“My grave was picked clean by you, so where would I get anything?”
Xu Xian glanced over out of the corner of his eye, rolling his eyes slightly...
If anyone else said they had no pills, spirit stones, or immortal plants, he certainly wouldn't believe them.
Could a grand Immortal Emperor really have no family wealth left?
But because the Sovereign said it, Xu Xian believed him.
After all,
He had personally traversed the vast small world within the Emperor's Tomb. Aside from immortal bones, there was nothing but dirt; not even half a spirit stone could be found.
He was truly impressed by the Sovereign—to be so pathetic and poor, yet still have the nerve to hint at him. Xu Xian didn't even feel like mocking him anymore.
“Even if I had any, I wouldn't give them to you!”
The Sovereign still hadn't given up. It was hard to tell if he was truly thick-skinned or just so bored that he wanted to annoy Xu Xian. “Let's talk about it?”
“Not happening!” Xu Xian said.
The Sovereign, still disheveled, flew through the air with his hands behind his back, clicking his tongue in critique. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. They say your Wendao Sword Sect is the number one righteous sect in Fanzhou, and its disciples are so upright they’re almost twisted—true gentlemen in the eyes of the world. But I don't see it. You don't fit that description at all.”
Xu Xian gave a disdainful smile.
“Heh!”
You only just realized?
“Say, how did you pass the Three Inquiries of the Heart back then?”
Xu Xian rarely bothered to reply to him, saying arrogantly, “Because your daddy is excellent. I used the back door. What, you got a problem with that?”
“That explains it...” The Sovereign mused, then changed the subject. “I say, why are you all just flying like this? It’s exhausting. Why not use a Cloud Boat?”
Xu Xian rolled his eyes repeatedly, and even the others nearby cast looks of disdain at him.
This guy was truly talkative, rambling on and on with nothing but nonsense...
A Cloud Boat?
They didn't even dare to use magic treasures, flying purely on internal power. First, it saved spirit energy, and second, they feared the fluctuations of magic treasures would be detected by the darkness.
A Cloud Boat would be so conspicuous; using one would be a joke!
Who goes undercover deep behind enemy lines driving a massive truck around?
Xu Xian retorted, “I finally figured out why you shamelessly chased after us.”
“Oh?” The Sovereign said with interest, acting cool. “Do tell.”
Xu Xian explained, “It's not that you couldn't escape on your own or that you wanted to cooperate with Senior Li. You’re just afraid that on this long road, you’d bore yourself to death without anyone to talk to.”
Hearing this, the Sovereign laughed heartily. “Hahaha! You actually hit the nail on the head!”
Seeing him admit it so frankly and even look proud of it made Xu Xian feel annoyed. He mocked, “Speaking of which, where are your three lackeys? Did you sell them out again?”
At the mention of this, the Sovereign’s smile faded significantly, and he waved a hand. “They won’t die.”
Xu Xian pressed on, “Oh, so I was right. You’re really something. You just had to go and show off, provoked trouble you couldn't handle, and then tucked tail and ran, leaving your subordinates behind. You’re quite the talent. Are you always like this—high on ego but low on skill?”
The corners of the Sovereign’s mouth curled up, and he raised an eyebrow, revealing a wicked charm unique to an emperor. “Your character might be lacking, but your eye for people is quite sharp.”
He indeed wanted to show off, and he indeed hadn't won, so he had simply left.
Furthermore...
He had done similar things quite often when he was young.
If one were to ask why, he couldn't really give an answer. Perhaps it was because he couldn't die.
Because he was undying, he didn't fear failure.
Especially when facing people or things he knew he couldn't defeat, he would become exceptionally excited and couldn't help but want to take a poke at them.
To use Xu Xian’s way of thinking, it was like playing a game—whenever you see a boss, you always want to poke it a few times.
If people called him trash at the game yet someone who loved to play, he would accept that label.
Xu Xian gave a light scoff and continued, “Luckily, I didn't follow you back then, or I’d have been sold out too. Following a boss like you... tsk, tsk, it’s truly a tragedy...”
The Sovereign said dismissively, “When encountering the unknown, one must test the waters. I was suppressed in Fanzhou for a million years and had a belly full of fire with nowhere to vent. It was the perfect time to use those monsters for practice and stretch my limbs. I’ll tell you this, those monsters actually have some skill, but I didn't lose out either. I swept through four of their provinces. As for those three guys, once I reach my destination, I can naturally call them back. There's no need for you to worry. I am a man of loyalty. Once someone follows me, I’ll protect them for a lifetime...”
Xu Xian was amused. Loyalty? If you hadn't left them behind, I might actually believe you.
“Tsk, tsk. Leading them like moths to a flame, how nice!”
The Sovereign sneered, “You have the nerve to talk about me? Aren't you the same?”
Xu Xian didn't bother with him. How could he even compare the two?
The Sovereign exposed him, “You knew the Heavens have been lost to the darkness for ten thousand years, yet you still staked everything on a single throw, going against heaven and leading over four hundred mortal beings up here to seek death. Compared to me, how much better are you? Now you’re only left with these few. At least my three are still alive, just suffering a bit of grievance for now. Those who came with you will never return.”
His voice paused for a moment as the Sovereign sighed for no reason. “In the end, you and I are the same kind of person. It’s just that you were lucky to have met her. Otherwise, you’d have become a pile of yellow dust long ago.”
Xu Xian was incensed by the sheer absurdity of the claim.
Xu Xian said, “Hilarious. How can this even be compared?”
“Why can't it?”
Xu Xian said solemnly, “To put it simply, I ascended to save the people of Fanzhou. To put it grandly, it was for the sake of all Cangming, for the countless living beings. I had no choice; if not me, then who? It was a magnificent ambition. Can you even reach my level?”
The Sovereign didn't refute Xu Xian’s words but instead asked, “Then how do you know I wasn't taking the initiative to test things for the sake of the world and its countless living beings?”
Xu Xian was stunned.
Once a person becomes truly shameless, they are invincible. Do you even believe the words coming out of your mouth? Is your face not red at all?
“Fine, let's assume that was the case. Those three were your former comrades, your brothers-in-arms. What relation do those people have to me? Grudges aside, there was no friendship to speak of. Why should I care about them?”
The Sovereign looked deeply at Xu Xian, his expression enigmatic.
Xu Xian felt uncomfortable under his gaze and pressed, “Got nothing to say?”
The Sovereign said heavily, “Small. Your perspective is too narrow.”
“Hmm?”
The Sovereign said, “You just said it yourself. You came here to save the world, for the sake of countless living beings. By your own logic, if you, Xu Xian, want to be the great sage who saves the world, then your only enemy is the darkness. All living beings of Cangming should be under your protection. Not just your Wendao Sword Sect, and not just the Northern Borders, but all of Fanzhou, even all of Cangming. Naturally, that includes them as well.”
Xu Xian was taken aback, momentarily dazed!
The Sovereign’s tone grew heavier, lecturing with deep meaning, “In Fanzhou, you might have no friendship or even have grudges. But from the moment you set foot in the Heavens and placed yourself within this darkness, you became comrades who must entrust your lives to one another.”
“If you were just Xu Xian, you could certainly act as you have. But you, Xu Xian, happen to want to be the great sage who saves the world, to be the clear sky of Cangming. Then you should have that realization and the heart to encompass all things.”
“Accept what others cannot, endure what others cannot. You are the father of all living beings, and they are your children.”
“Of course, that doesn't include me!”
“I'm your father!”
He laughed happily and added one more sentence.
“I'll give you a phrase: Know the white, keep to the black, and be a pattern for the world!”
Rate on N.U.
