Borrowing a sword

Chapter 195 seeks immortality!
At this thought, a new doubt arose in Chu Huaixu's mind.

"So, besides Xiao Xu, what are the roles of the other three main characters in this world?" he wondered.

Since they are all protagonists in the world, it's impossible for Xu Ziqing to risk her life to carry the team every time.

Chu Huaixu personally speculates that the roles of the other three main characters in the world will be revealed in the middle and later stages.

More importantly, he shared the same ideas as the other high-ranking members of the Taoist sect.

"If one relies solely on the evil sword's malevolent energy to devour the primordial spirit, it would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst."

"This will only make the evil sword stronger and its malevolent aura heavier."

"Who knows whether the real big boss later on is Kunlun Cave Heaven or this evil sword!"

"Hmph! I won't give it a chance to devour the primordial spirit!"

—I'll kill, kill, kill!

The Heart Sword and the Sword were of one mind, and both of them were particularly enthusiastic in dealing with the Bronze Sword. The Heart Sword also immediately became full of fighting spirit.

From a certain perspective, the protagonists of this world, such as Xu Ziqing and Han Shuangjiang, are actually the Dao Ancestor's hidden moves on the chessboard.

"And I am indeed, as Jiang Zhi said, a variable!" he thought to himself.

He was an unexpected element outside the chessboard.

For the Xuanhuang Realm, he is the biggest variable.

The same applies to Kunlun Grotto-heaven.

His move might have the power to turn the tide!

However, given Chu Huaixu's personality, perhaps he wouldn't be content to be just a pawn.

Even if it's a winning move, even if it's comparable to a divine move on the chessboard.

Inside the main hall, everyone saw that Chu Huaixu had fallen into deep thought again, and thought it best not to put too much pressure on him.

Even the usually stern-faced and somewhat stern-looking Elder Lu Pan spoke gently at this moment:

"You will encounter the Qi Refining stage where you need to possess another body to rebuild your cultivation. This is just our guess, and it's considered the worst-case scenario."

"However, your Heart Sword is special, and for you, the impact on the primordial spirit level is actually small."

"The main concern is these ancient monsters who have lived for countless years; they probably have many tricks up their sleeves."

"Just be careful in this regard."

"At that time, we will also make some further preparations for you."

Chu Huaixu knew immediately that there was more benefit to be gained, so he said, "Disciple thanks Sect Master, Junior Grandmaster, and all the elders."

After saying that, he expressed his confusion: "So, the primordial spirit that I killed on the altar came from Kunlun Grotto-heaven and then came to our Xuanhuang Realm through the Origin Spirit Realm?"

Jiang Zhi nodded and replied, "Most of the primordial spirits wandering in the Xuanhuang Realm came from the fourth or fifth level of the Origin Spirit Realm."

"Initially, after everyone killed those cultivators, they were unaware of the existence of primordial spirits. They either secretly possessed bodies or followed us out of the Origin Spirit Realm through other means, and have been lingering in the Xuanhuang Realm ever since."

"If the primordial spirit does not attempt to possess another body, it will rapidly weaken, eventually leaving only a wisp of soul seed."

"Moreover, the cultivation system in Kunlun Grotto Heaven is different from ours. They need something called spiritual root to cultivate immortality."

"When the primordial spirit is too powerful, it needs to be carried by someone with superior spiritual roots during possession."

"Similarly, when they arrive here, they will also need a high-grade spiritual embryo to bear this power."

"However, due to the difference in cultivation systems, they cannot use a physical body with a superior spiritual embryo for long."

Chu Huaixu thought to himself, "Damn, he's pretty good at adapting to local customs!"

No wonder, no wonder the spirit inside the altar started yelling as soon as it entered my body.

"At first I thought he was shocked that I could achieve the position of the leader of Xuanhuang with the talent of a mid-grade spiritual embryo, and that he thought he had shown off."

"I never imagined that this bastard would look down on my lack of talent!"

Jiang Zhi looked at Chu Huaixu, pointed to the golden bowl on the table, and said:
“Originally, I planned for you to bring the Golden Bowl with you when you entered the Origin Spirit Realm. That way, even if you couldn’t resolve the primordial spirit, you could still try to seal it.”

"But now it seems that it is unnecessary."

Upon hearing this, Chu Huaixu glanced at the golden bowl.

—I want a top-grade spiritual weapon!

Moreover, this thing is engraved with a large number of formations and restrictions, and the holy water inside seems to be a top-grade natural treasure.

All things considered, it's probably on par with a top-grade spiritual weapon; it's an unparalleled treasure!
So he immediately said, "Junior Grandmaster Uncle, why don't I take him with me? What if I can capture him alive!"

In the past, they couldn't be killed, and it was impossible to eliminate the threat completely, so sealing them away was a last resort.

We can kill them anytime now, so let's catch one and play with them.

Jiang Zhi looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"You want this golden bowl, don't you, kid?"

This was the time he had shown the most goodwill towards Chu Huaixu out of all their meetings.

The dead fox observed his expression, immediately made a judgment, and said with a dry laugh, "Ahem, that's true."

"Then I won't lend it to you, I'll just give it to you." Jiang Zhi waved his hand, and the golden bowl floated to Chu Huaixu's front.

"You killed that primordial spirit, which can be considered as avenging my senior brothers and sisters. This item is a token of my gratitude."

—So that it doesn't seem like I owe you anything.

Chu Huaixu immediately and happily put the golden bowl into his storage token.

