Two youngsters.
To be precise, one was a teenager, and the other was a young adult. They had agreed to a battle before entering the ruin. However, the exact time and place of their encounter were variables neither of them could predict.
Now that they had met, should they proceed with the duel?
Chen Chao looked at Yun Jianyue, gripping the broken saber in his hand tightly.
Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao and said calmly, "The suppression of cultivation realms isn't as terrifying in this place. You're not my match."
He was one of the most amazing young geniuses in this world after all, he naturally had his own pride.
Chen Chao chuckled and said, "The restriction on our cultivation realms has eased up here. We're both in the Bitter Sea Realm. It's just that one is at an earlier stage, while the other is at a later stage. But in the end, we're both in the Bitter Sea Realm."
Yun Jianyue pondered for a moment, realizing that Chen Chao's words made sense. He then asked, "Shall we have a fight then?"
However, Chen Chao shook his head and said, "We're bound to fight sooner or later. Why not wait a while? Besides, I'm slightly injured, winning wouldn't be honorable for you."
Only then, did Yun Jianyue notice that Chen Chao's complexion was somewhat pale, it may be presumed that he sustained some injuries. He was a little doubtful, who could hurt Chen Chao in this ruin?
"Your Dao society was a little shameless, but the problem they caused wasn't significant."
Chen Chao seemed to understand what Yun Jianyue was thinking and smiled before speaking casually.
Yun Jianyue already understood some of it.
"Though you're somewhat proud, you seem much more clear-headed than those fellows. I used to think that all cultivators in this world were like Guo Xi. But upon reflection, how can a moron like that become a genius? True geniuses should be someone like you instead."
Chen Chao, in a rare display of praise, complimented Yun Jianyue and tossed a pill into his mouth, chewing it slowly.
Yun Jianyue said calmly, "I've never looked down upon you martial artists. The Lord Warden and that Emperor of yours are both exceptional individuals."
Despite the Infatuation Daoist Temple's proximity to that Ancient Creek Town, they had never indiscriminately killed civilians. Aside from the fact that the townspeople were genuinely grateful to them, there was another special reason: they believed that as cultivators, they sat atop the mountains.
The understanding between cultivators was different. Other cultivators, when sitting on top of the mountain, felt that they could easily dominate all aspects of the mortal world, and that there was nothing worth caring about. However, the daoists of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, despite also sitting on top of the mountain, held no particular affection or disdain for the mortal world. As long as they did not provoke them, they naturally would not do anything.
Like cultivators, the best course of action when facing the mortal world was to turn a blind eye to it and ignore it completely.
But unfortunately, the cultivators could not do it.
"Of course, you're exceptional too."
Yun Jianyue said softly, his voice mild.
Praise depended on who it came from, and when spoken by someone of Yun Jianyue's identity, it carried significant weight.
Chen Chao suddenly asked, "How did you cultivate over the years?"
Yun Jianyue frowned, not entirely sure why he was asking such a question out of the blue. However, thinking about it, he still answered, "I joined the mountain from a young age and started studying the daoist techniques on the mountain. My master advised me to look around the temple and see if any daoist technique interests me. When I brought one back, he would teach me. If I didn't like what I heard, I wouldn't cultivate it and would instead cultivate other daoist techniques. After selecting the daoist technique I liked, I started cultivating it. My cultivation stagnated for a few years, so I left the mountain to travel the world. If I encountered demons during my travels, I'd slay them."
Yun Jianyue's cultivation could be considered simple, as befitting a daoist genius like him.
Chen Chao asked, "Haven't you encountered any difficulties or thresholds along this path?"
These questions might be challenging for ordinary cultivators to answer, but for Yun Jianyue, there was no difficulty. He replied calmly, "I naturally had some questions at the beginning when studying those daoist techniques, but after reading them a few more times, I understood the principles. The biggest issue was never related to cultivation, it was a matter of the heart."
Chen Chao asked keenly, "Is it a woman?"
