Chapter 1308: Even Should We Meet Again, We Would Not Recognize Each Other
Chapter 1308: Chapter 1308: Even Should We Meet Again, We Would Not Recognize Each Other
In the forbidden land of Divine Foot City, there lies an ancient deity’s footprint, revered as a treasure by the Divine Foot lineage. Successive Divine Foot Kings believe this to be a gift from the ancient starry sky, and by unraveling its secrets, the Divine Foot lineage can rise again.
Unfortunately, this footprint is not a gift; it is merely a layout created on a whim by Daoist Manzhi.
Ning Fan wished to investigate the forbidden land, but first, he needed to resolve the trouble before him.
"Expel Qi from Divine Foot City!"
With the Divine Foot King’s command, numerous law enforcement demon soldiers surrounded Ning Fan to escort him to the Heart-Picking Platform for punishment.
This was according to clan rules; the expulsed must have their Earth Giant heart removed and replaced with a stone heart before leaving.
This was because the bloodline inheritance of the Earth Giant Clan lay within the heart, and the secret of this bloodline could not be allowed to leak out.
Removing the heart could prevent the bloodline secret from leaking and also prevent the expulsed from being hunted for their heart and dying an untimely death.
However, a person without a heart would die. The expulsed were often mere mortals, hence the need to replace the heart with a stone one to sustain life.
Once, Jichen had his heart removed on the Heart-Picking Platform, replaced by a cold stone heart.
Now, it was Ning Fan’s turn to undergo this event.
Currently playing the role of a 16-year-old Jichen, if he didn’t cheat, he would only be a mere mortal, destined to have his heart picked and accept his fate.
However, he currently had control over the Dao Thought Battle, not truly made of flesh and blood.
If he wished, the mere Earth Giant Clan could be suppressed with a lift of a hand, as the strongest in the open, the Divine Foot King, was only a Four Calamity Immortal King. In the depths of the Demonified Cities, there were hidden two ancient Immortal Emperor auras, possibly old ancestors of the Earth Giant Clan, but they were of no consequence either.
Suppressing this clan was easy, but Ning Fan chose not to do so.
Because Ning Fan saw through Manzhi’s script!
If he suppressed the Earth Giant Clan now, it would certainly resolve the issue, but it seemed to be the outcome Manzhi desired to facilitate.
Similar to the Zidou Illusion Realm, the Huawei Illusion Dream Realm also had ten great secret clans, of which the Earth Giant Clan was one!
The fortunes of the ten clans were linked to the Huawei Reincarnation Fortune, and the very existence of each clan played a role in suppressing the reincarnation fortune. If any secret clan’s fortune diminished, it would trigger a series of calamities in this dimension.
Of course, Ning Fan didn’t care about this, as to him, this world was merely a fictional reincarnation in the Dao Thought Battle...
But if this was what Manzhi sought, then he would need to reconsider. At this moment, he had yet to see through Manzhi’s true motive. This person rigorously plotted against Jichen, using Jichen as a pawn to draw himself into this Dao Thought Battle. The scheme must be of significant value...
A Decemcentennial Saint was willing to involve vast causes like the Northern Barbarian Vastness and Huawei Infinite, willing to span across vast years and reincarnations, all to devise this scheme. What could it possibly be...
Ning Fan could see through many of Manzhi’s backup plans, but he couldn’t understand Manzhi’s motive, as the cause was too immense, faintly involving the Fourth Step...
Not knowing requires more caution! Do not let the enemy easily get what they want!
It’s like a game of chess. In the layout phase, Ning Fan hadn’t seen through his opponent’s strategy, but his own strategy was entirely seen through by the opponent, who had endless responses waiting for him.
As a result, if he blindly pursued stability in his own formation, he would likely fall into the pace of countless reincarnations planned by his opponent.
Before truly seeing through the situation, Ning Fan preferred to disrupt the opponent’s tempo, break the opponent’s formation, and muddle the situation. Once a situation arises that neither can predict, it would be most advantageous for him.
"Though I don’t know Manzhi’s motive, I know he wants to use me to suppress the Earth Giant Clan and weaken their fortune. If I do the opposite, making the Earth Giant Clan’s fortune increase instead, I wonder what Manzhi would do..."
If Jichen could hear Ning Fan’s thoughts, he would surely be angry!
You’re playing me! You’ve been expelled by the Earth Giant Clan and are about to face the fate of heart removal, yet you’re repaying evil with good and even want to support the Earth Giant Clan to become more prosperous? Are you crazy!
If Ning Fan could hear Jichen’s complaints, he would surely be speechless too.
Being expelled, having the heart removed, and being abandoned by the Earth Giant Clan is your fate, Jichen, what’s it to me, Ning Fan?
I have no enmity with the Earth Giant Clan, actually, we have a bit of friendship. Isn’t your Earth Giant Clan’s king called Divine Foot King? What a coincidence, I once killed a friend also named Divine Foot!
That Great Immortal Divine Foot even got refined into a ghost soldier by Ning Fan. With the cultivation of a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, he devoured Ning Fan’s other nine ghost soldiers, advancing to become an Ancient Great Cultivation Ghost Soldier, truly becoming Ning Fan’s loyal footman! Although the Divine Foot Ghost Soldier was indeed a bit disobedient before, with Ning Fan’s advancing power, the ghost soldier had long been loyal to Ning Fan, contributing much in the millennium blood war defending the Northern Barbarian.
