Chapter 11: The Way of Ruthlessness

Chapter 11: The Way of Ruthlessness

Lin Qingling beamed with joy. "Good, good, good. You finally said something I like to hear."

"I... I want to help too," Jiang Yi said in a soft, gentle voice.

Luo Mingyue rolled up her sleeves, looking as if she were ready to go out and fight immediately.

Li Shuang felt a momentary sense of bewilderment.

In the competition between disciples, Master Lingxu and the others generally would not interfere.

Back at Lingxu Peak, she had been the Eldest Senior Sister. She managed everything on the peak from top to bottom; if she performed even slightly poorly, she would be summoned for reprimand.

Now that she was here, she had become the object of everyone's protection.

This change left Li Shuang feeling somewhat unaccustomed for a time.

After a moment of silence, Li Shuang suddenly spoke, "Have you never suspected that I might be lying? That what Ye Zhaozhao said might be the truth?"

A smile lingered in Lin Qingling's eyes. "You finally asked it?"

Li Shuang hesitated, remaining silent.

Lin Qingling sat up straight, a rare expression of seriousness appearing on her face. "The Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra was once such a magnificent cultivation technique. But today, the various aspects of this technique are only described in passing within the Wushang Peak."

"The Ancestor once said: to enter the Forgetfulness Sutra, one must first possess emotion, and that emotion must be of the utmost goodness and purity. But if one day, that most pure and good emotion collapses violently, the person suffering such immense heartbreak may be able to undergo a nirvana from the depths of despair and comprehend this Way of Ruthlessness."

If Li Shuang were truly the wicked person they described, where would such profound emotion come from, and where would the transformation following the collapse of emotion come from?

Li Shuang must have poured far too much emotion into Lingxu Peak.

Therefore, when that emotion was betrayed, she became this desperate. This despair was akin to having died once; her entering this Way of Ruthlessness now was no different from being reborn.

Lin Qingling sighed. She had always known this method of entry, but they were cultivators—how difficult was it to demand they bestow such profound emotions upon others? Currently, the only ones she cared for were these few disciples.

Only after giving one's all and being betrayed could there be that sliver of faint hope to be reborn from despair.

How harsh such conditions were.

And yet, Li Shuang had met them.

How much pain must she have felt then?

Lin Qingling did not dare to imagine it.

A silence fell over the room.

Luo Mingyue and the others also thought of this, their hearts aching with distress.

As outsiders, they all knew how much the previous Li Shuang had sacrificed for Lingxu Peak.

And yet, those people had discarded her so casually!

Did they deserve the sacrifices the Junior Sister had once made?

Li Shuang, however, remained calm.

So that was it.

In that case, this ordeal could be considered a blessing in disguise.

As the Forgetfulness Sutra slowly circulated within her, she knew Lin Qingling and the others were grieving for her, but she herself truly felt nothing at all.

Seeing Li Shuang's calm demeanor, Luo Mingyue felt somewhat relieved, yet also curious. "Junior Sister, under the Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra, can the various things in this world truly no longer cause ripples in your heart?"

Li Shuang thought for a moment, then shook her head. She said, "As a human being, one must have emotion."

Luo Mingyue was surprised. "This Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra is known as the Way of Ruthlessness. If it is the Way of Ruthlessness, how can there be emotion?"

Li Shuang's gaze grew deep. "The Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra clarifies its meaning from the very beginning: The Dao follows its appearance, and Heaven grants its form. One must not allow likes and dislikes to injure the self."

"The Way of Ruthlessness discards those emotions that cause internal injury to oneself. By not being swayed to joy or sorrow by likes and dislikes, one naturally will not harm oneself."

"To speak truly, after discarding those emotions that harm the self, the ones that remain are the truly precious emotions. Is the Way of Ruthlessness not also a Way of Emotion?"

Li Shuang shared some of her understanding of this Way of Ruthlessness. She believed her understanding was correct; after entering this path, the people of Lingxu Peak could no longer stir her emotions, yet when she thought of her deceased mother, she still felt a sense of filial affection, and this feeling had not faded in the slightest. It was evident that what the Way of Ruthlessness discarded were only harmful emotions, not all emotions.

A brilliant light flashed in Lin Qingling's eyes.

Though Li Shuang had only just entered this path, her understanding of the Way of Ruthlessness was already profound.

