Chapter 117: A Meaningful Conversation

"Ugh." Lu Zhe slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he did, a burst of bright sunlight pierced into his vision, forcing him to instinctively shield his eyes with his hand. He squinted, and only after adjusting to the brilliance did he open his eyes fully, sitting up to take in his surroundings.

Looking around, Lu Zhe was deeply astonished. He did not know when he had left that scorching, arid cave. He was now on the summit of an unknown mountain. The scenery was enchanting; clouds and mist swirled among the neighboring peaks, and from time to time, the chirping of birds drifted on the breeze, making one feel refreshed, relaxed, and at ease.

"You're awake," the voice of Elder Yi came from behind him.

Lu Zhe looked back to see Elder Yi sitting cross-legged on a rock. As a gentle breeze blew, his robes and white hair fluttered, giving him an air of indescribable elegance and grace.

"Master," Lu Zhe said as he approached. He glanced around again and asked with some confusion, "Master, where are we now?"

Elder Yi took a gentle, deep breath to steady his mind, then looked at the bewildered Lu Zhe and smiled slightly. "We are on the top of a mountain." He pointed to Lu Zhe's body and asked with concern, "How are your injuries?"

Lu Zhe felt around his body and discovered that his external wounds had almost completely healed, though his internal injuries would require some time to recover fully. Sensing that there was no major issue, Lu Zhe gave an honest, simple smile. "I'm fine, Master. I've recovered quite a bit. You must have treated me, right? Thank you, Master."

Watching Lu Zhe’s childlike smile, Elder Yi smiled faintly, stood up from the rock, and walked to the edge of the cliff. He stood there silently, gazing at the rolling mountains as if lost in thought.

Watching the elder standing and gazing into the distance, Lu Zhe scratched his head, looking utterly perplexed. A moment later, as if remembering something, he asked hurriedly, "Master, what about the Fire Sunflower of the Extreme Mountain? Did they take it? And what about them? How did we get here?"

Hearing this, Elder Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Rest assured, they did not steal the rare medicine." Turning around, he walked over to Lu Zhe and touched his storage ring. After a flash of light, the jar containing the Fire Sunflower of the Extreme Mountain appeared in his hand.

Lu Zhe looked at the jar. The bright red herb inside stood still, undisturbed by the outside world. Its fiery red petals were in full bloom, the stem slightly curved, and most beautiful of all were the nine crystal-clear seeds within the flower's heart. Under the sunlight, those nine crimson, lustrous seeds seemed to shimmer, breathtaking to behold. The entire flower sat in the jar with such elegance and beauty that one could not help but be intoxicated by it.

Lu Zhe swallowed hard, staring at the 'Fire Sunflower of the Extreme Mountain' for a long time. Finally, he withdrew his gaze, though still yearning for more. Looking at Elder Yi with an impatient expression, he asked with excitement, "Master, when do you intend for me to absorb and refine it?"

Hearing this, Elder Yi shook his head with a mysterious smile. "Do not be impatient. Although your external injuries have healed, your internal ones need time to mend. Furthermore, I have yet to prepare the 'Cold Water Pill' necessary for absorbing and refining this rare medicine. Once your internal injuries are healed and the pill is refined, then you may absorb it."

Seeing Lu Zhe's crestfallen expression, Elder Yi tapped him on the head and laughed, "Greed can be the downfall of a man. With your internal injuries, if you were to rashly try to absorb and refine it now, you would likely be reduced to ashes by the sheer power of the medicine before you could even finish." He paused, then added, "Every one of these rare herbs is formed from the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, shaped over days and nights of accumulation. Over time, they contain vast, surging spiritual energy. As a mere five-star Spirit Master, it is already a great fortune for you to have laid eyes on such a rare treasure. In my day, the time and effort I spent to obtain the 'Three-Marvel Green Spirit Flower'—you cannot fathom the twists, turns, and hardships I endured."

After listening to Elder Yi's long and profound speech, Lu Zhe nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Then when will my internal injuries be completely recovered?"

Elder Yi took a deep breath, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Although your internal injuries did not damage your vital organs, they are not light. I fear it will take a full month to recover completely."

"Ah, you can't be serious!" Lu Zhe exclaimed in shock.

"Did you get scalded by hot water? Why are you shouting so loud?" Elder Yi picked at his ear, waved his hand to store the herb back into his ring, and chided him.

"No," Lu Zhe said hurriedly, explaining, "Master, I told you before that I started cultivating because of a bet. Now, there are less than two years left until that three-year appointment. Logically, I shouldn't be resting. If I can't even defeat a girl like Shangguan Yijing when the time comes, how could I ever hold my head high in Qingxi Town?"

"Hold your head high in Qingxi Town? Is your ambition really so small?" Elder Yi asked with a huff.

