Chapter 191 – You're a Genius—So What Is He?

Upon hearing Yu Tianqi’s words, Jiang Qing found herself momentarily unable to retort.

Because she could keenly sense the overwhelming obsession radiating from Yu Tianqi—so palpable it seemed to spill from his very expression.

In truth, obsession isn’t necessarily a bad thing for cultivators.

Because if they can shatter that obsession, their mental state often undergoes sublimation.

This is especially true for Golden Core Stage cultivators.

After all, to breakthrough from the Golden Core Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage,

one must not only endure the Core Formation Lightning Tribulation but also pass a ‘Heart-Questioning Trial’.

Unlike the Lightning Tribulation, the Heart-Questioning Trial has no relation whatsoever to a cultivator’s cultivation base, talent, or Dao lineage.

It solely tests the cultivator’s Heart-Nature.

This is why many outstanding prodigies advance by leaps and bounds before the Golden Core Stage, yet remain stagnant for decades or even centuries after reaching it.

The core reason is their inadequate Heart-Nature.

The Dao Heart is not merely an empty phrase.

The reason Bian Shouyi is so highly regarded by Crippled Sword Daoist and Jiang Dongliu is not only his exceptional Sword Path talent but also his unshakably firm Dao Heart.

This means Bian Shouyi has a high probability of breaking through the ‘Heart-Questioning Trial’ in the future and attaining the Nascent Soul Stage.

A similar situation applies to Jiang Dongliu.

After all, firmly believing oneself to be the greatest under heaven without ever wavering could indeed be considered a form of steadfast Dao Heart.

In a sense, as long as you choose a path, firmly believe it is right, and unwaveringly walk it,

that itself constitutes a Dao Heart.

This holds true for righteous cultivators, and likewise for Demonic Path cultivators.

Therefore, all cultivators who reach the Nascent Soul Stage possess resolute Dao Hearts.

This principle also applies to the current Deputy Leader of the Black Lotus Sect, Luo Changming.

He is not only a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator but also a Great Divine Power practitioner who has stepped into the Dao Comprehension realm.

This indicates that even after joining the Black Lotus Sect, Luo Changming still walks the path he deems correct.

It is precisely because of this that Yu Tianqi desperately wants to know what Luo Changming is truly thinking.

He wants to understand what Luo Changming firmly believes to be the right path.

And this desire has become an invisible shackle, directly trapping Yu Tianqi.

A dust-covered Dao Heart is a terrifying matter.

Because although it doesn’t alter a cultivator’s cultivation base, Aptitude, or talent, it can, in a sense, completely transform a person.

The former Yu Tianqi feared nothing in heaven or earth.

But after the incident with Luo Changming, Yu Tianqi changed.

He no longer exuded the high-spirited vigor of his past, instead resembling a decrepit old man nearing his end.

Jiang Qing looked at him and, realizing she couldn’t persuade him, sighed. “Although I still believe your current obsession is meaningless, I respect your choice.”

“However, you should understand that being trapped by obsession means far more than just stagnating at the Golden Core Stage.”

“The bond between Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beasts and Mountain and Sea Cultivators is a mutual selection. The former you gained Wuzhiqi’s recognition, but the current you must already be despised by it, right?”

To this, Yu Tianqi responded with silence.

Hearing this, Mu Xiaoye finally understood why, whenever she and Xiao Lu mentioned wanting to see Yu Tianqi’s Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beast recently, he always deflected the topic.The reason was that the other party could no longer summon Wuzhiqi.

A Scripture Master of the Shanhai Bureau, unable to summon his own Classic of Mountains and Seas Mythical Beast.

For a Scripture Master, this was no different from losing an arm.

Not to mention that the one he couldn’t summon was a Wuzhiqi that had once reached the Sixth Bureau Level.

Jiang Qing walked past the silent Yu Tianqi and sat down directly inside the Peace Noodle Shop, saying, “Your affairs are for you to decide. I’m only offering some advice from the perspective of someone who’s been through it.”

“Whether you listen to this advice or not is beyond my control.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let me try your skills.”

“I’m curious whether you, having put down the staff and picked up the rolling pin, can create a flavor that satisfies me.”

Hearing this, Yu Tianqi suddenly smiled. “Then please have a taste, Sister Qing.”

