Chapter 1541: Boiling Wine Under the Tree to Discuss Heroes, Discarding Wealth for Long-Term Plans

"The strongest?"

Under the Long Xing tree, there was a table with two cups of wine.

Xu Xiaoshou's will cut in, holding the wine cup and repeating the sentence, his tone somewhat surprised.

He hadn't expected that Cao Er Zhu was one thing, but even Li Fugui dared to give such an evaluation.

But...

Was "the strongest" something you could just throw around?

The last one who claimed to be the "strongest Ban Sheng," that Tian Ji envoy, was already reduced to bones!

Li Fugui sat opposite, warming the wine while saying firmly:

"Yes, Shou Ye, Cao Er Zhu's evaluation is absolutely not exaggerated. Cang Sheng Da Di truly deserves the title of 'the strongest' now."

"And this 'strongest' doesn't just apply to those below; even compared to the other Shi Zun Zuo, it holds up."

Have you lost your mind?

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but look toward distant Yu Jing Cheng, suddenly wondering if assigning Li Fugui to handle this area was a mistake.

Look at him, he's been cooped up so much that he's spouting nonsense!

But Li Fugui's gaze didn't waver.

He was originally in charge of internal affairs, and years of intelligence work had cultivated his meticulous personality—people could be killed carelessly, but words could not be spoken lightly.

Even now, in the Xing Jie, which seemed cut off from the outside world...

In reality, with the Xing Jie Master Seal given by Shou Ye, Li Fugui was essentially half the lord of Xing Jie.

He could easily open a micro-channel for himself, allowing the communication pearl to connect to the outside and keep the lines open.

Besides, how long had Yu Jing Cheng been in Xing Jie?

How long had he, Li Fugui, been in Xing Jie?

Cang Sheng Da Di wasn't like Shou Ye, who felt like ages had passed in just a day; his progress couldn't be that rapid.

The latest intelligence Li Fugui had was up to a few months ago at best!

And based on that, as soon as Shou Ye killed his way into Yu Jing Cheng, Li Fugui had already analyzed it thoroughly and was just waiting for Shou Ye to ask, so how could he be vague about it?

"Then go ahead and explain."

Xu Xiaoshou saw his confident demeanor, dug at his ear, and signaled that he could begin.

Li Fugui took a deep breath first: "First, I must declare that I will always be a person of Tian Shang First Tower..."

"You can just flatter away; I'm prepared." Xu Xiaoshou let out a cold laugh, slapped the table, and said, "Fine! You're a Sheng Shen Dian Tang person now, so start!"

Li Fugui was at a loss for words.

Shou Ye was still the same Shou Ye, too sharp, always knowing what you're thinking.

"Good, suppose I'm now a person of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, and I have the following strength assessment for Cang Sheng Da Di, not limited to this."

"One, Cang Sheng Da Di is one of the Shi Zun Zuo, and among them, he's one of the fighters—that's the foundation."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

Shi Zun Zuo, after all, had that level of prestige; he understood.

If nothing else, it started at Sheng Di level of combat power, and whatever came after that could be discussed later.

"Two, in the Ten-Person Council, Cang Sheng Da Di has always only handled logistics, but not like my kind of logistics... He oversees it, but whether he uses his strength or not is a different concept from not having the strength to use."

"Shou Ye, you should also know that with one hall master, two lords, three emperors, and four divine envoys, now the hall master has run off, the two lords—one is in the ruins and the other has defected—the four divine envoys: one has fallen, one is slacking off, one is staying home, and one is plotting rebellion..." Li Fugui was using the old system, since the newcomers were a joke.

"What rebellion?" Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

"Oh, one is about to switch sides..." Li Fugui quickly corrected himself and didn't bother arguing about whether he was now a Sheng Shen Dian Tang person. "As for the remaining three emperors, the Xuan Ji Dian master is useless and has gone mad, leaving only Cang Sheng Da Di. As Zhong Lao said, he has to step up and take charge!"

The battle scenes from the outside world had been continuously projected over Yu Jing Cheng for passive value points.

So, including Zhong Lao's deliberate reminder earlier, Li Fugui knew all about it.

