Knowing the truth often did not mean it was a good thing.
Especially after learning that his own world was merely a testing ground for experiments conducted by the "immortals" outside.
After He Ao finished describing the form in which the Martial Arts World existed, the Old Man fell into a long silence.
He Ao did not disturb him. Instead, he rose and walked over to the erected Stone Tablets, quietly gazing at the three of them.
These three Stone Tablets seemed to have been set up only recently, and the open ground around them had been cleared. Though they lacked the grand spectacle of the densely packed Stele Forest that would come later, its beginnings were already taking shape.
Just then, a long sigh sounded behind He Ao.
He Ao turned around and saw the Old Man turn toward him, cup his hands, and bow deeply to the ground. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your guidance."
He Ao froze slightly, unsure how to respond. He reached out and supported the Old Man. "Sir, there is no need for this."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist." The Old Man did not refuse He Ao's support. Looking at He Ao's youthful face, he slowly sat back down in his chair.
After a moment of silence, he took a thread-bound book from his robes. "This broken and barren place has no specialties to offer. I have only this Dao Integration Method, the work of my lifetime. Perhaps it may repay the debt of your guidance."
He Ao raised his gaze. He could sense some exhaustion in the Old Man's expression, but not much—only enough that a little rest would restore him.
The Old Man had already calmly accepted the death of the world. The world's incompleteness was not something beyond resistance.
Perhaps he had