12: Chaotic Time and Space, Four People Accidentally Arrive Ten Thousand Years in the Past

The rage in Bei Bei's chest nearly burst forth, but when the corner of his eye caught the World-Annihilating Black Lotus flickering in and out above Lu Jing's head, he forcibly suppressed the urge to rush forward.

Now was not the time for recklessness.

The two experts before him were unfathomable. Rather than dwell on the insult of being called a "mongrel," it would be better to use their hands to eliminate Lu Jing, this grave threat. As long as Spirit Masters of Evil remained, they would remain a danger to the continent. What was more, this man had killed Tang Ya...

He took a deep breath and bowed to Qian Daoliu and Yu Yuanzhen, his voice carrying a deliberately restrained earnestness. "Seniors, I know my words carry little weight, but Spirit Masters of Evil are cruel, and the corrosive power of the World-Annihilating Black Lotus can contaminate living beings. If he is allowed to leave today, he will surely become a great threat in the future!"

"For the safety of the continent, I ask that you take action and execute him here in the Star Dou Great Forest!"

Every word rang with conviction as his gaze swept across the vegetation around them, withered by the aura of the World-Annihilating Black Lotus. He tried to persuade the two with the evidence before them. "Please look, Seniors. This is the sinister nature of his spirit. It can even corrode the plants of heaven and earth. If he is allowed to grow, who knows how many lives will suffer!"

Lu Jing's eyelids twitched violently. Before Qian Daoliu and Yu Yuanzhen could speak, he hurriedly retorted, "Stop slandering me! I'm not a Spirit Master of Evil at all!"

He pointed at his own nose, his voice trembling slightly with urgency. "You call me a Spirit Master of Evil only because my spirit has a dark attribute! Do you know why there are so many Spirit Masters of Evil on the Douluo Continent? It's because people like you, who claim to stand for justice, drove them into a corner."

Though he said that, he was not confident. Once the label of Spirit Master of Evil was pinned on someone, it was usually impossible to clear their name. Still, he held on to a sliver of hope—these two experts did not seem like people who could not distinguish right from wrong. What if they judged differently?

With the belief that a wretched life was better than a good death, Lu Jing lifted his chin, his eyes full of stubbornness, and continued, "Even if my spirit has a dark attribute, so what? Does that alone make someone a Spirit Master of Evil? Ten thousand years ago, an elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had the Bone Dragon as his spirit. It was also a dark attribute. Does that make him a Spirit Master of Evil too?"

When Yu Yuanzhen heard the name "Gu Rong," he nodded instinctively. He had dealt with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before and knew that Gu Rong's Bone Dragon Spirit was indeed grim and eerie. Judging by attributes alone, it might have seemed even more like the spirit of a Spirit Master of Evil than this child's black lotus.

He turned to Qian Daoliu and asked quietly, "Great Enshrined Elder, what do you think we should do?"

Qian Daoliu's gaze lingered briefly on the World-Annihilating Black Lotus above Lu Jing's head before sweeping over the surrounding withered plants. His expression remained calm, without the slightest ripple. "It is merely a spirit with a somewhat darker attribute. What is the big deal?"

He spoke blandly, his tone carrying an indifference that saw through the heart of the matter. "Whether one is a Spirit Master of Evil depends on one's character and actions, not on anything else. If attributes alone were enough to determine it, wouldn't Bibi Dong be considered the leader of the Spirit Masters of Evil?"

Yu Yuanzhen immediately understood and agreed. "The Great Enshrined Elder is absolutely right!"

The forms and attributes of spirits were inherently varied beyond measure. To judge good and evil based only on appearances would be far too arbitrary. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was domineering and bloodthirsty—did that mean everyone with that spirit was evil? Obviously not.

Lu Jing's eyes lit up sharply, as though he had grabbed hold of a lifeline. "This Senior is completely right! Shouldn't judging whether someone is a Spirit Master of Evil depend on what they have done? I, Lu Jing, have never slaughtered a single innocent person. On the other hand, Bei Bei and the others start shouting about killing people at the slightest disagreement. So who really looks like a Spirit Master of Evil?"

