After seeing Feng Beixuan off, Qin Shou began to comprehend the Samsara Sword Intent.
Honestly, if it weren't for Feng Beixuan's poor talent, Qin Shou would have wanted to train Feng Beixuan to fight against that scoundrel Yun Anran.
Unfortunately, although Yun Anran is a very cunning person, his talent is undeniable.
Yunzhou produced Yun Anran and then Xiao Xuan. Over the past hundred years, this small, remote prefecture has gradually come into the view of the world.
Boom!
As Qin Shou's understanding deepened, the space-time on Turtle Mountain trembled, as if a small section of the River of Time had emerged, sweeping up waves.
Guided by the sword intent in his heart, Qin Beast's soul stepped into the river of time.
Time flies like water, and waves sweep across the land.
Those were wisps of sword energy rippling in the void, cleansing one's soul.
"Where is this?"
Qin Beast's pupils widened in shock.
Before my eyes, the surrounding area was shrouded in mist and clouds, with only a raging river in sight, seemingly running through the beginning and end of time, with no other shore in sight and no way back.
Buzz!
Qin Shou took a step forward, heading upstream along the river, facing the biting sword intent that rushed towards him.
Life is like a journey against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind.
The same applies to cultivating the Tao.
At first, Qin Shou's steps were quite leisurely and easy, but when he took the tenth step, the heavens and earth trembled, the long river of time was dazzling, and larger waves rushed towards him, as if to drown Qin Shou.
Driven by a fear of death, Qin Shou stopped in his tracks, raised his eyes, and carefully observed and sensed the changes around him.
"If my soul dies here, will it awaken in reality, or will it simply die?"
Qin Shou fell into deep thought.
Unknowable, that is, risk.
The first principle of the Way of the Gou is: when in doubt, retreat first.
"That should be it."
Qin Shou nodded to himself and then prepared to leave.
Boom!
At this moment, the river of time swept even more fiercely, instantly engulfing the path from which the Qin beast had come.
"Holy crap!"
Qin Shou was stunned.
What's this?
Do you expect me to grit my teeth and keep going?
Could it be that this river possesses some kind of independent consciousness?
"Brother River, what do you mean by this?"
With a "let's give it a try" attitude, Qin Shou cleared his throat and shouted loudly.
Seeing no response, Qin Shou had no choice but to continue calling out tentatively. Once he was sure he wouldn't get the response he expected, he gave up the idea, squatted down, and reached out his hands to carefully scoop up a pool of river water from beneath him.
Qin Shou clearly felt that he was scooping up river water, but when he raised his hand, there was nothing in his palm.
Qin Shou was frustrated; he had a very bad feeling about this place.
There's a sense of unpredictability, unknowability, and impenetrability.
As the saying goes, what you can't see through is dangerous.
Therefore, Qin Shou planned to stay where he was and wait to see if things would take a turn for the better, or if there would be any time limit for entering this place. When the time was up, his soul would automatically escape from here.
But as Qin Shou waited and waited, that turning point never came.
Time was out of balance here, and Qin Shou had no idea how long he had been inside.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered the idea that one day in the celestial realm was equivalent to one year in the mortal realm, and felt a sense of fear and distress.
He feared this was all a dream, and that when he awoke, his disciples would be gone, Yi Cheng would be kidnapped and sold by human traffickers, Xiao Pang and Da Mei would be roasted, and Black Rabbit, because it was too dark-skinned, would be kicked to death in the stomach...
"Sigh, I should have known better than to try and comprehend that damned Reincarnation Sword Intent."
Qin Shou squatted on the river, looking at his reflection in the water, and was suddenly startled.
"Holy crap! I'm actually this handsome!!!"
In his terror, Qin Shou stuck his rear end out and pressed his face closer to the water's surface, trying to get a better look.
It evokes a feeling of "gazing at oneself in the mirror, unable to sleep at night," a sense of complete immersion.
The moment I came to my senses from my narcissism was because I had been knocked to the ground by a huge wave.
"Alas, how distressing!"
Qin Shou rubbed his temples, wondering if he had become so handsome that even a wave was jealous.
"Damn it, when a person dies, their testicles fall to the sky, what's there to be afraid of!"
Qin Shou stood up, stretched, gritted his teeth, and decided to go all out and charge to the very end.
Buzz!