Yun Jianyue turned his head rather curiously and looked at Chen Chao.
The affairs of the Infatuation Daoist Temple should not have spread widely. Even if they had, very few people would know about them, and among these people, there would definitely be no Chen Chao.
Yun Jianyue nodded without hesitation. There was no shame in admitting that he liked a girl, especially for such an outstanding woman.
There was nothing to deny.
"There is a senior sister in the daoist temple surnamed Ye, and I like her very much. But I don't know if she likes me back."
Yun Jianyue felt somewhat despondent. He had shared these thoughts with many people, and upon hearing them, most would express sympathy for some unknown reason. However, no one would give him an answer. Perhaps it was due to differences in status and position, or for other reasons.
Chen Chao sighed emotionally and said, "Who would have thought that there was such a relationship between the Twin Pillars of Daoism."
Since Yun Jianyue had made it clear, Chen Chao naturally understood that the so-called Senior Sister Ye was the other half of the Twin Pillars of Daoism. He had previously believed that most cultivators cultivated bitterly every day and would never think about such matters, especially for someone like Yun Jianyue.
But clearly, he was wrong.
Yun Jianyue said calmly, "What's wrong with that?"
Chen Chao nodded, "There's certainly nothing wrong with liking a woman, but I didn't expect that you would be so stupid when you like a woman.."
Hearing the word stupid, Yun Jianyue furrowed his brows with some displeasure. But he still asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Chao had some understanding of matters between men and women. After all, he had previously hoodwinked Song Liang.
"When you like someone, shouldn't you tell her?"
Chen Chao's voice sounded out as a matter-of-fact.
Yun Jianyue was puzzled. "Everyone in the temple knows, Senior Sister naturally knows as well."
Chen Chao said, "I also know that your cultivation is higher than mine, making it difficult for me to defeat you. But, don't I still want to challenge you?"
Chen Chao's words were very simple, very direct, and also very deep.
How would you know the result without fighting? Even before fighting, everyone seemed to have guessed how things would unfold. But, it was still that same sentence: how would one know the final result without a battle?
In this world, something that could be seen with one glance might not be the truth either.
The real answer could only be uncovered after taking action.
If you like a girl, you would have to ask. Her response would be the answer.
Yun Jianyue came to a sudden realization. Over the past years, he had expressed his feelings for Senior Sister Ye, and even the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple knew. He had thought Senior Sister liked him back, so he had not directly asked her. However, Senior Sister never showed any reaction, so he assumed that she did not like him. Since Senior Sister did not like him, what else could he do?
He still liked Senior Sister very much, but he could not do anything.
But looking at it now, actually, since he liked Senior Sister, he should tell Senior Sister.
If he did not tell Senior Sister, how could he get a response from Senior Sister?
Understanding this logic, Yun Jianyue suddenly felt enlightened. His mind became clear, and it seemed as if he was about to take another step forward.
He had already reached the peak of the Bitter Sea Realm, taking another step would be the Great Beyond Realm.
But luckily, for some reason, he did not take that step forward.
Chen Chao said with some jealousy, "You true geniuses are really unreasonable. Just by listening to some nonsense, you can suddenly gain insights. This is such bullshit."
Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao. This time, his eyes were filled with gratitude.
Chen Chao said, "Let's fight."
Yun Jianyue replied, "I don't have to fight you."
Listening to Chen Chao's words, he suddenly saw the light and made progress. Logically speaking, he should repay the favor.
However, Chen Chao looked at him and said, "I want to fight you. You're already very strong now, if I drag it out, you'll become even stronger. At that point, I might not stand a chance at all."
Hearing this, Yun Jianyue nodded his head, understanding this logic.
Hence, he smiled and said, "I won't kill you."
This was also to repay the kindness.
Gratitude was also a form of kindness.
Chen Chao pondered for a moment and said, "You don't seem that annoying too, so I don't plan on killing you either."
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