So, my ghost soldiers and I stand with the Earth Giant Clan, opposing your position, Jichen. Is there a problem with that?
Trying to deceive me into subduing the Earth Giant Clan by force? Sorry, it’s not feasible. I’m more interested in seeing if I can find some benefits within the Earth Giant Clan to further enhance the power of my Godly Foot ghost soldiers.
Being at the level of Great Cultivation as an Immortal Divine Foot, if my strength advances further, wouldn’t it put me on par with Saints? Ha, indeed, it’s worth looking forward to...
Thinking of this, Ning Fan, although ordered by the Divine Foot King to have his heart removed and be exiled, harbored not a trace of hatred when he looked at the Divine Foot King. Instead, his eyes were filled with expectations, as if he was not looking at the Divine Foot King, but at his own Godly Foot ghost soldiers.
The Divine Foot King did not know this, seeing that this child, despite being abandoned by him, surprisingly did not resent him, but instead, looked at him with an admiration he had never shown before. Even the cold and indifferent Divine Foot King was slightly moved.
This fool may not be entirely useless after all. At least this love and respect for his father are something other children do not possess...
But this feeling of being moved was only fleeting, not enough to make the cold Divine Foot King retract his decision.
He was not only Qi’s father but also the king of the Divine Foot lineage. He had to consider the well-being of the tribe and the stability of the Huawei Reincarnation’s fortune.
Moreover, he had to consider his own royal dignity.
The clan rules cannot be nullified for one person, especially not for the royal offspring. Otherwise, the credibility of the clan rules would be lost and they would become nothing more than empty words.
If your child can be exempted from exile, then why not my child?
Generation after generation, the bloodline of the Earth Giant Clan would become more and more diluted, the clan’s fortune increasingly weakened, and the law of balance in the world’s great ten fortunes would become unbalanced...
"More importantly, as long as this son remains in the clan, those elders who wish to replace me will ceaselessly use this as ammunition to threaten my position..."
Compared to that noble power, mere family affection is trivial and worthless.
"Take this child to the Heart-Picking Platform for punishment..." ordered the Divine Foot King.
The order did not change; only his tone did. No longer as angrily disappointed as before, but with slight regret.
What a pity, if this child were not of a discarded bloodline but had at least passable lineage, I would have been willing to support him out of loyalty and use him to balance the power among the other sons. What a pity...
The Divine Foot King was not the only one to misunderstand Ning Fan’s gaze; Qi’s mother, Jiang Yuan, did too!
She once gave birth to Qi with limitless hopes, and naturally would not feel indifferent towards her own child. But she was always afraid of the Divine Foot King’s authority and dared not disobey.
Yet...this child is about to be exiled, and he still loves and respects his father so dearly...
How foolishly filial, how silly, yet how lovable...
It’s all my fault. It’s my fault for listening to Jiang Shui Taoist’s nonsense, robbing you of your bloodline, your life, and the fatherly love you dreamed of as a child...
Endless regret surged in her heart, eventually transforming into unprecedented courage!
She could not watch her child be exiled with open eyes.
Of course, she also did not dare to reveal the past transgression of breaching forbidden grounds, as it was a grave offense, and not only she would be punished, but it would also add to Qi’s sins.
But...
If it’s just a matter of paying the price to exempt Qi from being expelled by the clan rules, she is willing to substitute with her own body!
"Hold on! King, please retract your order and do not expel my son..."
Jiang Yuan slowly stood up, came before the Divine Foot King, and placed her fair forehead to the ground, kneeling long.
Countless clan members were shocked.
The naturally timid Princess Consort Jiang Yuan, surprisingly had the courage to oppose the King’s command and question the King’s authority. Has she gone mad?
Defying the King’s orders is a grave offense according to the clan rules. Even if she is the Princess Consort, a woman who once shared the King’s bed, to the cold Divine Foot King, there are plenty of concubines and consorts, so even as noble as the Princess Consort, she has no right to question his royal decree!
"Beloved Consort, you have misspoken. Return to your seat, and I can overlook this incident." said the Divine Foot King with a somber expression.
"King, I do not intend to defy the clan rules or the royal command, but to follow another clause of the clan rules: if a clansman is guilty, a family member can take on the punishment by a factor of three...I am willing to bear the punishment in this child’s stead. I ask the King to give Qi another chance, to allow him to stay within the clan, and try the Blood Awakening Ceremony again when he turns 17... perhaps by then, he might be able to, might be able to..."
"Jiang Yuan! The sin of this child’s exile is small, but if you bear the punishment in his stead, the sin will be multiplied by three. Do you know what will become of you! Even though you are this King’s Princess Consort, this King cannot show leniency, and by the clan rules, you will be imprisoned beneath Jishan, never to escape disaster in this lifetime! Even so...are you still willing?" The Divine Foot King’s expression turned increasingly grim, even addressing the Princess Consort by her name outright, showing his extreme displeasure.
