Forge a path to success.

Chapter 255 Who's the MVP this time?
In the candlelight-lit training ground, the shadows of the martial artists moved in circles, occasionally flashing and intersecting amidst the clashes. The sounds of weapons clashing were faint and short, almost like an illusion spreading through the light.

The sound grew longer, the wind made the candlelight flicker, and the silhouettes of thin, sharp weapons pierced the shadows of the figures, like a needle piercing a black ink sac. Suddenly the shadows vanished, the sound of a blade rang out, and the candlelight went out in an instant!

A few seconds later, the candlelight, which had been relit, illuminated the man's face. Ji Qiufeng transformed his Heart Sword back into a fan and leaned against the jade pillar, fanning himself with one hand.

"This is truly eye-opening, a real eye-opener!" Ji Qiufeng exclaimed. "The elements and qi complement each other perfectly, with no distinction between them. It evolved from technology into the Dao, truly worthy of being the master's ultimate skill."

"Shouldn't I be the one whose eyes have been opened?" Chu Hengkong said with a wry smile.

He lay sprawled on the ground, his Divine Slash stuck three meters away, out of reach of any man without the Calamity Wrist. The result of this sparring match was the same as before; no matter what he tried, he couldn't land a single blow on Ji Qiufeng.

"Your moves are all desperate, especially the Divine Slash, which requires a life-or-death struggle. How can you possibly demonstrate your skills in everyday sparring?" Ji Qiufeng said with a smile. "Even so, I have to give you a serious counterattack. Heng Kong, you're really something now."

Chu Hengkong sat up abruptly and sheathed the Divine Slash. The sword trembled twice in dissatisfaction, as if to say, "Don't mess with me, it's just a casual sparring session." He caught his breath and said, "Mr. Ji, I roughly understand the principles behind the first three moves of this sword technique..."

Ji Qiufeng raised his fan, indicating that he should remain calm: "Hengkong, I appreciate your kindness, but you don't need to teach me this swordsmanship."

Chu Hengkong raised an eyebrow: "You don't even approve of Chongming's moves?"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not tempted by the master's extraordinary skills." Ji Qiufeng tapped his head with his fan. "But I am much older than you and have passed the age of learning from others. I need to refine and preserve my 'self'. The master's path is profound and extensive, but it is not my path in the end. In the long run, it will only be harmful to me. I really cannot learn it."

Upon hearing this, Chu Hengkong's heart stirred. In his recent grand adventure, he had already encountered several of the world's top experts. Whether it was Chongming, Vansalal, or Olek, their skills and abilities all possessed extremely strong personal characteristics. Seeing their skills was like seeing the person themselves, with few instances of mixed learning. This perfectly corroborated Ji Qiufeng's theory of self.

On the contrary, he himself possessed a plethora of miscellaneous skills, many of which were unorthodox. Before leaving the city, he could shamelessly claim to be a martial arts practitioner from Dragon Township, but now he couldn't even articulate it clearly...

He had reservations, so he simply asked directly, "Mr. Ji, have I learned too much?"

Ji Qiufeng had an expression that suggested he had expected this.

"Let me correct two misconceptions of yours. First, self-cultivation can only begin at point 4—what people often call the middle point—and is not something you need to consider right now."

Secondly, the knowledge and skills of the great figures you've met are likely tens of millions of times greater than the limits of our imagination. It's like composing poetry; you need to read the timeless verses of the ancients to write your own.

"I'm never afraid of you learning too much, but I'm afraid you'll get lost in it and not find your direction. Fortunately, you've cultivated the Ancient Heart Remnant Technique, and your Heart Remnant Soul Reversal Secret Method integrates most of the heretical powers, which is an excellent approach," Ji Qiufeng advised. "I think Hengkong, in your future cultivation, you might as well put more effort into this aspect. If you can refine all kinds of supernatural powers into one method, and control them at will, you will naturally have no worries. At that time, you will have one less major obstacle to advancing to the fourth mutation point, and the probability will be even higher."

"Mr. Ji, you make it sound like it's very difficult for me to advance to the fourth grade."

Ji Qiufeng smiled enigmatically: "What do you think?"

Chu Hengkong moved his shoulder blades, and the Death Wings immediately materialized, lifting him off the ground.

His expression was strange: "I think this thing... should be stronger than most Skywings..."

“We can be even bolder, stronger than 100% of the Sky-Bearing Wing.” Ji Qiufeng waved his fan. “Unfortunately, transformation is not a matter of fists. Low-mass points can meet the requirements by suppressing external organs, but medium-mass points do not have such a path. We say that transforming from 3 to 4 is crossing the first abyss because if you want to transform to 4, you must cross the gravity of the Cradle of Oblivion.”

