Traveling through time, all of them are the protagonist's public enemies

Chapter 263 Slaying Me, Seeing Me, I Am Not Me

"In the cycle of reincarnation, it is always very pleasant to fight alongside you, and the merit gained is also the greatest."

There's also the unreliable Xiao Meng, the taciturn but tolerant Senior Brother Qi, my sister Yu Shu who suffered hardship in her childhood, and Senior Brother Zhang and Miss Fu. I'm very happy to get along with them all.

You are loyal and righteous, quick to avenge wrongs, and willing to follow each other through life and death, fulfilling all my expectations of the martial arts world…

Jiang Zhiwei whispered with delight.

A genuine smile played on her lips. After a slight pause, she looked directly at Yang Chen with her dark eyes, her voice soft yet clear:

"But none of these are what I want most."

Yang Chen remained silent for a long time, then smiled and said:
"I understand."

Jiang Zhi nodded slightly, without saying much more.

She slowly turned with her sword in hand and steadily walked towards the summit. As she approached the corner, she lightly flicked the scabbard, and the sword rang out like a dragon's roar.

Amidst the sound of swords, she softly murmured:

"All my life I have loved only the seven-foot sword; it cuts through my own body, revealing that I am not myself."

Yang Chen listened attentively.

But the blooming wildflowers gradually obscure the pale yellow silhouette.

In early autumn, a cool mountain breeze blew, and the boy stood quietly for a long time.

Only after that beautiful figure disappeared at the end of the mountain path did he turn around and slowly walk down the mountain path to the Washing Sword Pavilion.

However, Yang Chen did not see that on the Sword Washing Pavilion, a slender, pale yellow figure watched him leave.

···········
A moment later, Yang Chen stepped out of the Sword Washing Pavilion.

At a glance, Gao Lan, who had arrived at some unknown time, came into view.

Gao Lan nodded slightly, his expression solemn, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"The 'seven-foot sword' is a metaphor for a person, echoing the concept of 'I' or 'me'. The Tao Te Ching says that 'I' refers to the physical body, the external self, while 'me' refers to the inner self, the true self; the two have different meanings."

In the past, the Celestial Venerable of Nanhua also spoke of "losing oneself."

"What do you want to say?"

Yang Chen glanced at him sideways.

"Haha."

Gao Lan laughed several times.

"I'm just making conversation for the sake of it. Seriously, what's there to fear if one is solely focused on the sword? Even if I get married, so what? A strong woman can be won over by persistent pursuit; I'll just have to be shameless and use all my patience..."

...I never imagined that the person I stole the Emperor's Sword from would turn around and comfort me?

It’s really against Tiangang!
Yang Chen glanced at him and said:
"Let's go have a drink."

"Good! Let's drown our sorrows in alcohol."

Gao Lan clapped his hands in response.

Outside the gates of Xijian Pavilion, a town spontaneously formed.

Gao Lan and Yang Chen did not enter the private room of the restaurant. Instead, each carrying a jar of "Drunken Immortal" wine, they sat on the ground under the half-person-high wall at the end of the town.

The two men leaned against the crumbling wall, gazing at the wild grass and blue sky, eating their newly purchased pig's trotters and beef while silently drinking together.

In this world, there are only a handful of people who can drink with him. Without a doubt, Yang Chen, who has been recognized as the master of the Human Emperor Sword, is absolutely qualified. As for the matter of stealing the Human Emperor Sword...
The world's treasures belong to those with virtue.

It all comes down to individual ability.

He was less skilled, so Yang Chen could just take it!

But this guy is truly a monster, a bit too monstrous and abnormal. He reached the peak of the Exterior Realm before he was even twenty!
He is about to attain the Dharmakaya, which is unprecedented!
"When I was this age, I was still going through the 'awakening' stage..." Gao Lan took a big gulp of strong liquor.

The two drank for a while in the strange atmosphere. Gao Lan then spoke up, wiping his mouth, and said:

"Brother Yang, I'm not going to teach you anything else but to give you this advice: once you've set your sights on a woman, you must be persistent and relentless in pursuing her..."

...Yang Chen and I were about to stop him, but then we saw him suddenly change his tone, his face showing a mixture of pride and感慨 as he said:
"Back then, she aspired to enlightenment and devoted herself to Buddhism, eventually becoming a nun. But what was the outcome?"

"Wasn't it because I moved her that she decided to live with me?"

His face was full of pride, but in an instant his expression turned sorrowful:
"But if she had devoted herself to Buddhism back then, she might have survived to this day. I'm the one who harmed her, I'm the one who harmed her!"

Gao Lan gulped down the wine, slammed his fist on the ground, and roared:
"Anyone who dares to target her will be crushed to death by me. For seven days, the earth will be stained with blood and the cries of anguish will shake the heavens."

But... but she'll never come back..."

Seeing his wild, almost weeping demeanor, Yang Chen laughed:

"Things in this world rarely go as planned. Perhaps, if one were to reach the level of the Heavenly Emperor, one could truly bring the dead back to life?"

"That is!"

Gao Lan slapped his thigh and said:
"I've long disliked those people. On the surface, they're powerful families and vassals of the royal family, but in reality, they're secretly colluding with sects and engaging in despicable schemes. I killed them all with gusto back then, leaving a clean and peaceful place!"

"Therefore, I envy the Southern Jin Dynasty, where powerful families and sects are evenly matched, and they are not reduced to being vassals of others!"

As a rogue cultivator, Yang Chen had no prejudice against sects or aristocratic families. He listened to Gao Lan vent his frustrations, drank his wine, and did not express his own opinions.

Gao Lan raised the altar and rose.

Pointing at the rising moon, he roared angrily!

