Chapter 107: Heavenly Cripple Sect
Chapter 107: Heavenly Cripple Sect
Thump, thump, thump…
Zuinü remained silent. Chu San, kneeling on the ground, also said nothing. He just kowtowed repeatedly.
One, two…
He repeated the kowtowing motion over and over. Slowly, the ground and his clothes became stained with blood. But even with his head broken and bleeding, his movements remained precise, without the slightest hesitation. In the end, even Mu Feng could not help but admire his determination and resilience. No one would have thought that such a thin and small body could contain such astonishing perseverance.
“Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current. If you do not advance, you will fall behind. If you slack off even a little, the boat may be destroyed and the person may die. For many, it is not a path to hope, but a road of no return!” After a long time, Zuinü finally spoke. She looked Chu San up and down, then continued calmly. “Your body is weak, your aptitude is mediocre, and you have lost both arms. It is difficult! How can someone like you hope to set foot on the path of cultivation?”
Mediocre aptitude?
Hearing Zuinü’s words, Mu Feng shook his head bitterly and sighed quietly.
In his opinion, Chu San, having lost both arms, was not just mediocre in aptitude. He had no aptitude at all. For an ordinary person who suffered such severe injuries, merely surviving was an achievement!
Thump, thump…
Chu San’s forehead hit the ground as he continued kowtowing without pause.
From childhood, he had never left the mountains. At a young age, he had little experience and even less education. Faced with Zuinü’s rejection, he did not know what to say or how to plead his case. He could only use each kowtow to show his determination and perseverance.
If he could not cultivate, he might as well die!
After recovering from the heavy blow, he had sworn to either follow his mother in death or cultivate diligently, killing every enemy and never again being a lamb waiting for slaughter.
Huu…
The cold wind howled, and silence fell once more.
Looking at Chu San, who was intent on becoming his disciple, Zuinü’s expression remained calm. From beginning to end, his face showed almost no change. After a long while, he slowly said, “Some people cultivate for wealth and honor. Some do it for power and fame. Others want to rise above others… Tell me, what is your purpose in cultivating?”
“Revenge. To kill every enemy who slaughtered my village, leaving none alive!”
Chu San lifted his head and blurted out the words, his eyes flashing with hatred.
Mu Qingyuan, the main culprit, had already died at Mu Feng’s hands. But there were still many guards who took part in the massacre, as well as other accomplices who had not been punished. Under the protection of Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie, no one had pursued them.
The guards who joined the massacre, Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie and his followers, Blind Master Bi Luotian… and even the Elder of Inheritance who remained hidden behind the scenes—which of them was not an accomplice to the village slaughter? Which of them did not deserve to die?
“Revenge is justified. Repay kindness with kindness, and grievances with grievances. But revenge should not be the whole of cultivation.”
Zuinü looked at Chu San kneeling on the ground, paused, and then continued slowly. “The dead cannot come back to life. Time cannot flow backward. What is past is past. Endless regret and recollection are meaningless. Protecting the loved ones you have left is what matters most. Do not wait until the last of your loved ones meets with misfortune before you regret it. A disabled body but an unbroken spirit—that is the ultimate goal of our cultivation. It is also the greatest tenet of our Heavenly Cripple Sect. Do you… understand? Can you achieve this?”
A disabled body but an unbroken spirit?
Mu Feng felt a deep respect. Hearing Zuinü’s words was better than reading books for ten years!
“I understand, Master. Please accept this bow from Chu San!”
Chu San bowed deeply and said solemnly, “I, Chu San, swear that if I ever achieve success in cultivation, I will protect every loved one by my side, and I will never regret it for the rest of my life!”
“Good!”
Zuinü nodded, glanced briefly at Mu Feng, and then said, “In life, being too rigid leads to breaking. Cultivation is the same. You must balance Yin and Yang. Do you understand?”
“Chu San will remember it!”
Kneeling on the ground, Chu San only partially understood, but he committed Zuinü’s words to heart.
Balance Yin and Yang?
Chu San, who had not yet begun cultivating, did not understand what it meant. But when Mu Feng heard this, his heart suddenly stirred, and everything became clear.
The Ancestral Sorcerer’s Essence Blood in his body surged with a wave of scorching blood. Strands of blood energy flowed into his mind, merging with his Spiritual Soul. In an instant, his Spiritual Soul, which had been fluctuating more intensely these past days, burst out of his body with a ‘boom.’ It floated three feet above his head, churning with blood energy. At that moment, a baby-like cry came from the horizon. Sleeping people were abruptly awakened by a sudden palpitation.