Xu Xiaoshou listened and nodded silently.

Li Fugui had laid it out clearly, and he understood it well.

It was basically all buffs stacked up; he had to come out from behind the scenes, and probably with sky-high fury.

"Three, among the Shi Zun Zuo, not talking about personal goals or future plans, just looking at their current state."

"Kui Lei Han is constrained by his children and the ban on martial arts; Ba Zun An's realm has dropped below the innate after some event; Wu Yue Jian Xian has grand ambitions but is struggling; Shen Yi is trapped in the crossroads of Fu Tu Zhi Cheng."

"The only news about You Yuan Fo Tu is 'Dao Fo Ta,' so I can only speculate on a negative state; that Sheng Di from the Bei Shi clan is too kuang and is held in check by the other four Sheng Di families."

"As for the rest, the one with the most perfect state and fewest restrictions was originally just one, but now there are two."

Li Fugui paused, his expression serious: "The missing Dao Dian master, and the ever-ready Cang Sheng Da Di!"

"Oh, actually three." He paused again and added, "Xiang Yi's state is also very perfect."

Well, let's not mention Xiang Yi... Xu Xiaoshou stroked his chin, falling into deep thought:

What a Cang Sheng Da Di!

It was clear that Li Fugui had done his homework in advance and prepared for a long time.

What he provided was far more detailed and accurate than Xu Xiaoshou's wild guesses, and it defined Ai Cang Sheng much more precisely.

Not only that, he had gone into detail about Gou, You Yuan, Bei Huai...

"Gou Wu Yue." Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"Good." Li Fugui, like a worm in Shou Ye's stomach, saw him deep in thought and continued without hesitation:

"Shou Ye should know that for ordinary people, Ban Sheng is Ban Sheng, and Sheng Di is Sheng Di—these are two major realms."

"But for the Shi Zun Zuo, Ban Sheng is included in Sheng Di, equivalent to the starting Dao realm for the thrones."

"The Ten Jing Sheng Di aren't cultivated; they're rushed into!"

He gave an example: "Others achieving sainthood... achieving Ban Sheng is like climbing a mountain, getting tired, and having to stop midway to catch your breath."

"The Shi Zun Zuo, like Dao Dian master or Cang Sheng Da Di, achieving Ban Sheng is basically like a famous sword hiding its edge, not showing its sharpness."

"But when the time comes, they can unleash it all at once. With a rush, they—including the other seven Shi Zun Zuo— all have a chance to break through to Ten Jing Sheng Di!"

After saying this, Li Fugui didn't even have time to drink his wine before circling back to the main topic:

"If we say Ba Zun An is sealing his sword, aiming to reach the peak in one go, then Wu Yue Jian Xian is doing the same."

"It's just that their methods are different—from someone like Gu Lao, who's purely on the ancient sword cultivation path, it's vastly different."

"Ba Zun An aims to seal his sword until old age, then achieve sainthood. Sword God Gu Lou Ying's nine swords unite, finally using the sword of emotion to open the profound gate to unprecedented transcendence... But what he wants is to enter the Dao through hidden sword techniques and then emerge from it."

"As for Gou, he specializes in Mo Jian Shu, focusing on the character 'Mo.' He's opened the sword of unrestrained desires, then discarded it; he's cultivated wanton behavior, yet submitted to the most rigid rules of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, making it neither fish nor fowl, like Jian Zou Pian Feng's Yao Yao, with his combat power declining steadily."

"But actually, it's not like that! I couldn't figure out why before, but later the pavilion masters mentioned it, saying 'find lawlessness within rules; break free from the cage within the prison'... Hmm, that's Ba Zun An's original words."

Mo Jian Shu, the third realm?

Xu Xiaoshou's mind went slightly blank, recalling that scene in the Ba Gong.

He still remembered that back then, Ba Zun An had advised Gou Wu Yue to give up struggling and leave Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

At that time, being young, he didn't know what Gou Wu Yue was struggling with.

Now, it seemed Ba Zun An was asking him to abandon decades of kuxiu; he was trying to steal the other's Dao!

No wonder Gou Wu Yue, though defeated, refused to give up...

