The unintentional warning left the youth inevitably stunned. His brows lowered slightly, and he gave a disdainful laugh.
"Their people are coming, but do you think my sect has no one?"
To say nothing of the two Guest Elders.
There were also four senior brothers and sisters.
Which of them hadn't been a figure who shook Fanzhou in their youth?
Setting aside those further away, just look at the one before him—Seventh Senior Brother Lei Yunche. With his Half-Inch Startling Thunder, he had intimidated three Saints of the Three Sects into retreating.
Such strength was rare in the world.
Under the heavens, how many tribulation transcendence experts or Saints could there possibly be?
"Your people... won't be coming," the red-eyed boy said. His tone was aged, yet it carried the faint sound of a young child, and he spoke with absolute certainty.
Xu Xian was about to question him when the tiny Shuer, perched atop his head, suddenly interjected, 'Spiritual creatures born of heaven and earth can indeed foresee certain things. They are especially sensitive in the places where they were born. Previously, even though the Pupil of Insight masked Master's aura, it could still sense your approach in advance.'
Upon hearing this, Xu Xian swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue and communicated via divine sense, 'So?'
'What it says might be true.'
Xu Xian grew thoughtful.
Their people were coming, but his own wouldn't... What did that mean?
The red-eyed boy struggled to lift his head, gazing beyond the battlefield. He spoke again.
"If you don't leave, you will die. I can feel it. They tore up that so-called covenant and crossed the border not for me, but..."
Pausing for a moment, the red-eyed boy slowly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the youth. He spoke word by word, "To kill you."
Xu Xian met his gaze, saying nothing.
"They... seem to be very wary of you!" the red-eyed boy continued.
Then he corrected himself, "No, it's not wariness. It's fear... Yes, they fear you. At least that tigress does. That's why she wants to kill you. If you stay, you will definitely die."
Xu Xian was skeptical.
'Kill me?'
From the day he first stepped into the Wendao Sword Sect and crossed the Longevity Bridge, he knew that from that moment on, there would be no shortage of people in this world who wanted him dead.
After he had crushed the sword stele with a single step, even more people wanted him dead.
Ten months to foundation establishment.
Two years to nascent soul.
One year to sixth-rank forging.
Six years of Wither-Flourish to reach the soul transformation stage. He was growing stronger and stronger, but the number of people who wanted him dead was likely increasing as well.
It was just that many thought about it, but few dared to act.
Someone had once told him that once a person cultivates and treads the Great Dao in search of longevity, they have already become stained with karma.
Those who are unremarkable toil for a lifetime, living slightly longer than mortals, scurrying about and living with their tails between their legs.
Those with extraordinary talent rise rapidly, but they inevitably attract jealousy, criticism, and undeserved disasters.
On the path of cultivation, for every bit more you gain, the karma on your body increases by a bit more.
Fate is something that cannot be clearly explained.
Karma is a cycle of cause and effect.
Cultivation is the cause.
Tribulation is the effect.
On the road ahead, there is never just one tribulation.
Being envied by others, forming grudges, and competing with peers are all commonplace.
If these external obstacles cannot stop you, there is finally the reckoning from the Heavenly Dao.
The so-called tribulation transcendence comes from this.
The people of the world are ignorant, thinking that cultivation is grand and wonderful, and that the longevity it brings is something to shout about.
They do not know that in all things, there are pros and cons.
The world has Yin and Yang, people are divided into good and evil, and the heavens and earth have black and white. Where light is strongest, darkness must also breed.
How could you possibly have all the good things for yourself?
The world simply doesn't work that way.
Therefore...
There are only two paths for a cultivator: either fight desperately to live, or rot and wait for death.
Xu Xian chose the former.
It was bitter!
More bitter than farming or hunting!
Anyone who has cultivated understands. For those who haven't? Explaining it would be a waste of breath...
However...
Then again, why was this red-eyed boy telling him all this? Was he truly so kind-hearted?
Xu Xian smiled and asked, "They fear me, but what about you? Are you not afraid of me?"
The red-eyed boy thought for a while before whispering a single word.
"Afraid."
The youth asked again, "Do you not want me to die?"
This time, the red-eyed boy did not hesitate at all.
"I do!"
"Heh," Xu Xian chuckled. "You're an honest child. Then why are you kindly reminding me? Wouldn't it be better if they killed me and rescued you?"
The corners of the red-eyed boy's mouth curled with bitterness. His brows lowered, and he said nothing.
"You're on the same side as them," Xu Xian added.
The red-eyed boy denied it. "You're the one on the same side as them."
"Hmm?"
The red-eyed boy looked directly into Xu Xian's eyes and sneered, "You, them... and those others. Who would actually save me? They all just want to possess me and use me. Because I have value. In your words, you are all cut from the same cloth."
Xu Xian did not deny it.
He just hadn't expected this newly born auspicious beast to see things so clearly.
It didn't seem like a fledgling, inexperienced young beast at all.
Instead, it was more like an old fox who had roamed the Jianghu for years.
"You're quite the talker. From what you're saying, it seems you'd rather fall into my hands?"
The red-eyed boy didn't deny that either. In its view, if it had to find a kindred spirit among the creatures of this world, it could only be the youth before it.
He was like itself—both possessed immense fortune and world-shaking talent.
Most importantly, they were both being targeted by many.
In fact, the youth before it was even more so than itself.
And then there was that Sword Tower. Although it had only caught a glimpse of it from afar for a fleeting moment, it was absolutely certain that the Sword Tower, like itself, did not belong to this continent.
Of course, there were the swords within the tower, and perhaps... even the youth before it came from elsewhere.
It was true that it had lost, and true that it had been beaten by Xu Xian.
But it was a loss it accepted wholeheartedly.
Its realm had been superior.
Its bloodline had been superior.
It had even been a case of the elder bullying the younger.
Losing, in the end, was a matter of inferior skill.
Therefore, if it had to be taken away by someone today, it would rather that person be Xu Xian.
This was the truth.
However, on the surface, it still stubbornly said, "Compared to falling into the hands of those old monsters, I have a better chance of escaping if I'm with you."
"So confident?"
The red-eyed boy shook his head. "It's not that I'm confident, it's that you're weak!"
Xu Xian: "???" Thinking about it carefully, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with that.
On his forehead, Shuer also spoke up to advise him, 'Master, I think what it says isn't without reason. How about we just leave? Let's be cautious and avoid the brunt of it.'
Xu Xian was displeased. "Avoid the brunt? My senior sister and brother are both here. Why should I avoid anything?"
Shuer pursed its tiny lips and said, 'Senior brother and sister? Your senior brother is about to die. Even if the remaining senior sister is at the early stage of tribulation transcendence, no matter how powerful she is, I'm afraid she won't be able to protect you...'
Xu Xian was shocked and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"
'Exactly what I said.'
A trace of panic and unease flashed in Xu Xian's eyes. Shuer wouldn't say such things for no reason.
But from his perspective, his senior brother was invincible and showed no signs of faltering. Where did this talk come from?
"Explain yourself clearly."
Shuer exhaled a small puff of air and said ruefully, 'To tell you the truth, your senior brother is now a spent force. This is just a final struggle in a desperate situation. Once this fight is over, the man will go cold, and the lamp will go out. If things go poorly, he might even die before the fight is finished. That Beast God Bai Ze seems quite fierce...'
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