Comprehension Ability: I Forge a Villainous Longevity Family

Chapter 584: Chapter 454: 1 Thought _2

"Oh?" Hearing Shi Hao say this, the Celestial Sword Elder was slightly surprised and began to speculate even more about Shi Hao’s identity.

He’s met a Longevity True Monarch, and from his words, it seems more than once. Does this mean the new master he recognizes is most likely a Longevity True Monarch as well?

Thinking of this, the Celestial Sword Elder felt a mix of emotions, both joy and sorrow.

Joyful because after so many years, he’s finally reached a time when he, the Celestial Sword, can rely on a Longevity True Monarch.

Sorrowful because why did this great fortune have to wait until he was eight hundred years old to arrive?

"Which True Monarchs have you met? Tell me about them."

"True Monarch Tihu of the Celestial Saint Palace, True Monarch Yimiao of the Daluo Taoist Lands, who is an old friend of my family, and True Monarch Bai Yu of the Immortal Ascension Sect, who is an old friend of my mentor."

Celestial Sword Elder: "???"

All Three Great Sacred Lands?

What kind of background does this new Venerable he follows have?

But speaking of which, this child Shi Hao still lacks some insight. Since he knows Saint Master Yimiao, how could he not know that the Earth Vein Ancient Tree was planted by the Daluo Saint Master themselves?

After a moment’s thought, the Celestial Sword Elder decided to subtly mention it.

"Saint Master Yimiao, speaking of which, over one hundred and seventy years ago, before this Saint Master came to the West State, this Earth Vein Ancient Tree had not yet appeared."

"Senior, have you met Saint Master Yimiao?" Shi Hao was a bit nervous.

"No, I would never have such fortune to meet Her Holiness the Saint Master... but this Earth Vein Ancient Tree in the West State was personally planted by Her Holiness."

Planted by Saint Master Yimiao?!

Shi Hao was shocked.

All this time since he first saw this Earth Vein Ancient Tree, he thought it might have been alive for countless tens of thousands of years, possibly outliving the history of the Human Race. After all, it was so tall and vast... but it has only grown for over a hundred and seventy years? And was it actually planted by someone he knows?

"Surprised?" the Celestial Sword Elder muttered, "But this is the means of a Longevity True Monarch... a single thought can determine the rise and fall of a state, another thought can extinguish all life, such might is far beyond what you and I can imagine at this time."

"..."

Shi Hao opened his mouth, but after a while, he still couldn’t say anything.

That rather attractive looking Saint Master Yimiao is actually so powerful, and his mentor has clashed with her several times... Speaking of which, his mentor is also quite formidable, right?

Yes, very formidable, as his mentor is called a prodigy unmatched by predecessors...

"Alright, if you’re interested, you can stay longer at the top of Yellow Dragon Peak and observe the means of a Longevity Master; it will be beneficial to your future path."

"What about you, senior? Won’t you stay a little longer to observe?"

"I have tasks assigned by your mentor to attend to. Besides, viewing these earth-shaking techniques should be left to juniors like you. For an old thing like me, it can disrupt my Dao heart to see too much."

Leaving these words, the Celestial Sword Elder flew away on his sword.

This time, he didn’t say he’d walk down Yellow Dragon Peak step by step.

And here, on this platform.

Shi Hao, left alone, remained lost in thought as he looked at the scene before him.

"Is this... really achievable by human strength?"

...

The collapse of the Earth Vein Ancient Tree was a trivial matter for Chen Zhixing, at most another piece of proof of his ’subsequent defeat of the Daluo Taoist Lands’ conspiracy.’

Yes, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree is large, very grand.

But in essence, to high-tier cultivators, it’s just an artificial marvel that can be swiftly recreated if one is willing to pay the price.

Any worldly creation, as long as it is man-made and reproducible, loses its perceived value in the eyes of others.

There’s no reasoning behind it.

As for the ideas and views of mortals.

Most cultivators are indifferent.

Long ago, the divide between cultivators and ordinary people made the two into distinctly different species.

What do the thoughts of ordinary people matter to cultivators?

If they truly cared, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree wouldn’t have been created, let alone collapsed as it has now.

Does it sound surreal?

Nirvana cultivators have a lifespan of a thousand years, while a mortal reaching seventy is considered rare.

While a mortal’s lifespan is seventy years, how long can a parrot that speaks human language live?

In the eyes of high-tier cultivators, mortals are akin to parrots in your own eyes, perhaps even less.

