Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 242 - 123 Love Without Words

Chapter 242: Chapter 123 Love Without Words

The elderly woman leaning on a cane sighed in melancholy at this moment. Originally, she had intended to attack Zhou Yan, to kill him and let Zhou Yan see with wide-open eyes that her own genius disciple was in no way inferior.

But as she manifested her Three Souls and Seven Spirits within her Void Body and then carefully sensed, when she saw Zhou Yan’s heartless and indifferent expression, she vaguely grasped something.

This ability, apart from herself, no one in Sword Burial Ancestor Star had ever understood. Therefore, for the sake of her disciple, she still used it one more time.

After obtaining a sliver of information, the old woman’s body trembled, and her face suddenly took on a grave expression.

But this gravity was only fleeting and disappeared in an instant.

Her demeanor remained aged with a hint of anger.

She pondered for a moment, then coldly scolded, "Boy, do you know that with my status and position, I’d normally not bother to stir? Had this girl not knelt and begged me for a month, do you think I, an old woman of the Five-Transformation Void Realm, would involve myself in the strife of your younger generation? But you... you are truly disappointing."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan’s body trembled slightly, yet he managed to suppress his impulse and offered no reply.

His attitude remained as indifferent as when he first stood there, unchanged in the slightest.

"Fine, so be it," the old woman said with a hint of deep thought, intentionally speaking in this manner.

Zhou Yan’s gaze sharpened, and he looked at the old woman with some suspicion and astonishment.

If this old woman could see through him like this, could it be possible that other observing powerhouses could also see through his deception?

"Scram!"

Zhou Yan snorted coldly, showing impatience in his tone.

The old woman’s face turned cold, speaking with implied meaning, "You’re overconfident. Well then, let’s see how you’ll capture the Holy Daughter. Many geniuses from beyond this realm have already arrived. And Gu Xi, she’s about to comprehend Sword Spirit. I will send her into Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain which she has been hesitant to enter. There, nearly all who enter perish. If she succeeds, she forms her Void Body. If she fails, her soul disintegrates!

But I believe Xi’er can make it out. She will foolishly continue to guard that heartless little lover of hers! And once she emerges, you will only be able to look up to her then! By that time, she will in no way be inferior to that ’Holy Daughter’ of yours!"

The old woman spoke a bunch of seemingly nonsensical information, then, gathering up Gu Xi, her body vibrated, the Void rippling like water, and in an instant, the two of them had vanished.

...

"Yan’er..."

Xiao Zhan’s voice had grown somewhat icy and sharp.

As an elder, he had to chastise him.

"Uncle Xiao Zhan, you have no right! After all, you’re just a servant."

Zhou Yan spoke indifferently. Thereafter, he looked at Zhou Wangchen and said, "I have given my all for you, thus our debt of nurturing is settled. This Ancestor Blood, I leave to you, as repayment for our debt of gratitude.

As for my mother, I will sort things out with the Li Family."

"Good, I have been thinking along the same lines, my Supreme Forget Love Swordsmanship, has already begun. This Cultivation Technique is powerful, but it’s not suitable for you, so I won’t pass it on.

I know you like Fiery Flame Sword Heart Wine. Although I am mad, I’ve brewed three thousand jars for you. Of the three thousand jars of wine, I will take just one; the rest are all for you.

From now on, our ties of gratitude and vengeance are severed."

Zhou Wangchen was very calm.

"Master, you can’t—"

Xiao Zhan’s face changed drastically and he immediately sought to intervene.

"No need, to get the Ancestor Blood is already a gain for me. What is kinship in this world compared to strength, right? The Zhou Family has discarded me enough times, to be discarded by a son is only normal. Besides, it’s not my son discarding me now; it’s me discarding my son.

He’s about to die, let him die in peace."

Zhou Wangchen’s gaze was unfathomably deep, and the words he spoke left Xiao Zhan standing there in shock, unable to utter a single response.

"Ah—why, why must it be this way? What kind of world is this? Heaven has no eyes!"

Xiao Zhan, as if driven mad, tore at his own hair, his body quivering as he knelt on the ground, his expression one of agony.

"Master, you’re not that kind of person," how could you possibly abandon your own son?

"Yan’er, I understand you, you’re not that kind of person either. How could you cut ties with your father who you’ve relied on for over a decade?"

Xiao Zhan’s bewildered eyes were bloodshot, filled with confusion.

"When you understand, you will get it. When you don’t, you will never understand."

Zhou Wangchen looked at Xiao Zhan, pulled him up, and then said, "Let’s go to the Extremely Cold Land and walk the path of arduous cultivation. Only by becoming strong can we control our own Fate; otherwise, for a lifetime, we’re just playthings for the strong, puppets of Fate."

Xiao Zhan stood up in a daze, instantly appearing much older; his hair, too, suddenly turned whiter.

Zhou Wangchen patted Xiao Zhan on the shoulder without a word, then turned around to face Zhou Yan.

"This is Ancestor Blood, drop it directly into your brow," Zhou Yan spoke impassively, revealing no trace of emotion.

"I understand," Zhou Wangchen said.

"Until we meet again," Zhou Yan said after a brief silence.

"Indeed," Zhou Wangchen replied indifferently, and uttered no more words.

Zhou Yan stood for a moment, unsure what else to say, so he turned around.

"Wait."

Zhou Wangchen called out, causing Zhou Yan’s body to slightly tremble before quickly regaining composure.

"Capture the Holy Daughter, birth the Sword Soul. Consider it, giving your incapable father... a chance for cultivation aspirations."

Zhou Wangchen’s words were spoken, and Zhou Yan had understood everything.

He thought that in this world, no one would understand him.

