Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"You don't believe me?" The Holy Buddha seemed to have expected this answer, but he couldn't help but chuckle. "But I believe that I've lived enough in this life. If fate allows, let's meet again in the next life."

Chapter 1205 Dream

"You don't believe me?" The Holy Buddha seemed to have expected this answer, but he couldn't help but chuckle. "But I believe that I've lived enough in this life. If fate allows, let's meet again in the next life."

"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going? Where are you going..." Hearing the Holy Buddha say such things, Li Xiuchen was startled. In a daze, he hurriedly asked, but before he could finish, his head felt as if it were being pierced by a thousand needles, an excruciating pain. Forgetting to continue asking, Li Xiuchen clutched his head in agony, pounding it hard with his fists, hoping to alleviate the pain. Although he knew this was probably unlikely.

The pain persisted for a while, then gradually subsided. Just as Li Xiuchen was about to catch his breath, his body suddenly curled up as if struck by a heavy blow, followed by a mouthful of blood spurting from his mouth. After spitting out the blood, Li Xiuchen felt a sense of relief, but everything before his eyes began to blur, becoming completely bloodshot. Li Xiuchen tried to call for help, but no matter how he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

A dull thud echoed through the cave. Li Xiuchen had been struck hard, and blood flowed from his nostrils and ears. He struggled to see who it was, but as he struggled to his feet and looked around, there wasn't a soul in sight in the dark cave.

Li Xiuchen slowly moved his body, struggling to sit up. His hands trembled as he placed them on his knees, closed his eyes, and prepared to circulate his battle qi to regulate his physical condition. But as soon as he began to circulate his battle qi, an inexplicable resistance prevented him from taking the next step. Li Xiuchen's tightly furrowed brows trembled uncontrollably, and his breathing became increasingly rapid. After a while, Li Xiuchen suddenly opened his eyes wide, and another mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth. Li Xiuchen's body could no longer hold on, and he collapsed limply onto the hard ground.

"Xiuchen, Xiuchen..." In a daze, Li Xiuchen heard someone calling him, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and he couldn't lift them no matter what he did.

"Xiuchen, come out of the cave quickly, come out quickly!" The voice sounded extremely urgent. Li Xiuchen's breath was unsteady, but he vaguely felt that the voice was very familiar, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

"No, I can't move, I have no strength, no strength..." Li Xiuchen's voice sounded particularly faint and weak at this moment.

"Xiu Chen, wake up! Don't fall asleep, wake up!" The voice grew clearer and closer. "Didn't you promise me you'd take good care of Weiwei? Wake up!"

"Grandpa!" For a moment, Li Xiuchen's mind cleared up, but he quickly fell back into a daze. "Grandpa, Grandpa. I'm sorry, Grandpa, I'm sorry. I didn't take good care of Weiwei, I didn't take good care of Weiwei." As he spoke, Li Xiuchen's voice began to tremble, his sobs grew, and his words became increasingly indistinct.

"Xiuchen, calm down, this cave is not safe, come out quickly, come out quickly!" Grandpa's voice kept echoing around Li Xiuchen, clear and strong. "Take it slow, don't rush, take it slow, sit up first and practice your internal energy to calm your mind."

"No, Grandpa, no..." Hearing his grandfather's words, Li Xiuchen gently shook his head, his voice so soft that it was hard to tell if he had actually spoken. "I've tried, it won't work, I can't do it."

"Stop talking nonsense! Get up!" Grandpa's voice suddenly became very irritable, and there was an undeniable air of authority in it, with a solemn and majestic aura emanating from him.

Li Xiuchen closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and slowly strained, trying to support himself with his arms. But no matter how hard he tried, he was always just one step away from getting up. Gradually, Li Xiuchen's strength waned, his movements became slower and slower, his arms trembled, and his voice was intermittent, giving the impression that he was about to die at any moment.

With a thud, Li Xiuchen collapsed completely to the ground, his eyes glazed over, his lips moving slightly, and his fingers weakly tapping the ground.

"Xiuchen, Xiuchen!" Grandpa's voice rang out again, extremely urgent. But Li Xiuchen, who was lying on the ground, slowly closed his eyes. No matter how much Grandpa called out to him, Li Xiuchen did not move at all. Gradually, Li Xiuchen seemed to fall into a coma.

"Ah!" Li Xiuchen suddenly woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly and panting heavily. After a long while, he suddenly reached out and touched his face, then stretched his body. Finally, he relaxed, letting out a long sigh and chuckling to himself.

