Li Shuhe’s brow furrowed as she listened, the eight others stood with their mouths slightly agape, and Xu Xian’s eyes went wide...
Even the little Shuer was left stunned.
As it turned out, one should never attempt to win a verbal spat with an old monster who had lived for millions of years.
When he got serious, his verbal fire was overwhelming.
Little Shuer poked Xu Xian. “Master, what do we do? What he said makes so much sense, it looks like you can't beat him in an argument anymore.”
Xu Xian’s face was dark. No kidding, did she really need to state the obvious?
Xu Xian only regretted his own loose tongue; he had truly shot himself in the foot.
But thinking about it carefully, the nonsense this guy was spouting actually held a grain of truth. Those who seek to accomplish great things must possess a breadth of mind beyond that of ordinary men.
But...
He changed the subject. “It serves you right that you were hunted by the whole world and suppressed for a million years. You’re just full of twisted logic and heretical theories...”
The king who had lived through endless ages had won a small victory over Xu Xian in their bickering, and the corners of his mouth wouldn't stay down. He was incredibly smug, and even in the face of the youth’s deflection and sarcasm, he wasn't the least bit angry.
He remained exceptionally calm as he spoke. “The world crusaded against me as I fought against all under heaven... Yes, how high-spirited and daring I was back then...”
“But you lost, just like now,” Xu Xian interrupted.
The Sovereign was dismissive. “Losing does not mean I was wrong.”
Xu Xian: “...”
The Sovereign spread his hands, which had been behind his back, like a monarch ruling over the world and embracing the entire landscape. He said loudly, “I wished to unify the world. What wrong is there in that?”
Xu Xian: “...”
The others: “...”
Li Shuhe: “...”
Everyone was speechless. Looking at him again, it truly felt as if they were looking at a great emperor.
The Sovereign’s voice was slow and deep as he continued:
“I was born in a chaotic era, gifted with divine powers by heaven. Naturally, I should raise a three-foot sword to establish eternal merit. Wherever my blade points, the dim clouds must split to reveal the sun and moon. Wherever my feet tread, the chasms must be leveled to stabilize the land. How could I ever imitate those common men, confining myself to a tiny square of earth and wasting the grace of the undying path on a life of mediocrity?”
Having finished,
He looked at the youth smugly, arching his sword-like brows.
Xu Xian fell silent.
It wasn't a silence before an outburst, but a silence of deep reflection.
Even Jin Yu, who had the least experience and years among them, couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
Indeed, if one possessed such divine abilities and skills, they would surely go out to achieve a grand ambition.
As for the others, their entire lives had actually been spent chasing similar things.
Bai Ze, Jin Qing, Chi Ming, Lu Yuan...
Once upon a time,
They too had such ambitions—to unify the land and build eternal merit.
It was just that their abilities were insufficient; they fought for a single province or territory, carrying the weight of a single tribe or sect.
The person before them was different. He was one who did things on a grand scale, just like Xu Xian.
In this moment,
Their gazes shifted back and forth between Xu Xian and the Sovereign.
They suddenly felt that the Sovereign was right; he and Xu Xian really were the same kind of person.
Equally talented, equally ambitious, and equally... good at acting cool!
As for Li Shuhe, she was born into the Li family. Her ambition was not for the world, but only for the promise of her ancestors. She didn't fully understand, but she respected it, and even identified with it.
The affairs of the world were numerous and complex, and the path of the Great Dao was a constant struggle.
Where was the line between right and wrong? Success made a king and failure a bandit; merit and fault were for later generations to judge.
Xu Xian didn't say a word. Though he was sharp-tongued and had no good feelings toward the Sovereign, he wasn't so unreasonable as to distort the truth.
Right was right, and a loss was a loss.
He admitted it.
He had been moved by this guy’s words.
It was indeed so.
Just because the Sovereign had been hunted by the whole world and fought against everyone didn't mean he was evil. Xu Xian had done similar things himself—in the Emperor's Tomb, outside the Wendao Sword Sect, and even during the ascension.
He had lost, but losing didn't mean he was wrong.
That period of history was too distant, buried so deep in the River of Time that it was hard for anyone to fish it out.
For him, a person of a later generation, to judge the right or wrong of an unknown era was inherently ridiculous.
Unfortunately,
Xu Xian had become the Sword Bearer,
And the Sovereign had been sealed in Fanzhou by the Li family.
