The battle between the Celestial Masters couldn't be concluded in a short time. I didn't know how long it had been before I retracted my gaze. I turned to Nangong and asked, "What … are they?
Are they humans?
If they're keys, there must be a lock. What's a lock? "
Nangong shook his head. "I can't tell you what a lock is for now.
As for Ye Pianpian, you don't need to doubt her. She's a human, but she's a little special. "
Nangong's answer made me smile wryly. Finally, I felt a little comforted. Ye Pianpian was still a human … that was good.
But soon, Nangong turned to look at me and said, "The road to the Great Tao is long and endless. Since you've embarked on the path of cultivation, you have to see through many things.
Cultivation, in a sense, is a shortcut. Since it's a shortcut, you should try to avoid those forks in the road and focus on moving forward. Only then can you go one step ahead of others. Do you understand? "
His words were vague. Subconsciously, I was stunned. Then, I shook my head.
Nangong sighed and said, "Humans come down from trees, learn to walk upright and use tools. In order to survive in the future, they might be able to grow taller, faster, and stronger. They might even have a longer lifespan … Cultivation just shortens this evolutionary process.
As for the forks in the road … let me ask you a question. What's the nature of living things? "
"Reproduction," I answered subconsciously.
It was a standard answer that everyone knew.
Nangong nodded. "That's right, reproduction.
But why reproduction? "
I was speechless and couldn't answer.
Nangong sighed and said, "Because all living things will die … All living things want to avoid this result. However, humans can't resist death and life. That's why they need to reproduce.
Humans want to get rid of death and leave traces of their existence in this world. That's why they need to reproduce to pass on their genes.
Of course, it's a passive process. It's hard to say how many traces of existence will be left.
But we cultivators are different from ordinary people. We choose another path, a path that's much more difficult than ordinary people's … The meaning of cultivation is to get rid of death completely. It's eternal life. It's to let us stay in this world forever.
Although this is a road with no end in sight, since we have embarked on this journey, we are different from ordinary people … In other words, we do not need to reproduce. "
I was stunned for a long time before I gradually understood what he meant. I smiled bitterly and replied, "So, love is only necessary for human reproduction. We cultivators don't even need reproduction, so love is even more unnecessary for us to adapt to reproduction, right?"
Nangong nodded and didn't say anything else.
Actually, when he had said those obscure words, I had roughly understood what he meant. It was just that I had some resistance in my heart and didn't want to say it out loud. After he had said it so bluntly, I was at a loss.
Was that really the case?
Love, gratitude, and vengeance, were these things created by humans for the sake of reproduction?
Did cultivators have to completely abandon these things when they took a different path?
If that's the case, even if we reach our final destination and become an eternal existence, what's the point of losing love, gratitude, and enmity to prove our existence?
I didn't know the answer to this question, so I didn't ask Nangong. I just quietly sank into my heart.
At this moment, the battle between Mount Longhu and the Taoist Association was still going on. The Yang Spirits of the six people from both sides were mixed together, fighting fiercely. I also saw the whole picture of the so-called 'Three Talents Sword Formation.' It was just a combination of techniques. It wasn't fundamentally different from the sword formations that humans used. The only thing that surprised me was that each time those Yang Spirits swung their swords, they would bring up some light red things. As the 'Three Talents Sword Formation' continued, more and more light red things appeared. Gradually, they formed a massive light red light curtain around the two sides. I didn't know what it was used for.
I watched in silence for a while. It was easy to see that the people of the Taoist Association were losing. They weren't a match for the people of Mount Longhu.
This result was normal. The leader of Mount Longhu was the younger brother of the current Celestial Master Zhang.
Celestial Master Zhang of Mount Longhu was a descendant of Celestial Master Zhang. He had the bloodline of a Celestial Master, which meant that he was extraordinary. It wasn't surprising that he could win.
If I could see this result, the people of the Taoist Association could also see it. Soon, the three of them took action. As President Ren gave his order, the three of them hit their chests at the same time. They spurted a mouthful of blood mist. Then, their mouths were covered in blood, and they started to chant an extremely difficult incantation.
As they chanted, the three blood mists didn't fall. Instead, they rose into the air and gradually condensed into talismans.
Seeing the three talismans made of blood, I recalled the secret technique 'Jade Blood Talisman' that Zhao Yongkun had used when he was fighting against the little white snake on the way to the Fire God Temple.
Indeed, the three Celestial Masters of the Taoist Association were using the 'Jade Blood Talisman'!
Although the three of them had the Yang God Celestial Master cultivation base, they couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Zhao Yongkun. However, the Taoist secret technique 'Jade Blood Talisman' was very magical. No matter who used it, it would have the same effect. It would increase one's cultivation base by one level.
At the same time, the consumption of the 'Jade Blood Talisman' was the same. It required ten years of lifespan!
Zhao Yongkun had used this technique that day, which was incredible. Now, the three people of the Taoist Association made me open my eyes wide.
Ten years of lifespan!
It wasn't a big deal for a teenager, but the three people of the Taoist Association had the Yang God Celestial Master cultivation base, which meant that they were at least fifty or sixty years old.
To an old cultivator, there was nothing more precious than lifespan. They were crazy!
Although I couldn't believe my eyes, the three people of the Taoist Association had given up ten years of their lifespan to continue fighting.
After the three Jade Blood Talismans were formed, they quickly fused into their own Yang Spirits. In an instant, the Yang Spirit phantoms became much more solid, and their power increased greatly. Just now, there was a slight sign of defeat, but it quickly reversed. Instead, it suppressed the Yang Spirits of the three great Celestial Masters of Mount Longhu, who had formed the "Three Talents Sword Formation".
However, the three people of Mount Longhu weren't to be trifled with. They obviously had other trump cards. Zhang Daozhang, the leader of the group, suddenly took out a long sword. He didn't join the battle himself. Instead, he threw the long sword vertically into the ground where the Yang Spirits of the three people were.
Seeing this long sword, even Nangong, who was standing next to me, had a serious expression. He whispered, "It's the Celestial Master Sword!"
The Celestial Master Sword!
According to legend, it was a sword that Zhang Daoling had left behind when he had ascended to heaven. It was Celestial Master Zhang's token of inheritance!
Mount Longhu was really willing to go all out to bring this sword!
With the addition of the Celestial Master Sword, the fighting power of the three Yang Spirits of Mount Longhu increased a lot. They were evenly matched with the Taoist Association.
Both sides were fighting with their lives on the line. This battle was far from over. After watching for a while, I couldn't help but raise my eyes to look at the woman in the coffin, who was standing in a daze.
What kind of magic did this so-called 'key' have? How could it make these people so desperate?
Nangong said that cultivators sought longevity and immortality. These people had spent their entire lives to reach the level of Yang Shen Celestial Master. For this so-called "key", they were willing to pour their remaining lifespan into this battle. Could it be that this "key" was more important than their cultivation?
For this' key, 'they could even give up their cultivation?
No!
I suddenly understood. Cultivation was the foundation, and they couldn't give it up. The reason why they had to risk their lives to fight for this key was that they could cultivate better after getting this key!