Chapter 1012 - 962: Returned at the Wrong Time

"You should know, if I cannot be entirely convinced, the variables remain! I’ve told you this a long time ago, so now I’m all ears for the details!"

In the triumphant laughter of the old man from Heavenly Dao, the elderly man across him shook his head with a playful smile.

"Back then, exchanging the Six Paths with him was a backup plan; I wasn’t worried he’d have an accident, but I was concerned about his backyard. You know, he’s sentimental and righteous, and if any misfortune befalls his family, he’ll go berserk, which would play right into your hands! However, my fear was always that you’d remove the Six Paths, because this segment is essential, only he can prevent occurrences I don’t want to see! If you had removed the Six Paths back then, and his family experienced turmoil within those two months, the consequences upon his return would be unimaginable! That’s my greatest fear, and to me, it’s a gamble!

But I’m very fortunate, fortunate for your negligence, fortunate that you didn’t notice the existence of the Six Paths! Li Tiandao, those few Immortal Wills, those four hidden sects, I must say, your maneuver isn’t weak, so I understand your confidence! But you overlooked one thing; he is the master of inheritance! Killing Li Tiandao, attracting divine punishment, this doesn’t surprise me, it’s within my expectations as well, and it’s what I most enjoy seeing!

Li Tiandao is your apprentice’s disciple; he killed Li Tiandao, your incompetent disciple surely won’t let him off easily. Just relying on that old rascal, Yama of Hell, surely they’ll work cooperatively, so – they’ll definitely cast him into the Nineteen Layers of Demon Punishment Prison! And Demon Punishment Prison is precisely the only place on Earth where he can awaken! Once he awakens, those four hidden sects become mere garbage! So – all thanks to your disciple’s nature, he’s the one who orchestrated all of this, though it’s no surprise because I knew he’d do it all along; ultimately, everything follows a set plan, and there’s no injustice in your loss—the result was destined; the surprise is only how quickly it happened!"

Smiling and watching the old man whose expression continually changes with his words, the Heavenly Dao elder leisurely spoke.

From the beginning, he already knew the ultimate winner of this game was himself.

Because he understood the opponent too well.

"You mean to say everything I’ve done is to temper him?"

Under the words of the Heavenly Dao elder, the elderly man remained silent for a moment, then sighed and laughed.

"You could say that! From start to finish, every part was within my expected plan!" The Heavenly Dao elder nodded earnestly.

"You’re too ruthless! When he reincarnated into the Qin family, it was arranged by you, right? The suffering he endured in those ten-plus years was also orchestrated by you, right?" The elder suddenly sneered in response.

"Yes, correct! Without destruction, there can be no construction, it’s what he must experience! Otherwise, how could he reach such heights on the Cangqiong Continent in these five hundred years? So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what I did!" The Heavenly Dao elder solemnly replied.

"Haha, you’re not wrong, you’re never wrong! Stripped the chance for Six Paths to ascend, are you fair to him?"

"It’s not about fairness; he is a necessary figure in this chess game; apart from him, I trust no one! So it’s a path he must walk, a mere five hundred years, it’s nothing—his road to ascension is still there!"

"Just five hundred years? Have you considered his feelings? Have you thought that once Six Paths becomes aware of this, once that fellow becomes aware, would they really be indifferent?" The elder aggressively questioned.

That fellow?

Hearing the term, the Heavenly Dao elder couldn’t help but twitch his eyes.

He knew the opponent referred to Qin Fan, but using such a term made Six Paths feel a bit unsettled.

He quickly concealed it, "I won’t think about those things; one day – they’ll understand me!"

"Fine, then I’ll watch them understand you! Also, you think you’ve truly won thoroughly? I admit, I lost, but it’s not like you said a complete defeat! At the very least, I’ve made him suspicious, at the very least made him realize the backdrop isn’t so simple, at the very least made him see there’s not so many coincidental explanations! Haha, if I’m not mistaken, he’s back with Six Paths at this critical juncture precisely to see you return! He needs you to explain; he needs you to provide answers, are you—prepared to explain?"

Saying that the elder revealed a profoundly suggestive, deep smile.

Upon hearing this.

The Heavenly Dao elder fell silent.

What the other said, how could he not suspect?

Although the developments leading to the current result are what he wished to see, truthfully speaking, he didn’t want everything to occur so swiftly, just from his earlier expression of surprise, one can see a hint!

"I won’t see them so soon! Also—I’m now equipped to slay dragons!"

With a solemn expression, the Heavenly Dao elder placed a piece on the board.

Directly slaughtered the opponent’s grand dragon!

"Haha, not seeing them is your wisest choice! Also—Heavenly Mechanism old man, how many years has it been? Why do you still harbor such stubborn resentment? Even though back then, they slaughtered the donkey after it brought the mill, the logic of outstanding achievements overshadowing the master you don’t understand? Ninety thousand years, let what needs to pass simply pass!"

Standing up from the low stool, and with this rise, a sudden burst of extreme Immortal Energy emerged from the elder.

His face twitched.

His hand trembled.

Under those words from the other.

The Heavenly Dao elder’s face became difficult to conceal its distress.

He raised his head, glaring assertively at the other, "What do you mean?"

"You know well what I mean! Is he really the Great Saint Inheritance? Don’t blindly assume you’ve made it flawless! There’s simply no Great Saint Inheritance in the world! That’s all concocted by you; of course, the Heavenly Mechanism Device was created by your own hands, and about the unknown secrets of the Heavenly Mechanism Device only you know best, integrating the Great Saint’s residual spirit and transferring it elsewhere, using inheritance to explain that undoubtedly leaves no flaws, but do you really think everyone in the Heavenly Court is an idiot? Do you think this really conceals the truth? Do you think this really conceals his identity?"

With each word spoken, the Heavenly Dao elder, no—rather the Heavenly Mechanism elder’s divine expression abruptly changed.

"Moreover, it wasn’t you who won this game, but rather I who let you win! I know your reluctance, your resentment, so I couldn’t bear to crush any of your fantasies! I know the Heavenly Court wronged you, and you know you’ve spent these tens of thousands of years enduring disgrace and resentment! If it weren’t for you back then, I’d have perished in the world long ago! Due to this, I had to accompany you in madness, even as a traitor! Heavenly Mechanism old man, this is all I can do for you, lastly—I’ll tell you news you won’t want to hear, the Heavenly Court has realized the Demon Emperor’s residual soul left in the Heavenly Mechanism Device hasn’t been fully refined, and you took it away when you fled from the Heavenly Court! Now ninety-nine Heavenly Generals are dispatched down to Cangqiong Continent, just to hunt you and him! Alright, I’ve said what should and shouldn’t be said, take care of yourself!"

With these words, the elder’s solemn expression instantly melted away.

He retrieved a handful of candies from his robe and extended them towards the innocent children surrounding them.

Listening eagerly for so long, these children didn’t comprehend a single sentence.

"Go play!"

After distributing the candies among the children one by one, the elder smiled.

"Thank you, grandpa!" Grabbing the candies, these children eagerly scattered like birds and beasts.

Having listened for so long, this was the moment they were waiting for, this was the purpose!

The elder watched the children disperse, brushed off his sleeves, and didn’t look back at the Heavenly Mechanism elder.

Shaking his head helplessly, he strode away with determined steps.

"Phew—!"

Taking a deep breath.

As the children and elder departed.

The Heavenly Mechanism elder also stood up from the stone stool.

With a profound gaze, he looked towards the sky tinged with red by the sunset.

Muttering to himself, "Not the time to return!"

He once believed he held everything under control, never imagined the other’s words would reveal countless latent variables.