Chapter 859: Chapter 30: You’re Absolutely Crazy!
"Ancestor, while your warnings are certainly valid, they are overly pessimistic, often viewing matters from the worst possible angle. My perspective is not entirely the same."
Zhou Yan listened to the words of the Xuanyuan Ancestor, but only accepted the cautious aspects, not fully agreeing with the Ancestor’s so-called ’Perfect Situation’.
Xuanyuan Ancestor felt somewhat surprised, as Zhou Yan had previously nearly always accepted his advice, but now only partially listened.
This proved Zhou Yan’s growth, but also showed that Xuanyuan Ancestor’s authority and status in Zhou Yan’s heart were no longer unshakable.
Xuanyuan Ancestor nodded somewhat wistfully, feeling both gratified and as if he were a hero approaching the twilight, in the state of a setting sun.
Perhaps, someday, all of Xuanyuan Ancestor’s insights will seem one-sided and incomplete to Zhou Yan, becoming merely references rather than guidance.
This is growth.
Seemingly simple matters are often quite ruthless.
Zhou Yan raised doubts, yet Xuanyuan Ancestor merely felt a bit wistful. Having seen too much and experienced too much, after being with Zhou Yan for so long and finally witnessing Zhou Yan’s self-growth, he felt some bittersweetness and reflection.
"You can finally say such things, which truly comforts me. Previously, I never had high hopes for you, even when facing your dilemmas, mostly observing coldly. Our joining was just a coincidence, not orchestrated by any circumstance. Moreover, we each have our own paths."
Xuanyuan Ancestor spoke softly.
Zhou Yan nodded, remaining silent.
He knew Xuanyuan Ancestor surely had much more to say.
Zhou Yan also understood that now, after questioning Xuanyuan Ancestor’s judgment and analysis, he finally had the qualification to have an equal conversation with Xuanyuan Ancestor. Before, in the Ancestor’s eyes, Zhou Yan knew he might have seemed like just a humble existence.
Although Xuanyuan Ancestor never looked down on or ignored Zhou Yan, the differences in their realm, abilities, and mindset had created this reality.
Now, Zhou Yan truly possessed the qualification.
"I am Hongmeng Sky Sword Venerate, faced with the catastrophe of destruction while traveling in the Great Domain, seeking to prove the Tao of immortality... As for you, truthfully, you were merely a puppet, a pitiful creature without a true self, yet paradoxically embodying qualities like ’deep affection and righteousness’, ’virtuous energy’, and ’unrestrained’, creating a tragedy upon your appearance."
"Seeing you, I knew you must be... a pitiful and tragic person, but these things were irrelevant to me.
What truly made me value you was your portrayal of deep emotions and unwavering resolve during our time together. Perhaps, if I could prove immortality as crazily as you, I wouldn’t have fallen.
Then, your bloodline finally made me recognize you, deciding to aid you."
"Regarding the inheritance of Emperor Blood, I was not unaware. I knew, but due to circumstance, the Emperor Blood meant for your inheritance was instead passed to your disciple; thus your fate truly changed, and he took your calamity upon himself. I manipulated the Star River, disrupted the Heavenly Mechanism of the Plane, so you indeed won’t be calculated against.
Others can suspect you to be anyone, but probably won’t doubt you’re Zhou Yan anymore. Even if recognized, they’ll have many reasons to believe you’re not you."
"I altered your fate because I discovered you could bring a breath of life to my residual soul; perhaps, when you reach the Venerable Limit, you can help me accomplish something, and then I can resurrect.
I am a Sword Soul who gained the Dao through a sword, and I am also the Xuanyuan Sword Soul. Emperor Xuan Yuan’s Energy is the Sword Dao True Intent force of Xuanyuan Sword."
"The reason I speak poorly every time, even pointing out severe matters, is because I see a glimmer of hope in you, and thus don’t want this faint hope extinguished. But this isn’t pessimism nor is it to strike at you; truly powerful races and cultivators, you can never know how strong they are."
"I am merely a Sword Soul, an exceptional spiritual body belonging to the category of alien entities becoming Venerable. Without a physical body, it’s easier to become powerful, yet because of lacking a physical body, also harder to achieve immortality."
"Real strong beings are never cultivators who comprehend laws but are existences creating laws."
"In the Earth Ancestral Land, one Saint comprehended the true origin of rules, stating ’In the Domain are four greats: Great Heaven, Great Earth, Great Man, and also Great Domain."
"This ’Domain’ is ’Domain’, the place where true strong beings venture. The so-called various planes are worlds under the jungle rules of a Great Domain.
Strong beings in the Domain established rules; countless cultivators across various planes follow these rules to grow. When exceptional strong beings emerge, they enter the Great Domain."
"Back then, only a select few from the Ten Thousand Realms Plane were favored by forces above the Great Domain, among which actually included Lei Yan King’s nomination, but it ultimately came to nothing."