Xu Xiaoshou then thought of Gou's longtime enemy, who was also his own master:

"What about Sang Lao? What's your take?"

Li Fugui represented not just himself, but the crystallized intelligence of the entire Sheng Nu!

Since they were discussing heroes over wine, might as well lay it all out.

Upon hearing this, Li Fugui took a small sip and said:

"For Sang Lao, alchemy and combat power are like combat power and intelligence for Wu Xiu—they're the former low and the latter high."

"The four sons of Sheng Gong are certainly strong; in the current state, Ye Ban Sheng might even surpass Wu Yue Jian Xian."

"But in terms of intent..."

He put down his wine cup, one hand high and the other low:

"The Shi Zun Zuo are in a league of their own, up here."

"The four sons of Sheng Gong, along with Shui Gui, Yan Wang Prime Seat, and other geniuses... are down here."

The gap between his hands wasn't large.

But Li Fugui's meaning was clear—utterly out of reach!

"Of course, it's not absolute." Li Fugui didn't dare to overstate. "There are exceptions, but I don't know about them."

Xu Xiaoshou lightly tapped his cup, silent for a while.

In terms of intent, probably only Qiao Zhang Lao could match up, but like Gou Wu Yue, he might aim too high, making success too difficult.

"Dao Fo Ta." He continued.

"Yes."

"For You Yuan Fo Tu, I only remembered after following the Shi Zun Zuo's mantra that he's probably just short of reaching Sheng Di realm."

"And indeed, no matter how much effort I put into gathering information, for him, there's only one trace—Dao Fo Ta."

Li Fugui said, narrowing his eyes toward the distance, recalling for a long time before continuing:

"Dao Fo Ta is at the crossroads, with mysterious and immense power, as if it can block Tian Ji... Hmm, not the Tian Ji of Dao Dian master, but it includes that; anyway, no one can calculate it."

"Legend has it that it came from ancient times, as mysterious as Jian Lou, and it's suppressing something."

"Of course, Shen Yi chose to trap himself there for a reason; he wants to follow You Yuan's guidance, go to Dao Fo Ta, and achieve sainthood inside..."

"What kind of 'sainthood'?" Xu Xiaoshou pressed, needing a clear definition of the "saint" for the Shi Zun Zuo.

Li Fugui shook his head in confusion; even he didn't know:

"Maybe the 'saint' of Sheng Di."

"Or maybe Dao Fo Ta has some other opportunity; after all, You Yuan Fo Tu has already reached Sheng Di realm... That 'saint' could naturally also mean achieving godhood and becoming an ancestor."

That brute!

Xu Xiaoshou somewhat empathized with Ye Xiao Tian's jealousy but temporarily suppressed it.

Shen Yi, Dao Fo Ta, including what You Yuan guided—all of that could be answered face-to-face in the Ran Ming ruins.

Li Fugui probably didn't have much more to say on that.

He thought of another man he'd clashed with slightly—Shen Hun Fei Teng brother.

"What about that Sheng Di from Bei Shi clan? How many realms?" Xu Xiaoshou played with his wine cup.

"Not clear, but at least a high-realm Sheng Di."

"So, that means he masters Zu Yuan power." Xu Xiaoshou had his own thoughts. "For ordinary people, that's enough, but for the Shi Zun Zuo, it's just the starting point... If he's stuck at high-realm Sheng Di, even nine or ten realms, and just half a step from achieving godhood and becoming a legend but can never reach it, how could he be content?"

Li Fugui was a bit tongue-tied, thinking, Shou Ye, you're overestimating me!

"Shou Ye, you have to know, I'm not all-knowing. For this question, you'd probably need to discuss it directly with Ba Zun An."

"Oh." Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"But about that Bei Shi clan member's quirks from his Shi Zun Zuo days, I do have some understanding."

"Tell me!"

"He's a 'research scholar' like Zhong Lao, but obsessed with life. Maybe he's 'stuck' at high-realm Sheng Di just to conduct experiments?" Li Fugui wasn't entirely sure.

Xu Xiaoshou thought for a while but didn't quite understand.

