Mysterious Cultivation Technique

Su Yingbo clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, unable to make a decision.

He desperately wanted to save his wife, but he couldn't trust the man's words. To be deceived would be tantamount to tarnishing his wife's reputation, let alone bowing down to the murderer who killed her...

As if sensing Su Yingbo's inner struggle, the Nether Master's lips curled into a malicious smile as he said, "Just consider me the murderer, but you are also one of the sinners against your wife."

"That's just sophistry! You're the one who tricked me into going out..."

"Did you think I was referring to mediating the private fight among the Imperial Army Guards? You're wrong. The choice in that matter wasn't yours, so you're certainly not at fault. But I'm talking about your refusal of Yan Jinghong's disciple."

"Yan Jinghong's apprentice?"

Su Yingbo couldn't remember what Si Ming had said to him; after all, he was in a very chaotic state of mind that day, and his memory was not very clear.

"Yan Jinghong's disciple has a terrifying talent; he can learn any martial art in a short time. Tsk tsk, this kid has unlimited potential. I really look forward to his future... Heh, I digress. Commander Su, please consider this: if you had agreed to his request to stay and take care of your wife while you went out to mediate the military conflicts, what would have happened?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yingbo's face turned deathly pale, and his internal energy spiraled out of control, almost causing Qi Deviation!

Chapter 511 Mysterious Cultivation Method

"You didn't reach out to save anyone's life, so your wife's life slipped through your fingers. If you had, those innocent citizens would have been saved, your wife would have survived, and you would have gained the respect of others and the life of your beloved—the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, you abandoned both," the Nether Master continued, uttering his piercing words.

Su Yingbo circulated his internal energy for a long time to stabilize his internal energy. He knew the other party was being sophistical, but he still felt a strong sense of guilt. He could have saved his beloved wife...

Why, why are you targeting me?

"Because you are the weaker one."

"The weak?" Su Yingbo recalled their previous argument.

"Isn't it natural for the strong to bully the weak? It's like a lion encountering a plump rabbit; it instinctively wants to hunt it. Although I could achieve my goal with anyone else, why did I have to encounter you first? Protecting the weak is a virtue, not an obligation, for the strong. Exploiting the weak is the norm for the strong. Since you willingly identify as the weak, don't blame me for taking action against you. Weakness is an original sin."

"Yan Jinghong and the others are powerful, so you don't dare to attack them?"

"Of course, kidnapping hostages is useless against a strongman like Yan Jinghong, because he would rather sacrifice the hostages than let the kidnappers die. So I won't use such methods against him; that would be humiliating. On the other hand, a weakling like you would definitely choose to compromise with the kidnappers, which is exactly the kind of person we like to target."

Knowing that the other person was belittling him, Su Yingbo couldn't refute it. When he heard that his wife had a chance to be resurrected, his heart wavered.

The shaman suddenly asked, "Have you read 'The Three Kingdoms: Ghosts and Gods - Wei Kingdom Chapter'?"

Su Yingbo was a little confused about the other party's intentions and asked in a deep voice, "What are you trying to say?"

"This is a novel written by Yan Jinghong's apprentice. There's a very interesting passage in it. It says that Xiahou Dun, a general of the Wei State, was captured by Lü Bu. Lü Bu sent men to force Xiahou Dun's army to surrender. However, a general in Xiahou Dun's army named Han Hao shouted, 'Since I have been ordered to punish the traitors, how can I let you go just because of your life?' Then, he cried and said to Xiahou Dun, 'Military orders are absolute, and I have no choice but to obey.' He then ordered the entire army to attack. The kidnappers were so frightened that they begged for mercy and were eventually killed by Han Hao. General Xiahou Dun was also rescued."

When Cao Cao, the commander of the Wei State, heard of this, he praised Han Hao, saying, "Your actions can serve as a model for all ages." He then ordered, "From now on, if you encounter hostage-takers, you must eliminate them without regard for the hostages." From then on, all hostage-takers disappeared within the territory of Wei State.

"It's just the words of School of Fiction."

"Perhaps, but it reveals a person's character. Yan Jinghong's disciple is undoubtedly a strong individual. If you don't want to be threatened by me, you can also say, 'From now on, anyone holding hostages shall be attacked without regard for hostages.' Do you have that kind of awareness?"

If I had such awareness, would you still have come looking for me?

Su Yingbo felt a strong anger at being mocked. He wanted to capture the person, but he also knew that the other party's cultivation was no less than his own. In a life-or-death struggle, they might perish together regardless of the consequences, but capturing them alive was just a pipe dream.

"Human hearts are complex and full of variables. They don't always follow rational logic. Even the wisest person can make a mistake. Perhaps you will make a decision that surprises me? It is said that to err is human, to forgive divine. You made a wrong choice before, and now I'm giving you a second chance to see if you can learn from your mistakes and make the right one."

The Nether Master let out a malicious laugh, which seemed to materialize and turn into venom. "I swear, if you refuse me today, I will never use the same methods on others again. You can save many victims like yourself."

Su Yingbo said coldly, "I have no reason to believe the oath of a kidnapper."

