Chapter 2170: Cutting to the Chase

"Even a small clod of mud has its destined end. This divine spark merely accelerates the process, allowing you to witness the fate of that mud five hundred years from now." The Mud Child pointed at the floating golden serpent. "This isn't a serpent; it's one of the oldest and only divine talismans in the demon realm, known as 'Mieduoyin,' representing the cycle from birth to death, endlessly repeating."

Wang Xingyi pondered, "Destiny?"

This revered Kun-Gen Immortal was a renowned living dictionary of Spirit Mountain, possessing vast knowledge. When powerful figures encountered difficult problems and found no solutions through other means, they would eventually seek him out.

"Yes, the endless cycle of life and death for all living beings is destiny!" The revered Kun-Gen Immortal looked at He Lingchuan. "This is indeed the divine spark of the 'God of Destiny,' revered by the Heavenly Demons as one of the Three Ancient Sacred Gods. Even a High Immortal cannot easily touch it. In the ancient war three thousand years ago, the wielders of the Life Divine Spark and the Death Divine Spark both displayed immense power, but the whereabouts of this Destiny Divine Spark remained unknown. Otherwise, that war would have been even harder to fight. We were very worried then and even conducted research. Hmm, how can a human like you handle it?"

His tone was filled with curiosity.

But he immediately added, "Wait, wait, you can't control it yet! Yes, that's right."

With his keen sight, he could discern that the Destiny Divine Spark neither rejected nor harmed He Lingchuan, but that was the extent of it.

He Lingchuan was not yet capable of wielding this divine spark like the true God of Destiny.

The disparity in power was too vast.

He Lingchuan tapped the table with his fingertips. "This is the Destiny Divine Spark, isn't that right, Royal Advisor?"

Wang Xingyi first bowed respectfully to the revered Kun-Gen Immortal, "Thank you, Honored Immortal."

The revered Kun-Gen Immortal hummed in acknowledgment, and the light in the Mud Child's eyes suddenly vanished. Its head drooped, and it reverted to a clay sculpture.

He Lingchuan raised his cup, took a sip of tea, and did not rush to speak.

Earlier, Wang Xingyi had promised that as long as the divine spark was authenticated, the Mou Kingdom would recognize He Lingchuan's right to become the clan head of the Bailie.

To be frank, before Wang Xingyi's diplomatic mission, how likely did the Mou Kingdom believe it was that He Lingchuan would use a fake artifact to impersonate the Lu Clan's heir?

Given the current status of the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, there was no need for him to do something that would tarnish his reputation.

Besides, was it really honorable to impersonate someone else's descendant?

Therefore, before setting out, Wang Xingyi already understood that He Lingchuan's identity was ninety percent authentic.

However, the authentication process still had to be followed, and collateral evidence from a Spirit Mountain Immortal was necessary. Otherwise, if the Great Emperor of Nine Hells simply declared himself the Bailie clan head and the Mou Kingdom assented by default, how would that demonstrate the Mou Kingdom's control and oversight over its subordinate territories?

Now that He Lingchuan's identity as the Lu Clan head was legitimate and procedurally sound, both parties were ready to discuss more important issues.

Bailie was a free land, and theoretically, the Lu Clan head had the right to decide its allegiance and future.

Since He Lingchuan was the Lord of Cangyan, Bailie would naturally be incorporated into Cangyan, no longer a vassal of the Mou Kingdom.

But why did Wang Xingyi only state that the Mou Kingdom acknowledged He Lingchuan as the Lu Clan head, and not that Bailie belonged entirely to Cangyan?

This was the fundamental reason for Wang Xingyi's current diplomatic mission.

The real topic was about to begin. His expression became solemn, no longer as gentle as before.

"When Your Majesty was still the Lord of Yangshan Island, you once told me that your actions against the Heavenly Palace were due to a 'small misunderstanding.'" Wang Xingyi turned to He Lingchuan. "Our Mou Emperor wishes to know, does this misunderstanding still persist?"

