Published: March 8, 2025
Fighting against Gu Duxing for half an hour, both Chu Yang and Gu Duxing, along with Ao Xieyun and Xie Danqiong who were watching, felt an overwhelming sense of exhilaration!
It was refreshing!
Truly refreshing!
In the end, when Chu Yang unleashed the two moves of ‘Yet exchange for the azure sky's bloodshed madness,’ Gu Duxing finally found himself at a disadvantage, and the two decided to cease fighting!
If they continued, it would be a matter of life and death!
Even long after the battle ended, the sword energy continued to rage in the air, howling back and forth.
Apart from Chu Yang and Gu Duxing, no one could step into this battlefield.
After a long time, Gu Duxing retracted the sword intent in his heart, took a deep breath, and said, “Did you notice?”
Chu Yang nodded, “Yes, indeed there are flaws, and quite significant ones.”
Gu Duxing frowned, deep in thought, “I’ve always been puzzled as to why I can’t unify my sword intents. If I could merge the two sword intents into one, perhaps you would only be able to fight me on equal terms; yet now, you are a whole level lower than me, yet I find myself at a complete disadvantage and unable to fight back.”
Chu Yang replied, “Indeed, both of your sword intents are very powerful, especially your emotionless sword, which is close to the dao realm! But you still can’t defeat me, who has a lower cultivation level.”
“I am no more of a genius than you; I don’t use the Nine Calamity Sword; while the nine calamity sword technique is indeed powerful, you are also the supreme of swords, more than capable of handling it. Yet you still cannot win, fundamentally because…”
Chu Yang spoke each word clearly, “You are too invested!”
“Too invested?” Gu Duxing looked puzzled.
“Yes; when you use the lone sword technique, you are fully immersed, and when you use the emotionless sword technique, you are also wholeheartedly engaged! But the more engrossed you are, the more an inherent and irreparable gap appears between these two sword techniques!”
Chu Yang explained.
Gu Duxing seemed to understand, but still couldn’t grasp the key point. He asked, “Specifically…”
“You are too fixated. Thus, when you wield your sword, you think of achieving perfection. However, because you’re focused on achieving perfection, you cannot truly reach it.”
“Because you have enclosed yourself!” Chu Yang frowned and said, “Let me give a simple example. For instance, when a child plays a game. The game itself isn’t important; as long as they immerse themselves fully to the point of losing themselves, they can find joy in any game!”
“Because games are meant for joy; feeling joy means achieving the purpose of the game. It doesn’t matter what the game itself is, because the game serves the mood, not the mood serving the game…”
Gu Duxing suddenly realized, “I understand now!”
“Remember, in the martial way, there’s a saying known to all: ‘The body is heaven and earth, the heart is heaven and earth; there is no heaven, no self; no self, no heaven!’” Chu Yang chuckled, “Everyone treats this as a mere saying, but they don’t think deeper. It is precisely these most ordinary words that hold the deepest truths of martial arts!”
“The unity of heaven and human. The forgetfulness of self! It is not the absence of self but a kind of realm! The realm is neither self nor human.” Chu Yang said solemnly, “You treat the realm as a part of the human body; it’s that simple.”
Gu Duxing was drenched in sweat, yet his eyes shone brightly, saying, “I truly understand now…”
Chu Yang smiled, relieved, and took a few steps back, leaving Gu Duxing alone in the arena.
Gu Duxing pondered for a long time before finally drawing his sword and dancing with it, faster and faster.
This time, even Ao Xieyun and the others far away could feel the traces of spirituality in Gu Duxing’s sword moves.
“You four.” Chu Yang approached, looking at Ji Mo with a mix of laughter and tears, “I really want to exclude you.”