Hodan had dared to come see Bluefire because he was prepared. First, before making the trip, he had consulted with his Fate God Clone, and neither of them had sensed any danger. Second, Beirut couldn't possibly keep an eye on Bluefire every moment.
Besides, Hodan had only come to chat with Bluefire. He hadn't tried anything or broken any of the rules Beirut had set. Beirut wouldn't attack him over such a minor matter. How embarrassing would that be if word got out? Sovereigns cared a great deal about their reputations.
"Bluefire, what's the purpose of your cultivation?" Hodan asked.
"To better protect my family and myself, and to see the view from the highest peak. If possible, I'd like to bring my loved ones back to life." Bluefire recalled why he had worked so hard to cultivate.
"Which do you think matters more: freedom or power?"
Bluefire gave Hodan a puzzled look. "Power, of course. Without power, how can you guarantee your freedom?"
"What if you could gain great power, but had to spend the rest of your life confined to a place like the Yulan Continent?" Hodan's question struck straight at Bluefire's heart like a knife.
Bluefire fell silent. After a long while, he replied, "I probably wouldn't want that. Isn't the point of cultivating to the peak to see the view from the summit? What would be the point if I could only hide away in a little pond like this?"
"What if it meant becoming a Chief Sovereign?" Hodan pressed.
"How could I become a Chief Sovereign? You need a Sovereign Spark to become one..." Bluefire scoffed at Hodan's question. To become a Chief Sovereign, one first needed a Sovereign Spark, and any Sovereign Spark would already have been refined by someone else, making them a