At this moment, the speaker was a pitch-black qilin, majestic and imposing in form but with a voice as crisp as a child’s.
On top of the gathering of myriad beasts sat Emperor One, who let out a low, rumbling laugh upon hearing the black qilin’s doubts.
“Experience, as they say, is a double-edged sword. It grants us the confidence to face crises, yet subtly pushes us toward the abyss.”
A black, amorphous mass stirred, seemingly expressing its discontent.
“This calamity is unlike any of the ones we’ve faced in history.”
“Its origins lie in…”
At this point, a grotesque multitude of fierce beasts began to emerge from Emperor One’s mass.
“Shut up, you!”
“Why waste breath on these useless creatures! Those who don’t obey, devour them all!”
…
This unsettling scene silenced all attending beasts, though none of them seemed surprised by the outburst. There was fear in their eyes, but no shock.
The black mass churned once more, swallowing the snarling heads back within itself, as Emperor One resumed, unfazed, “As such, this catastrophe surpasses what the Xuanhuang Realm itself can resolve.”
“If no additional factors intervene, everything in this world will end in extinction.”
Emperor One’s serious tone commanded the full attention of the assembled beasts, who all grew solemn.
“However, since I said I would lead you to survival, I naturally have a way out.”
Emperor One’s voice, as if resonating from countless forms, echoed through the space.
“Among the human cultivators, there is a sect called the Heavenly Sword Sect. In the face of this great catastrophe, they hope to seize a chance of survival by creating a ‘Void-Breaking Divine Weapon,’ a tool capable of shattering space-time itself, allowing them to escape from Xuanhuang.”
“Setting aside the feasibility of their plan, it has inspired me.”
“This mountain beneath us happens to be a natural ‘Void-Breaking Divine Weapon.’ With some modifications, it could lead us to escape as well,” Emperor One declared confidently.
“Mount Nanming stands at the edge of the world, at the land’s end and sea’s edge. Thus, it has accumulated a great deal of energy from the world’s natural overflow…”
Di Yi began to explain the principles to the beasts. None dared to slacken their attention; regardless of their true thoughts, each wore a serious expression.
In the transparent room above, Xu Ke yawned as he listened.
“How boring. Why do these powerful beasts love to drone on? Not impressive at all,” he muttered quietly.
Turning to the child beside him, who was even smaller than himself, he asked, “Why did you bring us here? Isn’t this an internal meeting of the beast clan? Isn’t it bad for us to eavesdrop?”
“It’s fine. It won’t mind.” The child looked down at the speaking Emperor One beast and said lightly.
Although Xu Ke was naturally carefree, he was no fool. He glanced around cautiously and whispered, “From the way you talk, you seem pretty familiar with Lord Emperor One.”
“Could it be… that you’re its illegitimate child?”
“Think that if you wish,” the child replied openly, much to Xu Ke’s surprise.
Xu Ke froze in shock.
“Or rather, ‘I’ am Emperor One. But ‘I’ am not Emperor One,” the child added.
Xu Ke’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Li Fan, too, shifted his attention from Emperor One’s speech below to the child in front of him. Though he had his suspicions, it was shocking to think that the supreme beast lord would take on a human form.
Emperor One, seeing Xu Ke and Li Fan’s astonished expressions, flashed a mysterious smile.
“What’s the matter? Surprised?”
Xu Ke nodded repeatedly.
“There’s no need for that. All life, at its essence, is ultimately one.”
“Beast or human, there is no fundamental difference,” Emperor One continued, casually stating something shocking.
Li Fan thought that, in this sacred land of beasts, if anyone other than the beast lord himself said such a thing, they’d likely be devoured by the furious beasts on the spot.
“It’s almost amusing that it took me so long to realize this,” the child-like Emperor One said, looking down at the gathered beasts with an air of ancient wisdom.
“Back then, Lu Ya once told me that the strength of beasts lies in the inheritance of bloodline power. But over generations, the purity of that bloodline weakens. Although rare cases of atavism can occur, overall, the strength of the beast clan has undeniably been diminishing.”
