Chapter 413 The Overbearing Spirit of Living Towards Death
Ji You's situation is different from Master Chen's. Master Chen had truly ascended to immortality. Before that, his physical body had already decayed, so he could only use a clay body to return to this world.
But Ji You's physical body is still intact, and his soul can return to his body when he returns to Qingyun.
The problem is that the reason he was locked in a state of soul dissipation is because of the mismatch between his physical body and his soul.
If we do it again, the situation still won't improve.
Therefore, Ji You can only walk using his mud body unless his enlightenment and cultivation reach the same level as his physical body, so that the two can be in balance and his body and soul can become one.
The problem is that the Dao Integration Realm is a special foundational realm among the five realms.
At this stage, practitioners need to understand their own path and clarify their thoughts, whether good or bad. They should keep what is necessary and discard what is chaotic, so as to truly achieve unity between inner and outer thoughts.
This process is called establishing the path.
However, if a person harbors obsessions, this hurdle will be extremely difficult to overcome, and if those obsessions turn into inner demons, there is an even greater risk of going astray and losing one's true self.
After a long silence, Ji You finally spoke: "I'm afraid I won't have the chance to achieve enlightenment and travel in spirit. I have a demon in my heart and can't get past the test of my conscience, which is why I chose to only train my physical body back then."
"Then forget about it."
"?"
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy looked at him and said, "That memory has become your shackle. No matter how important it is, it has no reason to exist. But it is difficult for people to forget it on their own, which is why they fall into pain. However, I have a way to help you completely seal it away during your path to enlightenment, so that you can forget that past forever."
After listening, Ji You looked up and asked, "Will I still remember my younger siblings?"
"People should look forward; they can't always look back and linger."
The old sect leader put his hands behind his back and said, "I didn't teach you the Heavenly Secrets Technique so as not to disturb your karma. In fact, if you could see through the Heavenly Secrets, you would know that neither my life nor yours, nor any other person's life or death, is that important. But if you don't make a choice, you can only descend to the mortal realm in your mortal body. But the problem is, what can you do with the cultivation of the Profound Realm? In this era of the resurgence of the remnants of the race, if you go back with this cultivation, you won't even be able to see the people you want to see before you die on the way."
After hearing this, Ji You lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, looking at the rolling darkness beneath her feet.
He knew the old doctor was right; he needed higher cultivation and to reclaim his physical body.
If that's not the case, there's no point in him going back.
The choice he has to make now is the first hurdle he faces.
After thinking for a long time, Ji You sat cross-legged and slowly placed his hands on his knees.
Upon seeing this, Master Chen, who had remained silent until now, closed his eyes slightly.
He knew that Ji You had accepted the old man's advice, but he did not agree with the views he had just expressed.
Some experiences and thoughts, whether good or bad, are all part of who I am today.
Because of them, I have become who I am today, so they should not be forgotten.
Perhaps this is what the old man meant when he said that people like them cannot see through the secrets of heaven, which is why they are in pain and confused, but Master Chen does not think there is anything wrong with that.
However, despite his disagreement, he did not stop him, because he knew that Ji You had to get through this.
Hold your breath, calm your mind, and seek your thoughts.
"When your obsession arises, I will sense it and immediately seal your memory. Remember, do not resist at that moment."
Seeing Ji You make her choice, the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy also sat cross-legged, his aura surging.
Just as Ji You closed his eyes, he pushed his arm and clenched his palm, and a beam of immortal light suddenly shot down from his palm toward Ji You's crown.
In an instant, Ji You entered a meditative state.
At that moment, an endless white expanse flashed through his mind, dragging him toward the depths of his boundless thoughts.
After an unknown amount of time, a river embankment appeared before him.
The river flows gently along the embankment, with green willows swaying on both sides, and blue skies and white clouds creating a vibrant spring atmosphere.
Before him, a group of small children were walking toward the riverbank with laughter and joy.