Chu Hengkong stomped his foot, habitually stubbornly replying, "Overcoming gravity isn't difficult."

"You mentioned gravity, which is a good analogy!" Ji Qiufeng said with a smile. "There's a saying that one shouldn't travel far while one's parents are alive. Suppose someone has elderly parents and children at home, and the whole family depends on this pillar of support. Even if this person has wings to fly, making it easy for them to soar into the sky, wouldn't it be difficult for them to travel far from home?"

"Difficult," Chu Hengkong nodded.

"There is another person born with superhuman strength, capable of flying, yet he is lost and without purpose. Moreover, he is powerful and influential on his own Dust Island, living a comfortable and fulfilling life. Would it be difficult for this person to give up his current happiness and leave his homeland?"

“...Difficult,” Chu Hengkong said.

"There is another person, with a resolute mind, exceptional talent, a keen sense of right and wrong, and ambitions to achieve great things. However, he has a past filled with regrets, and his personality is deeply sentimental. Although he has settled his grudges and left his hometown, his attachments remain in his heart. When he closes his eyes, everywhere he sees familiar places; when he looks back, he sees old friends." Ji Qiufeng said leisurely, "Is it difficult to help this person bid farewell to the past, let go of his obsessions, and fly towards the future?"

Chu Hengkong remained silent for a long time before sighing, "It's as difficult as ascending to heaven."

“This is gravity, true gravity.” Ji Qiufeng patted his shoulder. “Having dealt with so many Fallen Ones, you should understand the nature of the Black Moon. They are attachment, kinship, the past, and the ‘emotions’ that all living beings can never let go of. It’s nothing to have the will but not the strength; it’s having the strength but not the will that makes it hard to leave, that’s the first abyss that is hard to cross.”

"To tell you the truth, I'm not worried about anyone else's promotion. Even if Jie An has the patience to work hard, getting promoted to the fourth level won't be a problem. It's just that you, Heng Kong, are still obsessed and your mind is hard to overcome."

Chu Heng scratched his head and said helplessly, "That's just how I am... just like how you, Mr. Ji, can't let go of Huilong City. Once you truly let go of some things, there's nothing left in your life."

“Severing ties and cutting off all feelings is a heretical approach. I’m telling you to let go, not to throw it away,” Ji Qiufeng laughed. “I knew that Shakes was resurrected from your hometown, so I knew your future plans. Don’t have any worries, just do it. Once you find a result, your obsession will naturally disappear.”

Thank you for your guidance.

"When you have time, you might as well chat with everyone about your hometown," Ji Qiufeng said. "Only by putting your mind at ease can you resolve any issues."

Chu Hengkong thanked him and left the building. The weather in Huilong City was perfect today, and he stretched in the sunshine.

Five days had passed since he returned to Huilong City, and this was his first action. It wasn't for cultivation, but to assist Ji Qiufeng in checking for any remaining hidden dangers. The first few who had finished their checkups had already gone off to have fun. He took out his communication crystal, saw Ji Huaisu's message, and headed towards the bustling commercial district.

The casino, once occupied by the club, had long since been burned to the ground, and the old coffin building next door had also disappeared. During the reconstruction of the city after the war, the old buildings in the central courtyard were uniformly renovated, and most citizens moved into spacious and bright new homes, except for a few holdouts who loved the environment and refused to relocate.

Most of these citizens possessed professional skills adept at enriching the nightlife, and they returned to their old trades in the commercial district, opening restaurants and bars. The "Red Beard Bar," renowned for its seafood, had already opened at four in the afternoon. When Chu Hengkong pushed open the door, several familiar faces were banging on the table and chatting idly over fried squid tentacles. "...What do you mean my record is slightly inferior? You can't lie through your teeth!" Vande brandished his claws, "Chu Hengkong and I fought together against Vansalar, and in the final battle, I was undoubtedly the main force!"

Ji Huaisu propped his chin on his hand and said lazily, "Let's stick to the facts. Everyone participated in the final battle. It can't be said that only you and A-Kong share the credit..."

“Besides participating in the final battle, we each beheaded an envoy,” Qingxia continued. “So it’s perfectly reasonable that our battle merits are higher than yours.”

Vande slammed his fist on the table: "No, I told you this algorithm is wrong! Battle merits aren't just about this... this number of kills on paper, okay! Shouldn't battle merits be about what each person did? I destroyed the Kingdom of Despair, I created such a great opportunity, so that's my battle merit. Without this opportunity, everyone would be finished, so of course I'd be the one with the most merit!"

