Chapter 644: Dragon Slayer

Chapter 644: Chapter 8: Dragon Slayer

Even now, as the atmosphere in the office grew incredibly tense, he remained unhurried. “Long ago, when the other Grandmasters found themselves unable to break through the realm above Innate, no matter what they tried—when they were dragged down by hidden injuries, their organs failing to fully transform, until they died in agony—that was when I discovered something. In this world, if one does not cultivate Wood Element Internal Power, it is impossible to advance further, let alone continue one’s Cultivation to the Celestial Spirit Realm.”

He was the successor favored by the three great Grandmasters and designated by the Hundred Schools, a genius whose talent was believed sufficient to reach the Innate Realm even in an age of waning Spiritual Qi, the Martial Artist originally destined to wield the Blade of Annihilation against the Innate Demon Emperor. Zhou Buyi’s gaze was profound, as if it could see through the entire world. “Although you sealed the Divine Wood, the world has already begun to change. Since Wood Qi is now dominant, I am merely adapting to the turning of the world’s tides.”

“But what you’re cultivating is Divine Wood Qi.”

Standing across from Zhou Buyi, Su Zhou’s eyes swept over his entire body. He said calmly, “The National Preceptor has it. The Demon Emperor has it. But other than them, not even the strongest Demon General possesses it—it’s a power that belongs exclusively to the Divine Wood. How did you get it?”

“…So you figured it out.”

At this, Zhou Buyi made no attempt to hide it. He smiled, and this time, his smile seemed more genuine than the worried one he wore before. “I knew it. If it was you, there’s no way you wouldn’t notice.”

“When I first heard the news of your return to this world, I thought, ‘Of course, he’s appeared, just as he said he would…’ For over a hundred years, you never showed up. Everyone thought you’d likely never return to the Human World, but sure enough, the moment the Divine Wood Power was used, you came back.”

‘It was actually just a coincidence.’ But Su Zhou was in no mood for such jokes. Having been silent all this time, waiting for Zhou Buyi to confess on his own, he could only let out a long sigh. “Honestly, Zhou Buyi, cultivating with Divine Wood Power isn’t some taboo. In fact, as you can see, this friend of mine also cultivates in this system, and I have some as well.”

“But why did you hide it from me? Did you really think that I’d kill you on the spot without a word, just because you used the power of the Immortal Banyan Tree? Surely not. The very fact that you’ve reached the Celestial Spirit Martial God Realm proves you’re not that cowardly.”

In response to Su Zhou’s question, Zhou Buyi just narrowed his eyes and remained silent.

Su Zhou waited patiently for a long time, but no explanation came. Finally, he shook his head. “Forget it. To be honest, Zhou Buyi, Qiming has been contacting me with a Secret Technique from the very beginning. He told me not to reveal myself so soon, but to play along with you, to see what you were up to, what your Bottom Card was, and to figure out your true purpose and motivations.”

“But after thinking it over, I decided against it. I won’t be in this world for too long, after all, and I personally prefer to be direct and just ask. This way, I can save myself several days—maybe even more than ten—of investigation time.”

Su Zhou never spouts nonsense. He says what’s on his mind and asks what he wants to know. When he hits a plot point, he immediately lays all his cards on the table, no procrastinating.

Business first, pleasantries later.

Su Zhou is smart. Be like Su Zhou.

Faced with Su Zhou’s utterly direct, lay-it-all-out questioning, Zhou Buyi fell silent for a moment before letting out a resigned laugh. “Of course, Young Hero Su. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“A love for good food, a righteous hatred for evil, always eager to help others, bold and direct… I’m the one who’s changed. After more than a hundred years, I’m so different from the naive young man I once was that it’s like we’re not even the same person.”

“As for why I switched to cultivating Wood Qi and using the Divine Wood Power… is there really any need to ask?”

As he said this, Zhou Buyi brought a hand from behind his back and showed it to Su Zhou.

It was a clean, slender hand, like one sculpted from jade. Merely looking at it, one could sense the immense Life Force it contained, along with an almost Unbreakable, solid essence. It was a constitution that any mortal body of flesh and blood would find incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to achieve through Cultivation.

“I want to be immortal.”

Withdrawing his hand, he clasped it behind his back once more. The man’s expression was devoid of emotion, his voice almost unfeeling as he said calmly, “That is all.”