He clearly felt that, as the conversation progressed, the will of the five God King was like invisible tentacles, keenly sensing every fluctuation in his emotions and thoughts.
The will of the Asura God is sensing his reaction to the topics of "killing" and "resistance".
The will of the God of Evil is peering into his true thoughts about "power," "unity," and "means" deep within his heart.
The will of the God of Destruction is assessing his subconscious attitude towards concepts such as "destruction" and "reconstruction".
The will of the Godess of Kindness is testing his level of acceptance of "sacrifice" and "righteousness".
The will of the Goddess of Life lies in experiencing his subtle feelings about "vitality" and "coexistence".
They are using this illusion to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth "psychological analysis" of him! They are trying to find the weaknesses in his will, or the possible contradictions and flaws in his path and ideology!
When Qian Renxue said, "We will ruthlessly eliminate those stubborn and destructive forces as a warning to others!" Xuan Ming could clearly feel that the will of the God of Evil and the Asura God resonated strongly with and approved of her.
When Qian Renxue mentioned "peace" and "unity," the will of the Godess of Kindness and the Goddess of Life revealed a sense of scrutiny.
The will of the God of Destruction always carried a detached observation, as if waiting for some opportunity to "destroy and then rebuild".
It's not about overwhelming force with sheer willpower, but rather a subtle and pervasive "ideological penetration" and "root-cause inquiry"!
They wanted to see if he would waver when faced with the "choice" that had once influenced the course of his life.
Chapter 455 No Turning Back
Xuan Ming listened quietly to Qian Renxue's impassioned speech, watching her try her best to play the role of savior and guide, attempting to move him with grand plans and seemingly lofty ideals.
Those words about unity, order, and peace might have stirred a ripple in his heart, even giving him a glimmer of hope for escaping his hopeless fate.
But at this moment, what he heard only sounded... ridiculous.
He felt no anger, no interruption, and even a touch of nostalgia, which surprised even himself, welled up inside him.
Yes, I miss it.
Throughout his life, he seemed to always be carrying a heavy burden, each step treading on the edge of a knife, each day a race against death.
Increased power and changed status do not bring liberation, but rather greater and more inescapable shackles and responsibilities.
He often finds himself reminiscing about yesterday, feeling that the difficulties of the past weren't so bad after all, and even occasionally wondering if things would have been easier if he had chosen a different path.
For example, the "past" presented in this illusion right now.
If he had truly believed Qian Renxue's words back then, chosen to attach himself to her, and used the power of the Spirit Hall to solve his own Martial Soul problem, then become a pawn in her plan, working tirelessly for that so-called "peace on the continent"...
Perhaps, he wouldn't have had to endure the bloody massacres that followed, wouldn't have had to bear the sins of millions of dead, wouldn't have had to engage in such a dangerous struggle with the Divine Realm, and wouldn't have had to suffer the crushing force of the five God King' wills at this moment.
That road seems... much easier.
The thought, like a venomous snake, crept into my mind, whispering seductively.
Give up...
Why go through all this trouble?
Accept the arrangements, integrate into the rules, and you can live a more relaxed life...
Look at the path you've walked; every single day has been a day that's not getting worse.
The Five Paths God King' keen will detected this subtle emotional fluctuation in him.
It wasn't a wavering, but rather a deep weariness and a brief glance back at "another possibility."
The Asura God's killing intent stirred slightly, seemingly mocking the weakness hidden within him.
The chaotic whispers of the God of Evil grew clearer, tempting him to succumb to this instinct for self-preservation.
The God of Destruction's sense of annihilation quietly permeated the air, as if suggesting that all struggles would ultimately return to nothingness.
The shackles of order from the Godess of Kindness loomed faintly, as if saying, "Only by accepting guidance can one return to the right path."
The assimilative and nourishing power of the Goddess of Life gently enveloped him, as if soothing him to "return to the community and let go of his ego."
However, just as this "nostalgia" and "exhaustion" were about to be magnified and become a crack in the line of will—
Xuan Ming smiled.
The smile was faint, carrying a hint of world-weariness, yet possessing an undeniable clarity.
Yesterday wasn't better.
Today is even worse.
Yesterday's "goodness" stemmed from ignorance, weakness, and a limited perspective, where the struggle for survival was all that mattered.
The troubles of that time seem as insignificant as dust in the face of today's towering waves.
The reason he is "not doing well" today is because he has seen a wider world, encountered more fundamental rules, and taken on inescapable responsibilities.
The greater the power and the higher the position, the more darkness and complexity one sees, and the more difficult the choices become.
Is this illusion trying to shake him with the "despair" of the past? Is it trying to lure him with the "simplicity" of the past?
ridiculous.
That so-called "despair" is nothing more than the backlash from the Twin Martial Souls, and the powerlessness of one's own weakness.
Now, he can decide the life and death of millions with a wave of his hand, and cause the world to change color with a single thought!
That kind of ant-like struggle is now a distant memory.
That so-called "simplicity" had long been crushed by his own hands.
It was he who chose the cruelest method, forcibly dragging the mainland into a new order.
It was he who stood before the chessboard, playing against the Divine Realm.
There's no going back.
I... don't want to go back.
Once a person has witnessed the vastness of the sky, how could they be content to remain confined to the bottom of a well?
Once someone has the power to make rules, why would they want to return to a situation where they are bound by rules?
"If this had happened before the Soul Master Tournament, I might have actually fallen victim to it."
Xuan Ming slowly raised his head. The dazedness and longing in his icy blue eyes completely vanished, replaced by an absolute coldness and calm that saw through illusion and looked down upon all living beings.
