Chapter 240: Wandering Beyond the Void

“Although the Jun School’s doctrine is indeed extreme and violent, the so-called [Great Jun] that they revere as an absolute creed is by no means a desperate apocalypse corrupted and twisted by the pollution of an Outer God. Since Shentu Xin is also an inheritor of the Jun School, if he learns that Sun Lang has already become a pawn of an Outer God, he certainly will not stand by and do nothing.”

Kong Changqing’s gaze was deep as he calmly analyzed the situation.

He then turned toward Li Shun and said solemnly, “If you can help Great Qian avert this catastrophic danger posed by an Outer God’s prying eyes, it would unquestionably be a heaven-shaking achievement. When that time comes, even if the imperial court cannot openly shower you with rewards, you certainly will not lack the various treasures and inheritances secretly bestowed upon you!”

The implication behind his words was already perfectly clear.

Li Shun naturally understood.

His expression immediately became solemn as he cupped his fists and bowed.

“The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every man. As Confucian cultivators, how could we sit idly by while an Outer God ravages the common people?”

“This junior seeks neither high office nor great wealth. I do this solely for the people of the world. Whatever the imperial court commands, I shall obey without hesitation, even if it means certain death!”

His words were righteous and forceful, ringing with conviction.

Kong Changqing stroked his beard and laughed heartily, praising him repeatedly.

“Good! Well said! If every cultivator in Great Qian could take the world upon their shoulders as you do, what would there be to fear from those evil entities beyond the heavens?”

Immediately afterward, however, his tone changed, and he solemnly reminded him, “That said, although this scheme concerns the fate of the realm, we have not yet reached a true apocalyptic dead end. If we can take advantage of the situation and thwart the Outer God’s scheme, naturally that would be ideal. But if matters prove impossible, remember this: preserving your own life must come first. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Only by surviving can you plan for the future.”

Li Shun nodded heavily.

“This junior understands.”

In truth, there was one thing Kong Changqing had not told Li Shun.

The primary reason Li Shun had been personally selected by the Right Chancellor to accompany the will of an Outer God and dance upon the edge of a blade was largely due to Kong Changqing’s forceful recommendation.

And the reason he dared push Li Shun into such a perilous situation, where death seemed nearly certain, was absolutely not because he intended to borrow someone else’s hand to kill him.

Rather, Kong Changqing knew that there was a very good chance Li Shun was under the protection of a Confucian Sage.

Directly confronting the will of an Outer God was undoubtedly extremely dangerous. But if he possessed the foundation and protection of a Sage that could continuously rewind events, then Li Shun would be able to contend with the Outer God within this deadly trap to some extent.

He would have little to fear for his safety.

And if he truly managed to accomplish something...

Then he would be riding the wind straight into the clouds, soaring to the heavens in a single bound.

For Li Shun, this was nothing short of a tremendous opportunity.

That was precisely why Kong Changqing had deliberately pushed things forward.

“The Right Chancellor has already laid out a hidden arrangement. Before long, through a series of fortuitous circumstances, you will encounter Sun Lang again in Bing Province.”

“Of course, in order to avoid alerting the enemy and allowing the will behind him to discover any flaws, this encounter will be arranged to appear completely natural. Prepare yourself mentally for what is to come.”

Kong Changqing did not reveal the full details to Li Shun. He merely offered another calm reminder.

“Bing Province...”

The first thing that came to Li Shun’s mind was the Outer God that had once unleashed a terrifying calamity upon that land.

[Taiyi Xuanpin].

Could the imperial court have deliberately arranged this performance in Bing Province because it intended to use one force to counter another?

Li Shun did not hesitate and immediately voiced the question in his heart.

Kong Changqing nodded slightly, a faint, profound glimmer flashing within his eyes.

“Although the projection of [Taiyi Xuanpin] was annihilated long ago, it nevertheless ravaged the lands of Bing Province for quite some time. Even now, the traces and lingering aura it left behind remain embedded within the fundamental laws of heaven and earth.”

