537 This Chapter Is So Long... (1/2)
”Big Brother, rest assured, we have already prepared to sacrifice everything. No need to tell it, we already know.”
Feng Yin said in a sinking voice.
Liu Xian was also disheartened. ”Living until now, my life is not my own anymore. This rotten life, if Big Brother needs it, then take it.”
Fang He said, ”Yes, as long as we can overcome the Demon King, we can afford to lose our lives.”
Zhou Ming said with a bitter smile, ”Originally, it shouldn't be us who survived, but Senior Sister Fei Ying and the others, so…”
”Enough!”
Ouyang Shang snapped. ”What the hell are you guys doing? Who said you were going to die?”
Feng Yin gawked. ”But… But, apart from dying, what else can we, a group of mediocre people, do?”
”Keep on living.” Ouyang Shang said, ”What I want you to do is this one thing: no matter what, keep on living for me. Right now, there are only you who are left in Spirit Sword Sect, but as long as you are still alive, Spirit Sword Sect will not die.”
Liu Xian said, ”As long as you, Big Brother, are still alive, only then can we all have hope. As for us…”
”There's no sect in the whole world that contains only one person alone!” Ouyang Shang once again shouted, ”Moreover, they have all handed over their inheritance to you before they died, don't tell me it's to demand you to be careless in sacrificing your lives, so that all of their efforts would be thoroughly wasted? Your life is not your own anymore! Each and every one of you is burdened with the inheritance of others, so you guys have no right to talk about sacrifice!”
”... Yes, I understand.”
”Remember, even if not for yourself, for those who have died… stay alive. Whatever happens, all of you must stay alive!”
With that, Ouyang Shang turned his head and looked at Wang Wu.
”I have some words to tell you privately.”
”What? Okay.”
After Ouyang Shang left with Wang Wu, Feng Yin and the others dejectedly slumped.
”Why, why it's us…”
On the other side, Ouyang Shang came to a secluded room with Wang Wu.
After entering the room, Wang Wu looked a bit nervous. Looking at her, Ouyang Shang smiled, and then grimly said, ”What I am about to tell you next, I have not said it to anyone, but you have to know.”
”... Me?”
”Three days ago, I have gone to the Demon King's nest to single-handedly kill him.”
”What?”
”Don't be so surprised. Previously, he had already been hit hard by the monster wolf Fenrir and Master and the other Uncles, so his strength had long been not in peak condition. And I…”
Wang Wu lightly nodded. In fact, she had known for a long time that the true strength of Ouyang Shang was far beyond even the imagination of others. After more than ten years of experiential learning, Ouyang Shang was already far ahead of the others.
”At that time, I found an exceptionally good set of opportunity. According to my calculation, I should have seventy percent chance to kill the Demon King. However, when I actually made my move, I didn't even have ten percent chance to win.”
”Why?”
”Because my providence has been taken away… It even turned into a hindrance. You ought to know that I have always been under the care of mother earth, and the result of the earth element immortal technique is especially good. But in the battle against the Demon King, every step that I took seemed to be stuck in the mud, there were layers upon layers of resistance. During the fight, it was so much that I couldn't even feel the earth element spiritual energy, so when drawing the spiritual energy, out of the five elements, it lacked one. Moreover, my golden core sometimes trembled and won't listen to my order.”
”…?”
”Do you remember I once told you all the origin of the so-called providence?”
”You think Nine Regions can be regarded as a creature, and the providence is a kind of investment of Nine Regions?”
”That's right, since it's an investment, of course it could be recycled.” Ouyang Shang said, ”At least, it could be understood in a way that the Demon King has a higher management authority for providence than me.”
”Higher management authority?” Wang Wu said in amazement, ”How is this possible? Your providence is the blessing of Nine Regions for you, meaning that the entire continent recognizes you. How could the Demon King have sufficient management authority to recover the providence?”
”It's probably because of the true identity of the Demon King is… the Fallen Immortal.”
”Fallen Immortal?”
”Yes, but this is just my guess: the limit of cultivators is soaring to become immortals, and although the scene at the world of immortals has never been passed down to Nine Regions, it might be assumed that it's not a stagnant place. I think there will also be competition, conflicting views, contention, and wins and losses. The winner continues to live in the immortal world and those who are lost enter their version of hell. But, they are not willing to fail and want to make a comeback. Therefore, they make the tear in the sky. They want to occupy the Nine Regions, and through Nine Regions, they would return to the world of immortals. Although they are fallen daoist immortals, in the end, they are still daoist immortals, their strength level has surpassed that of the limit of Nine Regions. And since they can achieve immortality from the millions upon millions of cultivators, their understanding and application of providence are also far above that of the cultivators of Nine Regions. Thus, it means that the so-called heaven's favorite and all that is nothing when facing a Fallen Immortal.”
”... But, even so, he has been seriously injured, and his life is not long anymore.”
”Yes, we could ignore this fallen immortal, but I fear that the fallen immortal is not just one. He tried to open the passage at all cost, is it to welcome the cannon fodders into Nine Regions? Behind the passage, there is a big world.”
”But the tear in the sky has been mended.”
”Previously, when the tear in the sky has yet to appear, was he not able to enter Nine Regions? Even if he dies, it is still difficult to guarantee that there would be no next one. And at that time, would we still be as lucky as this time to stop it?”
Wang Wu only felt that her heart was unusually heavy, and she remained silent for a long time. ”Why do you have to tell me this?”
”Because you have to know.”
When his voice fell, Ouyang Shang suddenly stepped forward and took Wang Wu's hands, which surprised her and caused her to unconsciously struggle, but she couldn't get away.
If this was more than ten years ago, Wang Wu would be overjoyed. But at this moment, she was extremely scared.