"Unfortunately, the same trick didn't work the second time."
If he hadn't willingly fallen into the Nightmare of that Shi Nian, hadn't gone through that experience, hadn't felt fear about the past, hadn't been embraced by Gu Yuena without hesitation, and had instead faced this interrogation directly, he believed he would have regretted it, succumbed to despair, given up that difficult pain, and chosen a simpler future.
But reality doesn't offer "what ifs".
He's come this far, and there's no way he'll ever turn back!
"..."
Qian Renxue, her gaze towards Xuan Ming somewhat complicated, but she remained silent.
In those golden eyes, emotions churned that even she herself could not fully discern.
How she wished Xuan Ming would choose her here, choose that seemingly "easy" path that she had guided him down.
In that way, perhaps the deep-seated rift between them could be healed, and she could rightfully bring him under her wing, shaping and possessing him in what she considered the "right" way.
But at the same time, a deeper fear gripped her.
If he really makes that choice... then will he still be the Xuan Ming she knows?
That Xuan Ming, who would rather bear unimaginable sins than not carry out his will in the most extreme way?
If he were to truly bow down at this moment and succumb to his yearning for "ease," wouldn't all that almost obsessive tenacity and strength she had been fighting against, angry about, and yet subtly drawn to become a joke?
What she feared seeing was a Xuan Ming whose edges had been smoothed out and who had compromised, which was even more unacceptable to her than a completely opposing enemy.
Xuan Ming's all-knowing, subtly mocking calm was like a cold needle, piercing her last shred of unrealistic fantasy.
He saw through it all, not only the essence of this illusion, but perhaps... also her true intention in merging with the divine consciousness of this place.
There was no anger, no rebuke, not even a few extra words.
That utter, condescending indifference made her feel more powerless than any vehement rebuttal.
Her lips moved slightly, but in the end, she couldn't say anything.
The illusion shattered silently, like a bubble bursting; there was no earth-shattering sound, only a silent and imperceptible disappearance.
Xuan Ming's consciousness was once again thrown into that familiar, empty void.
When he "opened" his eyes again, the memories of the confrontation and Qian Renxue's complex gaze had been quietly erased from his mind by an invisible hand, as if they had never existed.
Consciousness re-anchors to reality.
An aura of intense heat and extreme cold wafted over me, carrying the unique scent of sulfur and some kind of extreme ice crystals.
In my ears, I could hear the whistling of the mountain wind as it passed through the inverted cone-shaped valley, and the gurgling sound of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well Spring churning in the deep valley below.
He returned to the starting point.
This time, it was the Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well —the closest he had ever come to trouble and opportunity in his memory.
His gaze focused, and he saw Poison Douluo Dugu Bo beside him.
He himself stood on the edge of the valley, looking down at the valley floor shrouded in misty vapor.
An idea surfaced uncontrollably, clear and alluring:
If... if I hadn't consumed those two immortal Immortal Herb, hadn't jumped into that deadly spring, and hadn't become entangled in that deeply intertwined fate with the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King...
Relying solely on the other Immortal Herb at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and with his Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, could he also possess a future that... might not be so magnificent, but is destined to be bright?
A road that seems smoother and less risky.
No need to deal with the troubles of the Dragon Clan, no need to face the pressure from the Divine Realm...
Chapter 456 Facing Failure
The moment this thought arose, Xuan Ming felt a strong sense of absurdity, followed by a surge of anger directed at himself.
It was directed at that weak thought that had flashed through my mind countless times in the dead of night when I was overwhelmed by heavy burdens!
Yes! He admits it!
In those long and arduous days, when he faced the pressure from the Divine Realm alone, when he racked his brains for the future of the Dragon Clan, when he couldn't sleep at night burdened by the sins of millions of lost souls... he had indeed thought more than once:
If... if only I hadn't jumped into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, hadn't provoked the remnants of the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King, and hadn't gotten involved in the murky waters of the Dragon Clan...
Would he be able to live a more relaxed life? Would he not have to bear so much burden? Would he... be able to become a "normal" strong person and have a relatively "stable" life, just as Qian Renxue once promised?
This thought, like a numbing poison, offered him a fleeting moment of illusory comfort when he was most exhausted.
But at this moment, in this illusion constructed by the will of the God King, attempting to uncover his inner weaknesses, when this thought is stirred up again, it brings no solace, but... a raging inferno!
I'm furious that I even had such a thought!
Anger at that weak version of myself that once thought of "giving up"!
Where is the Ice Dragon King?!
The Ice Dragon King who placed his last hope in him, who entrusted his remnant soul and power to him, who silently and steadfastly accompanied him through the most difficult path! His sister who believed in him—could he abandon her?!
Where is Gu Yuena?!
The Silver Dragon King who staked the future of the entire Dragon Clan, and her own destiny, on him! That woman, outwardly cold, yet carrying the sorrow and hopes of her entire clan within her heart! Could he possibly give her up?!
Bi Ji, Zi JI... what about those Soul Beast deep in the Star Dou Great Forest who entrusted their trust to him, waiting for the day when the Dragon Clan would be restored?!
Can he give up?!
And what about... the one who struggled to survive in despair, ultimately relying on his own will and countless life-or-death choices to get to where he is today...?!
Can Xuan Ming, who would rather bear everything than not walk his own path, allow himself to Negation all his past perseverance and sacrifices here because of his yearning for "ease"?
impossible!!!
"Heh." A short, cold laugh escaped Xuan Ming's throat, carrying undisguised self-mockery and resolute determination.