Chapter 161: A Cicada's Life, A Single Autumn (Part 1)

Chapter 161: A Cicada's Life, A Single Autumn (Part 1)





"Hey, what did you say? You mean our little brother is about to reverse his innate nature? But the exchange tournament is over, right? How is he going to reverse his innate nature now? Wow, how thick of a foundation in martial arts is he aiming to build?"

On the western battlefield, Zhang Chongba, amidst the raging gunfire, couldn't help but marvel at Ji Jingqiu's monstrous talent.

"By the way, have you talked to him about that matter?"

Zhang Chongba suddenly remembered something and said solemnly, "We may not have a chance, but who knows, our little brother might be chosen!"

On the other end of the communication, Leng Dao, who had just finished the exchange tournament, remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I've told him, but the chances are slim if he specifically goes looking for it. Some things, when you actively seek them, are almost impossible to find."

Zhang Chongba pouted, "The more proactive you are, the cheaper it gets, right? This could also be said the other way around; if you're not proactive, you'll miss out!"

Leng Dao suddenly spoke, "If there's truly a Supreme Grandmaster on this planet, then he must have already seen all of us but simply didn't choose any of us."

Zhang Chongba exclaimed, "How does he evaluate people? My brother is handsome, kind-hearted, and incredibly talented, and he doesn't choose him?!"

Leng Dao spoke softly, "It should be the mind-mirror."

All beings in the world have a form.

The original form of the mind is called the mind-mirror.

It is the most difficult thing to deceive and the most challenging thing to perceive.

Some people may not even understand themselves, but upon seeing the mind-mirror, they can grasp the whole picture.

Some say that the mind-mirror is a manifestation of eternal destiny, a glimpse of one's future, and its mysteries are profound and unfathomable.

Therefore, even a master of seeking the Dao, a grandmaster of opening the Dao, or even a Supreme Grandmaster, would find it difficult to delve deep into another's mind and perceive their original form without them noticing.

It is said that only those above the level of Supreme Grandmaster possess the ability to perceive this.

"But you're right about one thing," Leng Dao thought for a moment and said, "I also feel that Ji Jingqiu should be chosen."

He had always viewed Ji Jingqiu differently.

It wasn't just Ji Jingqiu's persistence, but also his optimism.

In this world, there is a creature called the cicada.

Before they spread their wings and sing, they endure years of darkness and torment underground, waiting for the day they break through the soil.

Leng Dao raised his head and saw the rising sun at the end of the street.

Ji Jingqiu had finally waited for this day.

...

...

Ji Clan, Ancestral Hall.

In the magnificent ancestral hall, akin to a divine temple, a young man with handsome features knelt before a long sword.

The young man present could only be Ji Anquan, the next heir of the Ji Clan.

And this sword was the divine companion weapon left behind by Ji Shuai, the oldest ancestor of the Ji Clan.

Ji Anquan frowned slightly but soon relaxed his expression.

Today, the old ancestor was acting strangely; after the initial response, he ignored Ji Anquan. Was there a disturbance in the heavenly order? As a descendant of the ancestors, Ji Anquan was the first to comprehend the Heavenly Person Sword Diagram, and in the past, the old ancestor had always been willing to give him some guidance when he visited.

Ji Anquan had come here today to seek confirmation about the Dao treasure of Dong3 Huang Star choosing its master.

He had received news that Ji Jingqiu had visited every corner of Tai'an City on Dong3 Huang Star a few days ago, but he wasn't sure if Ji Jingqiu had obtained the news and was attempting to acquire the Dao treasure of He Donghuang.

The old ancestor's answer was still "no."

This left Ji Anquan a little disappointed.

Compared to some unknown person suddenly appearing, Ji Anquan would rather have Ji Jingqiu, who already had a connection with the Ji Clan, receive the inheritance.

After all, Ji Jingqiu had no notable background or origin, and the education he received since childhood was that of an ordinary person in the Federation. Well, he didn't mean anything by it; he just felt that someone like Ji Jingqiu was easier to deceive.

"Old ancestor, please rest," Ji Anquan stood up to take his leave, "I've already made arrangements for the announcement of the Dao treasure to the world, and it will be officially released today."

