Chapter 131 - 109: Martial Soul Awakening

Chapter 131: Chapter 109: Martial Soul Awakening

"So, you can’t tell I’m some enlightened master just from my appearance."

...

Gu Qing was about to offer a few more words of flattery.

But before he could get a word out, Xia Shuran, who was next to him, cut in. "But Ancestor, an old, white-haired man walking alone on the street in ragged clothes does look quite pitiful. If it were me, I’d give him some money too."

Xia Wuyuan took a sip of his goji berry water, then looked up at Xia Shuran. "In that case, Little Shuran, what exactly do you find pitiful about an old man in ragged clothes walking alone down the street?"

"Is it his old age that’s pitiful?"

"Or his ragged clothes?"

"Or is it a combination of both?"

...

Xia Shuran was a little confused, not understanding why her ancestor was asking such a question.

Still, she thought for a moment before answering with a serious expression, "Of course, it’s a combination of both."

"A combination of both, you say?"

Xia Wuyuan smiled and continued, "What if it were a young man in ragged clothes walking alone down the street? Would you still think he was pitiful?"

Xia Shuran thought for a moment, then answered honestly, "I probably wouldn’t find him pitiful."

She went on to explain, "Because he’s young and able-bodied. He’s perfectly capable of supporting himself, so there’s no need for pity."

Xia Wuyuan gave a faint, knowing smile. "In other words, Little Shuran, you subconsciously believe that people are pitiful simply because they’re old, correct?"

Xia Shuran nodded. "I suppose that is how I see it."

Xia Wuyuan shook his head. "Little Shuran, that way of thinking is wrong."

"Wrong?"

Xia Shuran was bewildered.

Xia Wuyuan patiently explained, "In truth, more often than not, the elderly are far more fortunate than the young."

"Little Shuran, have you ever considered that you never get to see the truly pitiful people grow old?"

"Because the truly unfortunate never live long enough to become old."

"Those who manage to live to old age are already the most fortunate of their generation."

"It’s those who die young from all sorts of calamities who are most deserving of pity."

"So, there’s no need to brand the elderly with the label of ’pitiful.’ An old person is simply a young person who has lived to a ripe old age, free of illness and disaster. They are the most fortunate ones."

"The ones you should truly pity are the young people who live lives of extreme hardship."

"They will most likely die young, with no chance of ever growing old. They are the most unfortunate people in this world."

Xia Wuyuan then used himself as an example. "Take me. I’ve lived for several hundred years. No matter how tragic my life becomes from this point on, I’m still more fortunate than my peers who died in their prime. I’ve already lived more than a full life."

Finishing his point, he spoke earnestly to Xia Shuran and Gu Qing. "You young people should save your pity for yourselves. Put away your unnecessary sympathy and treat yourselves better. That’s how you’ll live a long life and enjoy more of what this world has to offer."

"I understand, Ancestor."

Xia Shuran nodded her head repeatedly like a chick pecking at grain, looking just like a perfectly obedient model student.

’She thought her ancestor made a lot of sense.’

’Aren’t the elderly just young people who lived long, healthy lives?’

’There really is no need to label them as pitiful.’

’If anything, they should be envied.’

’Frankly, thinking an old person is more pitiful than a young person in the same circumstances was no different from a servant girl in ancient times pitying her mistress.’

’She wouldn’t realize that the mistress was the fortunate one, while she herself was the most pitiable of all.’

As for Gu Qing, he had no interest in the debate over whether the old or the young were more pitiful.

What he was truly interested in was the history of the Extraordinary from several hundred years ago.

And so, he put on a show of agreement, nodding along with Xia Wuyuan’s words.

Immediately after, he took the initiative to bring up the Extraordinary Era from centuries past, saying he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of this long-buried history.

Seeing how eager he was to learn, Xia Wuyuan gave him a brief summary of what he had discussed with Xia Shuran previously.

In the beginning, the Spiritual Energy Recovery began, and the Extraordinary emerged.

In the middle period, a world-ending fiend appeared, heralding an Age of Decline.

In the later period, I went into seclusion and knew nothing of the outside world.

Finally, the Spiritual Energy Recovery occurred once more, and after several hundred years in seclusion, I re-emerged into the world.

After this brief summary,

Xia Wuyuan said lightly, "In truth, there isn’t much to say about the past Extraordinary Era. The Age of Decline, which lasted for several hundred years, created a complete gap in the history of the Extraordinary."

"Rather than fixating on the Extraordinary of the past, you should spend your time exploring the Extraordinary of the present."

"My reason for agreeing to let Little Shuran join the Night Court you recommended was based on this very point."

"Having her join a major Extraordinary Organization that’s active today will allow her to quickly understand the current Extraordinary World."

"She can then relay what she learns to me, allowing me to more quickly integrate into this brand new Extraordinary World after being gone for several hundred years."

With that, Xia Wuyuan rose from his meditation cushion and spoke slowly.

"Come, Young Master Gu."

"Since you’ve joined my martial arts hall, I’ll give you a little demonstration. I want you to feel you’ve gotten more than your money’s worth."

"Both of you, back up. I don’t want you getting injured by the shockwaves from my aura."

...

Hearing this, Gu Qing and Xia Shuran immediately got up and backed away, not stopping until they reached the doors of the inner hall.

Seeing that the two of them were more than ten meters away,

Xia Wuyuan’s originally placid aura suddenly retracted,

then violently erupted.

His aged body suddenly erupted with the qi and blood that had lain dormant for centuries. It was like a billion tons of molten lava bursting through the earth’s crust, letting out a silent, deafening roar.

In the next instant, a torrent of scalding, crimson qi and blood surged from every pore on his body. It churned and roared around him, distorting the very air and unleashing a series of muffled sonic booms.