A Clash of Words

Rushing to confront someone you suspect is something only a fool would do. If you truly believe you are in the right, you should find more witnesses and make a big scene. The smaller the matter, the easier it is to be fooled; the bigger the matter, the more people will value fairness. Covering up the issue could very well suffocate you.

If it weren't for the lack of internet in this era, Si Ming would have liked to do a live online broadcast and have millions of netizens as witnesses.

As for force, that's the last resort. If you think you're the best in martial arts, you can force others to listen to you. Unless you're in a cultivation system where you're a level above others and see all living beings as ants, then you can ignore the masses and do whatever you want. Otherwise, you need to learn to use your brain.

The idea that as long as you believe you are right, you should stubbornly stick to your guns and attract hatred everywhere, is a delusional thought that only a mediocre student with poor political theory would have, because they don't even know the saying "make our people as numerous as possible and our enemies as few as possible."

Being framed and falsely accused, becoming a public enemy of the martial arts world, and being hunted down everywhere is certainly dramatic, but holding high the banner of justice and judging the enemy with an upright attitude is the right way. As a propaganda worker, Si Ming naturally understands this principle.

"You previously asked someone to have me investigate the Holy Maiden, and I did find some suspicious points, but these points alone are of little use. Now, with your corroboration, these suspicious points have become solid ground. Without further ado, let's prepare and set off."

"The Mohist School's education was to cultivate virtuous men or men of all kinds to prepare them for the responsibility of governing the country and benefiting the people. Mozi believed that whether virtuous men or men of all kinds were in office had a decisive influence on the order, chaos, prosperity and decline of the country. As virtuous men or men of all kinds, they must be able to 'be virtuous, eloquent, and well-versed in the Way and arts'."

Of these three virtues, moral character comes first, because "though a scholar may have learning, conduct is fundamental." At first glance, this statement seems quite similar to Confucian School, but we emphasize that "those with strength should quickly help others, those with wealth should strive to share with others, and those with virtue should encourage and teach others," which distinguishes us from Confucian School...

Exalting Unity Palace the Mohist Religion sect, the Holy Maiden Tu Wangyue was explaining the scriptures to the priests when she suddenly felt a premonition. She bowed her head and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I suddenly remembered that I have an urgent matter to attend to. The Right Sage Envoy will explain the rest of the text on my behalf. I hope you will understand."

Although the priests were puzzled, none of them asked, and they nodded in agreement.

"Since it is an urgent matter, Your Highness may go ahead."

Tu Wangyue summoned the Right Sage Envoy, gave him a few instructions, and then headed towards the Ink Palace's residential area. Upon arriving at the palace reserved for the Holy Maiden, she dismissed her attendants, changed her clothes, and waited patiently for a while before Yan Jinghong and his Si Ming Siming arrived.

"Her Highness's behavior suggests she knows her plot has failed and she will be held accountable," Si Ming sneered.

Tu Wangyue glanced at Yan Jinghong, slightly surprised, but still said, "It seems you really are here to interrogate me."

"I'm not trying to be clever with you!"

Si Ming had no patience for arguing. He flipped his hand and immediately took out the hilt of the Dragon Scale Sword and the Mohist School Sacred Sword, saying in a deep voice, "If everything is a misunderstanding on my part, then I will apologize to you, senior, for my rudeness. Now, I ask you to give me a reasonable explanation."

Yan Jinghong remained silent, standing to the side like a witness rather than cheering on his disciple. However, his silence itself spoke volumes, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

Unexpectedly, the saintess didn't beat around the bush, but decisively admitted, "That's right, just as you guessed, it was indeed me who did it."

"Reason?"

"Now that you have used the Sacred Sword, you should have personally experienced its power. It's not hard to guess that unimaginable divine power is sealed within it, and once that divine power erupts, the consequences will be unthinkable."

"But the divine power you spoke of hasn't erupted. Clearly, the sword's owner isn't stupid. If you want to seal powerful energy, you naturally need to apply an even stronger seal. Judging from the current situation, the seal within the sword is flawless. Even with my current Dao Realm, I've only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of its mysteries. Your worries are nothing but unfounded concerns."

