The way Xu Zhongliang, also known as the Shu Sword Sect's founding father Qing Feng, presented himself seemed a bit... different from what anyone had imagined.

Xu Zhongliang paced back and forth in front of Wang Sheng. Wang Sheng had no idea what he had said wrong, but judging from the Star Deity's demeanor, it was obvious that anger was about to erupt.

When the scholarly Star Deity finally spoke, his tone came out sharp and cutting. “So all that gathering of starlight and coming of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword from the east were not meant to rally His Imperial Majesty's old forces and raise the banner once more across the endless space? You’re telling me it was only for the Dao traces he left behind?

“Fei Yu, do you have any idea what I risked to come here?! I came thinking you were about to rise in rebellion. On the way here, I even prepared thirty-six possible paths for your future development!

“Do you know that I had been hiding in the Immortal Saint Realm with two Buddhist experts? That place is so secure that even if the sky collapses, someone would be there to hold it up. It was peaceful, carefree, and completely safe.

“Yet because of the recording you left behind, I traveled countless miles from the Immortal Saint Realm to the Northern Sky Region. I rushed back and forth, fought through battles, and barely made it out alive! Now, you're telling me I went through all that just for your personal cultivation?! What a grand cause! What a noble world!”

Wang Sheng was scolded so harshly that he could not even raise his head or open his eyes. He simply lowered his head and admitted fault. Deep down, he also felt that he had been too selfish. For the sake of his own cultivation, he had dragged the Star Deity through so much hardship.

Maybe I should really take this chance to start something?

From the side, Wu Tianshou called softly, “Brother Xu, this isn't the right time to raise an army. We are lacking in every aspect. Right now, our top priority is to raise Fei Yu’s strength, which would at least give him a chance to survive against powerful opponents.

Xu Zhongliang shook his head and sighed, his expression filled with melancholy. "With the strength of one man, how can you overturn the stars or illuminate the abyss?

“I could not stop Emperor Ziwei. Watching him head west alone taught me that no matter how strong one person is, they cannot change the great tide of heaven and earth alone! The lowly ones use force. The average ones use strategies. The superior ones decide the tide of fate."

Qinghua smiled. “Now that you are here, you can assist Fei Yu from the very beginning. Is that not a good thing?”

Xu Zhongliang smiled bitterly as he cupped his hands. “You overestimate me, Your Imperial Majesty. As a defeated general, I dare not speak of assisting anyone. Still, my arrival here is all according to fate. Emperor Ziwei left behind one hundred eight Dao traces. I will tell you how to obtain them, Fei Yu, but you have to wait three months. I need time to prepare.”

Wang Sheng immediately stood and gave a Daoist salute. “Thank you for agreeing to help, Star Deity.”

“Sit. We have matters to discuss,” Xu Zhongliang said. A trace of gloom still lingered in his eyes as he returned to his seat. He tapped a finger lightly on the table, and a faint shimmer of starlight appeared. “Emperor Qinghua and the rest of us have gathered here for your sake, Fei Yu. Let me ask you this. Aside from your cultivation, what do you think is the most urgent matter right now?”

Wang Sheng fell into thought for a moment. He then answered, “To shake off the attention of the Immortal Saint Realm. More specifically, to make those mighty individuals turn their eyes away from me.

“There is a saying in my home planet: ‘It is not the thief you fear, but the one who keeps thinking about stealing from you.’ I have been hiding everywhere, constantly watched by powerful figures and major factions. It is... not a pleasant feeling.”

Xu Zhongliang gestured for him to continue, his gaze serious.

Wang Sheng paused. The Star Deity was clearly testing him. How well he answered would directly affect how much effort the Star Deity would put in afterward.

He continued, “Every day during my cultivation since I arrived here, I have been thinking about how I can make them stop paying attention to me. Once the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array was deployed, it left no room for reason. It feels as though all my paths of escape have been completely sealed.

“The endless space may be vast, but if the Immortal Saint Realm's powerful beings fail to get results, they will eventually turn the entire Three Realms upside down to find me. I can hide for a time, but not forever.”

“Have you come up with a way to make them stop paying attention to you, then?” Xu Zhongliang asked.

Wang Sheng paused, then answered, “There is no way for me to hide forever. I have to keep moving forward, even if it's like striking a stone with an egg and shattering every bone in my body completely.”

Xu Zhongliang immediately shook his head. “That is very unwise. A ruler should neither establish himself through brute force nor gather followers through war. Yet you intend to do exactly that.”

Wang Sheng smiled. “Star Deity, that way of thinking is somewhat outdated. The Immortal Saint Realm is already in chaos. Many of the ideas from the Heavenly Court's era are no longer applicable.”

Wu Tianshou and Wang Shan frowned slightly. Even Qinghua reprimanded, “Fei Yu, do not be so disrespectful.”

“Your Majesty, let him speak,” Xu Zhongliang said instead. His lips curved into a faint smile as he gestured for the sword cultivator to continue.

Wang Sheng thought quietly for a while longer. Instead, he raised both hands and formed sword fingers, then slowly pulled them apart. His Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent condensed before him.

Afterward, he took out the Great Dao Sword Case, a peculiar sword case that held only a hilt and a scabbard. He placed it in front of him.