"I... I am willing..." Jiang Yuan dared not raise her head to see the expression of the Divine Foot King. She was very timid and deeply feared the punishment of eternal confinement in Jishan. Just thinking about the impending future made her body tremble uncontrollably. So, if such a timid person like her faced the majestic and angry gaze of the Divine Foot King, she would surely lose all her courage and submit once more.
But she didn’t want to submit anymore; she had softened all her life, and must be brave once, to fight for an opportunity for Qi...
Even though she also understood that even if she could let Qi stay in the clan for another year until the blood awakening ceremony next year, Qi would still likely be unable to remain in the clan and would still be expelled.
This matter was meaningless, but... what other options did she have...
"Good, very good! Your wings have hardened, you are starting to become arrogant from favor. If so, this king grants you an opportunity to be arrogant from favor! This king permits your crime to be multiplied by three, eternally confined to Jishan! As for Qi, he may remain in the clan for another year, but if he is still so unworthy at next year’s blood awakening ceremony, you will not be able to save him a second time!"
"Thank you, Great King..."
...
Because of Ning Fan’s single thought, Qi’s destiny subtly changed!
Even Ning Fan found this unexpected, as his Tianren Eye Technique was busy observing the thousands of backups of Manzhi, neglecting many small and inconsequential variables here.
He underestimated.
Perhaps Manzhi underestimated too, as the evidence showed Ning Fan hadn’t detected any setup by Manzhi regarding this matter!
But the one who underestimated most, felt most absurd, was neither Ning Fan nor Manzhi, but Jichen...
This Dao thought battle was initiated by him against Ning Fan, allowing him to observe what Ning Fan was doing at any time and place, thus grasping Ning Fan’s movements.
Unexpectedly, he observed at this moment a fact that shook his spirit sense!
Fake, fake!
That lifelong timid mother, how could she go to such lengths for a worthless person like me? The only person who was good to me in this world should be Xuan Bird, she alone...
Clearly when I was expelled, my mother did not take the punishment for me. Yet when it comes to that butterfly, she sacrifices herself to save it, it looks so fake...
Indeed, it must be the butterfly who manipulated my mother, making her make foolish decisions that go against her true heart!
Willing to endure the pain of eternal confinement in Jishan just for a worthless person to stay in the clan another year, such foolish maternal love couldn’t possibly appear in her!
It’s all fake!
"Fake? That might not be the case. You still know nothing about human will, and that part of the unknown is something even destiny finds hard to control. You have become an Immortal Emperor, yet you seem never to understand the sense of going up the mountain to become immortal and going down the mountain to become a person. Hasn’t the Xuan bird you admire taught you this principle? It’s truly regrettable..."
A voice suddenly spoke, as warm as jade.
Jichen’s expression changed, suddenly realizing the environment around him had changed.
He had just been locked and roasted in a large tripod by the Chrysanthemum Demon, yet now he appeared in another place.
Surrounded by endless red birch trees, among them stood a thatched cottage and a school.
Inside the school, the sound of tender recitations could be heard.
At the entrance of the school stood an exceptionally beautiful young man in purple clothes, holding a scroll, looking like a teacher.
This person had long hair like a waterfall, a handsome appearance, with a purple-gold stone flame seal at the center of his forehead.
The person who just spoke was this one.
Jichen couldn’t detect a trace of cultivation from this person, yet still felt the other’s aura as vast and boundless, as if he could overturn the world and trample the heavens with just a thought.
This person... who is he!
Never heard of there being such a strong presence in the Third World, even the previous Chrysanthemum Demon who was extraordinarily strong against the rules, didn’t possess such a vast aura...
This can’t be!
The one I intend to kill is clearly that weakling that butterfly cares about, so why do these terrifying figures that I cannot contend with keep appearing!
Could it be that this person’s astonishing aura is false, manipulated by that butterfly, and only then does he have such an influence?
Damn you, butterfly! I admit I can’t defeat you! In this Dao Thought Battle, I am utterly defeated, but if you want to kill me, just do it, why create fake people to humiliate me!
I, the Nightmare Master Saint, am so insignificant in your eyes?
The fake people you create cannot all be as absurd as the Chrysanthemum Demon.
I shall wipe out the fake people you’ve created! So you know, I, Jichen, am not easily handled by any random fake person!
Jichen sneered, then exhausted all his cultivation methods and attacked the young man in purple.
But those attacks couldn’t even touch the young man.
The power of emptiness blocked all assaults, any attacks directed at the purple-clad youth could only infinitely approach him. But that infinite, frustratingly, has no end. In the unreachable journey, Jichen’s attacks constantly weakened, eventually scattering into the forces of Hun, Xu, Di, and Fan, returning to true void.
"This, this is the power of the Ancestor Void Spirit, and it is of the highest level I’ve never seen before. Impossible, even if that butterfly cheats, it shouldn’t bring forces from beyond the Three Worlds back to humanity! The Ancient Ten Spirits are all gone, could it be, could it be that you are a living Ancestor of the Ten Spirits..."
"You are mistaken, young man, do not be misled by power. Power is a fine thing, it can elevate mortals on the immortal’s path, comparable to the Five Spirits and Ten Ancestors. But power sometimes blinds the five senses and six faculties, causing one to forget what the heart truly desires. Your cultivation is far from sufficient, but I’m not referring to cultivation, but to spirit sense. The last child who came here to learn was only at Divinity Transformation, yet his will far exceeded yours at present. You and I share a fleeting Dao connection, but since you are of the Xuan Bird lineage, I am willing, exceptionally, to teach you. This ’Three Character Immortal Classic’, you may borrow and read it, thus the last karmic debt with the Xuan Bird from the past will be cleared."
