Flower Fruit Island.
Lush green vegetation adorned the entire land. Near the cottage constructed from natural materials, a solitary pavilion stood.
It was the same pavilion once frequented by the handsome youth. However, now, the young man sat there with the silhouette of an old man wearing a daoist robe.
The silhouette lacked distinct physical traits, as if the shadow of the past lingered into the present.
"I see no chance of victory for those saints you invited. They were like fish on a chopping table, manipulated by that boy," he commented. Having been present on the battlefield in the endless sea, he spoke truthfully from his observations.
No water mirror or light projection surrounded them, yet both were aware of the live events occurring on the battlefield.
The silhouette remained silent for a moment before replying, "I am well aware of these facts. There is no need to remind me of what will inevitably unfold. Just fulfill the task I've assigned to you."
Acknowledging the situation, the silhouette returned to its silence.
"Why not divulge the peculiarities of that boy so that I may directly address this issue?" The young man had posed this question before, but the silhouette had refused to disclose the reason.
"It's not that I am unwilling to tell you. If it were possible, I would certainly share the information. Yet, it is something beyond my grasp."
Maintaining an unchanged tone, the silhouette remained steady.
"Beyond your grasp?" The handsome young man contemplated these words, pondering slowly over something. "Is it beyond this land? Does it hail from the skies?"
Having insight into undisclosed matters, he swiftly proposed his conjecture.
The silhouette shook its head, offering a succinct response. "No."
Upon receiving this answer, a gleam sparkled in the handsome young man's eyes, as if he had stumbled upon something earth-shattering. His excitement momentarily overwhelmed him.
Several breaths later, he managed to calm his restless heart.
"Are you certain?" he asked, seeking confirmation. His ambition had momentarily blinded him, and now he sought a second assurance.
"I wouldn't deceive you about this," the silhouette replied, emotionless in its speech.
The handsome young man nodded, though a burst of joy blossomed in his heart.
However, he quickly suppressed those feelings with a single thought. "Even if it lies beyond this realm, it will be another matter if that boy is still alive."
With his own thoughts racing, the young man couldn't help but voice his query. "I understand that the boy didn't possess the most favorable personality, but he was driven by a grander purpose. So why do you harbor such animosity towards him? If you were to wait just one more week from today, I'm confident he would grow strong enough to overpower you. And even if he did subdue you, he would merely place a leash around your neck and depart for the skies. So why this fixation on your own freedom?"
Aware of Niu Chang's lust for power, the handsome young man wasn't overtly hostile toward him. In the end, he had lost their confrontation and come to terms with it.
Even in defeat, as long as he avoided putting on airs in front of Niu Chang, he would remain one of the energy sources for Niu Chang.
After Niu Chang departed from this continent, the young man could resume his former way of life.
"I simply can't comprehend your overwhelming obsession with pride," he concluded, his thoughts extending not only to the silhouette but also to those advanced-stage saints.
Observing how the handsome young man had grown within the Flower Fruit Island, guided by his influence, the silhouette recognized a significant flaw in the young man's worldview.
While the young man's broad-mindedness and indifference towards trivial matters like pride were commendable, his nonchalant attitude was so pronounced that, as long as he could continue his cultivation and achieve immortality, he appeared indifferent to all else.
The silhouette attributed this problem in the young man's perspective to its own failure of foresight and chose to respond.
"Even if I were to explain, you wouldn't grasp it," the silhouette's gaze deepened. "You've witnessed how the monks from the West treat those weaker than them – as little more than two-legged beasts at their mercy. Do you feel any sympathy for the mortals residing in the Western region?"
"Those monks recognize no boundaries in their pursuit of immortality. In their eyes, everything is equal under their blade. Whether it's their former mentors or their own families, all are mere playthings to them."
"Do you take issue with their way of life?"
Without waiting for the young man's response, the silhouette continued.
