The clear spring flows.
The ancient pine still stands tall.
The chill of late autumn has already manifested on the Ancestor Star, and within the Great Zhou family.
In Zhou Yan’s courtyard, there is only him alone.
In the courtyard next to it, there are sounds of sword clashes, sounds of energy, and light sounds of breath.
Those are the rapid breaths of a young girl after intense exercise.
And that breath, the scent is like orchids, fragrant and fresh.
In the air, a faint fragrance still lingers.
Zhou Yan stands from night until day, watching ti pass, watching the darkness fade as dawn arrives, his figure still like a lonely crane.
This has never seed to change.
Under the ancient pine, beside the clear spring, watching the azure clouds rise, watching the water babble, Zhou Yan’s ntal state remains unchanged.
Ever since he embarked on the right path, Zhou Yan has comprehended this ntal state, doing everything naturally and as he pleases.
If he had done so before, perhaps it wouldn’t have been perfect, but it certainly wouldn’t have been bad. However, the past has beco a spur, and now, he is walking alone.
"Xuanyuan Sword, from now on, follow on this path."
Zhou Yan draws the Xuanyuan Sword from his waist, whispering to himself.
Finally, Zhou Yan opens the sword scabbard of the Xuanyuan Sword, using the most ordinary sword techniques, he derives sword techniques.
From the forr Bishui Swordsmanship, to the later Xingyi Twelve Forms Sword Dao, to the Ten Thousand Ghost Sword Dao, Killing Spirit Divine Dao, Soul Cutting Skill, Path of Incompletion, etc., Zhou Yan displays them all with his heart contained in the techniques.
Calm, indifferent.
Superior Water.
If the creation of the "Ruoshui Scripture" before was just an understanding, now it has truly been achieved.
"Superior Water, Supre Forget Love. What exactly is father’s Supre Forget Love Swordsmanship? Is it really the Carving Skill?"
Zhou Yan derives techniques from the sword dao, imrsing in it, lost in thought.
Eventually, he sheaths his sword and stands, yet nearly an entire day has passed.
The dawn’s light has turned into the blood-red setting sun.
The sunset glow reflects on the Xuanyuan Sword, which emits an ancient golden hue, revealing an archaic Dao Trace aura.
Zhou Yan’s face, under the glow of the sunset, appears more weathered, more inscrutable.
This should have been a youthful face of a fifteen-year-old boy, but it no longer bears any youthful air.
Facing the sunset, Zhou Yan fastens the Xuanyuan Sword at his waist, then looks beyond the courtyard.
The heavy cold iron gate of the courtyard remains shut, but it cannot block Zhou Yan’s gaze.
Outside the iron gate, Zhou Lingyi paces back and forth, Zhou Ying’s face carries a hint of anxiety, and beside Zhou Ying, her father Zhou Han is also present.
Zhou Han appears much younger than Zhou Yan rembers him and is stronger too.
With his strength, he is even stronger than Zhou Cangmu. So this low, cold iron gate certainly cannot stop him.
But he does not trespass, instead, like Zhou Lingyi and Zhou Ying, he waits patiently albeit anxiously.
As Zhou Yan’s gaze looks past them, Zhou Han seems to sense sothing, imdiately heading towards the cold iron gate.
Zhou Ying seems to want to speak out to stop, to stop her father from trespassing, but the cold iron gate suddenly ’creaks’ open on its own.
...
"Zhou Yan, I am Zhou Han, your uncle Zhou Han from when you were a child, do you still rember?"
Zhou Han approaches, standing not far from Zhou Yan, speaking.
"Zhou Yan."
Zhou Lingyi softly calls out at this mont.
"Brother Zhou Yan."
Zhou Ying also calls out, then slightly lowers her head.
"Uncle Zhou Han, I rember. What brings you to find today?"
Zhou Yan nods slightly, his gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.
"It’s like this, now that you are all settled, I have nothing to worry about. I just want to ask, where has your father gone these days? I wish to catch up with him."
Zhou Han hesitates slightly, explaining.
But as he speaks, he seems to deliberately avoid Zhou Yan’s gaze.
Zhou Yan looks at Zhou Han’s face but does not speak until Zhou Han seems unable to withstand Zhou Yan’s eerily calm gaze. He then continues, "Besides catching up, there’s indeed sothing urgent concerning him."
"Is that all? Uncle Zhou Han, feel free to tell whatever you have in mind, my father, perhaps, will never appear again."
Zhou Yan says.
His tone is even calr.
But this calm makes Zhou Lingyi and Zhou Ying feel that he has beco distant.
"This—In three days, you will enter the Sword Origin Pool. Just focus on your cultivation; I will handle these matters."
Zhou Han’s gaze revealed a look of worry but he did not explain the reason.
Zhou Yan retracted his gaze and said, "Now that you appear, and it’s related to my father, yet you can’t tell , it seems sothing happened on my mother’s side. Has she already fallen?"
"How—how could you guess that!"
Zhou Han’s gaze showed astonishnt, involuntarily exclaiming.
