Chapter 44: Life Is Short; Recall Dreams of Hundreds of Years

“Surpassing others is by no means an easy task, let alone simple. No matter what you aim to surpass, a price must be paid.” (Gu Long)
……
Watching the gray-clad youth slowly float over, with the orange-colored sword floating along with him, Shuier endured the pain and said, “He’s not a deity either; he’s just a swordsman with extremely high skills.”
The three assassins exchanged glances upon seeing someone powerful arriving to stop them and quickly made a decision—to kill the three before the youth arrived. So they moved, their long swords speeding toward the throats of the three men…
With a clang, as the orange light disappeared, all three swords fell to the ground. The wrists of the three assassins were pierced by that light, causing intense pain that halted their movements.
With a whoosh, as the swords hit the ground, a gust of wind blew. The gray-clad youth had already appeared just three feet in front of the three red-clothed assassins, his mysterious sword spinning around him nonstop.
“Stop committing more murders. Please leave this Buddhist realm,” the gray-clad youth said gently to the three assassins.
The assassins looked at their wounded wrists. The leader snapped, “Who are you? Dare to give your name? The Secret Sect won’t spare you.”
The gray-clad youth stretched out his left hand, and the spinning sword fell into his grasp. He bowed and said, “I’m a lay disciple of Buddhism, Li Ling.”
These words shocked not only the three assassins but also Liu Yi, Shuier, and the Great Sword King. Li Ling was one of the top swordsmen of his time, ranking fifth. He became famous thirty years ago for creating the “Great Compassion Sword.” If calculated by that standard, Li Ling should be an old man—so why did he appear so young, like a man in his early twenties? Had he also grasped the truth of life and death?
The three assassins shared the same thought: It was impossible to kill them today. With Li Ling around, even if the four guardians of the Secret Sect came, they might not be able to kill Liu Yi. With that in mind, they channeled their sword energy and vanished into the clouds.
Watching the three disappear, Li Ling turned to look at them and said casually, “Your injuries aren’t too serious. Please follow me to the Buddhist realm to recover.” His tone was gentle, yet it carried an irresistible force.
The Great Sword King got up despite the pain and said, “You’re the third greatest swordsman in the human world. So young! I thought you were an old man.”
Li Ling smiled gently and said, “A day in the mountains is like ten years outside. I’m older than an old man. Beneath this youthful appearance lies a heart that has witnessed countless changes.”
Liu Yi helped Shuier up and said, “This Li Ling is clearly older than your master, yet he seems so approachable, almost like… like a family member.”
Shuier said as they walked, “There are countless people in the three realms. Those who rank among the top six must have their unique strengths.”
The Great Sword King forgot his pain and closely followed Li Ling, saying, “Elder Li, you’re already so old, yet you still look so young. Please tell me so I can learn from you too.” He gave him a hopeful look.

Li Ling smiled at the Great Sword King and said, “Stop calling me an elder. My experiences are pitifully few. From birth to now, in these hundred years, I’ve only been involved in swordsmanship. Life is short, and so is suffering. How can I call myself an elder when I haven’t experienced much? If you don’t mind, just call me ‘Ling’!”
The Great Sword King looked at this swordsman revered as a deity in the three realms and could hardly believe it. A person who gave up everything for swordsmanship was actually just a swordsman without any memories.
The Great Sword King said, “What I still want to ask is… why are you so young?”
Li Ling smiled and replied, “It’s all about going with the flow. When your martial arts reach a certain peak, you’ll also break through the limits of life—what people call immortality.”
The Great Sword King said with a gloomy face, “Reaching a peak? Breaking through the limits of life? For me, that’s more unreal than dreaming.”
At that moment, Li Ling suddenly stopped, took out a red pill from his bosom, and turned toward Liu Yi and Shui Er. Shui Er’s face was pale, clearly having suffered serious injuries earlier.
Li Ling smiled gently at Shui Er and said, “Miss, your injuries are severe. I was careless just now. This is the ‘Hundred Flowers Dew’ I’ve prepared over the years. It can not only heal internal injuries and stop external bleeding but also double your strength. Please accept it.”
Seeing Li Ling’s sunny smile, Shui Er’s face turned slightly red. Her defeat against the assassin earlier was clearly due to her insufficient strength—she couldn’t use any of her powerful techniques, resulting in such a crushing loss. If her strength doubled now, she would be able to use many techniques she couldn’t use before.
Yet this person who called himself Li Ling gave her such a valuable gift for no reason. Shui Er hesitated…
Li Ling continued, “The three thousand worlds will turn to dust, but fate is an indelible force. Don’t think this medicine is too precious.”
Shui Er knew that the Divine Gate had the ability to read minds, allowing one to know what others were thinking. But she never expected Li Ling to also know what she was thinking, showing just how high his cultivation had reached—unimaginable levels. Looking at Li Ling, Shui Er took the red pill and put it in her mouth.
A cool sensation, mixed with the scent of flowers, turned into clear water as it flowed into her stomach. The cool energy instantly spread throughout her veins and meridians. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shui Er moved and found no pain in her body. Checking her internal strength, she found it had indeed doubled. She said happily, “This medicine really works.”
The Great Sword King rushed over and said, “P-please, kind sir! My injuries are also severe. Do you have any more of that medicine? Give me one too.”
Li Ling held his sword in his left hand and placed his right hand behind his back, saying, “I’m out of it. I spent six years collecting the most energetic dewdrops from flowers every morning to make this medicine. So, in six years, I only managed to make one pill.”
The Great Sword King really wanted to scream into the sky. How could such a precious medicine not fall to him?
Li Ling looked at the Great Sword King and smiled, “Fate hasn’t brought it yet. Why force it?” With that, he continued walking forward.
Liu Yi took his hand away from Shui Er and saw her staring blankly at Li Ling’s figure. Liu Yi waved his fan and thought to himself, “Could it be that this girl has fallen for this old man?”

