The boy was very young, brimming with youthful vigor. That flourishing vitality could not be concealed; he was certainly no old cucumber painted green to pass for a tender one.
He seemed rather interested in the "Heavenly Court," curious about the organization.
"So, an Extreme Dao Holy Land could easily wipe out the Heavenly Court?" The boy's eyes were bright and clear. "As long as one such holy land went for the kill, treating it as seriously as the Dark Turmoil..."
In casual conversation, the boy spoke offhandedly of the Dark Turmoil, even touching upon the ultimate trump cards of Ultimate Dao powers.
Those were terrifying measures that could hold their own even against a Forbidden Zone Supreme emerging into the world.
Emperor Formations, Emperor Weapons, Emperor's Sons... for a brief instant, an Ancient Great Emperor who had long since passed away would reappear!
Against such measures, even ten Heavenly Courts, each an Assassin Divine Dynasty, bundled together would all perish!
"Dealing with the Dark Turmoil..." The burly man paused. He seemed to know something about that as well, versed in both ancient and modern affairs-a suitably qualified passerby. "That does make sense... however formidable the Heavenly Court is, could it possibly compare to the Dark Turmoil?"
"But perhaps the Heavenly Court understands this too, and exercises restraint in choosing assassination targets from Extreme Dao Holy Lands..."
"Besides, they're an assassin organization, experts at concealment. Who knows where their highest sanctuary is?"
"What if you cut down the grass without pulling out the roots, and it grows again with the spring breeze? What then?"
"Lastly, I've heard that the Heavenly Court's core Secret Technique, which represents the ultimate in speed, seems to have an even more terrifying evolution, one that touches upon time!"
"Before time, all things fade into oblivion... that already goes beyond the concept of speed. Even an Emperor Formation might not be able to hold them."
"As for an Emperor Weapon... it still has to hit its target."
The burly man spoke with a hint of envy in his voice.
Absolute speed brought absolute dominance over the battlefield!
A certain Great Accomplishment Sacred Body in a later era would surely have felt this keenly... if the Heavenly Venerable he faced had not been so old, but a little younger, with a little more vitality, he might well have been finely chopped into mincemeat!
"Time..."
The boy fell into a daze, as though sinking into some distant memory, warm and cherished, yet forever beyond his reach.
"Sir, tell me... if someone went far enough in the realm of time, could they turn back the years and reclaim everything?"
He asked earnestly.
"..." The burly man fell silent, touched by the question.
Turn back the years? Reclaim everything?
He thought of his own past. Had he ever had regrets? Had he ever felt remorse?
He had!
But he understood all too well that he could not do it. Regrets would remain regrets, and remorse could only remain remorse.
"Hahaha!" He burst out laughing. "Child, plenty of people have had the same thought as you... unfortunately, from ancient times to the present, I've never heard of anyone accomplishing it."
"Still, just because no one succeeded in the past doesn't mean no one will succeed in the future... young man, I have faith in you!"
The burly man offered encouragement, bringing a shy smile to the boy's face.
As his smile faded, the boy asked curiously, "The Heavenly Court's core Secret Technique can touch upon time... sir, is the Heavenly Court recruiting?"
"I think my talent is pretty good. I could bring it to the Heavenly Court and lead them to grow bigger and stronger!"
The boy was very confident, and very unconventional.
Join an assassin organization?
Listen to that-did that sound right?!
If someone like him raised a dog, he would absolutely raise the most shameless dog imaginable.
Even the burly man was stumped by the question, choking briefly. "Child, it seems you really want to reclaim something, if you're willing to abandon the light for the darkness just for a Secret Technique..."
"Yes. I want to resurrect my parents," the boy said candidly.
"Ah, resurrect your parents..." The burly man sighed. "Forget about joining the Heavenly Court."
"As far as I know, the Heavenly Court has always raised its own people, training budding assassins. They never recruit outsiders."
"Want to obtain the Heavenly Court's Secret Technique that way? Impossible. Give it up."
"I see..." The boy looked a little disappointed, but his eyes shifted, as though something had occurred to him.
"Since it's a Secret Technique, a legacy, surely the Heavenly Court's most central inheritors have mastered it too?"
"If I could capture one alive..."
The boy murmured.
The burly man jumped at that. Were young people these days really so bold?
A newborn calf truly did not fear the tiger!
"Don't take risks... staying alive is what matters most," the burly man advised earnestly.
The boy smiled without arguing the point, merely asking how to place an order with the Heavenly Court's assassin organization.
"Child, you aren't thinking of hiring them to kill you so you can witness the Heavenly Court's highest Secret Technique, are you?"
The burly man sucked in a breath of cold air.
"And what... hmm, how could I possibly do that?"
At first, the boy was nonchalant. Then his brow furrowed as he looked toward the battlefield outside Saint City, seemingly changing his tune.
He grew somewhat serious. "I still need more training. I won't gamble with my life."
"That's good..." The burly man breathed a sigh of relief, only for his expression to change as well.
The very next instant!
Boom-!
An aura akin to Dao Transformation surged, like two worlds colliding and hurtling toward destruction together. Boundless light illuminated every direction. Heaven and earth cracked like fine jade, even triggering Saint City's innate defenses, interwoven patterns spreading as sacred energy filled the air!
It all stemmed from the collision of two figures, a peak strike that condensed hundreds upon thousands of lethal moves into a single clash-the ultimate offensive!
"No! Impossible!"
Suddenly, a shrill, furious roar rang out, filled with incredulous shock. Accompanied by dazzling bloody light, it turned heaven and earth scarlet in an instant!
It was the voice of the Yaoguang Holy Land's Candidate Saint Son, shocked and despairing. He was the one bleeding, the one grievously wounded, his understanding of the world shattered, his convictions crushed.
In their climactic clash, he had actually lost, crushed without the slightest uncertainty. A Killing Sword had cleaved his Immortal Platform, severed his great dragon, shattered his limbs, and torn apart his internal organs!
"How is that possible?" The cultivators watching from afar were stunned. "The Yaoguang Holy Land's Candidate Saint Son has a holy light body, naturally suited to that holy land's peerless Holy Light Art!"
"If he weren't still so young, unable to compare with the true Saint Son who has already severed the Dao and become a king, it would be anyone's guess who held the position!"
"Even so, the Yaoguang Holy Land places immense value on him and nurtures him almost as much as the true Saint Son. A Saint expounds the Dao and imparts teachings to him..."
"At the perfection of the second heaven of the Immortal Platform, in the eight forbidden domain... and someone actually defeated him from a lower realm?"
At last, a Great Power revealed the truth, his face pale.
"It's... the myriad ages divine prohibition!"
"The Heavenly Court's assassin stands within the divine prohibition..."
"Have I gone mad... or has this world gone mad...?"
He gazed in awe at the figure who seemed to stand at the end of heaven and earth, holding a blood-dripping Killing Sword and walking through the air one step at a time. Each step seemed to tread upon the pulse of heaven, earth, and human hearts, making it hard to breathe.
"All arts in this world are merely forms... rather than seeking techniques, seeking methods, seeking the Dao, one should seek oneself and comprehend the true self."
His Killing Sword stained with blood, the assassin chuckled. "You neither seek yourself nor comprehend your true self, relying only on techniques and arts to flaunt your might. How are you worthy of comparison with me?"
"But don't grieve, and don't blame yourself. Losing to me is perfectly normal..."
"After all..."
"Who stands at the summit on the road to the Dao? One glimpse of me, and your Dao comes to naught!"
Far away.
The boy stared at that figure, stunned and bewildered.
He... he really knew how to show off!