The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 798: Gain And Loss!

Gain And Loss! . . .

Cha Eun Xiao was deeply moved by the conversation, and it stirred memories of someone dear to him, Jun Yinglian. Jun Yinglian\'s image appeared in his mind, and he sighed with a heavy heart. He spoke, his voice tinged with sadness, "You\'re absolutely right. Everyone longs for a life without pain and regrets. But life doesn\'t always unfold as we wish. As long as we are alive, we must press on, even in the face of pain, troubles, and inevitable regrets. Only when we look back upon the past do we realize the many things we\'ve missed."

His gaze drifted into the distance as he continued, "Even when we finally wake up and realize the extent of our losses, it\'s too late to turn back the clock, no matter how deep our regrets. Life is full of choices, with gains and losses intertwined. We acquire something new but often lose something in return. Sometimes, you only realize the true value of something once it\'s gone."

He looked at the leaves illuminated by the setting sun, echoing Zhan Yunfei\'s contemplation, and said, "Whether it\'s superior cultivators in the martial world, solitary cultivators, or ordinary people, we all share these experiences. Ordinary people labor tirelessly to make a living, fight for money, and seek fame. They invest years in the pursuit of material success, only to find that time has aged their loved ones and themselves. In their pursuit of wealth and status, they often overlook the beauty of the present. The leaves on the trees may be the luckiest creatures. They transition from young saplings to mature trees, experiencing the full spectrum of seasons, from spring to winter, all without feeling pain."

He sighed deeply to conclude his thoughts, still lost in contemplation.

Zhan Yunfei had been listening attentively, his expression shifting in response to Cha Eun Xiao\'s words. A gamut of emotions crossed his face—approval, sadness, regret, loss, and despair. He seemed to be reliving his life through Cha Eun Xiao\'s words, and at that moment, only grief remained on his face. It appeared as if he might shed tears at any moment.

After a pause, Zhan Yunfei responded, his voice tinged with emotion, "You are not a leaf. How can you be so sure that a leaf has no feelings? How do you know whether a leaf feels fear when storms roll in from the day it sprouted from the earth? When a leaf was merely a bud, it may have had no visible veins, but it grew stronger over time, developing more and more veins to connect itself firmly to the tree, to withstand the storms. Even a leaf exhibits remarkable resilience in its life."

Zhan Yunfei managed a slight smile after sharing this insight. "However, you are correct. In the martial world, sometimes a person\'s life holds less value than that of a leaf."

"At least this leaf has two people caring about it right now. If it knows this, it must feel honored. However, in the martial world, when one is killed… others will only feel relieved… even gloating! What a deceased individual leaves behind in the world is but a lesson, nothing more."

Zhan Yunfei heaved a long sigh, as if expelling all the accumulated heaviness from his chest. His exhalation wasn\'t just an emotional release; it manifested as a sweeping whirlwind, akin to a dragon snaking through the forest. Leaves were sent cascading from the trees in every direction, including the leaf he had been observing earlier.

Life was a capricious and ever-changing entity. As a consequence of their conversation, the leaves had been forcibly stripped from their branches and now lay scattered on the ground. Nothing remained clinging to the trees.

Zhan Yunfei pivoted to gaze intently at Cha Eun Xiao. With a tone of genuine respect, he said, "I never anticipated that a young man like you could possess such a profound understanding of life. Have you encountered a great deal of adversity in your native realm?"

Cha Eun Xiao offered a bittersweet smile. "As I\'ve mentioned, people may know many things, yet they will still experience regret and sighs. It isn\'t solely dependent on age. What truly matters is how much one has endured in life. Some individuals grasp profound wisdom in mere moments, while others, despite reaching the age of hundreds, remain youthful at heart because they haven\'t experienced profound suffering."

He continued, his tone tinged with resignation, "I may appear youthful, but I hail from a lower realm. My journey to this realm was fraught with hardship. I may indeed be weak in cultivation, perhaps akin to an ant in this realm, but back in my native realm, I was akin to a king. I once stood at the pinnacle, gazing down upon everything below. I was invincible."