Zhao Gutai was lying in the utility room, leaning his head against the wall, half-closing his eyes with sadness in his eyes.

The moonlight shines through the window pane, and the cool silver light shines on the ground, leaving irregular spots.

He traced a circle around the outline of light and shadow with his fingers. He was lost for a long time, then opened his hazy eyes and looked out through the gap in the window.

From his angle and field of vision, he could see a corner of the majestic palace in the distance, see the ridged beast standing on the roof with its teeth and claws showing, see the floating lanterns lighting up in mid-air, and see the passers-by who occasionally walked past without looking back.

Zhao Gutai moved slightly, and his long hair fell from his shoulders, adding another layer of embarrassment to his already pale face.

It's really over now.

He twitched the corners of his mouth and stretched the injured muscles on his face. The smile that had not yet unfolded solidified into a ferocious expression, and the newly scabbed whip marks were stained with blood.

Zhao Gutai touched it lightly with his hand and sighed softly.

No one will care about his situation anymore. He has lived a life of confusion and can be called a failure. However, he was able to see the senior sword cultivator before he died, so it was not in vain. In the future, when he went to Huangquan Road, there were also people who could communicate with him.

A few words of conversation.

It's a pity that he also promised Senior Sister Zhuchen to go back, so he might have to break his promise.

As he was thinking mockingly to himself, the wooden door was pushed open from the outside.

The young man came in excitedly and shouted: "Brother Gutai, master calls you over."

Zhao Gutai seemed to be slow to react. He nodded after a few breaths and tried to sit up from the ground with one hand supporting him.

The young man went over to help him. When he smelled the smell of blood on his body, he couldn't bear to look away and asked: "Brother, have you thought clearly?"

Zhao Gutai stood up straight and said, "I thought very clearly."

The young man said anxiously: "Don't be as stubborn as Master. It is absolutely impossible for Master to agree to your leaving Yu Yuan Sect like this. Even the elders will not agree!"

Even though Zhao Gutai has mediocre talents and an uncontested temperament, and is unlikely to become a great person, he is still an inner disciple. No sect spends a lot of money and energy to train a monk, but then lets him go so easily.

What's more, the head of Yu Yuan has always acted in a domineering manner, and he will never give in just to earn face. He would rather watch Zhao Gutai die in front of the door than allow his disciples to switch to another sect.

Zhao Gutai naturally understood this truth, and because he understood it, he did not want to stay. In the eyes of others, he was not more important than face, so what was the use of being glamorous?

The young man whispered: "Brother, although Master is usually strict with you, he has watched you grow up anyway. If you ask for mercy from him, maybe he will be soft-hearted, so he will forget about it. Just say that you were deceived by the bad people, and when you come back

Only when you are delirious will you say something about betraying the sect."

Zhao Gutai was injured, so his steps were heavy and he could only drag forward. He paused after hearing this, turned to look at his junior brother, and asked: "This will give master a reason to lead people to conquer Chaowen.

So we can catch them all at once, right?"

"You can still control them? They were the ones who provoked them first, and they deserve whatever happens!" The young man chased after him and said angrily: "What's so good about that kind of wilderness? Yu Yuan established the sect.

Even after a hundred years, your foundation is deeper than theirs. If you stay in Yuyuan, you will be an inner disciple, superior to others. What will you get if you go there? Master will beat you to death first!"

Zhao Gutai took a deep look at him and almost said something. His expression changed several times. He was worried that if the news about a demon cultivator living on the edge of the demon world was exposed, it would bring disaster to Feng Buye and others, so he finally endured it.

live.

The young man tugged on his clothes: "What do you want to say? Why are you so hesitant to speak? Senior brother! After all, you and I have been in the same school for many years and I just advised you, senior brother, don't leave!"

After a while of tugging, the two of them were almost on the main road. As they approached, the candles on the stone lanterns on both sides lit up out of thin air, but what came out was not ordinary light, but faint blue fire spots.

The young man noticed that a pair of eyes were staring coldly at him, like a thorn in his back. He did not dare to say anything at the moment, and followed Zhao Gutai in small steps towards the ancestral hall.

Zhao Gutai's master, one of the seven elders of the Yu Yuan Sect, was standing at the top of the bluestone steps, looking at the two of them with his hands behind his back.

The stone steps, which are seven or eight meters wide, look like a staircase to the sky under the deep fluorescent light and dim stars. The towering peaks are layered behind, forming a dark background.

Climbing up the stairs, you can see a stone statue standing on the left and right sides of the ancestral hall.

On the right is the leader of the Yu Yuan Sect, and on the left is the legendary master of swordsmanship. The two stone statues are carved lifelike and majestic. At this time, they both stare at the eyes like thunder and torches, frowning angrily, holding swords and guarding the main hall.

's doorway.

Zhao Gutai took a look and didn't think it was scary.

He has seen a real powerful sword cultivator today. Although Feng Buye looks cold, he is by no means such a vicious-looking person. On the contrary, he should rarely get angry, and his whole body is calm and calm.

No worries, no extraneous things.

Brother Feng Changyin is right when he says that this stone statue of Yu Yuan Sect is just ruining the reputation of his predecessor.

Zhao Gutai was in a daze for a while, then he was pushed hard and fell to his knees on the ground.

The old man came from the front and stopped in front of Zhao Gutai.

His expression was cold and his eyes were extremely indifferent. He looked at Zhao Gutai as if he were looking at a stranger. All the effort he spent on this apprentice made him feel that it was not worth it. But now, there was anger in that indifference.

and contempt.