"It persists at all times," He Lingchuan stated gravely. "Taking the example of Shanjin alone, one can see that much of the world's suffering stems from the Heavenly Demons. Only by expelling them can countless beings find a way forward. My intentions are clear: I wish to forge a future for all living beings!"

These words had been hidden in his heart for a long time. Before he established his nation, they would have been mere boastful claims.

But spoken by the Lord of Cangyan, whose territory was unprecedentedly vast, they were a grand ambition!

Every word carried immense weight, and Wang Xingyi was visibly moved.

The signal the Great Emperor of Nine Hells wanted to convey to the Mou Kingdom was that, in the grand scheme, he, the Mou Kingdom, and Spirit Mountain were still allies, still shared common enemies, and still had a basis for cooperation.

This was also the major premise for how the Mou Kingdom and Cangyan would interact in the future.

Of course, He Lingchuan's words were not directed solely at the Royal Advisor. He knew very well that the Mou Emperor was just as resolute in confronting the Heavenly Demons as he was.

"After you arrived at the Yangshan Archipelago, you concealed your strength and built up your power step by step. Each of your astonishing moves brought great anticipation to Great Mou. However, once a nation is established, you step from behind the scenes onto the stage. From now on, you must directly confront the Heavenly Demons with no retreat. It will no longer be possible to leverage circumstances or avoid difficulties as you did before, with the enemy in the open and you in the shadows." Wang Xingyi spoke slowly. "Your Majesty's grand ambition, I deeply admire it. However, does Your Majesty know why the human nations of this world fear Beijia so greatly and often submit to it?"

He Lingchuan also knew the main point was coming. "I'm eager to hear the details."

"It's not solely because of Beijia's formidable national power." Wang Xingyi shook his head. "Over the past six hundred years, there have been other forces whose military strength was no weaker than Beijia's, and whose leaders were wise and capable. Yet, their ultimate fate was to be tragically annihilated. This is because behind Beijia stands the myriad demons of Lingxu!"

He Lingchuan immediately thought of Yuan Nation and Panlong City.

Especially the ultimate destruction of Panlong City, which indeed involved the intervention of a Great Heavenly Demon from Lingxu.

"The human world has not experienced the terror of Great Heavenly Demons for a long time; they do not know what kind of earth-shattering, mountain-moving, ocean-filling power that is!" Wang Xingyi casually picked up a twig and snapped it with a crisp sound. "For thousands of years, only Spirit Mountain has been able to fight the Great Heavenly Demons to a standstill. Great Emperor of Nine Hells, are you not afraid of enraging the Great Heavenly Demons, causing them to be determined to eliminate you, to swiftly destroy Cangyan?"

As soon as his words fell, He Lingchuan burst into laughter!

His laughter was so loud that even the large trees several yards away shook, shedding rustling leaves. Birds perched in other gardens were startled and flew into the sky, fluttering everywhere.

Wang Xingyi's expression subtly changed; the Great Emperor of Nine Hells was laughing too arrogantly.

After a long moment, He Lingchuan finally composed himself, saying word by word, "Royal Advisor, you worry too much."

His mind was incredibly sharp and discerning. He immediately understood that while Wang Xingyi explicitly mentioned Beijia and the Great Heavenly Demons, every sentence was implicitly referring to the Mou Kingdom and the True Immortals! The Great Heavenly Demons were terrifying, yet Spirit Mountain had contended with them for thousands of years. Therefore, Spirit Mountain and the Great Heavenly Demons were terrifying existences of the same magnitude. This was indeed true; True Immortals were among the most terrifying powers in this world.

What Wang Xingyi truly meant was: What qualifications, what capabilities do you, He Xiao, possess to dare oppose the Mou Kingdom, to dare oppose Spirit Mountain? Are you not afraid that Spirit Mountain will send a True Immortal to directly eliminate you? The implied murderous intent and threat in his words were easily understood by a clever person. The Mou Kingdom was warning him: a young man should understand humility and deference, show more respect to elders, not overreach, and not be too arrogant, otherwise he could invite deadly misfortune!