Not far away, Wang Dong'er quietly raised her head. A trace of agreement flashed through her pale blue eyes, and she nodded gently. She had witnessed the cruelty of Spirit Masters of Evil and hated those scum who brought disaster wherever they went, but that did not mean a person's good or evil could be judged by their spirit alone. What difference was there between killing an innocent person by mistake and being a Spirit Master of Evil?

Qian Daoliu noticed Wang Dong'er's small gesture, surprise flashing through his eyes. He then turned to Qian Renxue at his side, his tone softening somewhat. "Xue'er, how do you think this should be handled?"

Qian Renxue tilted her head and thought for a moment, earnest light shining in her golden eyes. "I think... we shouldn't act."

She pointed at Lu Jing. "He doesn't look like a bad person. Besides, they only said that he killed someone, but they haven't explained the cause and effect. What if it really was a misunderstanding?"

After a pause, she added, "Didn't Grandpa say that an angel's duty is to uphold justice, not to casually decide whether others live or die?"

Hearing this, Qian Daoliu's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, and he nodded. "You're right."

Bei Bei's expression darkened completely. He had not expected these two experts not only to refuse to help him, but to defend Lu Jing at every turn. Even that little golden-haired girl was taking Lu Jing's side. A wave of helplessness surged through his heart as he stared at Lu Jing, the hatred in his eyes nearly overflowing.

Just then, Lu Jing suddenly furrowed his brows. His gaze moved between Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Yu Yuanzhen, as if he had suddenly figured something out. Unable to hold back, he asked tentatively, "Forgive my presumption... could the three Seniors tell me your identities?"

The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong.

Not only did these three not know that Spirit Hall had already fallen, but they knew nothing of figures from ten thousand years ago like "Ancestor Tang San" and "Angel God Qian Renxue." Yu Yuanzhen had even called Bei Bei, who possessed the Bright Holy Dragon Spirit, a "mongrel"... This completely defied normal historical understanding.

Especially that golden-haired man. He kept saying that "Spirit Hall is perfectly fine," and he had even mentioned Bibi Dong... Could their identities be extraordinary?

Qian Daoliu glanced at him and did not hide it, saying calmly, "I am Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined Elder of Spirit Hall."

He pointed at the girl beside him. "This is my granddaughter, Qian Renxue."

Then he looked toward Yu Yuanzhen. "This is the Clan Leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen."

"What?!"

Lu Jing, Bei Bei, the man in black, and Wang Dong'er cried out at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief.

Qian Daoliu?! Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined Elder, the legendary Limit Douluo who had lived for over a hundred years, the Angel God's representative? Hadn't he sacrificed himself ten thousand years ago to help Qian Renxue become a god? How could he be standing here alive and well?

And Qian Renxue... wasn't she the Angel God? Hadn't she disappeared after the final battle? How could she appear here as a little girl, still absorbing a spirit ring?

What shocked Bei Bei most was Yu Yuanzhen—the Clan Leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? The expert who had fallen when Spirit Hall exterminated the clan? How could he be here, questioning Bei Bei's origins?

For a time, the dense forest fell utterly silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Lu Jing opened his mouth, his mind in complete chaos. Suddenly, he thought of an absurd yet only plausible explanation—they seemed to have arrived in the Douluo Continent of ten thousand years ago?

The instant that thought surfaced, it felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen.

If it was true, then everything before them made sense—why these people did not know Spirit Hall had fallen, why Qian Daoliu and Yu Yuanzhen were still alive, why Bei Bei's Bright Holy Dragon was considered a "mongrel"...

Bei Bei and Wang Dong'er had clearly thought of this as well. Their faces turned deathly pale as they stared at the three before them, their lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Qian Daoliu frowned slightly at their shocked reactions. "What? You know me?"

Lu Jing swallowed, feeling as though his throat were smoking from dryness.

Know him? It was far more than that. His name was practically thunder in their ears!

But... how was he supposed to explain to this big shot from ten thousand years ago that they were "people from the future" who had come from ten thousand years later?