Who let him join the Sword Sect!

Chapter 423 A Father as Thin as a Cicada's Wing (4k)

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Zhang Ze quickly shut up and started thinking about how to leave this wretched place.

As for this place, it is neither an independent space created by a great force, nor is it the true universe. Zhang Ze did not leave the core module; what he saw and felt at this moment was all due to his mental blockage.

To put it in a disgusting way, it's like Emperor Xiao Jing's illusory image is wearing VR glasses on his head, and then putting a black plastic bag over it.

Zhang Ze, whose hands and feet were tied and whose mouth was sealed with tape, needed to use his tongue to pry open the tape, remove his VR glasses, and puncture a black plastic bag in order to escape.

It probably means this.

Zhang Ze stroked his chin, thinking about the sword while pretending to be an astronaut.

Before he knew it, he had been floating in the void for quite some time. When he started to get a little annoyed, Zhang Ze suddenly spoke.

"Sect Master, are you there?"

Commander Chen: "I'm here, what's wrong?"

Zhang Ze, "What time is it outside?"

Commander Chen: "I don't know."

Zhang Ze: "How long have I been here?"

Commander Chen, "One breath."

Zhang Ze: "Oh."

After asking the question, Zhang Ze returned to silence, but after a while...

Zhang Ze: "Sect Master, are you there?"

Commander Chen, “…”

Similar questions and answers would occur every three breaths of external time, until Chen Qianhu finally got annoyed after Zhang Ze asked for the eighth time.

"Are you never going to stop?"

Zhang Ze mumbled something, changed to a backstroke position, floated for a while, and then asked in a low voice.

"Sect Master, what do you mean by sword?"

"What you consider a sword is what makes a sword. It's up to you." Chen Qianhu's voice was ethereal and otherworldly.

Zhang Ze wanted to ask what that sentence meant again, but then thought better of it. If he kept talking and accumulated more prize money, he might have to go through ten draws in a row.

Zhang Ze rolled over in the void, his thoughts beginning to wander. He pondered the meaning behind the sect leader's words, recalled his master's earnest teachings, and the profound esoteric sayings he had heard with Old Tang, such as "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."

However, upon reflection, he realized he couldn't understand it at all.

So he simply interpreted it literally.

Since the sect leader has said so, whatever I say goes, so I'll just go with it.

Zhang Ze stopped worrying about what a sword was. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander. As Zhang Ze once again entered that state of primordial unity, he began to have random thoughts.

In the lightless void, tiny points of starlight began to shine.

The starlight traced arcs, outlining a long, narrow shape, which gradually solidified. In the boundless void, a starship appeared.

The style of this starship is somewhat mixed, referencing many different sources. In addition to the most basic classic designs, there are also styles from Lily's Skybreaker Gang, the Thousand Machine Pavilion, Star Wars Gundam, Primordial Lord combined with Warhammer, and so on.

In short, after finishing the stitching, Zhang Ze put his hands behind his back and looked at his work with satisfaction.

"The sect leader said, 'What I define as a sword is what a sword is.'"

"I think this starship is quite handsome, like a young lady waiting to be married. It wouldn't be a bad idea to ride it occasionally."

"The ship is coming!"

Zhang Ze waved his hand and shouted, "Apocalypse - Naval Law!"

The colossal ship, as large as a mountain, lit up with rows of lights. As Zhang Ze imagined, the ship began to transform and disintegrate until it finally became a stick in the middle with three huge rings around it.

The light and shadow on the ring flickered like starlight.

In a flash, a massive jet of light flooded Zhang Ze's vision, bringing light to the dark universe.

Heart barrier broken.

……

The mental obstacle set up by Emperor Xiao Jing is actually a riddle that challenges the heart.

But this riddle is treacherous, created solely to trap people.

If an ordinary sword cultivator were trapped, he would be intimidated by the boundless universe, and his Dao heart would waver, and he would begin to doubt whether he could break through this vast starry sky.

Once self-doubt begins, the seeds of inner demons are sown, and the deeper one sinks, the less likely one is to escape.

To break this deadlock, one must be fearless.

As Chen Qianhu said, if you think it is, then it is.

If you believe that starlight can be cleaved and swords can shatter the heavens, then you can cleave them.

But how many people can truly be fearless? On the journey, the further one goes, the more unpredictable and treacherous the path ahead seems, like an ant trying to see a mountain.

To some extent, this mental barrier only traps the intelligent, not the foolish. The more intelligent and talented a person is, the more they will hesitate and become lost in their own thoughts, doubting themselves.

As for Zhang Ze
He had never actually thought about cleaving the stars with his sword, and he always felt that swords were just for looking cool.

But
He truly believed from the bottom of his heart that the void, the universe, and all things in the world could be analyzed and blown apart.

If it doesn't explode, then the explosive yield isn't large enough.

Theoretically speaking, this can be considered as having a pure heart and a firm belief in the Dao.

Therefore, one shot shatters the sky.

Zhang Ze opened his eyes and found himself squatting on the ground like a group of people, not having gone anywhere, while the sect leader stood behind him, looking at him with a satisfied expression.