"I admit that the seal within the sword is very strong, but not flawless. Every time the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword is opened, a calamity-inducing aura leaks out from the seal. This aura is of extremely high spiritual power, based on the destruction of the world. However, if the aura can be dissipated after each use, it is not a big problem, at most causing serious injury to the sword wielder. But the aura of calamity clings to the sword and refuses to dissipate, almost attacking the seal from both inside and outside. Therefore, it must be eliminated, otherwise no one can bear the consequences of the seal within the sword being broken."

Si Ming sneered, "Since you know there's such a huge hidden danger, why don't you just not use the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword? You know that doing so will risk breaking the seal, yet you not only create this danger but also actively use it. Isn't that like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"

"Sometimes, even knowing it's like drinking poison to quench thirst, you still have no choice but to drink it. For example, on this trip to the Barbarian Continent, if you hadn't used the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword, would you have had a chance of winning?"

Si Ming was speechless. Without the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword, he could only manage to fight the suppressed Netherworld Insect Princess. But if he encountered her true form, a single glance from her would be enough to make him self-destruct on the spot. There was no way around it; the difference in strength was simply too great. In a sense, it was equivalent to being an enemy of the world, and not just the world in the true sense, but the world that represented all people.

"It was indeed necessary for this battle, but we won't need it in the future. For example, against an opponent like the Demon Emperor, there's no need to use a dragon-slaying technique like the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword. I can beat him to a pulp with just one hand."

Now that Si Ming has mastered the All Heavens Sword Art, he certainly has the confidence to say that. He can't say he doesn't take Void Returning Great Grandmaster- level opponents seriously, but they are no longer a threat. As long as he doesn't make any mistakes, he is confident that he will have the last laugh—provided that his opponent doesn't have a special Cultivation Body like the Netherworld Insect Princess who can resurrect infinitely.

Tu Wangyue scrutinized Si Ming carefully for a while, then said, "Perhaps you now possess such strength that you can be invincible even without using the Six Heavens Forbidden Sword, but that is ultimately a matter for the future. What about the accumulated calamity from the past? We can't just ignore it, can we?"

Having personally experienced the power of the calamity, Si Ming had to admit that if the seal on the Sacred Sword were broken and its energy were unleashed, there might truly be a danger of world destruction. After all, even the World Extinction Consciousness had issued a warning, urging him to carefully protect the Holy Sacred Sword.

"So you came up with the idea of using trickery to resolve the aura of disaster?"

Tu Wangyue nodded and said, "The successive Holy Maidens have all shouldered the responsibility of resolving the hidden dangers of the Sacred Sword, but they have never come up with a solution. Until one day, by fortuitous opportunity, I discovered that those who cultivate Super Martial Dao Cultivation Method can withstand the aura of calamity. Although I do not understand the principle behind it, it is still a direction worth trying. After many tests, it was finally determined that the 'Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture', Super Martial Dao Cultivation Method that focuses on body tempering, is the most suitable vessel. Other Super Martial Dao Cultivation Method are much inferior in comparison."

Si Ming suddenly realized, "So it turns out that you were the one behind the scenes driving the collaboration between Su State and Germany in research on Super Martial Dao in recent years."

Tu Wangyue did not deny it and continued, "But the Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture is really too difficult to cultivate. Only a martial artist with extraordinary talent, exceptional comprehension, and a certain Foundation can do it. Before you, only Xiao Xuan succeeded in cultivating it. All the other attempts ended in Qi Deviation."

In fact, my original intended vessel was Xiao Xuan, and the Dragon Scale Sword, which served as the 'medicinal catalyst,' had always been kept by him. According to the plan, I would find an opportunity to hand over the Sacred Sword to him, but I did not expect you to join the Heaven's Will Palace and inherit the position of 'Dragon.' Fortunately, you also cultivated the 'Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture,' so I went with the flow and changed my plan."