"Now that I've taken that step, I'll get my revenge sooner or later and turn the world upside down!"

Yang Chen had already drunk quite a bit of "Drunken Immortal" liquor, and his head was spinning, but he could still think and glean key information.

“Brother Gao, when Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it will first test their will and strengthen their body. You have turned misfortune into blessing,” Yang Chen said with emotion.

Gao Lan laughed loudly, his face full of self-satisfaction: "That's right, there are very few in the world that can catch my eye these days!"

"Could it be the people on the Heavenly Ranking?"

Yang Chen asked with a smile.

Listen attentively to Gao Lan's comments on the ten Dharma Body experts, while silently beginning to record the conversation using a recording stone...

This might come in very useful in the future!

Gao Lan, drunk and oblivious, struck the altar and said:
"Them? Hmph, even with Guldor wielding the Heavenly Punishment Axe and the support of the Great Man, they still can't suppress Chonghe and Lu Da."

"Does he even deserve to be called number one on the Heavenly Ranking?"

Indeed, it was a discussion of the Dharma body over wine… Yang Chen laughed:
"And what about Senior Chonghe? He has been famous for over two hundred years, but where has he progressed in the path of the Dharma Body?"

"Chonghe? He hasn't broken through yet, he's already old and frail, his lifespan is coming to an end, he'll just be a skeleton in a tomb!" Gao Lan waved his hand and said.

"...You've misunderstood," Yang Chen thought to himself.

If we remove the Heavenly Punishment Axe, the strongest Dharma Body in the world is one that can harmonize the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones and the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

"What about Abbot Kongwen of Shaolin Temple? He is the only one who has ever killed or suppressed a high-ranking monk."

Yang Chen was quite intoxicated and seemed to be in high spirits. He listened to Gao Lan's comments on the Dharma Body with great curiosity.

Even though he already knew the answer.

At this moment, they are digging a pit for Gao Lan.

When Yang Chen transmits the image stone to his many Dharma bodies in the future, the scene of their deaths will not be hard to imagine.

Gao Lan clicked his tongue and said:
"Han Guang's fate is unknown; he may have escaped wounded. Kong Wen is also likely seriously injured and no longer possesses his former prowess."

Therefore, he has not made a move for a long time.

Would I ever bully the old, weak, sick, or disabled?

...As expected of Gao Lan.

Yang Chen smiled without saying a word.

Gao Lan continued his comment: "Lu Da..."

He paused for a moment, his expression turning cold.

He said, half with a sigh and half with coldness:
"Sooner or later, I will have a life-or-death battle with Lu Da."

The lonely one?

It seems Gao Lan is planning to ascend to the throne.

Although Yang Chen was drunk, he still keenly noticed the change in Gao Lan's self-address and subconsciously looked up to meet a pair of cold eyes.

Gao Lan abandoned the altar, his hands behind his back, his posture as still as a deep pool and as imposing as a mountain.

His messy hair miraculously became smooth, and his beard fell off one by one, revealing a handsome face.

Judging by his appearance alone, he is no more than thirty years old, with deep-set features, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a high nose bridge.

Her lips were slightly thin, giving her a somewhat cold and indifferent look, but when paired with her ruthless eyes and mature, reserved demeanor, she exuded an oppressive aura.

Yang Chen was unparalleled in appearance, but one had to admit that Gao Lan was a true handsome man.

Moreover, Gao Lan's beauty differed from Wang Siyuan's; she possessed no feminine charm whatsoever, but rather a heroic and majestic imperial aura.

"The Gao family of Changle was indeed famous for her outstanding appearance..."

The thought flashed through Yang Chen's mind: the Gao family of Chang Le, besides their reputation for martial arts, were known for their members' outstanding appearances and violent tempers.

This is similar to the mentally ill family from which Gao Changgong, the Prince of Lanling during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, came from in my previous life—the Gao family!
Gao Lan coldly stared at Yang Chen!

Yang Chen suddenly felt danger. His tailbone went numb, he was drenched in cold sweat, his primordial spirit seemed to sluggish, and many illusions appeared in his mind.

It seemed as if Gao Lan was about to take his life, but Yang Chen remained calm and detached, his expression unchanged!
"As expected of the protagonist of this era!"

"Yang Beichen is not bad!"

Gao Lan spoke coldly as he turned and left, knowing that Yang Chen had the Emperor's Sword in his hand, so even if he made a move, it would be useless.

Yang Chen stared at the spot where it had disappeared, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

"Which deity from the other shore chose Gao Lan to become the human emperor and helped him achieve the Dharma body? Could it be the Celestial Venerable of Morality?"

"This is the benefit of having someone behind you."

"If I have a powerful backer on the other shore, even the Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation cannot do anything to me, so why should I have so many concerns..."

Yang Chen looked towards the direction of the Sword Washing Pavilion and saw the bright moon in the sky, its clear light shining everywhere, a scene of tranquility and harmony.

No matter how well the Chicken Slaughtering Sword God concealed it, with his resonance ability, how could he not know that the Chicken Slaughtering Sword God was not being sincere?

Since the Chicken-Slaying Sword God knew that he was already at the peak of the Outer Realm, no less than the "Heavenly Divine Sword" Su Wuming, yet still spoke insincerely and harbored a death wish, then there is only one possibility!

The Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation!

"That damned Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, unable to deal with me, is now planning to target those around me?"

Yang Chen used the "Jade Void Divine Calculation" to cast a divination. He felt something and looked up towards the direction of the Western Regions and the Vast Sea!
"Meng Qi has already entered the outdoor realm a year ahead of schedule. Judging by the time, the general outline of the Tathagata Palm should be released by now..."

"A great battle between numerous Dharma bodies is about to erupt!"

(End of this chapter)