Upon hearing the old man’s words, Mo Fan and He Feifei widened their eyes in shock.
The joy from their recent breakthrough vanished instantly.
“Senior, you must be joking with us, right?”
“With your profound cultivation and kind nature, how could you possibly trouble two juniors like us?”
Mo Fan spoke with a stiff face, forcing a smile.
“If you don’t want to smile, don’t. It’s worse than crying!”
The old man rolled his eyes, then said calmly, “Do I look like I’m joking with you?”
“As I said, if you can’t give me the answers I want, your deaths will mean nothing!”
“You…”
Mo Fan glared, about to curse, but he swallowed his words, fearing he might anger the old man.
“Senior, you’re making things difficult for us!”
“If even someone as powerful as you can’t find the answers, how could we possibly provide them?”
“If you want to kill us, just say it. Why beat around the bush?”
He Feifei gave a bitter smile. Though she had just woken and wasn’t sure who this old man was, she could guess from Mo Fan’s tense expression that he was beyond their ability to confront.
“You’re a clever girl, but you’re wrong. Nothing is absolute. The answers I seek might be something you know!”
The old man smiled, unbothered by He Feifei’s words, and turned to Mo Fan. “What’s your view on the current state of the demon race?”
“The demon race is one of the world’s great races, equal to the human race. Though we’re currently confined to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, we have the Nine Holy Kings. I believe one day, they’ll lead our demon race to rise, conquer the southern lands, and sweep the world!”
Before Mo Fan could speak, He Feifei answered, her eyes tinged with hatred.
After waking, she hadn’t asked about General Shan Feng’s fate, but even without Mo Fan saying it, she knew the truth.
With Black Wind Mountain massacred and General Shan Feng killed by human cultivators, her hatred for humans ran deep.
But the old man shook his head. This wasn’t the answer he wanted. He looked at Mo Fan.
“In my view, the demon race is teetering on the brink, facing imminent collapse!”
Mo Fan paused briefly before speaking gravely, causing He Feifei to widen her eyes.
“Laibao, what nonsense are you spouting?!”
He Feifei frowned, displeased with his words.
Ignoring her, Mo Fan continued, “The human race thrives because of law. They govern with law, and everything follows it!
From immortal sects to mortal emperors, all are ruled by law.
Because of law, the weak are protected, the strong are restrained. This ensures human prosperity and the enduring foundation of immortal sects. That’s the core!
But the demon race is different. We have no law to follow. Though there are rules, they serve the strong.
Since most demons originate from wild beasts, they carry beastly vices and are inherently lazy.
As long as there’s food, most demons are content to sleep soundly, never thinking of preparing for danger. This is decadence!
Without rules or laws, when war breaks out, demons fight individually, like scattered sand, with no system or discipline to speak of. It’s hardly presentable!
The most terrifying thing is the internal slaughter among demons. Take the Three Mountains Trial as an example. High-ranking demons, for their own cultivation, sacrifice their subordinates for personal gain!
If even the Three Mountains are like this, how much better can the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains be?
Over time, the demon race’s foundation will crumble, the lower ranks will collapse, and there’ll be no strength to continue. Without humans attacking, we’ll destroy ourselves!
How can the demon race not decline?”
“This…”
He Feifei wanted to counter Mo Fan’s words, but his clear reasoning left her speechless.
She felt Laibao’s words made a lot of sense!
“So, you think the demon race’s biggest problem is the lack of ‘law’?” the old man asked, frowning, his tone growing serious.
“No, it’s the lack of a ruler!”
Mo Fan took a deep breath and said gravely, “The demon race is fragmented, with the Nine Holy Kings dividing territories, each with their own agendas. Even with laws, it’s hard to enforce them universally.
In my view, what the demon race lacks isn’t law, but a ruler!
A true monarch to unite the entire demon race!”
“That’s bold talk. If it were some other old fellows, they’d probably slap you dead by now.”
The old man shook his head, sneering, then said, “Long ago, a woman on the Nine Continents solved this issue. She advocated harmony among all races. What do you think?”
“If that senior solved it, it proves one thing,” Mo Fan replied without hesitation.
“What’s that?”
The old man looked at him expectantly.
“That she was incredibly strong!”
“She alone could suppress an era!”
“How else could she make all races live in harmony?”
Mo Fan sneered, saying gravely, “Harmony among all races is a false proposition. Humans have a saying, ‘People’s hearts are complex,’ and another, ‘Where there are people, there’s conflict.’ These show the cunning and variability of sentient beings.
Forget all races, even within the demon race, deceit and scheming abound. How could it be a scene of peace?”
“So, you’re saying harmony among all races is impossible?” the old man frowned.
“Not impossible. If a force surpassing all races exerts pressure, unity is achievable,” Mo Fan said, smiling and winking at the old man. “Like that senior!”
“It does seem that way. If she could suppress all races, doesn’t that make her a monarch who could dominate them all?”
He Feifei, as if suddenly enlightened, said, then looked at Mo Fan with admiration. “Laibao, you’re so clever!!”
“Ahem… keep it low-key…”
Mo Fan coughed lightly, his gaze fixed on the old man’s face.
“If the demon race is doomed to decline, would you fight for it to your last drop of blood?”
The old man sighed suddenly, asking softly, as if aging ten years in an instant.
“No!”
Mo Fan answered bluntly. As the old man’s gaze turned cold, he remained unshaken, saying gravely, “If the demon race’s decline is inevitable, why should I sacrifice my life for it?
There are many kinds of righteousness. To die meaninglessly, knowing it’s futile, isn’t righteousness. It’s stupidity!”
“Hmph! You’re just making excuses for your cowardice!”
The old man sneered, unwilling to believe Mo Fan.
“Cowardice?”
Mo Fan laughed, shrugging. “I don’t care about the demon race’s survival or even if this world collapses, because none of that concerns me!
But I won’t allow my companions to be in danger, because that’s what I care about!
As a demon, I believe in living true to myself. Why bother with things that don’t concern me?
But for what does, even if it means piercing the heavens, it’s worth trying!”
“Live true to yourself…”
The old man murmured, repeating the phrase.
Then his aura surged, a phantom tiger appearing behind him, ghostly shadows flickering around, and a sea of blood and corpses emerging beneath his feet…
