Chapter 1253: Dragon Without Trust, I Do Not Know If It Can Be

This is way too hasty!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the king who stirs up wind and waves, the indestructible Xu Xiaoshou, is gone?

Just like that, after being touched—barely even a strike—he's dead?

Not only were the Lian Ling Shi far away on Zui Yi Dian stunned, but even Yao Yao and Yan Wuse found it utterly ridiculous.

It's undeniable that Xu Xiaoshou is extremely weak, but equally unquestionable that he is incredibly strong!

His weakness refers to his cultivation realm.

Yet, his tenacious vitality and the occasional spirit technique that can take down a Ban Sheng have earned genuine respect from Yan Wuse.

Otherwise, why would the majestic light of Lian Ling go to such lengths to deal with a mere junior?

"Fake!"

At the same time, this thought flashed through everyone's minds.

After all, the previous lesson had been deeply etched into their memories.

So, when Xu Xiaoshou was suddenly killed in an instant, everyone's first reaction was: that absolutely wasn't the real Xu Xiaoshou!

Except for a certain dragon...

"Jie gaga ga!"

Mo Di Hei Long struck with its claw and burst into frenzied laughter, venting its emotions without a care for anyone else.

Too weak!

Setting aside Ba Zun An, humans were all fragile to the bone—wounded at a touch, dead at a bump!

It had only extended its claw, not even using one-tenth of its power.

This human was just as it had expected—completely unable to withstand it, even though his physical strength was actually quite high, surpassing ordinary mortals at the same level.

But who was it?

The lord of the black veins, Mo Di Hei Long!

With the status of a Shengdi, striking at a human who wasn't even a Ban Sheng, and easily killing him—it was only natural!

"Xu Xiaoshou? Hah, nothing special!"

"But that's perfect—my task as emperor is complete, and I can save a drop of dragon heart blood."

"As for the mess here..."

Mo Di Hei Long's two eyes, bright as the blazing sun, retracted into the dark clouds. It lazily flipped over in the void, as if preparing to leave.

It had no interest in this trouble at all!

This time, it had only sent out a manifestation of its intent.

A Shengdi was too powerful to move easily, and summoning the true body with just a mere Di Jie was impossible.

After all, who hadn't crossed the Di Jie long ago?

The stolen energy from Duo Yuan was just a trifling amount, only covering the first few tribulations—not even one ten-thousandth of what was needed.

Being able to accommodate a single intent avatar of a Shengdi was already a testament to Ba Zun An's immense skill!

Nei Dao was Mo Di Hei Long's home, where it could act freely.

But Wai Dao had too many restrictions—better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Mo Di Hei Long didn't want to clean up after Ba Zun An.

With that in mind, even though it had recognized a few people here that it cared about, it had no desire to strike again.

"Return home."

Last time, it had exploited a small flaw in the plan and tried to escape.

It failed!

And shamefully, Ba Zun An used the Sheng Shen Dian Tang as a weapon to kill it off, making Mo Di Hei Long feel a bit afraid.

Its current intent avatar didn't want to escape.

Because if it did, it would likely be found by Ba Zun An and punished later.

So, after enjoying its time out, it decided to head back to its lair to rest and lie low.

Once Ba Zun An forgot about this, it could come out and cause mischief again.

Humans had such short lifespans, making them generally unforgiving, so outlasting them would do.

Dragons, as long as they reached Ban Sheng and didn't die in battle, had nearly infinite lifespans—something humans couldn't compare to.

What's more, it was a Shengdi!

"Hold on!"

Just as Mo Di Hei Long was leisurely about to exit, a weak voice called out:

"Dragon without faith,

How can it be

Trusted?"

"Mo Di Hei Long, are you one to welsh on a bet?"

Everyone turned at the sound, looking back together.

Mo Di Hei Long also heard that familiar voice and turned its dragon head in surprise.

There, at the spot where Xu Xiaoshou had perished, another Xu Xiaoshou appeared.

His face was deathly pale, his aura extremely unstable, and he could barely stand—clearly drained inside and out.

Yet, his eyes shone brightly with excitement, like someone who had staked everything and won the final game.

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

Mo Di Hei Long was briefly stunned.

It instinctively scanned his cultivation realm again.

Yes, it was vague, well hidden.

But as a Shengdi, it could still tell that this person was at the Wang Zuo three realms for human Lian Ling Shi, definitely not a Ban Sheng!

Naturally, he couldn't have a Ban Sheng avatar.

But the one it had just struck down was unquestionably a real human!

Mo Di Hei Long had verified that thoroughly before acting.

Otherwise, how would it have dared to make the bet?

And if the Xu Xiaoshou it had crushed earlier was just an illusory spirit avatar, how could it not have noticed?

"You're not dead?"

"You're the real one?"

