Chapter 128 The Path of Ruthlessness
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Then, the Emperor was sent to the Shangqing Palace to seek enlightenment from the Divine Lord Yuzu. The two often went to see Xiao'ao together, mainly because Yan Lingxi wanted to see him, but Duan Chenzhang did not approve of this behavior.
“Since we’ve sent him off, we have to be firm. He’s a boy, and he’ll have to stand tall and be strong when he grows up. He can’t always be afraid of getting hurt. A strict teacher produces outstanding students. If we keep coming to see the child, it’s not good for the teacher to raise him properly.”
Yan Lingxi said, "If that's the case, why are you holding him? Just throw him on the ground and let him crawl on his own!"
Duan Chenzhang spoke harshly, but in reality, he did care for Xiao Ao.
He had never taken human form. His master said that his innate talent was too poor, so he could only cultivate using a clumsy method: carrying stones from the foot of the mountain to the top every day. This was to temper his will and also to remove impurities and absorb spiritual energy.
When Duan Chenzhang first saw Xiao Ao carrying stones up the mountain, he thought his master was bullying him. Before Yan Lingxi could speak, he started arguing with Yu Zu Shenjun.
Yan Lingxi said, "Why don't you say now that a strict teacher produces outstanding students?"
Duan Chenzhang held on tightly, stroking the little turtle's paws, and said, "Your limbs are all bleeding from the friction. Isn't this torture? Suffering and torment are two different things. Enlightenment is about cultivating one's character. I wonder if he knows how to teach it!"
Yan Lingxi chuckled and said, "You know how to teach? As the saying goes, each disciple needs a different teaching method. Yu Zu Shenjun is a highly respected elder of the immortal sect. How could he be less skilled at teaching disciples than you? Besides, are you confused? The Ao Clan has no sense of pain, so how could they feel pain?"
"But I feel pain for him, he's too small."
Xiao Ao was stubborn; after resting in Duan Chenzhang's arms for a short while, it tried to climb out.
He longed to transform into human form as soon as possible, to achieve something great, and to become an asset to his sister and brother-in-law.
They worked so hard, always going into battle alone, without the support of their clan, and still having to take care of their good-for-nothing younger brother while exhausted.
But he was really clumsy. He was the only one in the entire Shangqing Palace who didn't even know how to do breathing exercises. He gradually became anxious, withdrawn, and even resorted to all sorts of extreme measures.
"Why cultivate the path of ruthlessness?!"
Three years later, the Emperor, who had secretly used forbidden methods to cultivate, finally took human form. Yan Lingxi was already pregnant with Duan Jiuyou at that time, her belly slightly protruding. She hurriedly walked up to Xiao Ao and questioned, "Who told you to use this method to cultivate?!"
This method wasn't taught to him by his master; he secretly practiced it himself. When the Divine Lord Yu Zu discovered this, he put him in confinement. However, he continued to practice even during his confinement, so the Divine Lord Yu Zu had no choice but to invite him and his wife over.
Xiao Ao said, "Shouldn't you be happy for me, sister? No matter what method you use, as long as you can take human form, that's fine, right? Now that I have a human body, I can go to war with you in a few years."
"But this method could very well harm you!"
The Path of Ruthlessness, like the Path of Demons, is a technique that severs all emotions and love. The boundary between the two is blurred, and the slightest deviation will lead to an abyss of no return.
Xiao Ao said, "My physical constitution is too poor, and only this method can help me achieve quick results."
"So what if you're not good enough? The Ao clan has long lifespans, giving you plenty of time to improve. Why be so impatient for quick success?!"
"Sister, are you finally admitting that I have poor aptitude?" Xiao Ao said self-deprecatingly, "Everyone says that you and brother-in-law are the most valiant and skilled generals in the Heavenly Realm, but I am just a piece of wood. Even if I try hard to carve me, I will still be a piece of rotten wood that cannot be presented on the stage! Is it wrong for me to want to work hard to improve and become stronger?!"
"Who said that about you? Who said it?!" Yan Lingxi was furious and immediately wanted to settle accounts with those people.
"So what if it's someone else?" Xiao Ao retorted loudly.
He had just entered the path of ruthlessness and had not yet developed a cold and indifferent nature. On the contrary, his excessive suppression of himself gave rise to rebellious and violent tendencies.
"Aren't they telling the truth? Even if we find them, what then? After you leave, I'll just become the weak and incompetent person they always talk about. I don't want to hide behind you and my brother-in-law when I'm wronged. Only by becoming strong can I truly shut those people up!"
"No one is stopping you from becoming stronger!" Yan Lingxi said. "We're just reminding you to pay attention to your methods. Besides, who doesn't face criticism and accusations in life? Why prove yourself to fools? You should live as yourself, not as others see you!"
Duan Chenzhang sighed and said, "Xiao Ao, why don't we go home? Your brother-in-law will guide you in your cultivation."
Where there are people, there are conflicts. When he sent Xiao Ao here, he didn't consider whether he could fit in. The people who said those things may not have been targeting Xiao Ao.
He and Yan Lingxi advanced too quickly and their brilliance was too great, which had already aroused the dissatisfaction of the gods, both openly and secretly. Since the people of Shangqing Mountain were all disciples of the gods, they dared not compete with them in person, so they ostracized Xiao Ao behind their backs.
...
Han Ling, speaking from the sidelines, lamented: "I understand this feeling all too well. Back then, some immortals also took me into their sects. The immortal disciples were friendly to me on the surface, but behind my back, who didn't say that I was a monster with a rabbit head and a human body? Racial discrimination, social status, and innate talent and intelligence all determined how they treated us."
Duan Jiuyou shook his head.
