Chapter 117: Differences between Mortals and Immortals
In County Governor Manor.
Reverend Immense Sea was chatting with County Governor Song in front of a piece of calligraphy.
"Reverend, the flavor in your calligraphy has improved. It’s as though mighty waves are striking the shore. Jagged rocks of grotesque shapes." County Governor Song shook his head as he could not help but heap on praises. "It’s really good. However, the words ’jagged rocks’ by themselves look great with the edges of the strokes exuding the feeling of tumultuous waves. But as a whole... it seems to lack that unbridled freedom."
"Yes, definitely." Immense Sea nodded. "I also think that something is lacking. I have written the words ’jagged rocks’ for many years and always feel that I’ve yet to attain mastery. It seems a little trite and doesn’t lack that natural mastery! But I find the word itself perfect. It simply lacks that feeling when placed together with other words. I know my shortcomings but as for how I should improve, Brother Song, do you have any advice as a great calligrapher?"
"Haha, Reverend, your calligraphy skills are not inferior to mine." County Governor Song laughed as he stroked his beard. "As for advice, you have consulted me several times and I have given you some."
"But it wasn’t effective," Immense Sea said immediately. "I had even stayed by the seashore and watched the waves strike the jagged rocks for three years. It was useless!"
County Governor Song nodded slightly. "Perhaps, there is a need for some epiphany."
"Epiphany. When would I have one?" Immense Sea sighed helplessly.
"Boom!"
A distance away, Qin Yun unleashed his flying sword at the manor’s array formation. Although he was far from County Governor Manor, the terrifying shockwaves reached it. Mortals might not sense it but Immense Sea immediately noticed it.
"Oh?" Immense Sea’s white brows pricked up as he turned to look outside.
"Lord County Governor!" A middle-aged man rushed inside and said frantically, "There are powerful experts fighting in the city."
"Why are you panicking. There’s Reverend here, and so is Young Master Qin. Grand Dominance City will be fine." County Governor Song said indifferently.
When the middle-aged man heard that, he nodded immediately. He was the current commander of the personal guards for County Governor Song.
Immense Sea frowned and said, "The battle is about four kilometers from here. There is an immense amount of power. In order to prevent innocents from being harmed, I’ll go take a look."
"Reverend, let me accompany you. I’m the top official of this land after all." County Governor Song said immediately. The middle-aged man said by the side, "I’ll protect you, County Governor." Although the middle-aged man was at the Connate False Core realm, the cultivation manuals he used were of inferior quality. He could not even fly!
"Alright."
Immense Sea nodded.
Phew.
A cloud gathered immediately and lifted Immense Sea, County Governor Song, and the personal guard commander. They flew out of County Governor Manor and headed quickly for the battleground.
They flew at an extremely fast speed.
"A request for help?" Immense Sea also received Princess Martial Maple’s call for help. Previously, Princess Martial Maple had visited County Governor Manor and met Silver Peak Monastery’s Reverend Immense Sea. She had been rather respectful back then.
Under normal circumstances, Princess Martial Maple would not make an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador her enemy.
Reverend Immense Sea was an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador!
"This is Princess Martial Maple’s residence. The princess is in danger." County Governor Song overlooked the manor below and could not help but panic. The cloud they were on was about eight hundred feet above the manor and they could see what was happening within. The manor was now in ruins as a purple flying sword floated in midair. Another flying sword was attacking Princess Martial Maple that she needed to call for help.
"Young Master Qin?" County Governor Song was alarmed. "Why is he fighting Princess Martial Maple?"
"Fellow Daoist Qin, please hold back!" Immense Sea said immediately as his voice reached the manor.
...
Inside the manor.
Just as Princess Martial Maple and company were in a horrified panic, a voice was heard from above. "Fellow Daoist Qin, please hold back."
Qin Yun stopped. He looked up and saw Immense Sea and company flying down. County Governor Song even said, "Young Master Qin, is there some misunderstanding..." At that moment, County Governor Song also saw Yi Xiao behind Qin Yun. When he saw the gruesome wounds on her face, he immediately understood what had happened. "We can always calm down and discuss the matter."
"Discussion is impossible." Qin Yun looked coldly at Reverend Immense Sea. "Reverend Immense Sea, are you stopping me?"
"Fellow Daoist Qin, I should not interfere in your matters but this person is, after all, a princess. If there’s anything, we can all calm down and talk about it, alright?" proposed Immense Sea.
"Reverend, you and I are good friends but I cannot defer to you on today’s matter," said Qin Yun.
The two were indeed good friends.
Immense Sea was the abbot of Steadfast Mountain County’s Silver Peak Monastery. He too was an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador! And since Qin Yun was Grand Dominance’s Inspector Heavenly Ambassador, the two neighboring counties made Qin Yun’s ties with Immense Sea a lot closer than other Inspector Heavenly Ambassadors. When dealing with fiendish demons or other problems, the nearest Inspector Heavenly Ambassador would naturally render assistance; therefore, they often helped each other.
"Quick." The white-haired elder, Princess Martial Maple, and company surreptitiously rushed towards Immense Sea’s side.
Shoo!
The purple flying sword flashed and obstructed them.
"It’s best you do not move." Qin Yun scanned his gaze at them coldly.
Immense Sea looked at Yi Xiao. When he saw the gruesome wounds on Yi Xiao’s face, he said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist Qin, I know you are furious but I cannot agree with your actions. Why don’t we do this? I’ll attack you once and if you can parry it, I’ll not interfere in this matter."
