The Great Dao Walked Alone; One Had to Cross One's Own Road

Upon hearing this, they also took a bite of meat.

Zhao Lingyun frowned as soon as he swallowed the roasted meat. "It really tastes awful. I never thought someone as invincible as you would have something you're not good at."

Qin Wangchuan also took a bite, silently chewing on the dry, tough meat.

Although it was indeed my first time grilling meat.

I followed the steps I remembered from when Ye Jianwei, so how could it taste so bad?

"You're overthinking it. I'm not perfect either."

The campfire illuminated his serene profile. Recalling what Chu Wujiu had just said, Qin Wangchuan said, "I also have things I'm afraid of. I'm afraid that one day... I won't be myself anymore."

The body is transforming, the air is filled with noise, and no one knows what lies at the end of the Immortal Bone.

"What else can you become besides becoming even more invincible?" Ye Lingchuan held a piece of meat in one hand and gently stroked the Immortal Burial Coffin on the ground with the other. "I'm different."

"Actually, you might not know this, but in the Ye Clan, whether it's talent or cultivation level, I'm the worst."

"It's not modesty, I really am last place."

"It was just a coincidence that I was chosen. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have the right to sit here."

"The strong one has never been me, it's been it."

A deep sorrow welled up in Ye Lingchuan's usually calm eyes.

This always silent boy actually harbors a deep-seated inferiority complex that no one else knows about.

"Your fate is uncertain, but I... one day, I too will be swallowed up by it, just like all the coffin bearers of the past."

"That's not necessarily true. Since the Immortal Burial Coffin has recognized you as its master, perhaps one day you can control it." Zhao Lingyun interrupted softly, picking up a Talisman Paper between his fingers and holding it up to his eyes. "But our Zhao Clan's Heavenly Talisman Paper..."

"Within the Zhao Clan Heavenly Talisman lies a voice of the Great Dao of Origin. Every time I use the Talisman Dao, I can hear it whispering in my heart, as if trying to drag me into some abyss."

"The more profound Talisman Dao, the clearer the voice becomes. No one knows whether the future will be good or bad." At this point, Zhao Lingyun suddenly paused, turning to look at Yun Zexuan, "Unlike you fortune tellers, who can always glimpse Heavenly Secrets."

Seeing that everyone had mentioned things about him to some extent, Yun Zexuan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking in a low voice:

"I don't like people from the Lower Realm."

The mere mention of the word "Lower Realm" brought an undisguised look of disgust to his face. "It was clearly us Ten Heads who fought to the death against the Alien Race, so why are there always scum who consider defying the heavens an honor?"

"They only envy us for our high perch on the clouds, but they cannot see how many Alien Race corpses we tread upon. They peacefully enjoy the peace bought with blood, taking this protection for granted."

"I often think... since those ants are so ungrateful, why not just sever the Heaven-Reaching Pillar and let them fend for themselves?"

These words caught Qin Wangchuan's attention, but he said nothing.

Upon hearing this, Chu Wujiu sat up straight, his brows furrowed.

"Yun Zexuan, you'd better give up this idea. Regardless of whether you're in the Lower Realm, you're ultimately of the same race. Such thoughts are far too dangerous."

"Danger?" Yun Zexuan sneered, his starlight trembling violently. "It is precisely because of such thoughts, precisely because of our concern for the weak, that we have been unable to completely eradicate the Alien Race."

"If I were to become emperor one day, the first thing I would do is destroy the Heaven-Reaching Pillar and let those bastards bring about their own destruction; the second would be to launch a counterattack against the Foreign Lands and annihilate all the Alien Race!"

Destroy the Heaven-Reaching Pillar!

These startling words finally made Xie Qingshang look up.

His gaze swept over the others; although they frowned, they clearly disagreed with his words.

But not a single person questioned it!

Is it really possible to destroy the Heaven-Reaching Pillar?