Late Mortal Realm!
Under Zuinü’s subtle guidance, Mu Feng had a moment of enlightenment and broke through the long-desired bottleneck.
From then on, his Spiritual Soul could leave his body even during the day. On moonless and windy nights, it could roam a thousand miles. His strength had reached a new level!
Compared to before, his Spiritual Soul now carried a faint trace of blood energy. It calmly faced the cold wind that blew toward it. With a thought, it transformed into a red light and disappeared, rushing out of Mu Manor. It coldly looked down upon the entire Jianning City from high above.
The physical body governed Yang, while the Spiritual Soul governed Yin. That was why the Spiritual Soul could usually only leave the body at night.
To roam a thousand miles during the daytime, there were only two methods.
Either the Spiritual Soul had enough Yin Energy to forcefully resist and counteract the erosion of daytime Yang Energy, regardless of the tremendous consumption. Or, one could balance Yin and Yang, infusing a thread of Yang Energy into the Yin-governed Spiritual Soul, thereby eliminating external influences.
Previously, Mu Feng practiced Blood Refining Yang Seizing, always following the first method. He hoped to forcibly break through the bottleneck after plundering enough power and Yang Energy. Unfortunately, although his strength grew, he made no progress. Under Zuinü’s guidance, he suddenly thought of the second method, and his path became clear.
Under the heavens, what had the strongest Yang Energy?
Blood!
That was why some folks used dog blood to ward off evil spirits. It was also why people with weak bodies were prone to encountering malevolent entities. For ordinary people, even if they knew they needed to balance Yin and Yang, it was difficult to stir their blood energy and merge it with their Spiritual Soul. But for a Great Blood-Refining Sorcerer, this was not difficult.
“Young Master Mu Feng, congratulations on your progress. The Family Patriarch is inside. Would you like to go in and see him?”
Looking at Mu Feng, who understood with just a hint, Zuinü nodded approvingly.
Compared to other disciples of Mu Manor, Mu Feng started from a very low point. He had only begun cultivating recently. But both his perseverance and comprehension were impressive!
“No, I will be leaving on a long journey early tomorrow morning. Elder Zui, I leave Chu San in your care. Please forgive any shortcomings.”
Mu Feng bowed respectfully to Zuinü, whispered a few words of advice to Chu San, then turned and left.
Day and night, he had longed for this breakthrough to the Late Mortal Realm. Now, for him, the most urgent task was to return immediately and consolidate his hard-won realm.
When he was stuck and unable to break through, he needed to cultivate diligently. After accumulating deeply and finally breaking through the bottleneck, he needed to strike while the iron was hot. Otherwise, it would be like rowing against the current, wasting a great opportunity.
“Blood churning, Yang Energy pressing—it seems the treasure sealed beneath the Blood Pool for a thousand years was indeed obtained by Young Master Mu Feng. Good, good!”
Behind him, Zuinü watched Mu Feng’s retreating figure and nodded silently. He felt a glimmer of hope and anticipation for the future of Mu Manor.
Just now, when Mu Feng’s Spiritual Soul burst out of his body, even Zuinü felt a momentary fright. The blood in his body churned in response. To have such astonishing power right after breaking through to the Late Mortal Realm made one deeply impressed by Mu Feng’s cultivation potential.
After a moment of thought, Zuinü turned and pushed open the wooden door, arriving behind the Family Patriarch. “My Lord, Young Master Mu Feng has been here.”
“Yes, I know.”
The Family Patriarch remained motionless, kneeling on the ground. His voice was low as he slowly continued, “Well, does he have the potential to be nurtured as a key disciple?”
“His potential is good. But compared to Young Master Mu Tie, he seems slightly inferior.”
Zuinü was rational and objective, showing no bias. “Young Master Mu Feng’s perseverance and comprehension are excellent. If I am not mistaken, the treasure at the bottom of the Blood Pool has fallen into his hands. Given time, he will certainly become a master. Unfortunately, in terms of great opportunities, he still falls short of Young Master Mu Tie. Heartless Sword Dao, Emotionless Sword—if Young Master Mu Tie receives the true teachings of Heartless True Person, it can be said that in three years, Young Master Mu Feng will surely be defeated. Of course, whose potential is truly higher still requires your judgment, my Lord.”
“Heartless Sword Dao, Emotionless Sword…”
The Family Patriarch neither agreed nor disagreed, slowly closing his eyes. Behind him, Zuinü quietly stepped backward, closing the weathered wooden door.