Chapter 156: Refining True Skills with the World’s Fire
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Lu Zi Zai, dressed in plain linen, asked calmly, “What’s the point of being fixated on appearances?”
The verdant bamboo forest shimmered vividly as the radiance of the Fire Spring illuminated his youthful, handsome face, giving him an almost ethereal glow. His presence was magnetic.
With an easy expression, he said, “Right now, I am the newcomer of the Six Rulers Sect, Lu Zi Zai, eighteen years old, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.”
Qin Ming still harbored some doubts about him and maintained a cautious attitude. However, since Lu Zi Zai admitted so freely to his circumstances, Qin Ming found it hard to dig deeper.
“So, how should I address you, Senior Brother Lu?” Qin Ming tested carefully, noting Lu Zi Zai’s earlier remarks about disregarding appearances.
“Sure, that works,” Lu Zi Zai replied with a smile.
Immediately, Qin Ming realized the young man disliked being called old, and the chosen title seemed to please him.
“Senior Brother, how did you master the Three Ruler Force? At the newcomer stage, I feel no one could rival you,” Qin Ming inquired sincerely.
Lu Zi Zai shook his head. “You can’t look at it that way. The Yuqing Scriptures, the Tathagata Method, and other techniques aren’t any weaker than the Six Rulers Heart Sutra. Don’t forget the long-lost Heaven-Severing Strategy.”
He then posed a counter-question, “How do you think my Three Rulers Force evolved?” Clearly, he was testing Qin Ming.
Qin Ming pondered before responding, “The interplay of Yin and Yang can create the heavens and earth. A wisp of purple energy emerges from the void, holding the potential to generate all things.”
Lu Zi Zai nodded slightly. “Not bad, but don’t be confined by the methods of those who came before us. What you described sounds akin to a vanished doctrine.”
Throughout the exchange, Qin Ming’s gaze remained earnest, clearly hinting at his desire to learn from Lu Zi Zai.
“I used to walk a problematic path,” Lu Zi Zai admitted. “I have nothing to teach you right now. I’m re-evaluating everything I’ve learned. True gold withstands the test of fire; so too must true skills.”
“Senior Brother Lu, your foresight is unparalleled. I can’t compare,” Qin Ming praised.
Lu Zi Zai chuckled. “Are we just flattering each other?”
“I want to learn real skills!” Qin Ming declared boldly, showing no pretense.
With a serious expression, Lu Zi Zai replied, “I’m just like you, walking the path and enduring the refining fire of the world. I’m trying to unlearn my past and start anew.”
Qin Ming was taken aback. Lu Zi Zai didn’t seem to be evading the question. If he was truly planning to abandon all his previous achievements to start fresh, his standards for himself were staggeringly high.
“Isn’t the Six Rulers path strong enough?” Qin Ming couldn’t help but ask.
Lu Zi Zai sighed. “It depends on who you’re comparing it to. At the newcomer stage, we are powerful. But as you endure the years and reach your peak, you may find that, while you can wrestle with others, you cannot truly dominate. When that moment comes, you’ll ask yourself—does this path hold up under the test of the world’s fire? Is it true power?”
Qin Ming felt a sense of resonance. He, too, had questioned himself in this way. He practiced rigorously, imagining his opponents in their strongest forms, always preparing for the challenges posed by the Secret Sect and the lands beyond.
“Are you comparing the Six Rulers path with other methods?” Qin Ming ventured.
Lu Zi Zai nodded gravely. “Yes. With our talent, we should push further ahead. Later, you’ll see how arduous this path truly is.”
He paused, then asked, “Was the Six Rulers Ancestor powerful?”
“Of course,” Qin Ming replied instantly. “He was supremely powerful.”
Lu Zi Zai’s tone remained even. “Did you know that even someone as strong as the Ancestor was once asked to become a laborer?”
“What?!” Qin Ming was stunned.
Although the Ancestor ultimately overcame that situation, it underscored the severity of the challenges faced in those times.
Lu Zi Zai added, “We must not grow complacent. There are many formidable opponents on other paths—far too many.”