At the mention of Senior Lu Ya, Xu Ke’s eyes lit up, and he listened intently.
“Meanwhile, our opponents, humans, have grown stronger through generations of learning and accumulation. Cultivation methods, talismans, tools, formation, elixirs—their sources of power are things that can be passed down through generations.”
“The gap continues to widen. What, then, lies in the future for the beast clans?”
“I thought about this question for three days and nights, but still found no answer.”
“Forcing those without brains to learn alchemy or artifact refining?”
“Even I couldn’t achieve that. If lying around, eating, drinking, and resting makes them stronger, why would they strive for anything else?”
“This is the beast clan’s dilemma. Although there may be some exceptional individuals, it can’t change the entire clan’s ecology.”
As though he were explaining to Xu Ke and Li Fan, or perhaps just talking to himself, Emperor One continued.
“So, you plan to turn beasts into humans? Like what you’re doing now?” Xu Ke asked, astonished at the realization.
Li Fan’s feathers ruffled slightly, sensing a chill.
“Yes.”
“And no.”
Di Yi shook his head, then nodded.
“As the leader of all beasts, I must consider the future of the entire beast clan, not just act based on personal preferences.”
The child-like Emperor One gestured to the ten thousand beast gathering below.
“That other version of me has decided to lead the beasts in fleeing Xuanhuang.”
“Even though I have utmost confidence, I can’t deny that this plan may fail.”
“Even if there’s only a minuscule chance, I have to account for it.”
“I don’t want the beast clan to be doomed by one decision, so I need an alternative plan.”
“I understand! This is what my seniors often say—you need a backup plan for everything!” Xu Ke said excitedly.
“No, you don’t understand,” Emperor One said bluntly.
“‘Two options’ would spell self-destruction for such a vast clan.”
“How many beasts would accept the plan of transforming into humans? Not many, that much is certain.”
“Enforcing such an order would only bring harm to an already divided clan, so I need to carry this plan out in secret.”
Xu Ke scratched his head, looking perplexed. “What are you trying to say? The more you explain, the more confusing it gets.”
Emperor One waved his hand, and suddenly, a lush tree appeared before them.
At the tip of one of its branches, Xu Ke saw his own reflection.
“This is…?” he asked, puzzled.
“This is the future,” Emperor One replied solemnly. “One possible future.”
“The fate of the beast clan is intertwined with you,” Emperor One said, gazing at the small Xu Ke, his eyes filled with an ancient sadness.
Xu Ke watched the tree’s branches, each branch displaying different visions of the beast clan’s future—some filled with blood and complete extinction, others thriving and recalling the grandeur of ancient times.
There were scenes of beasts and humans coexisting in harmony, creating a glorious civilization, and others of desolation and ruin.
“An infinite future holds infinite possibilities.”
“This means that no matter how slim a possibility may seem, under the concept of ‘infinity,’ everything is bound to occur.”
“As the leader of the clan, I must consider every possible outcome for the beast clan’s fate.”
In that moment, Emperor One, despite his childlike form, spoke with a weight as heavy as mountains.
“This is my answer to Lu Ya’s question.”
“Humans may have infinite potential, but you are divided, unable to unite the clan’s power, exhausting yourselves in endless internal conflict.”
“During a catastrophe, humanity would suffer greatly.”
“Even if they survive by chance, the odds of extinction increase as disasters accumulate over time.”
“But for us beasts, it’s different. As long as I exist, I’ll think everything through for my kin.”
“Though they may have individual thoughts, when it comes to life and death, they must follow my command.”
“As long as I live, the beast clan won’t face total extinction.”
“If we can’t compete with humans, we just have to outlast them until they destroy themselves.”
Emperor One’s tone carried a hint of faint irony.
Xu Ke frowned, wanting to retort, but found no suitable words.
After a long pause, he finally asked, “Then how can you guarantee that you won’t die before the beast clan’s extinction?”
Emperor One gave Xu Ke a dark look but remained silent.