Mo Di Hei Long's eyes widened in disbelief: "You're actually a Ban Sheng? That's impossible! The attribute-less Sheng Li on you comes from Sheng Ji Guo!"

Its words were so certain, born from a Shengdi's confidence.

Mo Di Hei Long had no doubt about its own insight.

It could also confirm that Ming Jian Yan Mang and the Xu Xiaoshou who had just died were indeed connected.

Like the "Ba Zun An relationship" between a sword holder and the sword.

Not becoming an Gu Jian Xiu, but who hadn't been beaten by one?

Mo Di Hei Long was all too familiar with Gu Jian Xiu!

Below in Duo Yuan, Yao Yao and Yan Wuse exchanged glances, finally confirming why Xu Xiaoshou had Sheng Li.

"Sheng Ji Guo..."

Yao Yao murmured the words and set the matter aside.

Yan Wuse, however, made many connections.

Sheng Ji Guo could only come from Sheng Ji Shu, and Sheng Ji Shu was in Shen Nong Yao Yuan... Since Xu Xiaoshou had been to Shen Nong Yao Yuan, the core of Qi Ji Zhi Sen was probably lost because of that.

Sure enough, this little thief stole the Long Xing from one of the nine great ancestral trees!

Yan Wuse barely suppressed his killing intent, but glancing at Mo Di Hei Long, he held back.

This dragon's grudge against Xu Xiaoshou was deeper than he imagined!

Now that it had been tricked, it would surely erupt in rage, and with Xu Xiaoshou daring to show his true self, he was doomed next!

Letting the dragon do the killing was far more satisfying than acting himself.

"I don't know if I'm dead or not, or if I'm real or not—you have plenty of time to verify that." In the distance, Xu Xiaoshou reached out and summoned Yan Mang back.

Ming Jian truly lived up to its name; even though his second true body was so tough, it was gone with just a touch from the black dragon.

Yet Yan Mang wasn't even damaged!

Though that strike was mainly because the true self had ordered the second true body not to resist...

Of course, that wasn't cruel! Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself.

Losing a second true body to dispel Mo Di Hei Long's anger and win a bet and a promise—this deal was too worthwhile.

It just hurt a bit...

Okay, Xu Xiaoshou admitted it was a perfect outcome for himself, but for the second true body personally, it was indeed cruel.

But he had made compensation!

The moment the second true body died hastily, he sent it into the wheel of reincarnation and immediately brought forth another one!

And now, the one risking it all to take responsibility was still the second true body—Xu Xiaoshou hadn't forced it at all.

They were all himself, so what was there to "force"?

As for the weakness...

He was genuinely weak now.

Birthing too many in such a short time, even with sacred medicine on hand, left Xu Xiaoshou unsteady on his feet.

Even the newly born second true body felt a bit underdeveloped and malformed from premature birth.

But this, in turn, perfectly illustrated how the weak Xu Xiaoshou had survived against the mighty Mo Di Hei Long—it had cost him greatly, and it was tough. So, he didn't even need to fake the weakness anymore—perfect!

The second true body, who knows which generation it was, emerged and realized its fate was worse than all previous ones combined.

It was born straight into facing a Shengdi...

"Why is there a person like Xu Xiaoshou in this world?" The second true body sighed deeply, even subjectively distancing the demonic true self from its own pitiful state.

But after receiving the order to continue playing the demon, it had no choice but to steel itself, weakly staring at Mo Di Hei Long and gasping:

"Mo Di Hei Long, are you a true dragon?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Of course I am!" Mo Di Hei Long's angry roar carried a hint of confusion.

In that short time, it had verified multiple times that this Xu Xiaoshou was also real.

So, why?

Earlier, he had clearly died—the sensation was there... Did Xu Xiaoshou have many versions of himself?

At this point, Mo Di Hei Long finally recalled those unreliable rumors from Nei Dao.

Rumor had it that Ba Zun An had a successor named Xu Xiaoshou.

The three ancestors of the white veins had all interacted with Xu Xiaoshou, and the intel Nei Nu Gan stole was that he was very weak, very unskilled, but pretty clever.

Basically, equivalent to Ba Zun An's infancy! But the three white vein ancestors had placed heavy bets on him, rushing to do so like they were hurrying to reincarnate...

Mo Di Hei Long hadn't understood why before.

Now, it thought the intel might be wrong—just based on Xu Xiaoshou's resurrection trick, he could be considered a juvenile Ba Zun An.

"What exactly are you up to?"

Mo Di Hei Long reined in its thoughts, not letting outsiders notice, and kept up its aggressive tone.

The second true body sensed an opportunity for dialogue and felt a spark of hope.

Recalling that this was a dragon that sometimes spoke in elaborate, ancient-style language—despite coming from antiquity, who knew where it learned it from—the second true body took a deep breath, showing utmost seriousness and sincerity, mustering all its effort:

"I once heard that true dragons are immensely powerful, vast and majestic, the foremost of the four divine beasts, the king of all living beings, born from chaos, cultivating the highest spirits—is that so?"