Love is a strange thing. It may take just a second to fall in love with someone, or it might take a lifetime. The three followed Li Ling, and suddenly their eyes lit up as they saw two enormous Buddha statues of equal height. Each Buddha was 46 zhang tall and 21 zhang wide, seated on lotus pads. Between the two towering Buddhas was a large gate, 16 zhang high and 12 zhang wide, connecting the two Buddhas. Liu Yi exclaimed, “Wow! It’s truly spectacular. The Buddha is the mountain, and the mountain is the Buddha. Excellent!” Li Ling smiled and said, “Young Master Liu’s words are truly astonishing.” Liu Yi replied with a smile, “You flatter me.” With a gentle wave of his sleeve, the gate slowly opened. Li Ling led Liu Yi, Shui’er, and Da Dao Wang toward the main hall. “There are ten halls and eighteen chambers in the Buddhist temple. I have three thousand disciples and eighty-one lay disciples. I’ll take you to the ‘Heart Cultivation Hall’ now to heal all your wounds,” Li Ling explained as he led the way. After passing several halls, they stopped outside the seventh one. Li Ling said, “This is the ‘Heart Cultivation Hall’. Go in; I’ll wait for you outside.” With that, he turned around, hands behind his back. Liu Yi looked up and indeed saw three golden characters: “Heart Cultivation Hall”. But wouldn’t they get beaten out if they just went in like that? Anyway, it was better to go in first. The three pushed open the door and stepped in, only for the door to slam shut behind them… Li Ling showed no reaction, still with his hands behind his back, gazing at the blue sky and murmuring, “What have I been pursuing in my life? I’ve always wanted to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Li Ling… after a hundred years devoted to swords, isn’t it all in pursuit of fame?” Looking at the sword in his hand, Li Ling was filled with emotion. About twenty minutes later, Liu Yi, Da Dao Wang, and Shui’er came out of the “Heart Cultivation Hall”. Their faces were rosy, and they seemed more energetic. Da Dao Wang touched his straight hair and said, “Man, those wooden figures inside were amazing. They cleared the blocked veins in my body in just a few moments.” Li Ling turned to look at them, his gaze lingering on Shui’er’s face, and smiled, “It seems you young masters have recovered. Please follow me to the ‘Mahavira Hall’ to meet the abbot and the elders of the various halls.” Liu Yi nodded and said, “Thank you, Senior Li, for saving us.” Li Ling smiled, turned around, and led the way, saying, “Just call me Ling. How can someone without experience or memories be called a senior? If I’m a senior, I’m more like a sword-training machine.” Li Ling spoke slowly, but each word carried such pressure that it was impossible to argue. They returned the same way and stopped at the entrance of the first hall. Li Ling bowed slightly. Without saying a word, a voice came from all directions, “Lay disciple, Li Ling.” Then, a voice came from inside the closed hall, “Ling? Why have you come back?” Another voice in the air said, “Karma.” A voice from inside the hall said, “Amitabha. It seems your swordsmanship has reached a new level.” Li Ling raised his head and looked at the sign on the hall, saying, “Swordsmanship has no end. A new level is merely the beginning of another.”