This was the will left behind by the ancestors.

The day of the announcement was today.

His thoughts were in turmoil, and as he turned to leave the ancestral hall, his foot suddenly missed a step, and he fell flat on his face.

Ji Anquan didn't get up but remained stunned for a long time.

He... had tripped and fallen!

No, it seemed like someone had tripped him!

He suddenly felt a chill and turned around to ask cautiously, "Which old ancestor is playing a prank on Anquan?"

In the vast ancestral hall, no one responded.

Hmm... the problem was that someone was responding.

At this moment, the long sword briefly emitted a sword cry, ordering him to leave quickly. Ji Anquan hurriedly stood up and took his leave.

In a dimension unseen by Ji Anquan, a man sat on a table that enshrined the plaque of Ji Shuai and Ji Tianxing, with one foot on the sword that was being stepped on, and he coldly mocked,

"Speak up, aren't you quite the talker?"

"This guy has the eyes of a thief, truly the son of that bastard. I really want to cut him down!"

After Ji Anquan left, the sword that had been stepped on by the man began to struggle vigorously.

The man paid it no heed.

Instead, he stared at the plaque in a daze.

After a long while, he muttered softly, "Hey, do you think this guy is really dead?"

"I always feel like this bastard will suddenly jump out and say, 'Haha, didn't expect it, I'm not dead!'"

"When he was breaking through to the Grandmaster and Supreme Grandmaster levels, he was more impressive than anyone else, talking about his eternal Dao, becoming a Dao Lord, and achieving an immortal golden body... and now?"

"His martial arts may be eternal, but these guys have all disappeared."

"How did they all disappear?"

Under the man's foot, the struggling divine sword suddenly fell silent, and then, as if to comfort him, it emitted a soft sword cry, saying, "I'm still here."

The man glanced at the sword and scoffed, "You? Can you even be considered a person? At most, you're half a person."

The sword began to struggle violently again, as if in anger for having its conscience devoured by a dog.

"See, you're getting angry again!" The man mocked.

"Alright, I won't argue with you anymore. From now on, keep your mouth shut, don't talk about everything with the younger generation, we want some privacy, don't we?"

The man stood up and stretched lazily, as if preparing to leave.

The sword cried out again, carrying a hint of reluctance to part.

"Where are you going?"

Hearing the sword's question, the man thought for a moment,

"I don't know, depends on my mood."

The sword suddenly cried out softly.

The man's eyebrows rose, "Are you peeping on me day and night?"

"It's not a matter of whether I like him or not; who in this world can make me, He Donghuang, take a liking to them?"

The man gave such an answer.

Not to mention the many years of being half-asleep and half-awake, even back in the days when he was the first under heaven, there were very few people in his eyes.

And if someone is to receive his inheritance, they should at least possess seven-tenths of his youthful vigor.

The man always believed that the vastness of heaven and earth didn't matter; it was up to him to decide!

Such a broad mind and imposing manner were what made a young person worthy of praise in his eyes.

Arrogance, invincibility, and looking down on everything...

For him, these were the highest compliments for a young person.

If you don't even have this much magnanimity and pride, how can you talk about climbing higher in martial arts, let alone blazing a new path?

The longsword suddenly began to mock him, saying he had lost all conscience, sitting in the temple for so many years in vain.

"What do you mean I have no conscience? Countless people have come to offer incense, and I have to attend to each of them? It's not like I asked them to offer incense to me!"

The man angrily replied,

"In this lifetime, I hate following others' plans the most! That Ji fellow wants me to pass on a legacy, but I refuse to do it!"

The longsword hummed softly, as if coldly laughing.

The man suddenly grumbled, "Fine, I'll go and take a look at this kid, just to give my old buddy some face."

A few days ago, he had visited the Four Guard Stars and checked on his old buddy, and also took a look at La Jiang.

Hey, you wouldn't believe it, La Jiang hasn't changed a bit, making this rough and vulgar martial artist envious to death. So, he said back then that he really envied La Jiang's carefree life, lying there unmoving for ten thousand years, but that guy got so angry that he almost turned into a zombie.

After that, the old buddy told him that he had met a pretty good kid, and he could tell at a glance that the kid had the aura of both him and Mu Juncheng.