It was destined from birth that the two of them would stand on opposite sides.
Xu Xian was even thinking at this moment that if things hadn't been so coincidental, he and the Sovereign might have truly become something—confidants, friends, or fellow travelers...
But fate was set and could not be changed!
What a pity!
What a shame!
He didn't speak again, silently continuing his journey with his head down.
The Sovereign leaned in and asked, “Why have you stopped talking?”
Xu Xian ignored him.
After a few attempts, the Sovereign dejectedly gave up.
It was rare for Xu Xian to yield to someone in a battle of wits, but even so, he still didn't give the Sovereign any spirit stones, pills, or immortal plants...
He hadn't intended to give them from the start, and he still had no such intention. He wasn't that kind-hearted. If it weren't for Li Shuhe’s approval and the fact that he was currently too weak, he wouldn't even be traveling with this guy.
Give him immortal plants and pills to help him recover his cultivation?
Just so he could slaughter him?
Xu Xian had been suspicious by nature for a long time.
The flight continued, the same as before, yet different.
Xu Xian remained silent, but his thoughts were churning in his sea of consciousness. He was actually thinking about the things the Sovereign had said.
If I am to be the great sage who saves all living beings, then I am the father of all living beings, and they are my children...
Know the white, keep to the black, and be a pattern for the world...
Cangming was so large, lost in the darkness. The Nine Heavens, Ten Lands, and three thousand provinces... the road ahead spanned millions of miles.
Xu Xian knew that relying on his strength alone to dispel the darkness and return the starry sky to Cangming would be extremely difficult.
He really couldn't do these things alone, nor was he capable of it. He needed fellow travelers. As the Sovereign said, he needed to unite all the forces that could be united, and in the near future, march west to purge the universe.
However...
Before that, his first consideration was staying alive, followed by becoming stronger. Only then should he think about the rest.
Therefore, the Sovereign’s words were both right and wrong to him.
A gentleman must assess the situation to adapt freely.
As for the others, they whispered in small groups as they traveled.
Jin Yu said to Jin Qing, “This guy doesn't look bad...”
Jin Qing shook her head and smiled. Using "good" and "bad" to define a person was the most foolish and incompetent way to look at someone.
Jin Yu continued, “I wonder what’s wrong with the demon son; he seems to have quite a lot of hostility toward him?”
Lu Yuan chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?”
Lu Yuan said meaningfully, “If someone stabbed you with a knife, what would you do?”
Jin Yu didn't even think. “Duh, stab them back.”
Lu Yuan shrugged. “Well, there you go.”
Chi Ming leaned in and asked in a low voice, “The demon son was stabbed by him?”
Lu Yuan thought about it and frowned. “No, not that.”
“The demon son stabbed him?” Chi Ming asked again.
Lu Yuan thought again and shook his head. “Probably not.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about?” Jin Yu said disdainfully.
Lu Yuan said slowly, “But your demon son dug up the man’s grave.”
A series of hushed gasps broke out among the group...
“Whoa~”
Digging up someone's grave was indeed something Xu Xian would do, and it was indeed terrible.
Who could endure that?
However, they soon remembered something and it clicked for all of them.
Jin Yu’s eyes widened. “Are you saying he is the master of that Emperor's Tomb?”
Lu Yuan gave them a knowing look.
The expressions on their faces instantly became colorful. When they looked at the Sovereign again, their gaze had changed...
The Emperor's Tomb!
The tomb of an Immortal Emperor!
After processing this for a long time, Jin Yu muttered, “No wonder he’s so arrogant~”
Bai Ze, who had been following behind without a word, also overheard these discussions. He had already made some guesses earlier, and now Lu Yuan’s words only confirmed them.
The First Ancestors followed his orders; he couldn't think of any other possibility besides him being the master of the Emperor's Tomb.
Bai Ze approached silently and took the initiative to hand a set of his own clothes to the Sovereign.
“Here!”
The Sovereign gave Bai Ze a strange look, filled with a bit of appreciation. He accepted them without hesitation and said one thing.
“Thanks!”
Bai Ze nodded slightly and silently retreated behind the others.
The Sovereign stared at the clothes in his hand, his gaze intriguing. “Interesting!”
Xu Xian permitted the whole thing and didn't stop them.
It was just a set of clothes; it didn't matter~
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