"Unfilial disciple, I will give you one last chance as my master today. Make a decision in front of Yu Yuan, my uncles and ancestors. If you insist on betraying your master, I will clean up the family immediately to prevent you from harming your fellow disciples in the future.

If you are still willing to take the blame and perform meritorious service, then kowtow to thank him and then go and catch the culprit. Yu Yuan Zong has given you many benefits, think about it carefully and don't be ignorant of good and evil."

Zhao Gutai glanced at the other party's cloudy eyes, and after a moment, he bowed politely. He put his hands on the ground, his forehead against his arms, and said in a muffled voice: "Master, the people of Yuyuancheng all left voluntarily. Those monks

, He is really not an evil person. Please give me some mercy, Master."

The old man's face trembled, and he said angrily: "You still don't admit your mistake, you are so stubborn!"

He raised his sword to cut, but the young man next to him shouted in panic: "Master! Senior brother must have been bewitched by evil spells. These are not his sincere words! Please forgive him once!"

The old man snorted, but slowly lowered his hand: "I think he is obviously a waste! He can't do any small things well. He has practiced under me for many years, but he can't even compare to a twelve-year-old child. He will also

I also jumped in. I left him to do whatever he wanted!"

The young man turned to persuade again: "Brother, don't be stupid anymore! Even if you die here today, it's just because of your own passion. The group of people you mentioned only have a relationship with you, how can they take you to heart?

?”

Facing the master's ridiculing words, Zhao Gutai's heart was turbulent, his hands were cold, and his eyes were dull. He listened to those voices gradually moving away from him, while he huddled on the ground humbly like an ant.

In fact, he knew in his heart that he was not bound to follow Feng Wuye, he was just tired of Yu Yuan's life and wanted to escape.

Therefore, he was afraid, timid, and hesitant in his heart, but now he could no longer retreat. He could only use his stubbornness as courage and force himself to make a decision.

But probably no one is more confused than him about what he is going to do.

He is really stupid and can't even understand this question.

Zhao Gutai smiled bitterly.

Suddenly, a spiritual light hit his forehead, and his eyes widened a little. Countless pictures passed through the white light in his mind, like a white horse flying past, out of reach. At the same time, a clear voice let out a sigh in his spiritual platform, and then

Slowly read:

"Mediocre people disturb themselves, and Taoism hinders themselves."

“‘Heaven will no longer be with you, but time will not be here soon.’.”

"'The human heart is only dangerous, the Taoist heart is only small, the essence is only one, and the persistence is in the middle.'."

"'Returning to the root is called Jing, Jing is called Fu Ming. Fu Ming is Chang, Zhi Chang is said to be Ming...'"

Zhao Gutai was shaken, but his mind was forcibly calmed by an external force. He closed his eyes and silently comprehended. After the burdens in his heart fell away, he finally understood why he could not make any progress after many years of practice.

What he cultivates is the way of enlightening the mind, clarifying the mind and calming the energy, and using the sword to question the mind can lead to enlightenment.

"Go to the extreme of emptiness and keep quiet." His so-called talent and intelligence when he was young were precisely because his Taoist heart was pure, his spiritual platform was empty, and he had nothing to worry about. But later on, he was gradually burdened by his so-called talent and harmed by his so-called reputation.

With selfish desires and distracting thoughts, we have become as mediocre and stagnant as we are today.

How can he realize enlightenment when his heart is full of turmoil? How can he ask about the sword if he is undecided?

In an instant, Zhao Gutai seemed to have seen all the future and the past, feeling free and easy in mind and body. And at this moment, his long-stagnant cultivation realm collapsed like a sand dam, no longer hindered.

Zhao Gutai shrugged his shoulders, lowered his head, and laughed deeply in his throat.

The continuous laughter caused the two people in front of him to look at him in surprise.

Zhao Gutai once again leaned over and bowed, and said with relief: "Master! My disciple is indeed wrong. His mistake is not letting go of the so-called fame and fortune. The devil in my Taoist heart is me. Today, my disciple will return all I have learned to Yu Yuan.

From now on, we will never owe each other again!"

Without waiting for the two to react, he pointed two fingers at the acupuncture points all over his body and reversed his spiritual power, forcing him to vomit out a mouthful of blood from his Dantian. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain of shattering meridians all over his body without letting out a single gasp.

He was so decisive, leaving no way out, and chose to abandon his cultivation!

The young man turned pale with shock, fell backward and sat on the ground.

"Crazy...really crazy...Senior brother, why are you doing this?"

Zhao Gutai wiped the blood from the corners of his lips with trembling fingers, raised his head unsteadily, and looked at the sky full of stars, his eyes clear as never before.

He tried his best to clasp his fists and bowed forward: "Thank you, Immortal Lord, for enlightening this junior. People's hearts are unpredictable, and Taoism is difficult to understand. Only by carefully observing and adhering to one's own way can we understand clearly. That's all."

The old man ignored his nonsense and smiled angrily. His white beard trembled. He looked at him and gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! Since you would rather destroy yourself or betray the sect, don't blame me for being merciless!"

The old man wielded the long sword, summoned the sword intention, and stabbed Zhao Gutai's neck with ferocity.

The young man shouted in pain: "Master, don't -"

Zhao Gutai opened his eyes and did not shy away.

The sword hangs a palm in front of him, making it difficult to move forward even half an inch.

The old man looked horrified: "How...how could this happen?"
To be continued...