As the Three Great Empires gradually lowered their banners, it seemed as though none of them intended to continue the war.
Up to this point, the Jialing Pass battlefield had been a devastating meat grinder for both the Spirit Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire. Soldiers and Soul Masters were constantly Fallen, and if the fighting continued, the Two Great Empires would likely exhaust their foundations.
The Star Luo Empire suffered relatively fewer losses, but in terms of high-end strength, they were the weakest of the Three Great Empires and also had no desire to continue fighting.
After a period of recovery, Yang Xiong's wounds, which were infused with Angel God power, were gradually worn away under the effect of Asura Divine Power.
Compared to these wounds, although they were attached with Purification Power and Flame Power, and the Divine Power was incredibly pure, it was ultimately like water without a source or wood without roots.
And under the erosion of his Martial Soul and Divine Power, Yang Xiong's entire body was covered in Blood Red light, gradually consuming all of this Divine Power.
After the clash of Divine Power, Yang Xiong gradually realized that although he had mastered Asura Divine Power, there was still a huge gap between him and a true God.
Divine Power seemed to be an evolved version of Soul Power, at a higher level and more pure.
Compared to Soul Power, the energy contained in every trace of Divine Power was extremely terrifying.
Soul Power comes from the Martial Soul itself and is cultivated by Soul Masters. Even if some Soul Power is lost, it can be quickly restored through cultivation.
But Divine Power is completely different. It seems to contain the will of the God itself, meaning there seems to be a trace of the God's own Divine Soul remaining within it. This is why Divine Power has stronger independence.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but think that the so-called Gods were merely Soul Masters cultivating to a higher realm. It was an evolution of a Soul Master's body, Divine Soul, and Martial Soul. Soul Masters, after various kinds of tempering, gradually transformed into Gods.
And the so-called God Position was more like a vessel after a Soul Master's evolution. If a Soul Master had enough lifespan, cultivating to become a God was not impossible.
However, this requirement was too high. At least when calculated in millennia, ordinary Soul Masters simply couldn't live that long.
Yang Xiong carefully observed his body. He had indeed mastered some Divine Power. Part of this Divine Power came from the Asura God's bestowal, and the other part was the result of his body breaking through its limits countless times, especially the two Body Refinement sessions at Sea God Island and Slaughter City's Blood River. Only after countless times of being tempered by Divine Power did his body gradually begin to evolve.
Yang Xiong was very clear that with his current physical condition, if he wanted to break through again, the required energy would likely be extremely vast, even far exceeding his imagination.
This meant that it would be very difficult for Yang Xiong to reach Level 99, and even any rare treasures would have no effect.
Just as Yang Xiong was completely immersed in his cultivation, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Yang Xiong, come out and meet me!"
Yang Xiong's eyes showed extreme confusion. This guy isn't trying to recover from his injuries, why is he suddenly looking for me?
This voice was very familiar to Yang Xiong; it came from Qian Renxue. In this world, only Qian Renxue had the strength to transmit a message without anyone noticing.
However, Yang Xiong thought for a moment. This Qian Renxue was indeed not someone who would take advantage of others' weaknesses. She probably wouldn't lure him out to ambush him. Perhaps meeting her was a good thing.
Yang Xiong stood up directly, ignoring everything outside, and transformed into a streak of light, leaving his room.
Soon, Yang Xiong arrived at a mountaintop. Qian Renxue was sitting on the peak, drinking. At this moment, Qian Renxue no longer had her usual arrogance; she looked more like a little girl who had been wronged.
"Sit down, have a couple of drinks with me."
Although Yang Xiong was a little confused, he still silently sat opposite Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue held a wine jar, poured a large cup of wine, and handed it directly to Yang Xiong. "I wanted to drink, but I didn't know who in this world could drink with me, so I thought of you."
Yang Xiong took the wine cup and drank it in one gulp without any hesitation.
"Good wine. It should be hard to find such aged wine in this world. It must be the long-lost Drunken Red Dust."
Qian Renxue smiled. "I didn't expect you to know about wine. It seems I really found the right person. This Drunken Red Dust was left by my grandfather. My grandfather was always reluctant to drink it, so only a few jars were left."
Yang Xiong directly took the wine jar and poured himself a cup, drinking it down again in one gulp.
When the wine truly entered his mouth, his whole body felt a slight daze. The pores all over his body seemed to be stimulated, and even every cell felt a little turbulent.
"Good wine. Only Senior Qian Daoliu would be willing to use so many precious medicinal herbs to brew wine, and judging by the age, it must be a hundred years old. It's truly fragrant and mellow."
Qian Renxue smiled slightly. "This is my grandfather's treasure. It's probably unique in the world. You little thief got lucky."