Having the aura of Mu Juncheng was because of some shameless guy who intercepted along the way.

As for his aura... Hey, after offering incense to him for over a decade, how could he not be influenced by his aura?

Originally, the man was still troubled by Ji Jingqiu's "impurity," but when he heard the old buddy say that this kid had taken the Dao fruit of the World Honored One's lineage, with an immeasurable future ahead...

Highlighting the word "taken."

The man instantly felt a sense of relief, as if the heavens had opened up.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how that kid is doing now?"

The man muttered to himself.

When searching for people, he didn't look at talent but only at their mind-form.

At this moment, he couldn't help but be curious. After experiencing hardships, Ji Jingqiu suddenly obtained the Dao fruit of the World Honored One's lineage, stepping into the martial path, soaring high, and effortlessly acquiring things and positions that were once out of reach...

In his current mind-form realm, what kind of demeanor does he possess?

In fact, over these ten thousand years, he had also taken a liking to others.

Some people's mind-forms are like a hanging sky, with a single thread of a waterfall cascading straight down, a grand and mighty scene. The waterfall plunges into a well below, where thunder rumbles.

Within the well, a vicious dragon, bound at the bottom for many years, eagerly climbs up the well wall as soon as it breaks free, sticking its head out, opening a pair of pure golden eyes filled with divine nature, eager to see the world outside the well and enjoy the freedom.

In the end, he abandoned this person because when the divine nature suppresses, it becomes a first-rate pseudo-god, the kind he despises.

Another person's mind-form is like a blazing sun hanging high in the sky, with nothing else in sight, as if the scorching sun dominates and kills all, leaving no room for anything else.

It's domineering, but too extreme.

There's also a person whose mind-form is like a blazing fire, a dazzling Mars realm. He lazily lies on a high throne, making the man marvel at how such a young child could possess such a grand and majestic mind-form.

Is it innate?

But in the end, the man still didn't take a liking to him.

This made him reflect on what kind of successor he wanted to see.

If he could understand himself, he wouldn't be He Donghuang.

After all, even the Ji Clan never truly understood what they wanted.

By the way, the man suddenly remembered something.

That kid seemed to have initially practiced the Crouching Dragon Stake.

Haha.

This stake technique was also passed down by him.

Haven't you heard the saying, "When spring thunder sounds, hibernating dragons awaken, and a single roar shakes a thousand mountains"?

This is much more exciting than a vicious dragon raising its head from a well.

The man smiled, but it was hard to tell if it was a genuine smile, as if he was eagerly anticipating something.

...

On this day, the Ji Clan followed the ancestral system, spreading the news throughout the world, causing a huge stir.

...

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Dong3 Huang Star has the Seven Shuai's legacy? It's been ten thousand years!"

"Is this for real?"

"The Ji Clan's announcement to the world wouldn't be fake!"

"Dong3 Huang Star... Why does it sound so familiar?"

"Tag @Ji Bro!"

"No, didn't Ji Bro just return home a while ago?"

"Sad, but you're right. Ji Bro missed the perfect opportunity. He's been lying in a travel company's sleep pod for at least ten days, and this announcement was made this morning."

"Damn, we should go to Ji Bro's hometown then."

"Let's organize a trip!"

Putting down the terminal, Yue Yourong's eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at the few people in front of her.

Today was supposed to be a small gathering, but they happened to catch the Ji Clan's huge announcement.

"What do you say?" Yue Yourong asked.

"I'm not going," Shi Xinjuan shook her head. "My master said that the legacy was left by He Shuai, and with his temperament... Haha, if you're hoping to obtain the legacy, you might as well hope to win the lottery."

"Is it that difficult?" Bian Meng stroked his beard stubble, his eyes flashing, "But it's He Shuai... "

Shi Xinjuan coldly smiled, "You don't understand. He Shuai was so arrogant back then. If we were to rank the Seven Shuai, He Shuai would undoubtedly be the first!"

"Huh?" Yin Wushuang opened his eyes wide, "Isn't it Ji Shuai?"

"No, I think it's Mu Shuai..." Mu Juncheng raised his hand.

"Pfft!" Everyone silently spat at him in unison.