With a single step, the river of time trembled, countless waves surged forth, containing a sword intent that Qin Shou had never comprehended before. When that sword intent struck Qin Shou, he felt as if countless moments of time were churning within his mind.
Qin Shou even had the illusion that he was getting smaller and smaller.
"Hiss~!"
Qin Shou cried out in alarm and instantly withdrew his half-step.
He squatted in place and stopped moving.
"Damn it, let's see who outlasts whom."
This time, Qin Shou made up his mind and waited where he was, regardless of whether it was just a dream.
Having entered the Integration Realm, I have tens of thousands of years of lifespan to spare.
In fact, even if Qin Shou had taken that step, he wouldn't have been hurt. He could sense it, and he also sensed that he could withstand even if he took a few more steps.
but--
"I'm not going to step on it, hehe."
Qin Shou chuckled and sat down to cultivate silently, while opening his mind to sense the flow of time around him.
Time passed slowly as we waited.
Qin Shou had no idea how long he had been there.
During this time, he couldn't help but take a couple of steps to see if it would have any effect. However, when Qin Shou realized that the surging waves were a real threat to his life, he gave up on climbing to the top of the river and squatted down to wait, idly tracing the river beneath his feet with his fingers from time to time.
The river changes shape, and fragments of memories flow through it from time to time, as if reflecting the lives of individuals.
The power of time is indeed immense!
"well........"
Ultimately, it was this unfamiliar place that broke the silence.
From the upper reaches of the river, at the end of the seemingly endless, indistinct expanse, a sigh seemed to drift slowly in.
Why don't you move forward?
His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.
"Hmm? Does this river really possess a spirit?"
Qin Shou was momentarily surprised.
Then he answered honestly:
"Replying to Senior, this junior is afraid of death."
“..........”
Qin Shou's words silenced the creature at the end of the river.
After a long while, a voice that was extremely calm, but upon closer listening, revealed a different kind of emotion.
"If you're so afraid of dying, why are you practicing swordsmanship at all!"
"Hey, he's going all out right in front of me!"
Qin Shou was displeased. Fear of death was such a perfectly reasonable reason; it was only human nature. This person clearly lacked awareness.
Not only was it not enough, but he also said this to me. What's wrong with practicing swordsmanship? Did I eat your rice?
"Hehe, senior is right. This junior will return now and abandon the sword to cultivate the Dao."
Qin Shou stood up, his face solemn, and cupped his hands in greeting.
“..........”
This statement silenced the higher-ups once again.
"Cultivators must contend with Heaven, with others, and with themselves. Wherever the word 'contend' is involved, there is bound to be risk. Therefore, whether you cultivate swordsmanship or the Dao, once you embark on the path of immortality, you will inevitably face crises and death. What you need is simply a Dao heart that is fearless of life and death, one that transcends fear."
"If you can't even do this, then you might as well not cultivate the Tao."
The being upstream in the river of time swore that this was the most he had ever spoken in millions of years.
It wasn't to teach any younger generation; I was just annoyed by some brainless people.
“That won’t do, senior. I cultivate the Dao because I’m afraid of death. Only by attaining the Dao can I have the chance to live forever.”
Qin Shou swore that his answer was entirely sincere.
This idiot will never understand that a life with cheat codes doesn't need to be defined by worldly conventions.
"You son of a bitch..."
After a long silence, the creature in the mist above finally uttered a murmur of emotion.
He had never seen such a "being" before.
Every living being that can step into this river and come here is a genius of unparalleled talent. Logically speaking, such people should have an invincible spirit that can see through the great path and move forward without hesitation.
Moreover, this place is a supreme treasure land that all sword cultivators in the world dream of. As long as they can come here, they all do their best to climb to the top. Even if there is a risk of their souls dissipating during the climb, they will still forge ahead without hesitation.
This is the allure of the Great Way.
The path is so narrow; if you don't risk your life to pave it, what else can you expect to open that "line of destiny" for you?
Are you going to climb the river or not?
The creatures upstream were somewhat annoyed.
"Senior, is there a risk of death if we continue climbing?"
"Of course there are risks. If there were no risks, everyone in the world could attain enlightenment, everyone could ascend to immortality, everyone..."
"No, I'd like to go home."
Before the creature upstream could finish speaking, the Qin beast bowed respectfully and shook its head like a rattle drum.
“........”
Silence, and more silence.
Either die in silence, or you strike in silence.
The creatures upstream could no longer remain silent, and their previously emotionless tone began to waver slightly.