Faced with this question, Lu Zhe suddenly realized he couldn't answer. He lowered his head and pondered for a while, then scratched his head and said with a blank expression, "Ambition? Honestly, I’ve never really thought about that."

"Pfft!" Upon hearing this, Elder Yi, who was in the middle of drinking water, spat it out, clearly caught off guard. He looked at Lu Zhe with disbelief and bewilderment. "Are you joking with me? A grown man who has no clear ambition or aspirations? What do you usually think about?"

"What do I think about?" After hearing Elder Yi's question, Lu Zhe fell into deep thought. Yes, what did he usually think about? Looking back, he couldn't remember anything before the age of eight. Since Old Oil Six had saved him, he had lived in Qingxi Town. At first, he survived by begging, then as he grew older, he worked at Old Oil Six's dock carrying cargo to earn a living. Later, he met Xiao Hui, lived with him for three or four years, and then released him. Thinking about it carefully, he really had never truly considered what he wanted to do in the future, let alone think about ambitions or aspirations.

"Come to think of it, I really haven't thought about the future," Lu Zhe whispered to himself.

"A person must have an ambition. Regardless of whether it can be achieved, you at least need a goal to strive for. What is your goal?" Watching the pensive Lu Zhe, Elder Yi asked with concern.

"To defeat Shangguan Yijing," Lu Zhe said without hesitation.

"And after defeating Shangguan Yijing?" Elder Yi continued.

"I... I haven't thought about that," Lu Zhe said, his voice lacking conviction.

"You can't be serious. Is your goal really that small?" Elder Yi asked, unconvinced.

Lu Zhe thought carefully for a while and said, "It seems it really is that small."

"Have you never thought about becoming a renowned powerhouse on this continent?" Elder Yi persisted, refusing to give up.

As soon as Elder Yi said this, it seemed to strike a chord in Lu Zhe. His body trembled slightly, and after a long silence, he asked with a lost expression, "Master, you tell me—what is the point of cultivation? And what can one do after becoming a powerhouse?"

"This..." Hearing this, Elder Yi was rendered speechless for a moment. A while later, he let out a long sigh and said with a weary voice, "What is the point, you ask? Indeed, what is the point of cultivation? And what can one do after becoming a powerhouse?"

"I don't dislike cultivation because I think it's a waste of time. It can prolong one's life, so how could it be a waste? And after becoming a powerhouse, one would naturally have no worries about food or clothing, enjoying wealth and luxury, so how could one ever go hungry? I don't want to cultivate because I don't want to kill people," Lu Zhe said, his voice bitter.

These were Lu Zhe's most honest thoughts. After Old Oil Six told him about cultivation, he had pondered this during his time in the dilapidated temple. Old Oil Six had told him that while cultivation could make one strong, it was not easy to become a dominant or renowned powerhouse in this continent filled with deceit and intrigue. The stronger one became, the greater the danger, because enemies would fear that you would threaten them once you became powerful, so they would stop at nothing to eliminate you before you could grow, leaving no future trouble. You, in turn, would have to adopt the same mindset to avoid meeting a tragic end—if the opponent didn't die, the danger would be endless. Thus, to become a powerhouse, one had to step over the corpses of those who threatened them. Almost all the renowned powerhouses on the continent had hands stained with blood and feet treading on countless corpses. Lu Zhe was kind by nature and could not bear to kill, which was why he had chosen to give up cultivation.

After hearing Lu Zhe’s profound words, Elder Yi stood still for a long time. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at Lu Zhe. "Then why do you still want this rare medicine? Is it truly just to defeat Shangguan Yijing?"

Lu Zhe nodded, non-committally.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha!" Hearing this, Elder Yi suddenly looked up and laughed heartily. His laughter was bold and unrestrained. He looked down at Lu Zhe, who felt baffled by his behavior, and his voice suddenly turned cold. "Kid, you are still too naive. If you manage to defeat Shangguan Yijing, I can guarantee that the Yufeng Sect will not let you off easily."

"Why?" Lu Zhe asked, confused.

Elder Yi's voice returned to its usual tone. "Remember this: sects have one thing in common—they absolutely refuse to let their honor be tarnished. The more famous the sect, the truer this is. Although the Yufeng Sect is only a second-rate power, their pride is likely no less. If you defeat Shangguan Yijing, it will show that their next sect leader is weak and vulnerable. To prevent such a scandal from spreading, they will inevitably find a way to eliminate you to preserve their reputation."

"You don't mean that," Lu Zhe asked, finding it hard to believe.

"You don't think so? Once you defeat Shangguan Yijing, you will know for yourself. Open your eyes wide and see for yourself just how petty these so-called righteous sects can be," Elder Yi said, patting Lu Zhe on the shoulder. He pondered for a moment and then said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It's getting late, and it's time for us to set off."

"Set off? Where to?" Lu Zhe asked with confusion.

"Back to Qingxi Town!"