Even in his heart, he feigned ’malicious’ and ’contemptuous’ thoughts to deceive that powerful Sovereign; in reality, the true situation was not so.

But even though he could deceive everyone, his father still understood him.

This understanding was complete.

Great love is silent. The extreme of heartlessness is, in fact, the epitome of deep affection and true nature.

To interpret affection with heartlessness, this is the culmination of the Heartless Sword Dao.

Zhou Yan had not reached this step through the Heartless Sword Dao, instead, he traversed the Affectionate Sword Dao to the pinnacle of the Heartless Sword Dao—affection to heartlessness, then back to affection.

This was a true Sword Dao Realm.

Indifference was for the sake of better protection.

He nodded in agreement but did not look back.

...

"Xiao Zhan."

As Zhou Yan’s blood and bone figure gradually walked away, Zhou Wangchen spoke.

"Young master."

Although Xiao Zhan felt utterly defeated, he still responded with respect.

"We brothers, only by becoming strong can we avoid becoming ants, can we stop being pawns in the hands of others.

I feigned madness, but in truth, only my mind stayed sane. Knowing that I couldn’t comprehend the Supreme Forget Love Tao, I deliberately drove myself to madness. I appeared at that moment and intentionally revealed the opportunity of the Supreme Forget Love, thinking it would incite a conflict, make those people kill each other, then force myself into a desperate situation to seek a chance for a breakthrough. But unexpectedly, Yan’er still came out.

Initially, I couldn’t grasp the Supreme Forget Love, but when I reached a desperate state, watching my son fighting desperately and then slaughtering those cultivators in the city, I suddenly understood."

His pale face flushed with a mournful blood-red hue; as he spoke these words, he appeared somewhat dispirited.

His temples were already graying, but he took out that bottle of wine, tilted his head back, and drank. Then, he began to cough incessantly.

His voice was somewhat deep and his tone somewhat sad.

Xiao Zhan let out a bitter laugh, his senses almost numb.

After a long while, he took the wine bottle from Zhou Wangchen’s hand, tilted his head, and took a big gulp. The fiery alcohol burned like his soul was being scorched, very painful.

The taste of this liquor was not pleasant, on the contrary, it was like tormenting oneself.

But at this moment, this drink perfectly matched his mood.

He also lamented to himself, "Our three brothers, Gu Yan has already died. When we were in the Sword Tomb, we fell into a desperate situation. I lied to you saying he had a great opportunity, that he had encountered something remarkable in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sword Tomb... in truth, I was lying to you. I witnessed with my own eyes how an evil Sword Spirit devoured his body..."

"He sacrificed himself to let us escape by taking that hit. He also knew that by blocking that attack, he would undoubtedly die."

"But today, seeing how Yan’er treated Xi’er, I wonder if Brother Gu Yan can rest in peace?"

"I really want to give Yan’er a good slap, but just as he said, I... really don’t deserve to! I have no right; what strength do I have now? I’m worse than an ant."

...

Xiao Zhan spoke a lot all at once.

In the end, when he finished speaking, he just stood there, dazed, without moving an inch.

"Ancestor Blood; I can’t bear it alone, my body isn’t strong enough. Let’s share it. Don’t refuse; if we become stronger, we will be able to cooperate better. Later, we will go to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sword Tomb and see if we can find any trace of Gu Yan. I believe he is a person of great opportunity and won’t perish so easily."

Zhou Wangchen said, took out that highly condensed drop of Ancestor Blood, and presented it directly.

"This..."

Xiao Zhan was visibly moved and somewhat ’flattered.’ But seeing Zhou Wangchen’s resolute expression, he knew Zhou Wangchen had made his decision.

He silently stretched out his hand and then watched the drop of Ancestor Blood being split into two by a sharp Sword Intent in an instant.

A half of a Blood Bead that looked like a ruby and was full of elasticity suddenly fell into his palm, and at that moment, the two exchanged looks, their hearts understood without speaking, and each pressed their half of the Blood Bead to their foreheads.

At this moment, an indescribable terrifying aura suddenly emerged, the Spiritual Energy around them, which had not been condensing, now gathered with a terrifying speed like a landslide or tsunami.

Both men were undergoing a rapid Transformation.

...

From afar, as if non-existent like the Void, Zhou Yan stood in the distant emptiness, his body becoming intangible, quietly watching the violent scene of his father and Xiao Zhan undergoing Transformation, and finally, his mood settled down.

The Tao of Natural Form and Heart of Nature, in addition to giving Zhou Yan twelve kinds of natural transformations, also granted him a powerful Concealing Ability.

At this time, though he had left, his soul sensing power was still attuned to everything at his father’s location, still somewhat worried.

Those heartless words were just an effective method of protection. With him, his father, and Xiao Zhan, they wouldn’t be able to gather even the energy to cultivate, and they’d be constantly facing danger; if this continued, an accident would eventually occur.

So, he let go.

At this time, he stayed until the two men had finished condensing the Ancestor Blood, ensuring no incidents occurred.

This was normal after all, almost everyone in Carefree Main City had perished. This battle was like an apocalypse, even if there were cultivators who survived, they wouldn’t dare to come here at this moment.

After absorbing the Ancestor Blood, Zhou Wangchen’s Realm began to rush towards Sword Soul, Sword Spirit... all the way to the peak of the Sword Spirit First Layer Heaven.

And Xiao Zhan had almost reached the same Realm; they both barely stopped.

It was not that the Ancestor Blood was ineffective, nor were they dull, but they had reached a temporary limit. It was like having a mountain of delicious food, but only being able to eat a few bowls’ worth. This was just a limitation of their capacity, their potential not yet sufficient to be fully unleashed.