"Do you know that you came here by comprehending the sword intent of reincarnation? This may be your only chance in this life to glimpse the pinnacle of swordsmanship. If you miss this opportunity, you will regret it."
"Amitabha Buddha, this junior has no regrets."
"Are you a Buddhist?"
“Amitabha Buddha, this junior is not so. This junior is merely a lowly cultivator in the mortal realm, who only wishes to cultivate peacefully in order to find a risk-free path to immortality.”
"........" "????" "!!!!!!!!!!"
Splash—
The waves surged, plunging the river into silence for a moment.
"Senior?"
After a long while, Qin Shou mustered his courage and tentatively called out.
The voice of the creature upstream, so calm it was devoid of emotion, came through.
"Do you know what? If you were a junior member of my family, I would have slapped you to death."
"Amitabha Buddha, Infinite Heavenly Venerable, Senior is truly a person of extraordinary...deepest feelings and noble character. This junior admires you."
Qin Shou clasped his hands together and continued chanting, "However, my views differ from yours, senior. If any of my clan's juniors or those around me could, like me, focus solely on quiet cultivation and a steady pursuit of immortality, I would be very pleased and would reward them."
"..........well......."
"Why did you sigh, senior?"
"I want to kill you."
"??? Amitabha Buddha, the world is so beautiful, senior shouldn't be so irritable. This junior is willing to enlighten senior and let him..."
Whoosh!
Before Qin Shou could finish speaking, the River of Time suddenly reversed, waves surged and engulfed the heavens and the earth, as well as Qin Shou's body.
"Please calm down, senior!"
The Qin beast screamed in terror.
At that moment, he was truly afraid.
I thought the other party was a big shot, and no matter what, he wouldn't stoop so low as to lay a hand on me. At most, he would just wave his sleeve and drive me out of here.
But who would have thought that even a powerful figure could have a fiery temper, and even Qin Shou's sincerity couldn't move him.
"I'm doomed, you damn system, save me!"
Qin Shou shouted in his heart.
However, no response was received.
After the world turned upside down, Qin Shou's soul was filled with doubt and confusion. He stared blankly at the water beneath his feet. He was still in the same place, and everything seemed unchanged, yet everything also seemed to have changed.
"Take ninety-nine steps, and you can leave this place; fail to take ninety-nine steps, and you will remain here forever."
After saying this, the creature upstream did not want to say anything more.
"No, senior! I want to go home! I miss my mom! Waaaaah!"
Qin Shou covered his face and wept.
"What should I do? I'm so scared! It's so dangerous here!"
"Stop howling, or I'll kill you right now!" Unless you can't hold back.
“...Mommy approves.”
Qin Shou muttered something to himself, accepted reality, and sorted out his emotions. He took a deep breath, and his eyes gradually returned to calm.
The eighty-eighth rule of the art of survival: When faced with something you can't avoid, first kneel down and beg for mercy, calling them "father." If the other party is heartless, then continue kneeling and begging for mercy, calling them "grandpa." If the other party is still heartless, then...
"I'm here!"
After composing himself, Qin Shou smiled, revealing a set of snow-white teeth. With a hum, he took a step forward and headed upstream along the River of Time.
Splash—splash—
One by one, piece by piece, the waves rolled and the sword energy poured out.
An invisible sword intent constantly enveloped Qin Shou's mind.
Qin Shou remained focused and dared not relax his guard in the slightest.
With one's soul, one treads the river of time and comprehends the sword intent of reincarnation.
Time flows slowly...
Qin Shou gradually felt unparalleled pressure.
At this moment, he had only taken his thirty-third step.
"Phew~"
Qin Shou took a breath, rested for a while, and continued to step forward.
At this moment, although he was in a spiritual state without a physical body, he could still feel as if his back was soaked in a layer of cold sweat.
How far one can travel across this river tests not only one's innate talent and physical attributes, but also one's mental potential and comprehension.
Unfortunately, apart from being afraid of death, Qin Shou was excellent in every other aspect.
Whoosh—
I don't know how much time passed.
The Qin beast's foot landed, and the waves subsided.
In the end, he took ninety-nine steps.
At this moment, Qin Shou was already exhausted to the point of collapse.
But he remained steadfast in his position, alert and vigilant, not daring to relax for a moment.
"Huh! It actually managed to take ninety-nine steps!"
Qin Beast: ..........? ? ? ? ?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com