chsdbacks Chapter 285 Human Crisis, The Tragedy of the Wood Saint
Chapter 285 Human Crisis, The Tragedy of the Wood Saint
Chapter 284 Human Crisis, The Tragedy of the Wood Saint
The aircraft slowly descended over what appeared to be an ordinary coastline in the South China Sea, eventually landing smoothly on the edge of a lush, sparsely populated forest.
The hatch opened, and Li Xijun stepped out. The aircraft behind him emitted a low hum before taking off and disappearing into the horizon.
Looking around, a hint of doubt flashed in Li Xijun's eyes.
Is this the place where the Wood Saint cultivated in seclusion?
Looking around, all you see are ordinary southern trees, tall and dense, with vines entwined, birdsong and insect chirps mixed in, the air moist and fresh, far from the sanctuary of a holy cave you might have imagined, just an ordinary natural forest.
"Where does the Wood Saint reside?" he murmured to himself, his spiritual power spreading out like mercury, carefully examining every inch of land and every blade of grass around him.
However, the feedback was still the same as usual, with no abnormal energy fluctuations or traces of any formation.
He strolled through the woods, his sharp gaze sweeping over everything.
After walking for about an hour, almost circling the small forest, they still found nothing.
Just as Li Xijun was beginning to doubt whether he had come to the wrong place, his Yin Spirit, which had reached the level of Manifestation, and his own martial arts spiritual sense of the Great Perfection of Unity of Heaven and Man and "Returning to Simplicity," finally detected a very faint sense of disharmony that was almost perfectly integrated with the surrounding natural environment.
The feeling wasn't an energy fluctuation, but rather an extremely subtle "fold" in the spatial structure, a higher-level "abnormality." If he hadn't reached extremely high levels in both spiritual cultivation and martial arts, he wouldn't have been able to perceive it at all.
Following that mysterious feeling, he arrived at an ancient tree in the forest that seemed no different from the surrounding trees.
The tree has a thick trunk, lush branches and leaves, and mottled bark, bearing the marks of time.
Li Xijun focused his mind and gazed at the tree inch by inch, like the most precise scanner.
After a long while, his gaze finally settled on an inconspicuous branch, where a peculiar leaf was growing.
This leaf is half lush and vibrant, as if it embodies the vitality of the entire forest, while the other half is withered and broken, shrouded in death, as if it has reached the end of its life.
Life and death, decay and prosperity, two diametrically opposed states, have achieved a strange balance and coexistence on this small leaf!
That's it!
Li Xijun took a deep breath, stretched out her finger, and carefully touched the half-withered, half-grown leaf.
The moment my fingertips touched the leaf, there was no hard or soft sensation as I had imagined. Instead, it felt like touching the surface of water, with an invisible ripple spreading out from the point of contact.
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible spatial fluctuation suddenly arrived!
Before Li Xijun could even react, he felt the scene before him suddenly distort and change, as if the entire space had been stretched and folded. The next moment, he had left that ordinary woodland and appeared in a completely different world.
This is a small world that has been opened up.
As soon as Li Xijun stepped onto solid ground and steadied himself, he was immediately stunned by the scene before him.
This is a world that is not particularly vast, but is filled with endless mysteries.
There was no sun or moon in the sky, but there was a soft and even light source, as if it came from the world itself.
On the earth, streams murmured, and exotic flowers and herbs were everywhere, many of which were rare species he had never seen before, exuding a rich spiritual energy and unique Daoist charm.
However, what is most shocking is that this world presents two distinctly extreme states!
With an invisible boundary as the axis, half of the world is the ultimate life!
The vegetation grows wildly, flowers bloom in profusion, and springs gush forth, brimming with boundless vitality and vigor. Even the air carries a sweet, life-giving scent, and taking a breath of it instantly invigorates the spirit.
The other half of the world is extreme death and decay!
The earth was cracked and parched, all things withered, only dead trees stood like tombstones, the wind howled like the whispers of the dead, the air was filled with the smell of dust and the end, an eternal desolation and slumber.
Birth and death, decay and prosperity—these two fundamental and opposing laws that constitute the cycle of life do not alternate here, but coexist and reflect each other, forming an incredibly strange yet harmonious balance full of Taoist charm.
"Is this the method of a Martial Saint?" Li Xijun's heart was filled with shock.
He possesses the rudiments of an inner universe, and his understanding of space and the composition of the world is deeper than that of ordinary people.
That is why he can better understand the terrifying strength and the exquisite control over the laws required to create and maintain such a small world that simultaneously accommodates life and death and balances prosperity and decline!
"The Buddhist saying, 'One flower, one world; one leaf, one cycle of flourishing and decay,' is truly a profound truth!" he murmured to himself, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.
At the same time, because he had cultivated the "Heavenly Cycle of Life and Death Sword Chapter" and although he had not obtained the core meaning of reincarnation, he had a deep understanding of the meaning of life and death. Li Xijun was able to vaguely perceive the traces of the Great Dao of Life, Death, Withering and Flourishing that were omnipresent, intertwined and endlessly cyclical in this world.
