Chapter 66: Dare to Be Ruthless With Yourself?

Chapter 66: Dare to Be Ruthless With Yourself? Sword Dao Institute. After being defeated by Cao Youqian, Lin Ping’an locked himself in his courtyard and drank all day. In less than half a month, Lin Ping’an had become utterly dejected. The lackeys who used to follow him around saw the state he was in and all left him one by one. Rumors began to spread. Many people said that Lin Ping’an had become a complete cripple and would never be able to pick up a sword again in his life. His Dao heart had been completely shattered. These rumors naturally reached the ears of the Sword Martial King. As the head of the institute—and Lin Ping’an’s master—the Sword Martial King naturally didn’t want to see his disciple sink into despair. So, he decided to go check on the boy and see just what kind of state he was in. Clang! The Sword Martial King kicked open Lin Ping’an’s door, and was met with a chaotic mess. The room reeked of alcohol mixed with all kinds of strange odors, causing the Sword Martial King to frown slightly. Inside the room, Lin Ping’an instinctively glanced toward the door when he heard it open. When he saw who it was, he froze for a moment. He had thought someone had come to stir up trouble. He didn’t expect it to be his master. Thinking of this, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. 'How could I have forgotten about my master? As long as I’m still his disciple, no one in the Sword Dao Institute will dare cause me trouble.' 'But judging by his expression, he’s probably here to expel me from the sect.' 'That’s fine too. I can just go back to living as I did before.' “Disciple greeti—” Before Lin Ping’an could finish his sentence, he felt his body completely lose control. The next second, it was as if he had fallen from the sky. Splash! He plunged straight into the pond in the courtyard. The elders who had accompanied the Sword Martial King looked stunned by the scene, their eyes filled with confusion. Wasn’t the Head here to expel Lin Ping’an from the sect? Gasp— Lin Ping’an choked on the water, then sat in the pond, staring blankly at the Sword Martial King, his mind completely blank. The Sword Martial King walked up, grabbed Lin Ping’an by the head, and shoved it into the water. After a moment, he dragged Lin Ping’an back out. Gah— Lin Ping’an spat out a mouthful of water and panted heavily. The Sword Martial King simply stared into Lin Ping’an’s eyes. Seeing no change in his gaze, he dunked him again. Over and over. Eventually, Lin Ping’an’s expression began to shift to anger. In his mind, he didn’t care if his master wanted to cripple him or expel him from the sect. But what was this supposed to be—humiliation? “Not bad.” Seeing the fury in Lin Ping’an’s eyes, the Sword Martial King said, “You’ve finally sobered up a bit. Now we can have a proper talk.” ??? Lin Ping’an looked completely bewildered. He had no idea what his cheap master meant. The Sword Martial King waved his hand at the followers. They bowed and then left. “This dull disciple asks Master for guidance.” Lin Ping’an wasn’t a fool. How could he not tell that his master hadn’t given up on him? “Hmph!” The Sword Martial King snorted coldly. “You’re going to give up on yourself just because of one defeat?” Lin Ping’an said, “Master, this disciple just can’t understand—why was I...” He let out all the frustration that had been pent up in his heart. “Hmph!” The Sword Martial King snorted again. “It seems you still haven’t realized where you lost.” “I ask Master for guidance,” Lin Ping’an replied humbly. “Because you’re not ruthless enough. Not to yourself, and even less to your enemies. The Seven Kill Sword Technique in your hands is like a pearl covered in dust.” The Sword Martial King paused before continuing, “Cao Youqian used to be weaker than you, but he dared to temper his body in flames. He dared to break through his limits in a thousand-year icy pool. And on top of that, he has the support of a Pill King ancestor. Losing to him is only natural. But that’s all in the past. Now you have me, your master, backing you. The resources you’ll receive from here on out will be no less than his. So now, I ask you—do you dare to be more ruthless with yourself?” Upon hearing this, Lin Ping’an’s eyes burned with intense fighting spirit. “As long as I can become stronger, I’m willing to do anything.” “Good.” The Sword Martial King said, “The reason you fall short compared to people like Cao Youqian and Xiao Chen is that you haven’t grasped your own unique sword intent—especially the Seven Kill Sword Intent. To comprehend the Seven Kill Sword Intent, you must go through countless life-and-death battles. Only when your killing intent is strong enough will your swordsmanship be powerful enough. If you’re willing to walk the path of slaughter, come find me within three days.” Splash. Lin Ping’an leapt from the pond and knelt before the Sword Martial King. “This disciple is willing to walk the path of slaughter and cultivate the Sword of Slaughter!” “Good!” The Sword Martial King was overjoyed, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. ... At the Miscellaneous Dao Institute. Xiao Chen had stayed for some days and was now preparing to bid farewell to Chu Feng. Watching Xiao Chen grow stronger by the day, Chu Feng smiled and asked, “When do you plan to return after heading down the mountain this time?” Xiao Chen replied, “A year from now, when my three-year promise with Qin Rou arrives, I’ll return to Wendao Academy.” The moment Qin Rou’s name was mentioned, Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered with intense battle intent. That woman was the last thorn in his heart. Only by defeating her could he remove it and perfect his sword intent. Chu Feng patted him on the shoulder. “I won’t say much—just remember one thing: when you’re out in the world, it’s good to have a few extra identities.” ??? Xiao Chen looked confused. “Master, what do you mean by identities?” Chu Feng said, “You’re becoming quite well-known. You’ll definitely run into all kinds of trouble. It’s better to change your appearance and use another name when acting in the outside world. It’ll help your cultivation journey a lot.” Xiao Chen nodded thoughtfully. “Your disciple understands. This time, I won’t act under the name of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute’s senior brother.” “Go on.” Chu Feng smiled as he saw Xiao Chen off. At the side, Cao Youqian also spoke up. “Master, I also plan to head down the mountain to continue cultivating and comprehend my Fist Intent as soon as possible.” Chu Feng grinned and said, “You’re probably scared of being beaten up by Xiao Chen, huh?” Over the past few days, Xiao Chen had been giving Cao Youqian pointers every day—and every time, Cao Youqian had ended up getting beaten badly. Cao Youqian scratched his head and said, “Master, how can you say that? That’s slandering the bond between me and big brother Xiao. We were just exchanging pointers.” Seeing this, even Qin Qin couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, alright, let’s say it was friendly sparring.” Chu Feng brushed it off, then added, “I won’t say much to you either. Just train hard. If you can win, then fight. If you can’t, then run.” “Mm.” Cao Youqian acknowledged the instruction and turned to leave the mountain. Chu Feng then turned his gaze to his youngest disciple, a charming smile on his face. For some reason, when Qin Qin saw that smile, a line suddenly flashed through her mind—‘Master, don’t come any closer!’ Just then, Chu Feng said, “Qin’er, don’t you think it’s time you set a little goal for yourself too?” ==================================================================================== Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44