CHAPTER 1154: CHAPTER 876: COERCION

"Selfish?"

Gu Jinlai looked at Emperor Xi, and then at the other Great Powers present, feeling as if he were facing trial by the Three Courts.

However, having been to the Cosmic Core, he naturally felt no fear at this moment.

"So, simply wanting to survive makes me the selfish person in your eyes?"

"Your so-called survival is built on the sacrifice of another Great Power who gave everything for you. You survived by leeching off the Primordial, allowing you to grow to where you are now, enjoying honors and glory that many cultivators can only dream of for a lifetime. Now, repayment is due, and yet you ignore it, even thinking of replacing the Primordial, wanting to live forever. If this isn’t selfishness, what is it?"

Emperor Xi spoke indifferently, "If you are truly not selfish, then give everything that belongs to the Primordial back to the Primordial! In this way, you can naturally claim without guilt that you owe no one, and no one can force you."

"What I need to return, I will return. When I have the ability, I will peel away the elements of the Primordial from within me, and even if it takes ten thousand years, a million years, ten million years, or a hundred million years, I will nurture him back and assist him in reclaiming the status of a Great Power."

Gu Jinlai spoke.

"Having the ability, when will you have this ability? If you never gain this ability, must the Primordial wait indefinitely?"

Another Great Power spoke up.

It was Kunwu from the Primordial Spirit Temple.

This Great Power was an ancient existence with a Divine Sense Level as high as the Seventeenth Rank, a figure of the same tier as the Creation Immortal Emperor and the Primordial.

This age that far exceeded most Great Powers present allowed him to speak without leaving any leeway: "Do you truly think breaking through to the Eighteenth Tier Great Power is so easily achieved? Some things you say without thought — if not for the Primordial’s assistance, becoming a Great Power in this lifetime would be a significant challenge, let alone restoring to the peak where he can create life like the Primordial did."

"Who can guarantee the future?"

Gu Jinlai glanced at those Human Clan Great Powers watching him.

Straightforwardly, he said: "In reality, I know... your true intention is to hope the Primordial returns soon to bring you hope of achievement, to surpass even the authority of the Daoist Ancestor, but can you assure that the so-called Three Saints Realm of the Primordial is truly effective?"

"Indeed, there is a hint of selfish motive, but more so, it is to uphold justice."

The Creation Immortal Emperor said, "As for whether what you call the Three Saints Realm is effective... naturally, we will consider this."

"Justice?"

Gu Jinlai looked at this strongest figure of the Human Clan.

He actually heard the word "justice" from his mouth.

In this world, there has never been justice.

Only interests and positions!

Everything else is illusory.

"Naturally, there is no talk of justice between species, but within a species, especially among us Great Powers, if there is no order or fairness, would the Human Clan not have descended into chaos long ago?"

The Creation Immortal Emperor responded.

"The justice you speak of has always been the justice you desire."

Gu Jinlai had already lost interest in continuing to exchange words with these Great Powers of the Human Clan.

His essence also began to move away from New Fire Star Sea, away from the territories of the Human Clan.

The Cosmic is vast and not any one species can monopolize it.

Gu Jinlai, now a Great Power, if he truly sought to hide, no one could find him.

He only needs to cultivate gradually...

He does not believe that one day he won’t be able to separate Qing Lian from himself.

Once Qing Lian is detached, finding a way to nurture the consciousness belonging to the Primordial within, naturally, he can use Qing Lian as a foundation to form a body and live again.

"Although you do not represent the Human Clan, yet... at least for now, you belong to the orthodox of the Human Clan. If you do not welcome me joining... I will not insist."

Gu Jinlai said.

"I know what you’re thinking, but do you really think you, or rather we, have time?"

The Creation Immortal Emperor said solemnly.

Gu Jinlai looked at him.

The Immortal Emperor quickly continued without reservation: "You’ve already witnessed the strength of the Evil Gods, each nearly matches a Supreme Powerhouse. Over these years, the reason the Six Great Races have been able to hold off the Evil Gods, keeping them trapped at the Heart of the Cosmic, is partly because... the Evil Gods are not united, with only a few assaulting the Heart of the Cosmic’s defenses, and partly because some Evil Gods hold hope of escaping this identity and predicament; the crucial point of this hope lies in the agreements made among the Primordial, Ancient Desolation, Xuanhuang, New Fire, and Yuan Huang!"

He looked at Gu Jinlai, showing no emotion: "Right now, the Primordial Reincarnation Body has finally reappeared, but if you remain hidden for a long time, or even... fail to bring forth the Primordial, failing to give an explanation to all the Evil Gods, do you think those Evil Gods will continue obediently staying in the harsh environment of the Heart of the Cosmic?"

Linking this with the recent cooperation between the Divine Spirits and the Ancient Divine Race, Gu Jinlai pondered...

"War!"

said the Creation Immortal Emperor: "Those ancient Evil Gods will mercilessly launch a war sweeping the Cosmo!"

