Lu Xiaochan looked at Ling Nianwu and smiled helplessly. “I can hide for a while, but not forever. Moreover, that person is in my heart, there’s no way to avoid them.”
Ling Nianwu stood there, stunned.
Lu Xiaochan entered the quiet room and lit the incense of the Tailing Pavilion, then began consulting ancient medical texts.
He believed that the sect’s founding ancestor, True Lord Qingyuan, must have left some medical incantation that could eliminate the evil in one’s heart and heal both body and mind.
Several days later, Ling Nianwu told Lu Xiaochan, “Do you know that Yang Cang has already broken free from the suppression of Nanli and Xiyuan Sword Master, and has rushed to the Tailing Pavilion.”
Lu Xiaochan’s fingertips trembled, but his gaze didn’t leave the medical text.
“What invaded Yang Cang’s body wasn’t a Demon Lord, but the Evil God Chaos!”
Only then did Lu Xiaochan widen his eyes and look at Ling Nianwu. “How… how is that possible? Evil God Chaos was forced out of the Dongxu Sword Master’s body by Yang Cang!”
“After Chaos was injured, it never left Wuyi Jingtian! The most dangerous place is the safest place! While the four sword sects were searching for it, it was hiding right under Yang Cang’s nose!”
“This… how is this possible! If it was hiding in the Wuyi Jingtian, how could Yang Cang’s ‘Spirit Discernment’ technique not sense it…”
Lu Xiaochan suddenly realized that Evil God Chaos must have been hiding inside the Nine Heavens Pure Lotus, a magical artifact in Wuyi Jingtian!
Just as Shu Wuxi had used the Nine Heavens Pure Lotus to protect Lu Xiaochan, Evil God Chaos had used it to conceal itself!
“Xiaochan! Xiaochan, what’s wrong?” Ling Nianwu pushed Lu Xiaochan’s shoulder.
Lu Xiaochan slammed his fist on the table. “Evil God Chaos used me!”
“He used you? How did he use you?”
“I always wanted to go home… It was me who made Shu Wuxi feel insecure, feel unsatisfied… Every time I said I wanted to leave, it created an obsession in his heart…”
The more one cares, the harder it is to let go, the more one must possess it, the deeper the obsession becomes.
Throughout history from ancient times until now, all the sword masters of Wuyi Jingtian had no desires, precisely because having nothing in their hearts allowed them to reach the pinnacle.
But… Shu Wuxi wanted him.
Shu Wuxi had Lu Xiaochan in his heart, but didn’t know how to keep Lu Xiaochan by his side, didn’t know how to make Lu Xiaochan love him as he did, how to make him willingly stay.
Shu Wuxi, who grew up alone in Wuyi Jingtian, had never been taught how to treat someone he loved.
This was what caused Shu Wuxi’s anxiety and insecurity.
He didn’t know how to say sweet words, didn’t know how to express himself, wasn’t worldly or smooth…
Lu Xiaochan covered his face with his hands, tears streaming down.
Shu Wuxi, you big fool!
I, Lu Xiaochan, have liked many things in this life, and I could let go of each one.
Only you – asking me to let you go would be like taking my life!
Why do you need to be so obsessed?
Lu Xiaochan wiped away his tears and continued studying the medical texts with single-minded focus.
He had to save him.
If your obsession is me, then I’m the only one in this world who can save you!
Soon after, news came of Kunwu and Shu Wuxi’s battle at the Xiyuan Immortal Inquiry Platform.
It was said that for this duel, only the sword masters from Xiyuan and Nanli Jingtian could watch, no others were allowed.
Some said it was because Kunwu would surely lose, and to save face for the Tailing Pavilion, they didn’t want Kunwu to look too bad.
But Lu Xiaochan knew it was to hide from the world’s immortal sects – if they knew Yang Cang had been possessed by evil, it would cause far more panic than when the Dongxu Sword Master was invaded by Chaos.
Kunwu was defeated by Yang Cang, an outcome that held no suspense.