Xuan Bird...
Such a terrifying existence also knows of the Xuan Bird...
Jichen took the book from the youth’s hand, in complete bewilderment, not understanding the profound nature of the scriptures he held.
Just by the face value of the Xuan Bird, Jichen unexpectedly had a chance to glimpse the Reversed Scripture Scroll, but due to limited comprehension, he couldn’t see much, barely reading a few basic sentences.
"Immortality begins, nature essence that’s void, ascend heavenly path, enter ocean chart, broad mana, not to aspire, strong spirit focus, only then can see clearly... The rest is unreadable, if I force myself to look further, I feel my spirit sense is collapsing, what kind of scripture is this, so deeply mysterious!"
Inside the school, many children were also reciting the ’Three Character Immortal Classic’, ignoring the divine skills Jichen displayed earlier, involved in reading without distraction.
Among the children’s recitals are contents that Jichen cannot yet comprehend.
Unfortunately, Jichen can’t hear clearly the contents he can’t read either, from beginning to end, only grasping those eight lines.
The less he understands, the more he yearns to know.
Consumed with the eagerness for learning, the time around speeds by amazingly, in a blink it spans a thousand years.
For a thousand years Jichen diligently studied this scripture, but no matter what, he only mastered eight sentences.
Despite that, Jichen still felt a tremendous gain, like being enlightened suddenly, with his spirit sense surging forward, his heart that should have been completely corroded by Nightmare Qi instead experienced an unexpected elevation.
"This scripture must be a supreme treasure, hence someone like me, merely a Fake Saint, can only learn eight sentences; for an ordinary Master, fearing they can’t comprehend or hear even a single sentence..."
Jichen exhaled deeply, his hostility reducing significantly, finally willing to confront the fact that he is just a Fake Saint.
His eyes filled with much thought, pondering the identity of the young man in purple, yet naturally unable to guess specifically.
Just then, a child in the school stuck his head out of the window and spoke.
It was a youth sitting at the back near the window, named Ning Gu, also attending school.
He originally disdained interacting with Jichen, but seeing Jichen boasting, he couldn’t help but refute.
"What you said is incorrect, when my elder brother arrived, he memorized the entire ’Three Character Immortal Classic’ in just seven months, without even seeing the teacher’s hand scroll, only relying on hearing the recitation outside seven times to accomplish this."
"Seven months? The entire text?" The gap between people is indeed so huge, if it were the former Jichen, he would definitely deny it.
At this moment, however, he maintained some calm and contemplation, which is the result of his spirit sense advancement.
"Could it be your elder brother is some Nirvana Saint or Desolate Saint?"
"No, at that time he should only be at Divinity Transformation, but I don’t quite understand because I haven’t learned about cultivation realms from the teacher, I’ve only learned about the heart’s path, as this is a believing world."
"What! Divinity Transformation managed to comprehend the entire text in seven months, could he be a primordial spirit with perfect bloodline! Or perhaps a reincarnated Great Saint!" Jichen felt heavily struck but quickly quelled jealousy above his spirit sense, a feat previously impossible for him.
"No, my elder brother is just a Butterfly, born human, having only undergone his first lifetime? That’s what the teacher said, as for terms like ’forty-two crossings turning back’, ’forty-three crossing deceptive speech’, I don’t quite get. My elder brother’s spirit sense firmness was highly praised by the teacher, hence the teacher lamented repeatedly that my elder brother was unwilling to bear the world’s weight, saying it was regrettable forty-four times in succession. The teacher often taught us not to be lost in the word power, which I didn’t understand truly until meeting my elder brother. Mortal’s can they be forsaken? Immortal’s can they be feared? Those powerless thinking foolishly they’ll achieve anything once gaining power. Intention doesn’t align with body, determination doesn’t align with Dao, is the body tough? Is the Dao firm? Not knowing human toughness, how could one hear immortal firmness? Embracing trees, arising from a grain; nine-layered tower, begun from accumulated soil; seven million Immortal Stones, commenced from a single thought...ow!"
Pa!
It’s the sound of the Purple Gold Ruler knocking on the head.
The young man in purple clothing: "Study the classics diligently, do not let your thoughts wander, only then might you have a slim chance of returning..."
Ning Gu: "Yes, sir..."
The young man in purple clothing: "Once you’re familiar with the ’Three Character Chapter’, start reading the ’Lamp Fire Chapter’. The butterfly’s hurricane is not my intention, but the timing he stirred the hurricane is just right. Ten Spirits could not accomplish something that a butterfly by chance brought about, it’s an unexpected scene I did not foresee, transcending the grand shifts of the Five Spirits Chessboard. If the butterfly’s lamp fire truly illuminates the Lost World Palace in the eternal night, without your guiding lamp, he may lose direction for quite some time. Those who carry the firewood for the people must not let themselves freeze to death in the wind and snow, as Purple Dipper Ancestors, you ought to lead the way for future generations."
