Chapter 17: Bodhi and Old Man Source

Inside the Hall of Ten Thousand Races in the Three Realms.

Kong Xiu truthfully recounted everything: "We were trapped in Earthsound Mountain, Lu Wu and Feng Ji were severely wounded, and we were about to collapse... Then Beiming, Fellow Daoist Beiming, who had been carefully observing within the formation, finally saw through the illusion to perceive the reality of Earthsound Mountain. So he stepped out of the formation, blocked the invisible attacks there, and led us safely out of Earthsound Mountain."

"Blocked the attacks?" asked the Thunder God, one of the many mighty cultivators. "Kong Xiu, you said earlier that the attacks of Earthsound Mountain were extremely powerful. Ancestor Xi barely managed to withstand them with the help of a formation and was even injured. And now Ji Ning stepped out of the formation and blocked them?"

"Yes," Kong Xiu nodded, his eyes bright and smiling. "Fellow Daoist Beiming is one of the rarest extraordinary figures since Pangu's creation. His sword force has now reached the fifth level."

"Reached the fifth level?" The Thunder God found it hard to believe. "How is that possible?"

The entire hall stirred with commotion.

The fifth level of sword force?

Every cultivator who reached the fifth level of sword force was a top-tier existence among the mighty. With Ji Ning also mastering the Five Treasured Swords, he would be even more fearsome.

"Really?"

"He has been cultivating for less than a thousand years, hasn't he?" The mighty ones murmured among themselves.

Buddha Tathagata, seated at the highest place, spoke: "Indeed, it is so."

The Thunder God was stunned and could no longer speak.

"Hahaha..." Ancestor Bodhi, seated above, laughed.

Lord Sanqing beside him smiled: "Bodhi, you knew already?"

Bodhi stroked his beard with pride.

"Junior apprentice-brother, truly remarkable." Houyi also laughed. "The final battle gains another great general."

The Thunder God below felt a complex mix of emotions. He was inherently proud and had never taken Ji Ning seriously before. But Ji Ning's performance in the Zhulu Great World had already unsettled him. At that time, he consoled himself that the young Ji Ning relied on formations and the Messenger of All Things, and his true personal strength was far inferior.

But now, with the fifth level of sword force and surpassing the limits of the Heavenly Dao, Ji Ning had become the indisputable number one sword immortal of the Three Realms!

"Bodhi," the Thunder God spoke. "Congratulations."

Bodhi looked at the Thunder God and said with a smile: "I like to keep secrets. I hope you're not angry, Thunder God."

"Why would I be angry? I'm delighted that our Nuwa camp gains another great general." The Thunder God replied.

Bodhi nodded.

Although the Thunder God was stubborn and proud, he was utterly loyal to the Nuwa camp. However, his old friend 'Old Man Source,' once his very close friend and far stronger than the Thunder God, still wavered between the two camps and had not truly joined the Nuwa camp.

"Old friend, I truly don't want to fight you to the death." Bodhi thought to himself.

...

On a dilapidated star, two mighty cultivators were present.

In front of a thatched hut.

An old man with a red nose sat cross-legged before a small table. Opposite him sat Bodhi, with white hair and beard—this was Bodhi's incarnation.

"Congratulations! Your disciple has reached the fifth level of sword force." The red-nosed old man sighed. "What a pity. I saw Ji Ning's immense potential early on and wanted to take him as my disciple, but you refused."

"I didn't refuse at the time," Bodhi said. "I said then that if you joined our side, you could immediately take Ji Ning as your disciple. But you refused."

"I still can't agree now." Old Man Source shook his head.

"Hmph."

Bodhi sneered. "You've seen our struggle with the Abyss Gate until now. You should realize that neither side can coexist peacefully. Yet you still waver! The high-sounding words you said before, about not wanting to see old brothers die one by one—but by doing this, you cause more old friends to die! All those words were nothing but bullshit!"