She knew it wasn't; it was the emperor's own inner demons. His parents were too outstanding, while he alone was ordinary. If he hadn't developed his intelligence, he would have been content with a mediocre life as just a little turtle burying its head in grass. But he had developed intelligence, and with envy and jealousy, coupled with the embellishment of others, this mentality was further amplified.
Looking again, Xiao Ao indeed refused, saying, "Why do you need to cultivate? You are born extraordinary, born into human form, and have never learned the method of Qi cultivation. You do not need to suffer the hardships of cultivation. How can you teach me something you have never experienced yourself? If it weren't for that, you wouldn't have sent me to Shangqing Mountain in the first place."
He insisted on staying in the mountains to cultivate, and Yan Lingxi couldn't persuade him otherwise. She even planned to build a house in the mountains just to keep an eye on her younger brother. The Emperor couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only promise not to enter the Path of Heartlessness again. However, Duan Jiuyou could see from the Emperor's eyes that he had no intention of giving up.
He would pretend that after that day he would indeed obediently follow his master's teachings and start practicing asceticism again, thus coaxing his sister and brother-in-law to believe him.
Duan Chenzhang intended to observe for a period of time, but due to the demonic spirit's intrusion into the Heavenly Realm, he had to focus his energy on the war.
Han Ling fell into demonic possession and became the new lord of the demonic path. Demons and monsters wreaked havoc everywhere, causing great calamity not only in the Heavenly Realm but also in the demon race and the human realm.
Duan Chenzhang was busy all day long, while Yan Lingxi was alone at home preparing for childbirth. Duan Chenzhang felt guilty and, when he finally came back, he was amused by his wife who could eat and sleep well.
She was asleep on a recliner in the courtyard. Her belly was already quite big, and her sleeping posture was rather unrestrained. One foot was on the footstool, and the other leg was stretched out. She was holding a red fragrant fruit that had been bitten a few times in her hand. One cheek was bulging out. She had fallen asleep without finishing chewing it.
He approached quietly, and she suddenly opened her eyes, chewing on a fruit she had been holding in her mouth for who knows how long, and said, "Finished?"
Where can we possibly finish fighting?
The ruthless eating immortals turned the entire Heavenly Realm into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, but he was unwilling to tell her about these things, only saying that it would be over soon: "It will be over in a few more days. Have you been eating well lately? I was worried that you would feel uncomfortable at home alone and would not be able to eat."
She feigned a complaint: "You've been gone for six months, and I thought I'd be missing you terribly, but I never expected my appetite to be so good. I'm even dreaming about eating. Especially these sweet and sour fruits, I can eat half a basket of them at a time."
In fact, Yan Ling suffered from severe morning sickness during her pregnancy, barely making it through the most difficult three months before things stabilized in the later months. But not wanting Duan Chenzhang to worry, she didn't mention her own hardships, instead looking at him and asking, "But what about you? How badly are you injured? Does it hurt a lot?"
A month ago, Emperor Jiang Zhan entered the calamity and "borrowed" the Bone of Painlessness from Duan Chenzhang. Duan Chenzhang was no longer invincible, lost his "armor," and gained the ability to feel pain.
Duan Chenzhang asked Yan Lingxi with a smile, "Who told you I was injured? I'm perfectly fine."
“Even if you recover, it’s only because the Ao Clan heals quickly. Han Ling is no ordinary demon. When you fight him, you will definitely be the one charging ahead. In the past, I could share the burden with you, but now that you have a child, you can only bear it alone.” She then said with resentment towards the Emperor, “If it weren’t for him taking your painless bone, you wouldn’t have suffered so much.”
"He is the sage of his clan. Protecting him is protecting the Heavenly Realm. Moreover, with the emergence of the demon, although I am skilled in battle, I can only serve as a shield. Subduing the demon will require the combined efforts of the Emperor and the gods. If he cannot survive the great calamity, then no one will be able to suppress the demon."
Yan Lingxi shook her head and said, "I don't have that much sense of righteousness in my heart. I just feel sorry for you and can't bear to see you in pain."
Duan Chenzhang sat down next to Yan Lingxi, kissed her cheek and said, "Of course I know you feel sorry for me, but I owe him too much and I have to repay him. He was the one who brought me out of the deep mountains, and everything I have now is thanks to him. When I was young, I tried to cultivate magic and almost went into a demonic state. He spent ten thousand years of his cultivation to guide me back to the right path. Giving him my divine bone is a way of repaying his kindness."
"Did he say these words to you? As an emperor, you use kindness as a bargaining chip. If you want to repay him, you have fought for him in all directions and answered his call every time. Isn't that enough to repay his kindness?"
As Yan Lingxi spoke, she took a heavy bite of the red fragrant fruit, as if she wanted to chew up these injustices.
She said to Duan Chenzhang, "To tell you the truth, I have been feeling uneasy lately. After your spirit bone left your body, you only have three lives left. You must not fight as desperately as before. Before fighting, you must think of me and the children first. The three of us must be together."
A heavy look flashed in Duan Chenzhang's eyes. He couldn't bear to tell Yan Lingxi that he had already died twice in previous battles and now only had one life left.
He just smiled and pinched her cheek, saying, "This fruit is very sour, eat less of it, or it will upset your stomach. I'm afraid I'll be going to war again in a few days after I get back. I've chosen a name for the child, what do you think of these two characters?"
He wrote two words in her palm, and Yan Lingxi looked up: "Jiuyou?"
"Yes, Jiuyou." Duan Chenzhang's eyes were filled with love as he affectionately stroked Yan Lingxi's belly.
"After the invasion of evil spirits, the heavens became chaotic and unclear. I want to restore this pure land before my child is born, so that she can roam freely in the heavens."
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