Chapter 974: Heart Certainty

"Ah, I'm fine," He Lingchuan said, collecting himself. "Knowing it's a replica, people still buy this gun?"

Someone in the audience had already bid.

"Where could you even buy the genuine article? Later generations have always had a tradition of replicating divine artifacts. For instance, the Verdant Vase housed in Beijia's Azure Palace is not an original, but a replica." Fang Canran noticed He Lingchuan's face was pale. "Are you really alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," He Lingchuan replied. He secretly took several deep breaths, suppressing his emotions. "It's just that seeing this brought back some old memories."

He quietly unclenched his left hand, and beads of blood on his palm caused a sharp stinging pain.

There was no hurry. He eyed the replicated Thunderclap Spear on the stage with a cold gaze.

He would understand the reason behind this sooner or later!

At that moment, a deep sense of caution arose within him.

He Lingchuan stayed awake all night.

The next day was bright and sunny. Min Tianxi switched to a small boat and took He Lingchuan to Toulon Island, another island ten miles northwest of Platinum Island.

But only now did he realize how difficult it truly was. "Fear" and "apprehension" had never truly been banished from his mind.

This laid the groundwork for the future: if he were to seize Bailie by force, Mu State's reaction might be equally forceful. In such a scenario, Spirit Mountain would need to intervene to mediate and resolve the conflict between the two parties. Even if Mu State harbored resentment, with Spirit Mountain acting as an intermediary, how could it possibly attack allies from the same faction?

After all, the deed would be done; it was still engaged in war itself; and in the future, they would still need to unite against Beijia.

He had subconsciously trusted it, relied on it, and longed to use its strength to fight Beijia.

That night, He Lingchuan directly questioned his own conscience, and only then did he realize that the root of the problem lay with Beijia, and the core issue resided within himself.

Because self-reliance is inherently difficult, and it doesn't readily join any faction out of apprehension—not until it encountered He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan slowly opened his eyes, concluding this journey of self-reflection.

Outside, the sun was high in the sky, yet it remained secluded, dark, and cool here.

He still regarded Bailie as his for the taking, but the timing and methods for acquiring it needed to be more appropriate and refined to avoid excessively provoking Mu State.

They were merely hidden deeper, making them harder to detect.

Ahead was a large spiderweb. He Lingchuan casually brushed it aside, which made him think of Zhu Erniang.

He Lingchuan looked up and waited for a long time until, with great effort, a sliver of sunlight finally penetrated through layers of obstacles and fell upon his face.

He needed to constantly reflect on himself and practice self-admonition.

This world is vast, and many aspiring individuals, in their fight against Beijia and the deities, also require reliable and strong backing.

Why had he traveled across oceans to come to Bailie?

Besides wanting to reclaim his family's territory, its excellent geographical location, deep within Mu State's rear, was even more crucial.

Trust is the most valuable foundation.

Zhong Shengguang, who commanded the Iron-Blooded Coiling Dragon City and the undefeated Great Wind Army, seemingly couldn't secure Spirit Mountain's unwavering loyalty—despite potential involvement from Mitian, the Great Square Pot, or other internal factors. So what about He Lingchuan? Would Spirit Mountain fully champion him just because he set fire to the Heavenly Palace and had a few weapons under his command?

Who was he, after all?

Spirit Mountain was also a behemoth; an individual was minuscule and insignificant before it. Would it truly hold him in high regard?

Ha, if even his original body's biological father, He Chunhua, couldn't be trusted, why had he so readily believed from the outset that he and Spirit Mountain shared common ideals and were natural allies?

Was he influenced by Zhong Shengguang's attitude towards Spirit Mountain?

No, that's not right.

But was Spirit Mountain truly reliable?

Light in the dark jungle was precious and scarce.

As a force that had contended with deities for thousands of years, how complex would its internal structure be? As once-exalted immortals, what perspective would they hold towards the various nations and the mortal realm?

This was the inner demon.

Essentially, how different were they from their adversaries?

A small Thunderclap Spear had awakened He Lingchuan, signaling it was time to adjust his strategy:

He needed to prioritize "himself" and develop discreetly.

And in his approach to life, as well as his cautious attitude toward selecting partners and allies, he should learn from Zhu Erniang and no longer blindly defer to strength.

He had taken too much for granted.

The entire archipelago was vast, and Toulon Island, being closer to the coastline, had thousands of permanent residents, all indigenous to the area.

Independence was simply too difficult.

Even if he were to fully commit to Spirit Mountain now, aside from knowing that Spirit Mountain and Beijia were utterly incompatible, he remained completely ignorant of its guiding philosophy, strategic directives, organizational structure, and operational style.

After the chaos he caused in the Heavenly Palace, his instinct was to distance himself from Beijia.

While maintaining his independence, he should foster friendly communication and understanding with both Spirit Mountain and Mu State. After all, in these vast and turbulent times, he would still need allies for cooperation and support.

However, this was Spirit Mountain's territory, within Mu State's sphere of influence. According to his initial conception, once he established a foothold here and successfully connected with Spirit Mountain, his feat of setting fire to the Heavenly Palace should secure Spirit Mountain's acceptance and support, thereby making him an allied force.

However, the small Thunderclap Spear that appeared at the auction last night poured a bucket of ice water over He Lingchuan.

This ancient demon immortal, capable of both combat and creation, had survived thousands of years of spiritual energy depletion, yet in the present era, it was hounded and forced to flee everywhere, left homeless.

From behind him, Min Tianxi's respectful voice sounded:

"My lord, we've arrived!"

Min Tianxi took a shortcut, navigating the boat through the water alleys.

He shivered and awoke.

What he had seen of Beijia was merely the tip of the iceberg, yet it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Even though this nascent team was still quite weak, it had found reassurance and trust here.

The narrowest sections were barely a zhang wide, just wide enough for a boat. From near and far came the chirps of unknown insects and the roars of beasts. Looking up, towering branches and leaves formed a dense canopy, completely obscuring the sky above the water alleys.

When faced with dangers and obstacles, people instinctively seek assistance, grasping at any straw without regard for its reliability.

And within his line of sight, the most formidable support and powerful backing was Spirit Mountain alone.

He Lingchuan had once believed that his resolve had been strengthened around the time he set fire to the Heavenly Palace, and that from then on, he would be courageous, fearless, and continuously make progress.

Large and small reefs further divided the waterways between the islands into even narrower passages, resembling the alleyways on land, which locals referred to as "water alleys."

Leaning against a large tree offers good shade; naturally, finding refuge behind Beijia's sworn enemy, the militarily powerful Mu State, made him feel much more secure.

Perhaps Zhong Shengguang had felt the same way back then.

He closed his eyes, exhaled softly, and as his mind settled, he recalled the events of yesterday.

Confronting Beijia alone was simply too difficult.

The boat glided silently, like still waters running deep.

One day, would he become their pillar of support?

He Lingchuan put his mask back on and walked deeper into the island.

Min Tianxi did not follow. He found a small barbecue stall near the pier, ordered some pickled vegetables and grilled meat, and ate while he waited.

Buildings along the path were scattered, some sparse, some dense, with no discernible overall planning.

After walking for over a hundred zhang, He Lingchuan spotted a small temple ahead.