Chapter 865 Verbal Clash

"Killing one person to preserve the world is not killing one person to benefit the world; killing oneself to preserve the world is killing oneself to benefit the world. Martial Uncle Xiao and I have debated this topic before, and even if I were to speak on it now, I wouldn't be able to come up with anything interesting. Therefore, I just want to say one thing to you: your actions are tarnishing the reputation of the Mohist School."

All Spirit Transformation Grandmaster are people of unwavering will, and Tu Wangyue is clearly one of the best among them. Her will is as firm as a rock, and even knowing that there is a wall in front of her, she will still crash into it headfirst. Si Ming does not think he can persuade her with words at all.

Even knowing they are wrong, they will persist in their mistake to the very end, preferring to die on the path they have chosen rather than be swayed by others' empty words. There are quite a few people in the Sea Continent who hold this kind of thinking. After all, in addition to being martial artists, these people are also disciples of various schools of thought, and can also be called thinkers or philosophers.

What kind of thinker are they if their ideas are easily swayed by others?

When the identities of thinker and warrior are combined, the energy that erupts is terrifying. They possess both unwavering conviction and powerful execution, truly embodying the spirit of "I can do it, I'll do it" and "I not only fight, I'll talk too."

As expected, Tu Wangyue's expression remained unchanged after hearing this, and she was unmoved.

Yan Jinghong couldn't help but speak up, "Although I have never used the Sacred Sword, I am willing to believe the Holy Maiden's words. The seal within the Sacred Sword must be handled with care. However, if this matter could be discussed with my sworn brother and disciple beforehand, they could be prepared and cooperate more actively, which might make things safer. This matter could have been resolved in a way that would satisfy both parties. Why must the Holy Maiden choose to do something that would provoke resentment?"

"Does Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens believe in human nature?" Tu Wangyue asked rhetorically.

"It depends on who it is. There are good and evil people in the world, some kind and some treacherous, some noble and some base. How can we generalize with just the word 'human nature'? For example, my sworn brother and disciple, if the Holy Maiden frankly told them about the Sacred Sword, I believe that given their character, even if they knew the matter was extremely dangerous, they would still agree."

"Unfortunately, I don't trust people's hearts. Whether they are kind or evil, noble or despicable, the human heart is Taiwei. No one can predict whether the other party will do something unexpected in the next moment," Tu Wangyue looked at Si Ming. "I believe that with Mad Ink's character, when I suggested that he risk his life to eliminate the aura of disaster, he would definitely agree after careful consideration. But who can guarantee that when he actually carries out the plan and is on the verge of danger, he won't suddenly have a wisp of resentment and think about dragging others down with him?"

After a pause, she added, "Those who cultivate the Super Martial Dao will be influenced by the Cultivation Method and become extreme. Once their actions fail, their minds will be corrupted by the calamity of the Sacred Sword, giving rise to thoughts of destroying the world. If the person involved doesn't know the secret of the Sacred Sword, that's fine. But once they do, they will definitely try every means to break the seal. I can't bear such consequences, nor do I dare to gamble with people's hearts, even if there's only a one percent chance. Therefore, I would rather choose to deceive. If you feel resentment because of this, that's understandable."

"You say it's only right, but you're actually using the name of righteousness to bully me. If I were a righteous person with the world in my heart, I should prioritize the greater good and forgive your deception, even if your actions almost ruined me," Si Ming sneered disdainfully. "So, heroes are destined to suffer injustice, and good people are destined to be bullied by you? You think you can bully a gentleman just because you're honest? You're dreaming!"

"As I said, it's understandable that you resent me. My purpose in doing all this was simply to eliminate the hidden dangers of the Sacred Sword. Now that my goal has been achieved, I'm willing to accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

"If I were to retaliate against you for this, wouldn't I be branded as petty and only serve to avenge your grievances and helplessness? You're dreaming. And have you ever considered this: if I or Martial Uncle Xiao failed to withstand the calamity and went mad, coupled with the Sacred Sword in hand, how much destruction would we cause, how many innocent people would we kill? Who would be held responsible for these sins? Would you, the mastermind behind it all, frame us?"