At least you might care about the life and death of some birds and animals, worrying that too many of them dying could disrupt the food chain. But to cultivators, mortals are like wheat in a field, which, once planted, quickly regrows.

This is entirely normal.

Compared to high-tier cultivators from Noble Families or Sacred Lands, it’s the smaller sects like the Iron Sword Sect that carry more human warmth.

At least the disciples of the Iron Sword Sect, upon discovering disaster, would organize to descend the mountain to provide relief, offering whatever help they can to the afflicted mortals.

Of course, this might also relate to the sparse population of Gan State, where most have some personal connection.

But in the end, they still did it!

It’s like when Chen Zhixing returned and saw two construction sites within the Celestial Break Mountain Range, one large and one small.

The small one is on the old site of the Iron Sword Sect on the Celestial Break Mountain, while the large one is a city being built at the foot of the Celestial Break Mountain.

Yes, a city!

Chen Zhixing concealed his presence, wandering among the crowd, and soon learned the reasons behind their efforts from the busy mortals and cultivators.

Listening to this, Chen Zhixing felt slightly dazed for a while.

The collapse of the Sky Pillar in West State triggered a great disaster in Gan State.

The Iron Sword Sect disciples rescued the afflicted people at the foot of the mountain, not only providing relief but also planning to build a city there, making it easier to offer help in the future, and allowing the people to thrive.

This sort of thing....

The Ziwei Chen Family has done this before.

The earliest Linjiang City beneath Ziwei Mountain appeared for similar reasons, and it was also the time when the Ziwei Chen Family was founded.

An identical pattern.

Could the Iron Sword Sect become the next Ziwei Chen Family?

After momentarily feeling dazed, Chen Zhixing shook his head with a wry smile.

"The rise of the Ziwei Chen Family was due to the ascension of Ancestor Chang Feng, and Linjiang City thrived because of the prosperity of the Ziwei Chen Family, unlike the Iron Sword Sect."

Yes, the only difference Chen Zhixing found was that the Iron Sword Sect lacked a Longevity True Monarch. Without this crucial factor, the newly built city lacks the foundation to evolve into an ancient city like Linjiang.

However, this is still a good start.

With this beginning, who’s to say that millions of years later, a Longevity True Monarch might emerge from beneath the Celestial Break Mountain?

"The possibility is slim; Gan State’s cultivation resources can’t support a Longevity sect master."

Upon a closer look, Chen Zhixing admitted that for small sects in Gan State, relying on their local resources is the only feasible path to eventual rise.

"Given time, the full integration of all resources in Gan State, combined with a resurgence of the West State... it might just be able to sustain a decent mountain gate.’

This could very well be the only workable route for cultivators in Gan State to ascend.

"If it can successfully transition, absorb all of Gan State’s resources, and with the forecasted revival of West State in a few hundred years... it seems feasible to sustain a respectable mountain gate."

Having observed closely, Chen Zhixing smiled wryly and shook his head.

"The only reason the Ziwei Chen Family rose to prominence was the rise of Ancestor Chang Feng, while Linjiang City came into prominence due to the Ziwei Chen Family, unlike the Iron Sword Sect."

He then realized the only difference he found was that the Iron Sword Sect had no Longevity True Monarch to rely on.

Yes, this was the only significant difference. Gan State’s cultivation resources cannot support a Longevity True Monarch."

After carefully observing, Chen Zhixing felt it remained a good start.

To have this beginning, who can say that it might not eventually lead to a well-established mountain gate beneath the Celestial Break Mountain?

"It’s not very likely, Gan State’s cultivation resource can’t support a sect for a Longevity True Monarch."

After a close look around, Chen Zhixing shook his head with a smile of amusement.

’Not a bad ambition, wanting to rebuild Iron Sword Sect with its Three Halls, Seven Peaks, and Twelve Palaces.’

Left these words behind, the Celestial Sword Elder flew off on his sword.

This time, he didn’t say that he would walk down the Yellow Dragon Peak step by step.

On the platform he left behind.

Shi Hao, still left alone, continued to stare at the scene before him in a daze.

"How... is this possible with the power of humans?"

...

The collapse of the Earth Vein Ancient Tree was just a trivial matter for Chen Zhixing, at most, it was just another piece of evidence proving that he had once again thwarted the schemes of the Daluo Taoist Lands.

Yes, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree was large and awe-inspiring.

But essentially, to a high-tier cultivator, such a marvel was merely an imitation that could be swiftly recreated as long as one can afford the costs.

When something is man-made and replicable, its value is greatly diminished in the eyes of others.

This needs no explanation.