"Seriously, how could I have such a dream? I even dreamt that Weiwei killed me, and I dreamt of the Holy Buddha, and even my grandfather. Wow, this kind of dream is really laughable, how could it be? Grandpa has been gone for so long, and Weiwei is still far away cultivating with that woman in black robes, how could she possibly get here in time, really." Li Xiuchen muttered to himself, shaking his head while laughing. "But then again, this dream... tsk tsk tsk, it's really quite realistic, hahaha." Li Xiuchen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Never mind! A dream is still a dream, and I'm just sitting here in a cave..." As he spoke, Li Xiuchen looked up at his surroundings, his voice gradually fading, and the cave fell silent again for a long time.

What had been a perfectly normal cave a moment ago underwent a dramatic transformation in the instant Li Xiuchen was talking to himself. The dark cave suddenly became bright and clear. The surrounding hard stone walls turned into a white blur, and Li Xiuchen fell into deep thought. He looked around in astonishment, saying nothing more. Time ticked by, and Li Xiuchen was at a loss for what to do.

"Wenlong, you've got a knack for this," a middle-aged man said to the young man.

"Not at all, not at all. It's all for the Wen family." The young man called Wen Long, who had been standing next to the old man, replied with a smile, his tone much more humble.

"Hahaha, Wenlong, Wenlong, I don't know what to say to you. So many years have passed, and you haven't changed at all. We all know that you and Wenchong have been fighting since childhood. Now, more than thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I never expected this to happen. I think, with this, you should be able to secure your position as the head of the family from now on." The middle-aged man who had just spoken continued to say to Wenlong.

“Hey, Uncle, you can’t say that. Although Wen Chong and Third Uncle have betrayed the Wen family, our Wen family is still a large and powerful family with many servants and talented people. I appreciate your kind words, Uncle, but as for the matter of becoming the head of the family, Wen Long dares not. Everything is up to the old patriarch to decide.” Wen Chong couldn’t help but sneer when he heard the middle-aged man say this, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes. But he quickly concealed that disgust and replaced it with a respectful attitude as he answered the middle-aged man he called Uncle.

"Regardless, Wenlong believes that the overall situation should be prioritized. Now that the patriarch has ordered us to properly clean up the mess left by my third uncle and Wen Chong, I think if we make a mess of things, wouldn't we be disgracing the Wen family?" Although Wenlong's actions and expression were respectful, his tone and eyes revealed an endless, inexplicable pressure and irresistible authority. Even the elders of the Wen family, several generations older than Wenlong, seemed to feel suffocated by his sharp gaze and serious words.

"Alright, alright, then we old fogies will follow Wenlong's orders. If there's anything we can do to help, just say the word, and we'll do our best to do it."

After Wen Long finished speaking, and after a long silence, an elderly man with a white beard finally broke the cold atmosphere in the main hall. He raised his hand and gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, then tremblingly took a sip of the steaming tea from the servant beside him.

The upheaval ten years ago shattered the self-satisfaction and pride that many members of the Wen family had previously held. Although the Wen family acted prudently in the martial world, enjoying an excellent reputation and a stellar image, before that incident, many in the martial world considered it an honor to be acquainted with them. But that one night, everything changed. That event had an irreversible impact on the Wen family. Although the matter was ultimately suppressed by powerful sects, the Wen family's prestige plummeted. The old man, who knew the true story behind the events, looked at the now spirited Wen Long and couldn't help but sigh deeply, marveling at his transformation.

After that upheaval in the Wen family, many people felt sorry for the two rising stars who were emerging within the family. These two stars were undoubtedly Wen Chong and Wen Long, one specializing in literature and the other in martial arts. In reality, both of them were considered reclusive geniuses in the martial arts world. It was just a pity that they were born at the wrong time.

"Good~ With your words of comfort, Wenlong is relieved. After all, Wenlong is still young, and with such a large business as the Wen family, without the support of the elders, I'm afraid I'd be willing but unable to do so. If I fail to complete the task assigned by the patriarch, it would be one thing to lose face for me, but I'm afraid I'd also lose face for the elders. Then the patriarch would throw a tantrum and criticize the seniors. How could I possibly live with that?" Wenlong looked at the old man's actions and couldn't help but sneer, but he still thanked the old man with a smile, even though he knew that no one would dare to say no.

"Since none of the elders have any other opinions, how about Wenlong says a few more words about what we should do next?" Wenlong paused for a moment before continuing.

"Of course, of course." Everyone present nodded in agreement upon hearing Wenlong's words, their faces full of respect, even though Wenlong was the youngest among them. "Wenlong, just tell us what you want us to do, no need to be so polite."

Wenlong smiled and continued, "Alright then, regarding the remaining members of my third uncle's faction..."

