Chapter 61 - 53: I Would Rather Betray the World Than Let the World Betray Me

Chapter 61: Chapter 53: I Would Rather Betray the World Than Let the World Betray Me

Perhaps feeling that he held a massive advantage, or perhaps because it had been too long since he last spoke with an outsider, Outer Path Fang Heng was in no rush to make a move. Instead, he began to mock Lu Chen.

"Kid at the Qi Cultivation Stage, since you can’t possibly make it out of here alive today anyway, I might as well tell you what that guy Fang Heng experienced in the Cyan Cloud Sect. Do you know how they treated that idiot?"

Lu Chen didn’t speak. His eyes remained fixed on the Blood Sword in Outer Path Fang Heng’s right hand, observing and memorizing every trace of Spiritual Power circulating over its surface.

Outer Path Fang Heng didn’t seem to expect an answer anyway. He continued talking to himself, "Innate Sword Body! Fang Heng possessed an Innate Sword Body! He was a Sword Dao genius rarely seen in the Cultivation Realm in a century, born with Sword Intent!

"If he were in any other Sect, they would have definitely done everything in their power to correct the weakness carved into his bones, turning him into one of the few Sword Cultivator Great Powers in their history.

"But what did the Cyan Cloud Sect do? They actually let Fang Heng cultivate on his own, spouting nonsense about how true cultivation was about cultivating the True Self and achieving transcendent freedom. They even said that if your Dao was forcefully imposed on you by outsiders, it most likely wasn’t your Dao at all.

"So, they never forced Fang Heng to do anything, only letting him follow his own heart in cultivation.

"And guess how this guy Fang Heng cultivated? Because he was afraid of seeing blood, he only dared to use a Wooden Sword to practice his Sword Skill on normal days, never fighting any living creatures. And because of his cowardly nature, he never argued with other disciples. Even when he was wronged, he wouldn’t say a word, bearing it all by himself.

"Frustrating! Following him was just too damn frustrating!

"If I hadn’t been deceived by the Sword Intent inside his body back then, thinking this guy would take me out to carve out a place in the world, why else would I have acknowledged him as my master and let him take me out of the Sword Pavilion?"

It seemed he was genuinely infuriated by the past Fang Heng, so much so that his breathing became ragged. It took him a long time to calm down.

Despite cursing Fang Heng for a long time, Outer Path Fang Heng couldn’t help but offer him a few words of praise.

"But you have to admit, this kid’s talent in the Sword Dao was truly no joke," he said. "Just because he was afraid of seeing blood, this guy created a set of Swordsmanship called Traceless.

"This Swordsmanship has no other features but one word: fast. It is so fast that even after killing an enemy, the sword won’t be stained with a single drop of blood. Honestly, if this guy had been given enough time or a relatively stable cultivation environment...

"I firmly believe that even if he never went out to gain experience, he would have eventually succeeded in Entering the Dao with his sword, achieving the Golden Core, and even becoming a Nascent Soul Master. He definitely wouldn’t have just stopped at a mere Foundation Establishment.

"But unfortunately, not only was this kid born in the wrong era, his own personality also wasted his innate talent. Can you believe it? Even when the enemies attacked the Sect, this guy still didn’t dare to draw his sword! He retreated again and again until he hid in this Sword Storage Pavilion, only to be casually cleaved to death when that Outer Path Great Power shattered the pavilion with a single sword strike!

"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! Tell me, don’t you think this guy’s life... was utterly pathetic?"

Outer Path Fang Heng originally thought that Lu Chen would agree with what he said. Unexpectedly, Lu Chen held a different opinion on the matter.

He looked at Outer Path Fang Heng and said seriously, "Compared to Fellow Daoist Fang, Lu actually finds you, at this moment... a bit more pathetic."

"What did you say?!"

Outer Path Fang Heng glared at Lu Chen, his eyes brimming with fury. "You said I’m pathetic? You actually think I’m pathetic?

"Do you want me to be like him, a coward for my whole life, hiding away whenever trouble arises?!

"A dignified Sword Cultivator who has never let his sword be stained with blood in his entire life—does someone like that even deserve to be compared to me? What right does he have to be compared to me?!"

