Light Fortress
Chapter 223 - 207: The Weak, the Strong, the Dead_2

Chapter 223: Chapter 207: The Weak, the Strong, the Dead_2

Gu Shen felt somewhat bewildered.

He understood, yet it seemed like he didn’t.

"Within the Judgement Institute, there are several strong Titled Transcendents. If the East Continent Council decides to lift the limit on the number of ’Grand Judge’ positions, they would quickly become the newly appointed ’Grand Judges’... They have strength and have also produced outstanding disciples and students. However, there is no superiority or inferiority in the path; everyone has different cultivation philosophies, which results in different students and disciples."

"Zhu Wang’s proud student, Han Dang, set a surprising Dream Interpretation record at the time of joining the Judgement Institute, advancing triumphantly and consistently breaking records there... Now, he has halted at the Deep Sea Eleventh Layer."

"Whereas your Senior Sister Luo, who entered the Judgement Institute with him, had average Dream Interpretation results when I took her under my wing, without having shown her edge... Now, she has become ’Heaven’s Eye’, one of the youngest among the East Continent’s Titled ones, and her strength will only surpass mine in the future."

This lengthy speech, coming from Zhou Jiren’s mouth, was devoid of any boastfulness. The usually not-so-serious old fellow was actually serious this time.

"Being my disciple, there’s no need to ’compete for the lead’."

He paused, then said, "I understand how you feel now... Song Ci, Chen Mei, these youngsters are not much older than you. Watching them shine brilliantly in Da Du, while your own strength is so far behind, must certainly create a sense of disparity. But, actually, there’s no need for that."

Zhou Jiren took a deep breath.

He clenched his fist tightly.

The withered leaf had been integrated into his flesh and blood.

The power of the [Sacred Tree] emanated from the old man, and Gu Shen felt once more that gentle, faint glow... It was as if a warm current were flowing around him, and although it was late autumn, the yellow leaves scattered around the small courtyard were lifted by the wind, touching Mr. Shu’s body and dissolving completely, as if returning to their rightful homeland.

"Only with substantial accumulation and gradual release can one achieve long and lasting vitality."

"One can be evergreen for a century, or splendid for a single night."

"...Watch closely!"

A low shout.

Zhou Jiren and that banyan tree made eye contact. The tree was an evergreen that only turned slightly yellow in late autumn. Now, under the illumination of the [Sacred Tree], its branches trembled momentarily, as if returning to the vigor of spring. Its leaves grew wildly, and in a flash, shimmering reflections danced atop the canopy of the tree. The age of the banyan tree was miraculously reversed, restored to the moment of its most vigorous life!

"Without accumulation, rampant growth... is just squandering one’s future."

"If one has a rich foundation and waits to bloom, what follows will be an unending eruption."

The glow gradually faded.

But that warm breeze lingered long in the yard.

Zhou Jiren retracted his [Sacred Tree], and he seemed to transform into a tree person. Layers of leaf-like patterns appeared on his cheeks, rustling like pages in the wind, but as the glow dissipated, he returned to his former appearance.

Gu Shen watched this scene... and fell into deep thought.

Zhou Jiren’s gaze swept discreetly toward the main bedroom of the old house. He slowly said, "Nan Jin left Da Du to come to the Judgement Institute. It’s been nearly ten years since she started learning the blade from me; she’s only at the Deep Sea Seventh Level, not because she lacks talent or effort..."

"On the contrary. She has great talent and works hard enough."

"With her gift, if she wanted to overspend, she could naturally cultivate higher and faster."

"But that should not be the path she takes."

"There is a very good example right in front of us... Chen Mei. Trained by Xiao in body techniques, and through the grant of ’Spiritual Link’, he achieved the Deep Sea Eleventh Layer in ten years... But what of it? If not for good luck, he would have died in Xiao’s calculation. Even though he is alive now, whether he can become a Titled is still a big question." Zhou Jiren asked, "You feel your own strength is weak; if such a body technique were placed in front of you now, would you cultivate it?"

Gu Shen fell silent.

He thought of the battle on the river bank, Chen Mei’s splendor... it was indeed captivating.

