thefictionvixens Chapter 727 I'll beat you to death!
Chapter 727 I'll beat you to death!
Jiang Wang felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that the contest of wisdom was more difficult than the test of strength and character, because strength could be improved through cultivation and character could be honed through perseverance, but wisdom required the accumulation of knowledge over time, flexible thinking, and no room for carelessness.
But Jiang Wang did not back down. With a determined look in his eyes, he said to Senior Xuanxu, "Senior, please give me the questions. I will think carefully and try my best to answer them and pass the test of the third level."
Senior Xuanxu smiled and said, "Alright, since you are ready, then I will give you the question."
The first question is: There was a cultivator who cultivated for a thousand years and finally reached the realm of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, but he was unable to break through and enter the realm of a Saint. Do you know why?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang fell into deep thought, frowning as he carefully considered the question.
It is not uncommon in the Journey to the West world for cultivators to reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm after a thousand years of cultivation, yet still be unable to break through to the Saint realm. Why is this?
Jiang Wang carefully recalled his cultivation experience and the cultivation techniques and secret manuals he knew. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he solemnly said to Senior Xuanxu, "Senior, I know the answer."
The reason that cultivator couldn't break through to the Saint realm wasn't because he lacked aptitude or spiritual power, but because his character was flawed; he hadn't grasped the true essence of the 'Dao'.
Senior Xuanxu raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Tell me, what is the true meaning of 'Tao'? And what did he not see through?"
Jiang Wang composed himself and said, "Senior, in my opinion, the true meaning of 'Tao' is not about pursuing great strength or greed for fame and fortune, but about upholding one's true self, following nature, having good intentions, and knowing how to make choices."
That cultivator, having cultivated for a thousand years, had reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, but his heart was filled with desires. He coveted fame and fortune, was impatient for quick success, and wanted to break through to the Saint realm through shortcuts. He neglected the cultivation of his mind and the true meaning of the 'Dao,' therefore, he was unable to break through and enter the Saint realm.
After a pause, Jiang Wang continued, "To break through to the Saint realm, one needs not only sufficient spiritual power and aptitude, but also to comprehend the true meaning of the 'Dao,' uphold one's original heart, eliminate desires from one's heart, and follow the natural order. Only in this way can one truly break through the shackles and step into the Saint realm."
If one's heart is filled with desire and eager for quick success, even with strong spiritual power and excellent aptitude, one will ultimately be unable to break through.
Senior Xuanxu looked at Jiang Wang with a hint of approval in his eyes, nodded, and said, "That's right, you're absolutely right."
The true essence of the 'Tao' is indeed to uphold one's original intention, follow nature, eliminate desires, and know how to make choices.
That cultivator was unable to break through to the Saint realm because his heart was filled with desires and he was too eager for quick success, neglecting the cultivation of his mind.
You answered the first question correctly.
Jiang Wang felt relieved and a smile appeared on his face. He said, "Thank you for your recognition, senior. I will continue to work hard and try to answer the next question correctly."
Senior Xuanxu nodded and said, "Alright, next, I'll ask the second question."
There is a mountain with two roads, one leading to heaven and the other to hell. On the mountain live two people, one good and one bad. The good person only tells the truth, and the bad person only tells lies. You don't know which road leads to heaven, nor do you know who the good person is or who the bad person is. You can only ask one of them one question: How can I find the road to heaven?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang fell into deep thought once again. This question, seemingly simple, was actually complex, because it was impossible to know who was good and who was bad, nor which path led to heaven. All he could ask was one question: finding the path to heaven was indeed not easy.
Jiang Wang pondered carefully, imagining that if he asked one of them, "Which road leads to heaven?", if he asked a good person, who would only tell the truth, he would tell him the truth, while a bad person would point him in the wrong direction; if he asked a bad person, who would only tell lies, he would also point him in the wrong direction.
In this way, whether you ask a good person or a bad person, the path they point to is the path to hell. So, the other path is the path to heaven.
Thinking of this, Jiang Wang's eyes lit up, and he said to Senior Xuanxu in a solemn tone, "Senior, I know the answer."