The one walking at the very front was a bit bigger than the ones behind him. He was very handsome, with red lips and white teeth, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Ji You.
"Brother, I want to catch some small fish."
"Don't go into deep water."
"We're right by the river!"
"Brother, I want to go too! The little crabs I was raising aren't moving anymore, I want to catch another one."
Amidst laughter and chatter, Ji You stood by, watching her younger siblings stride across the lush green grass and run towards the riverbank to play. A look of endless longing filled her eyes.
His parents died in a car accident and he was then sent to an orphanage.
If nothing else had happened, that period would likely have been the most beautiful memory in the darkest part of his life.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the hillside not far away and the upstream of the river embankment.
Before long, a torrent of water burst forth from there, surging downstream.
"The floodgates are open!"
"Hongxing Reservoir has opened its gates to release water!"
The raging floodwaters came with incredible speed, filling the entire riverbed in an instant, rolling in and reflecting in Ji You's trembling eyes.
A dozen small figures were caught off guard and unable to dodge in time, and were swept into the river.
Just then, a beam of celestial light suddenly fell from this spot, instantly freezing what was happening.
Immediately afterwards, the scene seemed to be ignited, and as it boiled, the colors began to fade, just like how a person forgets a memory, it all starts with fading.
Ji You stared intently at the scene, then suddenly looked up at the sky.
Boom!
In the vast white expanse of heaven and earth, the Dean of the Heavenly Academy was sealing Ji You's memories when he suddenly opened his eyes. With a tremor, the immortal light between his palms suddenly dissipated.
Master Chen, who was watching from the side, widened his eyes upon seeing this: "What happened?"
"He stopped me."
Master Chen paused slightly, then turned to look at Ji You.
At this moment, his body was radiating mysterious light, and the sounds of the Great Dao were constantly booming around him, indicating that he had already begun to establish his Dao.
The two instantly froze, watching as Ji You's aura began to rise steadily, rushing towards the light of the Great Dao ahead.
However, his spirit was unstable, his whole body was trembling, and at the same time, his body began to tense up intensely.
The former headmaster of the Heavenly Academy entered the Dao with the help of immortal light. Although he was refused participation, a trace of his thoughts remained with him.
At this moment, he was very confused as to why Ji You would refuse to have her memories sealed, so he waved his sleeve in the white expanse of heaven and earth.
A sudden breeze swept by, and Ji You's Dao Heart Image unfolded like a scroll, appearing before the two of them.
In the riverbed, the surging waters continued to churn wildly, and amidst the ceaseless flow of the great current, Ji You rushed in without regard for anything else.
Some memories cannot be forgotten, even if they are filled with endless pain.
Because once they forget themselves, probably no one in this world will remember them anymore.
So the most painful and terrifying thing for him over the years is suddenly seeing them again in his dreams and being asked if his brother has forgotten them.
He didn't accept the old headmaster's advice at all, but this time, he was determined to truly confront his own demons.
The icy river water was swift and turbulent, and Ji You was swimming with all her might.
At this moment, Qiqi was swept to a spot not far from the shore and caught on a tree branch. Everything was exactly as she had heard on the shore.
Ignoring the stinging pain of the river water choking him and the panic of suffocation, he swam desperately toward his sister, but he was soon submerged by the surging river.
With a snap, the tree branch broke, and the crying girl was swept away by the flood.
Immediately afterwards, the scene was repeated before the upstream sluice gates were opened: the same laughter, the same exclamations, the same rushing into the river, and the same being submerged by the river.
Once, twice, three times.
In reality, Ji You's soul trembled even more violently, gradually began to crumble, and endless pain appeared on his face.
When practitioners are in a meditative state, the distracting thoughts in their minds are magnified infinitely, and their emotions become several times more intense.
Not to mention Ji You, who was experiencing it firsthand, even the old headmaster of the Heavenly Academy, who was on the same path, couldn't help but clench his palms, his soul surging.