A voice came from inside the hall, “Your tone seems tired. What’s the matter? Come in.” As soon as the words faded, the doors of the “Mahavira Hall” swung open wide on both sides.
Li Ling turned around and said, “Come in with me.”
A few people entered the Mahavira Hall. At first glance, it was no smaller than the halls of the Immortal Clan’s sacred gates. There were six tall columns on each side of the hall, supporting the high ceiling. On top of each column was a stone-carved human figure, each with a different appearance, but all clad in golden armor. At first glance, Liu Yi felt as if he had seen these carved figures somewhere before… but he couldn’t recall where.
Looking around the hall, twenty-eight monks sat in two rows in the middle, with nine monks on each side, arranged symmetrically. All of them appeared to be over a hundred years old. The ten in the middle sat on purple lotus flowers, while the eighteen on the sides sat on green lotus flowers. It was unclear what the lotus flowers were made of, but when a gentle breeze blew, the flowers moved with it…
Seeing the twenty-eight monks, Li Ling knelt down gently and, holding “Blazing Sun,” said, “Li Ling greets you, esteemed uncles and aunts.”
An old monk leading the group in the middle said, “Get up. It’s been twenty years since we last saw each other. Time flies like water.”
Li Ling slowly stood up and said, “I left the mountains this time because I met those three people. Seeing them, I realized I couldn’t see my past self, so I decided to give up cultivation.”
Another old monk leading the group said, “Fate… is also karma. Perhaps giving up is another realm of the sword way.”
Li Ling continued, “At the foot of the Buddhist temple, I saw those three people being chased by people from the Hidden Gate. They claimed they wanted to go to the Buddhist temple to find a high monk to exorcise the trapped souls.”
The first old monk added, “That’s true. The Hidden Gate is a assassin organization belonging to the demon race. Ordinary people without resources can’t afford their services.”
Liu Yi waved his folding fan and said, “We don’t know which gods we’ve offended, but since this matter has happened, Liu Yi only wants to fulfill someone else’s request—hoping to find a high monk in the Buddhist temple who can exorcise these trapped souls.” With that, he took over Shui Er’s “Cosmic Mirror.”
The old monk nodded and said, “You have a kind heart, Li Ling. Take that ‘Cosmic Mirror’ over and let this old monk take a look.”
Li Ling took the “Cosmic Mirror” and handed it to the old monk.
The old monk took a look, shook his head, and passed it to another old monk beside him. That monk also shook his head and passed it on, until it reached all twenty-eight old monks in the hall. Still, none of them could say anything. Finally, it returned to the first old monk’s hands.
Li Ling asked, “What? Uncles, do none of you have the ability to exorcise those trapped souls?”
The old monk looked at the wandering trapped souls in the mirror and shook his head. “The resentment of these souls is extremely strong, and it has accumulated over thousands of years. It’s just that our Buddhist powers are limited; we can’t guarantee complete exorcism.”
Liu Yi asked anxiously, “If even the Buddhist temple can’t help, then when these souls appear in the mirror again, the world will surely face disaster.”
The old monk looked at Liu Yi and said, “Don’t worry, benefactor. Just because we can’t exorcise them doesn’t mean there’s no one in the Buddhist temple who can.”
Li Ling gently added, “Are you referring to my master, uncle?”