Ning Gu: "Yes, sir! If it’s for the sake of guiding my elder brother’s lamp fire, I am willing to burn eternally in the long night, without regret for my body!"
The young man in purple clothing: "It’s good you have this heart, but there’s no need to sacrifice yourself. The butterfly’s reincarnation has already cast the seventh page, he bears too much, and perhaps will endure more, do not add to his burdens, just trust him with your faint lamp fire, after all, this is a world where belief can create existence."
...
Jiang Yuan pleads for her son, is a storyline that has not appeared in reincarnation.
Perhaps, in Jichen’s true reincarnation, Jiang Yuan always intended to do this, yet lacked the final bit of courage to truly take that step.
What is called a momentary lapse of judgment, refers to this very matter.
And when the butterfly stirred a breeze, blowing a straw, it tilted her reason and emotion balance slightly.
Her love for Jichen is not nonexistent, just hesitant to reveal, continually struggled and hesitated.
She is a Princess Consort, yet not the most loved woman by Divine Foot King, nor could she rely on Jichen to gain her rank because of him, thus needing to tread carefully in the deep palace.
She is timid, taciturn, vain, envious.
She likewise longs for her child to stand above thousands, hoping he would ascend as the legendary Dragon with a Candle to add glory to herself.
She has been disappointed, she has regretted.
She has countless shortcomings, but at the moment she kneels, none of it matters anymore.
Ning Fan did not manipulate anything, everything at the moment is indeed another possibility within Jichen’s reincarnation.
To Jichen, fatherly love may truly be akin to grasping the moon reflected in the water, intangible, but motherly love is not so...
If Jichen chooses to understand, chooses to believe, he might discover, with his initial weak mortal body, he could not have traversed mountains and rivers successfully to reach Youtai City, and experience all that followed.
Surely someone helped him.
Or perhaps, Jichen guessed someone helped him, but assumed all help came from the warmth of Xuan Bird, thus using this as a reason to deny the entire world.
"Communication is indeed important, if Qi had understood his mother’s intentions earlier, even if destitute in the rivers and lakes, he wouldn’t self-pity then..."
"I can communicate with all things, but this art seems to have room for improvement, a vast development space..."
"Communication with all things, communication with all things... If it’s only me communicating with all things, it’s somewhat lonely, and there’s even a sense of arrogance in being the sole sober one amidst everyone else’s drunkenness. If this art can progress further, perhaps it can enable not only me to communicate with all things, but also allow all things to communicate and understand each other... This function may seem utterly useless, but what is useless is undeniably useful in its own way. My spirit is like a tree, vast and useless, though a useless tree can still stand in a place beyond existence, in the Vast Wilderness, wandering beside non-action, resting beneath it, unthreatened by axe and saw, unburdened by creatures, safe from distress..."
Ning Fan delved deeper into understanding, with each subtle realization, the divine arts refined ever further.
The divine arts that initially only allowed communication with all things gradually transcended common knowledge and boundaries, becoming increasingly unfathomable.
And that part transcending common knowledge is exactly what Manzhi struggles to foresee, the opponent struggles to strategize against things beyond common knowledge, a fact Ning Fan has already proven once.
Due to Jiang Yuan pleading for her son, the Law Enforcement Demon Soldiers surrounding Ning Fan shifted to surround Jiang Yuan.
Seeing Jiang Yuan on the verge of being taken to Jishan for suppression, Ning Fan decided to intervene.
After all, he is the great man destined to prosper the Earth Giant Clan, allowing any harm to befall the clan’s Princess Consort would definitely diminish the clan’s fortune, yielding results that would please Manzhi, must be avoided!
However, Ning Fan did not use force to prevent this, instead, he secretly employed the slightly refined Communication with All Things, intending to test the newfound understanding.
This is Ning Fan’s first attempt to apply this art to outsiders, the initial trial result, is the art fails to lock on a target, randomly striking a recipient.
By some twist of fate, the first advanced Eternal Communication struck Jiang Yuan—naturally, others couldn’t see Ning Fan’s moves due to the seamless, traceless, grand yet useless nature of Eternal Communication that normal people can’t perceive.
"Did I randomly hit this person? But what effect might it have... My original intent was to target those two hidden Earth Giant Immortal Emperors secretly watching Jiang Yuan here, and yet, it veered off course. Could it be the ratio and structure of yin and yang in the divine technique isn’t quite right..." Ning Fan swiftly reflected on numerous instances of failed spell casting, gradually starting to grasp the concepts behind it.
On the other side, Jiang Yuan, struck by Eternal Communication, suddenly seemed as though she had taken a truth serum or courage potion, unable to control her words, and began to vehemently scold the Divine Foot King.
"What kind of king are you! You value appearance more than your clan, more intent on maintaining your power than upholding clan rules! You’re lustful and fickle, a father without mercy, a king without benevolence, a leader without care! You’re cold-hearted, and when your first wife was gone, you showed not a shred of grief. As for your children, you see them merely as tools to be discarded at will! I know the royal family is merciless, but to be so unkind as you, it’s truly shameful to be your spouse!"
She then looked toward Ning Fan’s direction.
