2001 I Don't Know What to Do (2)
"Holy Miracle Fruit..."
Rao Yaoyao muttered under her breath and dismissed the matter.
Yan Wuse's thoughts, however, wandered far and wide.
The Holy Miracle Fruit could only come from the Holy Miracle Tree, which resided within the Herb Garden of the Divine Farmer...
Since Xu Xiaoshou had visited the Herb Garden of the Divine Farmer, it was highly likely that the core of the Forest of Miracles had vanished because of him.
Sure enough, this little thief had stolen the Dragon Apricot, one of the Nine Great Ancestral Trees!
Yan Wuse struggled to suppress his murderous intent, but after casting a furtive glance at the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, he restrained himself.
The grudge that this dragon held against Xu Xiaoshou ran deeper than Yan Wuse had ever imagined!
Knowing it had been tricked, the dragon would undoubtedly explode in fury. And if Xu Xiaoshou's true body dared to appear, he would ultimately meet a gruesome end.
Borrowing the dragon's power to bring about death was far better than getting his own hands dirty.
"Whether I'm alive or not, whether I'm real or not, you'll have plenty of time to verify," Xu Xiaoshou called back the Flame Python from the horizon with a wave of his hand.
The famed sword truly lived up to its name. The mighty physique of Xu Xiaoshou's second true body was utterly obliterated by a mere touch from the Black Dragon.
Yet the Flame Python remained completely unharmed!
While Xu Xiaoshou issued the command that prevented his second true body from resisting the earlier blow...
By all means, it was not outright cruelty! At least, Xu Xiaoshou believed so.
Sacrificing a second true body to appease the wrath of the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, and in return, winning a gamble and obtaining a wish—undeniably, this deal was worthwhile.
Though it did hurt a bit...
Well, Xu Xiaoshou had to admit that this was a satisfying outcome for himself, though his second true body had indeed suffered a cruel fate.
However, he had made reparations!
At the very moment of his second true body's hasty demise, he sent him straight into the cycle of reincarnation and birthed another one on the spot!
That said, it was the second true body that took the risk and voluntarily assumed responsibility, and Xu Xiaoshou did not coerce him in the slightest.
After all, they were one. Where did "coercion" come into it?
As for weakness...
He was genuinely weak now.
Giving birth multiple times in rapid succession, even with the aid of Holy Medicine, had left Xu Xiaoshou feeling woozy.
Even the freshly born second true body exhibited signs of malformation and premature birth.
Yet, this inadvertently showcased how the weak and feeble Xu Xiaoshou had managed to survive under the might of the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon only through immense sacrifices—it was not an easy feat.
So, there was no need to put on an act of weakness any longer; it was perfect!
He could not even remember which generation of second true body this was, but upon coming into being, he realized that his circumstances might be even more dire than all its predecessors combined.
From the moment of his birth, he would face the Holy Emperor...
"Why does a person like Xu Xiaoshou exist in this world?"
The second true body let out a long sigh, even subjectively drawing a line between the demonic true self and his own pitiful self.
However, after receiving orders to continue playing the role of the demon, he could only grit his teeth and carry out the mission. Weakly fixing his gaze on the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, he gasped for air:
"Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, are you a real dragon?"
"What nonsense are you spewing? Of course, I am real!" The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon's angry roar carried an undercurrent of bewilderment.
In the brief period of time, he had also verified repeatedly that Xu Xiaoshou was indeed real.
So, why?
He had clearly died just now, and the sensation was undeniable... Could there be multiple Xu Xiaoshou?
Now, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon finally recalled those unreliable pieces of information circulating on the Inner Island.
Rumors had it that Bazhun'an had a successor named Xu Xiaoshou.
The Third Ancestor of the White Vein had all come into contact with Xu Xiaoshou. The information procured by an internal spy was that Xu Xiaoshou was weak and inept, but remarkably clever.
In essence, this was an individual at the level of Bazhun'an in his infancy!
Yet, the Third Ancestor of the White Vein had invested heavily in him amidst fierce competition, almost as if rushing to be reincarnated...
The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon had not understood why before.
But now, he realized the intelligence might be flawed. Given Xu Xiaoshou's ability to resurrect from death, he might just be as powerful as Bazhun'an in his youth.
"What exactly are you trying to convey?"
The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon collected his thoughts, concealing his mental activity and maintaining that brash tone.
Sensing an opportunity for dialogue, the second true body saw a glimmer of hope.
This dragon had a penchant for ornate language, and though it hailed from ancient times, it was mysterious who had taught it such a manner of speaking.
Taking a deep breath, the second true body wore a sincere and earnest expression, channeling skills accumulated over a lifetime:
"I have heard that real dragons possess incomparable strength and boundless might. They are the leaders of the Four Divine Beasts, the kings of all living beings. Born from chaos, they cultivate to the Upper Spirit level. Is this so?"