Li Fugui suddenly said: "Shou Ye, the storyteller's Dao cutting into Tai Xu, Shui Gui's mysteries leading to sainthood... Not everyone is interested in achieving godhood. Some know when enough is enough and choose to cherish the present."

Xu Xiaoshou was startled.

He had seen too many seekers of the Dao.

He'd even witnessed those who forcibly opened profound gates for true meaning.

He realized his own thinking had fallen into a rut, assuming everyone pursued that final step.

But it wasn't like that at all.

Were smart people in this world rare? Were those with self-awareness lacking?

Most people, after reaching the throne, should know their limits.

Those who hear the Dao at dawn and can die at dusk are admirable.

But those who know when enough is enough, choose to stop, and savor life—are they cowards?

Not at all.

They can live even more fully!

"You've enlightened me..." Xu Xiaoshou raised his wine cup.

Li Fugui quickly raised one in return, his face full of smiles. "Not at all, not at all."

"So, for research scholars, is it a greater temptation to simply ascend and transcend, or to stay in this world, achieve another kind of transcendence, or even open a new great Dao?" Xu Xiaoshou thought of Zhong Lao's researched great Dao diagram.

"That's hard to say, hehe." Li Fugui knew Shou Ye was speculating about Bei Huai; Shou Ye could do that, but he didn't dare. He couldn't even figure it out himself, so forcing a statement would just make him a clown in front of Shou Ye!

Without confirmed information, Li Fugui wouldn't say a word; Shou Ye's insight was too sharp!

"What about Wen Ting?"

Xu Xiaoshou shifted to this actor swordsman.

In his impression, the one who sang plays seemed to be the storyteller, but the storyteller didn't sing, and Wen Ting did.

Ba, Wen, Shuo—they seemed to get along well?

"Wen Jian Xian..." Li Fugui pondered for a moment and said:

"The intelligence is too vague; he rarely leaves Zang Jian Zhong."

"The last time he came out was when he took in Gu Shi's third son, but he didn't make a move."

"Anyway, from the Xing Jie scene earlier, I figure he's at least a Ban Sheng, but whether it's Sheng Di level, I'm not sure..."

Li Fugui's eyes twinkled as he chuckled: "For this one, you can just ask Ba Zun An directly; they have a good relationship."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly, silent, his thoughts wandering far.

"Gurgle..."

Beside them, the wine on the stove was warm again.

Li Fugui brought it over and filled both cups. Seeing that Shou Ye had no more questions, he waited a bit longer before bringing it back to the main topic:

"Shou Ye, after chatting about so many people, what I really want to highlight is Cang Sheng Da Di—he has the timing, the geography, and the support of the people; he should 'unleash' now."

"At this time, going head-to-head with him is the most... um, not a wise choice. Anyway, with my limited thinking, that's my humble opinion."

He paused, raised his wine cup, drained it in one go—as if apologizing for the ambiguous wording—and said seriously:

"Of course, Shou Ye has your own considerations."

"But in my view, the best strategy right now isn't to charge up Sheng Shan, but to enter the Zhan Shen Guan ruins."

He shifted to another topic, his face full of grave seriousness:

"The major powers are all gathered here!"

"Cang Sheng Da Di has already lost the initiative by stepping out early; Sheng Shen Dian Tang now only has Yue Gong Li as a variable."

"And we have Shen Yi, Shui Gui, Cen Qiao Fu, and even Ba Zun An in the rear, moving with the chess game and strategizing to control the universe."

"You can enter the ruins first, seize the Zhan Shen Guan opportunity with Shen Yi, and at the same time find Wu Xiu, to discuss a way out of the Dead Sea."

Li Fugui grew more excited as he spoke, finally standing up, raising his wine cup toward the distant sky, and declaring loudly:

"Once fortune is added, and all is prepared, Shou Ye will transform into the new Zhan Shen Guan and return strongly, leading the saints to ascend Sheng Shan, raise the Long Rong Jie from the Dead Sea, and amid the withering snow on the mountain peak, how can it not be described as 'absolute'?"

"That Ai Gou Bow with just one bow and no one to use, facing four hands with two fists, left with nothing but howls, how can it withstand Shou Ye's divine might!"