"And, Qi, my child! Your father does not love you, but you need not deny the world for it, nor deny yourself! The world is often not as one wishes, but perhaps it is not as terrible as you currently perceive... In your future, you will surely meet people who value you; even if few, they certainly exist. So do not give up! Do not retreat! Do not be blinded by the word ’bloodline’! I missed it once, mistakenly trusting Jiang Shui Taoist, wrongly assuming that obtaining bloodline and power would bring happiness, ultimately reaping the bitter seeds I sowed... I regret it, and I finally understand what I truly desire. Even if you cannot rise above others in this life, in my eyes, you remain the adorable child who secretly cooked bean rice for your mother. How lovely you are; Yin Yang Evil Vein finds fasting, does not eat worldly grains, but even when eating, only consumes blood food. Yet, your bean rice was the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever tasted. It’s a pity that I can no longer eat it, but don’t be sad; in the future, there will be others who anticipate your bean rice, your smile, and your peaceful joyful days..."
She seemed to be looking at Ning Fan, yet the focus of her pupils betrayed her true heart.
She was truly looking at a place far she could never reach in this life, at a young man who had strayed onto a crooked path, lonely and without support.
Hiss!
Everyone was so shocked by Jiang Yuan’s sudden outburst!
Is she really the meek and easily bullied Princess Consort Jiang Yuan? Why has she become so fierce! Could she possibly have been possessed by someone else?
Daring such a public rebuke of the Divine Foot King, unaware that the king placed utmost importance on his appearance, by angering him this way, this offense can’t possibly be mitigated merely by suppressing Jishan.
...
"Is my mother talking to me... But how is this possible, how can these words... how can they be true..." Jichen, who was initially forcing himself to comprehend the Three Character Immortal Classic, was internally shaken and pained, as though abruptly having his life’s most untouchable wound torn open, causing his spirit sense to fall out of control.
If mother’s words were what she once thought, if her feelings for me weren’t false from the beginning, then, then... the Sixth Nightmare Calamity I initiated, and the ruined Earth Giant Clan due to this calamity, exactly what did I... lose... and gain...
Did I lose... my silently affectionate mother...
Did I cause mother’s death for the Xuan Bird...
Impossible, how is this possible...
What have I done... what have I done...
[Abandoned by Earth Giants, I’d rather become a demon; today the Nightmare Calamity has arrived, all living beings may be exterminated, Earth Giants will cease to exist. But do not mourn, as I create a new reincarnation cycle, I will grant you rebirth, even though you may not deserve my gift, nonetheless, you’ve been heartless, yet I have never been unkind...]
No, stop saying those things, they’re not my true words, they’re not, they’re not...
[Sorry, Qi, your mother doesn’t blame you for everything you’ve done, because it’s entirely her fault, it’s her who failed to teach you properly, her who abandoned you...]
Yes, it’s truly your fault, how dare you blame me, how dare you forgive me. Even if you first wronged me, I am still willing to leave a place for you in the new world; I’m the good person, I am...
But why am I not...
Ning Gu: "Sir, this person seems to be insane, should we do something about it..."
Purple-clad youth: "No need, this is his karma, he should repay it, and now is indeed the time to return it, it should happen to him. It’s rather the butterfly’s idea that surprises me more; given its nature, it actually developed such an useless divine technique. But this uselessness is not due to insignificance, but because of its grandeur; truly young people are to be feared, their ideas always prove difficult to fully understand..."
...
Due to Ning Fan’s casting error, Jiang Yuan, who was originally sentenced to eternal suppressing in Jishan, successfully added three classes to her punishment.
It’s no longer an eternal suppression in Jishan; from now on, every suppressed day and night will be a day of punishment.
Ordinary suppression only means confinement within a cave, but if one adds a class on top of this, one must be suppressed at the mountain’s base, carrying the mountain.
Add another class, and they will suffer the curse of sleeplessness, unable to sleep or rest.
Add yet another class, which is the highest level of suppression punishment; they will be pecked daily at the heart by Earth Dragons, enduring the pain of heart loss; losing the heart by day, regrowing it by night due to the Art of Worm’s Curse, enduring this pain continuously, never-ending, staring at death until life expires...
Originally intending to prevent the Earth Giant Clan from losing the princess consort, it instead led to an even more tragic outcome for the princess consort, making the situation rather awkward.
Luckily, Ning Fan, as the main culprit, similarly became subject to increased punishment due to Jiang Yuan’s self-exposure of illegally entering a restricted area, adding ten classes to his offense, gleefully welcoming a palace punishment.
In the face of even more awkward events, the princess consort’s plight was not quite as embarrassing.
What a pity, Manzhi will be disappointed. As for castration, it’s not happening at all.
It was just a small mistake earlier, but with the next strike, he would hit the target and solve the problem.
Having summarized the lessons from the failure, Ning Fan once again activated Communication with All Things and struck at the two Immortal Emperors hidden here.
This time, the attack did not miss and successfully hit the two.
The two had been struggling and hesitating about whether to violate tribal rules to save Jiang Yuan. After all, she was the descendant of an old acquaintance; they couldn’t just leave this girl to her fate.
Upon being hit by Communication with All Things, the true thoughts in their hearts immediately became uncontrollable, and they revealed themselves.
When the two immense shadows enveloped in ten-colored fortune appeared in the world, countless people from the Earth Giant Clan were shocked and quickly paid their respects.
