nownovels Chapter 80: Banquet and Discussion of Metaphysics, The Theory of the First Rebirth
Chapter 80: Banquet and Discussion of Metaphysics, The Theory of the First Rebirth
"Gao Yunheng... a dragon and an elephant..."
After listening, Chen Ye frowned slightly, and a look of seriousness appeared in his eyes.
If Gao Yunheng were to truly become a Dragon Elephant Martial Master, the Xie family would be even more powerful, and the Gao family would inevitably become too difficult to control.
We need to find the path to nine rebirths as soon as possible.
Thinking of this, Chen Ye completely lost interest in drinking.
Seeing that the time was right, Chen Ye declined Zuo Dongxi's invitation to spend the night with the Bitao sisters, citing important matters at the Cui residence, and did not linger any longer.
After drinking the last of his wine with Su Guang and Zuo Dongxi, he rose to take his leave and returned directly to the Cui residence.
Chen Ye did not go out for the next few days.
Every day, he would wait for news in his guest room while simultaneously honing his physical body with a knife in the courtyard.
The Mixed Blade Technique has been perfected, and the Three-Part Blade Intent has also been mastered.
However, there is still an inexplicable barrier between the true physical body and the physical body being "purified".
Several days later, Hongling finally brought Cui Xijun's message.
"Miss instructed that the master wishes to see you first upon returning home tonight, after which you may enter the Scripture Pavilion. Here is your Jade Marrow Pill for this month."
Hongling took out a white jade porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Chen Ye.
Having spent these days together, Chen Ye had long since discerned that Hong Ling was a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart. He could only try to appease her and not confront her directly, so he quickly and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Hong Ling."
Seeing that Chen Ye didn't have the condescending attitude of the other retainers, Hong Ling's impression of him improved even more, and a smile appeared on her face.
So she kindly reminded him, "When Master Ye sees you, he will most likely host a banquet. You can eat less for lunch and save some room for dinner."
Chen Ye couldn't help but chuckle, and said gently, "Alright, thank you for your guidance, Miss Hongling."
Hongling's smile deepened, and she puffed out her already not-so-ample chest. Without saying another word, she turned and left.
As evening approached, Cui Zhenru indeed sent someone to invite him.
At this time, the flower hall of the Cui residence was brightly lit.
When Chen Ye followed the servants to his seat, several people were already seated in the hall.
Seated at the head of the table was Cui Zhenru, the head of the Cui family, whose dignified bearing and imposing presence emanated from him.
Several short tables were set up on the left and right sides below it.
On either side sat a man who appeared to be a retainer, both around forty or fifty years old, with a deep and composed aura, clearly martial arts masters with cultivation.
"Please sit down," Cui Zhenru gestured, his tone gentle yet authoritative.
Chen Ye followed instructions and, with great self-awareness, sat down at the last seat, his gaze sweeping lightly over the two guests in front of him.
This was the first time he had formally shared a table with the other retainers in the mansion since becoming one of their retainers.
Cui Zhenru introduced them, saying, "This is Chen Ye, the champion of this year's martial arts examination in the capital. These are Jiang Yuanrang and Huangfu Zhuo, my guest elders. If you wish to enter the Scripture Pavilion to select a training method, you can consult them for guidance. They are both Dragon Elephant Martial Masters with many years of experience; their training experience should be helpful to you."
Chen Ye quickly stood up and said, "Senior Jiang, Senior Huangfu, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The leading guest elder, Jiang Yuanrang, looked Chen Ye up and down, then said with a smile, "I heard that Brother Chen won first place in the martial arts examination this time. Truly, the younger generation is formidable. May I ask what stage your cultivation has reached?"
Chen Ye bowed slightly, his gaze lowered, neither arrogant nor humble, and calmly replied, "I've been reborn seven times by sheer luck, and I'm still being refined."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanrang and Huangfu Zhuo were both filled with surprise, clicking their tongues in amazement and saying, "Seven transformations, even among the younger generation of aristocratic families in the capital, this is already an outstanding level. Brother Chen, you have such cultivation at such a young age, you are truly promising for the future of the Innate Realm."
As they were talking, several more retainers arrived one after another.
Chen Ye secretly counted, and there were already seven or eight people.
To his surprise, Cui Kan, the young master of the Cui family, also came.
He was dressed in an ivory-white robe and wore a jade crown. He sat down calmly to Cui Zhenru's right, his demeanor already revealing a hint of the young master's bearing.
He was completely different from the person Chen Ye had seen before.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Cui Zhenru said, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin the banquet. Since you are all guests of the household, this is a good opportunity for you all to get to know each other."
