With a mere thought from the Twilight Emperor, the white jade radiant cup filled with golden liquid moved with a soft whoosh.
It darted in front of Xu Xian.
It came to a steady halt at the edge of the table.
Eternal Life Divine Fluid?
But Xu Xian clearly smelled the fragrance of blood—thick, pungent, and far more potent than any aura of gore he had ever encountered.
He stared fixedly at the liquid, as did the little Shuer.
The Pupil of Insight activated forcefully, and a line of text manifested before the youth's eyes.
【Emperor's Blood】
Xu Xian did not speak, instead questioning the little Shuer through his divine sense.
'Can a single drop of Emperor's Blood truly grant eternal life?'
The little Shuer shook its head. 'I have never heard of such a thing!'
Emperor's Blood could cleanse the marrow and temper the bones, advance one's cultivation, and even bring the dead back to life or regrow flesh on bones.
Even during the Era of Primal Chaos, it was a rare and precious natural treasure.
However...
To say that a single drop of Emperor's Blood could grant eternal life upon consumption was pure nonsense.
If that were the case, how could its own master have fallen?
Still,
while the blood of other emperors might not work, that of the Twilight Emperor might be different.
The old tortoise had said that its soul was undying and indestructible, coexisting with the Sovereign.
As long as the Sovereign did not perish,
it would not die.
Therefore, the Nether Tortoise must have also drunk it.
Xu Xian had no time to ask the Nether Tortoise, and even if he did, it might not necessarily tell him.
The little Shuer offered its advice.
'This blood... I fear it cannot be drunk.'
It did not say "do not drink it," only that it "cannot be drunk." The implication was for Xu Xian to make his own choice.
"What are you hesitating for?"
The voice of the Twilight Emperor rang out eerily, filled with confusion mixed with a hint of suspicion.
Xu Xian looked up, answering with a question of his own: "If I'm not mistaken, this eternal divine blood is your essence blood, isn't it?"
The Emperor admitted it frankly. "You have a good eye."
"Can it truly grant eternal life?" Xu Xian asked, half-doubting.
The Emperor replied with another question: "Do you know why the world calls me the Undying Great Emperor?"
Xu Xian shook his head.
The Twilight Emperor spoke in a low voice, "An indestructible body, an undying soul, escaping the Five Elements and transcending reincarnation. In the entire Cangming Realm, not a single person can kill me. Thus, I am known as the Undying Great Emperor."
Xu Xian gave a bitter smile. "There must be a price, right?"
The Twilight Emperor did not hide the truth and told him plainly.
"If you drink it, you will enter a state of symbiosis with me. This body of yours will become undying and indestructible. With your talent, you will surely reach the peak of the Extreme Path in time. This is the supreme opportunity I am granting you."
A contract?
A curse?
Master and servant...
Xu Xian felt a mix of complex emotions; he had actually guessed correctly.
All that talk about being broad-minded and having a grand vision was rubbish.
And claiming He didn't care about his background or past was nothing but lies.
Once I'm in symbiosis with you and driven by your will in the future, of course you wouldn't mind.
Just like Lu Yuan, who had signed a life-and-death contract with him, Xu Xian likewise didn't care about his past or even his birth...
He certainly didn't mean to look down on Lu Yuan.
A wise man submits to circumstances, and there was nothing wrong with that, but this was happening to him.
Xu Xian found the idea extremely repulsive.
Having been given a second life, he was unwilling to be controlled by anyone. After living in the Wendao Sword Sect for so long, he scoffed even more at the thought of being restricted.
He understood himself and knew that he would never maliciously harm Lu Yuan in the future.
But he did not know the Emperor. Who knew what would happen down the line?
"And then? What do I need to do?" he asked Him.
He said, "You need to do nothing. Just focus on your cultivation and stay alive..."
Xu Xian grumbled inwardly, 'Who are you trying to fool?'
He steeled himself and probed further, "What if I don't drink it? What will you do?"