In other words, he was experiencing an even more unbearable pain than before, a pain so intense it was enough to make him give up on life, like having his heart ripped out.
But Ji You was still rushing in again and again, swimming towards her sister who was caught on the tree branches.
But this is meaningless, because it is only his thought, not a rewind of time.
Even if he did manage to save one in his mind, the little girl could not possibly survive.
They couldn't understand why Ji You had to go through all this pain, even when her soul was about to be shattered by her inner demons.
Finally, after dozens of attempts, things started to change.
In the icy river water, Ji You exerted all her strength, constantly swallowing the river water that had choked her, and finally managed to grab her sister's hand before the branch broke.
This was to be expected. Just as the psychologist had told him, you were so young at the time that even if you had rushed in without thinking, you wouldn't have been able to pull your sister out of the incredibly turbulent river. It's something even an adult man couldn't do. So even if you decided to change your mind, the best outcome would have been to die together.
But Ji You had also told her that a true brother should die with his younger brothers and sisters.
Now, after risking his very soul, which was nearly shattered by his inner demons, he has finally achieved his wish...
Upon seeing this scene, Master Chen and the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy's faces darkened, and they remained silent for a long time.
They understood that Ji You's resistance stemmed from her unwillingness to forget the past and her inability to erase her guilt.
But this is the inner demon; it will disrupt your perception, lead you into the abyss, and make you lose yourself, thus sinking into endless self-destruction.
Because this is something he has always wanted to do, and who would resist doing what they want to do?
As the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy watched Ji You gradually sink to the bottom of the river in the scene, and his meditative soul gradually became transparent, he couldn't help but gently close his eyes.
"His obsession is indeed too deep. If he cannot choose to forget, he can only die in the past."
"Why can't you just forcibly seal his memories?!" Master Chen suddenly flew into a rage and cursed loudly.
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy was also somewhat annoyed upon hearing this: "Even the Heavenly Dao cannot change the human heart, so what supernatural power do I have?"
"Wake him up!"
"It's no use, he's already gone with his will."
Master Chen clenched his fist: "Old dog, you're really calm."
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy didn't speak after hearing this, but stared at Ji You in the image, his brows furrowing slightly: "Wait..."
Master Chen was slightly taken aback, and then he turned his gaze to Ji You in the picture, just like Master Chen.
Logically speaking, he should have been at peace now that he had obtained the peace bestowed upon him by his inner demons, but Ji You in the picture did not close his eyes.
At the same time, amidst the white expanse of heaven and earth, his soul, which had been meditating cross-legged, began to tremble violently, as if it were constantly struggling.
On the cold, gray riverbed, Ji You, drowning, stared intently at his blurred vision, countless images flashing through his mind.
He saw Qiu Ru. At a young age, Qiu Ru was frail and sickly, suffering from chronic cough and asthma. After the Ji family was destroyed, Old Qiu was unable to afford the medical expenses and could only watch her slowly pass by. Before she even left her swaddling clothes, she had become a small grave mound.
Like her were Haiwa, the shepherd; Niu Niu, the woodcutter's son; and the disabled child that Da Zui's family had taken in.
The long-standing tax system left impoverished farmers starving, unable to even feed themselves, let alone their children—this was a common occurrence.
Then he saw many elderly people being sent up the mountain by their children. Along the mountain path, paper money fluttered everywhere, as white as snow.
The number of cultivators has been increasing, and it is common for taxes to increase year after year. In addition, more immortal estates have appeared in Fengzhou, occupying major counties and prefectures, resulting in more living graves.
He also saw a child covered in frostbite, stumbling and falling on the road under the heavy winter snow.
On the official road of the Great Xia Dynasty, countless spirit stones were being transported to Qingyun, while around the road lay thousands of starving corpses and frozen bones stretching endlessly.
That was his other choice. He changed the cause and effect of the beginning, died at the bottom of the river, and naturally changed the aftermath, causing all those who had come to live because of him to die as a result.