"I know part of the matter about Lee Ran, but this part, I cannot conveniently tell you. Currently, real outstanding individuals are all in the Great Domain, finding a way to enter the Great Domain is fundamental. You already have that qualification, but your strength is still lacking. I hope you enter the Sword God Nine Transitions and achieve sudden enlightenment of the ’Heart of Venerable’, then I will provide you with the most precise path, and by then, all your doubts will be resolved."
"Currently, I have a judgement, essentially confirming Jiang He is some individual. After returning to the Soul Nourishing Space, I will verify and then take you to a place in the Jiang family to take the ’Ancient Evil Heart’, and by then, you will truly have the qualification to confuse reality, achieving ’Evil Venerate’."
"I have carefully observed your cultivation and enlightenment. The path that suits you best is the path of the Evil Venerate by any means necessary. As long as you step into a domain and achieve the Twelve Immortal Evil Souls, perhaps the rules of this realm and even all realms can be set by you."
"These rules can even include life and death, space-time, reincarnation, heavenly mechanism, qi fortune, life chart, and everything else."
"So, do you think everything now is still important?"
The Xuanyuan Ancestor said more than usual.
This was the second time the Xuanyuan Ancestor spoke at length since the last time, giving guidance, instructing Zhou Yan. The reason, however, was simply that Zhou Yan challenged the Xuanyuan Ancestor’s judgment and thus possessed the true qualifications of a strong person.
Upon hearing these secrets, Zhou Yan, linking to the fact that Yanyan was already in the domain, finally understood that as a father, he was still trailing behind his daughter, Yanyan.
Yanyan had already stepped into the Great Domain, but her situation was not smooth, even fraught with dangers.
The Evil Venerate is definitely a figure within the Great Domain.
And so-called planes are merely places for a faction to develop.
Although Zhou Yan already knew the road ahead was long, now it seemed even longer.
However, his mindset had already changed.
"Ancestor, I appreciate your painstaking guidance and teachings, but now I also have my own persistence and thoughts."
In his contemplation, Zhou Yan only regarded all the Xuanyuan Ancestor’s sayings as an increase in his experience, as a form of self-encouragement rather than pressure and restraint.
"Oh? What are your thoughts?"
The Xuanyuan Ancestor couldn’t help but feel a mysterious sense of alarm and surprise, as if he realized he could no longer determine Zhou Yan’s thoughts and personality.
Zhou Yan had changed, changing to the point that even the Xuanyuan Ancestor could no longer see through him.
"I, Zhou Yan, in the first life, Lee Yi, was a fool from birth. In the second life, Lee Sha, my perfect soul was taken at birth, the soul did not exist. With the opportunity of Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, I achieved the Sword Venerate with a Demon Heart and became the Lei Yan King. In the third life, like a false puppet duplicated out, I lived a self."
A lot of things, I was eager to pursue, but when I achieved them, I lost them. A lot of things, I was eager to guard, but by the time I gradually had the ability to guard, the guardianship had long been shattered."
On Earth, I have seen a lot, understood a lot, and also gained a deeper understanding of the soul, and then I discovered, perhaps I am actually a life planned and bred."
Perhaps all the tribulations around me, step by step pressing me, were just to step by step stimulate my potential and force me to grow."
I don’t want to think this way because thinking this way makes my entire life too pathetic and too sorrowful."
But am I truly a genius? All my so-called abilities primarily come from encounters, opportunities, and fortunes, even bestowed by my brother Lee Ran."
But now, I don’t even know if my brother is real."
My brother also cannot determine if I am truly myself, even going so far as to test it with his own skull and the Shennong Cauldron at the Earth Ancestral Land."
This situation has reached such an extent; it is difficult to discern the truth from falsehood."
"The road ahead is no longer clear, perhaps cannot reach the end. Thus, as long as one’s best is completely done, there will be no regrets in dying."
"Perhaps, even if I wish to die, some entities don’t wish me to die so soon, hence surviving several deadly encounters."
"I witnessed the affairs of Zhou Zheng and Qing Wan and made a decision to help them. This decision I would never have made before, but it was made at that time. It was like a projection of myself."
"Some emotions, some happiness, can’t withstand waiting and tests because sometimes waiting is losing, and sometimes, tests are torment. Therefore, when facing opportunities, I will strive for them, seize the day, and no longer make pointless sacrifices."
"Therefore, coming to the Jiang family, I have made two decisions: first, to seize all cultivation resources of the Jiang family and take Jiang Yuning, the Holy Daughter; second, to open the Jiang family’s prison and release all the prisoners."
"You’re insane! With your ability, it’s absolutely impossible to accomplish these things." The Xuanyuan Ancestor began to be somewhat shocked by what Zhou Yan said.
But afterwards, hearing Zhou Yan’s plan about going to the Jiang family, he was utterly astonished.
The Xuanyuan Ancestor was definitely not someone who would easily be shocked, yet he was astonished by the calm words spoken by Zhou Yan, which revealed a sense of madness.