As for the thoughts and perceptions of ordinary people.

Cultivators generally don’t care.

Long before, at some uncertain time, cultivators and ordinary people had become two different species.

The thoughts of ordinary people, what do they matter to cultivators?

If they truly cared, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree would never have existed, let alone collapsed as it did now.

Does it sound fantastical?

Nirvana cultivators can live for a thousand years, while a lifespan of seventy is rare for mortals.

A parrot that can live for several years, how does it compare to a mortal with a seventy-year lifespan who can speak?

In the eyes of high-tier cultivators, ordinary people are much like a parrot might seem to you: inferior and likely to be overlooked.

At least you might care about the life and death of some birds and animals and worry about the collapse of the food chain if too many die, but mortals to high-tier cultivators are just like crops in a field: as long as you sow them, they will quickly grow back.

This makes perfect sense.

Comparatively, the high-tier cultivators from Noble Families and Sacred Lands are the ones seemingly indulged in human traits.

At least the disciples of the Iron Sword Sect, when sensing disaster, will organize a rescue effort, extending whatever help they can to those in distress.

Certainly, this might be related to the nature of Gan State, where these connections are deeply interwoven.

Yet ultimately, it’s the actions they take that count!

This was evident when Chen Zhixing observed the two construction sites, one large and one small, in the Celestial Break Mountain Range.

As Chen Zhixing walked among the crowd, with his presence hidden, he quickly learned from the mortals what was motivating their labors.

The Sky Pillar of West State collapsed, causing a disaster in Gan State.

In response, the people at the Iron Sword Sect organized rescue efforts, providing aid to those affected and constructing a new city to better support the recovery and future growth of the population.

Truly...

He recalled that the Ziwei Chen Family had done something similar in the past.

Initially, Linjiang City emerged for similar reasons, coinciding with the founding of the Ziwei Chen Family at the time.

There really was a similarity between the two.

But in the end, Chen Zhixing couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head at this thought.

"The rise of the Ziwei Chen Family was due to the extraordinary emergence of Ancestor Chang Feng, whereas Linjiang City appeared due to the prosperity of Ziwei Chen Family, which is different from Iron Sword Sect."

For Chen Zhixing, the only difference he could find was that the Iron Sword Sect lacked a Longevity True Monarch to secure its position among the powerful.

Still, this start is promising.

With such a beginning, who knows? Millions of years later, a Longevity True Monarch might just emerge from the new city beneath Celestial Break Mountain.’

"The possibility seems slim, given Gan State’s limited cultivation resources cannot support a Longevity True Monarch."

After a careful assessment, Chen Zhixing chuckled to himself with intrigue.

’Not a bad ambition, aiming to rebuild Iron Sword Sect with three halls, seven peaks, and twelve palaces. Once complete, it could rival those of an average sect.’

After all, compared to high-tier cultivators who come from places like the Noble Families or Sacred Lands, it is often smaller sects like the Iron Sword Sect that carry a denser human spirit.

At least the Iron Sword Sect’s members, when calamity strikes, will organize to help and provide aid to the common people in need.

Of course, this might have something to do with the nature of Gan State’s smaller population and the deep community ties within it.

Nonetheless, they have made the effort!

Upon his arrival at the Iron Sword Sect, Chen Zhixing noticed the old figure at the forefront, busy at the construction site, and a tinge of amusement appeared in his eyes.

"And they say ambition is not a small thing," he thought, "Reconstructing the Iron Sword Sect with three halls, seven peaks, and twelve palaces might surpass the typical sect."

When the time comes, if they can achieve a smooth transition by absorbing all the resources of Gan State and revitalize the sect after a few hundred to a thousand years... It’s quite possible for a respectable mountain gate to be sustained this way, he thought.

"If they can really stabilize and absorb all the resources from Gan State and then, after a few centuries to a millennium from now, when West State begins to recover... It seems feasible to sustain a respectable sect."

He took a closer look, observing the elderly figure leading the efforts on the construction site with a hint of amusement in his expression.

’This old one has quite the ambition—three halls, seven peaks, and twelve palaces. Once the Iron Sword Sect is rebuilt, it might surpass the average sect."

"If this can become a stable transition, absorbing all of Gan State to support a sect in the future... With a few hundred to a thousand years of recovery in West State, maybe it can support a fine mountain gate."

With these thoughts, he decided it was a good beginning after all.

Evolution takes time, and who’s to say a Longevity True Monarch won’t emerge from beneath Celestial Break Mountain some million years ahead?

"""