That is why, even if he were to die along with his younger siblings, he would not be able to rest in peace.
He saved many people in those years, but in fact, those people also saved him.
Amidst intense unease, Ji You's vision gradually blurred as another riverbank appeared before him. It was a riverbank as vast as the entire world, with surging, dark waters sweeping across the land and swallowing everything.
Countless figures struggled within, gradually drowning, just like back then.
He saw Qiu Ru, Xiao Yue'er, Instructor Cao and his group, Yuan Chen, Yuan Caiwei, and the arrogant ghost.
The same thing came rushing back, like the same questioning of the heart.
He was questioning his past, and also questioning his present.
He should have rushed in no matter what that year, even if they ended up dying together. But what about now?
Wow!
Ji You suddenly opened his eyes, waved his hand to float to the surface of the water, and swung his heavy fist to smash the icy water. His eyes flashed with thousands of golden lights as he rushed towards the illusory sky.
A cultivator's breakthrough doesn't require much physical exertion, but Ji You was already in a divine soul state and not in reality, so his breakthrough began to materialize.
With a deafening roar, Ji You, shattered by his inner demons, soared into the sky, meeting head-on with the arc of light representing the realm of enlightenment. This caused Master Chen and the headmaster of the Heavenly Academy to look up in awe.
At this moment, endless heavenly light crashed down, fiercely attacking Ji You, and his already shattered soul was instantly shaken, causing the cracks to widen even further.
Then came the second time, the third time...
Ji You continued to charge upwards, swinging his fists, and the cracks in his soul became more and more severe, but his speed did not slow down.
Until the arc of light was scattered and fell, endless feedback from the Heavenly Dao crashed down.
"The integration of the Dao has been successful."
Master Chen murmured, his eyes trembling involuntarily.
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy couldn't help but stare for a long time: "The method of living by facing death is so domineering."
Boom!!!
As the two were muttering to themselves, they realized that Ji You did not fall from the sky. Instead, another arc of light descended, causing a roar from all directions.
Ji You clenched his fist and continued to shoot upwards.
As he successfully merged with the Dao, his cracked soul had been repaired by the feedback from the Heavenly Dao and was in the process of healing. However, the collision at this moment caused those closed cracks to reopen, which was terrifying to behold.
"How long exactly has he suppressed his enlightenment level?" Master Chen's eyes were extremely solemn.
The headmaster of the Heavenly Academy stroked his beard upon hearing this: "He entered the Tongxuan realm in the early years of the Taiyuan era, which is six years ago now. In addition, before he gave up his enlightenment, he had been observing the initial Heavenly Dao in the Void Mountain. That is indeed enough to be in accordance with Heaven."
A deafening roar filled the sky, and the air surged wildly.
Amidst the howling wind, Ji You clenched his fist and suddenly struck the arc of light above his head.
Breaking through two major hurdles in a row is unprecedented in the history of cultivation in Qingyun Tianxia.
On the one hand, cultivators are constantly pursuing higher realms and cannot suppress their own realms without wanting to break through.
On the other hand, very few people possess such a powerful divine sense to support the breakthrough requirements of two major barriers.
Even though Ji You's soul cracked again, he still pressed on relentlessly, showing no signs of exhaustion.
Although his divine sense level was not high, the intensity of his divine sense had always remained at a high level.
Most importantly, Ji You's repeated punches in the void and darkness had made his divine sense incredibly condensed and vast.
With a deafening roar, another deafening cracking sound rang out, but this time it wasn't his soul, but the countless arcs of light that filled the sky.
The second time, endless celestial light rushed in and enveloped it.
Upon witnessing this scene, Master Chen and the Dean of the Heavenly Academy fell silent.
They witnessed the entire process and naturally understood the dangers involved, but they never imagined that he could truly defy his will and achieve his goal.
With a thud, Ji You landed from the sky. As he gasped for breath, his shattered divine sense began to heal, and his aura suddenly changed.
(End of this chapter)
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