But the dispute between Yang Cang and the Tailing Pavilion hadn’t ended, because Kunwu refused to hand over his junior brother Lord Liche, even unto death.
The world speculated about how Liche had offended Yang Cang.
Some said it was because Liche was stubborn and had damaged a magical artifact of Wuyi Jingtian.
Others said Liche had secretly read some restricted scrolls in the sword pavilion, so Yang Cang had to kill him.
The sword masters of Xiyuan and Nanli Jingtian went up to Wuyi Jingtian again, each bringing their sword master disciples.
At that time, Xiyuan’s sword master disciple was Haofu, while Nanli Jingtian’s sword master disciple was Miaochen.
Lu Xiaochan knew this wasn’t for mediation, but for a death battle with the Evil God Chaos inside Shu Wuxi’s body.
If they lost, the Wuyi Sword Sea would surely fall.
The various sect leaders looked up and could glimpse the Wuyi Sword Sea churning restlessly, transforming into a giant qilin, roaring as if it would swallow Wuyi Jingtian in one bite.
Rumors spread that Evil God Chaos was hiding within Wuyi Jingtian, and Sword Master Yang Cang had drawn the Wuyi Sword Sea into a sword formation to completely refine Chaos.
Only Lu Xiaochan knew that the giant qilin wasn’t subduing Chaos – rather, Chaos was using Shu Wuxi to control this sword sea, intending to crush the allied sword masters of Xiyuan and Nanli who were opposing it.
The Xiyuan Sword Master borrowed the mountain spirits of Wuyi Jingtian, while the Nanli Sword Master borrowed the fierce power of the blazing sun, their twin swords blocking this fierce qilin.
This collision shook heaven and earth, the tremendous force scattering in all directions, the spiritual tremors causing cracks even in the glaciers of the Northern Sea.
But this wasn’t the end – the qilin dispersed and returned to the sword sea.
Everyone speculated that Yang Cang must have subdued the Evil God, and they all breathed sighs of relief, nearly setting off firecrackers in celebration.
But the sword sea raised towering waves that came crashing down, and the Xiyuan and Nanli sword masters formed a sword formation as a shield to block these fierce waves.
For three full days, the sword sea didn’t rest.
Looking up, one could see the low-hanging sword sea intertwined with thunder and lightning, as if the entire sky would come crashing down.
Many commoners relocated their families, wanting to flee as far away as possible.
Ling Nianwu came to the quiet room and said to Lu Xiaochan. “You should pack up, let’s leave this place immediately!”
“If the Wuyi Sword Sea falls, where can we escape to?”
“Of course there are places! I’ve calculated before – the Sunken River north of the Northern Sea and the Hopeless Ravine of Xiyuan are both places the Wuyi Sword Sea cannot reach.”
Ling Nianwu was about to pull up Lu Xiaochan, who was still studying the medical texts.
Lu Xiaochan smiled faintly. “Nianwu, everyone else can flee, but I cannot.”
Ling Nianwu bit his teeth, suddenly gathered spiritual energy and knocked the incense burner from the table to the ground, shattering it.
“Yang Cang! Yang Cang! Yang Cang! If you won’t save yourself, who can save you!”
Ling Nianwu’s eyes turned red.
Outside the quiet room, there was chaos as everyone packed their belongings.
“Chaos has completely controlled Yang Cang! Back then, even when Yang Cang deployed the ‘Question Heaven’ formation, he only forced Chaos out of the Dongxu Sword Master’s body! But what good did that do – the Dongxu Sword Master still perished from having its essence drained! And after death, his reputation was ruined! What good will it do even if you search through all the ancient medical texts!”
Lu Xiaochan’s brows furrowed. “I know what you want to say – that our sect’s founding ancestor True Lord Lingyuan died at the hands of Evil God Chaos.
If the Tailing Pavilion really had a method to purify Chaos, True Lord Lingyuan wouldn’t have perished.”
“You know… yet why do you persist?” Ling Nianwu asked.
Lu Xiaochan clenched his fist, then slowly released it. “Some things are done knowing they cannot be accomplished.”
