seriously thought about what self-deception means. If you cover your ears, does the sound of the bell really disappear? If the sound of the bell exists, it will be heard one day. When it is heard, won’t all the results of your previous cultivation collapse? What will happen if you encounter a formidable enemy at the moment you hear it?”
"..." Rong Xie stared at him blankly. He had to admit that Shen Bingsi's comprehension was really good; his predictions almost all matched the precognitive dream.
"So, actually, I'm very lucky." Shen Bingsi's gaze fell on Rong Xie's face again, and she forced a smile. "I knew my feelings before things got too bad."
Rong Xie felt a "buzz" in his ears and then he couldn't hear anything anymore.
He had waited a long time for this moment, and he himself couldn't believe he could wait for it. But, in the Heartless Dao Palace of Zhilan Ridge, in someone else's study, he finally heard these words.
He should be happy, but for some reason, he felt very sad, a mixture of an unreal sense of happiness and the panic of losing something.
Shen Bingsi quickly stopped laughing. He bent over, covered his mouth, and coughed.
Rong Xie immediately stepped forward to support him, murmuring, "Don't say anything more, don't think about it anymore..."
"Isn't this what you wanted?" a voice inside said. Shen Bingsi's Dao Heart shattered for you; doesn't that prove he likes you too? His response is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?
"No, no..." Rong Xie released his hand as if he had been electrocuted, shook his head, and retreated to the edge of the couch until the wooden edge blocked his way. He lost his balance and fell to the edge of the couch.
Shen Bingsi was still coughing, and more and more bloody foam was seeping out from between her fingers covering her mouth.
Rong Xie wanted to help him, but he couldn't. His mere presence was already disturbing Shen Bing Si's peace of mind.
What should he do now? Rong Xie, who had been clear-headed before coming, suddenly felt like he was entangled in a mess.
Just then, footsteps came from outside, the main door opened, and Xiaozhi exclaimed, "Elder Bai, you're back?"
Rong Xie immediately stood up from the couch and quickly went to the door.
Shen Bingsi stopped coughing and looked towards the door.
"Hmm, where is Lu Yingqi?" Elder Bai's voice came. "Who's in the study?"
“Yes…” Xiaozhi hesitated.
Suddenly, the door opened again, and Lu Yingqi's voice joined in: "Master."
"Ying Qi." Elder Bai's voice became much more amiable, but it still carried the weariness from his recent verbal battle with his colleague.
“My friend is in the study,” Lu Yingqi said.
"A friend?" Elder Bai seemed somewhat surprised. "It wouldn't be Shen Bingsi, would it?"
After saying this, Elder Bai chuckled twice. He had just heard news at the elders' meeting that the mountain-protecting formation had been pierced by an unknown fireball, and a Lingjing Sect disciple had come looking for someone, saying that the fireball was Shen Bingsi.
"..." Lu Yingqi has never been good at lying, and Rong Xie could imagine his expression at this moment.
"What?!" Elder Bai's voice rose. "It really is Shen Bingsi?! Tell him to come out! He's ruined you like this, and he still dares to show his face? I'll skin him alive!"
"..."
The atmosphere outside was tense, when Rong Xie suddenly felt someone gently pat his shoulder.
Rong Xie turned around and saw Shen Bingsi standing behind him.
Shen Bingsi's lips were a little pale and she looked unwell, but otherwise she seemed normal.
"Let me go outside and talk."
“No,” Rong Xie immediately pushed him, making him sit down on the couch. He grabbed a small blanket from the side and spread it over him. “You wait here. I’ll talk to Elder Bai.”
Shen Bingsi looked at the small blanket on her body and stopped moving.
After settling Shen Bingsi in, Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the door behind him opened, and Elder Bai rushed in first. Xiao Zhi tried to stop him from behind, but failed.
Elder Bai looked at Shen Bingsi, then at Rong Xie standing in front of the couch, his hands trembling: "Good, good! It's you two! The two culprits have arrived! Rong, what grudge do you have against Ying Qi that you would do this to him!"
“Master,” Lu Yingqi came up from behind, “This is not Junior Brother Rong’s fault. The Lu family’s affairs are due to my lax discipline and turning a blind eye, which has led to the situation we have today.”
"What?" Elder Bai turned around in astonishment.