The Twilight Emperor's deep gaze darkened, and His sword-like brows knitted slightly in incomprehension.
"You do not want eternal life?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why won't you drink?" the Emperor asked, still perplexed.
Xu Xian spoke bluntly, "If I drink it, I become your servant. And I only want to live freely, like the wind."
The Emperor denied this, emphasizing, "No, not a servant, but a partner."
Xu Xian laughed. "Is there a difference?"
Aside from sounding a bit better...
"...Won't I still have to listen to you? If you tell me to charge, I'll have to charge blindly, won't I?"
The Twilight Emperor did not argue; it was indeed the truth.
But for a mortal being like Xu Xian,
to obtain such an opportunity was already a monumental honor.
He might lose some freedom, but he would certainly gain far more.
Because He never let His own people suffer a loss.
He said, "But you would gain eternal life. Is it not worth it?"
"It's not worth it," Xu Xian blurted out.
He fell into a brief silence, His head lowering further.
After a long while, He spat out two words.
"Your reason?"
He wanted a logical explanation.
Xu Xian responded, "Because I believe in myself. With my own efforts, I can also stand at the peak of the Extreme Path. Therefore, it isn't necessary..."
This was the truth.
With the Sword Tower and the little Shuer, Xu Xian's increase in realm was merely a matter of time. The so-called barriers of the Great Dao did not exist for him.
Furthermore,
who could guarantee they would live forever?
But at the very least, while he was alive, he wanted to live comfortably.
Of course,
the main reason was that if he drank it, wouldn't the Twilight Emperor be able to easily perform a possession on him in the future and take his place?
Fine,
even if He were honorable and did not possess him,
He would certainly need him to help Him break free from the seal. The result of that would be Xu Xian likely standing in opposition to the Wendao Sword Sect.
He would inevitably be dragged into a massive amount of trouble.
Xu Xian might not be able to bear the weight of such karma.
He was already wary of Him, so how could he obediently drink what He offered?
The Twilight Emperor gave a contemptuous laugh.
"Heh..."
Climb up using your own ability?
Since ancient times, this starry sky has never lacked geniuses. Even among the geniuses of geniuses, how many have truly lived to step onto the peak of the Extreme Path?
It was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Not that it was impossible!
But that path was nowhere near as easy as Xu Xian made it sound.
"You are the first person to refuse me."
Xu Xian forced a smile. "Then I suppose I should feel honored."
The Twilight Emperor leaned back, His palms resting on the armrests as His body settled into the throne. He closed His eyes and spoke.
"You still do not understand what eternal life is. You cannot imagine how powerful and fearless you would become after attaining it."
"That kind of power would allow you to do whatever you wish."
Xu Xian teased, "Hehe, Senior must be joking. If it's truly as incredible as you say—that eternal life allows one to do whatever they wish—then how did you end up trapped here?"
At these piercing words, a rare look of displeasure appeared on the Twilight Emperor's face.
A trace of hostility dyed the depths of His eyes.
But upon closer thought, Xu Xian wasn't wrong.
If that were truly the case,
how did He end up like this...
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His thoughts drifted into memory as He spoke slowly, "If you knew what kind of situation I faced back then, you would not say such words..."
It was the combined power of all the surviving emperors from the Era of Primal Chaos across the ten realms of Cangming that had barely managed to defeat Him.
Xu Xian admitted He was right.
"I indeed do not know."
But Xu Xian also questioned Him. "But I do know that you still lost. A loss is a loss. Since the outcome is decided, no one cares about the process. To the victor go the spoils."
These words were harsh, or at least that was how the Twilight Emperor felt.
He glanced at Xu Xian, then surveyed His surroundings, saying coldly:
"I lost, yet I am still alive. They won, yet they are all dead. I can afford to lose ten thousand times, but as long as I win once, I shall be the master of the entire world."
Xu Xian still did not deny His words. Instead, he smiled and said:
"But I have no desire to go through those failures with you..."
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