Chapter 130: Flowers Blur the Vision

(Page 1 of 3)

“Of course. A few days ago, His Majesty the Emperor of Great Ming abolished the title of Son of Heaven, adopted the title of Human Sovereign, and established the Great Ming Human Dao Empire. Surely you have heard of it, Sister Dongfang?”

“Of course I have. Although the imperial court and the martial world have long since ceased all contact, even I would have heard of an event of such magnitude.”

“Then do you know that this was all brought about by my sect’s Supreme Elder Uncle, Master Yang Xin? With the founding of the Great Ming Human Dao Empire, the Human Sovereign used the Imperial Seal to suppress the human race’s destiny. Once humanity’s destiny gathered around him, the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions on this world loosened. That is why you and Martial Granduncle Feng were able to break through to the Innate Realm.

“Moreover, the establishment of the Human Dao Empire benefits this world as well. In time, should humanity prosper, this low-martial minor world might rise into a mid-martial middle world. By then, breaking through to the Innate Realm will no longer be a dream. Saying that Innate experts will be everywhere may be an exaggeration, but the flourishing of martial arts will certainly be inevitable.”

“If you do not believe in this mysterious talk of destiny, then let me ask you something else. Ever since you entered my Immortal Peak Sect, have you felt a suppressive force? When fighting me, have you found that you can use only seventy or eighty percent of your full strength?”

Invincible East nodded. As one of the only two Innate experts in this world, she had already attained microscopic control over her own strength. What Yue Lingshan said was indeed true.

“You were fortunate enough to encounter me. If you had met Elder Zuo Lengchan, the Hall Master of Punishment in my Immortal Peak Sect, I fear you would have been able to display only sixty or seventy percent of your full strength. And if you had encountered my father, Yue Buqun, you would truly have been out of luck. Not only would your Innate Realm be suppressed, but you would be lucky to bring out even forty or fifty percent of your strength.

“If you encountered Supreme Elder Uncle Yang, Sister Dongfang, you would have no choice but to submit and await death. With nothing more than a glance from him, you would be rendered completely immobile. That is the power of humanity’s destiny. At that point, forget resisting—even escaping would be impossible. This is the foundation of confidence upon which my Immortal Peak Sect stands!”

“Blessed by humanity’s destiny, our sect speaks with Heaven’s mandate, and our words become law. Whoever our sect declares to be a righteous sect is a righteous sect; whoever we declare to be a demonic cult is a demonic cult. Anyone who opposes us is already at a disadvantage in terms of presence alone. Their strength will be further suppressed by humanity’s destiny, weakening them by thirty to fifty percent. This is the true trump card of my Immortal Peak Sect.” Yue Lingshan spoke with absolute conviction.

Invincible East’s mind had become a complete muddle. Yue Lingshan had utterly dazed her, for everything she said lay far beyond Invincible East’s understanding. This was not the martial world she knew. Yet her instincts told her that Yue Lingshan was not lying.

It was precisely because she sensed that Yue Lingshan was telling the truth that Invincible East felt even more depressed.

“Sister Dongfang, does it all seem terrifying beyond words? But do not lose heart. How do you know that we will not one day soar into the heavens? Remember: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Never look down on a young woman simply because she is poor!”

Although Yue Lingshan’s torrent of words had left Invincible East unable for a moment to tell east from west, she was, after all, a peerless figure who had dominated an entire era. She quickly adjusted her state of mind. Upon learning how vast the world truly was, Invincible East once again gave birth to an indomitable ambition to challenge Heaven itself.

Without hesitation, she took the Manual of Taiji Boxing from within her robes and handed it to Yue Lingshan.

(Page 1 of 3)

(Page 2 of 3)

When Invincible East heard Yue Lingshan say, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Never look down on a young woman simply because she is poor,” she could not help but burst out laughing.

“Your aspirations are higher than the heavens themselves, little sister.”

“Of course! The world is so vast—I want to go out and see it. Besides, one must have dreams. What if they actually come true? Oh, dear, I have kept you chatting for so long. You should drink the water from the Maiden-Drowning Spring first.”

Invincible East did not hesitate. She drank the spring water in one gulp, then discreetly pocketed the bottle that had contained it. After all, a crystal-clear bottle of this sort was still an exceedingly rare treasure in Great Ming.

