Since Xu Xiao was willing to stop, the War God phantom no longer kept him in suspense and directly revealed his thoughts.
"I would like to ask you to help me find a suitable successor to completely pass on my Path of Battle Intent."
"In return, I can guide you on a Path of True Intent, and even help you continue your journey of cultivating through martial arts, truly stepping into the first threshold of cultivation— the Golden Core."
Upon hearing that that was all there was to it, Xu Xiao couldn't help but speak up:
"What? It's that simple? Are you sure?!"
The commission and reward from the phantom of the God of War were so disproportionate that Xu Xiao almost felt it was a trap.
"Yes, it's that simple. Kid, what do you think?"
The phantom of the God of War looked at Xu Xiao with a half-smile, quite enjoying the astonishing feeling it evoked.
He could see that Xu Xiao was a man carrying secrets and opportunities; it was better to do good than to make things difficult for him.
Making things difficult for Xu Xiao wouldn't benefit Him either, as He lacked the ability or the benefits; on the contrary, He might need Xu Xiao's help in some way.
After all, He was just a wisp of consciousness left behind, and the matter He entrusted was not a big deal. There was no need for coercion; bribery was enough.
From Xu Xiao's immersion in His life journey, He could tell that he was a guy who didn't yet have firm beliefs and was easily tempted.
Such people are fickle in character and mostly driven by profit, but fortunately, Xu Xiao still has a trace of trustworthiness in his appearance, making him someone you can gamble on and entrust with.
He has been waiting in this small grotto for over a thousand years, and many people have come to the War God Temple during this time.
However, only Guangchengzi and Xu Xiao were able to see through His true inheritance, which is truly remarkable.
If He continued to wait, He didn't know how much longer it would take for a destined person to arrive, and His consciousness couldn't hold on much longer.
At most, in another five hundred years, He will completely vanish into nothingness between heaven and earth.
At that time, His true lineage will cease to continue, and there will be no trace of Him left in the world.
For these great beings, death is not the end; the annihilation of their Dao is the true end.
"Is there really such a good thing? Then just give me this inheritance directly. Anyway, I'm very interested in it, and if I master it, it will be considered as following your path."
Xu Xiao spoke frankly.
Of course, he didn't really intend to practice this War God True Art; at least, he wouldn't consider it until the War God's phantom completely dissipated.
He was quite worried about things like possession and resurrection; at most, he would only try to learn from it first.
Unfortunately, after hearing Xu Xiao's words, the phantom of the God of War shook his finger and said, "No, you can't."
"At first, I thought your immense spiritual power might make you a good successor, but now I realize that's not the case."
Men hate it when others tell them they can't do it, and Xu Xiao is no exception.
The words of the God of War phantom made him feel looked down upon, and he spoke with resentment:
"Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean I can't?"
"Didn't you say before that it was to pass on the legacy, and that you said I had strong spiritual power? Why am I not capable now?"
"Don't forget that you placed the inheritance right in front of me; I simply didn't take it."
"You were the one who came out to see me, and you were the one who said I was no good. So you didn't come out to pass on my skills because you liked me, but because you have other motives?"
Xu Xiao felt inexplicably annoyed after being chosen and then rejected.
"Kid, calm down, don't rush."
The phantom of the God of War noticed Xu Xiao's displeasure and spoke up to explain:
"Because you are one of only two people in thousands of years to see through my true inheritance, and given your immense spiritual power, I believe you are capable of following my Path of Battle Intent."
"But in reality, you are not a very suitable successor to the 'War' path. For both you and me, choosing this path is not the best option."
How do you know?
Xu Xiao was still somewhat unwilling to give up; being rejected like this was truly unpleasant.
"You! Do I really need to be so explicit?"
The phantom of the God of War looked helpless, but seeing Xu Xiao's persistent attitude, he could only patiently explain.
Do you know what the concept of the Great Dao's inherent nature is? What is meant by mutual selection?
"Choosing Great Dao is not a trivial matter. A Great Dao that is not suitable for you will not only fail to help you but will also become your weakness."
"You're not someone who enjoys fighting against nature or the world, nor do you relish the joy of such battles and confrontations."
"My path is one of the Path of True Intent. If it is not what you most sincerely desire, your progress will be very slow and inefficient."
"Don't even talk about surpassing me. Even reaching my previous level would require much more effort and sacrifice. Are you willing to do that?"
Xu Xiao slowly shook his head. The words of the War God Zhenyi were indeed a reason to dispel his thoughts.
Especially the last sentence.
Although observing the God of War reveals him to be a powerful figure capable of traversing heaven and earth, the fact that only a wisp of his consciousness remains suggests that something unpleasant must have happened later.
The other party has already frankly admitted that even if he learns the other party's inheritance, it would be difficult to reach His former level, or even surpass Him. Why should Xu Xiao waste his energy on that?
His path is much broader than that of the God of War. Rather than forcing himself onto a path that is destined to be unsuitable, he might as well travel to different worlds and see what's to come; he might find some unexpected joy.
"Alright! Then tell me about your so-called compensation."
"Since you say you can guide me on a Path of True Intent, and a method of cultivation through martial arts, as long as it's true, I can agree to this cooperation and will definitely find you a suitable successor."
Xu Xiao looked at the illusory image of the God of War and spoke. Since the other party was a remnant of a powerful consciousness, his vision was definitely much broader than his.
As long as the other party's reward is genuine, Xu Xiao is not an untrustworthy person.
"Haha, alright then, I'll first impart the Path of True Intent to you. As for whether you can forge your own path through it in the future, that depends on your own destiny."
The phantom of the God of War smiled, and a ray of light flew out from his body, making the already faint phantom even dimmer.
"These are my insights into the Path of True Intent, including some of my understanding of the True Intent of Battle. You may accept them."
The light floated in front of Xu Xiao Xu Xiao, who gestured with his hand. Since there was no notification from the World-Crossing Gate in his mind, he accepted it without worry.
"As for the remaining cultivation methods that lead to enlightenment through martial arts, we will have to rely on another powerful being."
The phantom of the God of War beckoned, and Guangchengzi's skeleton flew to his side.
"Brother Dao, your remains are of no use to me. Today, I will step forward and cook for you as a gesture of goodwill. Let us now consider our past favors settled."
The phantom of the God of War bowed.
In the darkness, a powerful being cast its gaze upon this place for a moment before departing.
"Can!"