"Father, they're here." Wen Chong was about to ask his father, who suddenly seemed to have aged ten years, why, but before he could even ask, Wen Chong's nerves jolted, and before he could think, his eyes sharpened.

"Let's go outside and wait for them," the old man beside Wen Chong said to Wen Chong with a determined look in his eyes after a moment of thought with his head down.

“But we don’t know if they’re good or bad. If we go out like this, won’t we…” Wen Chong was surprised to hear the old man say this, because in his memory, the old man was always very steady and would never do anything without certainty. “Won’t that be a bit reckless? After all, they’re from Tianwu. We…” Wen Chong didn’t finish his sentence. The old man beside him had already stood up and walked to the middle of the road, stopping firmly and silently looking at what was in front of him.

Seeing this, Wen Chong didn't have time to think and quickly stood beside the old man, assuming a fighting stance. Unexpectedly, the old man simply waved his hand dismissively.

"Wenchong, there's no need for that. I think we should know the person on the other side."

Wen Chong was increasingly confused. Everything was fine before he came to this forest. But since then, everything had changed drastically. The speed, magnitude, and short duration of these changes were almost unbearable for Wen Chong, and beyond his wildest imagination. What was his father up to? What had happened ten years ago? And who were these two Tianwu people approaching...?

Chapter 1206 Going Back

"Weiwei, how much further?" The woman in black robes couldn't help but turn back and ask after running with Weiwei for a long time.

"Senior Sister!" Weiwei didn't answer his question immediately. Instead, she lowered her head and thought for a moment. Suddenly, her eyes changed, and she shouted urgently, "Senior Sister, leave! Leave quickly!"

"Weiwei, you..." The woman in black robes was very surprised to hear Weiwei say this. Before she could finish speaking, her pupils suddenly dilated more than twice their normal size. The woman in black robes stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.

"Senior sister, senior sister!" Weiwei cried out in despair as she looked at the woman in black robes.

The woman in black robes slowly lowered her head. A sword had pierced her body sometime during the night, its protruding tip glistening with crimson blood. Drops of blood dripped slowly from the sword's tip, forming a small crater on the ground. Each drop of blood that fell into the crater grew larger, and the woman's life force dwindled. She tried to circulate her internal battle qi to stop the wound from widening and to seal her blood vessels, but everything proved extremely difficult.

A trickle of blood flowed from the black-robed woman's mouth. Her face grew increasingly pale as she looked up at Weiwei before her. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; only more and more blood continued to gush forth. Weiwei wanted to help the black-robed woman, but the woman shook her head with difficulty, stopping Weiwei. She could feel that Weiwei couldn't possibly withstand the sharpness of the sword. The sword remained silently embedded in the black-robed woman's chest. No one appeared, no one spoke a word, not even a sound was made.

After an unknown amount of time, the sword's power finally began to dissipate, turning it into an extremely ordinary weapon. Normally, such a weapon would be incredibly difficult to even approach the black-robed woman, let alone pierce her body. But now, this utterly ordinary thin sword filled the black-robed woman with a sense of desolation.

The residual force of the sword embedded in the black-robed woman's chest finally dissipated, and the woman instantly lost her balance, collapsing to her knees with a thud. Seeing this, Weiwei rushed forward and embraced her breathingless senior sister. Looking at the black-robed woman's pale face and blood-soaked clothes, Weiwei broke down in tears once more.

"Senior sister, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you bring me to this dark forest. Senior sister, I'm so sorry." Weiwei was incoherent at this moment. "Senior sister, I'll take you back to the academy right away. Senior sister, hang in there, I'll use my internal energy to seal your wounds first. Senior sister, it's okay, senior sister, it's okay, you'll be alright, don't worry." Weiwei kept saying these words to encourage her senior sister, who was on the verge of lifelessness. At this moment, she didn't know if she was encouraging her senior sister in her arms to keep going, or if she was encouraging herself.

"Wei...Weiwei, don't cry. It's alright, your senior sister is alright. You need to go back to the academy quickly; you can't stay in this forest any longer. Weiwei, be good, don't cry, don't cry. Cough, cough, cough." The woman in black robes in Weiwei's arms slowly raised her hand, trembling as she wiped away Weiwei's tears, which were already swollen from crying. Her injuries made speaking extremely difficult. "It's alright, Weiwei, your senior sister is alright, don't worry. Go back and tell the dean; the dean and the others will naturally come. Your senior sister will pull through."

Upon hearing the black-robed woman's words, Weiwei's senses visibly returned. She wiped away her tears and smiled at the heavily injured black-robed woman in her arms. She knew that if she didn't hurry, her senior sister might really leave her.

