The Guess: Hoping It Was True, Yet Fearing It Was True

Faced with the two voices, Liu Duanyuan reacted much more calmly, merely glancing at the two men:

"Otherwise, why would I be the one to handle this matter?"

"Don't forget, my skills aren't limited to forging."

Neither of them spoke; they simply shook their heads, unsure whether to agree or not.

"Now that you've met him, what are your thoughts on this younger generation?"

"Lacking a bit of arrogance, even with some intelligence, one might not go far," one voice commented.

The other person nodded in agreement:

"His kind of temperament is rare among the upper class, but most common among the lower class and even ordinary people. He's lazy and lacks cunning. Whether he can go far or succeed is another matter. Now I feel we shouldn't have chosen him."

"Perhaps this is all an act. I can't quite see through him. This kid's possessions are extraordinary, his background is extraordinary, and even the cause and effect are hard to discern. If someone like this can't put on an act, who would believe it?" One of them said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"You can't even see through a junior?"

"Can you see through it?" the voice countered.

"Then tell me, what did you see in him?"

"It's not to the point where we didn't see anything at all."

"Then tell me."

"Why don't you tell me why you can't see through it? Is it a problem with you?"

The two sides chatted back and forth, and the others listened, some exchanging glances with each other.

After a brief exchange of glances, they both understood each other's intentions.

This kid's been hiding something; he's got some skills up his sleeve!

"Arguing about these things is pointless. Right now, let's see what kind of performance this junior can deliver on the Emperor Dao," someone interjected.

"Performance? I think unless he can reach the pinnacle of the Emperor Dao, there's nothing to look forward to. But to reach the pinnacle of the Emperor Dao... if he truly Aptitude of a Great Emperor, the possibility is extremely high. It's just a pity that he..."

"Indeed, fake things can't be compared to real things. If we think that nothing matters until the very end, then there's really nothing worth watching. We need to lower our standards. As long as he can surpass everyone who went this time, it doesn't matter whether he reaches the end or not," someone reminded him.

"I remember, he was merely the most suitable, just suitable. He was certainly a prodigy, but even among prodigies, there are different levels. In my opinion, we should first do what Ruoyu said earlier: frankly admit it's fake, a feint to all sides."

"..."

Everyone had their own opinions, but not many people had high hopes.

They were all people who had walked the Emperor Dao, and they knew how easy it was to start.

The middle part is also easy.

Only at the very end, at that crucial final moment that will determine the ultimate distance, will it be truly difficult.

Among those present today, the one who has achieved the most is only ninety percent of the Emperor Dao.

As for the end of the Emperor Dao, over the years, the only one who has come so close is an ancestor of the Yue Clan.

That was a very Changzhi.

Not to mention, with the true imperial prince of the Liu Clan now before us, how much brilliance can a fake one possibly emit?

Conversely, if even fake pearls and jade can reach their end, wouldn't real pearls and jade be even more dazzling?

In any case, compared to the true imperial prince, the fake will always pale in comparison and is not worth much enthusiasm; it is merely an assessment.

Liu Duanyuan didn't say much in response to everyone's reaction.

He believed Lu Changzhi could go, but he thought it was unlikely he could go to Taihang.

At this moment, Liu Ruoyu, who had been observing everyone's reactions the entire time, suddenly said:

"I believe this junior will definitely have an amazing performance in the Emperor Dao."

His words were startling, drawing everyone's attention.

How so?

When asked, Liu Ruoyu did not explain, but simply said:

"It's just speculation."

As she spoke, Liu Ruoyu shook her head:

"However, I hope this guess is inaccurate."

Misfortune often begins in small things, and clues can be found in the smallest details. If his guesses can be verified, it means that what he sensed was correct.

But if this guess is actually proven true, it's better if the guess is proven false.

Seeing that Liu Ruoyu didn't intend to say anything more, the others didn't pay much attention.

After all, no matter what the issue, there will always be someone who disagrees, which is not surprising.

On Hidden Origin Peak.

Lu Changzhi informed everyone that the Emperor Dao was about to begin.

Brush.

A figure flashed by.

Xiao Ming rode over on his Thunder Dragon, shouting:

"You guys can't go alone, Uncle Ming, I want to go too."

Lu Changzhi glanced at Xiao Ming:

"Aren't you afraid of getting captured? This isn't the Five Continents Domain; your strength isn't enough."

Xiao Ming nimbly jumped off the Thunder Dragon's back, his figure shrinking as he nuzzled against Lu Changzhi's shoulder, saying:

"But there's you. You're so strong, how could anyone in this world catch your bird?"

"Besides, how could a proud prodigy of the Liu Clan, with the Aptitude of a Great Emperor, not have a decent pet?"

Lu Changzhi smiled upon hearing this:

"You're right, then you can come along too."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming immediately perked up, came to Mu Fan's side, and spread his wings:

"Xiao Mumu, how about Uncle Ming takes you flying on the Emperor Dao?"

Mu Fan looked at Xiao Ming, and his lips twitched:

You're such a jerk!

Where the Emperor Dao resides.

As soon as the news broke, a large number of cultivators arrived to wait.

Now, with the opening day approaching, the place is bustling with activity.

Looking around, one sees a sea of heads, a dense mass of black heads that seems to have dyed the sky and earth into a dark ink color.

"Judging from this, it's about to begin. The array's protective power in the Liu Clan's area is stronger now; they'll probably be here soon."

One person in the crowd sighed aloud.

"The other factions are probably in the same boat; it seems there's no doubt about it," another person added.

"Finally, it's happening! More and more people are coming here, it's even affecting cultivation. It's true what they say, the moment there's a bit of good news, cultivators scatter like headless flies, it's really..."

"Who says otherwise?" one person said, then, as if remembering something, turned his head and glanced at the other person, adding:

"By the way, where's Ji Jichang? Why isn't he back yet? If he doesn't come soon, he'll miss the first wave, and then he'll blame us for not calling him."

"I don't know, he's probably still exchanging martial arts tips with that new guy he met. Don't worry about him, he's more concerned about this than any of us, he'll definitely come back on his own," another person said, shaking their head.

At this moment, one person took out a communication device and said:

"Let me mention it: when a martial arts fanatic gets interested, they lose all sense of time."

As he spoke, he called out using a communication device.

Meanwhile, somewhere far away from here.

A tall, dark-skinned man with muscles as thick as meteorite iron lay on a boulder, his face contorted in pain, emitting soft groans.

Beside him, a figure raised an arm and gently stroked the man's protruding, rounded belly for a moment, then let out a soft sigh:

"It looks nice but is useless; it's a waste of effort."

As soon as the voice fell, the man lying down changed his expression slightly, opened his half-closed eyes, and was about to say something.

At this moment.

A muffled thud came from the protruding lower abdomen.

The man's eyes widened suddenly, and he kicked his legs out forcefully.

In the blink of an eye, the vibrant colors faded away.