"Have you gained any insights?"

Chen Qianhu could no longer hide his smile; in his eyes, Zhang Ze was a treasure.

"I have some understanding, but I can't demonstrate it for you right now. I will definitely show you when I have the chance in the future."

Zhang Ze gave an awkward laugh.

He dared not speak, feeling that if he revealed what he had just been thinking, he would probably have to spend all 150 draws during the anniversary celebration.

However, on the other hand, Zhang Ze did some quick calculations and realized that today really was the one-year anniversary of Old Deng's disappearance.

Or, how about letting Old Deng celebrate by kicking himself?
Thinking of this, Zhang Ze stood up. Instead of asking for trouble, he got down to business and asked, rubbing his hands together, "Sect Master, where have you been this past year? And why are you here?"

Chen Qianhu was taken aback by Zhang Ze's question.

"Am I not in the Sword Sect?"

After Chen Qianhu spoke, there was a long silence in the core cabin.

Zhang Ze, "Hmm?"

Looking at his old man, Zhang Ze suddenly felt that things were getting weird again. His old man was clearly here and had saved him, so why did he not know anything about it?

Zhang Ze suspected that he might still be trapped in his own mental block and had not yet broken free from it. He took a step back and examined his old man with suspicion.

Zhang Ze disliked the Dao of Sitting in Oblivion and also disliked the inability to distinguish between the two.

When Chen Qianhu saw Zhang Ze looking at him like he was some old thief, he immediately realized that this silly boy must have misunderstood something.

Don't overthink it, you've forgotten.

However, before Commander Chen could finish speaking, Zhang Ze immediately took a step back, staring at his old lord with even greater vigilance.

Just as Chen Qianhu raised his hand to speak, Zhang Ze noticed that the old man was being a bit too much like anime characters.

Literally, at this moment, Commander Chen was a thin sheet, like a shadow puppet or a sticker, with only a front and a back, but no sides. He was fine when he was still, but now that he was moving, it was strange and inexplicable.
"Don't come any closer! I still have a trump card!" Zhang Ze took another step back, pretending to touch his pocket.

But he forgot that he was still a stone man, and his magic bag was broken; he had no pockets left. Commander Chen sighed as he looked at Zhang Ze, who was standing with his hands behind his back, rubbing his buttocks. Perhaps because he was too thin, his whole body trembled slightly when he spoke.

"Let me finish what I have to say before you start acting like a monkey."

"Take your time making this up, I'm listening." Zhang Ze took another step back.

Instead of explaining directly, Commander Chen began reciting a series of locations, times, and numbers.

"Sword Sect Headquarters, Western Mountain Forest"

All that Chen Qianhu mentioned were place names of the Sword Sect's headquarters. At first, Zhang Ze didn't care, thinking that everyone knew such things, but the more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong.

Chen Qianhu himself became increasingly angry as he spoke, looking like he was about to save up for another ten consecutive draws.

Seeing this, Zhang Ze quickly jumped up, waving his hands and saying, "Hey! Don't say anymore, I believe you! I believe you!"

What Chen Qianhu was talking about was none other than the time and place when Zhang Ze, that little blondie, was summoned to the Sword Sect headquarters and secretly met with his daughter.

And after being discovered, the distance Mo Jingchun chased after him, and the number of times he spun him around like a top.

These are things that outsiders could never know.

"What exactly is going on with you?" Zhang Ze carefully walked over, nudged the sect leader's sleeve, and looked at the sect leader, who resembled a shadow puppet, with curiosity.

Commander Chen said, "What else could it be? Because I, like Xiao Jing, am also an illusion."

Zhang Ze, "Huh?"

As he spoke, Chen Qianhu began to decompress in front of Zhang Ze. After a moment, he regained his normal shape, but this time the color was so pale that it was almost transparent.

"Could it be?" Zhang Ze touched his forehead and suddenly remembered something.

On his first visit to the Sword Sect headquarters, Zhang Ze not only flattered Lao Deng in front of him, but also received a gift.

Commander Chen left a mark of ultimate sword intent on Zhang Ze's forehead as insurance for him to not cultivate the way of the sword and walk the path of the Dao alone.

This ultimate sword mark is usually invisible and has no effect on him, but it can ensure that he survives one death and will not perish after death.

Zhang Ze's innate Dao body, which was shattered by Emperor Xiao Jing, was repaired by the power of this sword mark.

At the same time, this ultimate sword mark also sealed a phantom image of Chen Qianhu himself. The phantom image inherited all of Chen Qianhu's memories up to that point and could almost be regarded as him.

Of course, Zhang Ze was unaware of this at the time; it was Lao Deng who secretly carried it out.

He only found out about this later when his junior sister told him.

The junior sister heard about it from her second sister, Chen Mumu, who in turn learned about it from her mother during a casual chat.

Although it's a bit convoluted, it's true.

"Then you..." Zhang Ze looked at Commander Chen with some embarrassment, hesitating and not finishing his sentence.

