330: The immortals hidden within the World Society

As he rolled, he spoke in that high-pitched, fawning voice:

“The Gang Leader’s Divine Might! The Gang Leader is sagely! That old Sword Saint, not knowing his own limits, dared to challenge you, Gang Leader. That was truly a firefly trying to compete with the sun and moon, a toad wanting to eat swan meat!

What was the result? Hehe, you didn't even lose a single hair, Gang Leader, and he turned into ashes himself!

This shows that you, Gang Leader, are the true Son of Heaven, destined by fate!”

“That kid Bu Jingyun is also an ungrateful wretch! You, Gang Leader, painstakingly gave him a qilin arm and secretly gave him sword manuals, honing him, cultivating him, hoping he would become a talent!

But what did he do? He bit the hand that fed him, not recognizing a good heart! He even dared to attack you, Gang Leader?

The kindness you showed him is truly higher than the sky and deeper than the sea; Bu Jingyun wouldn't be able to repay it in eight lifetimes!”

Lu Jiuyuan just watched Wen Chouchou's performance quietly.

Wen Chouchou raised his face, looking at Lu Jiuyuan with an expression mixed with extreme adoration, fear, and flattery:

“Gang Leader! My admiration for you is like the surging river, endless! And like the Yellow River overflowing, unstoppable!

To be able to follow you, Gang Leader, even if it means being a beast of burden or barking like a dog on the ground, that is a blessing I cultivated for eight lifetimes!

Long live the Gang Leader! Long live! Long, long live!”

“Heh…” He let out an ambiguous chuckle, which echoed in the vast, dead silent hall.

Bang! Lu Jiuyuan's finger touched Wen Chouchou's glabella, and a Sword Qi directly pierced through the back of his head, sending brain matter splattering out.

Wen Chouchou was still kneeling there, his eyes filled with confusion.

Lu Jiuyuan did not look at him, but instead sat back on the golden throne and spoke:

“Chouchou, I once heard of a person who not only became an Emperor… he also served as a Daoist priest, seeking an elixir of immortality for an Emperor.”

Lu Jiuyuan slowly continued, “He succeeded. He obtained phoenix blood, consumed it himself, and from then on… became immortal.”

Wen Chouchou's kneeling corpse trembled imperceptibly.

“He lived too long, too long… so long that his relatives and friends all turned to dust, so long that the rise and fall of human Dynasties seemed like child's play in his eyes.

He began to feel bored, to feel lonely… So, he gave himself a name: Emperor Shi Tian.”

“He founded the Heavenly Gate, proclaimed himself a god, toyed with all living beings, regarded all heroes under Heaven as pawns, and found joy in instigating conflicts and watching human tragicomedies. He enjoyed this feeling of manipulating everything from behind the scenes…”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze like a cold probe, looking into Wen Chouchou's dead eyes.

“Because he lived too long, he had long grown tired of fixed identities and faces.

Playing different roles and experiencing different lives was his only pleasure in his long existence.

Sometimes, he was a high and mighty god; sometimes… he could also be a groveling, utterly fawning… jester.”

“Heroes emerge in every generation, and his figure is beside every generation's hero…”

“You tell me, is that right?” Lu Jiuyuan's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable power, “Emperor Shi Tian?”

The last three words fell, like a thunderclap!

Wen Chouchou's corpse… no, perhaps he should be called Emperor Shi Tian now. The wound on the back of his head healed instantly, and his eyes regained their luster.

Gone was the previous shallowness, replaced by a bottomless calm, a indifference born of a thousand years of vicissitudes, and… a hint of playfulness at being seen through.

He was still kneeling on the ground, but his entire demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.

He was no longer the humble, comical jester, but like an awakened Dragon, dormant beneath the nine abysses.

“Heh heh… Hahahahaha…”

A deep laugh emanated from “Wen Chouchou's” throat, no longer that high-pitched, fawning voice, but one with a hoarse yet magnetic charm.

“Interesting… truly most interesting.”

He gently brushed the dust from his knees, his movements elegant and composed, completely different from his previous image of rolling on the ground and kowtowing.

“I have played in the human world for a thousand years, portraying countless roles, Emperors and generals, beggars and pawns, and this is the first time… I have been so cleanly exposed, and so cleanly killed!”

“Lu Jiuyuan… or rather, Overlord? But you are not Overlord! You merely usurped Overlord's destiny.

You are far more interesting than I imagined.

I am quite curious, how did you know? I played this role very seriously, and I am confident that I did not reveal the slightest flaw!”

He did not directly admit it, but the meaning in his words was already self-evident.

Lu Jiuyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his red hair swaying without wind, and a majestic pressure emanated from him, rivaling Emperor Shi Tian.

“The first time we met, the look in your eyes was too greedy!”

“Hahahaha! So that's it! There is actually someone in this world who also consumed phoenix blood like me. Do you know how surprised I was when I saw you?”

“If I consume you, I can replenish the lost phoenix blood and return to my immortal state.”

“Were you beaten silly by Invincible Martial?” Lu Jiuyuan looked at Xu Fu, directly hitting a raw nerve.

“You still know about Invincible Martial?”

“I also know that you were beaten terribly!”

“Don't call yourself 'I' in front of me; I've been an Emperor too!” Xu Fu said, “They are all things I've already played with; what's there to be proud of?”

“Overlord, do you know what your biggest mistake is?” Xu Fu sighed:

“Your age is only sixty years. You consumed phoenix blood, gained immortality, and obtained the top strength in the world.

Unfortunately, the time is too short. How can a mere few decades compare to my seventeen hundred years?”

“Your arrogance, your swagger, your ignorance of the immensity of the world, are all paths I once walked. Now, looking at you is like looking at my former self, how ridiculous.”

“Yet, even after Cultivating for a thousand years, you were still defeated by Invincible Martial, beaten until your phoenix blood flowed, beaten until you barely clung to life, beaten until your immortality was just long life, beaten until you dared not leave your home for a hundred years.” Lu Jiuyuan laughed:

Xu Fu's expression darkened a bit: “Not everyone in this world is called Invincible Martial!

It must be admitted that there are truly peerless Geniuses in this world.”

“And I am a Genius even greater than Invincible Martial!”

Lu Jiuyuan suddenly stood up, his red hair wildly dancing, and golden-red Qi flames surged into the sky around him, illuminating the entire hall like a furnace.

“Xu Fu, you have lived for seventeen hundred years, but you have only learned to evade and manipulate. But I, in my limited years, will create infinite glory!

A thousand years from now, you won't even be fit to carry my shoes!”