Chapter 2250: Eighty-One Lifetimes
Xiao Tian did not die in the end. He turned against his own master. In that final instant, as he gazed upon his master's face filled with despair, his eyes suddenly became extremely indifferent, as if his heart had lost all emotion. The person he loved and respected most—for whom he would have done anything, even sacrificing his memories or his very life—had chosen to act against him in such a manner. How cruel this was to him.
Having already experienced all the treachery and cruelty of the human world, he had long grown numb to the emotions of humanity. The only thing he had preserved was the purest love and reverence for his master. But now, everything had shattered. In that moment, he broke through the bounds of human thought, achieved great enlightenment, pierced the final barrier, perfected the sacred technique he had created, and turned against his master.
Yet, he felt no joy at breaking through the shackles of his realm—only sorrow. This was not the breakthrough he had desired. If he had been given a choice, he would rather have given up everything than face such an outcome.
Suddenly, everything dissolved. Lin Feng only felt his soul abruptly lighten, breaking free from its restraints, drifting out from that body and standing in the void. Xiao Tian slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Feng's soul, causing Lin Feng's heart to tremble violently. Did the other know of his existence? What exactly had he experienced?
"This is my life. How do you find it?" Xiao Tian raised his head, looking at Lin Feng's soul, speaking indifferently. Lin Feng's heart jolted again. At this moment, he had not yet had time to digest the turmoil within him. He had just experienced a life, a cycle of reincarnation.
"Too many emotions to recount," Lin Feng sighed inwardly. As Xiao Tian had grown, he had long since immersed himself in that identity, as if he were Xiao Tian himself. When Xiao Tian's master had acted against him, Lin Feng had also felt a piercing pain—a genuine pain. It was the complete life of a powerful being. Time flew like an arrow, years passed like a shuttle, and he had accompanied Xiao Tian through it all. For Lin Feng, this was a life's trial; how could he not be moved?
"Who are you?" Lin Feng asked Xiao Tian.
"You have come to my domain, yet you ask who I am," Xiao Tian replied calmly. Lin Feng took a deep breath. He had not guessed wrong. It was him. Xiao Tian was the Ten Thousand Demon King. But why was he not a demon beast?
"You are wondering why the Ten Thousand Demon King is not a demon beast. You might also wonder what lies within the other seven sacred domain gates," Xiao Tian said calmly, as if he could see through Lin Feng's very heart.
"Who says the Ten Thousand Demon King must be a demon beast? You are human, yet you have come to my domain, haven't you?" The Ten Thousand Demon King answered his own question, as if everything were natural and calm. "Of course, the Ten Thousand Demon King is also a demon beast. Perhaps they have experienced different lives from yours, but the commonality is that they are all real lives—the lives of the Ten Thousand Demon King."
"Ten Thousand Demon King, how can one person possess multiple lives?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled.
"Because the Ten Thousand Demon King has lived more than one lifetime," Xiao Tian said calmly. By now, he had long lost his sorrow and despair. This gave Lin Feng the illusion that it was he, Lin Feng, who had experienced that despair and grief, not the Ten Thousand Demon King.
"Why did you create the Ten Thousand Demon King's sacred domain, making all who enter your territory come here to experience your life?" Lin Feng calmed his turbulent heart and spoke to the Ten Thousand Demon King.
"I want them to understand how much a strong person must endure on their path. I also want them to realize that sometimes, what they pursue may, in the end, be like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection on water—liable to vanish at any moment. I want them all to comprehend at least one life. This will elevate their state of mind. That was my complete life," Xiao Tian said slowly. "Just like you, this life will have a tremendous impact on you."
"And then?" Lin Feng remained calm, asking.
"Then, they will become tougher and stronger."
"You forged multiple worlds, created the Ten Thousand Demon King's world—all for what purpose?" Lin Feng pressed on.
"Having experienced my life, you should at least understand that no matter how powerful a person is, they were once insignificant, surviving by the skin of their teeth, weeping bitterly. Great figures, too, have had humble beginnings. They all walked this path."
