In the Guest Courtyard, Qian Renxue topped up Ning Chuan's tea and casually asked, "Ning Chuan, do you think Spirit Hall will annex the two great empires someday?"
After a moment's thought, Ning Chuan replied, "I don't know! But if I were the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, I wouldn't entertain that idea!"
"Why?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.
Instead of answering, Ning Chuan asked a question of his own. "Brother Qinghe, what do you think is a soul master's ultimate goal?"
"Godhood?" Qian Renxue pretended to guess.
Ning Chuan nodded. "Exactly. Attaining godhood is a soul master's lifelong pursuit. Compared to that, worldly power isn't even worth mentioning."
"As the crown prince, Brother Qinghe, you already have countless things to worry about every day. Being emperor would certainly be even more exhausting. You probably wouldn't even have time to cultivate in peace. So if I were the Supreme Pontiff, I would never entertain such an idea."
Qian Renxue deeply agreed. During her years disguised as Xue Qinghe, she had indeed had very little time to cultivate.
Ning Chuan continued, "Taking a step back, I might consider unifying the continent only if I had no hope of attaining godhood in this lifetime."
After a brief pause, Ning Chuan continued, "The current Supreme Pontiff is the youngest in Spirit Hall's history, and is only in her forties at most. Naturally, cultivation should be her first priority. Unifying the continent takes both mental and physical effort and would only slow her cultivation. There's absolutely no need to consider it."
"Even if the continent were unified, who would become emperor? The continent's history stretches back ten thousand years. Have its histories ever recorded a deity coveting worldly imperial power?"
Ning Chuan's words sent a sudden jolt through Qian Renxue's heart. She abruptly realized that