“Master often says that the ultimate cultivation of the Path of Ruthlessness is the ruthlessness of the Heavenly Dao,” Lu Yingqi said calmly. “Since the Heavenly Dao is ruthless, what does kinship and family matter? Should we choose to cover up for our family members just because they have done something wrong?”
Elder Bai was speechless after Lu Yingqi said that.
After a long silence, he sighed: "Indeed, Shang Gan is far inferior to you. If there is anyone in this generation who can prove the Great Dao of Ruthlessness, I would not think of anyone else but you."
"Ahem." A cough of disapproval came from the couch.
Elder Bai's previously calmed emotions surged again upon seeing Shen Bingsi sitting on the couch.
"Shen Bingsi, why are you coughing!"
“Elder Bai’s affection for his disciple is understandable, but to say that only Lu Yingqi can attain enlightenment is a bit far-fetched,” Shen Bingsi said.
"Shen Bingsi!" Elder Bai glared and puffed out his beard, pinching a ball of light in his hand, looking as if he was about to slap Shen Bingsi to death on the spot.
Rong Xie blocked Shen Bingsi, who was sitting on the couch, and bowed to Elder Bai: "Elder Bai, please don't take him seriously. He's just a bit stubborn..."
"Hmph." Elder Bai flicked his sleeve. "No matter what you say, I will never forget that it was you who instigated Ying Qi to investigate the Lu family's case, which resulted in an unmanageable mess! Now the Elder Council is going to thoroughly investigate our Ruthless Dao Palace. Ying Qi cannot leave this place, and he cannot do anything to disobey the Elder Council before the investigation is over. So, please get out of here immediately, don't wait for me to make a move!"
"What, do we still need to investigate..." Xiao Zhi looked at Elder Bai. Upon hearing this result, his eyebrows drooped, and he nervously twisted his sleeves.
Rong Xie hadn't expected that even with Elder Bai's intervention, the Xuan Tian Sect's elders still couldn't be appeased.
“Since that’s the case…” Rong Xie pondered, “Perhaps we can help. Senior Brother Lu can’t go out, but Bing Si and I can. For example, we can go to the Mirror Palace to gather information, or find fault with Shang Gan…”
Rong Xie was also forced into a corner and racked his brains for a solution. As he spoke, Elder Bai's expression indeed became less unpleasant, and his emotions stabilized.
"Oh? You would be so kind as to come all the way here to help?" Elder Bai asked skeptically.
“We do have a small request,” Rong Xie said.
Elder Bai looked him up and down, then snorted coldly, "Speak."
"I've heard that Elder Bai's junior brother once cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, but now he cultivates another path. I'd like to know how that senior uncle managed to have his Dao heart shattered without suffering any backlash?"
"Huh?" Elder Bai realized something was wrong halfway through the conversation and flew into a rage. "You're asking me about that traitor?!"
"Master, please don't get angry." Lu Yingqi stepped forward, blocking Elder Bai with half of his body to prevent him from getting carried away and attacking Rong Xie.
Xiao Zhi also retreated to the side in fear. He hadn't expected Rong Xie to ask Elder Bai this, so he quickly shook his head at him, telling him not to say anything more.
"Wait a minute," Elder Bai suddenly realized something. He looked towards the couch, but Rong Xie blocked half of Shen Bing Si's figure, so he couldn't see Shen Bing Si's expression. A thought popped into Elder Bai's mind, "Could it be that Grand Judge Shen's Dao Heart is about to be shattered?"
The room was completely silent.
Elder Bai suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, the justice of heaven is clear, and retribution is swift. Shen Dachai, you've finally met your match. What, even your master from the Supreme Immortal Mountain can't help you, so you have to travel thousands of miles to find my Ruthless Dao Palace?"
"..." Not to mention Shen Bingsi was speechless, even Rong Xie was speechless when he saw Elder Bai laughing so happily.
"Fine, I can help you," Elder Bai narrowed his eyes, as if Rong Xie were invisible, his gaze passing right through Rong Xie and looking behind him. "However, you must admit it yourself that your Supreme Immortal Mountain sect is inferior to my Ruthless Dao Palace! Well, do you dare to admit it? As long as you admit it, I will immediately tell you how that traitor dealt with the Dao Heart Shattered!"
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Stuck for two days [angry] This chapter dropped a large red envelope (not very big though...).
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