As soon as he finished speaking, the servants who had been waiting outside filed in and brought out the prepared dishes one by one.
The main course was a plate of golden-brown roasted lamb, along with a fresh and fragrant lake fish.
The rest were various seasonal vegetables and fruits, which filled the table and made one's mouth water.
Cui Zhenru raised his wine cup and gestured towards Chen Ye, saying, "The main purpose of today's banquet is to welcome Mr. Chen into the Cui family's fold. I hope everyone will work together in the future."
The head of the Cui family was already a martial artist at the Bridge Sea Realm, but his attitude was more gentle than expected.
Chen Ye quickly stood up, raised his wine glass, and looked down at the ground to show respect.
During the meal, everyone raised their glasses in response.
The entire room shared a drink, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
The maids serving the banquet carried wine jugs and moved lightly among the tables, refilling the guests' wine.
Cui Zhenru finished his drink, tore off a piece of roasted mutton and chewed it carefully. Then he looked at everyone and said, "I've heard that one can become a Lesser Saint after nine rebirths, but no one has ever achieved the tenth. I was discussing this with someone the other day when we were talking about martial arts. Since you are all here today, let's discuss it together."
Is this tenth transformation feasible or not?
Ten rebirths?
Upon hearing this word, Chen Ye's spirits lifted.
This was the first time he had ever heard of the concept of ten rebirths.
He has now been reborn seven times and has experienced an indescribable barrier; his physical body has not yet reached a truly perfect state.
He always felt that something was missing at the very end.
If one were to undergo ten rebirths, would one be able to reach the ultimate "purity and tranquility" of the physical body, and then attain a higher realm?
For some reason, he felt his heart skip a beat.
At this moment, a retainer surnamed Lu raised his hand in a salute and said, "Master, in my opinion, nine times is already the limit of physical strength, and the claim of ten times is utterly absurd. Martial arts have flourished for hundreds of years, and let alone ten times, even those who can complete nine times are as rare as phoenix feathers. Master, there is no need to waste your energy on such unfounded rumors."
"That's right. Looking across the entire capital, only His Highness the Crown Prince and the Heir of the Xie family have achieved nine transformations. For most of us, being able to do it five or six times would already be considered quite talented. Ten times is simply impossible."
Upon hearing this, Cui Zhenru's gaze involuntarily fell upon Cui Kan, who was focused on eating a lamb rib, and a barely perceptible shadow fell over his eyes.
He picked up his wine glass, downed it in one gulp, and looked up at everyone, continuing, "That's true, but we can't conclude that ten transformations are nonsense just because those who came before didn't succeed. The path of martial arts is about constantly pushing limits. In the past, everyone thought that seven transformations were the limit, but didn't some people later reach nine? Who can say that there won't be a tenth one in the future?"
Today we should speak freely and not be bound by past experiences.
Everyone present could tell that Cui Zhenru had gained new insights during his cultivation and wanted to figure out a new path to build up the foundation for the Cui family.
As a result, discussions gradually arose during the banquet, with everyone chiming in and out, creating a sense of debate.
Cui Zhenru remained silent throughout, simply sipping his wine slowly from his cup.
After waiting for a while, the debate in the room gradually subsided, and he put down his cup and prepared to listen carefully to the opinions of his guests.
Jiang Yuanrang was the first to stand up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Since the ninth transformation was achieved, in the past hundred years, there have been many brilliant and talented people among the predecessors who have tried to achieve the tenth transformation. If the tenth transformation is really nothing, why would these people be willing to spend decades of their lives on it?"
Therefore, as the head of the family said, a tenth rebirth is certainly possible.
Just as recorded in the Future Amitabha Sutra, which describes the cultivation of the future Buddha, if the ninth rebirth is perfect and flawless enough, it may be possible to expand into a tenth rebirth that did not originally exist.
The Daoist text "Yin Yang Ku Rong Jing" also mentions that "nine" is the ultimate number, but above nine, there is still a Yin-Yang variable.
Perhaps that tenth rebirth is the only variable, the end of yin and the beginning of yang.
Therefore, the tenth rebirth must exist.
Unfortunately, we ordinary people can't even touch the threshold of the ninth time, let alone comprehend the transformation of Yin and Yang.
Cui Zhenru finally nodded, quite satisfied, and said, "If we can truly complete the tenth transformation, we might break the limits that have existed since ancient times, and in the future, we might even be able to reach the 'Path of the Immortals'."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Chen Ye, and he casually asked, "Disciple Chen, you've already undergone seven transformations at such a young age; your talent is extraordinary. How do you think you can reach an even higher realm?"