Since this involved the Ten Directions Emperor, Qin Yang had no choice but to take it more seriously. Even the tiniest clue might lay decisive groundwork for victory or defeat in the future.
Just like when he had sent that Mei Yan to the Ten Directions Realm—after all this time, that brat had not died. Clearly, the Ten Directions Emperor had gone easy on him. If he had simply killed him outright, there would have been none of these later complications.
Putting himself in the other party's shoes, he naturally felt that the value of keeping someone alive far outweighed the value of cutting things off directly. What lay in between was the process of maneuvering against each other.
It was the same now. Even if this Little Evil Cultivator was very likely a foreshadowing piece planted by the Ten Directions Emperor, Qin Yang had not intended to erase him outright.
Keeping him alive was part of the game. It all came down to confidence in being able to control the situation.
As for the difference, Qin Yang had never considered himself some lofty being above all others. He could bend his back, swallow his pride, and take the first step.
Even for a Little Evil Cultivator who was only at Qi Nourishing, Qin Yang was willing to spend his lifespan to investigate personally.
He had merely traced back several years, yet he had already spent eight hundred years of lifespan. The further back he went, the more the cost would rise exponentially.
To trace back to before this brat had even been born, he would need to burn at least six or seven thousand years of lifespan.
Compared to any Dao Lord, none of them would be willing to do that. They had more economical and cost-effective methods.
But