Chapter 430: Kid, Your Cultivation is Too Low

Chapter 430: Kid, Your Cultivation is Too Low

As Li Xuan entered the small stone cottage, he immediately perceived the situation within the depths of the underground room, where a faint purple glow emanated.

The soft purple radiance enveloped a tiny space, resembling a miniature house. This space should have contained other objects, but they were nowhere to be seen, leaving only a bed that appeared somewhat battered and broken, as if it had been violently smashed.

Lying on the bed was a young man dressed in a purple robe, resting on his side as if asleep.

"Hey there, little buddy. No need to pretend you're sleeping. Come, let's chat over some tea. Who knows, I might be in a good mood and let you out of here." Li Xuan said with a brilliant smile.

However, his heart was secretly astonished. This purple-robed youth was somewhat elusive, and he seemed to be a unique entity rather than a cultivator.

Despite his attempts to discern the youth's strength, he couldn't see through him clearly. It seemed that the youth was restrained and unable to unleash his full power unless those bindings were released.

Since he was unable to display his true power, Li Xuan had no reason to be concerned.

The purple-robed youth lay motionless, not stirring even a bit, as if he were dead.

"Keep pretending, keep pretending. He can't see me, and he can't get in here. He definitely can't. Don't panic, just keep pretending to be dead!" The youth was muttering to himself.

"I'm already dead. Yes, I'm dead!"

Hearing Li Xuan's voice, the youth didn't react at all. Instead, he sneered inwardly, "Does he think he can trick me with such a ruse? Does he take me for a three-year-old child?"

"But where did this guy come from? Why do I get a sense of unfathomable depth from him? Even someone as powerful as Tai Cang didn't give me this feeling.

"The only other time I felt this way was when I encountered those eyes, eyes that struck fear into my heart. Tai Cang might have met his end at the hands of those eyes.

"However, this person is completely different from those eyes. He's not the same person, but where did he come from? How can he possess such terrifying power?

"I can be certain he's not one of Tai Cang's cultivators, but if he's an outsider, why didn't I sense his presence?

"Even though I'm confined here, I should still be able to sense the presence of a powerful outsider entering Tai Cang." The purple-robed youth's confusion deepened as he thought about it.

This person was unfathomable. Tai Cang shouldn't harbor such a terrifying powerhouse. Even the strongest among them couldn't surpass Tai Cang himself.

If this person were an outsider, how come he hadn't detected his presence?

Could it be that this person's strength was so formidable that even he couldn't sense it when he entered Tai Cang?

If that were the case, wouldn't his strength far surpass the owner of those fearsome eyes?

The more he thought about it, the more unsettled the purple-robed youth became.

"He can't have seen me, right? He won't come in, will he? Keep pretending to be dead!

"Yes, if I'm dead, he won't have any interest in me. Surely he won't be interested in a dead person?

"He's not like the old ghost of the Underworld, so why would he be interested in the dead?" The youth began to reassure himself.

"I'm dead... I'm already dead..."

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something else.

"No, I must make myself uglier. Surely he won't be interested in an ugly dead person?"

With that thought, the purple-robed youth lying on the bed remained still, but his appearance gradually changed. If one could see his face, they would find it wrinkled, aged, and ugly.

Li Xuan twitched his mouth slightly. What was up with this purple-robed youth? Why did his train of thought seem so different from a normal person's? Self-hypnosis?

Playing dead?

Did he think that just because he couldn't see Li Xuan, Li Xuan couldn't see him either, and that he couldn't enter his little space?

After observing the youth's small space and the broken bed that had been violently smashed, Li Xuan couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

It seemed that the youth had destroyed all the other objects in this small space, including the bed. Perhaps he had stopped smashing the bed halfway because he realized that without a bed, he wouldn't have a place to lie down and pretend to sleep.

Li Xuan lifted his foot and stomped on the ground, sending a tremor through the small space.

"Hey, little buddy, stop pretending to be dead. Come and keep me company. Aren't you bored? Don't worry, I mean you no harm."

The small space trembled slightly.

The purple-robed youth, who was pretending to be dead, panicked. "He's noticed me! What do I do now? Should I keep pretending?"

"No, if I keep this up, he might get angry and smash my little house. Then I'll be exposed. Forget it, I'll just go and meet him.

"He won't get any information from me. I'm a master at acting dumb and clueless!"