Since it was a gift of thanks, he felt no burden.

He was afraid that Jiang Zhi, that pressure monster, would inexplicably put pressure on him again, which would annoy him.

Everyone chatted in the main hall, and Chu Huaixu finally understood the fundamental connection between the [Origin Spirit Realm] and the [Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth]. As for Kunlun Cave Heaven, it could simply be considered an invasion by extraterrestrial demons.

They somehow managed to open a passage to the Primordial Spirit Realm, their goal being to obtain the [Fragment of the Profound Yellow Origin].

However, each entrance to the Origin Spirit Realm is extremely unique.

For example, the entrance to the first floor can only be entered by one person at a time, and there are also restrictions based on the level of cultivation.

Kunlun Grotto-heaven used some unknown method to send in a Qi Refining stage cultivator, but the number of cultivators could only be one.

If they were to obtain enough fragments of the origin, they might be able to descend upon the Xuanhuang Realm on a large scale.

And this is what is known as the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth.

Jiang Zhi looked at Chu Huaixu and suddenly asked him a question.

"Chu Huaixu, what do you think is the root of everything?"

This is to teach him to see through appearances to the essence of things.

However, opinions on this matter vary from person to person, and he can only offer his personal perspective.

After pondering for a moment, Chu Huaixu said, "In my personal opinion, the root of everything lies in just two words—immortality!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi's eyes immediately lit up, and she exclaimed three times in a row, "Good! Good! Good!"

Your opinion is exactly the same as my fifth senior brother's!
"In my fifth senior brother's opinion, all the problems lie with these so-called immortals!"

"I've heard that in the Kunlun Grotto-heaven, once a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul stage, their primordial spirit is truly immortal. Among these cultivators, it's almost impossible to completely destroy the primordial spirit of someone at the Nascent Soul stage!"

"In addition, they can also possess other beings. In a sense, the Nascent Soul stage cultivators of Kunlun Cave Heaven are indeed almost equivalent to having created their own world, achieving immortality in that world!"

"But what if there are more and more Nascent Soul stage cultivators who have attained enlightenment?"

"Can this world withstand such pressure? Can it support so many Nascent Soul stage cultivators?"

"Moreover, there are so many Nascent Soul and Golden Core stage cultivators below."

"I've heard that once you reach the Golden Core stage, you'll have a lifespan of at least several hundred years, or even longer!"

"More importantly, these people's plunder of the world is almost endless."

"In my fifth senior brother's opinion, what is more important is that the humanity of the immortals will gradually change, or even disappear."

"Once you enter the world of cultivation, there is a distinction between immortals and mortals."

"Even the most ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivators have a lifespan far longer than mortals."

"But when they reach a higher level, their view of mortals changes completely."

"In their eyes, ordinary people are often just passersby in life."

"The divine nature will increase, and the human nature will decrease."

"Besides, the allure of immortality is so immense that how many people can resist it, and how many would stop at nothing to achieve it!"

"With increased cultivation, one becomes a powerful figure in the world, able to live a life of high esteem. Under such circumstances, who wouldn't want to live longer?"

"My fifth senior brother said that this will breed endless greed!"

"They will become endlessly selfish and endlessly egotistical!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Huaixu felt it made a lot of sense, as it was essentially the same idea he had been thinking.

So he kept nodding as he listened.

There's a saying: There are always things that are more important than life.

Life is not long enough, so there will be many such things and concerns.

But what if you could live for hundreds, thousands, or even ten thousand years!
That's different!

Of course, being a perceptive person, the fox quickly noticed that Jiang Zhi's feelings for this fifth senior brother were different.

"When he talked about Fifth Senior Brother, the way he looked was a bit like when Xiao Xu talked about me," he muttered to himself.

Jiang Zhize remained seated, speaking eloquently.

"It's only a matter of time before the cultivation system in Kunlun Grotto Heaven experiences the Dharma-ending Age."

“But in my Xuanhuang Realm, it’s different. Our cultivation is almost of no benefit to our lifespan.”

"Of course, this also makes our cultivation speed much faster than theirs. I've heard that over there, being able to reach the Golden Core stage within a hundred years is considered the pinnacle of geniuses."

"Some cultivators go into seclusion for decades, or even centuries."

"Therefore, my fifth senior brother believes that all the problems lie in immortality, in those immortal beings who have attained enlightenment."

"To be old and not die is to be a thief!" he shouted.

Chu Huaixu never expected that this phrase could be used in such a way.
But it's more like the literal meaning.

Jiang Zhi looked at him, and suddenly a thought struck her, and she decided to say something more.

He said, "Back then, my senior brothers and sisters were about to enter the fifth level of the Origin Spirit Realm. Knowing that this journey was dangerous, they talked all night by candlelight."

“I once asked my fifth senior brother, Zhong Ming, if you are afraid.”

Fifth Brother said: "Of course I'm afraid, who isn't afraid of death?"

"But my fifth senior brother immediately told me: We are different from the cultivators in Kunlun Grotto-heaven."

“We have concerns, ties, expectations for the future, things we cherish, and a legacy we value highly. There are so many things.”

"So, what my fifth senior brother said to me in the end was..."

Jiang Zhi looked into Chu Huaixu's eyes, paused for a moment, and then said, word by word:
"Life is but a fleeting hundred years; when death comes, then so be it!"

(P.S.: Second update, please vote with monthly tickets!)
(End of this chapter)