"So, according to you, it's better if I go around killing people?"
Qian Niao chuckled.
"No, you're still bad then."
"So no matter what I do, I'm a bad guy? Only by defecting to you and fighting against my own race would I be in the right? Your words are too subjective."
"Invaders are inherently villains. Only by standing with the invaded people, jointly defending their homeland, and guarding their lives and peace, is it justice.
Conscience knows no borders, nor does it differentiate between the universe and races. Come, Qian Niao, stand with me on the right side, and bring peace back to this universe."
"If I defect to you, you win. If I can't go home, you lose, and I still die.
Wan Lei, I've never claimed to be a noble person.
On the contrary, I am extremely selfish.
You're right, for the sake of my conscience, I might refrain from attacking enemies, but I can also watch those being invaded die under the butcher's blade of the demons.
I detest invasion, but I don't wish to change anything.
So many universes have been massacred, and I can't possibly manage all of them.
The only thing I can do is manage myself. As long as my actions align with my own principles and conscience, that's enough.
As for anything else, the widespread suffering, the destruction of universes, what does it have to do with me?
All I want is to return to my lower dimension, back to my peaceful little mountain village, and live out my days in tranquility.
I… am truly selfish.
Don't try to persuade me further. The ways of tricking a gentleman are ineffective on me."
"But if the demons are not defeated, they will not cease their invasion. As a member of the expeditionary force, how can you possibly return home?
Why don't you join me in defeating the demons? Then, you can even invite me to visit your home."
"Wan Lei, you are too naive. You have no idea how powerful the demons are. A race that can unify an entire dimension of endless universes, a race that can suppress the upper dimension to the point it cannot raise its head, is not something you can defeat with a few words.
The demon army currently in the Lei Feng Realm is but a drop in the ocean compared to the entire demon race; even a single drop in the sea is an exaggeration. Your situation here is merely a single ripple in the entire tide of invasion. Whether you win or lose will have no impact on the demon race as a whole.
Perhaps, when you reach the level of Immortal Venerable, you can discuss defeating the demons with me."
"Immortal Venerable? What level is that? I have great talent and good fortune, and I am the Child of Destiny. I will definitely cultivate to the Immortal Venerable realm one day."
"Hahaha,"
Qian Niao was amused by him.
"Ignorance breeds fear. Immortal Venerable is not a realm, nor is it something that can be achieved solely through cultivation.
Forget it, talking about this now is too far off for you; you are merely a cultivator at the Mahayana stage."
Wan Lei felt a bit confused upon hearing this. He had never heard of the term Immortal Venerable before; even Gouzi hadn't known about such a title.
If Wan Lei could recover the memories of his sealing in the Golden Immortal secret realm, he would surely jump up and retort to Qian Niao.
Immortal Venerables are humans who have cultivated to that state. I've seen them. Those few Immortal Venerables left secret realms in the Lei Feng Realm when they were still Immortals.
What a pity, what a pity. The Great Alliance Leader Wan, who had already explored the Supreme Dao Law and sparred with Immortal Venerables, whose vision was incredibly broad, had his memories sealed.
"Then what is the highest realm a cultivator can achieve?"
"It is Sage."
"Sage, I think I can..."
"In the countless universes of the upper dimension, with billions of living beings in each universe, given such a vast base, how many Sages are there in your upper dimension?
For almost all cultivators, the highest realm they can achieve is the Golden Immortal realm. Becoming a Sage requires immense fortune and heaven-defying talent.
Furthermore, one must possess the Haotian Battle Body and the Supreme Dao Law even in the Immortal realm to have even a sliver of a chance to become a Sage.
You… just think about it."
"What is the Haotian Battle Body? And what is the Supreme Dao Law?"
Wan Lei, like a curious child, pestered Qian Niao with questions.
"I'm not entirely sure. I've heard it's very powerful."
Qian Niao shook his head.
"In any case, I don't possess either."
"You don't even know this? Then leave it to Uncle Gou to enlighten you."
Gouzi leaped out from the hammer, looking at the man and the demon with an air of wisdom.
"The Haotian Battle Body is forged by tempering the physical body with celestial tribulation during the process of ascending to immortality, allowing both the physical body and cultivation to become immortal.
Such Immortals are called Haotian Battle Immortals, and their combat power is extremely formidable.
I had originally intended to tell you when you faced your celestial tribulation, but telling you now is fine too.
Most people struggle through their celestial tribulations, with a life-or-death struggle. The few who can temper their physical bodies with the celestial tribulation and emerge from it alive and kicking are exceedingly rare. These individuals are the Haotian Battle Bodies.
With your innate Thunder Body and Xiao Yu Zi's innate Wind Body, if you put in some effort, achieving the Haotian Battle Body shouldn't be a problem.
If the Haotian Battle Body is the threshold for becoming a Sage, then the Supreme Dao Law is the key to opening the door to Sagehood.
To become a Sage, one cannot lack either of these.
But alas, while the Haotian Battle Body is difficult, the Supreme Dao Law is even more so. Even those with exceptional talent who possess both have almost no hope of becoming a Sage.
Sages, they are too difficult."
"What were those few Immortals like?"
"Them? As I said, they were among the most talented individuals in the Immortal Realm, possessing both the Haotian Battle Body and the Supreme Dao Law."
"See, I told you, they might have already become Sages."
"Not necessarily."
"Not necessarily."
Qian Niao and Gouzi said in unison.
"Becoming a Sage is too difficult, too difficult. It's not that easy. Over countless years, many powerful beings have been stuck at that step."
Gouzi sighed, then suddenly felt like he might have overstepped and dampened Wan Lei's confidence, so he changed his tone.
"You don't need to worry too much. When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way. The path of cultivation is long. As your cultivation increases, your lifespan will also increase. Becoming an Immortal should not be difficult for you. After becoming an Immortal, your lifespan will increase to a terrifying degree. Many Immortals in the Immortal Realm have lived for tens of thousands of years.
As long as you are alive, you can continue to research and explore, right? Don't underestimate yourself; you are still young."
"I know. I won't overthink it. The most important thing now is to defeat the demons and save the Lei Feng Realm. Thinking too far ahead is useless."
Wan Lei smiled.
Qian Niao, however, seemed to be born to dampen Wan Lei's spirits. He immediately snorted coldly.
"What's most important for you right now is to figure out how to escape the Liu family.
Don't forget, this is still the enemy's stronghold."
"Brother Qian Niao, I'll have to rely on you for this matter. For the sake of our friendship, please help me escape."
Wan Lei grinned. As long as Qian Niao could get him out, he wouldn't worry about Qian Niao not returning with him to the Lei Di Hall.