"You may not believe my promises, but at least you don't have to make a deal with me against your conscience. My goal is to make France more chaotic, which will inevitably lead to many deaths. If you agree to my terms, you will be an accomplice. This is different from last time. Last time, you merely stood by and watched someone die, which was negligent, but at least you didn't actively harm anyone. But this time, your hands will be stained with blood, exchanging the suffering of others for your own happiness..."

"Enough!" Su Yingbo glared at the Nether Master. "You are the most despicable person I have ever met, but if you think you can sway my will with such clumsy words, your judgment is far too poor. I am different from Yan Jinghong; I do not consider protecting the common people my responsibility. What do I care about the lives of others? Many people starve to death every day in the world; it's impossible to save everyone. Perhaps you are right, I am a weak person, so I only want to protect those around me."

"I see. Let me put it another way. The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds. You should understand that only by sacrificing your beloved wife can you find redemption. Choosing to save others will inevitably lead to destruction. This is the kidnapper's honest advice—come on, make your decision!"

"Heaven-Defying Society no action?"

When Si Ming arrived at the royal mausoleum, Ling Huanxi told him that everything was calm and peaceful. Even on the day the two princes broke off their relationship and fought, nothing unexpected happened, which greatly puzzled him.

"This is really strange. Could it be that a prostitute has reformed? That's impossible. What kind of evil organization would give up after cutting down just one pillar? This is too anticlimactic."

Murong Qing analyzed, "Could it be that the timing is wrong? I've checked the information. Opening the highest level of seal is like opening a blessed land; it all depends on the right time and place. If the timing is wrong, no amount of external interference will help. I analyzed it with Yu Shuying before. The biggest advantage of the Heaven-Defying Society is its secrecy. They are the hardest to guard against before their purpose is exposed because no one knows what they are going to do. Therefore, destroying the first Divine Pillar is the one with the highest success rate for them."

Based on this, the best solution for the Heaven-Defying Society would be to destroy all four Divine Pillars simultaneously. Unlike now, where after destroying the first Divine Pillar, the entire Sea Continent is on high alert, and they've been listed as the number one wanted target by the Mohist Knight Guards. Destroying the remaining three Divine Pillars has become significantly more difficult.

However, the Heaven-Defying Society did not do so, meaning that there was an objective condition that could not be met. Yu Shuying guessed that this condition was likely time; the Four Heavenly Divine Pillars could only be activated at a specific time. Therefore, the Heaven-Defying Society chose to destroy the Divine Pillar located in the Su State first, because the Divine Pillar in the Su State was the most difficult to destroy.

Si Ming stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Putting the hardest to destroy first... makes sense. As the Divine Pillars are destroyed, the power of the Eternal Barrier will weaken, inevitably leading to many strange phenomena, and perhaps even natural disasters. At that point, people won't be able to play ostrich anymore. When only the last Divine Pillar remains, I'm afraid all the experts in the entire Sea Continent will step forward to stop the Heaven-Defying Society's actions. Therefore, for the Heaven-Defying Society, the priority for destroying the Divine Pillars should be the most difficult ones first... Wait, something's not right!"

He immediately noticed the inconsistency, and Murong Qing thought of it at the same time, "In terms of the number of experts, Nation of Valor and Germany far outnumber France, so considering priorities, the Heaven-Defying Society should target these two countries first, unless there are no Divine Pillars within their territories."

"There's another possibility," Si Ming looked up at the sky above the royal tombs, "That there are no Divine Pillars in France. This is false information released by the Heaven-Defying Society, which deliberately created the illusion of the existence of Divine Pillars to attract our attention and achieve a feint attack."

Si Ming found it increasingly convincing and quickly made a decision. "Han Hao has already ascended the throne, so France is unlikely to cause any more trouble. The Heaven-Defying Society have no opportunity to act. The Divine Pillar in France is just a decoy; their real target is either France or Germany. Perhaps we can inform the Mohist Knight Guards of various countries to raise their vigilance."

Murong Qing cautioned, "Nation of Valor doesn't have the Mohist Knight Guard. The Military School and the Mohist School have always been at odds, so they might not listen to our advice."

Si Ming's mind raced, and he said, "Then let the Third Prince... no, let the French King do it. Although France and Nation of Valor also have a bad relationship, having the French King issue the notification as the head of state will be enough to get their attention."

Without hesitation, the two, both action-oriented individuals, immediately went to the palace to request an audience with the new emperor. After waiting all morning, they successfully met Han Hao.

"I apologize, I'm new to this position and there's so much work to do lately that I'm almost ready to step down," Han Hao said humorously before apologizing, "Please forgive me for keeping you both waiting so long."

Siming asked curiously, "I finally became the King of France, but how come I don't even put on any airs, and at least I am called myself 'I' or 'I' or something like that."

"Some ministers have reminded me of this matter, but after thinking about it, I'd better not. It's too troublesome, especially since I'm aiming for a populist approach. The future direction is to eliminate aristocratic privileges and weaken imperial power, so of course I can no longer use titles that highlight differences in status."