However, Zhou Yan’s calmness in stating these words left Zhou Han even more shocked, feeling a cold sting in his heart.
"Your emotions told the answer. Uncle Zhou Han, do you have any other matters? If not, I need to continue my enlightennt."
Zhou Yan spoke.
His emotions were even calr.
It seed that nothing in this world could stir his heart anymore.
"Are you cultivating the Heartless Sword Dao?"
Zhou Han gasped.
To hear the news of one’s mother’s fall without reaction, with a cold expression, how heartless must one be!
"What of heartlessness? What of sentint?"
Zhou Yan retorted.
Zhou Han’s face showed anger, saying, "You’re simply being rebellious! Zhou Yan, don’t you know she is your biological mother?! Upon hearing of her demise, you have no wavering, no sadness; you’re simply a beast!"
Zhou Han’s expression was ugly, while Zhou Ying, worried due to Zhou Han’s impulsiveness, considering Zhou Yan’s previously ruthless behavior.
"Father, stop talking!"
Zhou Ying quickly grabbed Zhou Han’s arm.
Zhou Han pushed Zhou Ying aside, pointing at Zhou Yan and saying, "Previously, seeing you in enlightennt, I held back my words, not wanting to disturb you, so I stayed anxious, and you are no better! You have no sentint whatsoever! Even if you achieve Absolute Supre, what difference does it make? Just another demon beast!"
"Although I am not your match, today I shall beat you, you ungrateful child!"
Zhou Han was truly enraged, eyes widened, the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body began to show its furious side, as if ready to expand.
"Uncle Zhou Han, if you died, would you wish for Zhou Ying to grieve and lose her soul, missing enlightennt in the Sword Origin Pool? Or would you rather see her live happily, joyfully?"
Zhou Yan calmly questioned.
At Zhou Han’s fury, Zhou Yan’s emotions remained unchanged, indifferent.
Zhou Yan’s inquiry suddenly cooled all of Zhou Han’s anger as if splashed with icy water, his body enveloped in coldness.
Zhou Yan sighed lightly, his gaze complex as he said, "I know a bit about my mother’s situation, her head separated, suppressed by soone, a fate worse than death. If she has fallen, it is ultimately a relief.
For cultivators suppressed and tornted to a fate worse than death, falling truly is a relief.
And I can’t change anything since so things render as Heavenly Destiny, reversing fate is hardly possible.
What I can do is live as I wish. I think, as a parent, the greatest hope is for their child to live happily, everything else doesn’t matter."
"If my mother knew my grief leading to madness, or emotional instability resulting in Dao injury, she probably wouldn’t rest in peace."
"Thus, cherishing oneself is the greatest sentint, love unsaid, I cannot change the world, but I can change myself."
Zhou Yan remained calm.
But his words moved Zhou Lingyi and Zhou Ying to tears.
In life, how many cultivators understand this? Even fewer understand it and can act upon it.
Zhou Han was stunned for a mont, realizing at this mont that Zhou Yan, like a lonely crane, was so solitary, so desolate.
At that mont, Zhou Han felt a wrenching pain.
"Your mother’s condition involved a Blood Light, taking her head and body, seemingly forcibly seized by an absolute powerhouse, I feared you’d act rashly, thus spoke of her falling."
Zhou Han sighed, his voice aged and sowhat regretful.
In this aspect, he lacked Zhou Yan’s rationality.
Yet, he suddenly felt comforted—at least Zhou Wangchen truly raised a good son.
"Yes, if that’s the case, I should quickly gain strength, without power, all is re talk. Uncle Zhou Han, my mother’s background is not simple, nor is my father’s, nor yours. When your inheritance awakens, you will know. So don’t worry too much. Heavenly Destiny has its own track; everyone is a puppet of fate, until a certain level, fate seldom changes. Cultivation ans understanding Heavenly Destiny’s track, freeing oneself from the puppet state, seeking true freedom of soul and body."
"My mother’s issues, even in great disaster, will eventually be okay; she is an extraordinary woman, if she cannot handle her destiny, others’ help won’t escape fate’s grasp. If she endures, it will be a transformation."
"Thus, Uncle Zhou Han, I understand your feelings, having walked this path, but forcing growth only speeds its demise."
Zhou Yan spoke extensively.
Ultimately, Zhou Han recognized Zhou Yan’s ruthless fierceness, yet dared to point and scold.
Love is deep; thus, hatred is acute.
So people’s scolding is an insult.
So people’s scolding is concerned care.
"Zhou Yan, you...unexpectedly grew up suddenly, whereas I, your uncle, acted impulsively. Your words shad greatly. You’re right, destiny is one’s journey, other’s interference indeed causes negative impact. For this, I intend to truly retreat into seclusion. With Ying’er following you, I am completely unworried, for you helped realize that love sotis ans learning cruelty, learning to let go when needed."
Zhou Han wasn’t a fool, having Sword Spirit Realm cultivation, deep Supre Dao enlightennt, and being Zhou Ying’s father, Zhou Yan’s speech touched upon Dao sound and rule access, deeply resonating.
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