“What does it taste like?” Yue Lingshan asked brightly, her eyes gleaming with an inexplicable light.

“Sour and sweet,” Invincible East replied, smacking her lips.

“By the way, Sister Dongfang, now that you have reached the Innate Realm, you must have attained the state of ‘all things flourishing and Heaven and humanity becoming one.’ Why do you still need the water from the Maiden-Drowning Spring?” Yue Lingshan asked, puzzled.

“‘All things flourishing and Heaven and humanity becoming one’ is merely a state of cultivation, as well as a description of the condition of one’s internal energy—or rather, true qi—after reaching the Innate Realm. It does not literally mean that one becomes a being of Heaven and humanity…”

As she spoke, Invincible East suddenly paused and asked in a small voice, “You do not look down on me, do you?”

Cultivating the Sunflower Manual, like cultivating the Evil-Exorcising Sword Manual, required one to castrate oneself. This had always been the thorn buried in Invincible East’s heart. “The sun rises in the east; I alone am invincible!” Though it sounded incomparably domineering, it was in truth an expression of the profound inferiority hidden within her heart. Otherwise, she would not have abandoned the affairs of her cult and secluded herself deep within her chambers, refusing to meet anyone.

“How could I look down on you? Why would I? You are Invincible East!” Yue Lingshan blinked, her expression perfectly natural. Then she handed Invincible East a bottle of cool water. “Quickly, drink this.”

Invincible East knew that her lifelong wish was finally about to be fulfilled. Drawing a deep breath, she accepted the bottle with trembling hands and drained it in a single swallow.

The entire world seemed to fall silent.

Invincible East felt as though her very soul had been purified. Then, overcome with joy, she burst into tears, for she could clearly feel the changes taking place within her body.

“Thank you, little sister. Thank you, Immortal Yang!” Invincible East struggled to contain her surging emotions, forcing herself to calm down as she spoke in a trembling voice.

“A lone shadow upon a frozen river, an old friend of the martial world. When we meet, why speak as though we were strangers…” Yue Lingshan lifted her head, swept back her cloak, and gazed at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. She struck the pose of a lonely master beneath a world covered in snow, deliberately affecting an ancient and solemn air.

(Page 2 of 3)

(Page 3 of 3)

Perhaps because Invincible East had finally seen her wish fulfilled, or perhaps because the knot that had burdened her heart for so many years had at last been undone, Yue Lingshan’s deliberately solemn demeanor made her laugh. She smiled radiantly, and between her bright eyes and pearly teeth, it seemed that Heaven and Earth themselves had dimmed before that faint smile.

Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi were once again left staring in a daze.

“You dead little Lin, what are you looking at? Hurry up and deliver the Manual of Taiji Boxing to Supreme Elder Uncle!” Yue Lingshan roared as she seized Lin Pingzhi by the ear.

After Lin Pingzhi left, Yue Lingshan formed a series of hand seals and undid the scroll. When she revealed a large assortment of bottles and jars, she immediately flew into a rage.

“Supreme Elder Uncle Yang is far too biased!”

“What is wrong, little sister? What are all these things?” Invincible East asked, her eyes fixed fervently upon the bottles and jars before her. Her gaze was so intense that she looked ready to snatch them at any moment.

Never underestimate a woman’s intuition.

Although Invincible East did not recognize any of the bottles and jars, a woman’s intuition told her that they were unquestionably valuable.

“These were given to you by Supreme Elder Uncle Yang. This is lipstick, this is a facial mask, this is pressed powder, and this is…” Yue Lingshan stamped her foot angrily, yet she never dared disobey Yang Xin’s orders. Thus, she introduced each bottle and jar—several complete sets of cosmetics—to Invincible East one by one.

Invincible East did not know whether to accept them or refuse them. As the leader of a cult and a peerless expert who had suppressed an entire age, how could she allow herself to be bought over by such petty gifts?

And yet… these truly were wonderful things.

With so many dazzling objects before her, Invincible East was utterly captivated. She clutched them tightly, unable to let go. In the end, a woman’s natural instincts prevailed, and she accepted the bottles and jars as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Little sister, do you not have any?”

(Page 3 of 3)