You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

Chapter 151 What Do I Want

After Qi Fei said that, Zhang Jie seemed to understand a little.

He suddenly realized and said, "Although my name isn't Zhang Jie, I can use other names, but I am still me."

"Yes, you understand." Qi Fei nodded, with a hint of approval. "All things in the universe have no names."

"People gave them names because they saw them and for convenience. Names are given by people, but they do not represent the things themselves."

He then used an analogy: "For example, there is something that looks like a donkey and tastes like a donkey."

"So, does that mean it must be a donkey?"

"Not necessarily."

Zhang Jie gave a thoughtful "Oh," as if he understood what Qi Fei had said.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly a question occurred to him. He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Then—what is the real world?"

Qi Fei smiled, thinking that Zhang Jie had some understanding and that he had taught him well.

"That is the process of seeking the Dao. We cultivators cultivate this very thing," he said. "There is no omniscient or omnipotent being..."

No one knows what the real world is really like.

"However, being closer to the real world can make people more clear-headed and more free."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jie suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable fear—a fear stemming from uncertainty about his future.

His life has been full of hardships, and his journey to seek refuge with relatives is inherently uncertain.

Now, Qi Fei tells him that there is uncertainty in cultivation, which makes him feel panicked.

"What if there's an abyss ahead?" he asked.

Does nobody know the real world?

Doesn't that mean we're not sure whether this path is right or wrong?

Is it possible to become a strong person?

What if the real world is an abyss? What if there are terrifying beings inside?

Qi Fei smiled and said frankly, "It can't be worse than we are now, can it?"

Understanding the real world and recognizing the real world is always better than understanding nothing and burying your head in the sand like an ostrich.

These were words Qi Fei didn't say aloud, but Zhang Jie understood them.

"That—this—"

Zhang Jie didn't know what to say, or what he should say.

But at that moment, he suddenly understood what true magic was, and he also understood why someone like Qi Fei was so strong.

That's like knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still venturing into the tiger's den. Knowing that what lies ahead is unpredictable and full of unknowns, yet still daring to step forward, resolutely moving forward, without hesitation.

A moment of hesitation flashed through his mind.

He had originally imagined that Qi Fei would teach him martial arts techniques and guide him in cultivation, allowing him to advance with unstoppable momentum and become as strong as Qi Fei.

But now, Qi Fei didn't teach him any cultivation techniques. Instead, he made him understand that the real world was not what he saw. The path of cultivation was uncertain, with an unknown outcome and an unpredictable future.

"Can this path really lead to immortality?" he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

The great path lies ahead, but no one knows what lies at its end. Is this truly what he seeks?

This is completely different from what he imagined!

Qi Fei glanced at him, said nothing more, and didn't urge him, but simply said, "But someone has to walk this path."

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"The Way is there, waiting for us."

Zhang Jie's mind was in a mess. He hadn't slept well all night, and today he had heard these words that shocked and terrified him, leaving him feeling somewhat dazed.

"Go back and get some rest. If you have any questions, you can come find me again." Seeing Zhang Jie's appearance, Qi Fei didn't say anything more.

Zhang Jie nodded.

He really needs to think things through, get a good night's sleep, and calm himself down.

He returned to his cabin, distraught, collapsed onto the bed, took off his shoes, pulled the covers over his head, and his mind went completely blank.

He pondered Qi Fei's words for a moment, then drifted off into other thoughts, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

In his dream, he became Qi Fei's disciple, cultivating the true arts and rising through the ranks. He slayed demons and monsters, overpowering all others, and his fame spread far and wide!

He was very happy, feeling that he had finally gotten on the right track.

But soon, the dream took a turn for the worse.

An indescribable terror appeared ahead of him; a dark, shapeless mass, carrying endless chill, surged toward him.

He wanted to run, but his legs felt as heavy as lead.

He tried to shout, but something was tightly gripping his throat, preventing him from making a sound.

The terrifying mass drew ever closer, engulfing his body bit by bit, then his consciousness, and then everything in his dream.

In his struggle, he went mad, bleeding from all seven orifices and convulsing all over.

Qi Fei stood to the side, watching him coldly.

"ah!!!"

Zhang Jie suddenly woke up from his dream, sat up abruptly, his whole body covered in cold sweat, which soaked his undershirt.

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

The cabin was quiet, and the twilight light shone in through the portholes, bathing the cabin in an orange glow.

There was no great terror, no demonic possession, and no cold stare from Qi Fei.

He was alone, sitting on the bed, trembling all over.

He was frightened by the true cultivation method revealed by Qi Fei and the unknowns of that path.

What lies at the end of that road?

He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily for a while before his heartbeat gradually calmed down.

Only one thought remained in his mind: what exactly did he want?

Yes, what exactly does he want?

He smuggled himself onto the ship only to seek refuge with relatives he had never met in the world, hoping to find a way to survive.

Meeting Wang Qin was purely accidental. Stepping into a world he had never imagined was even more unexpected.

He went to great lengths to please and flatter Wang Qin, all in an attempt to get closer to her and, through her influence, to test the waters of cultivation.

He had fantasized about what it would be like to become a monk.

At that time, he will be dressed in magnificent robes, riding his magical artifacts, all alone, and will no longer have to be mindful of others' feelings.

As for what level of cultivation he could reach, he hadn't thought about it. If all else failed, a little money leaking from between Wang Qin's fingers would be enough to ensure he had no worries about food and clothing.

After all, Wang Qin is also a wealthy heiress.

The subsequent changes were all beyond his imagination.

But it was precisely those changes that made him see Qi Fei clearly, and see the unfathomable chasm between Qi Fei and himself.

Can he really follow that path with the same single-minded focus and unwavering determination as Qi Fei?

He knew very well that what he wanted was never the "Tao".

What he wanted was to become strong. To stand at a high place, no longer being ordered around, no longer being overwhelmed by life.

What he wants is to become stronger!

He wanted a definite result that would make him stronger and free him from his current homeless existence.

But Qi Fei told him that the road ahead was unknown and uncertain.

No one can guarantee that you will reach the end, and no one even knows what the end will look like.

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