"Okay, senior sister. I'll go back to the academy to find the dean right away. Senior sister, you must hold on!" Weiwei carried the woman in black robes and placed her next to a tree. Just as she was about to let her senior sister lean against the tree trunk to rest, she saw the sword stuck in the woman's chest. Not knowing the power of the sword, she dared not make any rash moves.

"Senior sister, this..." Weiwei looked anxiously at her senior sister.

"It's alright, just leave it there, it'll be fine. I've already sealed my wound with my battle qi, don't worry." The woman in black robes paused, then forced a smile as she spoke to the anxious Weiwei. "You should go now, I'm fine, don't worry, I'll hold on until you come to find me."

"Okay, then I'll be right back, senior sister. You must hold on." Weiwei nodded worriedly, gritted her teeth, turned away from the heavily injured woman in black robes, and ran quickly towards the edge of the forest. She knew that time was of the essence, and she had to hurry.

Watching Weiwei's departing figure, the woman in black robes nodded in satisfaction. She knew Weiwei had grown up. Unlike the naive and clueless girl she had met a year ago, the current Weiwei seemed more sensible and better able to prioritize. She also knew clearly that she couldn't hold on until Weiwei returned, not even until Weiwei returned to the academy. The damage that sword had inflicted on her body was so great that the woman in black robes didn't know how she could continue to endure.

It was obvious that this matter had nothing to do with Weiwei; this incident was likely aimed at her. The woman in black robes racked her brains but couldn't recall who the assassin was. In her memory, she had no conflicts with anyone. From childhood to adulthood, she had always lived in the academy, and apart from traveling, she had never been anywhere else or met anyone. She truly didn't know, truly didn't know who she had offended. More importantly, apart from a few close friends, no one knew about this trip. Thinking of this, the woman in black robes suddenly widened her eyes as if remembering something, her gaze filled with shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe her own judgment, nor did she want to. To her, this was utterly impossible. A mouthful of blood spurted from the woman in black robes, and she slumped her head helplessly.

"Wenchong, there's no need for that. I think we should know the person on the other side."

Wen Chong was increasingly confused. Everything was fine before he came to this forest. But since then, everything had changed drastically. The speed, magnitude, and short duration of these changes were almost unbearable for Wen Chong, and beyond his wildest imagination. What was his father up to? What had happened ten years ago? And who were these two Tianwu people approaching...?

"Grandpa Wen, how have you been?" The two men who had come up right behind Wen Chong and his son were slightly surprised to see Wen Chong and the old man standing still in the middle of the road, but they quickly regained their composure and smiled at them as they spoke.

"Haha, I didn't expect Vice Dean Wang to still remember this old man. It seems I haven't lived in vain after all." The old man waved his hand casually and replied with a smile. "Wen Chong, come, greet Vice Dean Wang of Tianwu Academy." As he spoke, the old man beckoned to Wen Chong beside him.

"Hey, you're too kind. There's no need for such formalities between us." The middle-aged man, whom the old man called Vice Dean Wang, waved his hand. "I say, why aren't you staying at the Wen family's place? Why did you suddenly come to the Dark Forest? Are you lonely and looking for some excitement in this forest?"

"Speaking of which, I'd like to ask you, Vice Dean Wang. Tianwu Academy has been developing quite well these past two years. Such a large organization, yet you just abandon it like that, personally coming to chase after this old man. Aren't you afraid that something might go wrong with your Tianwu Academy?" The old man asked Vice Dean Wang with a smile, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

"Haha, look at what you're saying. The development of Tianwu Academy is all thanks to the support of your Wen family," Vice Dean Wang laughed and bowed his head in a very humble gesture. "If it weren't for the strong support of your Wen family, how could Tianwu Academy have developed to such a large size in such a short time?"

"Vice President Wang, are you mocking me?" The old man's smile gradually froze, his eyes fixed on Vice President Wang in front of him. "Let's be frank. I, Wenxiang, and my son, Wenchong, have already broken away from the Wen family. So, if you, Vice President Wang, have any opinions about us, just say so. No need for beating around the bush."

"It seems I, Wang, was right about you." Vice Dean Wang's smile gradually froze, and his eyes became sharp and serious, but there was also a subtle sense of respect in them. "Since you, Elder Wen, are so straightforward, then I will speak frankly as well."

At this point, Vice Dean Wang paused, glanced at Wen Chong and Wen Xiang before him, and continued, "Our purpose in coming here is not to cause you trouble. On the contrary, we have come specifically to see you, sir. I, Wang, already knew about your arrival in my Tianwu territory when you and Wen Chong first arrived." Vice Dean Wang then looked at Wen Xiang.

