The Heavenly Human Emperor finally spoke, his voice low. "It's not that he probably can't do it. He definitely can't. A Heavenly Venerable excels at crushing opponents head-on, overwhelming everything with absolute strength. Fang Chen excels at resilience, at combat tactics, at growing through desperate straits until he turns defeat into victory. They walk different paths and excel in different fields!"
Kong Xian nodded. "That's exactly what I was about to say. A Heavenly Venerable's strength lies in power, in Laws, in the Dao. Fang Chen's strength lies in Fusion, in embracing all things, in life that renews itself without end. A Heavenly Venerable's Dao pursues the utmost extreme, mastery of a single discipline, one road followed into the dark. Fang Chen's Dao is one of Fusion, of taking in all schools, of a sea accepting a hundred rivers!"
He paused, a sharp glint flashing through his gray eyes. "In the Second Heaven-Extermination War, a Heavenly Venerable spent a lifetime of Cultivation to gravely wound the World Will, winning the Myriad Races more than seventy million years to catch their breath. But his Dao Foundation was destroyed, and he could never fight again. If Fang Chen reaches that point, what could he do?"
The Human Emperor took up the question, a profound light shining in his clouded old eyes. "If Fang Chen reaches that point, he could do more than gravely wound the World Will. He could destroy it completely!"
Dead silence fell over the hall once more.
The seven ancient beings' gazes met across the void. Without a word, they exchanged thoughts, weighed possibilities, and worked through what might come.
After a long while, the God Emperor spoke slowly. "Then what should we do? Should we approach him? Help him?"
The Human Emperor shook his head, a glimmer of