Chapter 326: Kindred Souls
As the three great empires gradually ceased their wars, none of them seemed inclined to continue fighting.
The war, up until now, had been devastating. On the battlefield of Jialing Pass, both the Spirit Empire and the Tiandou Empire had suffered significant losses. The entire battlefield resembled a massive meat grinder, with soldiers and soul masters falling constantly. If the fighting continued, the two empires would likely exhaust their resources.
The Star Luo Empire had sustained relatively fewer losses, but in terms of high-end strength, the Star Luo Empire was the weakest among the three. They no longer had any intention of continuing the fight.
After a period of recovery, Yang Xiong, with the help of Asura God's power, gradually wore away the Angel God's power that had been left on his wounds.
Although these wounds were infused with purifying and fiery powers, despite the purity of the divine power, it was ultimately like water with no root or a tree with no foundation.
As Yang Xiong's martial soul and divine power gradually wore down, a blood-red glow surrounded his body, steadily depleting the divine power.
Through the conflict between the divine powers, Yang Xiong gradually realized that while he had mastered the Asura God's power, there was still a huge gap between him and true gods.
Divine power seemed to be an evolved form of soul power, at a higher level, more pure and terrifying.
Compared to soul power, each trace of divine power contained an immensely terrifying energy.
Soul power comes from the martial soul itself and is cultivated by the soul master. Even when some soul power is lost, it can be restored quickly through cultivation.
But divine power was entirely different; it seemed to contain the will of the god itself. In other words, it seemed to carry a trace of the god's soul, which made divine power far more independent.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but think that gods were nothing more than soul masters who reached a higher level. They were an evolution of a soul master's body, soul, and martial soul. Through various refinements, a soul master gradually transforms into a god.
The so-called divine position was more like a vessel for the soul master's evolution. If a soul master had enough lifespan, becoming a god was not impossible.
However, the requirements for this were too high. At least, based on the past thousand years, ordinary soul masters could not live long enough.
As Yang Xiong carefully observed his own body, he realized that he had indeed already mastered some divine power. Part of this divine power came from the Asura God's gift, and another part was from his body's countless breakthroughs, especially from the tempering at Sea God Island and the Blood River of the City of Slaughter. After countless refining, his body had begun to evolve with divine power.
Yang Xiong knew very well that with his current physical condition, if he wanted to break through again, the amount of energy required would be immense, far exceeding his expectations.
This made it very difficult for Yang Xiong to reach level ninety-nine. Even with any heavenly materials or earthly treasures, they would have no effect.
Just as Yang Xiong was completely immersed in his cultivation, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Yang Xiong, come out and meet me!"
Yang Xiong was very confused: "Why is she looking for me? Shouldn't she be focusing on healing her injuries?"
This voice was very familiar to Yang Xiong. It came from Qian Renxue. In this world, only Qian Renxue had the power to transmit a message without making a sound.
After thinking for a while, Yang Xiong realized that Qian Renxue was not the type to take advantage of others' weaknesses. She wouldn't tempt him into an ambush. It might be a good thing to meet her.
Without hesitation, Yang Xiong stood up and left his room, turning into a streak of light as he flew away.
Soon, Yang Xiong arrived at the top of a mountain, where Qian Renxue was sitting, drinking wine. At this moment, she no longer seemed as proud as before; she looked more like a little girl who had been wronged.
"Sit down and drink with me."
Yang Xiong, although confused, silently sat down opposite Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue held the wine jar, poured a large cup of wine, and handed it to Yang Xiong. "I wanted to drink, but I didn't know who would drink with me, so I thought of you."
Yang Xiong took the cup without hesitation and drank it all in one go.
"Good wine. This must be a rare aged wine, probably the long-lost Zuihongchen."
Qian Renxue smiled. "I didn't expect you to know about wine. It seems I really found the right person. This Zuihongchen was left by my grandfather. He couldn't bear to drink it, and only left a few jars."
Yang Xiong took the wine jar and poured himself another cup, drinking it down in one go.
As the wine entered his mouth, he felt a slight daze. His entire body seemed to be stimulated, and even every cell seemed to be stirring.
"Good wine. Only Senior Qian Daoliu would be willing to use so many precious herbs to brew wine. Given the vintage, this must have been brewed for over a hundred years. It's indeed fragrant and rich."
Qian Renxue smiled slightly. "This is my grandfather's collection. It's probably unique in the world. You've gained this little thief's favor."
Yang Xiong didn't say much, just raised his cup. "Whether we are enemies or allies, whatever your thoughts are today, let's just drink and forget everything."
