Chapter 169

: Receive and Dispatch by the Spirit
 
Within this moment, there was no word to describe the brilliance of the sword aura. The quiet and lonely artistic prospect permeated in the endless sword aura. There were the occasional fierce experience and the breath of massacre mixed within, like the clear flood waters. Even though it did not have that monstrous power and influence, but the overflowing water was still enough to cause shock one to the core.
The giant palm was condensed from Chao Xiaoyu’s majority psyche power, it was also within her psyche mind. Originally, unless it was those masters who were one thread away from powang, the rest would be hard to find such appalling psyche power.
Chao Xiaoyu sat steadily on the lotus throne, like the true body of the Goddess of Mercy as she plainly saw the sword of aura came invading. It was as though the emotionless expression had predicted that victory was hers to hold.
Shen Lian’s intention to meet her palm that was condensed by most of her psyche power on a narrow road was truly arrogant.
However, what followed next was that there were changed on the quiet expression where a stunned look was shown.
The chilling and quiet sword aura with the fierce experience hidden in it had a lingering charm that is detached from this world. It is as though it wants to restrain all the living being of this universe and they all deserve to be eliminated by it. In the end, the ‘wusheng’ by Chao Xiaoyu did not really have the true path and meaning of ‘wusheng’. She still existed, since there is a birth, then naturally it would be extinguished. The highest intention of wusheng lies in not being born, not existing.
Chao Xiaoyu had only gotten the form but did not really understood the true meaning of ‘wusheng’. Or it could be said that she knew about it but could not do it, even in the psyche world.
There are some things you know but cannot imagine it out. Or perhaps it is wrong once it is imagined because there is no reference.
The endless grey air flow spun around the giant palm, it had the highest and biggest immensity but when it faced the chilling and quiet killing intention within the sword aura, it did not put up any fight, like how the snow and ice immediately melt once it meets the warm sun. There was no resistance.
The grey air flow dissipated like dust and the illusion of the giant palm was broken.
The quietness of the space was mercilessly broken by the sword aura. Suddenly, time seemed to stop, or it could be said that it had lost its original meaning.
Once the giant pam was stabbed and its illusion was vanquished, the sword aura did not even stop as it made its way to Chao Xiaoyu.
Its thorns were absolute and cold, its martial power was brilliant as it brought along a merciless indifference that was there since the beginning of time, causing the entire mind to be plunged into this chill.
While Chao Xiaoyu was shaken to the core, she did not lose her bravery to fight back.
The lotus throne that she was sitting on now had a nine petal lotus flower flew out. One petal after another petal fought against the sword aura, which slowed it down but it could not stop it. The nine petal lotus resisted for a moment before it was broken by the absolute thorn of the sword aura.
The lotus flower was smashed into little bits of petals and it scattered around, like a beautiful painting. The sword aura, however, did not stop and finally sliced on to Chao Xiaoyu’s body.
Chao Xiaoyu only felt her consciousness being weakened continuously as she was a blur.
Afterwards, the long groaning of the sword was left inside her mind, which was exactly like the time she was in the mountains of the martial sect. The waterfalls of a thousand feet were like the galaxy being hung upside down. The never-ending thundering of the waters resounded in her mind and was so much better than any music piece that could move people, which made it hard for her to forget.
In a sudden, the sword aura disappeared and the pain stopped. Back in reality, there were streaks of fresh blood at the corners of Chao Xiaoyu’s lips. The lotus blade that was in midair was really dim, like her complexion that was slightly paled.
Shen Lian’s Dao robes swayed in the wind and the sword aura in front of him had already disappeared. He calmly and serenely studied her without that fierce and formidable sword aura. He looked fully at ease, his eyes were gentle and warm with a jade-like shine to it, which was one out of this world.
Chao Xiaoyu now felt that Shen Lian’s temperament was like the mountain after the rain, it was clean and without dust. In her mind, a saying resounded, ‘a person can dirty the water, the water cannot dirty the person, the water comes and goes, there is no dust within it’.