With that, Yu Tianqi began kneading the dough with earnest focus.

His serious demeanor made it seem as though he wasn’t making noodles but facing a solemn battle.

Although Mu Xiaoye was usually lively and unrestrained, she understood that the atmosphere between Jiang Qing and Yu Tianqi was somewhat unusual at the moment.

Despite her usual casual and sisterly attitude toward Jiang Qing, she was, after all, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator of the Myriad Enterprises Immortal Sect.

She was a figure of note not only in the Myriad Enterprises Immortal Sect but throughout the entire Immortal Alliance.

When she became serious, her invisible Aura still exerted a powerful pressure on those around her.

At this moment, Mu Xiaoye felt this pressure, making her too afraid to speak recklessly.

The feeling was like returning to her childhood, to her very first lesson.

Jiang Qing was the teacher, and she was the student.

For a while, the only sound in the Peace Noodle Shop was that of Yu Xiaoye kneading the dough.

Just as Mu Xiaoye was feeling suffocated by the invisible pressure from the two, someone stepped into the noodle shop.

The moment he appeared, the chilly atmosphere in the shop eased considerably.

“Uncle Tian, Little Yezi, what’s going on here?”

Lu Chen walked into the shop, looking at the three inside with surprise.

Seeing Lu Chen’s arrival, Mu Xiaoye seemed to grasp a lifeline, hurriedly running to his side.

Under Lu Chen’s puzzled gaze, she pulled him to sit opposite Jiang Qing.

Lu Chen was somewhat confused by this.

He felt that Mu Xiaoye seemed unusually tense at the moment.

As for the reason behind her tension, Lu Chen couldn’t guess for now.

However, he could sense the strange atmosphere in the noodle shop.

Driven by curiosity, Lu Chen’s eyes transformed into a lotus pattern.

In the next moment, the clash of two invisible Auras became clearly visible to him.

On one side was the cyan Aura surrounding Jiang Qing, and on the other was the golden Aura enveloping Yu Tianqi.

But Yu Tianqi, who in Lu Chen’s eyes was incredibly powerful, was now suppressed by Jiang Qing to the point where he could only confine his Aura to the small area around the cutting board.

The vast majority of the noodle shop was dominated by Jiang Qing’s Aura.

It was as if, in front of Jiang Qing, Yu Tianqi was nothing but a stubborn rock in a storm.

Apart from barely protecting himself, he was incapable of offering any resistance.

‘Is this Little Yezi’s new guardian?’From a single glance, Lu Chen could see the entire picture. Though he only witnessed the aura-filled scene within the noodle shop, he indirectly grasped Jiang Qing’s strength.

Curiosity killed the cat. Unable to resist, Lu Chen wanted to observe Jiang Qing carefully, so he subtly glanced at her sitting across from him.

But the next second, Lu Chen felt a fierce blue flame rushing toward his face.

The scorching heat immediately made him instinctively close his eyes, tears streaming down.

“Little friend, rashly peering at a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator is a very dangerous thing.”

“Your pupil technique is decent, but for those of us who have achieved Divine Soul Nascent Soul formation, your immature Divine Soul cannot withstand our Soul Light.”

Hearing Jiang Qing’s words, Lu Chen, who had reopened his eyes, respectfully said, “Elder Jiang is right, I was reckless.”

Though Mu Xiaoye didn’t know exactly what had happened between Lu Chen and Jiang Qing, she could guess some of it from their exchange.

Without hesitation, she turned to Jiang Qing and said, “Sister Qing, Little Lu meant no harm. Why are you reprimanding him? You’re at the Nascent Soul Stage, and he’s only at Foundation Establishment. What if you accidentally hurt him?”

“…”

Jiang Qing, who had intended to use this opportunity to teach Lu Chen a lesson, was rendered speechless by Mu Xiaoye’s words.

Wait, wasn’t it your little boyfriend who was disrespectful, rashly peering at a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator?

How come it sounds like I’m the one picking a fight when you say it?

Young Miss, your bias is showing too much!

Fortunately, Lu Chen quickly interjected, “Little Yezi, you’ve misunderstood. Elder Jiang didn’t do anything—it’s just that I couldn’t withstand the power of the Nascent Soul Stage Soul Light.”