Yang Xiong didn't waste words and directly raised his cup. "Whether we are friends or foes, whatever your intentions are today, let's get drunk today."
After clinking cups, they both drank the wine in their cups again in one gulp, as if they weren't enemies but old friends.
Qian Renxue spoke leisurely. "This is the first time I've had a drink in so many years. I didn't like drinking when I was young. After I went to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, even when I occasionally drank, I used Soul Power to dispel the alcohol, completely afraid to relax even a little."
Yang Xiong's expression changed slightly. "Why did you do that? To prove yourself, you even hid your thoughts and feelings. With your talent and aptitude, there was absolutely no need to do that."
Qian Renxue didn't respond. "I still miss the way we used to argue. Although I was angry and wary back then, you were ultimately the only person who made me laugh and cry, and the only person I couldn't do anything about."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Qian Renxue, with your strength and status, getting rid of a little kid like me back then shouldn't have been a big problem, right?"
Qian Renxue's lips curved into a smile. "Perhaps it was because I felt you were the same kind of person as me back then. I had been lurking in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace since I was young, not daring to show my true face."
"But weren't you the same as me? You were just an ordinary disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before, although you were recognized by the Sect Leader. At a young age, you showed an unusual maturity."
"No matter how well you hid it, your ambition was undeniable. The way you were so cautious and hesitant, I felt like I was seeing myself."
"It's rare to meet someone of the same kind, someone whose talent I recognized. Although I wanted to see your future, to see how far you could go, perhaps I was too confident back then, believing that my talent was unparalleled, so I wanted to watch you, this young sapling, grow, and then teach you how to destroy."
Yang Xiong smiled. "I've always found it strange. Both the Upper Three Sects and Bibi Dong are dedicated to eliminating geniuses in the opposing camp. Take the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, for example; they have lost quite a few talented disciples over the years. But from childhood to adulthood, I haven't been threatened by your experts. I think with the strength of the Spirit Empire and you, it should have been possible."
Qian Renxue smiled. "Perhaps. I've always considered you my prey. My prey naturally won't be touched by Bibi Dong."
The two chatted about everything under the sun, clinking glasses from time to time, as if they completely disregarded the battle from a few days ago.
Qian Renxue suddenly spoke, "Yang Xiong, I've always been very curious, how did you discover me? What you said last time about having a scent on me was probably just an excuse, right?"
Yang Xiong looked at the wine in his cup. His reflection in the wine made him feel a little melancholic.
"Perhaps it was intuition. Just as you said, we are the same kind of people. We both hide our thoughts and ambitions, and we also hide all our joys, angers, sorrows, and delights. Perhaps only we can truly see each other clearly."
Qian Renxue smiled. "See? We really are two of a kind. No wonder we used to enjoy bickering so much back then. Maybe it was hurting each other, or maybe it was trying to test the other's limits."
"Oh, right, Yang Xiong. Ever since you found out my true identity, what kind of person have I been in your eyes? Selfish and greedy, or cunning and scheming?"
Yang Xiong carefully recalled their past encounters and couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "Actually, I really envy you. You're proud, decisive, ruthless, cold-hearted, and exceptionally talented. You were born a favored child of heaven. Even when you were in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, you had your own pride."
"As for me, I started out quite humbly. I came from the outer sect of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, just a very ordinary disciple. I wasn't any different from those ordinary disciples who Fallen in this war."
"Perhaps it's precisely because I was unwilling to be ordinary that I tried every means to become stronger, that I tried every means to gain Ning Fengzhi's attention, that I tried every means to obtain all resources and opportunities."
"After so many years of planning, after so many years of hard work, after countless life-or-death experiences, I can finally reach your level, finally no longer have to look at anyone's face."
"And all my struggles over these years were things you were born with. Perhaps that's the biggest difference between us."
Qian Renxue was silent for a moment before speaking. "Maybe. You envy my talent and background, but I also envy your freedom. Although you were in the outer sect of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you had parents who doted on you endlessly, the girl who loved you most, and so many elders who valued you."
"Especially after you broke through to Soul Saint, you could do anything you wanted. You were more carefree than anyone, and more free than anyone. You changed everything with your own power. There are no more cages to bind you in this world."
Yang Xiong smiled. "If you're willing, you could live even more freely than I do. Can those so-called cages you mentioned really bind you?"
Qian Renxue directly drained the wine in her cup. "I am the Inheritor of the Angel God, the last hope of the Angel Lineage. As the Angel God, I must be holy and glorious. All of this is like a great mountain, binding me from both a moral and other perspectives."
"Just like the countless citizens of the Spirit Empire, just like the countless believers of the Angel Clan, just like those revered elders who silently sacrificed for me, these are all my restraints."
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