That is a profound mystery that is far more profound, more fundamental, and closer to the essence of heaven and earth than the Life and Death Sword Sect!
"If Senior Mu Sheng's mastery of the Dao of Life, Death and Prosperity were placed in the world of martial arts, he would at least be a high-ranking master who controls the cycle of life and death."
"No, perhaps even stronger! Compared to the old man's condensed Dharma form of life and death reincarnation, it's like a firefly compared to the bright moon!" He made a judgment in his mind in an instant.
Just as Li Xijun was immersed in the mysteries of this world, not far ahead, the space rippled slightly, and a simple stone table and bench appeared out of thin air.
Beside the stone table, a figure had already appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
He was a boy who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a simple blue cloth robe, and he did not exude any powerful aura. He was just like a boy next door.
But the moment Li Xijun saw him, her heart began to pound uncontrollably!
Around that boy, he seemed to see endless vitality bursting forth, and he also seemed to see eternal annihilation settling in.
I witnessed the withering and flourishing of plants completing countless cycles in an instant; I saw the cycle of birth and death of life evolving within them.
An indescribable aura of law, transcending all things, though faint, lingered around him with undeniable reality, making Li Xijun feel as insignificant as dust, as if the other party's single thought could determine the existence of this world and his own life or death.
This youthful figure is undoubtedly one of the Martial Saints of the Great Xia Dynasty—the Wood Saint!
Li Xijun quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Junior Li Xijun greets Senior Mu Sheng!"
Mu Sheng raised his eyes and looked at Li Xijun. His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to penetrate all illusions and reach the essence of things.
He nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake.
"No need for formalities."
His voice was clear and bright, with the unique texture of a young man, yet it also contained a sense of world-weariness. "Your talent is something I have never seen before in my life. It is much stronger than mine was back then."
"You did very well in this global national competition, outperforming all others, bringing glory to our country, and not disgracing Great Xia. Your performance was outstanding, and I am very satisfied."
Li Xijun suppressed the turmoil in her heart and responded humbly:
"Senior, you flatter me. My achievements are inseparable from the dedicated training and resource support of the Great Xia government, the Federation, and the Qingquan Chunhui Palace. I never expected to have the opportunity to witness your teachings."
Upon hearing this, Mu Sheng smiled gently and explained, "Performing a rite of passage for you is an extra reward I've decided to give you for your outstanding performance in this National Games."
"However, the opportunity to meet me and receive guidance did not come from this."
Li Xijun's face immediately showed surprise and confusion.
Mu Sheng looked at him and slowly said, "This matter concerns some secrets known only to the highest levels of the Federation, but given your current status and potential, it won't hurt for you to know."
His tone became slightly more serious: "You may have heard before that I did indeed suffer a severe injury. If I had not comprehended the profound mystery of the endless cycle of life, death, decay, and rebirth, I would probably have perished."
Despite being mentally prepared, Li Xijun still felt a surge of shock and disbelief upon hearing it personally from Mu Sheng.
The opponent is a Martial Saint!
This is a supreme being capable of fighting against a god-king in outer space, with the aftershocks of their battle capable of destroying stars.
What kind of terrifying enemy could have wounded it to the point that it needs to rely on the characteristics of the Dao of Life, Death and Prosperity to maintain its life?
Wei Sheng did not elaborate on the source of his injuries, but continued:
"In order to cultivate successors as soon as possible to support the overall situation, each of us remaining Martial Saints has one spot to designate the most promising genius to come here after they advance to the Outer Realm and receive an opportunity."
He looked at Li Xijun and said, word by word, "And you, back when the five schools held their joint martial arts competition, were already chosen by Feng Sheng."
"Feng Sheng? During the Five Schools Joint Examination?"
Li Xijun was stunned. The scene of practicing swordsmanship hard in order to fight Ye Ningxue in the virtual battle flashed through his mind.
At that time, although he was just beginning to show his talent, he never imagined that he would be noticed by a martial saint and given such high expectations!
Seeing Li Xijun's expression, Mu Sheng smiled and his tone returned to its usual calm:
"It seems Feng Sheng didn't tell you beforehand. But it doesn't matter, it's good that you know now."
His gaze deepened and became filled with expectation: "What you need to do now is to focus on cultivation and break through to the Martial Saint realm as soon as possible. This is crucial for me, for Wind Saint, and for the future of the entire Human Federation."
These words struck Li Xijun's heart like a heavy hammer.
He instantly understood that the Wood Saint's words and the Wind Saint's prior arrangements all pointed to one fact—
The human federation civilization in the main world is not without its worries; there may even be a huge crisis lurking beneath the surface!
Even if he were to face death, Li Xijun would still be able to make amends.
However, the help he received from the main world was immense, and moreover, he had received assistance from various people along the way. Naturally, Li Xijun hoped to break through as soon as possible to prepare for future crises.
Thinking of this, he nodded heavily, his eyes becoming incredibly resolute:
"This junior understands! I will certainly live up to your expectations, senior!"
Immediately, he took a deep breath, seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time:
"Senior Master Mu, I have a question and humbly request your clarification. It concerns the martial arts golden core cultivated by martial artists..."