The two clinked their glasses and drank the wine in one go, as if they were not enemies but old friends who had known each other for many years.
Qian Renxue slowly spoke, "This is the first time I've drunk alcohol in many years. When I was young, I didn't like to drink. After arriving at the Tiandou Palace, even when I occasionally drank, I used my soul power to dissipate the alcohol's effects, never daring to relax for a moment."
Yang Xiong's expression changed slightly. "Why do you have to do this? To prove yourself, you even hide your own thoughts and emotions. With your talent and aptitude, you don't need to do this."
Qian Renxue didn't respond. "I miss the days when we used to argue. Back then, although I was angry, although I was wary, you were the only one who made me laugh and cry. You were also the only one I couldn't do anything about."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Qian Renxue, with your strength and status, it shouldn't have been difficult to eliminate the child I was back then."
Qian Renxue smiled slightly. "Perhaps it's because I felt that you and I are the same. I've been hiding my true self since I was young, never daring to show my real face to anyone."
"But you were no different from me, were you? You were just an ordinary disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and although you gained the Sect Master's approval, you showed a maturity that was unusual for someone so young."
"Even if you hid it well, your ambition was impossible to conceal. Your cautious demeanor reminded me of myself."
"I rarely meet someone like me, someone whose talent I acknowledge. Although I wanted to see your future, to see how far you could go, perhaps I was too confident, thinking my talent was unmatched. That's why I wanted to watch you grow and, when the time came, teach you how to destroy."
Yang Xiong smiled. "I've always found it strange. Whether it's the top three sects or Bibi Dong, they all seem determined to eliminate the talents from opposing camps. For example, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have lost many talented disciples over the years. Yet, throughout all this, I've never felt threatened by any of your experts. I thought with the strength of the Spirit Empire and yours, it should have been easy to do."
Qian Renxue smiled. "Maybe. I've always seen you as my prey. Of course, I wouldn't let Bibi Dong touch my prey."
The two of them conversed freely, clinking glasses from time to time, as though they had completely forgotten about the battle from a few days ago.
Qian Renxue suddenly spoke. "Yang Xiong, I've always been curious. How did you figure me out? That excuse about the scent you mentioned earlier was probably just a cover."
Yang Xiong looked at the wine in his cup. His reflection in the wine made him feel a bit melancholic.
"Maybe it's intuition. Just like you said, we are kindred spirits, both hiding our thoughts and ambitions, as well as our joys and sorrows. Perhaps only we can truly see through each other."
Qian Renxue smiled. "Indeed, we are true kindred spirits. No wonder we loved to argue so much back then. Perhaps it was mutual harm, perhaps we wanted to test each other's limits."
"By the way, Yang Xiong, now that you know my true identity, what kind of person do you think I am? Selfish and calculating?"
Yang Xiong reflected on their previous encounters and couldn't help but sigh. "Actually, I envy you. You're proud, decisive, ruthless, cold-hearted, with extraordinary talent. You were born to be a woman of destiny. Even in the Tiandou Palace, you still had your own pride."
"As for me, I started off quite humble. I was just an ordinary disciple from the outer sect of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I was no different from the ordinary disciples who fell in this war."
"Perhaps it's my unwillingness to be ordinary that pushed me to become stronger. That's why I did everything I could to gain Ning Fengzhi's attention and obtain resources and opportunities."
"After years of scheming, years of hard work, and countless life-and-death trials, I've finally reached your level, finally able to stop caring about anyone else's opinions."
"And all the efforts I've made over the years were something you were born with. Perhaps that's the biggest difference between us."
Qian Renxue remained silent for a while before speaking. "Perhaps you envy my talent and background, but I envy your freedom. Although you were from the outer sect of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you had parents who adored you, a girl who loved you, and many elders who valued you."
"Especially when you broke through to Soul Saint, you could do whatever you wanted. You were freer than anyone else. With your own strength, you changed everything. No one could bind you anymore."
Yang Xiong smiled. "If you wanted, you could live more freely than I do. Do you really think those so-called shackles can bind you?"
Qian Renxue drained her cup in one go. "I am the inheritor of the Angel God. I am the last hope of the Angel Clan. As the Angel God, I must remain pure and radiant. All of this is like a mountain, binding me in terms of morality and everything else."
"Just like the countless citizens of the Spirit Empire, just like the countless followers of the Angel Clan, just like the elders who silently dedicate themselves to me. These are all my shackles."
(END CHAPTER)
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