Commander Chen waved his hand dismissively, signaling him not to overthink it. "I don't have a hobby of spying on you. Unless you face a life-or-death crisis, this sword mark won't be triggered... Wait, what have you been doing, you little brat? Hmm?"

Zhang Ze's eyes darted away. "What... I didn't do anything. I just focused on my cultivation, and then I was loving and affectionate with my junior sister, and that was it..."

Chen Qianhu stared at Zhang Ze, but in the end he didn't ask any more questions, because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist hitting him.

It wasn't that he was too soft-hearted; rather, he had run out of strength.

In order to repair Zhang Ze's injuries, in addition to exhausting the power in the sword wound, a portion of the power in the illusory image was also extracted.

He wasn't at his peak when he appeared, so when confronting the illusory Emperor Xiao Jing, he took the initiative and intimidated the emperor. At the same time, he kicked Zhang Ze out to draw attention and prevent Zhang Ze from discovering his true strength.

When it comes to being annoying, even Chen Qianhu had to admit that he was indeed inferior to Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze lived up to expectations, firmly holding onto Emperor Xiao Jing's hatred.

Of course, Commander Chen didn't intend to tell Zhang Ze, that little brat, about this, otherwise he would definitely keep nagging.

In short, neither the father nor the son told the truth. Commander Chen coughed lightly and brushed the matter aside.

"Tell me, what's going on outside? Where am I? How did I get lost?"

There were many questions. After sorting out the sequence of events, Zhang Ze told him about the events of the past few years in a detailed and concise manner, skipping over his relationship with his junior sister and finally focusing on the situation at Luoyu Mountain and his own speculations.

Upon hearing this, Chen Qianhu pondered for a moment, then stepped to the center of the core cabin, stood in front of Shi Xiu who was still sealed for a while, and then checked the magic array here again.

Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Although the sect leader is not a professional, he has noticed some clues.

He floated back to Zhang Ze's side.

"To make a long story short, the method of sealing the stone cultivator is not a mental obstacle, but a kind of soul-extraction technique. The reason he is not awake is probably due to the influence of the black stone you mentioned. Once the influence is removed and the balance is broken, he will be able to break free from the control of the soul-extraction technique and awaken on his own."

"As for Xiao Jing's scheme, you guessed correctly; these formations are indeed unusual. However, I don't have a specific method to break them right now, but you can start from these points..."

Just like when he was giving his last words, the shadow of Commander Chen was fading away.

In the end, it faded to the faintest wisp of smoke, its form elusive, truly like a ghost.

However, seeing that it would take some time for the dissipation to completely dissipate, Chen Qianhu then spoke to Zhang Ze about his own affairs.

"If I get lost, I'll probably be..."

Zhang Ze listened intently, but there was no follow-up to the matter.

No one knows exactly what Commander Chen said.

Just as Commander Chen was about to get to the crucial point, a sudden gust of wind swept in, and a golden pouch, whipped by the wind, struck the illusory image of the sect leader.

Having exhausted almost all its power, the illusory image of the sect leader immediately vanished into thin air.

If something is only half-said, then naturally there will be no follow-up.

Before the golden bag that K-head had used to kill the sect leader's illusory image could land, a large group of people suddenly appeared behind Zhang Ze.

They all flew in.

The leader was A Li, who was wearing a small vest and had face paint on her face, looking as wild as a little Rambo.

Behind him was a large group of similarly dressed dark green fireflies, as well as seventeen or eighteen cultivators.

Monkey King and turnip were also mixed in.

"What...what are you doing? Are you rebelling?" Zhang Ze was startled by his teammates dressed as Viet Cong.

"I'll save you! I'll explain later. Hurry up! Let's get back to base first!"

After saying this, Jungle Special Forces version of Ah Li summoned his golden pouch, whose name was so long that he sometimes couldn't even remember it himself. With a wave of his hand, he put Zhang Ze and the other cultivators into it.

"I said wait..."

Ah Li was too fast; Zhang Ze didn't even have time to explain.

After 'rescuing' Zhang Ze, Ah Li, immersed in her fantasy of King Ah Li saving the world, began to retreat with the dark green firefly spirit.

After leaving the core of the pyramid and stepping out of the gate, the white fireflies came to ambush them.

The cube formed by white fireflies reappeared and blocked Ah Li's way.

The barrier that had just been breached rose again, trapping Ah Li and the others in front of the pyramid gate.

But Ah Li didn't panic; she went out the same way she came in.

It let out a dragon roar to demonstrate its power, then grabbed a cabbage next to it and shouted loudly.

"Gaia!"

Ah Li didn't know what this meant, but Zhang Ze said that if you wanted to have a powerful presence when transforming, you should shout like this.

A-Li, who could transform into anything except dragons, turned into a golden light and merged with the green firefly.

A golden giant emerged from the light and crashed heavily to the earth, raising dust and sending debris flying high, as if the earth was responding to Ah Li's call.

"Full marks."

Zhang Ze, who was forcibly trapped inside A Li's body, saw the outside world through A Li's shared vision and gave a dry evaluation.

(End of this chapter)