Even the Divine Foot King dared not remain seated, hurriedly standing up to greet the two emperors along with the clansmen.
"Welcome the exit of the Great Ancestor Giant God!"
"Welcome the exit of the Great Ancestor Juxu!"
No one dared not to welcome them, except for Ning Fan.
Seeing Ning Fan stunned on the spot and not saluting, those who noticed it merely thought he was frightened silly by the Immortal Emperor’s intimidation and didn’t think much of it.
Both Emperor Giant God and Emperor Juxu had no time to pay attention to Ning Fan; they were more concerned about Jiang Yuan’s situation, eager to vent their anger at the Divine Foot King.
Juxu: "Enough! Jiang Yuan, after all, is your consort. She merely scolded you a few times, and you, being so heartless, intend to pluck her heart and liver every day! If this matter gets out, how will the other nine clans view our clan? Gou Dan’er, give me an explanation!"
Divine Foot King: "It’s Juzu, Gou Dan’er is a past name; my great name is now Juzu. If using the title of king, calling out Little Divine Foot, or Little King, I would accept..."
Juxu: "Shut your nonsense! When I call you Gou Dan’er, you have to be Gou Dan’er! Calling you Gou Dan’er is a form of recognition; otherwise, you’d even have to respond to the name Egg! In front of me, you’re still worried about losing face. Does your face matter at all? If you can do the job of the Divine Foot King, fine, if not, get out!"
Divine Foot King: "No, no, no, Ancestor, calm down! I’ll be Gou Dan’er, okay? As for adding three levels of punishment to Jiang Yuan, please allow me to defend myself! My punishment on this consort was not due to personal grievances but because I was infuriated that she dared to trespass our clan’s forbidden grounds upon hearing Jiang Shui Taoist’s nonsense, an enormous violation of tribe rules..."
Juxu: "Nonsense and absurdity! Use your good brain, won’t you! Every day Giant God and I are at the forbidden grounds, interpreting the profoundness of the celestial footprint. Without our permission, how could she, merely a Void Fragmentation junior, have come into contact with the forbidden grounds’ footprint! Do you really think we’re senile! If you want to pursue this violation of tribe rules, Giant God and I would be accomplices. What then, are you thinking of repressing us and plucking our hearts and livers every day? I’ll give you ten Gou guts, would you dare!"
Divine Foot King: "Even with a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare! The two ancestors, being the Supreme Elders, aren’t subject to tribal rules, but this girl is merely a junior in the first step, and her child is even a trash bloodline..."
Giant God: "Silence! I’ve tolerated you long enough. The rule I despise most in my lifetime is the tribal rule of discriminating against weak bloodlines! I failed three tests and therefore understand that bloodline testing is merely a deceptive guise. Fortunately, on the eve of the fourth test, I received a favor from Jiang Yuan’s grandfather and narrowly passed, staying in the clan grounds. Thanks to the support of her grandfather multiple times, I arrived at the position of Immortal Emperor today. You speak of waste time and again; to my ears, it’s like you’re insulting me!"
Divine Foot King: "I’ve been wronged! Even with a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare..."
Giant God: "Silence! I haven’t finished speaking! The second tribal rule I despise is castration! As for the reason... I don’t want to talk about it! Yet you are even worse; you call your own child a waste and now want to castrate him too—it’s simply deceitful beyond measure! Damn it, you and I must battle today till one of us dies! Choose, you die or I live!"
Divine Foot King: "Great Ancestor, calm down, calm down. Why take it this far, we can talk things out..."
Divine Foot King couldn’t comprehend!
Divine Foot King detected the anomaly but couldn’t pinpoint its source!
Divine Foot King: "First it was Jiang Yuan; this girl, usually timid by nature, suddenly had the courage to insult me just now, as if she were possessed or something!"
Divine Foot King: "Next, these two ancestors, typically keeping tribal rules in their thoughts, suddenly, as if possessed today, ran out of personal motives to defend Jiang Yuan. Where does that place the tribal rules? Where does it place the clan? Where does it place the king’s face? An elder who doesn’t die is a rogue; these two old rogues should have left ages ago! If I weren’t weaker than these two old guys, I’d honestly like to suppress them underneath Jishan, never to reincarnate again..."
Divine Foot King: "What’s going on? Why can’t I control my mouth, and I’m l let out all my inner thoughts? Have I been possessed too?"
Giant God, Juxu: "We don’t know if you are possessed, but we are sure you are about to get beaten! Gou Dan’er, watch out!"
Clan member A: "Great Ancestors struck brilliantly, brilliantly! We’ve been looking forward to this idiot’s defeat; beat the hell out of him!"
Clan member B: "Don’t just hit the face, aim for his family jewels; after all, he dares to consider castrating my best brother Qi! He’s my favorite brother, and his overall magnificence is my favorite too! Oh no, now I can’t stop saying how much I love Qi, this is so embarrassing..."
Clan member C: "One more second in this break clan and I can’t bear it, I wish I could join the Drought Demon Clan full of female demons, but alas, one’s bloodline isn’t self-picked. It seems I’ll have to wait to reincarnate in the next life, right?"
Clan member D: "You’re saying you are okay with the Drought Demon Clan’s females? Then the Mo Mu’s clan should be fine for you too? Actually, I’d love that too; I like female demons who are three times my size because, you know, an older woman is like holding a gold brick!"
