Fast and slow
"I am willing to accept all guidance and from now on follow your will!"
Sitting in the chair, Zhang Xuezhou truly heard the expression of the whispered thoughts.
Compared to Hu Hao's telepathic communication, the other party's expression was powerful yet composed.
This was not the strongest cultivator Zhang Xuezhou had ever encountered while sitting in the chair, but the other party did not appear anxious or arrogant in his pursuit of power.
Like a gradual seepage, or perhaps because the towering tree had been dead for too many years and its giant branches had disappeared, the will within this chair gradually succumbed, and after a long period of time, it was taken over by the other party, who also gained the same understanding.
"So there's another vast world in another dimension?"
In his low voice, the other person showed a hint of unease, a sense of unease that was difficult to contain.
Living in a well for a long time is not terrible; what is terrible is having the concept of knowing the world outside the well but not having the ability to go outside the well.
Many years later, and having acquired some unknown ability, Zhang Xuezhou heard the voice of judgment once again.
But this voice of judgment is not the same as the voice judging a towering tree.
Those who defy the gods shall be punished!
The sounds of battle echoed across the sky, followed by countless loud crashes, and the resentment and anger that followed the destruction surged forth in waves.
Once the chair was activated, a colossal object appeared amidst the dull, swirling clouds.
As if struck by a heavy impact, a continuous wail echoed.
The chair presented a multitude of scenes, but everything came to an abrupt end there.
"Is this my opponent?"
Awakening from these memories, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but murmur to himself.
A whale fall gives rise to countless things; a towering tree falling creates countless different possibilities and brings numerous opportunities.
Some used this opportunity to triumph over their rivals, some established great achievements, some became local tyrants, and some formed groups to explore the unknown.
And the final situation Zhang Xuezhou faced.
Zhang Xuezhou was happy to form alliances and relied on their strength to overcome difficulties.
Zhang Xuezhou's opponent is similar; they seem to have cultivated a large number of people.
At the moment of defeat, these people vanished, leaving only mechanical chanting behind.
"As long as the void remains, I shall endure forever!"
"Those who believe in me will have eternal life!"
Hearing these mechanical chants once again, Zhang Xuezhou felt a different kind of emotion.
"It seems we not only share similar temperaments, but our abilities are also severely unbalanced; defeat is to be expected!"
Since people have limited time, they will inevitably place their hopes on others to fill the gaps.
For example, Ren Yisheng is not good at close combat, and Wang Haoran can only fight from a distance; their close combat skills are a mess.
This means that the two must either find the right opportunity or be matched with a replacement in the Sequence Holder before they can join forces against the enemy.
Life is short, only a few decades. It's impossible to expect someone to be perfect in every aspect without any weaknesses, not even Zhang Xuezhou.
However, over the long years, many shortcomings can be made up for as much as possible.
Zhang Xuezhou could understand himself, but he couldn't understand the actions of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.
Facing an opponent of this caliber, it would be impossible for him not to feel some panic.
The level that Zhang Xuezhou had seen was extremely high, involving emperors and generals, as well as lords of Sacred Land, and even beings like emperors.
But no matter how much Zhang Xuezhou messed around, he had never encountered an opponent of this caliber.
He had always believed that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon were at the level of the lords of Sacred Land, and judged their level to be similar to that of the Holy Mother of Wudang, Zhu Jiuyin, and Nine Spirits Primal Sage based on their inferior strength compared to the Emperor. Little did he know that their past glory was so dazzling that few could match them.
Even if the opponent is currently just a defeated centipede, it is still not dead.
"I was wondering why Naggs's situation was different from mine; turns out we're not even in the same league!"
Zhang Xuezhou had always believed that the conditions of fireballs should be largely the same, but he belatedly realized that the conditions of each fireball might be different.
Some perished as masters of the Fire Meteor, while others lingered on, and still others were reborn, possessing new bodies. There were also those like 'Tiger Hao' who were likely to possess the original physical body.
He also belatedly realized why many Sacred Land and secret places were fixed in one place, and why the masters of these fire meteors could travel across the continent.
All these differences likely stem from the immortal gems within the towering trees, or perhaps from the unique features of certain parts of the trees that allow them to travel and locate, or even step into a different world.
The timeframe was far too long, long enough for all sorts of attempts to occur.
Such eagerness to venture into another world may result in many failures, but it must also lead to some successes, which is why there is such a rush.
Zhang Xuezhou didn't want to look too far ahead; he simply wanted to maintain his independent personality without being inexplicably destroyed or replaced.
He observed and learned a great deal, but his mind remained focused on himself, seeking how to truly achieve self-realization.
Sitting in the chair, he maintained his own convictions and was not misled by the dazzling phenomena.
Until the sense of distortion surged up again, another face, indistinguishable from one's own, appeared.
Zhang Xuezhou stared at his own face, and that familiar face stared back at him.
This was not the appearance of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon that Zhang Xuezhou had envisioned, nor did he want to see Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon with his own appearance.
"I demand equal rights!"
He whispered something.
Zhang Xuezhou couldn't defeat the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, nor did he know how to defeat it and make it disappear.
Everything Zhang Xuezhou did was to improve himself, and then he waited for the moment of final judgment to arrive.
As he gazed at the other, he felt that once he sat in this chair, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon would no longer be able to transform themselves as before, which made him whisper a negotiation.
"You're someone who seeks common ground while respecting differences, and so am I. We should be able to live together peacefully until one of us grows old and dies!"
The whispers went unanswered; all Zhang Xuezhou heard were repeated phrases and the loud quacking of ducks.
If the other party agrees, Zhang Xuezhou will accept.
There was nothing Zhang Xuezhou could do if the other party disagreed.
He stared at the mechanical, expressionless figure until his thoughts became so distorted that his consciousness could hardly bear it, and then he stood up.
As if the tide had receded and he had been freed from his restraints, Zhang Xuezhou felt that his distorted form had changed, and he had regained his appearance in the real world.
A bright, reddish sensation surged through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and heard the roar of the ship's horn, like cannon fire. Even the windows of the cabin vibrated up and down, and he felt a little unsteady on his bed.
"What happened?"
Zhang Xuezhou snapped out of his reverie and, as usual, returned to reality.
In front of him, Zhang Xuezhou could see Zhang Manqian turning her head with a twisting motion, and Ren Anran slowly lowering her right foot a few steps away.
Everything presented to Zhang Xuezhou seemed to transform into a slow-moving world, a world of more subtle perception.
The sounds he heard were clearer, the subtle vibrations he perceived were more pronounced, and everything he could see slowed down in his mind.
Zhang Xuezhou has always possessed extraordinary listening abilities, and now he has entered the realm of sight.
This is not a normal situation, but it is a difference brought about by Zhang Xuezhou's spiritual strength.
In a hazy, dreamlike state, Zhang Xuezhou felt as if he had experienced sitting in a chair beforehand, and it seemed that, like Ren Yisheng, he had gained special control over the Eighth Sequence ahead of time.