The younger person only needs to ask one of them, 'If I ask the other which path leads to heaven, which one will he tell me?' Then, choose the path he didn't point to; that is the path to heaven.
A hint of surprise flashed in Senior Xuanxu's eyes, followed by approval. He said, "Oh? Tell me, why did you ask that?"
Jiang Wang smiled and said, "Senior, if I ask a good person, a good person will only tell the truth. He knows that a bad person will point the wrong way, so he will tell me the truth. The way the bad person will point the wrong way is the way to hell. If I ask a bad person, a bad person will only tell lies. He knows that a good person will point the right way, but he will deliberately say the wrong way and point the wrong way to hell."
Therefore, whether I ask a good person or a bad person, the path they point to is the path to hell; the other path, then, is the path to heaven.
Senior Xuanxu laughed heartily and said, "Good, good, very well said. Your logic is clear and your thinking is meticulous. You also answered the second question correctly. It seems that your wisdom is also outstanding. You have not disappointed me."
Jiang Wang felt increasingly confident. He said to Senior Xuanxu, "Thank you for your recognition, Senior. I will continue to work hard and try to answer the third question correctly."
Senior Xuanxu nodded, his tone becoming more serious, and said, "Alright, next is the third question, which is also the most difficult one. You must think about it carefully and not be careless."
This problem was personally left behind by the powerful Xuanzhenzi. Countless trial participants have stumbled here. You must be careful.”
Jiang Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Senior, please give me the question. I will think about it carefully and will not be careless."
Senior Xuanxu looked at Jiang Wang and slowly said, "The third question is, what is it that cannot be seen or touched, yet can determine a person's fate, cause the strong to perish, allow the weak to rise, resolve hatred, and breed desire?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang fell into deep thought. This question was indeed difficult. It was invisible and intangible, yet it could determine a person's fate, cause the strong to fall, allow the weak to rise, resolve hatred, and breed desire. What exactly was it?
He thought carefully and realized that there were many things that could not be seen or touched, such as aura, spiritual power, Dao, will, and human heart... but none of these things matched the description in the question.
Aura and spiritual power, though invisible and intangible, cannot determine a person's fate, nor can they resolve hatred or breed desire; the Dao, though it can determine a person's path of cultivation, cannot allow the weak to rise, nor can it breed desire; willpower, though it can sustain a person's perseverance, cannot cause the strong to fall, nor can it resolve hatred.
Could it be the human heart? Jiang Wang's heart stirred. The human heart is invisible and intangible. The goodness or evil in the human heart can determine a person's fate. A kind heart can make the weak rise and can resolve hatred. An evil heart can make the strong fall and can breed desire. This seems to fit the description of the question.
But Jiang Wang was still somewhat uncertain. After thinking carefully for a moment, he said solemnly to Senior Xuanxu, "Senior, I believe the answer should be the human heart."
Senior Xuanxu raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Tell me, why is it the human heart?"
Jiang Wang shook off the dust clinging to his body, his four hooves firmly planted on the bluestone ground at the edge of the teleportation array. His Qilin beast eyes were filled with feigned ignorance and curiosity, his tone both relentless and deliberately softened as he shouted at the upright human figure opposite him, "Hey, why aren't you saying anything? You sent me flying so far, and you haven't even offered an explanation? My Qilin clan has always been upright and honorable; if you hit someone, you should at least let me know who your opponent is, right?"
The human opposite him remained expressionless, surrounded by a dense aura of primordial chaos. The aura of a peak first-level cultivator was not concealed at all. His hands were slightly clenched, his knuckles were white, and his gaze was fixed on Jiang Wang. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, as if he had not spoken for a long time. Every word carried the heavy weight of metal clashing with stone: "Enough nonsense. Either die or pass through the Secret Realm Tower. Asking any more questions is useless."
"useless?"