“Some time ago, the forefather of the Pure Yang lineage bestowed me with this secret treasure. It's called the Great Dao Sword Case. Inside it is an old tower spirit who made me choose between two sword intents: Emperor’s Benevolence and Myriad Slayer. I chose the latter.”

Several of the mighty beings in the room frowned and fixed their eyes on Wang Sheng. No one wanted to nurture a new Immortal Emperor who would slaughter all living beings.

He added, “Senior, do you know why I chose Myriad Slayer?”

Xu Zhongliang smiled once more. “Your thoughts are yours alone to know.”

Wang Sheng drew a quiet breath as he hastily pieced together a line of reasoning in his mind.

“I do not want to be the kind of person whom tens of thousands would follow and look up to. That kind of life is exhausting, and there is no freedom in it. I don't care even if it means people would sing praises of me and I'd hold the power over life and death; it is not the life I seek.

“Before the Heavenly Court, the fiend emperor of the Ancient Era unified the Immortal Saint Realm. He was immensely powerful. Why did his empire still decline in the end?

“And during the peak of the Heavenly Court, why did His Immortal Majesty try to become one of the Three Pure Ones so rashly, even if it meant risking his life? Perhaps he saw threats within the Heavenly Court that we have yet to notice. Having thought about those dangers for a long time, I think I understand them a little now. Simply put, there are too many conflicts at every level.”

Wang Sheng stood up and gave his senior sister a small wink. Mu Wanxuan did not know what he was about to say, but she understood the signal.

She would not laugh later... for as long as she could.

Wang Sheng slowly paced as he organized his thoughts. He knew that what he said today would shape his future path.

“I once heard a story about the Primal Qi Passage Masters. As I'm sure you're all aware, His Immortal Majesty ordered all four sky regions to hunt them down long ago. Why were these few individuals, who benefited countless lives, specifically targeted?

“The answer is simple: the endless space kept expanding, and the number of cultivators grew like ants. Hence, the Heavenly Court's authority could no longer control the entire Three Realms.

“The Primal Qi Passage Masters could redirect and modify Primal Qi Passages. That network was the main reason the endless space grew stronger so quickly.”

Qinghua nodded slowly. “Your explanation is somewhat broad, but you are not wrong.”

“This was the first dilemma the Heavenly Court faced, among many others. Let me speak bluntly. As the endless space expanded, the four sky regions and the Four Heavenly Ministers also rapidly grew more powerful. His Immortal Majesty had to be wary of them. That was the second dilemma.

“There are many more like these, but I will not list them one by one since you all understand them better than I do. All of them can be grouped as conflicts between the peripheral and the central forces.

“That aside, the most important issue was the conflict between the Heavenly Court and the other powerful individuals in the endless space. Those people were sources of instability.

“On a lesser level, there were ambitious people like the Black Emperor, who were dissatisfied with their position and sought greater authority. Even the Heavenly Court itself suffered from internal strife. Those who handle the dirtiest tasks should understand this best.”

Wang Shan nodded slightly. With his eyes closed, he sighed quietly.

“At the height of the Heavenly Court, these conflicts were at their sharpest,” Wang Sheng added. “The fall of His Immortal Majesty was simply the needle that burst the balloon that had already expanded to its limit.

"Uh... You may not know what a balloon is, but I'm sure you get the idea. Anyway, with all of those considered, I believe there is only one path to bring order to the Immortal Saint Realm, and it has three steps.”

Xu Zhongliang’s expression turned serious. “Oh? What path and steps do you have in mind?”

“The path of slaughter,” Wang Sheng calmly answered. He opened his left palm, and the Myriad-Slaying Sword Intent slowly spun above it. "This path is not about massacring ordinary lives. It is about killing those powerful beings. First, build a force strong enough for the task, ideally like the Heavenly Court.

"Second, eliminate our formidable opponents and force a downgrade of strength. Use the Great Dao to completely seal off the Golden Immortal Realm and above. With absolute force, make existing experts cripple their own cultivation.

"Golden Immortals may remain, but they have to abide by strict rules. Those who attain immortality through cultivation must not be allowed to seize resources endlessly. This is the most crucial step.

“Third, divide authority. The power that once rested in the hands of His Immortal Majesty should be distributed across different institutions according to heavenly laws. After all, all beings in the Immortal Saint Realm and the endless space should have equal rights to live. Let their collective will shape the rules. Let the Great Dao oversee them. Let various institutions enforce them.

“If this path is traversed to the end, the sword in my hand will inevitably be drenched in blood. And once the new Three Realms are established, I will break my sword and withdraw from the world. No mighty figures, no chaos.”

The small wooden hut, inside and out, grew utterly quiet. The frozen expressions of the mighty beings made Wang Sheng feel a trace of unease.

He couldn't help but be worried that he would be slapped to death right there and then.

Wang Sheng added, “That is why I said I am willing to ‘strike a stone with an egg.’ My plan is still unclear, but the general idea is to fake my death and slip away, like a cicada shedding its shell. The sacred spirit—the chosen one—will die before everyone's eyes.

“That will cut off the expectations placed on a new Immortal Emperor, allowing that symbol to fade. Afterward, as the Immortal Saint Realm lowers its guard, I will use the remaining heavenly fate of the Heavenly Court to rise in secret.”

“So what do you guys...”

He looked at Qinghua, then at Wu Tianshou, and finally at Xu Zhongliang, whose gaze was getting increasingly bright.

“... think?”