Chapter 1868: Foolish Beings

He inhaled slightly. "The gods will return to Golden Plain sooner or later. With their divine power and Beijia's strength, mortals cannot resist. Spirit Mountain cannot, and you certainly cannot. This time in the Upside-Down Sea, you witnessed the true power of immortals and demons. If you hadn't used clever tactics, leveraging the Grand Square Flask to infiltrate the Thousand Illusions Consciousness Sea, you wouldn't have even been qualified to fight the Divine Venerable to the death!"

"Brother Bai, you are too rational."

"What do you mean by that?" Was it a compliment or an insult?

"People who are too rational are good at calculations but easily succumb to reality." He Lingchuan's gaze finally showed disappointment. "You've seen Golden Plain's long-standing poverty and division, so you don't believe I can transform it into a rich and powerful nation. You're accustomed to Beijia's might, so you assume it will last forever. You've decided the heavenly demons are too strong, so you kowtow to them, not daring to even contemplate resistance."

"Oh, Envoy Bai, you only believe in the 'present' but dare not hope for the 'future'! That's what I call shortsightedness."

Bai Ziqi hesitated, as if to speak, then stopped.

"If the world's order were immutable, and the strong and weak could not exchange places, how did Beijia rise and establish itself six hundred years ago? Back then, it acted with the flow of the times, aligning with the forces of heaven and earth. Now, it intends to go against the tide! Do you think it can stop a chariot with a praying mantis's arm?" He had never said that Beijia's establishment six hundred years ago was a mistake. At that time, it might have been progressive.

But what about now? He Lingchuan sighed deeply: "It's a pity that someone as clever as you is so blinded and stubbornly misguided."

Bai Ziqi gave a bitter smile. "As expected, neither of us can convince the other."

He had known this would be the outcome. Both he and He Lingchuan had extremely strong beliefs.

He Lingchuan, however, seemed to read his thoughts, shaking his head in denial. "When did you ever truly have a belief in your heart? You merely treated your master's will as the supreme directive and obedience as your faith. Do you know why you lost in the Upside-Down Sea?"

This question struck Bai Ziqi's raw nerve, and he couldn't help but press, "Why?"

"Your master's limits determined your limits," He Lingchuan said calmly. "The heavenly demons are nothing more than this, Miaozhantian is nothing more than this, and even if you are exceptionally brilliant... No matter how brilliant a dog, it is still just a dog."

"Ultimately, you will have to pay the price for your master's foolishness!"

Bai Ziqi fell silent.

During the battle in the Upside-Down Sea, he led the Heavenly Palace team, but the ultimate decision-making power rested with Miaozhantian.

Even if Miaozhantian trusted him, she wouldn't fully listen to him, leading to several strategic errors, such as misjudging the Lower Realm or He Lingchuan.

As an obedient subordinate, he was helpless.

Therefore, He Lingchuan's words were indeed incisive.

If he could start over, if he had supreme decision-making power, if he could act freely and properly contend with He Lingchuan in a strategic game, unhindered by so many interferences and restrictions...

Alas, what if?

Victors become kings, losers become bandits; this was already the end.

He Lingchuan was also right about one more thing: he had always been good at facing reality.

He Lingchuan looked at him and slowly said, "If I could convince you, you would have a way out; otherwise, this is just our final meeting. You know that, right?"

Bai Ziqi nodded.

"So, do you concede?"

Bai Ziqi smiled, shook his head, and appeared unburdened.

"No, I don't."

He Lingchuan smiled, refilling his cup. "Indeed, this is the Bai Ziqi I know."

It was the last cup; the flask was empty.

Bai Ziqi raised the cup, savoring it sip by sip.

This was the last drink of his life, and he could taste a myriad of flavors.

But first and foremost, there was the subtle fragrance of pear again.

Only after he finished drinking did He Lingchuan stand up.

"Madam, please escort Envoy Bai on his way."

Granny Zhu, who had been motionless as if merged with a boulder, now stretched and stood up.

"No." Just as He Lingchuan was about to turn away, Bai Ziqi called out to him, "Given our acquaintance, I request that Emperor Jiuyou personally send me off."

He didn't even glance at Granny Zhu.

How could such an ignorant being be worthy of taking his life?

He Lingchuan didn't refuse. With a flick of his wrist, he drew the Fusheng Blade, holding it horizontally before Bai Ziqi.

"Brother Bai, do you have any last words?"

Bai Ziqi looked up, seeing his own bloodless, pale face reflected in the gleaming blade.

He slowly reached out, tidied his sideburns, and adjusted his attire.

When the blade descended, the figure standing opposite him was no longer He Lingchuan, but the black-armored, ghost-faced Emperor Jiuyou, as if emerged from the netherworld!

Night fell.

His life would not see another sunrise.

He Lingchuan walked out of the village, with Granny Zhu following behind him.

Of the Heavenly Palace forces that entered the Upside-Down Sea, only a small number surrendered as captives; the rest were all slain.

A few newly vital lives swiftly returned to dust.

"Hey, Bai Ziqi argued with you for so long, why wouldn't he concede, even if it meant losing his life?" Even Granny Zhu felt a touch of regret.

Bai Ziqi was truly a talent.

Even Granny Zhu could see that from the start of their conversation to the end, He Lingchuan had given Bai Ziqi so many chances, time and again!

If Bai Ziqi had shown even a hint of wavering or compromise, he might have survived today.

How intelligent he was; how could he not have understood He Lingchuan's intentions?

Yet he insisted on arguing.

This was a refusal, repeated time and again, unwavering from beginning to end.