With that decision, the purple-robed youth muttered, "Disturbing someone's sleep is an immoral act!"

He stretched lazily and yawned, putting on an expression of annoyance as if he had just been woken up.

Li Xuan frowned slightly at the sight of the youth's wrinkled, aged, and ugly appearance. "Little buddy, stop making yourself look so ugly!" he said.

"Who are you calling little?" The purple-robed youth retorted haughtily. "I am as old as the heavens and the earth itself!"

His features returned to their original state, revealing a delicate countenance that appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with a hint of feminine charm.

"As old as the heavens and the earth, huh?" Li Xuan said with a smile. "How old is that, exactly?"

It seemed like a casual question, but there was a profound depth to his gaze.

"This guy is strange; he doesn't seem like any creature I've ever encountered," Li Xuan thought to himself, intrigued by the youth's claim.

"How old?" The purple-robed youth began counting on his fingers, then waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's been so long, I can't even count that high! Let's just say it's a really, really long time!"

In his heart, he breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. Good thing I'm quick on my feet."

Li Xuan watched the youth's awkward finger-counting and feigned confusion, feeling a sense of mental exhaustion. "This guy's acting skills are terrible," he thought.

"Never mind, I won't expose him," Li Xuan decided. "His guard is up, and he's too suspicious. I'll take my time and figure out a way to uncover his true identity.

"He doesn't seem like a typical creature, nor is he a spiritual entity. It's intriguing that he claims to be as old as the heavens and the earth. His strength must far surpass mine at this point.

"Some of my abilities won't work on him, and there's no need to use them anyway. I'll just take my time and see if I can even gain a disciple out of this.

"He seems like a young soul, easy to manipulate."

As the purple-robed youth continued to count on his fingers, he suddenly asked, "How old are you?"

A mysterious aura emanated from Li Xuan, and his gaze deepened, making him seem weathered beyond his years. "Me?" he mused. "Time itself cannot measure my age."

The purple-robed youth was taken aback by Li Xuan's enigmatic response, feeling as though there were layers of hidden meaning in his words.

"Wow, he's really something. I can't see through him at all. So mysterious and profound," the youth thought, slightly awestruck.

"What's your name, kid?" Li Xuan asked in a friendly tone.

"I... I forgot," the purple-robed youth replied, scratching his head and putting on an expression of genuine confusion, as if he truly couldn't remember his own name.

His acting skills left much to be desired.

"My name carries too much karma, too great a burden for a young one like you to bear. It's better that you don't know," Li Xuan said with a smile, choosing not to call out the youth's poor acting.

"Come on, I can take it!" the purple-robed youth insisted, his curiosity piqued. "There's no karma too heavy for me to bear."

"Here, have some tea, little buddy," Li Xuan said, pushing a cup of tea towards the youth. "The heavens are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. My karma surpasses even the heavens themselves. Even if you are as old as the heavens, you couldn't handle it."

The purple-robed youth looked at him with a confused, pensive expression, then glanced at the tea before taking a sip. Immediately, his face twisted in disgust. "This tea is terrible! How can you drink something so awful? It's undrinkable!"

Li Xuan maintained his smile, but inside, he felt exasperated. The tea leaves used to brew this particular tea had been a gift from the Great Yue Emperor—the finest quality available in the Qinghua realm. They were incredibly rare, and even the Great Yue Emperor himself didn't indulge in them every day. The emperor had offered them as a token of respect to Li Xuan, hoping to curry favor with the esteemed master.

This was the best tea Li Xuan had in his possession, and now it was being rejected! It was a blow to his image as an otherworldly master.

"Your cultivation is too low, kid," Li Xuan said, his smile unwavering. "It's because your realm is so inferior that you care about the quality of tea and the treasures of the world.

"At my level, even a cup of plain water would taste exquisite.

"Do you know why? Because I have transcended the need for earthly treasures. When I drink tea, I'm savoring the essence of the world, drinking in the loneliness of being unmatched..."

Li Xuan's smile remained unchanged as he boasted.

The purple-robed youth was once again left speechless, and his heart stirred with a mix of awe and confusion.

"Savoring the essence of the world? Drinking in the loneliness of being unmatched?" the youth echoed, scratching his head in bewilderment. It all sounded so fantastical, and yet, he took another sip of the tea, still finding it unpleasant.

"Little buddy, it's because your cultivation is too low. You can't appreciate the subtleties within," Li Xuan explained with a smile. "But when you rise above worldly desires and see all of creation as mere illusions, you won't care about the quality of the tea you drink.