Lu Chen gazed at the enraged Outer Path Fang Heng, his expression unchanging. "Lu is not comparing you to anyone. I am merely judging the matter as it stands.

"You don’t have to agree with Fellow Daoist Fang’s personality, nor do you have to agree with everything he did. But you cannot use that to humiliate him. Because even though he never drew his sword against the enemy, he similarly never drew his sword against his companions.

"No one ever said that a Sword Cultivator must see blood, and no one ever said that a Sword Cultivator cannot retreat. This was his Dao, and he always walked on his own Dao without ever changing.

"The myriad methods under heaven all lead to the same destination. Although I don’t approve of Fellow Daoist Fang’s Dao, I similarly won’t recklessly deny his Dao either.

"On the contrary, it’s you. Although your words are full of humiliation towards Fellow Daoist Fang, in essence, you just wanted to forcefully impose your own Dao onto him. This cowardly act of pushing others to do what you yourself couldn’t achieve—is it not... pathetic?

"Compared to Fellow Daoist Fang, have you not also been retreating all along?"

Outer Path Fang Heng fell silent, for he couldn’t find a reason to refute Lu Chen in that moment.

A moment later, two clusters of Ghost Fire slowly appeared within his empty eye sockets, devoid of eyeballs. His expression also gradually calmed down from its previous madness.

However, this version of him made Lu Chen even more wary.

Outer Path Fang Heng looked at Lu Chen and said coldly, "Good, good, good. I finally know why the moment I saw you, I had the uncontrollable urge to tear you to shreds.

"You are exactly like those stubborn old fools in the Cyan Cloud Sect, always carrying an inexplicable sense of tolerance, as if everyone in the whole world is a good person and I am the only villain.

"You should consider yourself lucky, kid. If it weren’t for Fang Heng constantly holding me back earlier, I would have completely shredded you the moment you walked through that door. I don’t know where a tiny Qi Refining cultivator like you gets the audacity to point fingers at me.

"You don’t actually think a few random words from you will make me spare your life, do you?

"Stop dreaming, kid! You’re dead today!"

Outer Path Fang Heng originally thought that upon hearing this death threat, Lu Chen would no longer be able to maintain that damned composure. After all, he had rarely seen anyone remain so unfazed in the face of death.

But today... he happened to see one.

Upon hearing these words, Lu Chen remained completely unmoved. He looked at Outer Path Fang Heng calmly, so calmly it was as if he didn’t even know what death was.

Seeing him like this made Outer Path Fang Heng even angrier. Seriously, what gave this kid the right to be so arrogant? Could it be that there were actually people in this world who weren’t afraid to die?

Was Lu Chen afraid of death? Naturally, he was.

Except, he wouldn’t be afraid while inside a Dungeon, because in a Dungeon... he wouldn’t truly die anyway.

He looked at Outer Path Fang Heng, who was already turning red with anger and whose expression was slightly twisted, and shook his head. "Lu doesn’t consider himself a strong person, nor do I have any grand ambitions concerning the world.

"Walking to where I am today, my only thoughts and desires have merely been to seek Longevity and to witness the Great Thousand Worlds that I have yet to see. And there is one thing you might have misunderstood. My attitude towards Fellow Daoist Fang is not tolerance.

"I simply treat everyone equally, and I firmly believe that every decision I make is right. If there truly comes a day when Lu must become enemies with the world, then the fault will definitely not lie with me, but with the entire world... This is my Dao.

"If I believe Fellow Daoist Fang was right, then he... was right."

"HAHAHAHA!"

As if hearing something hilarious, Outer Path Fang Heng couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter. After his laughter died down, he mocked, "So, if you think he is right, then he is right; and since I am wrong, then I must be wrong?"

"Yes," Lu Chen said flatly.

"HAHAHAHA... Then I’d like to see what a kid like you can do to me!"

As his words fell, Outer Path Fang Heng made his move.

His right hand, transformed into a Blood Sword, was as fast as lightning—traceless and formless.

However, for Lu Chen, who had continuously maintained maximum concentration and was boosted by the power of several Talismans, he could finally, barely perceive this sword strike from Outer Path Fang Heng.

...