Qingye's expression was subtle: "That being said, it's a bit strange that someone who didn't kill a single person got first place..."

“Xiao Ye, your line of thinking is flawed. I already told you we can’t just look at kills.” Vande took a big gulp of beer. “According to your calculation, non-combatants are at a disadvantage. Look at Jie An, he’s been making medicine all day, and Gu Libo is been growing vegetables. They didn’t kill any enemies, but without medicine and vegetables, we were all out of commission. That’s a unique achievement. Now, tell me, after the Despair Wilderness battle, Jie An and Gu Libo’s kill count is… 0! Jie An and Gu Libo won by doing nothing! Can you say that?!”

Jie An nodded vigorously and said solemnly, "Yes, I'm the one who wins by lying down!"

Guli Bo was so busy eating squid that he didn't hear anything clearly. He looked up and echoed, "Yes, yes, Bo!"

A burst of cheerful laughter erupted in the bar, while Van Der yelled in exasperation, "This is impossible to talk about! Who the hell brought this up?!"

"You," everyone pointed at it, "you were the one who did the most work after you drank five cups and started striving for the Desperate Wilderness."

"Oh dear, it's the alcohol that's to blame," Van der said sheepishly. "Besides, he wasn't trying to claim the credit. The credit isn't... here, it's right here! Hey, don't steal my wine!"

Chu Hengkong pulled the glass from its tentacle, downed the dark blue cocktail, and smacked his lips: "The alcohol content is alright, isn't it? Five glasses and I'm out?"

"We Eye Demons are small compared to you, no, we can't compare!" Vande said confidently. "Come on, tell me, who is the second-ranked one?"

"Well, so the trial is being held here?" Chu Hengkong chuckled upon hearing this. "Who did their best, who committed the crime, whose tactics weren't team-oriented, and who was the most heartless?"

"Detective Chu's logic is very clear," Jie An exclaimed. "It just sounds a bit like a competition."

“I’ve seen it all before. Every time there’s a fight, this topic comes up. I always say that the boss is only thinking about the post-match analysis. What’s there to discuss when you’re fighting?” Chu Hengkong poured himself a full glass of wine. “If we win, it’s everyone’s credit. No one fights or grabs credit; everyone gets the credit.”

"Great!" "Cheers! Cheers!" "Detective Chu is so generous!"

Everyone clinked glasses with smiles, and Ji Huaisu winked at Fan De: "Now you know why you can't be the leader."

"We were all just drunk and talking nonsense, I didn't mean to be a jerk," Vande said nonchalantly. "Then why aren't you guys reviewing what happened when you were drunk?"

"Usually it's just listening to people brag," Chu Hengkong said. "After being in the underworld for a while, you'll always have some topics to talk about..."

“For example, a killer used a ballpoint pen to kill seventeen people,” Shakes said. “I’ve heard this story in the Vatican, and it left a deep impression on me.”

He was the only one in the bar drinking iced milk (Guli Bo had papaya milk today), and while everyone else was chatting about their battle exploits, Shax was rapidly disassembling his pistol. Chu Hengkong, upon hearing this, sighed, "I've said this a million times back on Earth, it's a misunderstanding..."

"Actually, there aren't that many?" Qingxia asked.

"The ballpoint pen broke when I killed the seventh one, and I killed the remaining ten with my bare hands."

"So that's where the misunderstanding came from, huh!"

“What I’m curious about is why a pen is used,” Shakes said.

“It was a ‘mission’ back then,” Chu Hengkong shrugged. “A small fishing village, you know that.”

"Oh, no wonder."

Shakes continued fiddling with the gun, while the others listened, completely bewildered. Jie An looked around and asked, "So, what happened to the little fishing village?"

“The ‘mission’ in the fishing village means a lot of cultists,” Shakes said wearily. “They always have sticky bodily fluids, a foul smell, and seaweed-like hair… so they’d rather use a pencil than touch it with their hands.”

“Sometimes there are also hard scales,” Chu Hengkong added, “making it feel like fighting a rotten salted fish.”

"Oh, so you're a demon possessed? You should have said so earlier," Ji Huaisu said.

"How could that be? They're just ordinary cult members." Chu Hengkong chuckled. "There are no demons in our area."

"Ah, ah." Ji Huaisu nodded. "...Ah?"

　To keep readers engaged, I'm quietly updating Chapter Two.

　　Why are updates resuming next week? I haven't even finished a single game! Where did all my time go? Help!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)