txolops Chapter 584 Song Tianren! What is the meaning of cultivating immortality?
Chapter 584 Song Tianren! What is the meaning of cultivating immortality?
Chen Fan picked up his wine glass and took a sip, his expression remaining calm, but in his mind he had already mentally rehearsed the characteristics of Gu cultivators and the corresponding countermeasures several times.
Judging from his ability to fixate words, his perception of the surrounding energy far surpasses that of others of the same level, making the sneak attacks of Gu worms relatively less of a threat to him.
However, the parasitic ability of Gu worms is indeed troublesome. If one is accidentally infected by Gu worms, one must refine them with infant fire as quickly as possible without any hesitation.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Qin Zhan's admiration deepened: "I've said so much, yet you remain so composed. Ordinary cultivators would be somewhat nervous upon hearing about the methods of demonic cultivators and Gu cultivators. Your unwavering composure in the face of imminent collapse reminds me of someone."
"Who is it?" Chen Fan asked casually.
Qin Zhan did not answer immediately, but instead downed another cup of strong liquor, a complex look of reminiscence flashing in his strikingly bright eyes.
He slammed the wine glass down on the low table, exhaled a long breath of alcohol, and slowly began to speak.
"Song Tianren".
Chen Fan paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass. He had never heard of this name before, but someone who could be spoken of by Qin Zhan in such a solemn tone was no ordinary person.
"A demonic cultivator from the Boundless Sea, at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, at the Great Perfection." Qin Zhan's voice was a few decibels lower than before, as if he were describing an opponent he was unwilling to mention but had to. "This person is hailed as the number one person below the Nascent Soul realm among the younger generation of the Boundless Sea, and his demonic arts are unfathomable. I once fought him at the border. On that occasion, I led three hundred elite soldiers to pursue a group of demonic cultivators, but we fell into his ambush. He single-handedly killed nearly half of my elite troops, and finally fought me for more than thirty rounds before retreating unscathed."
Chen Fan's gaze narrowed slightly.
It should be noted that Qin Zhan was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a veteran known for his combat prowess. He had once fought a late-stage Nascent Soul demonic cultivator to a standstill while still in the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.
Such a formidable person fought against a Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivator for over thirty rounds, but not only failed to defeat him, he was also easily forced to retreat!
If this achievement were to spread, it would be enough to shake the four great cultivation kingdoms.
"I've never heard of anyone who could make the Prince lose face before," Chen Fan said calmly.
Qin Zhan gave a wry smile, neither denying it nor admitting it:
"That kid is indeed strange. His spiritual root aptitude is exceptional, and it is said that he cultivates the 'Heavenly Demon Soul Devouring Technique,' one of the three great demonic arts of the Boundless Sea. This technique is extremely domineering; every time he kills an opponent, he can devour their cultivation and convert it into his own. He has cultivated to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and he has at least a thousand lives on his hands. What's even more terrifying is that he is proficient in demonic soul attack techniques. His demonic might can make the souls of cultivators of the same level tremble and their combat power greatly reduced. When I fought him back then, although I was at the Nascent Soul stage, I was still suppressed by his demonic might, and my blood and qi surged. I could only exert seventy or eighty percent of my combat power."
After saying this, the Eighth Prince's gaze fell on Chen Fan again, his expression more solemn than ever before:
"This person is very likely to participate in this year's Zhao Kingdom selection. Although you, with your late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, can withstand an attack from an early-stage Deity Transformation cultivator, you must be extremely careful if you face Song Tianren. His demonic power is particularly terrifying against Nascent Soul cultivators; those with lower cultivation levels than him cannot even stand firmly in front of him. If you encounter him on the arena, do not fight head-on; prioritize your own safety."
Chen Fan paused for a moment, then nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will remember it."
Song Tianren, the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage!
He silently repeated the name twice in his mind, memorizing it firmly.
Judging from Qin Zhan's demeanor, he wasn't the type to boost the morale of others while diminishing his own. For Qin Zhan to remind him so solemnly, Song Tianren must have some extraordinary qualities.
Seeing that he had taken his words to heart, Qin Zhan's serious expression eased slightly, and he picked up the wine pot to pour a cup for each of them.
As the night breeze picked up, the charcoal fire on the low table flickered, and the aroma of roasting meat filled the deck.
The two drank a few more cups, and Qin Zhan gradually became more talkative. He stopped talking about the selection process and his rivals, and instead leaned against the ship's railing, gazing at the starry sky. His tone became more profound, quite different from his usual forthright manner.
"Chen Fan, do you know who I envy most in my life?"
Chen Fan shook his head.
"I envy those carefree, independent cultivators the most." Qin Zhan held his wine cup, gazing leisurely into the distance. "A person with a sword, they can leave or stay as they please, without caring about national affairs, family affairs, or world affairs, without having to concern themselves with the eight great families of the court or the demonic cultivators on the border. When they are happy, they can go to the deep mountains to cultivate in seclusion for a hundred years; when they are unhappy, they can find an enemy to fight. Carefree and unrestrained."
He tilted his head back and downed the drink in one gulp. The liquid trickled down his chin, but he didn't wipe it away, only giving a self-deprecating laugh.
"When I was young, I was just like that. At seventeen, I ventured alone into the Boundless Sea and fought demonic cultivators for three years. I killed a Core Formation demonic cultivator and was almost killed by a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator. Back then, I didn't have to think about anything but how to survive and how to become stronger. Those days were tough, but carefree. Later, the late emperor fell seriously ill and, before his death, held my hand and said, 'Eighth Prince, I know your ambitions lie not in the court, but the Great Yu cannot be without support. I don't ask you to be trapped in the capital for your whole life, I only ask that you stand up when the court needs you.' I agreed to his request, and then I stood up for three hundred years."
Chen Fan did not respond, but listened silently.
The Eighth Prince poured another cup of wine, but did not drink it immediately. He simply held it in his hand, watching the wine gleam with an amber luster under the moonlight.
"For three hundred years, I have repelled countless invasions by demonic cultivators, guarded the borders of the Great Yu, and saved countless lives. In a way, I have lived up to the expectations of the late emperor. But sometimes, in the dead of night, when I sit alone on the city wall gazing towards the boundless sea, I always wonder if that boy who fought so desperately in the demon's lair back then is still alive? Or has he long since suffocated under the weight of this prince's robe?"
Chen Fan held his wine glass but remained silent.
He thought to himself that Qin Zhan might not have been saying these words to him, but rather to him.
A person fought on the battlefield for three hundred years, transforming from a rogue cultivator into a pillar of the nation. The choices and gains he made during that time are beyond the comprehension of outsiders.
Qin Zhan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and stood up.
The night wind made his dark blue robe flutter loudly!
He stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, gazing at the boundless sea of clouds ahead, his voice carried by the wind, sometimes near, sometimes far.
"Chen Fan, I have walked the path of cultivation for nearly a thousand years, and I have seen more people than the stars in the sky. Some people have cultivated immortality their whole lives, and in the end they have become a superior person, but they have forgotten why they started cultivating immortality in the first place. Some people have cultivated immortality their whole lives, and in the end they have become a lonely person, with no one to talk to. Some people have cultivated immortality their whole lives, and in the end they have become a knife in someone else's hand, and when the knife is broken, it is casually thrown away."