Immortal Father
Chapter 174 - 174 70 Half-Master Yun Zhongzi Five Updates_2

174: Chapter 70: Half-Master Yun Zhongzi [Five Updates]_2 174: Chapter 70: Half-Master Yun Zhongzi [Five Updates]_2 “I can’t achieve the detached and solitary transcendence of my master, nor can I, like my father, find the profound within the mundane,”

“Sometimes I feel that my mortal nature is flawed, but then I think that being mortal is not necessarily a bad thing and it doesn’t hinder cultivation.”

“Teacher, you who have come from ancient times, must have seen the rise and fall of countless beings.

Is this mortal nature good or bad?”

Yun Zhongzi pondered briefly and smiled, saying, “Your question has truly stumped me; I am not of the Human Race, and I do not know how to answer you.”

Li Ping’an hurriedly said, “I was presumptuous!”

“Ah, there’s no such thing as presumption.”

Yun Zhongzi placed the flower basket on his lap, twirled his beard, and spoke slowly:

“What you call mortal nature doesn’t truly exist; it is simply human nature.

If you were to abandon it, could you still call yourself a member of the Human Race?

“Originally, there was no distinction between immortals and mortals among the Human Race.

In ancient times, there were many from the Human Race who could cultivate, and those with insufficient aptitude found it hard to survive and had very short lifespans.”

“However, when the Human Race overthrew the Ancient Heavenly Court established by the Hundred Clans and the Heavenly Dao receded into obscurity, the Human Race freed themselves from restraints and began to prosper quickly.”

“Gradually, the number of mortals who could not cultivate increased.

Due to the natural threshold of aptitude for cultivation, a division between immortals and mortals emerged, which eventually led to the situation in the East Continent.”

“The Holy Mother enveloped the Southern Continent, also considering this factor.”

The Holy Mother?

Li Ping’an slowly nodded and asked, “Teacher, what kind of person was the Holy Mother?”

“The Holy Mother’s grace surpassed all in the ancient times; she swept across all heavens with the Creation Path.”

Yun Zhongzi squinted his eyes with a smile and took the opportunity to recount some ancient tales.

In the past, the Holy Mother Nüwa, a Great Power worshipped by the Heavenly Court of the Hundred Clans, began her seclusion to sum up her own Creation Path after creating the Human Race, and ascended to the top of the ancient world with the Creation Path.

The Human Race encountered many calamities because the Holy Mother was in seclusion and could not extricate herself.

And the Human Race’s overthrow of the Heavenly Court was closely related to the Holy Mother’s emergence.

“The destruction of the Ancient Heavenly Court wasn’t just because of the Human Race’s campaign,”

Yun Zhongzi said with a smile:

“It was also a time when the Human Race’s fortunes were changing.

“Back then, the Human Race, oppressed by the Hundred Clans for tens of thousands of years, was barely surviving, while internal strife broke out among the Hundred Clans.”

“The ancient Wu Clan, similarly defiant towards the Heavenly Emperor Emperor Jun and directly confronting the Golden Crow Clan, had the Pangu Bloodline and formidable strength, as well as the virtue of opening the heavens.

Emperor Jun adeptly sowed discord within the Wu Clan, planning to benefit from their infighting, but it backfired.”

“Since the Wu Clan originated from the blood of Pangu after his death, controlling the natural laws of heaven and earth by nature, and with the Water God and Fire God clashing, Emperor Jun’s instigation directly sparked a great war, leaving the Wu Clan severely weakened.

After the Water God Gonggong came to his senses and regretted the fratricide, feeling ashamed before their father god and resenting Heavenly Emperor Emperor Jun for the provocation, he dashed his head against the pillar of heaven, Mount Buzhou.”

“You should have heard what happened next: Mount Buzhou fell, the sky tilted and the earth capsized, the waters of the heavenly river flooded the earth, Nüwa mended the heavens, and the Hundred Clans suffered disaster.”

“The Heavenly Court of the Hundred Clans was originally established on top of Mount Buzhou, so when Mount Buzhou collapsed, the Hundred Clans’ Heavenly Court fell with it, the Heavenly Emperor lost his authority, and the Hundred Clans went to war with each other.”

“And this disaster among creatures of heaven and earth became a key moment for the rise of the Human Race; the Holy Mother emerged from her seclusion to see the Human Race nearly annihilated and directly shattered the main hall of the Heavenly Court.”

“After that came the Human Race’s united effort to retaliate against heaven, and during the most difficult times of the Human Race, a Human Emperor, Suiren, was born.

He plunged into demonhood and eventually buried the entire Ancient Heavenly Court.”

Li Ping’an’s eyes flickered with longing.

Such a magnificent era it must have been.

Alas, that magnificent era eventually served merely as the stage for those heroic figures.

Li Ping’an felt deeply moved and spoke slowly:

“Often heard is the phrase, ‘For one general’s success, thousands are led to die.’ The later generations of the Human Race only remember the Human Emperor and the divine generals, but not the names of those soldiers buried in the ground.”

“So you have thought of such things.”

Yun Zhongzi sighed lightly, his gaze filled with contemplation.

He asked, “Ping’an, do you know why I delve into the Path of Artifact Refining?”

Li Ping’an pondered Yun Zhongzi’s tone carefully.

He had previously addressed him as teacher, and Yun Zhongzi had not objected.

Now, the tone of the senior before him had become even warmer; it was an opportunity for Li Ping’an to attempt to take their relationship a step further.

He bowed and said, “Disciple does not know.”

Yun Zhongzi smiled and said:

“To speak of it, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh.

I am an innate being and also follow my leader of the Chan Teachings in cultivation.

I really shouldn’t be thinking about such matters.”

“What does the change of heaven and earth have to do with me?

“I am merely situated in this world, just as you said that day in our discussion on Dao, seeking tranquility and non-action, just to admire the speck of color that this world blooms from the Chaos Sea.

“But at some point, I began to ponder unconsciously how to stop the creatures from waging war…

Cultivation, pursuing the Dao, improving oneself, it’s all about seeking personal freedom.

Wanting to change the situation in this world is beyond my strength; my attempts are thwarted at every step.”

Li Ping’an thought to himself: This senior is truly benevolent.

Yun Zhongzi suddenly asked with a change in tone, “Ping’an, I will ask you one last question today, and you must answer carefully.”

“Please enlighten me, teacher.”

“If I teach you the Path of Artifact Refining and one day you reach the status of a Da Luo Golden Immortal, how would you use your skill in Artifact Refining to protect the countless beings in this world?”

Yun Zhongzi’s eyes held a hint of expectation.

Li Ping’an asked, “May I answer freely?”

“Of course,” Yun Zhongzi said with a smile, “even the Holy Mother and the five leaders, unless they are right here, wouldn’t hear what you say to me.”