Li Zhexian's knuckles whitened.
He clenched tightly around the reverse scale stained with dragon blood.
The sharp edge of the scale cut into his palm, bringing pain—
yet that pain sharpened his clarity of thought.
He had never considered himself a good person.
And the word "kindness" was even further removed from his actions.
The lingering stench of blood at the Clear Sky Clan—
that massacre had been carried out by his own hand.
One sword strike, and none were spared.
As for Spirit Beasts—
he had slain no small number of them either.
The power he wielded now—
how many Spirit Beast corpses had it been built upon?
And yet, as the Silver Dragon King had said:
the survival of the fittest is the law of nature.
But—
to sever all hope from an entire race,
to condemn them to a predetermined extinction where they could only struggle and wail—
that was not natural selection.
That was cruel injustice.
This was not a sudden burst of pity,
nor some impulsive desire to save the world.
Such a promise—heavy enough to outweigh the heavens—
was never born of shallow compassion.
Li Zhexian simply remembered the Spirit Beasts whose fates had intertwined with his own…
Sydream Ice Worm's total devotion;
the Ice and Snow Empresses' companionship and trust;
Old Yazi's clouded tears at the moment of death;
and Bai Ze, who foresaw its own end, yet still waited at the far edge of time to grant him dominion over fortune itself.
The Spirit Beasts had given him far too much.
If he were to turn a blind eye—
to watch their race fall into the abyss without lifting a hand—
then that unpayable debt would become dust upon his sword.
And his sword heart was meant to be clear and unclouded,
with debts repaid and grudges settled.
If this kindness went unanswered,
if this debt went unpaid—
how could his sword heart ever remain pure?
After a long silence,
Li Zhexian suddenly spoke:
"Besides the reverse scale, I'd like to ask you for something else."
"Say it, brother!"
"The spiritual herb from earlier tasted good. Pick a few more for me."
The Silver Dragon King froze.
Then the final trace of worry vanished from her purple eyes.
Tears glimmered as she nodded vigorously.
"I'll give you everything, brother!"
"My herbs, my crystals—everything is yours!"
Within his spiritual sea,
Skydream, the Snow Empress, and the Ice Empress all trembled as they released long breaths.
Their expressions solemn, the three Spirit Beast sovereigns bowed deeply.
"Thank you… for bearing this great righteousness."
They understood all too clearly—
What unimaginable weight lay within Li Zhexian's single promise.
It meant that one day—
He would stand on the opposite side of the entire Divine Realm.
...
After chatting a little longer with the Silver Dragon King,
Li Zhexian departed the dragon nest, under her reluctant gaze.
Her injuries had yet to fully heal; she still could not walk the mortal world.
Leaving the dragon nest—
Li Zhexian went straight back to the leyline palace.
Da Ming, Er Ming, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Divine Butterfly—even Di Tian—
All of them changed expressions instantly.
Li Zhexian before them looked no different from usual.
Yet faintly, an aura flowed around him that made them almost bow instinctively.
A few breaths later,
every Spirit Beast in the palace lowered their heads toward him.
Li Zhexian brushed his sleeve lightly, lifting them back up.
This reaction did not surprise him.
As the sovereign of all Spirit Beasts, the Silver Dragon King's reverse scale was more than symbolic—it carried three powers:
First, it naturally commanded and intimidated all Spirit Beasts.
Second, shared damage—any injury suffered by the bearer could be entirely transferred to the Silver Dragon King.
Third, through the creative force within the scale, the bearer could establish a two-way resonance with her;
in times of need, the Silver Dragon King could use the scale as an anchor and cross space itself to arrive instantly.
"Senior Di Tian," Li Zhexian said.
"I am here."
Di Tian's deep voice now carried the same reverence he reserved for the Silver Dragon King.
He already vaguely understood—
what this young man now meant to the Spirit Beast race.
"You must dispatch Spirit Beasts to establish contact with the Heaven Dou Empire," Li Zhexian said.
"The spirit soul method may not eradicate the conflict between humans and Spirit Beasts, but it can delay the catastrophe of Spirit Beast extinction."