The fierce and formidable slaughter of the sword will have melted into Shen Lian’s spiritual consciousness, like the impurities that had fallen into the water. As the water flows it is being washed away. Ultimately, it cannot change the clear properties of the flowing water.
Shen Lian now had walked on the different path as Chen Jianmei. Chen Jianmei saw the meaning of the Dharma by grandmaster Qingyuan and got inspired. He had gotten the dharma and forgotten about it. It is like when Buddha picked up the flower and Kassapa smiled. Even though it was passed down from the same origin, but who could say that what Kassapa got is entirely the will of Buddha?
This cannot be said, it could be said clearly. It also could not be stated with understanding, only Kassapa knew in his mind.
Chen Jianmei was exactly like this by creating his own dharma. If he could outdo his master even though he did not know that he could but it was already wrong even though it appeared to be right. It is said that it is then it is when it is said it is not then it is not. However, he would not be confined to the path of grandmaster Qingyuan. He could only follow the grandmaster’s way but could not surpass him, becoming a craftsman that would do things routinely without thinking.
Shen Lian did not have Chen Jianmei’s brilliance but he combined the sword will with his own being. However, it was not his nature that actively melted into this sword will. He understood the true meaning of the slaughter which made the sword will to combine with the anger within his nature.
Like the many changing forms of water, there is the monstrous power of the flood waters and then there was the peaceful flow of the water, which caused the sword will to not be able to control him but only become a form to his original ‘dao’.
He did not vanquish and kill Chao Xiaoyu was exactly his control over the essence of the slaughter, indulgence does not mean impudicity. The freedom that a cultivator has does not mean that one can have no restrictions of any kind but to be able to restrain oneself from being controlled by certain emotions and committing actions that would go against one’s nature.
Shen Lian finally understood the last step to complete the dan path. Like the filled qi water container [1] that would overflow, one must be able to keep in balance when being filled and making oneself be able to receive and dispatch freely so that one would not skew to a side and be overflowed. Doing the opposite would mean failure on the verge of success.
Shen Lian smiled faintly at Chao Xiaoyu with both his hand clasped behind his back. He flew to Chao Xiaoyu’s side and the lotus blade put some distance between itself and him as though it was spooked.
Chao Xiaoyu watched as Shen Lian went further away. This was a massive blow to her in her entire life. This was not the difference in capability but her second guessing towards her path.
Why did she had such a big heart for the pursuit of Dao and had such rapid progression but still could not compare to Shen Lian?
During the first encounter, if Shen Lian were to fight to the death, she would still have a 70 percent certainty that she could win. Then, during the battle in the imperial city, even when Shen Lian had a breakthrough and she was heavily injured, she would still feel that Shen Lian was nothing more than a powerful enemy. Furthermore, there was not a true Dao fight between the two of them so their conflict would not be considered formidable.
This was also why she felt that she could convince Shen Lian to lend her the merit instrument. After all, Shen Lian still had a breakthrough in the end and did not suffer any injuries in the end.
This time, Chao Xiaoyu would not have guessed that someone like Shen Lian would still remember about that incident and not even give her the chance to state her conditions. During their second life and death duel, Shen Lian did not really take her seriously and dared to hone himself between life and death. At the same time, Shen Lian’s true intention was made clear, he did not want revenge but only treated her as a whetstone.
Afterwards, he was able to freely receive and dispatch. While he was able to defeat her and scarred her, which would be considered somewhat of a retaliation for what happened before, and then leave gracefully, showing that he did not want to have anything to do with her anymore. This thoroughly presented his methods, aspirations and his tolerance that was different than the tackiness of the world, while simultaneously made Chao Xiaoyu be able to really comprehend Shen Lian as a person clearly.

[1] 欹器 is an ancient water container that easily slanted and overflowed. It would slant if there is little water, enough water it would stand straight and when it’s full it would overflow.