”... It seems like you already know.” Ouyang Shang said with a smile, ”Indeed the Junior Sister I think most highly of.”
”Big Brother, don't…”
However, before her voice even fell, a gentle warm current was passed through the hands. Wang Wu struggled even more intensely, but under the absolute suppression of Ouyang Shang, she had no choice.
After struggling for a while, Wang Wu finally gave up. The power that came from the hands became warmer and warmer, constantly immersed in her body, nourishing her flesh, Jade Mansion, primordial spirit… making her stronger, and her spirit root more formidable.
This kind of improving the quality of other people's spirit root thing could even be said as unprecedented in Nine Regions. However, as the beneficiary, Wang Wu felt a heartbreaking sorrow. She raised her head high, trying not to let the tears to flow down. ”Why me?”
”Because only you that have this ability.” Ouyang Shang's tone of voice had already seemed tired. ”Other people don't know your true talent, but how could I not see it? Don't forget, I was the one who insisted in including you in the golden generation.”
”Senior Brother, I'm just…”
”Yes, you're just a mediocre person with low-rank spirit root. Other people joked that your natural fifth rank spirit root had no foothold in the top level sect, but they didn't know that in fact, your spirit root is even worse than fifth rank… To have such an achievement based on your low-rank spirit root, was completely a miracle.”
”Sure enough, you have already seen it for a long time, Senior Brother.”
”Not only me, some of the elders had also noticed it. Otherwise, it should not be that difficult to enter the golden generation with your achievement then.” Ouyang Shang said, ”If the spirit root is not at least in middle rank, there is no hope to achieve Jindan in life, even if by a fluke you succeeded with large amount treasure resources and special experiences, it is impossible to reach Yuanying Stage. This is the common sense since the ancient times.”
Wang Wu bitterly said, ”In that case, Senior Brother, why did you…”
”Because I never believe in common sense. At least, I never believe merely a common sense can restrain you. From all the way to now, you have already broken through too many common senses.”
”How could this little achievement of mine be counted as breaking common sense?” Wang Wu shook her head. ”Let alone compared to you, even with the other Senior Brothers and Sisters, there are many people who are stronger than me, and thus I'm not worthy of your attention.”
”External help should not be fully counted as ability.” Ouyang Shang sighed. ”In the golden generation, there are too many people who are favored by the heaven and the earth, having providence in their body, therefore, they could advance triumphantly, among which, I am considered as the most excellent. But not only you have no outstanding talent, you also have no providence in you; as a matter of fact, compared with ordinary cultivators, you are probably even more unlucky. But you still managed to reach your current achievement, and keep pace with the others who are blessed by the heaven and earth. Because your inner strength is far more powerful than the others: you are more hardworking than anyone, you are more resolute than anyone… and also smarter than anyone. Having true aptitude of low-rank spirit root, yet able to cultivate cultivation method of middle-rank spirit root, your ability to grasp method and your ingenuity had already long surpassed that of anyone, so much that even I am ashamed of being inferior.”
”It was just small little tricks. No matter how hard I try, I only went from low rank to middle rank… What's the point of this achievement?”
”Is it really just small little tricks? Is it really not having any point? Why bother deceiving yourself? Junior Sister Wang Wu, you will one day greatly shine in Nine Regions.”
”Greatly shine? Senior Brother, you think too highly of me.”
”I never think someone as too high. In my opinion, there's just one thing missing in you.”
”What is it?”
”Responsibility. What you lack is the sense of responsibility. You have been cultivating alone under the shadow of other Senior Brothers and Sisters, and was unconcerned with the matters of the outside world, so much that you even became reserved and autistic. This is not because you are not capable, but because you don't want to take on more responsibility and even take the initiative to evade all the opportunities to perform. If the golden generation can grow up smoothly, then there are people in the Spirit Sword Sect who support everything, and it doesn't matter if you are willing to just take good care of your own things. But now the situation has changed! There are no jade columns around you to hold up the sky, so you must stand up to support it yourself!”
”I… I don't have the confidence.” Wang Wu felt an even more influx of energy into her palms, and the panic and trembling inside her could not be suppressed.
Ouyang Shang said, ”I know you don't have it, but I won't give you the opportunity to shirk.”
With that, an unprecedented amount of energy flooded into Wang Wu.
”I have given everything I have to you, so you have no way to shirk it right?”
Wang Wu finally couldn't help but cry out, ”Big Brother, you are too cruel! You know perfectly well I never want your bequest and inheritance, never want them! I just want to cultivate quietly and quietly be with myself in peace… How can you be so cruel? You want to destroy the Demon King, you want to revitalize the sect, you want to save the Nine Regions, then do it yourself! Why do you want to make things difficult for me? You think my own ability is not enough, then just take my everything away! If I alone am not enough, there are so many people outside who are willing to sacrifice!”
”Sacrifice can't solve everything, only by living can we win!”
”Then stay alive! Don't throw everything to me and sacrifice it all by yourself!”
”Listen!” Ouyang Shang pulled Wang Wu's shoulder by force. ”Listen well. I have to do what I have to do, and you also have to do what you have to do. You must go on living, and live happily. One hundred years, two hundred years… Live happily ever after!”
”Live happily? Seeing you die while I continue to live happily? Big Brother, don't go too far!”
”Yes, forcing you against your will, I indeed have gone too far… Therefore, I will give you some reward.”
In Wang Wu's astonished gaze, Ouyang Shang suddenly went closer to her and gently kissed her lips.
At the same time, Ouyang Shang loosened his hands, and his face was plastered with a sly smile.
”Sorry, since it's my first kiss, it might feel a bit awkward in technique, so if you don't like it then just forget about it.”
”…”
”How about this, I promise you: as long as you live happily, then I will come back to look for you.”
”Come back to look for me? Do you think this tricking kid kind of promise…”