“It’s like an ordinary person staring directly at the sun with naked eyes. I was a bit too arrogant.”

“Really?”

Mu Xiaoye looked at Lu Chen suspiciously, her expression seeming to say, “If you’re being threatened, blink, and I’ll stand up for you!”

But honestly, Lu Chen was telling the truth.

In fact, he felt his analogy was quite fitting.

When cultivators reach the Nascent Soul Stage, the strength of their Divine Soul compared to Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators is indeed akin to the sun.

Rashly peering doesn’t even require the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to take action—the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would be injured by the mere Soul Light.

Lu Chen had just felt a stinging pain in his eyes from directly gazing at Jiang Qing’s Soul Light.

And this was with Jiang Qing holding back and Lu Chen not stubbornly continuing to look.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just tears—he might have gone blind on the spot.

With Lu Chen defusing the situation, Mu Xiaoye didn’t press the matter further.

From this, Jiang Qing could see Lu Chen’s standing in Mu Xiaoye’s heart.

Recalling the information she had read about Lu Chen, Jiang Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Little friend, have you truly stepped into the Harmony Realm?”

Lu Chen nodded.

Upon receiving this confirmation, Jiang Qing sighed, “Young people these days are truly remarkable. In our time, even reaching the Dao Entry Realm at the Foundation Establishment Stage was considered prodigy-level, let alone the Harmony Realm.”

“Your talent is so fearsome that even the Young Miss finds it hard to keep up.”

“But the greater the talent, the easier it is to develop obsessions. You mustn’t follow in that fool’s footsteps across from us, bearing others’ mistakes on your own shoulders and letting your cultivation stagnate as a result.””So if you ever have any troubles in the future, don’t keep them bottled up inside.”

“Telling others and letting them help you find solutions isn’t something to be ashamed of.”

“Alright Sister Qing, no need to keep using me as an example. Try my cooking.”

Just as Jiang Qing was about to say more, Yu Tianqi placed three bowls of beef noodles before them.

Seeing this, Jiang Qing stopped playing the mentor.

Looking at the beef noodles in front of her, she unusually praised: “Not bad, Xiao Qi. Just from appearance alone, your beef noodles already rival those made by the master chefs in our sect.”

Yu Tianqi wiped his hands with his apron and smiled: “Of course. After all, I’ve dedicated ten years to this. If it weren’t good, my noodle shop would have closed long ago.”

Jiang Qing said with a smile: “But good appearance alone isn’t enough. After all, appearance is appearance, and substance is substance. No matter how beautiful the exterior, if the interior is decayed, everything is just an illusion, a castle in the air.”

Some people seemed to be talking about noodles, yet not really talking about noodles.

Hearing this, Yu Tianqi smiled bitterly.

He hadn’t expected Jiang Qing to still be indirectly admonishing him even now – she really wouldn’t let him off easily.

Actually, Jiang Qing rarely spoke this much.

It was only because she met an old acquaintance today that she was being more talkative.

While the speaker might be unintentional, the listener was intentional.

After hearing these words, Lu Chen seemed to have thought of something, his eyes gradually growing hazy as if he had fallen into some kind of epiphany.

This change in him immediately caught the attention of Yu Tianqi and Jiang Qing.

The two looked at Lu Chen in surprise, only to see faint manifestations of Sword Intent beginning to appear around him.

Within these Sword Intents were the eerie blood sea beneath a crimson moon, the boundless depths of Dragon Abyss.

There was the Jade Pool of Tianshan where lotuses bloomed, and the desolate land where all laws were extinguished.

“Sister Qing, Xiao Lu he…”

“Shh, this kid is somewhat terrifying – just some words were enough to trigger an epiphany. Don’t disturb him.”

Jiang Qing was right. After hearing her words that were meant to admonish Yu Tianqi, Lu Chen had truly gained many insights.

Before coming to the noodle shop, Lu Chen hadn’t found the path from Harmony Realm to Transformation Dao Realm.

But just now, he suddenly felt he had found that crucial ‘key’.

And this key was the so-called ‘external’ and ‘internal’, or perhaps a symbiotic relationship similar to Yin and Yang.

In the end, Sword Intent was just a manifestation of a cultivator’s Dao.