Clan member Z: "Are we just letting this play out and not intervening? What if the king accidentally gets beaten to death, doesn’t it mean... we have a great opportunity!"
Clan member Y: "Hold on! I’m the king’s child with the strongest bloodline. Although born of a concubine, if the king dies, then I should be the first in line to succeed! How could a crown prince exist for 3,700 years! Heaven has eyes, and finally, this day has come!"
Clan member Yin: "A great man born between heaven and earth cannot linger under others for long! If my brother has the heart to kill the father and seize power, count me in. Should we happen to become wealthy and noble, don’t forget about me!"
Clan member Mao: "I won’t hide it anymore! I’m actually a spy of the Chaoyue Dragon Clan, and I love watching the Earth Giant Clan tear each other apart. But let me tell you, it’s a secret, and I’ll never tell you!"
Ah, this...
Ning Fan looked at the chaotic Divine Foot City, refusing to admit that it was his handiwork.
The Eternal Communication, despite its improvements, turned out to be unexpectedly useful.
However, does the chaotic situation ahead truly enable all living beings to understand each other? It doesn’t seem so...
After doing all these things, will the clan fortune of the Earth Giant Clan really rise? It feels like the clan fortune has decreased a lot, but forget it, it must be an illusion...
Ji Xiaoyao: "Ah, I was planning to descend the lower realms to save a certain wayward youth, but didn’t expect to see such a lively scene. Could all this be your doing? After all, everyone here is babbling nonsense, and you’re the only one silent, how suspicious~ So, how exactly did you achieve this? Can you tell me, or would you rather be dissected and become research material for the next Dao Scroll report? Why aren’t you speaking, are you scared? Don’t be afraid, my naughty little puppy. As long as you’re willing to put away your playful Ancient Country Divine Skills and help me quell the chaos in the city, I wouldn’t mind turning a blind eye~ Or would you rather be wanted by the entire Dao Spirit World~"
A small black sparrow lightly landed in front of Ning Fan, the moonlight flashed, transforming into a girl in a black dress, smiling at Ning Fan.
She was Ji Fuyao’s spirit sense, her appearance similar to Ji Fuyao, but her look and figure younger than the original. Since Ji Fuyao herself could not easily leave the Zhaoyao Star, she could at most send a spirit sense to the lower realms, thus sending her to rescue Ning Fan.
The script should be the youth facing the agony of Heart-Picking, and her descending like an angel, risking the worldly dust to save the youth and then redeeming his life.
But who could tell her why the mortal youth before her possesses the absurd divine power to disrupt secret clans, even playing two ancient Immortal Emperor ancestors of this clan like puppets, utterly losing composure!
It’s indeed due to her holding the Unspeakable Seal that she hasn’t succumbed to the nonsense tongue tied by the youth’s divine skills. Otherwise, even a being close to sainthood like her might lose composure. So what kind of divine skill is this? In all the ancient country literature she reviewed, such a malicious divine skill never appeared...
Can it really force all living beings to speak their inner thoughts?
The world needs kind lies to embellish. If everyone only speaks the truth, countless feelings might be shattered.
But it’s quite interesting, isn’t it~ What a creative divine skill, perhaps it’s the kid’s own creation? If so, he must be a genius~
From the perspective of a Hong Jun Disciple, upon detecting the emergence of ancient country descendants, she should report to the Dao Spirit World immediately.
Yet once she glimpsed into the youth’s eyes, clear and filled with amusement, she couldn’t look away, let alone report his identity as an ancient country remnant...
Strange.
She can understand why she finds the youth interesting, but cannot understand why she can’t take her eyes off him.
She’s not a fool like the Xuan Bird, easily tempted by mere wine and lust. She has refrained from drinking for years; unless the Xuan Bird invites her to drink Dew Brew, she’d rather enjoy tea.
Wine can’t confuse her, neither could beauty.
What’s more, the youth’s appearance counts as excellent, but far from captivating entire nations nor does he possess Innate Bewitching Physique, nor had any bewitching techniques been applied.
Even so, he could still bewilder her; what a dreadful yet mysterious youth~
This defies science but aligns with metaphysics. There must be deeper reasons behind this, if dug out, she might write several Dao Scroll papers influencing academia or unearth several old foes plotting against her through this youth...
Even if it’s manipulation, it doesn’t matter, as she’s accustomed to it, not likely to vent on the youth used as a pawn.
The fear is that this youth might not be manipulated by others but a destined link in her sainthood tribulation... By then, does she have to cut him down? Feeling a bit reluctant...
Trading someone’s life to exchange for one’s Saint Road, is such a person truly fit to be called a Saint?
Before understanding what is Saint, what is human, she doesn’t plan to become a Saint, even though the Sect constantly urges, even though Dao Spirit World recently sent the twelfth golden order, forcing her to decide, yet...
Becoming a Saint for one, thereby causing calamities and countless killings in the Great Thousand World, is that truly good...
She needs time to ponder these issues, and after encountering the youth, she has one more question to consider.
The true identity of this youth before her, who on earth is he...
This is very important.
Its importance is second only to her interest in tomb artifacts like Ancient Country Divine Ship, Divine Bow, Divine Arrow...