Qin Ming nodded, absorbing the weight of the words. He had thought about this before.
“With our talent,” Lu Zi Zai continued, “we must walk farther and carve out new paths. Without the protection of the Ancestor, our prospects would be bleak. Even someone as strong as the Young Ancestor was nearly reduced to a laborer.”
“Is the gap really that vast?” Qin Ming frowned deeply.
“It boils down to two issues,” Lu Zi Zai explained. “First, time. We need years of refinement to mature fully. Second, the cutting-edge domains are incredibly challenging. Progress is slow, and we can already see the limits. Meanwhile, other paths continue to expand.”
Though Lu Zi Zai appeared carefree, his serene demeanor belied a deep anxiety about their path. The further he looked ahead, the more overwhelming the pressure became.
“Do you think the Six Rulers Ancestor might falter someday?” Qin Ming asked hesitantly.
“Don’t worry,” Lu Zi Zai reassured him. “He’s survived again. But everyone grows old and dies. What happens in the next era?”
Qin Ming was stunned by the implications. The conversation carried immense weight.
“Senior Brother Lu, is there really nothing you can teach me?” His desire to improve was fervent. In this era of great expansion across all paths, he wanted to grow stronger, faster.
“How many techniques have you practiced?” Lu Zi Zai asked.
Qin Ming hesitated before truthfully sharing his situation.
Lu Zi Zai frowned. “What kind of combination is that? It seems familiar. Don’t tell me you’re walking a path that leads to ruin?”
“Did you come up with this combination yourself?” he pressed.
“Yes,” Qin Ming affirmed.
“You’re relying solely on your innate talent to brute-force it,” Lu Zi Zai remarked.
“Is that a problem?” Qin Ming grew uneasy. To him, Lu Zi Zai wasn’t just a young man but a remarkable mentor.
“Historically, there have been two or three similar approaches. They all led to extinction,” Lu Zi Zai warned.
Qin Ming felt a pang of dread. Was this related to the Silk Script Method he had studied?
“Is there a solution?” he asked.
“You can either persevere until you break through or refine your techniques, discarding the unnecessary,” Lu Zi Zai advised.
Qin Ming reflected. His Celestial Light Force continued to evolve without issue.
“I believe even the Six Rulers Heart Sutra has problems,” Lu Zi Zai admitted. “It blocks progress into new, cutting-edge domains. I’ve devised a method I call ‘World’s Fire,’ which can refine true skills and reveal whether a technique aligns with one’s nature.”
According to Lu Zi Zai, every individual’s constitution varies, leading to different challenges. Any misalignment between a practitioner’s techniques and their nature would only worsen over time.
However, he conceded that mastering the World’s Fire was immensely difficult, and even he hadn’t fully unraveled it. For now, Qin Ming wouldn’t be able to grasp it.
“This is a preparation I’ve made for fresh blood in the Six Rulers Sect. I’ve successfully walked this path myself, but it’s far from mature enough to teach others,” Lu Zi Zai explained.
Qin Ming’s spirits soared. “Senior Brother Lu, please teach me your true method! I’m confident I can learn it.”
Lu Zi Zai studied him for a moment and replied, “From what I see of your Celestial Light Force, it seems you’ve been brute-forcing your way through, relying entirely on your exceptional physical gifts. While your body is extraordinary, your comprehension remains untested. If you practice incorrectly, it could lead to mental instability.”
Undeterred, Qin Ming’s resolve only deepened. He was determined not to miss this rare opportunity to learn the “World’s Fire” from such a master.
Lu Zi Zai shook his head. “You never know. There was once an old man who could lift mountains and hold up the heavens with his bare hands, all thanks to his unparalleled physical strength. But his comprehension was laughably poor. He bludgeoned his way forward, forging a path through brute force.”
Qin Ming couldn’t help but suspect that Lu Zi Zai was referring to the ancestor of the Sky-Supporting Sect. Stories described how that ancestor trained in the Fate-Altering Sutra with such frustration that he nearly tore the book apart while swearing profusely.