"Mr. Wen, please don't panic," Vice President Wang smiled gently. "I can guarantee that no one knows about this except for me and my confidants. You can rest assured."

"However, now that you and Wen Chong have left the Wen family, I think it won't be long before there are death warrants for you two in the martial arts world."

"Hmph, now that my son and I have broken away from the Wen family, I've already thought about the consequences. Do you think I care?" Wen Xiang sneered, dismissing Vice President Wang's words with disdain.

"Of course I know you don't care, and I know you've already made arrangements for yourself and your son, so I don't care about that. What I care about is what you're going to do." At this point, Vice President Wang grinned.

"But it seems like whatever I do has nothing to do with your Tianwu Academy. Do you expect me to tell you, Vice Dean Wang, in detail what I want to do next, where I want to go, and who I want to see, step by step?" Wenxiang lowered his head, casually brushed the dust off his clothes, and said nonchalantly.

"No, no, Elder Wen, what are you saying? In this world, you are my senior no matter what. How could I dare let you say such things to me? Besides, I am the junior. It would be unreasonable for you to say such things to me." Vice Dean Wang suddenly seemed to be making a joke.

"Alright! Just say what you want to say. We've already wasted a lot of time waiting for you. You'd better give me a satisfactory reason. Why are you following us?" Wenxiang was clearly losing patience, and for some reason, he was starting to get a little nervous.

"Uncle Wenxiang, don't be in such a hurry. Oh, by the way, may I call you Uncle Wenxiang?" As if sensing something, Vice Dean Wang's attitude suddenly became unhurried, even a little hesitant. "Uncle Wenxiang, do you remember ten years ago?" As he spoke, Vice Dean Wang suddenly changed the subject, mentioning something from ten years ago.

Upon hearing this, Wenxiang's expression changed, and he stared intently at Vice President Wang, who had abruptly changed his tone, wondering what he was trying to say.

"What do you mean by that? It seems like what happened ten years ago has nothing to do with you." Wenxiang looked at Vice Dean Wang and narrowed his eyes.

"No, no, I didn't mean anything by it. Look at what you're saying." Vice Dean Wang quickly shook his head and waved his hands to indicate that he had no other meaning. "I just wanted to say, look, ten years have passed. Aren't you curious about what happened back then?"

"If you're not curious, that's fine, but I'm extremely curious! Isn't this strange? Hahaha." Vice Dean Wang paused, not giving Wenxiang a chance to continue, but instead continued speaking to himself, his eyes occasionally drifting to Wenxiang, whose expression was becoming increasingly unsettled and strange, and to Wen Chong, who was standing to the side with a bewildered look on his face. After a pause, Vice Dean Wang said...

"So, Wen Chong didn't know either."

Chapter 1207 Space

What had been a perfectly normal cave a moment ago underwent a dramatic transformation in the instant Li Xiuchen was talking to himself. The dark cave suddenly became bright and clear. The surrounding hard stone walls turned into a white blur, and Li Xiuchen fell into deep thought. He looked around in astonishment, saying nothing more. Time ticked by, and Li Xiuchen was at a loss for what to do.

"Where...where am I?" Li Xiuchen stared blankly at his surroundings for a long time before finally snapping out of his daze and muttering to himself. "What's going on with me...where am I? Could I have...walked into a tiger's den?" Li Xiuchen was completely bewildered.

If he remembered correctly, he had already experienced three or four different situations before this. Aside from the first one, which he couldn't recall, the others felt deeply etched in his mind, almost indelible. In just a few short encounters, people he knew from this continent had appeared before him one by one... Li Xiuchen was clearly stunned, unsure whether to call it reality or a dream. Everything seemed so ethereal, so... somewhat unbelievable, and even a little hard to believe.

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have gone back to see who it was, or waited patiently for him, or pretended not to see him." Li Xiuchen suddenly lowered his head in frustration. "My God, what was I thinking!"

“I did live in modern society before…” Li Xiuchen suddenly stopped speaking, staring at a spot with a strange look for a moment. “Well, no. I did exist in modern society, wandering around. Although I didn’t accomplish anything great, become a hero, or become a memorable figure.”

Li Xiuchen's expression suddenly turned a little awkward. He suddenly realized that his previous life really did look rather miserable. "Uh-huh, uh-hehe, uh-hehehe."

Li Xiuchen couldn't help but blush, smiling awkwardly. At the same time, he was also thankful that no one was around; otherwise, if others saw him like this, he'd be in real trouble. The once carefree, unrestrained, freedom-seeking, and adventurous young man was now a shy boy with a face redder than a tomato. This contrast was truly hard to accept.