"The faster it spreads, the better the effect."
"Yes."
Li Zhexian remained in the Star Dou Great Forest for another day. Only after being warmly hosted by Di Tian, Da Ming, and Er Ming did he depart together with Qian Renxue.
The Divine Butterfly and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion both wished to follow him.
However, Li Zhexian persuaded them to stay, using the same reasoning he had once used to soothe the little Yazi—urging them to remain in Star Dou and cultivate diligently.
At this moment, Li Zhexian and Qian Renxue flew side by side, heading through the sky toward the direction of the Spirit Hall Empire.
The wind roared past their ears.
He asked softly:
"Xue'er, how is Bibi Dong doing?"
Upon hearing that name,
the smile at the corner of Qian Renxue's lips faded.
She gently buried her delicate face against Li Zhexian's chest, her light voice tinged with chill:
"She's imprisoned in the death dungeon, suffering day and night from the corrosive erosion of Light-attribute Spirit Power. Her injuries have never fully healed over the past year."
"She still refuses to reveal Grandfather's whereabouts, but one thing is certain—his life is not in danger."
Li Zhexian nodded silently, letting out a quiet sigh in his heart.
This mother and daughter had long been like fire and water.
After Bibi Dong plotted against Qian Daoliu, causing his disappearance, and later forced him into death and rebirth—
they had truly become irreconcilable enemies.
He gently rubbed the Clear Spring Wine Gourd in his hand.
On its surface,
that graceful feminine figure remained silent, yet a sorrowful aura seemed to seep faintly from within.
Because Bibi Dong perfectly passed the Rakshasa God Trial, she has severed all goodness and become a pure incarnation of malice.
It's just that…
I don't know whether, now that the spiritual essence of my Wine Martial Soul has grown greatly, I might be able to reclaim even a trace of the kindness she cast aside.
Turning his gaze back to Qian Renxue's slightly furrowed brows, Li Zhexian tightened his grip on her cool, slender hand.
"Don't worry, Xue'er."
"When we return this time, I will make Bibi Dong speak—and reveal Senior Qian Daoliu's whereabouts."
"Mm."
Qian Renxue lifted her face and smiled, intertwining her fingers with his.
...
Divine Realm Plaza
Within the light screen, the young man's figure remained indistinct.
The Sea God frowned deeply.
The blue robe around him surged like rolling waves.
"Why can I not see through Li Zhexian's fate?"
He had long since chosen his successor, believing Tang San's talent and temperament to be exemplary.
Precisely because of this,
he could not help but pay attention to this youth—
a youth who had drawn the favor of two God Kings.
Ji Dong's expression was solemn.
The God of Destruction watched in silence, eyes indifferent.
After a brief pause,
the Asura God spoke slowly:
"Li Zhexian already possesses god-level power, bearing immense fortune and overwhelming faith."
"The course of all things will naturally incline in a direction favorable to him."
"Now that his fortune has turned inward and obscured itself, blinding even our divine sight, there is only one explanation…"
"In the judgment of fate—"
"the future Li Zhexian will stand against the Divine Realm."
As his words fell,
the divine mist stretching ten thousand miles across the Divine Realm roiled violently.
As if responding to the Asura God's emotions, it all transformed into a sea of blood.
Ji Dong quietly clenched his hand inside his sleeve.
"If that is the case…"
"Has Li Zhexian already resolved to grant destiny to the Spirit Beast race?"
The God of Destruction spoke calmly, yet with an icy certainty that brooked no doubt:
"Spirit Beasts may not become gods. This is an iron law of the Divine Realm."
"As a God King, I must safeguard the foundations of the Divine Realm. I will never allow another godly war to erupt."
...
Half a day later,
the silhouette of the Spirit Empire came into view.
The Holy City of today
had lost some of its iron-blooded severity; amid its grandeur lingered a long-lost sense of sanctity.
Li Zhexian nodded in satisfaction.
Without delay,
he followed Qian Renxue
straight to the death dungeon hidden deep within the Angel God Temple.
...
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