As the Ten Thousand Demon King spoke, he slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on the sky, and said lightly, "No one is meant to be exalted. When they fall from their pedestal, they are just ordinary people. No one is meant to be insignificant. When they reach the peak, they can easily kick those lofty beings off their pedestal."
Lin Feng looked at the Ten Thousand Demon King's back, his heart surging with emotion. No wonder those demon beasts revered the Ten Thousand Demon King so deeply.
No one is meant to be exalted; they were all once ordinary people. No one is meant to be insignificant; they all have the chance to ascend the pedestal. This was the Ten Thousand Demon King's belief, a belief that seemed to be a conviction of the martial world itself. He could easily instill it in the hearts of those demon beasts, imprint it in their minds. From then on, they might no longer see those on the pedestal as unattainable, thus filling them with fighting spirit. They would no longer consider themselves insignificant but would strive unceasingly toward the pedestal.
"Who do you want to pull down from the pedestal? The Tai Yao Realm, the Xiao Tian Court, or the Hall of All Gods?" Lin Feng finally uttered a voice. The Ten Thousand Demon King's brows furrowed slightly, and a cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes. He slowly turned around, fixing his gaze on Lin Feng.
"Since you possess multiple lifetimes, then this Xiao Tian is just one of your lives, certainly not your true self. That means even one of your lives has reached such a level of power. How strong is your true self now? You want to be exalted. You want them to carry your belief, to help you ascend the pedestal, to instill that belief in them, to let them uphold your conviction."
Lin Feng spoke calmly. The Ten Thousand Demon King studied Lin Feng, a hint of surprise appearing on his face, then he smiled and said, "I like you. Before you, I liked one other. He called himself the White Emperor. Unfortunately, he had too strong an obsession and was unwilling to stay and assist me. But I believe you can do it too. Even though you are only at the peak of the Martial Emperor realm now, I can let you experience my eighty-one lifetimes, one life at a time, to comprehend them. I guarantee that these eighty-one lifetimes alone will be enough to bring you into the Saint Emperor realm within fifty years."
"Eighty-one lifetimes? You don't have just seven lives—you have eighty-one." Lin Feng's expression stiffened. This was terrifying. The Ten Thousand Demon King, over countless years, had actually lived eighty-one lifetimes, each lasting several hundred, several thousand, or even ten thousand years.
One lifetime is one life. Experiencing the Ten Thousand Demon King's eighty-one lifetimes would be equivalent to comprehending eighty-one cycles of reincarnation, eighty-one lives. That kind of insight was indeed incredibly terrifying. Just one lifetime was enough for Lin Feng to digest for a long time.
"Yes, eighty-one lifetimes. I can easily forge a terrifying army of Emperor realm cultivators. A few hundred years would be enough. Moreover, I have been here for who knows how long now." The Ten Thousand Demon King smiled. That smile made Lin Feng deeply feel his terror. Indeed, after countless years, how powerful a force the Ten Thousand Demon King had amassed was utterly unknown.
Moreover, Lin Feng had long heard that on the Xiao Continent, there were ancient monsters that had survived for entire epochs. Were there other Ten Thousand Demon Kings lurking in some corner of the world, secretly plotting to make those exalted beings fall from their pedestals while they themselves ascended?
In ancient times, some divine halls had declined or even been destroyed, while others had risen. Had their path to rise been similar to the Ten Thousand Demon King's? Otherwise, to appear from the start and stand on the pedestal would be a fool's dream.
"This world is too vast, with too many secrets," Lin Feng murmured to himself. Of course, many of the world's secrets he might never be able to touch. Just like Xiao Tian's life, he had only touched a part of the continent. Even with hundreds of thousands of years, you could never walk all the paths.
"Alright, I will first let you experience my seven lifetimes. You will come to understand many things. If you cannot digest them, bury them deep in your heart for now. On your future martial path, slowly comprehend and realize them." The Ten Thousand Demon King said lightly. Then, Lin Feng felt his soul drift, once again beyond his control. Here, in the Ten Thousand Demon King's world, the other was the absolute ruler.