How to Free a Trapped Heart?

Sun Zhen remained silent for a long while before finally speaking. "The matter with the Liu clan... has caused quite a stir." "If Brother Li sees him, remember to remind him to be careful." Li Guanqi said nothing, only tilting his head back to toss down the brimming cup of wine. "How many people like you are out there?" By now, Sun Zhen was certain that the Li Wuji before him was the very same Yanluo Sword Venerable Li Guanqi who had single-handedly annihilated the Ancient Clan's Liu clan! Apart from him, Sun Zhen could not think of anyone else in the younger generation across the Six Domains who possessed such terrifying strength! It was not that he looked down on the monstrous talents of the Six Domains, but rather... The only person who could force the Ancient Clans of the Six Domains to cast a serious glance his way was Li Guanqi alone! Granted, the Liu clan sat at the very bottom tier among the Ancient Clans; after all, their clan ancestor was only at the Body Integration Realm. Yet... while a solitary cultivator wiping out an entire clan was not unheard of in the cultivation world, if the clan annihilated was an Ancient Clan, it was enough to shock anyone to their core! Furthermore, everyone had heard of the Liu clan's Liu Yunxuan. That man was said to possess an extraordinarily high-grade spiritual root, one showing faint signs of surpassing even a saint-grade spiritual root. Yet even someone of his caliber had still fallen beneath that man's sword! Word had it that after the catastrophe, many Ancient Clans sent scouts into the Liu clan's domain. When Sun Zhen first saw the scenes recorded in a shadow-casting stone, the shock had left him speechless for a long time. The entire Liu clan had been turned into a bloody purgatory. Blood had dyed the mountains and earth crimson, gathering into streams that flowed for a hundred li! Over three thousand members of the Liu clan, their corpses piled densely into mountains. Even now, seated across from Li Guanqi, thinking back on those sights made Sun Zhen's hands and feet turn icy cold. He feared that in the very next breath, Li Guanqi might suddenly lash out and sever his head. Sun Zhen shook his head, a wry smile surfacing at the corner of his mouth. "Still, you're somewhat different from what I imagined." Li Guanqi smiled upon hearing this. "Oh? And what did you think Li Guanqi would be like?" Sun Zhen actually pondered the question with great seriousness for quite a while. "In my mind... Li Guanqi should be a ruthless, cold-blooded man." "Yet today, I find him to be remarkably free and unburdened." Li Guanqi smiled faintly. Looking down, he toyed with the wine cup in his hand and spoke softly. "If you were given a whole year to do nothing but sharpen a blade day after day," "you would naturally come to understand many things." "A trapped heart, a trapped heart... who is it that traps it? In the end, isn't it oneself?" Sun Zhen furrowed his brows. "How does one untangle it?" Watching the woman dancing gracefully before them, Li Guanqi said softly, "Simply put, it's just overthinking." "The more sensitive a person is, the more they think..." "Before a word is spoken, the mind has already imagined the outcome a thousand times." "Before a step is taken, the self within has already walked ten thousand rugged mountain paths." "Before an action bears fruit, one knits one's brows in sorrow over countless imagined hardships." "And once the deed is done, past affairs still keep one locked in chains—unable to act, unable to speak." The moment these words were spoken, even Qianqiusui, who was strumming her zither nearby, faltered slightly. The notes beneath her fingers paused for a breath. Sitting before Li Guanqi, Sun Zhen could not help but straighten his spine. Much of the lingering worry on his face instantly melted away. Raising his wine cup with both hands, he looked at the handsome, faintly sinister youth and said in a deep voice, "This cup is solely for the generous wisdom Brother Li shared today!" "Ancient Clan or Liu clan, neither has anything to do with me." "To make Brother Li's acquaintance today brings me immense joy. I'll drink this cup to the dregs!" *Clink!* Their cups met, and both men downed the fiery liquor. Li Guanqi had never held much goodwill toward the scions of these great clans, and that extended to... the Ancient Clans as a whole! To his mind, when these reclusive families hidden away in the dust reentered the secular world, trouble was bound to arise sooner or later. Yet after meeting Sun Zhen, he suddenly realized that the Ancient Clans were not entirely as vile and terrifying as he had envisioned. A great forest sheltered all kinds of birds, much like the sects and clans of the Six Domains. Who could guarantee that their own ranks contained no wicked people? Even Li Guanqi could not promise that disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect would never err in the future. Though he did not know what the rest of the Sun clan was like, at least the Sun Zhen before him was a gracious loser. "Brother Li asked me earlier how many people like me there are." Sun Zhen's eyes grew hazy with drink. "Many... and many are stronger than me..." "The Ancient Clans have entered the world!" Li Guanqi knitted his brows and said in a grave voice, "The Ancient Clans have entered the world?" "How is it that I haven't heard anything about this?" Sun Zhen chuckled somewhat helplessly. "It's not the kind of worldly entry you're imagining. For certain special reasons, the elders of the Ancient Clans are forbidden from leaving." "Of course, the elders in my clan never explained why, but I could tell they were quite terrified." "The only ones allowed out are the youths under a hundred years old from each Ancient Clan." Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flickering within them. Instantly, the image of a figure holding a spear flashed through his mind. This matter was likely tied to his grandfather as well. Otherwise, why would so many formidable clans make such an awkward compromise, sending out only disciples under a century old? Li Guanqi spoke in a calm voice. "Balance!" Sun Zhen's eyes brightened, and he nodded with conviction. "Exactly! That's what I think as well. Otherwise, the foundation of any single Ancient Clan would be enough to suppress most modern sects!" Li Guanqi saw through the situation clearly, but worry crept into his heart over how the Great Xia Sword Sect was faring. *It seems I should contact the Sect Master tomorrow to ask about this.* Sun Zhen continued solemnly, "Now that the Ancient Clans have emerged, many of the monstrous prodigies suddenly surfacing across the Six Domains are their disciples." At that, Sun Zhen could not help sighing. "Our Sun clan merely wishes to find a suitable place to settle, resting and recovering without contending with the world." "Yet quite a few clans insist that might makes right, believing weaker sects and forces should surrender their existing resources." "Because of that, numerous conflicts have already erupted." "Right now... the atmosphere across the Six Domains is not quite right." Li Guanqi nodded upon hearing this. One side wanted to seize resources while the other refused to yield them; clashes between the two would inevitably spark endless strife. After several thoughts flitted through his mind, Li Guanqi glanced over at Qianqiusui. Turning back, he asked, "Then what was the deal with that Zen Sound Fruit?" Sun Zhen's eyes immediately lit up, and he replied with excitement, "The Zen Sound Fruit Tree drifts within the void and bears fruit only once every three thousand years!" "Consuming a Zen Sound Fruit not only enhances a cultivator's comprehension, but it also grants an extra three hundred years of lifespan out of thin air!" "Of course... I'm only after the former effect." Upon hearing this, Li Guanqi instantly lost interest. Enhancing comprehension... He had no idea whether his current comprehension even needed enhancement. After all, it had taken him merely a few breaths during battle to grasp the first tier of a Heaven-rank boxing art.