The old monk nodded and said, “Yes, Junior Brother Juegui’s knowledge of Buddhism is as profound as that of a celestial being. Moreover, over these twenty years he has meditated on the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity. I believe the vengeful spirits in the ‘Qiankun Mirror’ shouldn’t be a problem.”
Li Ling nodded and asked, “Then, when will Master emerge from seclusion?”
The old monk replied, “If I’m not mistaken, Junior Brother Juegui should emerge within these two days.”
Li Ling nodded and said, “Good, that makes things easier to arrange.” With that, he took the ‘Qiankun Mirror’ from the old monk’s hands.
The old monk continued, “Ling, go and lead those three down. Prepare three separate rooms for them so that our distant guests can rest properly.”
Li Ling nodded and said, “Yes, Uncle.” Then he turned, handed the ‘Qiankun Mirror’ to Shui Er, and smiled, “Don’t worry. Master’s Buddhist teachings will surely dispel their resentment.”
Seeing Li Ling’s smile, Shui Er felt confused and lost. She hurriedly took the ‘Qiankun Mirror’ and nodded, “Yes…”, not daring to look up at Li Ling or his smile again.
Li Ling then said to Liu Yi, “Young man, rest for now. After such a long journey, you must be exhausted. Come with me.” His voice carried an indescribable courtesy and warmth. Liu Yi felt that Li Ling was becoming more and more like a family member to him.
The three followed Li Ling out of the “Mahavira Hall” and headed toward the rooms below…
Along the way, Shui Er’s heart pounded. She didn’t know what was happening to her—what this feeling was. Was it possible? Could one fall in love with two people? Her feelings for Liu Yi were so natural and affectionate, and she couldn’t resist Li Ling’s smile either. What was wrong with her? Why could she accept two men in her heart?
Of course, Shui Er wouldn’t understand. Besides infatuation, there was also the concept of being affectionate, and affection wasn’t exclusive to men… But even though Shui Er was affectionate, she wouldn’t realize that her other half wasn’t among those two.
Meanwhile, the Great Sword King closely followed Li Ling and said, “Ling, I want to learn sword flying—those techniques where things fly around at will. That’s not a Buddhist martial art, right?”
Li Ling smiled and said, “Of course not. I can teach you too. But with your current internal energy, it would take you over twenty years to accumulate enough vital energy to fly. As for how far you can fly, I’m not sure.”
The Great Sword King, holding his great sword and shaking his upright hair, said, “Ling, stop joking. Considering we’ve met before, please help me. I really want to fly and look majestic.”
Li Ling stopped in his tracks, and everyone else stopped as well. Liu Yi and Shui Er didn’t know what Li Ling was going to do. Was he really going to teach the Great Sword King sword flying?
Li Ling stretched out his right hand, spun slightly with a residual afterimage, and an orange-yellow light appeared before the Great Sword King, floating between him and Li Ling. It was ‘Scorching Sun’.

Li Ling smiled and said, “There’s another way that can save you twenty years of time—by obtaining the ‘Scorching Sun’. This sword was born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It possesses a living soul and is a sentient sword. If you can seize it, you’ll be able to save twenty years of cultivation time. Moreover, this sword is extremely powerful; ordinary sword techniques, when used with the ‘Scorching Sun’, can become the ultimate forms of swordsmanship.”

Liu Yi quickly slapped himself to check if he was dreaming, while Shui Er cast an incredulous look at Li Ling. The one who was most skeptical was the Great Sword King. He shook his head and pinched his own face, asking, “Am I dreaming again?”

Li Ling laughed and said, “This isn’t a dream. It’s real.”

The Great Sword King burst into laughter and said, “Ling, stop joking. I just want to learn how to control a sword. If you don’t want to teach me, that’s fine. Don’t use your sword to scare me.”

Li Ling smiled, though his expression was eerily serious. He continued, “Do I look like I’m joking? If it chooses you, it means you’re destined for it. I no longer need this sword. It took away my life, my dreams—everything left was only the art of killing.”

The Great Sword King still forced a smile awkwardly and said, “Forget it. Put it away. I won’t learn it. I may be greedy, but even greed has its limits. Don’t underestimate me, the Great Sword King.”

Li Ling continued to smile, but suddenly his eyes emitted a golden light that gradually faded. A gust of wind blew, causing everyone’s clothes to flutter. At that moment, the Great Sword King felt a tremendous force forcing his right hand to grasp the ‘Scorching Sun’. No matter how hard he tried with his left hand, he couldn’t stop his right hand.

The Great Sword King quickly realized Li Ling was behind this and cried out, “Ling, what are you doing? I may be greedy and lustful, but I never steal from a ruler. Let go of me!”

Li Ling continued to smile. Finally, the Great Sword King’s right hand touched the hilt of the ‘Scorching Sun’, and he slowly grasped it tightly.

Suddenly, the ‘Scorching Sun’ soared into the sky, circling around before carrying the Great Sword King through the rooms and halls, flying at great speed.

Li Ling laughed heartily and said, “You have memories. You’re not alone. The ‘Scorching Sun’ likes you too. With it, you won’t need to learn sword control anymore. You can fly as far as you want.”

The Great Sword King’s hair stood even straighter in the air. He cried out in terror, “Mom! Dad! Protect me!” Then he shouted loudly, “It’s so fast! I’m so scared! I’m so—”

Before he could finish, with a bang, the ‘Scorching Sun’ continued to float and circle in the sky, while the Great Sword King was nowhere to be seen.

Shui Er asked anxiously, “Where’s the Great Sword King? What happened to him?”

Liu Yi waved his fan and said, “What else could have happened? It’s obvious—he hit a wall.”

Shui Er snapped angrily, “You… you scoundrel!”

Li Ling smiled and said, “It seems he’s given up. It’s also a relief. It feels like life is truly beginning now.”