"Alright, I have always wanted to fight you but, you were always unwilling," said Qin Yun.
"What’s the point of all this wanton destruction? Fellow Daoist Qin, be careful." Immense Sea said as he waved his right palm.
Buzz.
A golden light suffused his palm as he struck out. A massive translucent golden palm flew out as the surrounding area echoed with Buddhist chants.
"Shatter." Qin Yun waved his hand as the Intrinsic Flying Sword flew out. It manifested sword shadows formed from a large number of raindrops. It looked ordinary in might but when it clashed with the gigantic golden palm, a large number of cracks appeared on the golden palm. Following that, it shattered while the silver flying sword appeared in its true form in midair.
"What? He’s so much stronger than back when he fought Black Demon King?" Immense Sea was alarmed. Although it wasn’t considered an all-out desperate attack, he had used seventy percent of his strength. He never expected it to be overwhelmed in such a direct manner.
Immense Sea held his palms together. "I’m indeed no match against fellow Daoist Qin’s flying sword arts. I shall not intervene in this matter."
"Reverend, how can you not intervene?" Princess Martial Maple said in a panic. "Are you going to watch him commit atrocious acts without doing a thing?"
"I’m helpless." Immense Sea landed in a corner. County Governor Song was about to say something but he did not say a word. He had also seen how Immense Sea had failed to hold back Qin Yun.
"Reverend, your Fiend Subduing Staff Arts are famous. You also have the Buddhist divine power of ’Divine Leg Power’. It will be easy for you to help us escape," said Princess Martial Maple immediately.
Immense Sea gave a faint smile but did not say a word.
"Junior Sister Martial Maple," whispered the white-haired elder. "Can’t you tell? Reverend Immense Sea is standing on Qin Yun’s side. They are all Jiang Prefecture cultivators and they are good friends!"
"Boom!!!"
Qin Yun remained coldly indifferent as he sent his sword on another assault.
The elder brandished his whisk in a desperate attempt to last a little longer.
"All... all of you are in this together. Whatever happens today will be made known to the Inspector Heavenly Alliance! My father will be informed as well!" Princess Martial Maple’s eyes were filled with maniacal rage. "Qin Yun, if you dare touch me, aren’t you afraid of infuriating my father?"
Beside them, Reverend Immense Sea shook his head gently. "Foolish."
"Infuriating?"
Qin Yun scoffed and said, "Princess Martial Maple, I know. Your Zhongli family is a thousand-year-old family. Its patriarch is an immortal that has cultivated to the Essence Soul realm! But so what if he is immortal? Don’t you know that... the heavens have heavenly laws! Immortals have to face tribulations as well!"
Princess Martial Maple’s expression stiffened.
"Why, do you think I do not know anything?" Qin Yun sneered. "I’m an itinerant cultivator. I might have just become an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador, but I still know the rules."
"In this world, there are so many great demons at the Connate Golden Core realm. They wreak havoc everywhere. Yet, Essence Soul immortals do not dare interfere. Why is that so?" Qin Yun sneered. "It’s because there are differences between mortals and immortals! Immortals... would not interfere in mortal matters! The more they interfere, the greater the karma, causing even more negative karma. Essence Soul immortals may have an everlasting life but they also have to face tribulations. If they are unable to withstand them, they would also die."
"The mortal world is toxic! The heavenly laws are heartless. Even if thousands of mortals will die, immortals will not intervene! Even if Connate Golden Core realm experts die, Essence Soul immortals would not easily take action. What’s more when they are such trivialities?"
There were three major cultivation realms.
Postnatal, Connate, Essence Soul!
Essence Soul immortals were already legends of old. Qin Yun believed in the past that there were no immortals in the world but after becoming an Inspector Heavenly Ambassador, he learned of the true nature of the world! He understood that the thousand-year-old families, imperial government, Daoist and Buddhist sacred lands, Heavenly Demon Palace, and the many factions in the fiendish demon world had human immortals or Fiendcelestials at the Essence Soul realm presiding over them.
It was nothing to speak of when immortals fought Fiendcelestials.
However, they would not easily attack mortals. The greater the karma the mortal had, the less likely they would take any action. For example, Qin Yun had killed the water ape, gaining the gratefulness of millions of commoners in Grand Dominance County. Many of them had even set up plaques in their families to wish good will on Qin Yun, so the amount of karma he had was extraordinary! If immortals dared to take action... the tribulations they feared the most would immediately happen. Furthermore, it would be even more terrifying. It was even possible that they might perish.
Under the maneuvering of the Heavenly Dao, Qin Yun and other cultivators were only considered as mortals. Only those that attained Essence Soul, allowing them perpetual youth would they be immortals, fiends, or gods!
The Postnatal and Connate realm meant that they were still mortals!
"My, my father has numerous disciples..." Princess Martial Maple insisted on carrying on.
"Cut the nonsense. Use whatever moves you have." Qin Yun sneered. Before he attained the second level of sword intent he might have been fearful of Connate Golden Core cultivators but having gained a higher level in the Heavenly Dao, Qin Yun even wanted to attempt fighting someone at the Connate Golden Core realm.
"Boom!"
The countless threads of the whisk exploded and finally failed to put up any further resistance.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The flying sword swooped down as the white-haired elder and company fell to the ground while spitting out blood. Qin Yun’s figure flashed and appeared in front of Princess Martial Maple. Stretching out his hand, he grabbed her neck and lifted her up. He stared into Princess Martial Maple’s eyes. "It’s your turn!"