Mo Di Hei Long was taken aback by this abrupt shift. Quickly, a hint of appreciation appeared in its eyes, and it reverted to its initial formal way of speaking:

"Indeed, indeed!"

Yao Yao and Yan Wuse felt a twinge in their hearts, watching the weak Xu Xiaoshou, sensing that something big was amiss.

Si Tu Yong Ren and Yu Ling Di stared in wide-eyed shock, fixated on Xu Xiaoshou's mouth, as if beholding the most terrifying spirit weapon in the world.

On Zui Yi Dian, all the Lian Ling Shi were dazzled by this wave of flattery, their heads spinning, and they grinned widely:

"It's coming!"

"He's at it again!"

The second true body didn't stop, because at that moment, Mo Di Hei Long's aura surged, pressing down on everyone, making them tremble and unable to move.

Only the second true body was unaffected—what did that mean?

So, the second true body continued smoothly: "Common folk say that dragon nature is inherently lewd..."

"Nonsense!" Mo Di Hei Long erupted in fury.

The second true body jumped in fright and waved its hands hastily:

"Hear me out, hear me out..."

"Though common folk say dragon nature is inherently lewd, it's utterly wrong! The greatest fallacy under heaven! 'Man, leaning on a staff to stand, can fight fierce beasts; Phoenix, choosing mountains to dwell, can overlook the world.'

"But without tools, human strength has limits and can't contend with external foes; if confined to abysses and ravines, the four mountains are dim, like peering from a well.

"Only by relying on 'roots' can humans strive against heaven, and phoenixes claim kingship—is that not so?"

Through the Qian Li Zhuan Jing technique, some nodded vigorously, while others frowned in thought, beginning to ponder.

Yao Yao and Yan Wuse, the two saints, were equally baffled, unable to grasp what Xu Xiaoshou was circling around to say.

"'Roots'..."

Mo Di Hei Long found Xu Xiaoshou's words quite reasonable and asked: "What are 'roots'?"

Wonderful! Just wonderful!

The second true body was delighted inside and, following the true self's intent, continued:

"'Roots' are the foundation of life itself."

"Humans are born to multiply, as with all things—this is the essence of the great dao."

"Going back to that earlier statement... Is dragon nature inherently lewd? No!"

"When chaos opened, all races were frail. Dragons roamed the world, pitying the masses, using their bloodline power to support the weak races, birthing nine sons, passing on a hundred generations, bringing blessings to the realm."

"Is this lewd?"

The second true body raised its arms and shouted, looking at Mo Di Hei Long's increasingly bright eyes, as if seeing an ancient deity: "This is altruism!"

"Altruism on a grand scale, unmatched by any being!"

Ah...

At the Zui Yi Dian ruins, hundreds of figures toppled on the spot.

No one could have imagined that after all this winding talk, Xu Xiaoshou's point was this?

Altruism...

You're really laying it on thick!

If you can flatter this, there's nothing in the world you can't prop up, Xu Xiaoshou!

Yao Yao and Yan Wuse's faces turned ashen.

Because high in the nine heavens, in the dark clouds, Mo Di Hei Long was utterly delighted, its five claws spread wide:

"Indeed, indeed!"

After just this exchange, Mo Di Hei Long's view of Xu Xiaoshou completely changed.

This young man has great wisdom!

Among all in Nei Dao, with their tall and mighty builds, how come none had a brain or mouth like this?

Look at Xu Xiaoshou... truly insightful, straight to the point!

A eloquent speech that even illuminates the essence of the world with simple metaphors, leaving one enlightened.

In that moment, Mo Di Hei Long even felt a bit of regret.

It was glad that Xu Xiaoshou had the great ability to survive its earlier strike.

Otherwise, this outing to Wai Dao would have cost it a kindred spirit.

"Continue!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, I now find your words to have weight."

"But if you keep going in circles without getting to the core truth, I'll pretend I never heard them, and you'll face the death penalty!"

When did I ever have a death penalty?

The second true body was briefly stunned, but quickly got scolded by the true self.

Indeed, that wasn't the point—the point was that Mo Di Hei Long loved this flattery and wanted to hear more, so keep going!

And just in time, what came before was only the buildup.

If you dare to listen, I'll rope you in, Xu Xiaoshou.

"'Roots' are as heavy as Tai Shan!" Xu Xiaoshou declared loudly.

Mo Di Hei Long didn't know what Tai Shan was, but it knew it must be the heaviest mountain.

"Continue."

"Mo Di Hei Long, I want to ask: if altruism to the world is the root of life, then what is the root of altruism?"

"What is it?"

"It's 'faith'!"