Mortal Mirror

Li Ergou quickly shook his head, thinking, 'How would I know? Old man, why are you being so mysterious? Just say what you need to say.'

The old man seemed to anticipate his reaction and continued slowly, "I have been here for eleven thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven years, eleven months, and twenty-three days. If I calculate correctly, in another seven days, it will be exactly eleven thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight years."

"On that day, a once-in-ten-thousand-year phenomenon, the 'Hundred Star Atlas,' will appear in the sky. With this, I can completely refine this ferocious demon and achieve immortality."

"But you have ruined my plans. Tell me, what should I do with you all?"

"More than ten thousand years!" Li Ergou was so astonished that he didn't know what to say. According to the old man, he could have achieved immortality in just a few more days. This was even more serious than killing his father or stealing his wife.

He was doomed, wasn't he?

For the first time, he felt panicked and didn't know what to do. After a moment of silence, he could only bite the bullet and say, "Senior, we disciples are advanced disciples from the martial arts tournament held every fifty years."

"A few days ago, we came to the Mountain and Sea Realm for our final trial, which is why we were placed inside this demon territory. A few days ago, a pillar of light shot into the sky here. Out of curiosity, we came in."

"We didn't know anything about your affairs. Now that a grave mistake has been made, please punish us, Senior. But I don't understand. We just landed here and didn't destroy anything. How did we affect your plans?"

Li Ergou had no choice but to tell the truth and try to appeal to his emotions. He hoped that the old man would consider their shared Great Xia heritage and perhaps leave them a chance of survival.

After all, he knew better than to harbor any illusions. Wu the Divine Immortal had told him that a biting dog doesn't bark, and the angrier a person is, the calmer they appear.

In this situation, if it were him, he would have already lost it.

This old man might seem calm, but who knows what kind of turbulent waves lie beneath that calm? After all, judging by his appearance, he could crush them with a flick of his little finger, or condemn them to eternal damnation with a single thought.

Therefore, he could only try to move him with emotion and reason. The rest would depend on the old man's mood and his own fate.

After listening to him, a rare glint of light flashed in the old man's eyes.

After a moment of silence, he looked at Li Ergou and said, "The Martial Arts Tournament... I didn't expect it to still be continuing. What was your ranking on the Mirage Sky Tablet?"

Li Ergou didn't dare to hide anything and said, "Um, perhaps because I was recognized by the Mirage Sky Tablet, I and that kid over there are tied at the top."

Another rare hint of emotion appeared in the old man's eyes.

Immediately, Li Ergou felt a wisp of divine sense sweep over his body. To his surprise, although this divine sense was powerful, it was very gentle. However, he still felt like he was being seen through completely.

The old man's divine sense swept over Li Ergou's body, and he frowned slightly. "How can this be? You're so strange. Your foundation is as bad as it can be, but you've used some kind of secret technique to repair your foundation. That's really not simple."

"With your foundation, how did you manage to cultivate both the physical body and the Dharma body, and both to the Nascent Soul stage? This is simply unheard of. Back in my day, countless geniuses emerged, but every single one of them was exceptionally talented. Someone like you could be called a miracle."

"What surprises me the most is that you, with such a foundation, can still refine your own natal flying sword. This is too strange. Could it be that the laws of the world have changed, and the heavens and earth are different now?"

"Also, the mysterious inscriptions in your dantian are very strange. I suspect your cultivation is related to them. Furthermore, the power sealed in your arm is incredibly strong, and it's not a power you can control at all. I'm really curious, what exactly have you experienced?"

"As for that little guy, he has unparalleled talent, a natural genius. Whether it's his foundation or physique, they are both rare and exceptional. If he was recognized by the Mirage Sky Tablet, I wouldn't doubt it."

"But you are truly baffling. Also, everyone who makes it onto the Mirage Sky Tablet is at the Golden Core stage, but you are at the Nascent Soul stage. How did this happen? Don't lie to me, or the consequences will be severe."

Listening to the old man recounting his secrets as if they were family treasures, cold sweat dripped down Li Ergou's forehead. It was best to answer honestly to such an old monster. One wrong move, and his lies would be easily exposed.

He could only tell the old man everything, "I just recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. As for the gas inside my arm, its origin is like this..."

Li Ergou then explained in detail how he obtained the Azure Heaven Qi, and he told the old man about the opportunity he encountered in Heavenly Dog Town. Fearing that the old man wouldn't believe him, he also carefully described the moon-like object inside the Well of Longevity.

However, he didn't mention the secret of the bronze mirror. After all, the bronze mirror was too mysterious, and it was the biggest secret he held. He wouldn't tell anyone about it except himself.

A secret is only a secret if only you know it, right?

After listening to his words, the old man fell into silence again.

After a long time, he finally sighed and said, "The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise, the Green Heaven has fallen, but I didn't expect a trace of its aura to remain. What a grand game."

"I really didn't expect that it would choose you."

Li Ergou was confused by these words but didn't dare to ask casually. He could only stare at the old man obediently, silently.

At this moment, the old man closed his eyes and actually raised one hand, his fingers moving constantly as if calculating celestial secrets.

In an instant, the old man opened his eyes, looking at Li Ergou with a complicated expression. "Forget it, everything is fate. There is a will in the dark. Back then, I went against the heavens, but I didn't expect that in the end, the will of heaven is still difficult to defy. It's also this Nine-Headed Bird's fate not to be destroyed."

"At this crucial moment, you all barged in here, not only causing those two to die, but also feeding it with your own flesh and blood, allowing it to use that bit of essence to return to its origin. It won't be long before it is resurrected and returns."

"It seems that if you want to deal with it in the future, you will have to rely on you little guys."

Li Ergou was dumbfounded. He didn't expect the situation to be so serious. Inadvertently, A'san and A'si died, and they also ruined the old man's ascension and saved an unparalleled demon. If this matter was known by the divine officials on the Mountain and Sea Realm, they would skin them alive.

To make up for the loss, Li Ergou quickly said, "Junior didn't know that I had unintentionally made such a big mistake. I don't know how to remedy it. Why doesn't Senior accept me as a disciple? In the future, I will personally kill it to make up for today's mistake."

The old man snorted and said, "Boy, you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but the sense of destiny on your body is too heavy. I can't afford to be your master."

"But you and I have a connection. I can help you. This Azure Heaven Qi is extraordinary. If used well, it will be a great help to you. If not, it may cause you to be backlashed by it at any time in the future."