Fleeing, blind fleeing. The addition of the Twilight Emperor changed nothing.
The same speed, the same boredom.
As before, after traveling for a period of time, the group would stop for a brief rest to ensure they remained in peak condition to face unknown risks.
During this time, Lu Yuan asked Xu Xian more than once if he was truly comfortable letting that fellow follow them.
Xu Xian was noncommittal, giving only vague responses. Given the current situation, they could only take things one step at a time...
Xu Xian also tried to probe the Sovereign multiple times about how he had found them in this vast grayness.
The Sovereign did not answer, merely insisting that Xu Xian guess.
Xu Xian and the Little Book Spirit speculated together.
The only possibility was the Nether Tortoise.
Even though it was suppressed by the Sword Mound, the Sword Mound was currently being carried by Xu Xian. With the changes in the Heavenly Laws, some special connection existed between the Nether Tortoise and the Sovereign, allowing him to find them.
Xu Xian had a headache thinking about the future and how to handle the Nether Tortoise.
If he didn't release it, the Sovereign would keep watching him.
If he did release it, the Nether Tortoise would surely break the seal.
When it came down to it, the grudge between him and the Sovereign was simply that Xu Xian had stabbed him once in the Emperor's Tomb and dug up his grave.
As for the events that followed, they only existed in the Heart Demon Dream, part of the Sovereign's orchestration.
Later, Xu Xian had compromised and helped him escape his cage. Although he had his own reasons, the result remained the same.
Xu Xian had at least helped him. But it was different with the Old Tortoise; Xu Xian had tormented that old turtle quite a bit...
If it escaped, would it let the matter drop?
Xu Xian didn't think so.
Therefore, he was stuck—releasing it was problematic, but keeping it was just as bad. Furthermore, since the Old Tortoise had consumed the Sovereign's Emperor's Blood, Xu Xian could not use the Beast Control Seal to restrain it as he had with Lu Yuan.
It was an immense headache...
One day, during a brief rest,
Li Shuhe took the initiative to invite Xu Xian for a chat. Xu Xian naturally accepted, and the two stood side by side atop a mountain ridge.
From their vantage point, they could see the others resting in a desolate area, some meditating and others taking pills.
The Sovereign was among them, and as the days passed, his complexion was looking better and better.
The two of them didn't speak for a long while, but the Little Book Spirit crossed its small arms and grumbled, “This old guy keeps saying he has nothing, yet isn't he recovering quite well?”
Li Shuhe replied, “He truly has nothing!”
She could see the spirit, and it hadn't tried to hide its words from her.
Li Shuhe spoke slowly, “He is very strange. He seems to be like me... an outlier.”
Xu Xian looked over, his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
A similar outlier?
Did she mean they both had a connection to the darkness?
Li Shuhe furrowed her brow, choosing her words carefully as she tried her best to explain. “I... have a body sunken in darkness, while he seems to have a soul fallen in darkness. However, like me, he is not controlled by the darkness laws, yet he can adapt to them and feed on the Breath of Darkness...”
Her words were somewhat brief and scattered, but Xu Xian understood her meaning.
What Li Shuhe was trying to describe was simply that the Sovereign was not a dark creature, yet he possessed a soul similar to one, allowing him to use the Breath of Darkness to increase his cultivation and recover from his injuries.
The two were similar yet different—one was visible, the other was not.
It was like how both of them had blood-red pupils, yet hers were filled with tears and compassion, while his were filled with smiles and arrogance.
Having finished, Li Shuhe looked at Xu Xian. She was afraid she hadn't been clear enough and that he wouldn't understand.
Xu Xian understood and nodded. “I get it!”
Having received an answer, Li Shuhe breathed a sigh of relief, and her furrowed brow smoothed out.
After resting for a moment, she spoke again, getting straight to the point. “Do you blame me for agreeing to let him stay?”
Xu Xian thought for a moment and said, “You naturally have your reasons, Senior. You don't need to explain yourself to me.”
