Raise a sword!

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After several days of leisurely travel, as Jiang Peng emerged from the mountains, her view suddenly opened up, and she could vaguely see the outline of a small town in the distance.

Looking at the still bustling Jade Tower Market, Jiang Peng felt a surge of emotion.

"In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed."

More than ten years is enough for a baby to grow from birth to adulthood. However, in Jiang Peng's memory, it seems that not long has passed since she was forced to come here because of the attack by Feiyan Tower.

After entering the market, Jiang Peng did not rush to visit the Jade Pavilion Sword Pavilion, but instead wandered around the market first.

Jade Tower Market is famous for its weapon crafting. Even just looking at the magical artifacts filled with the ingenious ideas of weapon crafters, Jiang Peng felt that he had gained a lot.

The stroll lasted until evening.

Originally, Jiang Peng saw that it was getting late and planned to stay overnight in the market and visit the mountain the next morning.

As they were walking through the market, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.

"Brother Jiang?"

Jiang Peng turned around and saw Wu Kexun not far behind her.

At this moment, Wu Kexun was wearing the armor of a Sword Pavilion elder. More than ten years had passed, and his face had lost some of its former handsomeness, but gained a lot of seriousness.

Beside him was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, who, judging from his attire, was probably a disciple of the Sword Pavilion, or perhaps a disciple that Wu Ke had found.

"Brother Wu." Jiang Peng smiled and bowed respectfully.

Wu Kexun used to address him as his junior brother, and Jiang Peng responded by addressing him as his senior brother. Now that the other party has changed his form of address, Jiang Peng naturally follows suit.

Seeing Jiang Peng's response, Wu Kexun realized that he had not misjudged her and immediately led his disciples to come forward.

"Years have passed since we last met, but Brother Jiang is still the same as he was back then."

"Brother Wu has become much more composed," Jiang Peng replied casually.

He and Wu Kexun weren't exactly close friends; at best, they were acquainted through a fight.

But when the two acquaintances met again by chance after more than ten years, they both felt that they had a deep connection and immediately found a tavern to catch up.

Wu Kexun first talked about his situation.

"Overall, nothing special." Wu Kexun's tone was somewhat helpless. "Before I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I thought I was a chosen one of heaven, and my life should be full of excitement... But after I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I realized that I am just one of the countless ordinary elders that the Sword Pavilion has produced over the years."

"Upon entering the Sword Pavilion, one begins to distinguish oneself, receives training from the sect, establishes one's foundation, and then dedicates one's life to the sect... That's roughly it."

Jiang Peng held her wine glass, her gaze towards Wu Kexun filled with a hint of confusion.

"Brother Wu, you were so arrogant back then. How come your cultivation has increased, but your pride has declined?"

Wu Kexun shook his head with a wry smile.

"It is probably in the process of pursuing one's own path that one becomes more and more aware of oneself... That's the downside of cultivating the Tao: the more you know, the more refined your cultivation becomes, and the more you realize your own shortcomings."

"As a result, I lost my focus while practicing, and eventually became just another ordinary person... What a load of bull! Sword Pavilion has only been around for a thousand years, yet countless geniuses like me have emerged."

Jiang Peng raised his glass in a toast, but said nothing more.

It's not just Wu Kexun in front of us.

His friends Cheng Kaihai and Liu Qinghe from the Cangshan Sect had said similar things in the past.

As Jiang Peng himself stayed at the Foundation Establishment stage for longer, he gradually came to understand the distress of these people.

It is said that Foundation Establishment cultivators can see their own mind and understand their true nature.

The "seeing one's own mind and understanding one's true nature" here refers not only to a deeper understanding of oneself, but also to a broader perspective on what one sees.

He thought that Foundation Establishment would be a meteoric rise to power, but after achieving it, he realized that he was still just a drop in the ocean of the world, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not change this fact.

On his journey to seek the Dao, he glimpsed a corner of the vastness of heaven and earth, and was so overwhelmed by it that he wasted his time from then on.

Jiang Peng did not offer any advice, for this was a hindrance to understanding on the path, and could not be consoled by a few words from an outsider.

Everyone understands the big principles, but there are many people who know the principles but can't figure out the underlying logic.

Wu Kexun quickly suppressed his distress and patted the boy next to him on the shoulder.

"This is Ye Chen, a truly exceptional talent."

Wu Kexun's tone carried a hint of pride, but Jiang Peng could see the calmness in his eyes.

Jiang Peng wasn't sure if she had misread it.

Wu Kexun added, "When this kid first entered the sect, even a Golden Core cultivator praised his talent, saying that he was a once-in-fifty-years talent."

Jiang Peng was now certain that she hadn't misjudged him; Wu Kexun really did seem to have little regard for her disciple's talent.

"Chen'er, go back to the mountain gate and inform them that Elder Jiang of the Cangshan Sect will be paying a visit tomorrow."

"Disciple obeys." Ye Chen immediately accepted the order and left.

Wu Kexun watched Ye Chen's figure disappear before turning his gaze away and smiling bitterly, "How similar he is to me back then... My master once said that I am a genius who appears once every fifty years."

"At first glance, this sounds like a compliment, but upon closer examination, fifty years is really nothing for a sect or power... What this means is that when I joined the sect, the higher-ups already knew where my future lay."

Jiang Peng's hand, holding the wine glass, paused slightly.

"Brother Wu, today we meet again, and I can no longer see the sharp edge of your swordsmanship."

Wu Kexun was taken aback. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to refute her subconsciously, but when he met Jiang Peng's honest gaze, he couldn't say anything to refute her.

"Is it because someone of your generation has emerged and made Brother Wu lose his desire to compete?" Jiang Peng asked again.

"Do you remember Junior Sister Ling Shu from back then?" Wu Kexun asked with a wry smile.

A cool and beautiful woman immediately came to mind.

When I last came to Yulou Market, I saw Wu Kexun fawning over a junior sister. That junior sister was Ling Shu.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage two years later than me, but she's already at the fourth level. The True Person says she has a clear sword heart, and her future is..."

"What's it to you?" Jiang Peng interrupted Wu Kexun.

Meeting Wu Kexun's surprised gaze, Jiang Peng put down her wine glass.

"Those who can cultivate to the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages are all exceptionally talented, a hundred times stronger than you or me."

"this..."

"What difference will one more Ling Shu make to the world? It'll just mean one more Golden Core cultivator, one more Nascent Soul cultivator... What does it have to do with you?"

After saying that, Jiang Peng didn't offer any further words of comfort. Instead, she called over a waiter to order a few more dishes and drinks, and then began to eat by herself.

Even after they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wu Kexun remained silent.

However, Jiang Peng did not try to persuade him further. He simply made an appointment with Wu Kexun to visit the mountain early the next morning, then settled his bill and left on his own.

Jiang Peng didn't care whether Wu Kexun could figure this out.

It's enough to offer a few words of comfort out of consideration for our friendship. If Wu Kexun can't even understand this, then his path in life probably ends here.