Xin Ci was startled, but quickly regained his composure.
He knew that the Eternal Emperor would not easily hand over the Eternal Ink Cube to him, so he respectfully asked, "To be frank, Elder Eternal Emperor, I have indeed entered the Eternal Divine Hall this time for the Eternal Ink Cube."
"This Eternal Ink Cube can be bestowed upon you."
The Eternal Emperor, seated on the throne, narrowed his eyes and said calmly.
Xin Ci thought to himself: Could it be that some trials or tests are required?
However, the Eternal Emperor knew what he was thinking and said directly, "You do not need to undergo any trials. This Eternal Ink Cube can be given to you at any time, but compared to the Eternal Ink Cube, you have a better option."
"A better option?"
"That's right, which is to accept my inheritance."
"This way, you will officially become the master of the Eternal Divine Hall and successfully step into the Eternal Realm that countless cultivators dream of."
"At that time, you will not need to use the Eternal Ink Cube to mend the seal of the Twilight Land. The Underworld God King who breaks free will be no match for you."
The choice offered by the Eternal Emperor was indeed very attractive, especially the achievement of the Eternal Realm. If it were another cultivator, they would likely flock to it.
Given such tempting conditions, Xin Ci admitted that he was indeed wavering.
But he was not a person whose actions outpaced his thoughts.
For some reason, Xin Ci felt that something was not quite right.
It was as if accepting the Eternal Emperor's inheritance would make him regret it for the rest of his life.
Xin Ci's silence caused the Eternal Emperor some displeasure. He spoke again, "My patience is limited. I will ask you if you accept the inheritance?"
"May I ask, Senior, Mu Qingqing's soul is of the same origin as mine. If you were just bestowing the inheritance, you would not need to transfer her."
"I wish to know, is Senior hiding something?"
Upon hearing this, the Eternal Emperor's expression turned cold, and he then said sternly, "Are you forcing me?"
"I would not dare, but I must know the truth. Otherwise, I will not accept the inheritance!"
Xin Ci was not intimidated by the Eternal Emperor's aura. Instead, he stood tall and straight, his expression firm, looking directly at the figure on the throne.
The Eternal Emperor flicked his sleeve and stood up from the throne. His imposing figure loomed over Xin Ci. He then let out a cold snort, "You do have some courage to speak to me like this."
"Since you wish to know the reason, I shall tell you."
"The young girl who entered the Eternal Divine Hall with you is a manifestation of half of your own soul fragments."
"And the key to breaking through the Eternal Realm is to maintain the uniqueness of your soul. That is to say, if you wish to achieve the Eternal Realm, you must devour the soul fragments of that young girl to make your soul complete again."
Xin Ci's pupils dilated sharply upon hearing this, finding it difficult to accept the Eternal Emperor's words.
This meant that if he accepted the inheritance, Mu Qingqing would cease to exist!
Fortunately, he had not rashly accepted the Eternal Emperor's inheritance earlier.
After the shock, Xin Ci came to his senses and said without hesitation, "Senior, I still choose the Eternal Ink Cube!"
"So, you intend to refuse my inheritance?"
"That's right!"
"Scoundrel!"
The Eternal Emperor was enraged. His thunderous roar echoed throughout the divine hall.
Even though Xin Ci's soul power had reached the eight-star soul realm, his soul still ached from the powerful sound.
Then, the figure suddenly erupted with an unparalleled, boundless aura that blasted Xin Ci away like a tidal wave, shattering several pillars in succession.
Xin Ci coughed up blood repeatedly from the impact, but he still managed to stand up from the ground with a resolute expression.
Even knowing that the Eternal Emperor was in a furious state, Xin Ci still refused to accept the inheritance.
Seeing his obstinance, the Eternal Emperor trembled with rage and roared, "Scoundrel, you are abandoning the Great Eternal Dao for the sake of this ridiculous obsession with romance!"
"May I ask what is the meaning of cultivation, Senior? For me, cultivation is not just about pursuing power, but also about gaining the strength to protect the person I love. If the person is gone, then what am I protecting, and what am I pursuing as eternal?"
"Such an eternal life of solitude, I would rather not have!"
"You..."
The Eternal Emperor had not expected Xin Ci to retort like this, but he could not help but roar, "Ridiculous! What in this world is more important than eternal life, immortality, and invincibility?"
"I will ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to abandon the Eternal Realm that countless people yearn for, abandon that immortal body, and abandon the longevity of living as long as heaven and earth?"
However, Xin Ci remained unmoved. He simply wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said resolutely, "Even with an immortal body, if the soul wears down over time, it will eventually become an empty shell. Can these still be considered eternal?"
"What I pursue is not eternity. I am unwilling to be a puppet of eternity, nor will I abandon the people I cherish for eternity."
"Are you truly going to disregard the lives of countless beings on the Eternal Continent for the sake of a little girl?"
"No, I want both! That's why I chose the Eternal Ink Cube!"
Xin Ci's response of "I want both" stunned the Eternal Emperor.
He had thought Xin Ci was simply lost in romantic sentiments and abandoning righteousness.
This made the Eternal Emperor unable to help but throw his head back and laugh heartily.
After his laughter subsided, the Eternal Emperor's expression gradually became serious, and he said, "Alright, this is your choice. Then I shall bestow the Eternal Ink Cube upon you. I hope you do not regret it."
With that, the black cube reappeared on the Eternal Emperor's fingertip and slowly floated towards Xin Ci.
Xin Ci also reached out and grasped the Eternal Ink Cube, examining it carefully.
Apart from feeling a little cold in his palm, he could not discern anything special about it.
However, he still expressed his gratitude to the Eternal Emperor.
"Thank you, Senior!"
"Get lost. Seeing you irritates me!"
The Eternal Emperor snorted coldly, then turned away and waved his hand casually.
A portal of void appeared in the center of the divine hall.
Xin Ci put the Eternal Ink Cube back into his Spatial Ring. After bowing respectfully to the Eternal Emperor again, he prepared to step into the portal.
The Eternal Emperor suddenly called out to him.
"Brat, if you're leaving, take this with you!"
As he spoke, the Eternal Emperor suddenly turned around, extended a finger towards him, and a beam of light shot from his fingertip, heading straight for Xin Ci's Spatial Ring.
Xin Ci was slightly startled. He checked his Spatial Ring and found another small, pure white cube like snow inside.
"Senior, what is this..."
"This is another divine artifact of mine, named Xi Hua. It is a divine artifact I forged for a certain Daoist when I was pursuing the Great Dao in the past."
"Speaking of which, although you have abandoned my inheritance, you are still considered my disciple in a way. This divine artifact is a compensation for you."