Chapter 440: Anhai King's Memory

Meng Chuan and the others watched from the side. Li Guan, however, carefully examined the ancient texts, scrutinizing all four volumes.

"Three peerless Venerable-level arts and one half-complete Emperor-level art," Li Guan said after finishing his review. He selected two of them: "This Venerable-level art, 'Four Severing Swords,' and the Emperor-level 'Time Knife' are from the same lineage. Both contain a 'meditation method.' 'Four Severing Swords' has the foundational part of the meditation method, while 'Time Knife' has its continuation... I suspect your consciousness split is related to this meditation method." After all, Li Guan was at the perfected Cavern-Heaven realm, and his insight was much sharper.

"I didn't cultivate that half-complete art," King Anhai stated. "I received a more powerful legacy from the Star Cluster Tower, and only afterward did the demon race send me this half-complete Emperor-level art."

Li Guan nodded slightly. It was as he had expected... If King Anhai had cultivated the later meditation method, he wouldn't have been exposed so soon.

Qin Wu looked at King Anhai with a heavy heart: "Xue Ting, Yuanchu Mountain has long warned every Godfiend that the demon race harbors ill intentions and their promises must never be trusted. The treasures they offer might be poison, and their peerless arts might contain major flaws."

"Yes, you did say that. But how many Godfiends across the land actually believed it?" King Anhai calmly replied. "Everyone just thought it was your intimidation. Moreover, many Godfiends believed that if the treasures were poison and the arts were flawed, lacking even basic credibility, why would Godfiends continue to collude with the demon race? The demon race surely wouldn't be so short-sighted."

"The demon race wouldn't be that short-sighted, but you had the potential to become a Creation Venerable, so it's very likely they specifically targeted you," Qin Wu frowned. "And what I don't understand is, why did you collude with the demon race?"

"To learn their peerless arts and make myself stronger," King Anhai said, looking at the four people in front of him. "Then go and slay demons, wouldn't that be good? The demon race is detestable, but their peerless arts can still be learned."

"If a demon art contains moves embodying the mysteries of rules, one might be able to glean some insights from it. However, some special secret techniques cannot be cultivated without understanding their fundamental principles," Li Guan explained. "Cultivating an unknown secret art leads to the unknown. All demon arts we have seized are reviewed by our Venerables. We only allow Godfiends to learn what we can verify and comprehend."

King Anhai asked with doubt: "The demon race wanted me to go mad and slaughter humans? Although the deaths of millions of people are tragic, it doesn't fundamentally harm humanity in the context of the entire war."

"Because you didn't continue cultivating. If you had continued, you wouldn't have been exposed this early," Li Guan said, pointing to the half-complete art. "I suspect the demon race's plan is vast. Given that a new consciousness was born without your knowledge... it's highly probable that this special method is designed for the new consciousness to eventually devour your primary consciousness and completely replace you. And the demon race should have a method of control."

"If you had become a Creation Venerable and were absolutely loyal to the demon race, that would pose too great a threat to humanity," Li Guan stated.

King Anhai fell silent. Meng Chuan and the others all watched him.

Over the years, King Anhai had indeed rendered great services to humanity; even all his children fought for humanity. Who could have imagined King Anhai would collude with the demon race?

"You shouldn't have colluded with the demon race. Are their benefits so easily taken?" Qin Wu asked, looking at him.

"I never thought of betraying humanity," King Anhai said, looking at the people before him. "I know that I, Xue Ting, am unforgivable and deserve to die. But dying this way would only benefit the demon race. I hope my death can be more valuable, allowing me to atone as much as possible. Over the years, to collude with the demon race, I sold some intelligence and caused the deaths of some Godfiends in battle. I owe too much."

"We cannot trust what you're saying," Li Guan said coldly.

"Now you need to go to the Mind Sea Hall. Only then can we decide how to deal with you," Qin Wu said.

"Alright," King Anhai nodded. With the help of the Mind Sea Hall, one could make a Heart Oath, which could not be broken. It also allowed for the verification of everything powerful Godfiends said.

*Hum.*

King Anhai sat cross-legged within the Mind Sea Hall, immersed under its illusory control.

Meng Chuan, Qin Wu, Luo Tang, and Li Guan stood by. The Guardian God, the 'Black-Robed Elder,' also appeared and said, "Now I will project his memories externally for all of you to examine carefully."

"Everyone, please examine his memories carefully, and then we will collectively decide how to deal with King Anhai," Li Guan said. Meng Chuan, Qin Wu, and Luo Tang all nodded.

In the semi-darkness of the Mind Sea Hall, scenes and sounds began to manifest, all from King Anhai's memories.

When King Anhai was a child, his hometown city was invaded by the demon race. His parents died immediately, and he, still a child, along with countless others, fled in panic as numerous demons pursued them. By the time the demons left, only about two to three tenths of the fleeing humans had survived, and he became a wandering young beggar.

"An orphan beggar?" Meng Chuan murmured, watching the scene.

Many human settlements across the world had experienced demon invasions; he himself had encountered them, but his parents had protected him then. King Anhai, however, had become an orphan beggar. The memories continued to manifest in mid-air.

As a child, during his time as a young beggar, King Anhai suffered many hardships and experienced the darkest aspects of human society.

The weather grew colder. In the bitter depths of winter, just as the young beggar was about to freeze to death, he fortunately became a small servant in a large family. Life as a servant was difficult, but at least he wouldn't starve. It was within this large family that he truly came into contact with cultivation...

As a humble servant, without a good master to guide him, he could only secretly cultivate on his own, being exceptionally harsh on himself.

"He didn't care about ordinary mortals," Li Guan observed, speaking softly. "In his mind, mortals were utterly powerless against the demon race, only capable of internal strife and bullying the weak."

"However, he did value Godfiends; he would feel deeply distressed every time a Godfiend died, considering it a loss of strength in the fight against the demon race."

Meng Chuan, Qin Wu, and Luo Tang all nodded slightly.

As they watched King Anhai's growth trajectory, his every thought and feeling became fully apparent.

"He trusted himself most of all, and he was single-mindedly focused on confronting the demon race," Qin Wu said.

"He indeed harbored the deepest hatred for the demon race," Luo Tang softly commented. "Because the children of powerful Godfiends are generally also powerful, he married many wives and concubines and had a multitude of children. It turns out he secretly guided his children to experience much hardship in their youth, believing that suffering and setbacks refine the mind."

Meng Chuan frowned as he watched. His friend, Yan Jin's, tragic youth was actually secretly guided by King Anhai?

On one hand, he left a 'sword mark' on his son, while on the other, there were various hardships and torments. As for Yan Jin's mother, in King Anhai's eyes, she was merely a 'tool' — a tool for bearing children, a tool for tempering Yan Jin.

King Anhai never cared about other relatives; he only valued his children. He was, in fact, 'cultivating' his children in an unconventional way. Clearly, his children did not like this method of cultivation, and even the most outstanding and prodigious 'Xue Feng' could not understand his father.

The memory images faded. Meng Chuan and the others all looked at King Anhai, who sat cross-legged, under control.

"We've seen everything," Li Guan said. "Now, everyone, let's discuss how to deal with him."