Seeing Ye Xuan’s excited face, the green-robed man shook his head with a smile.
In that moment, he realized his son still seemed like a child, but his heart was filled more with guilt and shame.
Before, he had indeed neglected Ye Xuan.
Letting him fend for himself wasn’t wrong, but complete neglect was a mistake.
Father and son needed communication. Total abandonment was like forcing the kid to retrace the lonely path he himself had walked, and he knew all too well the bitter taste of growing up without a father.
As if struck by a thought, the green-robed man turned to Xuan Tian, whose face was ashen, devoid of any will to resist.
How could he resist?
This green-robed man killed Supreme Ancient Gods like slaughtering chickens. What could he do?
Xuan Tian hesitated, then said, “Can I surrender?”
In the end, he chose not to be defiant!
Defiance meant death!
He didn’t want to die yet. Surrender might offer a sliver of hope!
The green-robed man smiled faintly, turning to Ye Xuan, “Your call!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then asked, “Xuan Tian, you want to live?”
Xuan Tian bowed deeply, “Please, Young Master Ye, spare my life!”
Dignity?
Pride?
Living was better.
Ye Xuan considered, then said, “If I spare you, what’s in it for me?”
Xuan Tian froze, then quickly said, “Young Master Ye, one moment!”
He took out a transmission talisman and crushed it. Soon, an Ancient God Realm elder appeared, handing a storage ring to Xuan Tian.
Xuan Tian took it, added another ring of his own, and respectfully offered both to Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan glanced inside. The rings held 80 million cosmic veins!
Plus some divine artifacts!
Xuan Tian said respectfully, “Young Master Ye, this is all the Mysterious God Realm has!”
Ye Xuan stashed the rings, smiling faintly, “Alright!”
Xuan Tian hesitated, then asked, “Young Master Ye, you really won’t kill me?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “I won’t.”
Xuan Tian, puzzled, asked, “Why?”
Ye Xuan countered, “You want me to kill you?”
Xuan Tian quickly said, “Of course not!”
He bowed deeply again, “Thank you for your mercy!”
Ye Xuan glanced at him, smiling. He had reasons for sparing Xuan Tian. Keeping him alive offered future opportunities to flex his influence.
Revenge?
He wasn’t worried. After seeing his father’s terrifying strength, if Xuan Tian still sought revenge, Ye Xuan would have to give him a thumbs-up! Even Tian Ye reborn wouldn’t be that foolish!
Suddenly, Ye Xuan turned to the green-robed man, “Dad, let’s spar!”
Spar!
The man was taken aback, then laughed, “You sure?”
Ye Xuan nodded. He’d always wanted a real fight, but more than that, he wanted to test his father’s strength and see how wide the gap between them was.
The man smiled, “Alright!”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “You’ve got to lower your realm!”
The man shook his head, “I don’t have a realm!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
The man smiled faintly, “But don’t worry, this clone will seal part of its strength to match your level!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Good! I’ll heal first!”
He sat cross-legged, about to heal, when the man opened his palm. A pill floated to Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan asked curiously, “What’s this?”
The man laughed, “Just take it, why so many questions?”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then swallowed it.
The moment he did, a terrifying energy surged through him.
Boom!
In an instant, his soul recovered at an alarming rate. Within moments, it was fully restored, and his body rapidly reformed!
In less than ten breaths, Ye Xuan’s soul and body were completely healed, stronger than his peak state.
Ye Xuan was stunned!
Xu Mu and Xuan Tian were equally shocked.
Fully recovered, just like that?
Ye Xuan looked at the man, incredulous, “Dad, what kind of pill is this?”
The man smiled, “Bao’er’s Ancient God Sacred Pill!”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then asked, “Can I have a few more for backup?”
The man laughed, about to refuse, but after a thought, he shook his head with a smile and handed Ye Xuan a white jade bottle.
Ye Xuan eagerly took it. Inside were five Ancient God Sacred Pills!
Ye Xuan grinned, “Dad, you’re the best!”
