“He is not Lao Tzu, the Supreme Venerable Lord!”
“Could it be that he also carries a Substitute Mirror, making him a spy from the Demon Emperor planted in the Immortal Realm?”
“Otherwise, how could there be evil aura around him?”
“And furthermore, what he said just now is utter nonsense. How could Lao Tzu, the Supreme Venerable Lord, have a daughter? This is a desecration of Lao Tzu! Even if he did have a daughter, how could he treat her so cruelly, tormenting her for a thousand years? Who could do such a thing? No, I must find out the truth first, and then deal with them won’t be too late.”
Shui Miao’s thoughts raced as he immediately left the Tower of Time, flying swiftly toward Fa City.
At this moment, all the city lords of Fa City happened to be gathered, discussing the events of the day.
“Brother Shui Miao, where is Lord Tianji?”
Seeing Shui Miao return without Tianji Sage, everyone immediately surrounded him, asking anxiously.
Seeing everyone’s genuine concern for Tianji Sage, Shui Miao suddenly felt a very ominous premonition in his heart.
If everyone finds out that I’ve deceived them, would they still trust me then? All the efforts I’ve made to earn everything might be completely negated because of this deception. Integrity comes first. Should I really reveal the truth?
Shui Miao was an honest person. Although he had told a lie temporarily, his heart was constantly in turmoil.
Thinking back, Shui Miao suddenly realized that his current situation was truly not optimistic.
He had already offended the Demon Emperor and a group of demon lords…
He had also antagonized a batch of powerful alien cultivators…
And with the returning Ancient Immortals, there would certainly be more conflicts…
As for these friends in front of him, would he also have to deceive and offend them all?
“No!”
“I want to be myself again. Some truths should be revealed to everyone. Since we are friends, I shouldn’t hide anything from them!”
Shui Miao shook his head, muttering to himself.
Wenchang Emperor, Tianyi Dejun, Shuitian Yishengmu, Xingtian Fazun, and Leibu Zunzhe Chongyuanzi all looked at each other in surprise.
“Brother Shui Miao, what truth are you talking about?”
Wenchang Emperor asked with concern.
Shui Miao looked at everyone and said, “Everyone, since you regard me as a friend, I cannot treat you as outsiders either. Therefore, there are some things I must tell you. However, time is pressing, and I don’t have the luxury of explaining in detail. Please all come with me to my Tower of Time, where I will show you all the memories of my life. I’m doing this not for any other reason but to keep your friendship, so you can understand me, and then work together toward the goal we’ve set. Of course, for this purpose, I don’t need any fame or position. I just need your understanding.”
Shui Miao was slightly excited.
Upon hearing this, everyone, seeing how sincere Shui Miao was, nodded in agreement.
Thus, Shui Miao teleported everyone into the Tower of Time and transferred all his memories to them.
As time passed, everyone closed their eyes, reviewing Shui Miao’s memories. Then, one by one, they showed astonished expressions.
However, Wenchang Emperor was the first to speak: “Brother Shui Miao, you’ve surpassed yourself. I deeply admire what you’ve done. Let’s not dwell on whether some of your actions were appropriate, but one thing is certain: your intentions were good. Overall, your heart is kind and sincere. Based on this alone, I’m proud to call you my friend.”
“Exactly! No one is perfect. Shui Miao, you’ve shown us such honesty, and I, Tianyi Dejun, am truly convinced. Making mistakes is not a big deal; what matters is the determination to correct them and the attitude toward life’s overall direction. If you master these two points, you are indeed a true gentleman, and I’m happy to befriend a gentleman,” Tianyi Dejun nodded appreciatively at Shui Miao.
“Yeah, what’s past is past… Hehe…”
Xingtian Fazun chuckled awkwardly, never expecting the truth to be like this.
Shuitian Yishengmu also stepped forward: “Everyone, I know my character isn’t good enough to deserve the position of Source City’s ruler. Please rest assured, I’m only temporarily managing it. When a suitable candidate appears, I will definitely step down.”
Influenced by Shui Miao, Shuitian Yishengmu also became humble and modest.
Hearing this, everyone was surprised again, sensing that Shuitian Yishengmu’s words were indeed sincere.
Chongyuanzi, who had always strictly adhered to heavenly laws and viewed moral bottom lines as his life, was moved by the atmosphere and sighed involuntarily: “Shui Miao! I believe in you, but I’m also deeply concerned about your current situation. Now you’ve made too many enemies in the Immortal Realm, and the Ancient Immortals are about to return. I’d like to hear your plans for what comes next?”
“Thank you all…”
Shui Miao, somewhat excited, clasped his fists toward everyone and then said: “Since I don’t know much about the Ancient Immortals, I’ll decide based on the situation. If they do well, that’s fine. If not, I will absolutely not agree. As for the alien powers and the Demon Emperor Wu Yazi, I will take full responsibility.”
“Shui Miao, you don’t have to say it like that. We can’t let you shoulder all this alone. Since ancient times, the alien cultivators have often oppressed our Immortal Realm, and the Demon Realm has been colluding with them. They are not only your enemies but ours as well. As for the Ancient Immortals… they also have both good and bad ones. If they can follow our path, then there is hope for the Immortal Realm and all beings. But if they try to reestablish feudal rule…” Wenchang Emperor shook his head, “That will definitely have a tremendous impact…”
Tianyi Dejun nodded in agreement: “Yes! Now it’s great that we can communicate honestly with each other. In the past, we could only follow orders from above. The authorities wanted absolute control, so they restricted many capable people, forcing them into idle, meaningless lives. When they return, we should have a serious talk with them…”
“Talk with them?”
Shuitian Yishengmu immediately shook her head and sneered: “They won’t listen to us at all. They will only seize Golden City and reclaim the ruling power.”
“Brother Shui Miao, we’ll follow your lead. Whatever you decide, we’ll do it!” Xingtian Fazun thought about the Ancient Immortals’ return and how all the good positions would be taken by them, causing his own value to plummet, and he couldn’t help but get angry.
“Not in a hurry, not in a hurry. Let’s first see how things develop. If they are still as self-righteous as before, then we can make our plans accordingly,” Chongyuanzi looked at everyone seriously. “Our Immortal Realm has suffered heavy losses. To grow stronger, we must avoid internal conflicts. With external threats lurking, we’d better unite all forces that can be united.”
What Chongyuanzi said indeed made sense.
Now, these city lords were no longer what they used to be; each of them possessed supreme holy treasures, forming a formidable force indeed.
In such circumstances, these city lords indeed had the leverage to maneuver.
After a moment’s thought, Shui Miao summarized: “Everyone, here’s the plan. The Ancient Immortals might return at any moment. To prepare for the unexpected, I will now go to the Immortal-Demon Realm to gather some material for forging holy treasures. Then, if something unexpected happens, we will at least have some leverage to balance against them. We are not seeking fame or profit; we only want the Three Realms to be better. If they cannot even recognize people like us, then we have no reason to recognize them either.”
“Materials? I have more than enough!”
Tianyi Dejun stood up readily and responded generously.
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