“And among those lofty Outer Gods, there has never been such a thing as peaceful coexistence. Within the chaos, they constantly struggle against one another and regard each other as mortal enemies. Bing Province, saturated with the lingering might of [Taiyi Xuanpin], is essentially a natural quagmire for the will behind Sun Lang. It will inevitably suppress it in unseen ways and weaken its power to the greatest extent possible.”

After pondering for a moment, Li Shun asked the final and deepest question that had been troubling him.

“This junior has personally witnessed the might of an Outer God. It truly is astonishing beyond imagination. Yet the Great Siming was actually able to see through an Outer God’s infiltration at a glance amid such a complicated situation.”

“She... just what level of cultivation has she reached?”

“Could it be the Heaven-Earth realm? But wasn’t it said that Great Qian has not had a Sage descend into the world for several hundred years?”

“Great Siming...”

An intense sense of awe that Kong Changqing could not suppress emerged within his eyes.

“The Great Siming’s cultivation realm is actually...”

After remaining silent for a long time, Kong Changqing finally slowly uttered two words.

“[Spirit Wandering].”

“Spirit Wandering?”

A trace of astonishment flashed through Li Shun’s eyes.

This did not seem to belong to Great Qian’s Seven Realms of Cultivation.

“Could it be that the Great Siming has broken through the shackles of the Heaven-Earth realm and advanced another step?”

Li Shun exclaimed in disbelief.

Unexpectedly, Kong Changqing immediately shook his head and decisively rejected his assumption.

“In truth, Spirit Wandering is not a realm above the Heaven-Earth realm. Rather, in a certain sense, it is another ultimate path that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Heaven-Earth realm and contend with it on equal footing!”

“The Heaven-Earth realm, however, is a path of seeking inward. One ultimately tempers and refines one’s own foundation until it reaches an supreme state capable of rivaling the Heaven-Earth of this very world.”

“But the realm of Spirit Wandering...”

“It is to sever all ties to the mortal world completely, causing the divine soul to become formless and elusive, allowing it to drift beyond the fetal membrane of this world itself!”

“One seeks the Dao inwardly, while the other seeks the Dao beyond the world.”

Li Shun narrowed his eyes, carefully savoring Kong Changqing’s words.

Seeking the Dao inwardly and seeking the Dao beyond the world.

The distinction between “within” and “beyond” clearly referred to the world of Great Qian itself.

Kong Changqing let out a quiet sigh.

“In those days, the Great Siming was trapped in the Creation realm. Even after painstakingly dedicating herself to cultivation and exhausting every ounce of her efforts, she was still unable to take even half a step toward the Sage Dao of Heaven-Earth.”

“Yet gifted beyond compare as she was, even in that desperate situation where her oil was nearly exhausted and her lamp was about to go out, she forcefully comprehended the method of Spirit Wandering!”

“If there was no longer any way to advance within this world, why not simply break free from the shackles of the world itself, wander through the Great Void, and venture into the boundless realm beyond the heavens to forcibly seek an opportunity to prove the Dao?”

“To this day, no one knows exactly how she managed to accomplish such a feat in the midst of that great terror.”

“But she truly succeeded.”

“And in the several hundred years since then, Great Qian has produced countless prodigies, yet not a single person has been able to reproduce such an heaven-defying feat.”

Kong Changqing shook his head repeatedly, his words filled with the wistful reverence one felt when gazing up at an unreachable mountain.

Li Shun’s soul stirred violently, and his heart yearned toward the realm described before him. At the same time, all his doubts were finally dispelled.

Spirit Wandering and Heaven-Earth were clearly two entirely different branches of advancement after the Creation realm had been cultivated to its peak.

The Sages of the Heaven-Earth realm were exceedingly rare, but they were by no means without precedent.

But the realm of Spirit Wandering...

Throughout the countless ages of Great Qian, there had been only one person.

The Great Siming.

“No wonder that time at the estate beneath Mount Dai, the Great Siming was able to crush those several Outer God envoys into dust with such ease.”

“Spirit Wandering...”

“Could the Great Siming’s two completely different physical states be the result of this peculiar realm of Spirit Wandering?”

Li Shun pondered inwardly.

“If one truly had to determine which is superior between the Heaven-Earth realm and the Spirit Wandering Realm, which one is stronger?”