For the first time, Lin Qingling had a very firm premonition.

Through this rebirth from the flames, this disciple of hers would walk very, very far on this Way of Ruthlessness.

She would bloom with an even more dazzling light!

She would be even more invincible than the favored genius of ten years ago!

Li Shuang!

Destined to soar.

These ten years of silence were exactly what she needed to accumulate strength for her true flight!

"Did this disciple say something wrong?" Seeing Lin Qingling lost in thought, Li Shuang could not help but ask.

Lin Qingling snapped back to reality and smiled. "This path is currently being walked by you alone. Whether it is right or wrong, Xiao Shuang, you can only explore it yourself."

Li Shuang nodded calmly.

Lin Qingling took out two jade slips and handed them to Li Shuang.

"What I taught you before were only the introductory mnemonic and the Qi Refining stage of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra. In this jade slip is the complete set of techniques. Once your cultivation increases in the future, you will naturally be able to see the subsequent parts."

"This jade slip contains a set of sword techniques. In the beginning, the Founding Ancestor had two great supreme arts: one was this Way of Ruthlessness, and the second was this method of nurturing a Sword Spirit to achieve the unity of man and sword!"

"Li Shuang, you are a peerless genius rarely seen in a hundred years; you should know the benefits of a Sword Spirit."

Li Shuang nodded.

"A Sword Spirit is the soul of the sword. The sword is silent, but the Sword Spirit has a voice. With the help of a Sword Spirit, we can control the sword in our hands more perfectly; through the Sword Spirit, we can establish a profound connection with the sword. If the compatibility is sufficient, one can perform the technique of man and sword as one. At that time, the power of the sword technique will naturally explode, making fighting against higher-level opponents a trivial matter!"

Lin Qingling thought of Li Shuang's betrayed Dragon's Roar Sword and paused slightly before continuing, "Now that you have lost the Dragon's Roar, you should seek another precious sword. But the Founding Ancestor said: once one enters the Sword Pavilion, destiny will arise naturally. One can only obtain one precious sword from the Sword Pavilion in a lifetime. If you cannot obtain a sword from the Pavilion, you can only use a sword forged outside. Without the nourishment of the Sword Pavilion, it would be incredibly difficult for an outside sword to produce a Sword Spirit, though it is not impossible given a stroke of luck."

Lin Qingling offered her consolation.

"Master, I have a precious sword." With a thought from Li Shuang, the Black Abyss Sword appeared in her hand.

"This was once Ye Zhaozhao's precious sword. She held it for so many years and couldn't even awaken its Sword Spirit," Luo Mingyue couldn't help but say. "I wonder if this Sword Spirit is inherently flawed."

"It is not impossible." Lin Qingling looked at Li Shuang. "If you are unable to awaken the Sword Spirit for a long time, I fear this Black Abyss might be inferior to a random precious sword from outside."

Li Shuang's expression was calm. "It matters not. The Black Abyss is very good."

How could a sword that, once absorbed, could directly open the Heavenly Furnace be anything less than extraordinary?

The reason the Black Abyss's Sword Spirit could not be awakened was likely not because the spirit was flawed, but because the spirit... simply looked down on Ye Zhaozhao!

"It doesn't hurt to try. If you want to exchange it for another sword, come tell me," Lin Qingling said. "On this second jade slip, a set of sword techniques compatible with the Supreme Forgetfulness Sutra is recorded. This slip can only be opened using the spiritual energy of the Forgetfulness Sutra. Therefore, I do not know the specific form of the sword techniques inside. You will have to study it all slowly by yourself."

Li Shuang took the two jade slips and accepted them respectfully.

Lin Qingling thought for a moment and added, "In that case, today happens to be the monthly grand market. In this storage bag, there are three hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Go and see if there are any spiritual tools or magical treasures in the market suitable for the Qi Refining stage."

Lin Qingling produced a storage bag and handed it to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang felt a sense of trepidation. "Master, how can this disciple take your things so casually?"

Lin Qingling was momentarily stunned. "Your cultivation is still weak; it is only natural for your teacher to provide some assistance!"

Lin Qingling suddenly remembered something, and she looked at Li Shuang in shock. "That old man Lingxu... did he... never give you anything at all??"

Li Shuang fell silent.

The discourse on the Way of Ruthlessness originated from Zhuangzi's theory of having emotion and having no emotion.

(End of Chapter)