Chapter 52: Only the Dao

Before the Dao Comprehension Tree.

Dozens of monks rushed over in a hurry, only to see endless rays of divine light descending, enveloping the body of a single person.

Silence. Tranquility.

Man, Dao, and tree had become one.

"That fast?" The leading Duzeng monk was visibly surprised.

But it was fine—there was only one person.

Duzeng scrutinized the figure carefully. So young, with rosy lips and white teeth, strikingly handsome. If he shaved his head and became a little sāmaṇera, perhaps he too would possess a deep karmic affinity with Buddha.

"Fellow Daoist, I sense this tree holds karmic destiny with my Buddhist sect..."

"Senior Brother!"

Unexpectedly, a Buddhist disciple suddenly spoke out, interrupting Duzeng's words.

"This person is very strong. Back at the Heavenly Spirit Pool, many of our Buddhist disciples perished at his hands," Duhui said urgently.

Golden light burst from Duzeng’s eyes.

"You're saying... he bears enmity toward our Buddhist sect?"

"He does, but his strength is great. I fear that if we engage him, the cost will be steep."

Duzeng suddenly laughed.

A gentle, compassionate laugh, filled with mercy.

"Junior Brother, you think he's strong only because you do not know your Senior Brother’s divine powers. Since he holds hatred for the Buddhist sect, then let us use the compassion of Buddhism to enlighten him. Just watch."

He stepped forward, and golden light surged behind him. A towering vajra dharma body manifested, several zhang tall, its expression furious, emanating a terrifying aura capable of suppressing the heavens and the earth.

"Sinner, come out and face me!"

His roar shook the ground, sending stones and leaves flying, stirring up a storm as if a tidal wave had struck.

Lu Ye dug at his ear, feeling as though even his earwax had been shaken loose.

Buddhist sect. Buddhist sect. Again with the Buddhist sect!

He opened his eyes, brimming with impatience. The Dao Comprehension Tree was indeed a treasured land, and many factions would come to compete over it. But if he had to slaughter every one of them that showed up, it would be endlessly troublesome.

His figure moved.

"Do not dare disturb my young lord’s cultivation!"

A crisp, fierce cry rang out. A massive sword light swept forth, stirring the winds and clouds, slashing toward the Buddhist disciples.

Lu Ye remained completely undisturbed. In that moment, his body ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) moved like a specter, flashing through the Buddhist disciples like lightning.

Golden light erupted one after another, the sound of metal clashing filled the air.

Looking closely, it was as if more than a dozen indistinct silhouettes of Lu Ye were attacking all at once amidst the crowd. Some Buddhist disciples tried to block, only to see their spiritual weapons shattered; others couldn’t even follow his speed, and by the time they reacted, a splash of crimson had already bloomed across their throats.

In a single breath, a dozen figures moved simultaneously.

In the next, all merged into one.

Lu Ye returned to his original position beneath the Dao Comprehension Tree, once again sitting cross-legged.

The demonic sword clashed with the dharma body.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the dharma image. Its owner’s eyes widened in fury, but within them surged astonishment and disbelief—faint traces of regret even flickering deep inside.

"Pu pu pu..."

Blood gushed violently.

The Buddhist disciples who had moments earlier been alive and vigorous now knelt on the ground in near-identical postures, clutching their necks. The expressions on their faces shifted from confusion to agony.

Some tried to staunch the bleeding, to control their wounds the moment they were struck. But within each gash lingered an incredibly potent sword energy that gave them no chance to recover.

"Ah... Amitabha..."

Duzeng let out a final Buddhist chant before his body collapsed with a boom.

Chu Ling descended with her sword, landing on the ground and watching the scene unfold.

Shocked, her expression shifted again and again.

She turned, looking at Lu Ye with complicated eyes, and in that moment, the suspicion in her heart was utterly confirmed.

Young Lord... the reason he no longer argues with them, no longer mocks or ridicules them... is truly because, in his eyes, they no longer mean anything at all.

Too fast.

Lu Ye's cultivation speed had already far exceeded anything she could have predicted—it had reached a terrifying level.

He had absolutely no reason to get entangled with them anymore.

Because in just a short time, Lu Ye could leave them so far behind that no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t even be able to see his shadow.

He had not the slightest intention of involving himself with them again.

How long had it even been?

Since his rebirth and return, it had barely been half a year, and already his strength had reached such an inconceivable level.

Give him another two or three years, and he might very well ascend to the Second Heaven.

They would lose the right to ever see him again.

A crushing pain filled Chu Ling’s heart. So this... this was the decision the Young Lord had made?

From beginning to end, he never truly had any intense conflict with them. In the very beginning, yes, he had once harbored a murderous intent toward her. But now, when he looked at her, that gaze—it was exactly the same as looking at a stranger. No... even less than that.

He had completely ignored her.

Chu Ling dropped to her knees, her voice pleading.

"Young Lord!"

Lu Ye closed his eyes.

In his heart, not a single ripple stirred.

Being unfaithful, having eight women—that was his mistake. And he had paid the price for that mistake.

Back then, when he first crossed over, he hadn’t been chasing after beauties. Kinship, friendship, love—those were the things he longed for, the things he desperately sought.

But the road to the Dao... was paved with bones.

Brothers perished, seniors who guided him fell to ruin.

Once, he had already possessed it all.

But in this life, he no longer desired it. He only wanted to ascend to the peak of the Dao—a place he had never reached.

To awaken with the power to command the world, to fall asleep in a beauty’s arms—those were fleeting illusions.

Only the Dao!

Only the Dao!

Pain and determination filled Chu Ling’s eyes. Ever since the truth behind the Chu Sword Villa had come to light, she finally understood just how good Lu Ye had been to her back then.

He used to smile and call her his little maid, but there had been an unmistakable tenderness in his voice.

Who in this world would walk through blades and fire for a mere maid? Who would guard her path to emperorhood?

Who else would constantly tease her, just to make her laugh—and whenever she laughed, he would smile too, with the pure, childlike joy that could no longer be seen on his face now.

Chu Ling clutched her chest, gasping for breath.

It hurt too much. The pain was suffocating.

She fixed her gaze on the young man enveloped in a million glowing feathers, her fists clenched tightly.

"Young Lord, I’ll stay with you no matter what. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. I swear I’ll catch up to you!"

As she spoke, Chu Ling bowed her head and slammed it hard against the ground three times before rising and leaving.

She had to become strong.

No matter the cost, she had to become strong. She couldn’t imagine a life where Lu Ye never appeared before her again. To lose the one person in the world who loved her the most—how could she possibly go on?

She didn’t have Lu Ye’s single-minded pursuit of the Dao.

She was crossing through her own trial of love, her own sea of regret.

Lu Ye paid no attention to anything related to Chu Ling. He was thinking about something far more important.

He had already reached the peak of the Nascent Break stage, but he still hadn’t felt like he’d hit a ceiling.

Maybe... he could take this realm even further.

Like pushing the Nascent Break stage to over ten layers or something.

Keep pushing. Pushing is healthy!