The effects and power of Sword Intent ultimately depended on the cultivator’s own understanding of Dao and their cultivation level.

The Sword Intent of Harmony Realm allowed Lu Chen to defeat Golden Core Stage cultivators despite the realm difference.

But it couldn’t help him defeat Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Even if that Nascent Soul Stage cultivator hadn’t even stepped into the Dao Realm.

Therefore, in a sense, Sword Intent was external, while the cultivator themselves was internal.

Lu Chen had always thought that things like Sword Intent should naturally lead to breakthroughs once certain realms were comprehended.

But after hearing Jiang Qing’s words, Lu Chen suddenly realized things might not be that simple.

If a cultivator was compared to a fighter jet, then Sword Intent would be the jet’s engine.

What currently limited this fighter jet’s power wasn’t the engine, but the jet itself.The reason he could no longer advance his Harmony Realm Sword Intent was because his cultivation, his Physical Body, and his Divine Soul could no longer withstand a higher level of Sword Intent.

When a wooden barrel is already full of water, if you want to pour in more, you must first find a way to make the barrel larger.

Carrying Harmony Realm Sword Intent at the Foundation Establishment Stage—this was already the limit for the Foundation Establishment Stage.

As for the Transformation Dao Realm, being only at the Foundation Establishment Stage… he couldn’t grasp it.

Therefore, at this moment, he had to find a way to enhance his cultivation and the strength of his Divine Soul as much as possible.

Only then could he wield more advanced power.

[Through a special Epiphany, you have understood the key to stepping into the Transformation Dao Realm…]

[Minimum requirements for the Transformation Dao Realm: Divine Soul reaches the ‘Substantial Realm’, cultivation reaches the Golden Core Stage, and comprehension of at least one Harmony Realm Sword Intent]

The Divine Soul Realm—this was something Lu Chen only came to understand after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Ethereal Realm, Substantial Realm, Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit…

These were the Realms of the Divine Soul.

At present, Lu Chen’s Divine Soul was only at the Ethereal Realm, meaning he could barely perform some Divine Soul techniques, but the strength was not high—it would shatter at the slightest touch.

Previously, he had been too obsessed with skill Rank, neglecting his own cultivation Rank.

And this problem, for now, was something only he would encounter.

After all, most Cultivators found it difficult to reach the Harmony Realm before the Golden Core Stage, let alone attempt to break through to the Transformation Dao Realm.

Thus, the problem faced by the vast majority of Cultivators was precisely the opposite of Lu Chen’s.

They had barrels large enough but not enough water to fill them.

This was also the reason why the Azure Cloud Sect Leader, Gu Liqing, had been unable to provide Lu Chen with answers back then.

After all, how could he have imagined that what was holding Lu Chen back was his cultivation and Divine Soul?

It must be known that before Lu Chen, no one had ever attempted to break through to the Transformation Dao Realm at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

“It seems you’ve gained quite a bit of insight?”

Just as Lu Chen emerged from his Epiphany, a voice came from across him.

He looked up and saw Jiang Qing, who was currently watching him with a faint, teasing smile.

After a moment of thought, Lu Chen respectfully said, “Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I’ve benefited greatly.”

“Don’t mention it. Your own Comprehension Ability is astonishing; it has nothing to do with me.”

“Those words of mine were meant to admonish Little Qi. Who would have thought you’d gain some insight from them?”

“I’m getting old, I’m getting old. Young people these days are truly different. I’m afraid it won’t be long before you catch up to us old folks.”

As she spoke, Jiang Qing, who had already picked up her chopsticks, suddenly turned to Yu Tianqi and said bluntly, “See that, Little Qi? If you keep trapping yourself in place, not only will you fall behind our peers, but even these juniors will soon catch up to you.”

“So how can you, at your age, have the mood to run a noodle shop? Is that what you should be doing?”

After being repeatedly criticized by Jiang Qing like this, Yu Tianqi was starting to lose his composure.

“Qing-jie, didn’t you just say that others are others, and oneself is oneself? Little Lu has good Comprehension Ability and high Aptitude, so his cultivation advances quickly—what does that have to do with me?”

“Hmm? Are you saying I’m wrong?”

Seeing Jiang Qing put down her chopsticks, ready to spar with him, Yu Tianqi instantly shrank back.

