Chapter 72: The True Master Sheng (Continued)

The reason Wang Li suddenly thought of this question was that he had always found Lord Sheng far too mysterious, and he wanted to probe his depths further.

Lord Sheng asked with great interest, “Do you really want to see?”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it,” Wang Li replied with a nod.

No sooner had he spoken than a surge of revelation jolted his very soul, rendering him unable to take a single step forward.

When the sensation passed, his vision blurred. The scene around him vanished, and he found himself in a space of utter chaos. Before him appeared the figure of a plump, fair-skinned youth.

Wang Li stared blankly at the boy, at a loss for what to do.

The chubby youth studied Wang Li, then shook his head, “Your nerves are too frail—poor performance!”

Startled by the youth’s words, Wang Li instinctively assumed a defensive stance.

“Heh, you’ve been calling my name in your soul for months now, yet you don’t recognize me at this moment?”

“Lord Sheng?” Wang Li ventured uncertainly.

“The one and only,” the plump youth nodded, admitting his identity.

Wang Li’s worldview seemed to waver. The Lord Sheng he had called upon for months turned out to be a youth about his own age. It was a disconcerting realization.

A mix of feelings churned within him—he couldn’t help but want to let it all out. Though he had read about the eccentricities of some seniors in the cultivation world, he had never heard of any great figure presenting themselves as a plump, fair-skinned youth—especially one whose very appearance evoked a sense of comic relief.

Lord Sheng was fair and chubby, not exactly obese, and appeared to stand a bit over seven feet tall—not short, but somewhat ill-proportioned. To sum up: his legs were a bit short, making his rounded upper body look like an oversized wind chime floating midair. With his baby fat cheeks and a pair of prominent ears, he was enough to make one want to laugh at first glance.

The only thing distinguishing him from an ordinary chubby boy was a pair of unusually clear, large eyes. Those eyes gave Wang Li the impression they could see through all things, leaving him feeling as exposed as a lamb stripped bare.

Lord Sheng’s appearance was not merely unlike the image of a true master—it bore absolutely no relation at all.

“Shouldn’t masters have that ethereal, immortal air, or at least a dignified and commanding presence? Is this the new fashion among masters now?” Wang Li thought to himself with a hint of sarcasm.

Lord Sheng paid no heed to Wang Li’s gaze, a mocking smile playing on his rounded face. “Your nerves are too frail. You’re just a child—I won’t hold it against you.”

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

Still reeling from the shock of Lord Sheng’s utterly unorthodox appearance, Wang Li shook his head and asked blankly, “What did you say?”

Lord Sheng replied coolly, “The Path of Endurance is not a path of mere survival—it is an attitude toward life.”

Wang Li hesitated. “Did you really say that?”

With a wave of his hand, Lord Sheng said, “It’s the spirit of the thing that matters.”

“Cause and effect, cause and effect. Every cause brings a result. By choosing to meet me, our fates are now bound together. For the rest of your life, you won’t be able to shake me off.”

Wang Li didn’t understand and shook his head, signaling his confusion.

Lord Sheng laughed, “It’s better that you don’t understand! It gives me room to maneuver!”

That, Wang Li understood—so he was easy to fool, was he?

He was exasperated. “Lord Sheng, should you really say that out loud? Are you calling me a fool to my face?”

“Oh, right!” With a clap of his plump hand, Lord Sheng’s smile squeezed his eyes into narrow slits. “Young people should be content. Not everyone has the qualifications to be a fool.”

“You… are a qualified fool.”

Wang Li wanted to curse.

Sensing Wang Li’s mood, Lord Sheng spread his hands. “It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth, and you can’t deny it.”

“I…” Wang Li almost refuted him, but on second thought, Lord Sheng made sense.

How could a useless wretch who might die at any time be in any position to negotiate with a sage—even if that sage was now only a remnant soul?

“Yes, that’s the right attitude.” Lord Sheng clapped Wang Li’s shoulder. “Recognizing your own situation is more important than cultivation!”

“If you know your place, that’s good. Listen to me in the future, and you won’t lose out.”

Wang Li shook off Lord Sheng’s hand, keeping a straight face. “You’re the master here, you have the final say!”

Lord Sheng chuckled, “Oh, you still have some spirit!”

“It’s good for a young man to have some fire!”

A hint of envy rose in Lord Sheng’s eyes.

Wang Li was a bit confused, and just as he was about to ask, Lord Sheng explained on his own, “I come from another world. When I entered the Great Wilderness, I kept a low profile and focused on cultivation. I, too, once wanted to roam the world with sword in hand, but the competition in the Great Wilderness was too fierce. I had no choice but to devote all my energy to cultivation.”

“By the time I achieved the Da Luo status, with enough power to protect myself, I wanted to enjoy the mortal world—but it was already too late. Do you know why?”

“Why?” Wang Li followed up.

“Because to achieve the Da Luo status, one must begin to shed all that makes one human—emotions, desires, greed, anger, delusion, love. All must be abandoned in pursuit of the highest sanctity. No other thoughts can remain.”

Lord Sheng sighed, “If I had known that sainthood meant no longer being human, perhaps I would never have been deceived.”

Wang Li was startled. “Deceived? Who could deceive you? Was it that person?”

Lord Sheng laughed, “That fellow wasn’t clever enough, nor did he have the habit of deception. It was a group of people from my homeland who led me astray. Their Great Wilderness was not the one I entered. Following their advice, I was bound to hit a wall.”

“But I don’t blame them. They were just workers trying to make a living. I failed to understand the situation myself—I can’t blame anyone else.”

Wang Li was bewildered. “Workers?”

“The soul of the worker! But none of that matters now, not to you, nor to me. In the Heavenly Profound World, there’s no such thing as working for others anymore. I will become myself again!”

Lord Sheng waved his hand excitedly. “I don’t expect you to become a god or an ancestor. As long as you can be a local emperor in the Heavenly Profound World and live freely, that’s enough. Are you interested?”

Wang Li could see Lord Sheng’s irrepressible joy but couldn’t share the feeling himself.

What he cared about most was whether Lord Sheng still wanted him to keep enduring in obscurity.

“Endure you must.” Lord Sheng said, “As I told you before, the outside world is dangerous. Who knows what hidden powers lurk in the Heavenly Profound World? You mustn’t stand out too much. Just enjoy life quietly.”

Wang Li interrupted, “Lord Sheng, may I ask a question?”

“What is it?”

“As far as I know, even becoming an Earth Immortal in this world grants only a lifespan of about a hundred thousand years. I want immortality…”