The man laughed heartily.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and a sword intent coalesced into a blade in his hand.
Looking at the man, he said, “Dad, let’s go!”
The man nodded, “You first!”
Ye Xuan didn’t hesitate, thrusting his sword!
Human Power and Human Sword Intent!
Void Slash!
This strike was his all-out effort!
His dad wasn’t like Xuan Tian or the others, even as a clone with sealed strength!
Facing Ye Xuan’s terrifying strike, the man remained calm. As the sword reached him, he thrust his own!
Boom!
Ye Xuan, sword and all, was flung ten thousand feet away. When he stopped, the sword forged from his intent shattered and vanished!
Ye Xuan froze.
Was his Human Sword Path this weak?
The man smiled, “Your sword path is solid, but do you know its biggest flaw right now?”
Ye Xuan looked at him, “Please enlighten me, Dad!”
The man nodded, “Sword path is about belief. What’s yours? The human world, the mundane. That’s your foundation, but your experience is shallow. You haven’t fully grasped the seven emotions and six desires of humanity, and even that’s not enough. Your sword path needs to encompass the universe’s myriad things, which takes time. Also…”
He paused, then added, “You have another flaw, likely your biggest.”
Ye Xuan asked eagerly, “What’s that?”
The man smiled, “Your sword path is the Human Sword Path, reliant on Human Power, but your Human Power is very weak. Know why?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
The man said, “Because few believe in you!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Belief?”
The man nodded, “Yes, the faith of countless beings is your Human Power.”
Ye Xuan’s brows knitted tighter.
The man laughed, “Feel like it’s leaning on external forces? Or you don’t like playing the persuasion game?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Both!”
The man shook his head, “That thinking’s wrong.”
Ye Xuan looked at him, and the man asked softly, “What was your purpose in founding the academy?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “To set a heart for the universe, a purpose for all beings, to carry on the legacy of past sages, and to bring eternal peace to the myriad worlds!”
The man nodded, “If you truly achieve that, all beings in this vast universe will believe in you. The truer their faith, the stronger your Human Sword Path. But your actions must be sincere, without falsehood. If you hold love for all things, the world, and the universe, they’ll grant you greater power.”
He paused, then added, “The Human Sword Path centers on countless beings, making it harder than our paths. Your ambition is massive! Changing the world is far harder than destroying it. Even your dad or Destiny couldn’t change the world, because the hardest thing to change is the human heart. To change the universe, you must change their minds and hearts. Your path is tougher than ours!”
Ye Xuan met his gaze, “What if I succeed?”
The man lightly tapped Ye Xuan’s head with his sword, “Don’t think like that!”
Ye Xuan froze.
The man countered, “You aim to set a heart for the universe, a purpose for beings, carry on the sages’ legacy, and bring peace… Is that for the universe’s beings, or to use them to make yourself stronger?”
Ye Xuan was stunned.
The man smiled, “We sword cultivators train the heart. Why? Because hearts waver, so we must constantly refine and master ours. Your sword path’s intent is to change this vast universe, so do it. But if you act with selfish motives, it’s not impossible, but it’ll taint your path. You’d be exploiting the universe’s beings. That’s true deception! And with that mindset, if the universe’s beings ever clash with your goals, you’d sacrifice them to achieve your own ends!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, “I understand!”
The man smiled, “Keeping your initial intent is something we sword cultivators always talk about, but it’s hard to do.”
He patted Ye Xuan’s shoulder gently, “You’re doing great. You’ve shed your impatience and hostility, learned to take things slowly. You’re much better than before. Now, you need more experience, more trials, to refine yourself, change yourself, and then change the universe.”
Ye Xuan nodded after a long pause, “I get it!”
The man laughed, “Good!”
Ye Xuan looked at him, saying gravely, “Dad, I know changing the universe is incredibly hard, but I’ll do my best, and one day, I’ll make it happen, making this universe different!”
The man nodded, ruffling Ye Xuan’s hair, “Go for it, don’t overthink. Your dad’s always got your back.”
Xuan Tian: “…”
…