Shi Xinjuan whispered, "My master said this. If you want to go, you can consider it a vacation. But hoping to find the location of the legacy is like dreaming while sleeping."

"Your master is at least a Grandmaster, why so unspirited?" Bian Meng grumbled.

"It's not a matter of spirit," Shi Xinjuan said softly. "It's not even a matter of talent. Because the person who can be chosen by He Shuai based on talent might not even exist in this world."

"Going to take a look won't hurt," Diao Xingyun suggested. "It's been a long time since we've seen Ji Bro. Let's go see what his hometown looks like."

Mu Juncheng pondered, "I won't join the crowd. That legacy won't choose the bloodline of the Six Great Families. I'm going back to my ancestral home to receive the legacy's baptism."

"Tsk... The legacy's baptism, they say even a fool can be baptized into a genius." Bian Meng sighed.

Mu Juncheng smiled without showing his teeth, "It's an exaggeration. It's just an opportunity to improve. Compared to the Qingjue sister from the Qin Clan, I still have a long way to go."

Yue Yourong suddenly raised her head, "I just investigated. In the past two years, many Bright Moon Warriors have set out. Even if we don't obtain the legacy, we can still meet opponents we've been wanting to face."

These words finally moved everyone present!

It's not that they weren't interested in the legacy, but they felt that if even Ji Jingqiu wasn't chosen, they wouldn't stand a chance. Shi Xinjuan's words made sense.

But if he can spar with the past's Moon Warriors and hone his martial arts, then it's worth the ticket price for this trip.

"Let's go! We're forming a group, and in ten days when Brother Ji returns, we'll give him a big surprise!"

"Oh, why did Brother Ji suddenly lose his mind and sign up for a sightseeing tour?"

"You don't know? This is his chance to reverse Innate."

"Damn, that bastard's about to break through again?"

"Hmph, in ten days, it's hard to say who will surprise whom."

...

Divine Might Corporation.

Zhang Buzhou sat in front of Yin Tianping, his expression calm. His previously flamboyant brows now held an added touch of maturity, yet his sharp spirit remained undiminished.

Yin Tianping nodded inwardly. A warrior's setback wasn't necessarily a bad thing; at least his last defeat had been an effective "transformation" for his junior martial brother.

During this time, his junior brother's cultivation had become even more intense, and the reason was self-evident.

In fact, his junior brother's crushing defeat had also piqued their master's curiosity.

The three defeats were naturally due to a misunderstanding, but the fact that his junior brother had lost was indisputable.

Their master even personally inquired about Ji Jingqiu's "resume," but in the end, he concluded with regret, saying, "What a pity for this child!"

Yin Tianping was initially perplexed. Why would a genius martial artist like Ji Jingqiu be considered a pity?

The master didn't elaborate, only saying that if this child pursued reversing Innate, he would inevitably encounter setbacks. With some luck, he might manage to keep his life, but if he was less fortunate, not only would his martial path be over, but his life would be at stake.

This left Yin Tianping in a state of shock. Was this the wisdom that often leads to injury, and geniuses often meet an early end? However, Yin Tianping didn't plan to tell his junior brother about this.

For his junior brother at this moment, the decline of a formidable enemy would instead cause him to lose his goal and motivation.

"Get ready, someone will come to take you to the Pure Yang Dao soon. According to Master's wishes, if you can exit seclusion before the grand martial arts tournament begins, then you'll participate. If you can't, then forget it. After all, going there would only bring shame."

Zhang Buzhou took a deep breath, and a figure flashed through his mind. He nodded firmly.

At this moment, someone outside suddenly strode in, and it was Zhang Yitong. He exclaimed, "Buzhou! The Ji Clan has announced to the world that the Seventh Shuai left behind a Daozang on Dong3 Huang Star! Let's postpone the trip to Pure Yang Dao for now!"

Zhang Buzhou furrowed his brows and looked at his senior brother.

Yin Tianping's expression remained calm. "Some paths, you have to walk on your own, so this time, you choose for yourself."

He didn't say that postponing the trip might affect the seclusion at Pure Yang Dao, but Zhang Buzhou's eyes drooped for a moment, and then he lifted his head and calmly said, "Please trouble Senior Brother to accompany me to see Master.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end