"Those who choose the path of a monk do so because they've experienced hardship, not those who have known a life of ease. Older monks show no concern for their partners or descendants. Becoming a monk is a result of personal realization, often after being battered by fate. One either becomes a 'monk' or remains a mere cattle."
"In a place devoid of kindness, do you believe anyone would willingly choose to be cattle, subjected to the trampling of others? No, naturally humans seek comfort when faced with pain and suffering."
"The same holds for you and those cattle, who know naught of freedom, kindness, and humanity. They consider these ideals as foolish dreams reserved for those in distant regions to care about."
"Your entire life has been spent on this island, sheltered from life's bitterness and the suffering monks speak of. Birth, aging, illness, death, separation, encounters, and failures – you remain untouched by these experiences. You, who have not felt them, cannot comprehend the sweetness of a midnight meal, the heartwarming expression of loved ones, or the gratitude for what you possess, having never lacked anything to be ungrateful for."
"Only those who've endured pain can truly grasp happiness."
The handsome young man listened intently, yet struggled to fully grasp the silhouette's words.
He recognized his lack of ordinary life experience, resulting in a significant gap in his worldview. But this awareness didn't lead him to find fault in his current way of thinking.
"So, what are you trying to convey? Do you suggest I abandon my cultivation and live as cattle in the Western Region?"
Shaking his head, the handsome young man continued, "My ability to comprehend your words indicates I'm not entirely flawed. But it would be foolish to cripple myself just to conform to others' expectations."
The enigmatic silhouette allowed a faint smile to surface, its true nature remaining elusive. "You see, you're no different from other living beings. You reject the idea of being wronged for who you are not, choosing instead to shield yourself from suffering."
. . .
In the boundless sea,
The domain of advanced-stage saints differed from the two preceding minor stages.
At the advanced stage, when the saints employed their domains, they opened an entirely new dimension and drew their targets into their inner worlds,
leaving no traces in the external realm.
Within the domain of the monk who retained his hair,
This realm differed from any preconceived notions about Western monks. The air bore a pleasing fragrance, capable of soothing even the most restless minds.
The sky, though similar for all advanced-stage saints, did not stretch as high as the outside world, and the natural landscape was composed of a singular substance.
It was made of pristine white diamonds. Rivers flowed sluggishly due to this, and mountains resembled colossal diamond chunks.
Niu Chang, with a swirling vortex above his head, endured intense assaults from all directions.
Within the domain, the saint held dominion. They could manipulate everything in this microcosm to assail their foes.
Furthermore, the world's inherent suppression allowed them to easily subdue mid-stage saints.
Yet Niu Chang stood his ground. His body was not entirely shattered; instead, it gradually adapted to the overwhelming damage of his surroundings.
The monk found no respite, even as he managed to immobilize Niu Chang, as the vortex above his head began to devour all.
For a saint, their inner world formed the foundation of their cultivation. If it sustained damage, their progress would stall or require decades to mend. In some cases, it could even prevent further advancement.
Niu Chang's body was covered in open wounds, his skin repeatedly torn, and his bones cracked as if hammered.
"What manner of cultivation technique is this?" The monk struggled to comprehend Niu Chang's peculiarities. He sensed a faint energy akin to his holy power, only activated when Niu Chang suffered a fatal wound, enough to guide him to the underworld.
Attack again?
The monk pondered, his confidence waning. He had exerted his utmost to eliminate this aberration of nature, yet despite his efforts, he could not succeed.
Even direct engagement would prove less effective than employing the inner world to pressure cooking Niu Chang, as he was presently doing.
As the monk grappled with the quandary of whether to expel Niu Chang from his inner world to prevent him from absorbing its foundational essence,
In the external world, the two colossal Niu Changs bore the brunt of the assaults on behalf of the eight others.
Stripped of flesh, they remained skeletal, their sizes expanded to further augment their absorption capacity.
Amidst them, intricate lines of blood danced, weaving a grand formation that harnessed energy and matter.