Ling Nianwu fell silent and sat down beside him.
“You’re not leaving?” Lu Xiaochan asked.
“Not leaving. I’ll stay here with you. In case you regret it, I can still take you away on my sword.”
“What if I don’t regret it?”
“Then I won’t regret it either.” There was a hint of stubbornness in Ling Nianwu’s voice.
Lu Xiaochan shook his head helplessly, unable to hold back a laugh.
He lowered his head to clean up the shattered incense burner, and only then noticed someone had used spiritual energy to engrave a line of small characters on the inside.
— All worldly obsessions arise from nothing, and nothingness gives rise to existence.
“What’s wrong?” Ling Nianwu raised his chin, “At worst I’ll buy you a new incense burner!”
But Lu Xiaochan remained motionless in that position.
Just as Ling Nianwu was about to bend down to help him clean up, Lu Xiaochan suddenly stood up.
“I understand now!”
“Understand what?”
“I understand how to force Chaos out of Yang Cang’s body!”
Lu Xiaochan was excited, pulling Ling Nianwu’s arm, almost jumping up.
“What do you want to do?”
“All worldly obsessions arise from nothing, and nothingness gives rise to existence!” Lu Xiaochan showed Ling Nianwu the fragment of the incense burner.
“What does that mean?”
“Obsessions cannot be eliminated! Even pursuing the state of ultimate emptiness with nothing in one’s heart is an obsession! This is why throughout history, no sword master of Wuyi Jingtian, no matter how outstanding they were among the sword masters, ever achieved godhood! Because godhood is the end of obsession! Yet Chaos has the title of ‘god’ precisely because it is obsession itself!”
“I… I think I understand what you mean… but even so, how will you purify Yang Cang’s heart sea and level his obsessions?”
Ling Nianwu spread his hands.
Lu Xiaochan paused, not answering him directly. “Since existence arises from nothingness… then let’s ‘exchange one obsession for another.’ I will be obsessed in his place.”
Ling Nianwu lowered his head, still pondering Lu Xiaochan’s words.
“Come on, Nianwu! Take me up to Wuyi Jingtian!”
“It’s too dangerous! Haven’t you seen the Wuyi Sword Sea is like a tsunami, we cannot pass through the sword sea!”
“Yang Cang’s ‘Spirit Discernment’ technique has reached the pinnacle. As long as I approach Wuyi Jingtian, he will know I’ve come, and naturally will withdraw the sword sea to let me up.”
Lu Xiaochan pushed open the door, turned back and snapped his fingers at Ling Nianwu. “What are you standing there for! Do you regret staying with me?”
“As if I’d regret it!”
Ling Nianwu mounted his sword and pulled Lu Xiaochan up in one motion. The two flew against the wind, charging toward Wuyi Jingtian.
The closer they got to the sword sea, the more turbulent the spiritual energy vortex became.
Ling Nianwu’s sword was almost vertical, relying on the sword formation projected from its tip to resist the sword sea’s pressure.
The wind tore at their hair and collars. Ling Nianwu knew he couldn’t relax his guard, or they would both be overturned by the sword sea!
But just as they were about to plunge into the sword sea, when Ling Nianwu had prepared himself to be crushed by countless sword energies, the sword sea suddenly calmed and scattered in all directions, revealing the true face of Wuyi Jingtian.
The nine-layered crystal jade frost structure was translucent, and the branches of the Fengtian immortal tree could be seen in the distance.
Lu Xiaochan saw someone standing silently on the Fallen Immortal Cliff at the end of the wind and clouds.
“Nianwu.” Lu Xiaochan patted Ling Nianwu’s shoulder and said, “Stop here.”
“You regret it again? Then let’s go back.” Ling Nianwu was about to turn around.
“No, I mean… you can just send me to here.”
“But…”
At this moment, a translucent sword descended from above, stopping at Lu Xiaochan’s side.
It was surrounded by flowing light, as if a massive spiritual orb had been compressed into a sword. Even while quietly hovering, it held a presence that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.