The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon froze for a moment, caught off guard by this abrupt change of subject.
Soon, a hint of elation appeared in the dragon's eyes, reverting to its initial manner of speech:
"Exactly, exactly!"
Rao Yaoyao and Yan Wuse's hearts skipped a beat as they looked at the weakened Xu Xiaoshou, detecting an ominous shift in the situation.
Situ Yongren and Yu Lingdi were dumbfounded, staring at Xu Xiaoshou's mouth as though it was the most terrifying artifact they had ever encountered.
In the First Hall of Sins, the Spiritual Cultivators found themselves dizzy from the overwhelming flattery that permeated the air, their mouths agape:
"He's doing it again!"
"He's at it again!"
The second true body continued without pause, for at this moment, the presence of the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon was so overpowering that it rendered everyone completely motionless.
Only the second true body remained unaffected—what did this mean?
The second true body then pressed on in a confident tone: "It is commonly said that dragons have a lascivious nature..."
"Nonsense!" The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon erupted in rage.
The second true body was taken aback and hastily waved his hand:
"Let me finish, let me finish..."
"Though it is often said that the nature of dragons is lascivious, it is a great fallacy! A tremendous falsehood that pervades the world!"
"Man, standing with a staff, can battle fierce beasts; the phoenix, choosing a mountain to roost upon, can overlook the world."
"But without tools, human strength has its limits and is unable to compete with external foes; dwelling in the abyss, with the surrounding mountains obscured, it's like sitting in a well and looking at the sky."
"It is only when relying on 'roots' that humans can contend with heaven and the phoenix can reign supreme. Is this not so?"
Before the Thousand Mile Mirror Technique, some nodded in agreement while others furrowed their brows, deep in thought.
Both Saint Rao and Yan found themselves perplexed. They could not quite grasp the meaning behind Xu Xiaoshou's meandering words.
"Roots..."
The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon found Xu Xiaoshou's words surprisingly reasonable and asked, "What are these 'roots' that you speak of?"
Brilliant! Brilliant!
It was a perfect foil!
The second true body felt a euphoric rush, and continued under the true self's direction:
"'Roots' are what the foundation of life stands upon."
"Man is born to propagate, as are all things—the essence of the Great Path."
"Returning to the earlier notion... Are dragons inherently lascivious? No!"
"In the chaos of creation, when countless races were feeble, dragons traversed the world with pity for all beings. Empowered by their bloodline, they supported weaker races, gave birth to nine descendants, spanned countless generations, and brought blessings to the world."
"Is this lasciviousness?"
The second true body raised his arm dramatically, observing the increasingly illuminated eyes of the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon. It was as if it saw the divine enlightenment of ancient times, and it shouted:
"This is universal love!"
"The unreserved love for the world, unmatched by any being!"
Oh...
On the ruins of the First Hall of Sins, hundreds of figures tumbled to the ground.
No one could have foreseen that after this convoluted discussion, Xu Xiaoshou's underlying message would be about universal love.
Universal love...
He was really laying it on thick!
If he could applaud this, he could move mountains.
Rao Yaoyao and Yan Wuse lost all color from their faces.
Above the Nine Heavens, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, which had been enveloped in dark clouds, was now beaming with exhilaration, its claws dancing in fervor:
"Exactly, exactly!"
With just this brief exchange, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon's perception of Xu Xiaoshou had completely transformed.
This child possessed profound wisdom!
With the high population on the Inner Island, how come none of those physically robust individuals had produced offspring with such a brain or spoken with such eloquence?
If only they could take a page from his book... Xiaoshou was truly insightful, hitting the nail on the head!
Through his words, he made the essence of the world comprehendible through simple metaphors and went on to describe it, as if giving the dragon an enlightening revelation.
At this moment, the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon even felt a sense of regret.
He was grateful that Xu Xiaoshou possessed such remarkable skills and had not died under his earlier attack.
Otherwise, he would have lost a great confidant on this tour of the Outer Island.
"Carry on!"
"Xu Xiaoshou, I find that your words carry a certain weight."
"But if you continue to beat around the bush and fail to convey the essence of your message, I will treat your words as though they were never spoken, and you won't escape a death sentence!"
Huh?
When did he commit a capital offense?
The second true body was briefly stunned, but quickly received a verbal thrashing from the true self.
Indeed, these were not the key points. The key point was that the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon was quite susceptible to flattery. If it wanted to hear more, then he shall dance to its tune!
Those earlier words were just a preamble.
If it dared to listen, Xu Xiaoshou would weave his words into an enchanting spell.
"The roots were as heavy as Mount Tai!" Xu Xiaoshou declared with emphasis.
The Demonic Emperor Black Dragon did not know what Mount Tai was, but it knew that it must be the heaviest mountain.
"Continue."
"Demonic Emperor Black Dragon, I want to ask: if universal love is the root of life, then what is the root of universal love?"
"And that would be?"
"Trust!"
