bookandnovel Chapter 14656 The Angler
Chapter 14656 The Angler
Chapter 14656 The Angler
"Sit down." The fisherman's voice was calm and even, like a clear mountain spring flowing by.
Ling Xiao did as instructed and sat down on another blue stone by the stream. Sunlight filtered through the dense bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows that fell on his shoulders, swaying gently in the breeze.
"Tell me about that sword." The angler continued to gaze at the bobber on the water's surface, his tone calm, as if he were merely chatting about a trivial matter.
Ling Xiao remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the fisherman's back and asked clearly, "Senior, do you want to hear the truth, or do you want to hear what needs to be said?"
The buoy on the water's surface paused slightly.
The angler finally turned around slowly. Beneath his straw hat was an ordinary face, the kind that wouldn't attract much attention in a crowd. Only his eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a cold pool, seemingly able to see through the hearts of everyone in the world.
Ling Xiao met his gaze without flinching and slowly spoke, each word distinct: "That sword... whoever touches it will become the target of everyone's hatred. Even if they manage to wield it, it may not be a blessing, but rather a curse."
"Cause and effect?" The fisherman raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Ling Xiao nodded solemnly: "It is cause and effect."
“No wonder…no wonder…” The fisherman suddenly chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of understanding and a touch of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection).
The stream flows gently, and a few withered bamboo leaves drift slowly into the distance along the clear water.
"Do you know why you've lived to this day?" the fisherman suddenly asked, posing a seemingly unrelated question.
Ling Xiao thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Perhaps I am just lucky and blessed with good fortune."
Upon hearing this, the fisherman suddenly burst into laughter. His hearty laughter startled several crows roosting in the woods, which flapped their wings and flew into the heavy clouds.
"Luck?" He slowly removed his straw hat, revealing his ordinary face, but his gaze was sharp as a knife. "Those who possess a treasure and survive must have someone else bear the weight of karma for them. The person behind you... is not simple."
Ling Xiao lowered his eyes, gazing at his reflection in the stream. The water was crystal clear, reflecting his blue robe, his brows and eyes serene, even the swaying bamboo shadows around him were clearly reflected in the ripples. He didn't speak, only letting the breeze brush against his hair.
"That sword, can it really reach beyond the boundary?" the fisherman suddenly asked, breaking the tranquility of the bamboo forest.
"Yes." Ling Xiao's answer was concise and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Why don't you use it?
Ling Xiao slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the brim of the fisherman's straw hat. His tone was calm but revealed a hint of sobriety: "I have not even scratched the surface of the Dao of this world. To rashly venture beyond this world would be no different from courting death."
Upon hearing this, the fisherman suddenly clapped his hands and laughed heartily, causing the bamboo leaves to flutter down.
Before the laughter subsided, he sighed softly, his voice tinged with a sense of vicissitude and melancholy: "We spend our entire lives striving to break through boundaries, but upon reflection, isn't that just another way of sending ourselves to our deaths?"
The wind in the bamboo forest seemed to pick up speed, and the bamboo leaves rustled softly, as if they were whispering in agreement.
"Senior is already at the pinnacle of this realm, why bother..." Ling Xiao's words were cut short as they vanished into the wind. He truly did not understand why such a powerful being would still be so fixated on that ethereal upper realm.
The angler raised his head, gazing at the cloud-shrouded mountain peak, his voice distant: "Peak? Young friend, do you know that above the Realm Lord, there are three heavens?"
Ling Xiao was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. He had never heard of such a classification of realms before.
“Lower-level Lord, Middle-level Lord, Upper-level Lord.” The fisherman’s voice gradually deepened, carrying a hint of awe. “Mount Breaking Boundaries has existed for tens of thousands of years, and those who can reach the Upper-level Lord realm are but a handful. And above the Upper-level Lord realm lies the true end of the Great Dao. Return to Truth.”
Return to your true self!
Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
Is it the return of all illusion to reality? Is it a return to simplicity and authenticity, a return to the origin? Or is it complete liberation from the illusions of this world?
"Who are you now, senior?" Ling Xiao couldn't help but ask.
"Peak Realm Lord." The fisherman suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing through the gap in his bamboo hat as he looked at Ling Xiao with a hint of inquiry. "The Moon Maiden behind you, she's at least at this level, isn't she?"
Ling Xiao remained silent.
he does not know.
But deep down, he always had a vague feeling. The Moon Maiden's power was far more terrifying than that of a so-called peak Realm Lord.
"Beyond the boundary, there must exist a realm of true truth." The fisherman's voice drifted like smoke, as if it came from a distant time and space. "Our journey there is nothing more than ants looking up at a mountain, or mayflies trying to shake a tree."
“If that’s the case,” Ling Xiao’s expression suddenly turned serious, and he asked in a deep voice, “Opening the passage to the outer realm, wouldn’t that be like inviting a wolf into the house for all living beings in this realm?”
The angler fell silent.
For a long, long time.
He spoke slowly, his voice indifferent to the point of cruelty, as if stating an age-old truth: "On the path of life, all beings are but straw dogs."
The moment the words left his mouth, the stream suddenly became rapid, waves surged, scattering the fallen leaves on the water's surface and also scattering the reflection of the trumpet creeper.
"One last question." The fisherman put his straw hat back on, concealing his face in the shadows, and his voice returned to its original calm. "The Demon Lord's Black Heaven Sword, is it truly not in your possession?"
Ling Xiao stood up, solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to the fisherman, and said frankly, "He's not here."
The bamboo shadows swayed, and the wind rustled.
When Ling Xiao looked up again, the bluestone by the stream was deserted. It was as if the conversation just now was nothing but a dream.
……
Countless miles away, atop the sea of clouds.
The Moon Maiden, dressed in a simple white gown, walked on air. Her steps were light, and wherever she passed, the churning clouds receded like a tide, clearing a smooth path.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.
Without warning, a crack appeared in the void ahead, from which dazzling golden light poured out.
A figure slowly emerged from the light. The newcomer was shrouded in a hazy golden glow, obscuring their face; only their voice, like the resounding chimes of bells, echoed through the heavens: "Have you made enough trouble? The Holy Temple isn't afraid of you, it's just too lazy to bother with you!"
If it weren't for the Moon Maiden standing in their way, the powerful figures of the Holy Temple would have already razed the Silent Realm and taken the Demon Lord Black Sky Sword they had long coveted.
Although they cannot descend to the Realm of Annihilation in their true forms, they can still project their power into clones through certain forbidden secret techniques. However, this method not only greatly reduces their strength but also exposes them to the backlash of numerous Heavenly Dao restrictions, making it extremely dangerous.
However, for that demonic sword that can shatter boundaries, all the risks are worthwhile.
However, they never expected that the biggest obstacle would be a woman.
A woman named Yue Nu.
She single-handedly suppressed the hopes of all the powerful figures in the Holy Temple to go to the Realm of Annihilation.
To be blocked by a disciple who once belonged to the Holy Temple was undoubtedly a great humiliation for the many supreme beings of the Holy Temple.
Naturally, they dared not underestimate them in the slightest.
Because the Moon Maiden's strength is beyond imagination.