"Yes," Old Man Source nodded, his gaze distant. "I admit, those words were for face. They were all lies."

Bodhi just looked at him.

His heart ached.

They had emerged together from chaos, ignorant and naive, supporting each other, discussing the Dao, and advancing together on the path of cultivation. Their bond was as deep as blood brothers. Some old friends died in the ancient wars, others in the destruction of the ancient era. San Shou and others had already perished.

Few of the living remained, yet this old friend 'Old Man Source' had not stood with them at the most critical moment.

"Finally admitted it." Bodhi said coldly.

"Yes."

Old Man Source shook his head. "Since ancient times, when I encountered invasions by chaotic alien races, killed them, and obtained their techniques and records of the endless chaos, I understood that we were merely in a chaos world. The endless chaos holds a vaster realm. At that time, I yearned to go further and see more."

"We True Gods born from chaos are just natives. What great cultivators are we? We only have such strength because of our origins." Old Man Source shook his head. "In the endless chaos, World Gods and Chaos Immortals are the true mighty ones. They can easily destroy our world."

"Nuwa saw through it long ago. The Three Realms were too small for her, so she left to explore the vaster realm."

"I also want to venture into the wider world." Old Man Source's eyes burned with desire. "But my strength is insufficient. From those chaotic aliens and the Lord of All Things, I learned that even the Lord of All Things is merely average in the endless chaos. There are countless beings more powerful. Luo Hou and other aliens are just minor figures."

"I must become strong enough."

"The struggle of the Three Realms? The conflict between the Nuwa camp and the Abyss Gate? I never cared. Your vision is too narrow—you see only the Three Realms, while I see the endless chaos." Old Man Source shook his head. "I never intended to waste my heart and life on the internal strife of the Three Realms."

"I want to go out and become stronger."

"I merely live in the Three Realms, lacking better techniques and opportunities. If I go out, I might become a World God or a Chaos Immortal." Old Man Source looked forward. "That is what I anticipate and desire!"

Bodhi still looked at him coldly and said icily: "Selfish! Yes, compared to the endless chaos, the Three Realms are tiny, and we are indeed natives. But this is our home! The Three Realms are our home, where we were born together with our old friends, like blood brothers. Now they are in trouble, and you stand by, watching your old friends go to war and die, all for your so-called desire to become a World God or Chaos Immortal."

"I never thought the Source of old would become like this." Bodhi shook his head.

"Hahaha..."

Old Man Source laughed, his beard and hair trembling. Then he looked at Bodhi with sharp eyes. "Yes, I am selfish. The path of cultivation is inherently selfish. Walking this path, I must cherish my life. I must seize every chance to become stronger. Should I foolishly go and fight alongside you?"

"You cannot remain aloof. Neither our side nor the Abyss Gate will allow it." Bodhi felt pained but still tried to persuade.

"I will try to gain benefits from the Abyss Gate." Old Man Source said indifferently. "Don't worry. Before the final battle, I will leave the Three Realms and enter the endless chaos, taking a few old friends who follow me to venture there. As for the life-and-death struggle between you and the Abyss Gate, I won't interfere."

"Leave?" Bodhi was shocked.

"Yes." Old Man Source sneered. "Did you think I would actually fight for the Abyss Gate? No. Neither you nor the Abyss Gate is worth me risking my life."

"Good, good, good." Bodhi laughed as if seeing a great joke. "In my dream of the Three Realms, I saw many mortals change. Now I find that the hearts of gods and demons can also change. You have changed. Compared to the Source who first emerged from chaos, you have changed too much."

"At that time, I was just born, holding a Great Dao by birth. Beyond that, what did we know? We were too innocent." Old Man Source shook his head. "For me, brothers and old friends come second. First is my path of cultivation."

Bodhi gave Old Man Source a deep look, then vanished into thin air.

Old Man Source sat silently, picked up the wine cup on the small table, and took a light sip: "When I reach the World realm, looking back, this will be nothing but a memory."