Didn't he know that the more impassioned he became, the more he pushed himself towards death?

"He had committed to a lifelong philosophy; it was impossible for him to change course because of a few words from me. Otherwise, he would be negating his past, negating everything that made him who he was." People like Bai Ziqi must hold strong convictions; another word for it is 'stubborn.' "For a proud man like him, to deny himself, what's the difference from killing him?"

"Just for that?" Granny Zhu couldn't understand; she only knew that it was better to live poorly than to die well. "When did you decide to kill him?"

"After he saw the walls of Panlong City."

"Huh?" Granny Zhu was surprised; she didn't quite understand.

"Both are high walls. He considered the walls of Lingxu City good, keeping enemies out and protecting the peace of Lingxu's people. But the walls of my Panlong City, in his eyes, were prison walls, confining the bodies and minds of Panlong's citizens." He Lingchuan smiled. "Even though they were clearly the same thing, he insisted on applying different standards in his mind."

Bai Ziqi had said it so naturally that He Lingchuan understood then and there: this belief was not only deeply ingrained but heartfelt and unchangeable.

"A Bai Ziqi unwilling to surrender is the heavenly demon's swiftest blade, loyal and devoted to his master." He Lingchuan sighed, looking up at the sky. "I admire him greatly, but Emperor Jiuyou cannot tolerate him!"

How could he not feel regret? The person who understood him best had been killed by his own hand.

Yet he could not leave Bai Ziqi to the Heavenly Palace, just as Bai Ziqi, given the chance, would never have left him in this world.

They were each other's thorns in the side, both eager to destroy the other without delay.

They admired each other, but if given the chance to raise the slaughtering blade, neither would hesitate.

He Lingchuan had also anticipated that Bai Ziqi would not surrender; their final meeting was merely a farewell.

A final goodbye to a former enemy, and to a past of hidden capabilities.

That was why Bai Ziqi requested Emperor Jiuyou to personally send him off.

Sacrificing the Heavenly Palace Envoy with the blade was the prelude to a bloody storm!

Miaozhantian and the Yao Kingdom were gone. What enemy on Golden Plain could now halt Emperor Jiuyou's advance?

Just then, Wang Fubao ran over to report:

"We found the Heavenly Palace's assets! Wow, so many mystic crystals!"

Miaozhantian had been well-prepared for this trip to the Upside-Down Sea; her artifacts, mystic crystals, and personnel were all considerable.

Previously, Bai Ziqi had also cunningly stolen a large quantity of mystic crystals from the Illusory Sect's treasury.

Although the series of battles had caused significant losses, the Heavenly Palace forces couldn't have exhausted all their resources. Now, it was time for these treasures to change hands.

"That's just a small portion," He Lingchuan said calmly. "No rush, we have several days to slowly gather the spoils of war."

Apart from his Black Armored Army, who remained full of vigor, the Illusory Sect had only achieved a pyrrhic victory in the Upside-Down Sea battle. The cultivators were exhausted; some sat on roadside boulders and instantly fell asleep. Now that all fighting had ceased, there were only three subsequent tasks:

Healing, resting, and clearing the battlefield.

With the Grand Square Flask temporarily taking over the Thousand Illusions Consciousness Sea, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror could directly connect to the Upper Realm, specifically the minor grotto-heaven most closely linked to reality and inhabited by living beings.

The Illusory Sect team crossed through the mirror, returning to their sect's stronghold.

Stepping back into their familiar mountain gate, everyone felt as if an age had passed.

A shadow flickered by the Wenhua Pavilion, and a massive green ox charged over. Its legs and body were covered in scars, but the wounds had already closed.

Elder Liu was overjoyed. "Brother Xutuo!"

Xutuo was the only demon-immortal elder under Qianhuan's command, holding the lowest rank, having joined the sect only in the early Middle Ages.

Elder Liu hadn't seen him in the Lower Realm and had assumed he had died in battle. The fighting in the Lower Realm had been exceptionally fierce, and Xiao Wencheng hadn't mentioned him. Only now, upon asking, did he learn that Xutuo, in cooperation with the Blood Demon-controlled Cave Infant King, had killed two heavenly demons but was also severely wounded himself. Just then, a small group of Luodian people infiltrated the Illusory Sect's stronghold, hoping to plunder during the sect's retreat. Xutuo, naturally, showed no mercy and happily killed them all.

However, this delayed him, preventing him from entering Kidney Lake.

At that time, Qianhuan and Miaozhantian were engrossed in their magical duel and had no time to specifically alter the rules for him. So, Xutuo patrolled the stronghold and incidentally guarded the captives.

Later, when Qianhuan and Miaozhantian fought to the death in the Consciousness Sea, there was even less for Xutuo to do, and he wasn't summoned to the Lower Realm.

Unexpectedly, he thus escaped disaster, becoming one of only two surviving Celestial Immortals of the Illusory Sect!

"Guarding captives?" Dong Rui asked curiously. "What captives...? Oh, that fire monitor lizard!"

He remembered now: their trio and Elder Liu had ambushed Zhaoyou and Jieshui in the mine tunnel. Zhaoyou had been killed on the spot, with a piece of his soul collected by He Lingchuan, while Jieshui had been captured by Elder Liu and thrown into the stronghold's prison.

This monitor lizard, with its yellow base and dark red patterns, had been soaking in the water prison, eyes closed in rest. The extremely cold spring water had frozen a thick layer of ice around the surrounding rocks, forcing the fire monitor lizard to continuously emit heat so as not to be frozen solid like a statue.