"Because, at that point, you're savoring the essence of the world, not the beverage in your cup."

Li Xuan poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip before continuing, "With this sip of tea, I taste the greed of all living beings in the world, the longing of martial artists—the yearning for invincibility and eternity.

"And with this sip, I taste the fury of wind, rain, and thunder as they rage across the heavens..."

The purple-robed youth blinked, listening with a confused expression. He couldn't help but take another sip of the tea, and to his surprise, it didn't taste as bad as before.

"What did you taste in that sip?"

Li Xuan asked with a mischievous smile.

"Bitterness and unpleasantness!" The youth replied, smacking his lips.

"Your heart is troubled and uneasy, so naturally, you taste bitterness," Li Xuan said mysteriously.

Having been confined here for who knows how long, it was only natural to feel troubled.

"Is that so?"

The purple-robed youth tilted his head, handing over the cup, "Pour me another cup, please."

Li Xuan obliged and poured him another cup of tea.

The youth gulped it down and scrunched up his entire face, as if he had just swallowed bitter medicine.

Seeing his reaction, Li Xuan looked at the tea in his hand, suddenly losing his appetite for it.

Up until now, he had been enjoying his tea, but now he was beginning to wonder if it was actually quite terrible?

Gulp!

The purple-robed youth forced the tea down with difficulty. "This is awful. What kind of tea is this? I've already finished all the good tea I had stored. Otherwise, I would have let you taste what real good tea is like."

Li Xuan's smile remained unwavering as he said, "Little buddy, with your current state of mind, even the finest tea would be tasteless to you.

"Your cultivation is too low. You're still fixated on the quality of the spiritual tea. When you transcend worldly desires, you won't be concerned with such trivialities anymore.

"Follow the way of nature, draw close to the Tao, and savor the myriad paths of the world, the myriad things within it. Even plain rice and simple tea can offer a taste of the Tao..."

Li Xuan repeatedly emphasized that the youth's low cultivation was the reason for his preoccupation with the quality of the spiritual tea.

The purple-robed youth blinked thoughtfully, a figure appearing in his mind.

That figure was also like this, indifferent to all the treasures of the world, as if none of them mattered anymore.

All the supreme treasures, delicious food, and fine drinks were given to him.

"Is Tai Cang like this as well? But Tai Cang is dead, and that other one is even more fearsome..."

The youth scratched his head, looking a bit agitated.

Li Xuan understood immediately. The youth was thinking about something, so he asked with a smile, "Little buddy, is something on your mind? Feel free to share. Let's chat and pass the time."

"Are you very strong?"

The purple-robed youth asked suddenly, his tone serious.

"I don't know if I'm strong or not, but so far, no one has been able to withstand a single palm strike from me," Li Xuan replied with a bitter laugh. "But to be honest, being too strong isn't always a good thing. Solving every problem with a single strike makes life a bit boring and unchallenging!"

The purple-robed youth looked at him with suspicion, feeling that Li Xuan was somehow both bragging about his strength and lamenting it at the same time. But his expression also seemed to genuinely convey the boredom and trouble of being too strong, and it didn't seem like an act.

"His strength must be greater than Tai Cang's, and perhaps even stronger than that fearsome pair of eyes?"

The youth's heart stirred with awe. Tai Cang's strength was immeasurable, and those eyes seemed even more formidable.

"He's a senior!" the youth thought, and his demeanor became slightly more respectful as he asked, "Senior, do those with greater strength also have greater greed? Do they crave even more power, longing to dominate everything and stand alone at the top?"

As Li Xuan sipped his tea, his posture relaxed, but his heart was secretly delighted. Things were progressing as he had hoped, and with some gentle prodding, he was confident he could get the answers he sought from the youth.

"In my opinion, that's not a true strong person," Li Xuan replied. "A true strong person doesn't yearn to become stronger. They return to simplicity, drawing close to the Tao, and playfully wander through the mortal realm.

"Invincibility brings loneliness, for on the path of martial arts, one eventually walks alone. The desire to become stronger fades away.

"Only the weak long for greater strength. The invincibly strong long for ways to dispel their loneliness..."

The purple-robed youth listened with a bewildered expression, his gaze shifting suspiciously to Li Xuan, as if the latter were saying, "You understand now, don't you? I am that kind of strong person!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end