But if there really was such a technique that could overspend his future placed before him, he would definitely not cultivate it.

He shook his head.

Zhou Jiren laughed heartily; from the moment he saw Gu Shen, he knew... this kid was one who cherished his life.

"But Lu Nanjin is different. If there were such a body technique placed before her, she would really cultivate it, and without hesitation... So these years, the biggest difficulty has not been how to make her progress faster, but how to make her slow down."

These words were clearly not meant for his own ears.

Gu Shen also glanced briefly in a certain direction of the old mansion.

It seemed utterly still there... but in fact, the lady had already awakened and was now listening quietly.

The speaker had a purpose, and the listener had intent.

Having been at the Judgement Institute for ten years, Lu Nanjin also wanted to know what had happened during that decade.

"With Lu Nanjin’s identity and methods, getting a ’shortcut’ isn’t actually hard," Zhou Jiren said indifferently. "There are plenty of techniques in the Judgement Institute that overdraw life or sever meridians ruthlessly. But I told her... no matter how much an ant overdraws itself, it cannot topple an elephant. To kill an elephant, at least become an elephant yourself."

Yes...

Senior Sister indeed was a ruthless person.

The choice to draw blades against A-009 showed that in combat, she was a complete madwoman, utterly unconcerned about what price she might pay.

"She has been holding back, wanting to vent her frustration when she returns to Da Du."

"Now... she has returned, and she might appear to be at the Deep Sea Seventh Level, but the power she’d be willing to sacrifice is certainly not limited to just that. Perhaps Lan Qie could kill a Transcendent from the Deep Sea Ninth Layer, maybe even the Tenth," Zhou Jiren said meaningfully to Gu Shen. "After all... the trials of the deep water area provide only for the exploration and development of a Transcendent’s own Extraordinary Power. Nobody said the trial levels of the deep water area could represent the combat strength of a Transcendent."

Gu Shen was stunned.

Indeed... he felt as if he had an epiphany.

Because of authority binding, everyone had been performing the Extraordinary Trial in the deep water area, and they were all frantically increasing their trial levels... In the end, this was just a program developed by the council government to solidify computing power. Transcendents had been born long before the advent of the deep water area, and they had already begun exploring their Extraordinary Abilities.

And at that time, who would care about a void number?

Clearly, increasing the levels in the deep water area... was essentially a meaningless act.

Because that was just a vanity rather than substance.

And this was exactly the cultivation philosophy of Mr. Shu’s lineage... The combat strength in real combat is only weakly associated with the levels in the deep water area.

A Transcendent, having grasped and explored fifty percent of their own Extraordinary Ability, might reach the Sixth Level in the trials of the deep water area, but it does not mean... they could use all that power in "real combat."

The true Extraordinary Cultivation... is fundamentally not about the so-called "deep water area" levels.

But about desperate fights to the death, with life hanging by a thread, and unmistakable victories.

"Extraordinary Cultivation... is not about closing your eyes and pondering deeply."

"Transcendents who grow in a greenhouse, if they cannot survive a true life-and-death battle, then no matter what level they have reached in the deep water area’s Extraordinary Trial... they will always be weak," Zhou Jiren said calmly.

"So... do you understand what I’m trying to say?"

Gu Shen shook his head, then nodded.

Zhou Jiren continued, "Let’s use Lu Nanjin as an example then... She’s currently at the Deep Sea Seventh Level, and in a situation of burning everything, could kill a Transcendent from the Deep Sea Ninth Layer. Is she strong?"

Gu Shen cautiously replied, "...Yes."

Being able to kill a Transcendent two levels higher in an out-of-bounds battle.

This was already a case of extreme concentration of power in real combat.

"No."

Zhou Jiren looked expressionlessly out of the courtyard and said, "No matter what, after killing a Ninth Level from the Deep Sea Seventh Level by burning everything, one would end up dying... and a dead person can only be a deceased, never a strong one."

Lu Nanjin, dressed in a suit and leaning against the entrance of Lion Alley mansion, silently lowered her eyelids.

She knew.

Her teacher’s words, were meant for her to hear.