“No, no, sis, you’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.”

“Humph, as long as that’s not what you meant.”

Despite being a nearly two-meter-tall, robust old man, Yu Tianqi was effortlessly controlled by Jiang Qing, who stood only 1.7 meters tall.

The Immortal Cultivation World… was just this strict in its hierarchy!Although Yu Tianqi wanted to say something like “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don’t bully the old and poor,” given his current situation, forget thirty years—even if he were given three hundred more, he wouldn’t be able to achieve a Nascent Soul breakthrough!

Dare to mess with me? Sister Qing, you’ve kicked a ball of cotton!

Watching Yu Tianqi suffer another setback, forced to stew in silence, Lu Chen and Mu Xiaoye couldn’t help but chuckle.

By now, it was clear to them that Jiang Qing’s constant targeting of Yu Tianqi stemmed from frustration at his lack of progress, with no real malice involved. As juniors, there was no need for them to interfere in the affairs of their elders. They might as well sit back and enjoy the show!

“Huh? Aunt Qing, what are you doing here? So you’re the one the Myriad Enterprises Immortal Sect sent as the protector for the Phoenix Calamity Cultivator? Why didn’t the family inform me?”

Jiang Dongliu arrived at the Peace Noodle Shop with Bian Shouyi and was immediately taken aback to see Jiang Qing seated inside.

At the sight of Jiang Dongliu, Jiang Qing abandoned her noodles and vanished from her seat in an instant. She reappeared right beside him, grabbing him by the ear.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Aunt Qing, what are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You dare ask me what I’m doing? Our Jiang Family is a long-standing lineage of the Myriad Enterprises Immortal Sect, yet you went and sought the Dao at the Supreme Purity Dao Palace! What were you thinking? Forsaking your roots, is that it?”

“I was in seclusion before, so I didn’t have time to deal with you. Now that you’ve delivered yourself to me, I must teach you a lesson on your mother’s behalf, you unfilial brat!”

“Please, save me some face, Aunt Qing. There are outsiders here. Let’s discuss this later, back home.”

Perhaps unwilling to air the family’s dirty laundry in public, Jiang Qing snorted coldly, shot Jiang Dongliu a glare, and returned to her seat to resume eating her noodles.

As soon as she sat down, she snapped, “Well? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you came for the noodles.”

“Aunt Qing, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I heard from people at No. 1 High that Junior Lu was here, so I brought Junior Bian along. If I had known—”

“If you had known what? If you’d known I was here, you wouldn’t have come, is that it?”

“I… I didn’t mean it like that…”

Jiang Dongliu scratched his cheek awkwardly, clearly caught red-handed.

“Hmph, you’d better not have meant it that way. Spit it out, then get lost. Just seeing you annoys me.”

Jiang Dongliu nodded eagerly, putting on an exceptionally well-behaved act.

He then turned to Lu Chen and asked, “Junior Lu, do you have a moment?”

Lu Chen was taken aback but replied instinctively, “Is there something you need, Senior Jiang? I do have some free time at the moment.”

“Perfect!”

Jiang Dongliu clapped his hands, straightened his collar—which had been tugged askew by Jiang Qing—and regained the composure of Qingzhou’s former top prodigy.

“Here’s the thing: you, me, and Junior Bian are all Sword Cultivators. I’d like to spar with you a bit and let Junior Bian observe from the sidelines. It might help him gain some insights.”

“Besides, I’m very interested in your Dao Integration Realm Sword Intent. Would you be willing to let me experience it?”

“Heh, experience it? Little Dong, you really don’t know your place. Don’t think that just because you’re at the Golden Core Stage, you can look down on your peers. Be careful—you might end up shattering your Dao Heart in the process.”Jiang Dongliu looked at Jiang Qing and said discontentedly, “Aunt Qing, I am, after all, the top Genius of Clear River Dao Academy. Why don’t you have more faith in me?”

It would have been better if he hadn’t said this, as it only made Jiang Qing laugh even more.

Recalling how Lu Chen had just experienced an Epiphany on the spot from a single sentence she had spoken.

Jiang Qing set down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said disdainfully, “You’re a Genius? Then what does that make Lu Chen sitting across from me?”

(End of Chapter)