His tone was filled with grave concern: "Unlike before, because you represent hope, this time, not only will those Evil Gods who have always wanted to break out from the Heart of the Cosmic act; those hoping to escape their predicament will also act, and those promised by the Primordial will act — all Evil Gods will unleash in full force. They will find you, even if it means unraveling the entire Cosmo!"

"And this power...even the combined strength of the Six Great Races cannot resist."

Beside him, Emperor Xi calmly added, "The universe will therefore face destruction."

"Indeed, even within the trinity, the Evil God represents destruction, represents the end. Everything in this world, matter, energy, soul, including the operating Power of Dao, will be degraded by the Evil God. Even if we annihilate some of them, in the end, it will only make the remaining ones stronger. Unless the Daoist Ancestor intervenes or the Six Great Races truly unite, we cannot resist the Evil God’s coming with undivided intent."

Taixu Sword Sect’s Great Power, Tai Yuan said.

"I have foreseen the future of our universe. Although initially prosperous, recently, I have been calculating its complete destruction more than once; millions upon millions of lives reduced to ashes before calamity..."

The Heavenly Mechanism Tower Master also set his sights on Gu Jinlai, "This is very likely the consequence of the Evil God’s manifestation."

His words resonated with several Great Powers.

"The Six Great Races can’t possibly unite wholeheartedly because, among them, there are too many Great Powers, and each has their own will. In contrast, the Evil God...this battle has a common purpose. Besides, degradation itself allows them to grow stronger."

"Other races have Great Powers secretly siding with the Evil God. Although they know allying with the Evil God is drinking poison to quench thirst, they can’t stand seeing the Six Great Races bring peace to this world and would rather see the world destroyed. If we account for these races and Great Powers, even if our Six Great Races could sincerely cooperate and unite, the war with the Evil God would still yield only a fifty-fifty chance."

"Once the war starts, who knows how many lives will perish, or how many worlds will fall into suffering..."

These Great Powers echoed each other’s sentiments.

A few Great Powers remained silent but their gazes never left Gu Jinlai, evidently hoping he would make a correct and wise choice.

Gu Jinlai listened to these Great Powers’ words for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "So, since you can’t oppose the Evil God, you plan to sacrifice me for the universe to overcome this disaster? Especially if sacrificing me might let you see the road to the future?"

He glanced at these Human Clan Great Powers, "You all, at the very least, are Great Powers, claiming to stand at the Peak of the Cultivation World, all-knowing and all-powerful. Have you never thought to rely on your own strength to defeat the Evil God and walk beyond the path of the Honorable Daoist? Great Powers with such small mindset..."

Disappointment flickered in his eyes.

Great Powers who have lived for billions, tens of billions, even over a hundred billion years are no different from mortals.

"We’ve simply chosen to pay the smallest price..."

"Stop with the moral coercion here."

Gu Jinlai waved his hand decisively, "I am not some saint willing to sacrifice myself for world peace. I have always believed that fate can only be held in one’s own hands..."

His tone paused slightly, carrying a hint of sarcasm, "Perhaps you believe that capturing me and inquiring about the Three Saints Realm’s mysteries is also a way to grasp fate, and you’re taking action on this front right now?"

"Do you think hiding within our Human Clan’s territory can protect you?"

At this moment, Emperor Xi spoke again, "When the Evil God breaks out of the Heart of the Cosmic, news about you will inevitably spread to every corner of the universe. By then, whether the Great Powers of other races want to obtain the Mysteriousness of the Three Saints Realm from you, or capture you to hand over to the Evil God to dispel this cosmic war, you won’t be able to remain uninvolved."

He looked at Gu Jinlai, coldly saying, "You will become the enemy of all species across the universe! No matter how vast the universe is, there will be no place that can accommodate your concealment!"

Becoming the enemy of all species in the universe...

Emperor Xi’s words echoed in Gu Jinlai’s mind.

Enemies of the world!

As if the entire universe was targeting him!

When this thought surged through his mind, he keenly sensed something.

It seemed...

A certain reversal of Lucky Qi from the ethereal!

When he accepted his Primordial role, everything went smoothly, even the process of achieving Great Power was devoid of any ripple, coming to fruition naturally.

But when he resolved to stand against Primordial...

Everything in the universe seemed to target him and oppress him, attempting to make him surrender.

Yes, surrender!

Sacrificing himself to complete Primordial.

Gu Jinlai found himself momentarily baffled by these changes.

But...

In hindsight, it all boils down to him being insufficiently strong.

If he were not a newly advanced Sixteenth Rank Great Power, but a Supreme Power comparable to the ancient Evil Gods...

Even more powerful than the eighteen Evil Gods, truly stepping into the Three Saints Realm, these Human Clan Great Powers, and other races’ Great Powers, how would they dare to coerce him into doing what he doesn’t wish to do!?

Hence...

"Even if the universe falls into ruins in the hands of the Evil God, it requires time."

Gu Jinlai glanced at the assembly of Great Powers, speaking deeply, "During this period, I will grow, grow to the point of...defeating the Evil God with my own strength!"

After speaking, his figure faded within the Supreme Council and directly erased the imprint of the Divine Sense he left in the Immortal Realm.