Jiang Wang scoffed, his Qilin head swaying slightly, his mane fluttering in the wind. His tone was full of defiance, yet tinged with a deliberately feigned naiveté. "I insist on asking! Look at my body, isn't it tough? You struck me with all your might, and I didn't even lose a single hair. Aren't you curious about my origins? And you, your innate Dao body, something you were born with, is even more powerful than the physique of my Qilin clan, which only allows late-stage Saints to take human form. What race are you? You couldn't have just sprung from a rock, could you?" The human frowned, seemingly annoyed by Jiang Wang's rambling. His Primordial Chaos Power surged even stronger, and he raised his hand to strike Jiang Wang again. This strike was even more powerful than before, amplified by a Primordial Chaos Power of 1.9 billion. The palm wind howled, carrying a sharp sound that tore through space. As he struck, he coldly shouted, "You're courting death! Since you insist on seeking death, I'll grant your wish!"
Jiang Wang remained unmoved, even deliberately moving forward, pushing his four hooves to the ground and maximizing the defensive power of his Qilin body. With a provocative smile on his face, he shouted, "Come on, come on! I want to see if your palm can break my body! Let me tell you, the body of my Qilin clan is among the best in the primordial world. Even the divine powers of a Law Saint might not be able to harm me in the slightest, let alone the physical attack of a Strength Saint like you!"
"Arrogant!" the human roared, his palm strike instantly landing on Jiang Wang. The force was even more immense than before, slamming into Jiang Wang's body. This time, Jiang Wang was sent flying a great distance, nearly a hundred million miles away, crashing into the stone wall of the Secret Realm Tower with a deafening roar. Countless spiderweb-like cracks instantly appeared on the stone wall, and rubble fell down in a shower.
Not long after, Jiang Wang emerged from the rubble, completely unharmed, even less dusty than before. He shook his mane, took off walking steadily towards the teleportation array, his steps firm and unaffected by the previous blow. He laughed and shouted as he walked, "How about that? I told you, you couldn't hurt me! One more blow, try again! I don't believe you can shatter me!" The human stood rooted to the spot, a hint of surprise finally appearing in his eyes. He stared intently at Jiang Wang, his tone incredulous: "Impossible! You're just an unformed Qilin. No matter how strong your body is, it couldn't possibly withstand two full-force blows from me, and remain unscathed! What are you? Your body isn't that of an ordinary Qilin!"
"Hahahaha!"
Jiang Wang burst into laughter, a sly glint in his Qilin beast eyes, but he deliberately feigned smugness. "How about that? Surprised? I am a genius of the Qilin clan, one in a hundred years. My physical body has long been tempered by the Great Dao, making me a hundred or a thousand times stronger than an ordinary Qilin! Don't even mention two of your palms, even ten or a hundred of your palms, you can't harm a single hair on my head!"
"A genius?" The human sneered, his tone tinged with disdain. "He's just relying on his physical strength. What's so great about that? The way of strength is about the balance of power and flexibility, not just brute force. You think you can conquer the Secret Realm Tower with just your physical body? That's wishful thinking!"
"wishful thinking?"
Jiang Wang stopped, standing a hundred feet away from the human, tilting his Qilin head, and asked with feigned confusion, "Then tell me, how am I supposed to pass the Secret Realm Tower? Do I kill you, or stand on the teleportation array and survive for three breaths? That voice just said that as long as one of the conditions is met, the challenge is successful, right?" The human's eyes turned cold, his tone icy: "Since you know that, you should understand that you either kill me or wait to be killed by me. Don't waste your time here! I don't have the patience to listen to your rambling!"
"Kill you?"
Jiang Wang scoffed, his tone laced with disdain. "You? You couldn't even hurt me with those two palm strikes. You think you can kill me? I think it's easier for me to kill you! However, I don't want to kill you. I just want to know what race you are, why you have an innate Dao body, and why you were imprisoned in this secret realm tower. What exactly is this tower, and what is its connection to the Primordial Realm and the Auspicious Realm?"
"No comment!" The human's tone was resolute, showing no sign of wavering. With a raise of his hand, the primordial energy around him condensed once more. This time, he didn't strike directly with his palm, but instead gathered the primordial energy into his fists, clenching them tightly until his knuckles turned white. The surrounding space seemed to distort slightly due to this immense force. "Since you refuse to make a move, then I will take the initiative and continue until I kill you!" (End of Chapter)