Li Shuhe, however, insisted on explaining. “First, I truly cannot kill him. That is a fact.”
Xu Xian remained silent.
Li Shuhe was very strong; he had personally seen her slaughter Great Spirit Lords of the God Immortal stage like chickens.
Yet he believed her when she said she couldn't kill him.
And because of that, he felt anxious.
An opponent like the Sovereign was still far too beyond his current level.
A battle of wits? In the Heart Demon Dream, he had lost and ultimately compromised.
A battle of words? A few days ago, he had been rebutted until he was speechless.
A battle of skills? There was no need to even mention it.
In every aspect, Xu Xian was no match for him. The only time he had managed to gain the upper hand in the Emperor's Tomb was by sheer luck and relying on external power rather than his own strength.
Against him, Xu Xian felt utterly helpless, possessing no means to counter him.
Li Shuhe continued, “Secondly, if a real fight broke out, the commotion would be immense and would inevitably attract the attention of dark creatures. Once we are targeted, it will be very troublesome. Your companions might die.”
Xu Xian agreed, “I understand!”
This was also one of his concerns.
Li Shuhe wasn't finished, though she paused for a long time. “Thirdly, he was right. Along the banks of the Spirit River, large numbers of darkness legions have always been stationed, with several Ancestral Spirit experts overseeing them. Along the boundary line of the Spirit River, there are layers of killing formations. To cross, one will definitely trigger the arrays, and the darkness will take notice. There are no shortcuts; we can only force our way through.”
At this point, Xu Xian finally understood.
Although he was wary of the Sovereign, if they had to force their way through, having the Sovereign along would indeed make things more secure.
“Originally, I was seventy percent certain I could lead you through. But with the disturbance he caused, the darkness will be alert, and the chance of success has dropped to thirty percent at most.”
“Even though he has deep connections with you, me, and the Li family, he is very strong. With him added, I have a seventy percent chance again.”
“That is why I agreed to cooperate with him!”
Xu Xian nodded immediately, expressing his understanding.
“I understand! Thank you for your efforts, Senior.”
After saying this, Li Shuhe seemed much lighter. She exhaled a long breath of dark turbid air and said slowly:
“It's no trouble. Protecting you is my mission. I must ensure you can walk out of the darkness alive. As for what happens after that, I will mediate for you.”
Xu Xian gave an affirmative sound. He didn't refuse; at the moment, he could only rely on Li Shuhe’s support.
Only then could there be a future.
“However...” Li Shuhe hesitated.
Xu Xian said, “If you have something to say, Senior, please speak freely.”
After some internal struggle, Li Shuhe said, “I thought about the things he said, and I feel they make a lot of sense.”
Xu Xian asked knowingly, “Are you referring to...?”
Li Shuhe nodded to confirm.
Xu Xian became lost in thought.
Li Shuhe added, “That was just my thought. You should act according to your own.”
Xu Xian hummed in agreement.
Li Shuhe looked back at the path they had come from and said meaningfully, “The darkness has already consumed the Nine Heavens, Ten Lands, and three thousand provinces. Only the Immortal Land remains. If not for the Spirit River, would Cangming even exist? At this critical moment of life and death for all living beings, the enemy of every creature is the darkness. Only when the darkness is extinguished can Cangming have a chance at life. Only by staying alive can one settle the grudges of the past.”
“In the face of the grand struggle between darkness and light,”
“Personal prejudices and grudges,”
“Are insignificant!”
Xu Xian understood her meaning and her difficulties. She had wandered alone in the darkness for ten thousand years.
What could be more worth anticipating than seeing the stars of the world again and witnessing the first light of dawn?
Compared to that,
what did the grudges of their ancestors matter?
Xu Xian said solemnly, “Don't worry, Senior. I truly understand!”
Li Shuhe looked deeply at him and said with relief:
“That is good!”
“The road ahead is still very long. Get some rest early...”
Xu Xian sat down beside Li Shuhe, his legs dangling over the cliff. He took out a jar of wine. “Here is just fine...”
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