CHAPTER 475: CHAPTER 437: FALSE SELF

Earlier, everyone was focused on running into the grand tomb, hardly anyone paid attention to the monk.

Upon hearing the monk speak, everyone suddenly remembered the presence of this powerful Golden Core Cultivator.

In an instant, the previously crowded passage of the tomb made way for a single person to pass through.

Tian Lin watched the monk clad in his Kasaya step forward and said to the monk, "Then I’ll leave it to you, Mage."

"Mr. Tian, there’s no need to call me Mage, just call me Monk Kongwu."

After he finished speaking, the monk unhesitatingly walked to the very front.

He first stood before the flesh-lined tunnel, then spread his hands, releasing the Kasaya from his body.

The Kasaya adhered to the surrounding flesh walls, isolating them, while inside forming a safe passage lined by the Kasaya.

Monk Kongwu turned sideways to make way for the others.

Tian Lin and the others didn’t hesitate, stepping on the Kasaya as they walked deeper into the passage.

Though the Kasaya passage was safe, it obscured the real scene outside the Kasaya in the tomb corridor.

Everyone was here for treasure hunting and rescue, not for traveling.

"We should be out of the area with those flesh monsters by now, at a safe spot, right?"

Someone spoke, intending for the monk to remove the Kasaya so they wouldn’t delay the treasure hunt.

The monk hastily replied, "This pathway isn’t completely safe yet, don’t worry, Mr. Tian. If there’s any treasure, I’ll surely inform you."

Others couldn’t see the situation outside the Kasaya because the Kasaya blocked their Spiritual Sense and vision.

However, the monk wasn’t limited this way; he could see the situation outside since the Kasaya belonged to him.

"It’s not that we distrust your integrity, Mage, just worried you may not have the energy to recognize things along the way and miss treasures."

The more they spoke, the more they doubted Kongwu, fearing he might keep the treasures to himself without sharing.

This also counts as comparing hearts.

"Mr. Tian, what do you think?"

Kongwu also had some doubts; he hadn’t seen much along the way, barely any jars or pots.

Could it be, he really overlooked something?

"Please pay attention to the people in the tomb corridor; if the lady who was with me last time is there, it’s best not to remove the Kasaya."

Tian Lin still trusted Kongwu’s character. Furthermore, if there were truly valuable Magical Treasures, the Nascent Soul Powerhouses who went ahead would’ve scooped them up, leaving none for those who follow.

As for ordinary treasures, Tian Lin wasn’t particularly interested in those.

"Since Tian Lin prefers not to leave the Kasaya, Mage, please let us out of the Kasaya so we can explore the tomb corridor on our own."

Some were still unwilling to compromise, but fortunately, at this moment, the monk opened his mouth, "There’s something ahead!"

Without the monk saying it, someone already heard the commotion ahead.

"It’s the voice of the Sword Sect elder."

A Golden Core Cultivator spoke, prompting a group to quicken their pace towards the front.

Soon, the group saw a stone room and the Sword Sect elder at its entrance.

"Monk, Tian, you’ve come at the right time!"

Those who had previously seen conflicts between Sword Sect and Wenda Sect were taken aback when they heard this Sword Sect elder address Tian Lin as Tian.

Tian Lin reacted fastest; upon seeing this Sword Sect elder, he immediately grabbed the monk, "This is fake, kill it!"

Even though the monk trusted Tian Lin’s character, he was nonetheless stunned.

Yet he had experienced being robbed of a shrine by the Cloud Peak Duke, so he hastily took action against the Sword Sect elder.

He nonetheless held onto the shrine tightly, warily watching the Sword Sect elder.

"Tian, why do you say this?"

That Sword Sect elder looked at Tian Lin with confusion but heard Tian Lin say, "What a cunning Cloud Peak Duke, disguising yourself to fool us?"

That Sword Sect elder shouted, "What a sixth! You and I swore brotherhood before the Houtu. Now that I’ve emerged from seclusion, instead of helping me, you call others to destroy me!"

"You are indeed Ran Lang—"

Others didn’t know the nickname ’sixth’, but Tian Lin knew that during his brotherhood oath with Lang Guan in the Heavenly Gate world, he was ranked sixth.

"No, you don’t count as Ran Lang."

The group looked puzzled by Tian Lin’s words, wondering what he meant by saying he’s Ran Lang yet not Ran Lang.

"You’re a remnant soul of Ran Lang. There can’t be a second Ran Lang in this world."

After Tian Lin spoke, the monk beside him replied, "Mr. Tian, you’re mistaken. The only world that is singular is the Paradise. Those born in the Pure Land of Bliss have just one ’self’.

But among all beings, there are three thousand worlds, and thus, three thousand ’selves’."

The young monk found his words muddled, unsure how to articulate his thoughts, and fearing Tian Lin’s disbelief, he explained:

"This is what my master told me—he said mortal ascension requires cutting off all world’s ’false selves’ to achieve the true self. This is the cultivator’s severance of mortal attachments."

Tian Lin seemed somewhat understanding, gazing at the distant Sword Sect elder, "So, are you a false self or a true self?"

The Sword Sect elder no longer pretended, laughing heartily, "Both I and the Ran Lang who just exited the grand tomb are ’false selves’. Only after I’ve killed all the ’false selves’ will there be only one ’self’, the unmistakably true self."

He said, "You, sixth, are also a false self, in a world unknown to you, there’s another sixth!"

There’s another self in this world?

Could the other world’s self also have entries?

No, the other world should have no entries. Because the opportunities for all false selves are different, like Ran Lang in the Heavenly Gate, his experiences and opportunities are entirely different from this world’s Ran Lang, essentially making him a distinct individual.

But, is there truly another self in this world?

Would the counterpart’s personality and goals be the same as mine?

Tian Lin pondered a lot for a moment, soon laughing self-deprecatingly, "The multitude of worlds surely contains countless false selves, they all seem too distant to me. After all, I’m not even in the Nascent Soul Realm yet."

"Monk, kill it!"

Tian Lin once more addressed the monk, while Ran Lang on the other side spoke, "Sixth, have you forgotten the vow you made before Houtu? Aren’t you afraid of the vow’s backlash for calling others to kill me?"

Hearing Ran Lang’s threat, Tian Lin replied, "The vow was made with Ran Lang from that world, what does it have to do with you?"

"That world’s Ran Lang has been killed by me, I inherited his memories and karma, otherwise how would I know you’re sixth? Now, I cannot kill you, you cannot kill me either."

The monk beside said, "He’s lying!"

Tian Lin looked at the monk with curiosity, wishing for an explanation.

The monk refused to explain, merely saying to Tian Lin, "Mr. Tian, do you trust me? I’ve indeed discerned that he’s lying."

Honestly, Tian Lin doubted the monk’s intelligence but still trusted his character.

"Kill him!"

After hesitating for a moment, Tian Lin once more said to the monk.