Xie Qingshang subconsciously turned around, his searching gaze fixed on the old man behind him, Elder Xu.

Elder Xu shook his head slightly, his expression grave.

He had previously assumed these people were simply Young Master from some powerful Aristocratic Clan in one of the Upper Thousand Provinces, but now, listening to their stories, he suddenly realized that their origins were likely far more complex than they appeared.

Having received no answer, Xie Qingshang turned back to look at the crowd.

In the firelight, her clear eyes reflected this extraordinary group of people—powerful, dazzling, each with their own obsessions, so... inspiring.

After everyone had spoken, a brief silence fell over them, broken only by the crackling of the campfire.

They know better than anyone where their path lies, and they know how to move forward.

This outpouring is not a bewildered search, but rather a confirmation—a confirmation that they are still on this path, and that someone is hearing their perseverance.

Qin Wangchuan gazed at the flickering campfire and suddenly chuckled softly.

The laugh was soft, yet it drew the attention of everyone who had been silent.

"So," he said with a strange ease in his voice, "You are afraid too."

The unease brought about by the transformation of Immortal Bone dissipated considerably at this moment.

It turns out that it wasn't just me; others were also struggling within these constraints.

"I should be the one saying that," Chu Wujiu raised an eyebrow at him. "So even the invincible His Highness Divine Son is afraid."

Zhao Lingyun smiled and replied, "Indeed, knowing that you're no different from us makes me feel much more at ease."

"So you're just like us, a human being."

"Since we're human, we all fail. Don't let your guard down."

A burst of lighthearted laughter rang out around the campfire, instantly easing the previously tense atmosphere.

Amidst laughter and banter, everyone unanimously decided to entrust the important task of grilling the meat to Ye Lingchuan —after all, no one wanted to taste Qin Wangchuan's rather subtle cooking skills again.

How did he manage to cook the meat to perfection, yet make it as dry as sawdust?

Xie Qingshang was deep in thought, comparing himself to the group of people in front of him.

They hadn't even shown much of their strength, so why would they inspire any longing in me?

What exactly is the difference?

Is it his speech or his character?

Suddenly, a skewer of caramelized meat caught my eye.

Xie Qingshang looked up and met Qin Wangchuan's golden eyes.

The flickering firelight cast a warm glow on his Golden Eyes, yet it could not conceal his innate aloofness.

"Tell me," Qin Wangchuan's voice was calm and even, "About the Dual Heaven-Earth Method you mentioned before."

Xie Qingshang's gaze swept lightly over the campfire— Chu Wujiu and Zhao Lingyun were arguing heatedly about the cooking time of the meat, Ye Lingchuan was attentively tending to the skewers, sprinkling on the sauce from time to time, while Yun Zexuan cast a disgusted look at him.

Only he, amidst the noise, remembered what he hadn't finished saying.

My heart suddenly felt as if it had been gently brushed by a feather.

When Xie Qingshang took the meat skewer, her fingertips inadvertently touched the boy's fingers, and the slightly cool touch made her ears feel a little warm.

"The rumors about the Dual Heaven-Earth Method have only recently surfaced, but this... is nothing more than a carefully orchestrated deception." Xie Qingshang lowered his eyes, his voice unconsciously softening as he spoke, carrying a deliberate gentleness.

"This Secret Realm does indeed contain an Ancient Divine Object, its origins mysterious and its power unfathomable. It seems that someone covets this artifact but is unable to find it, so they deliberately spread rumors such as the 'Dual Heaven-Earth Method' in order to use everyone's strength to find the treasure, while they themselves reap the benefits."

"That's quite a scheme." A knowing glint flashed in Qin Wangchuan's eyes, and an idea popped into his mind.

Dual Heaven-Earth Method.

Whether this thing is real or fake isn't important; what matters is whether you can actually get your hands on it.

Now we know it doesn't exist, but--

It can exist.

An idea quietly took shape in my mind.

The empty promises others make may very well become reality in his hands.