“Are you here to train in the River Network Sutra?” Lu Zi Zai asked with a smile. “Perfect, let’s use this to test your comprehension.”
The eighteen-year-old radiated an air of natural vitality. Under Qin Ming’s astonished gaze, the silver hue at the roots of Lu Zi Zai’s hair completely faded.
“Let’s spar lightly and exchange insights. I’ve gained some understanding myself; my mastery of the Awakening stage is now complete,” Lu Zi Zai announced, his vitality surging to an even greater level.
In the rocky area surrounding them, elders of the Six Rulers Sect—including Zhou Shi Ze and Zhou Tao—stood silently at a distance. They had cleared the area of younger disciples to ensure privacy.
Soon, a hunched old man appeared. His frame was skeletal, with sparse strands of hair on his head and only a few teeth remaining. As soon as he arrived, the gathered elders hurried to bow respectfully.
This frail figure was the first disciple of the Young Ancestor, a living relic of an age long past. His voice was raspy as he addressed the elders, “No need for formalities. Rise.”
Inside, someone seemed poised to speak.
“Say nothing. Pretend you’ve seen nothing and let things proceed naturally,” the old disciple instructed sternly.
“I’ve always been quick to grasp sutras,” Qin Ming said confidently, filled with self-assurance.
“When I first studied the River Network Sutra, I reached a full entry-level mastery within five or six days and cultivated the River Network Force,” Lu Zi Zai remarked.
“So quickly?” Qin Ming exclaimed in admiration.
Lu Zi Zai nodded. “My comprehension is even stronger than my physical gifts.”
“Well, I’ll see how long it takes me to master it and cultivate the River Network Force,” Qin Ming declared.
“If your comprehension comes even close to mine, you should be able to grasp this immature version of the World’s Fire,” Lu Zi Zai encouraged with a nod.
The secluded chamber within the rocky mountain was prepared specifically for practicing the River Network Sutra. A spring bubbled through the space, a stream wound its way through the chamber, and the lower levels connected to an underground lake. The environment was pristine and ideal for cultivation.
On a stone table lay a hand-copied book, its ink still fresh, exuding a faint fragrance. Unlike annotated originals, this version had no additional notes or insights, as the elders sought to test the disciples’ comprehension without assistance.
“This is truly a top-tier sutra,” Qin Ming murmured as he began his study. Its uses were limitless, especially near bodies of water, where its power would grow exponentially.
As he immersed himself in its practice, his entire being seemed to change. A soft aura enveloped him, teeming with vitality, as mist from the water saturated the air around him.
“Such a miraculous sutra!” Qin Ming exclaimed in awe. This technique could turn raindrops into weapons during storms and leverage the water within any living body.
Dedicating himself fully to the practice, Qin Ming gained immense insights. By the fourth day, he had achieved full entry-level mastery and successfully cultivated the River Network Force. As he performed the technique, mist billowed from his body, expanding outward and merging seamlessly with the surrounding night fog. His spiritual sense seemed to extend far into the distance.
Exhausted, Qin Ming slumped over the stone table, taking a brief nap. Even in this half-conscious state, the mist continued to spread.
In his dreamlike haze, he heard a voice and saw faint visions.
Far away, a young man appeared, his features blurred. He seemed to be under thirty and spoke, “Zi Zai, why haven’t you left yet?”
This extraordinary figure seemed to be navigating the void, commanding the Six Forces with effortless grace. Behind him loomed a colossal silhouette, bloodstained and imposing, cloaked in a thick black fog. The resemblance between the two was uncanny, but the figure exuded boundless oppression.
“Soon. I’ll leave once I’ve resolved the last of my mortal ties,” replied Lu Zi Zai. His youthful form emanated brilliance, his presence otherworldly.
Behind him, another massive figure loomed in the dense night fog, smaller than the first but equally terrifying. This shadow gleamed with golden light, its aura overwhelming.
“What is happening?” Even in his semi-conscious state, Qin Ming felt his spirit tremble.