The two old men came to an agreement.
They decided to keep Zhao Li calm for now, while he was still unaware that he had been exposed, and wait for the Great Elder to return before making a decision.
The two quietly came to the Library Pavilion. After Ling Kongming saw Zhao Li, he looked at Ling Lingqi and nodded, then immediately retreated.
Ling Lingqi understood his old friend's meaning.
He wasn't in a hurry either. Just like before, he leaned back in his chair, only occasionally glancing at Zhao Li.
Since they had to keep him calm, doing nothing was the best approach.
Each time he looked over, he only saw Zhao Li quietly flipping through those rarely read books, one after another, with no other movements.
Zhao Li was quite shaken by the previous content and didn't notice the two old men's actions.
He continued to flip through and memorize on his own, one book after another.
Finally, after another half day, Ling Kongming walked in and nodded towards Ling Lingqi.
Ling Lingqi coughed lightly, trying to get Zhao Li's attention.
However, Zhao Li seemed not to hear him. He paused for a moment, then coughed again. Seeing that Zhao Li had looked over, he opened his mouth and asked:
"You still haven't memorized the inheritance?"
Zhao Li didn't answer. When he saw Ling Kongming, his heart skipped a beat, and he cursed inwardly:
Careless.
But on the surface, he remained calm, shaking his head:
"You've seen me make a fool of myself. I got absorbed in reading the stories earlier and haven't started learning the Cultivation Technique yet."
Ling Lingqi heard Zhao Li's words and nodded:
"Hurry and learn the Cultivation Technique, then go to the Imperial Court."
He had indeed seen this young man get absorbed in reading stories during the past half day.
After speaking, he lay back down again, chatting idly with Ling Kongming, but feeling a little emotional in his heart:
If no one tells these stories anymore in the future, when no one knows about them, will anyone still go and flip through them?
He didn't know, but for no reason, he felt a bit down.
Zhao Li heard this, but didn't go back to look at the Cultivation Technique. Instead, he walked directly towards the Imperial Court.
He understood now why this world, no matter how many years had passed, was still in a state of readiness for battle at any moment.
A sense of awe arose in him towards this race.
Seeing Zhao Li leave, the two old men exchanged glances. Ling Kongming was puzzled and asked:
"What does he mean by this? Have we been discovered?"
Ling Lingqi shook his head. He didn't know what was going on with Zhao Li:
"Let's go, we'll see when we get there."
Saying this, the two walked towards the Imperial Court.
Zhao Li stayed in the Library Pavilion for over two days. The battle between the Great Elder and Mo Yu had already ended, but no one knew the outcome of that battle. The Great Elder returned to the Imperial Court alone, and after that, the outsider didn't come to provoke them again.
Zhao Li arrived at the Imperial Court and saw a thin figure standing beneath the tall Divine Statue.
The Great Elder looked up at the Divine Statue, his eyes full of confusion.
He seemed to sense Zhao Li's arrival and asked to himself:
"Outsider, tell me, why do people always have to fight among themselves?"
Zhao Li was startled when he heard this, but quickly calmed down. When he saw Ling Kongming earlier, he was already prepared for exposure.
He continued to walk forward, standing beside the Great Elder, and also looked up at the Divine Statue:
"He is very great."
The Great Elder was surprised and turned to look at him:
"You know the Emperor Lord?"
Zhao Li nodded:
"I saw it in the books."
"You are quite different from him."
Zhao Li knew who he was referring to, smiled, and then spoke to himself:
"If within the country there are no upright officials and capable advisors, and outside the country there are no hostile foreign threats, the country will always perish. Only then will one know that life comes from suffering and death comes from ease. The continent underwent a sudden change one morning. After ten thousand years of peace, no one remembers the past anymore."
As the Great Elder listened, the look in his eyes towards Zhao Li gradually changed. Then he was stunned, full of doubt, and asked:
"Ten thousand years of peace? Did someone from the outside world, like the Emperor Lord, resist the Evil Race?"
Zhao Li shook his head. He didn't know what had happened ten thousand years ago that brought the continent ten thousand years of peace. Compared to constantly fighting the Outer Realm Demons in the past, it was indeed peaceful.
"No, figures like the Emperor Lord are already legends on the continent, and the most recent Emperor is also from ten thousand years ago, but he, like his predecessors, has disappeared without a trace."
Hearing this, the Great Elder's eyes dimmed, but he quickly perked up.
"Can you tell me about the outside world?"
Zhao Li nodded.
He told them what he knew. In truth, after removing what he'd learned from books, he didn't know much. He finished quickly, and then a look of longing appeared in his eyes.
"If only they could all be like the village, passing down the glory and spirit of their ancestors from generation to generation, continuing this inheritance and spirit. How wonderful that would be."
Hearing this, the Great Elder laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
"Even the Emperor Lord's power could only allow our race to be like this. And after so many years, the outside world is no longer what it once was. What you're saying can only be a thought."
Then, he looked at Zhao Li and whispered,
"Thank you for your answer. If there's nothing else, you may leave."
Zhao Li felt a sense of relief. After his identity was exposed, he felt somewhat confident he could leave, so he wasn't flustered. However, he truly didn't want to fight against a race that was using all its strength to resist demons. This outcome was for the best.
Zhao Li first shook his head, then nodded.
"That wasn't my answer. The person who fought you earlier should be from the Soul Hall, an extremely powerful force in the outside world. You can't stop them."
The Great Elder sighed deeply, said nothing more, and waved his hand.
Seeing this, Zhao Li also sighed. He first bowed to the Divine Statue, then cupped his fists to the Great Elder, turned, and left.
Seeing Zhao Li leave, the Great Elder's figure vanished, and then his voice spread far, far away.
"Quickly move the village, prepare, and resist the enemy!"
Ling Kongming and Ling Lingqi saw Zhao Li leave the Imperial Court and didn't think much of it. Ling Lingqi even breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately after, they heard the Great Elder's words. Although they didn't understand why, they still obeyed and prepared for battle.
Since the Great Elder had made a decision, there must be a reason for it.
Zhao Li left the Imperial Court and went straight back in the direction he came from.
Two days later, Zhao Li arrived at the city, but it was different from the heavily guarded, grim atmosphere it had before.
There were no patrolling figures on the city walls, the banners had fallen, and the city was deathly silent.
Zhao Li's Soul Power swept across, and he saw a few corpses in the distance.
Zhao Li walked over and saw their eyes wide open, as if in disbelief and confusion, wondering why their compatriots, who fought alongside them in stories, would turn on them.
Zhao Li tremblingly extended his hands and closed their eyes. He waved his hand and put the bodies into his Storage Ring. There was no time to bury them now; he had to find others first.
After searching around the vicinity and finding nothing, Zhao Li hurried towards the initial village.
When Zhao Li arrived at the village, he only saw corpses scattered everywhere.
He walked forward step by step, looking at the familiar faces. Zhao Li's rage burned, and his eyes were about to split.
"See? I told you someone would definitely come back. Waiting here wasn't wrong."
A voice filled with surprise and pride came from behind. Zhao Li turned his head to look.
Three people, all Dou Emperor cultivation level.
"Big Brother's head is still the best. With our strength, fighting them is just asking for death. It's better to wait in these places for the fish that slipped through the net."
Hearing these words, Zhao Li's heart grew increasingly disgusted, and his eyes turned cold.
Scanned by Zhao Li's gaze, the few people felt a little intimidated.
But they quickly reacted, seemingly startled by Zhao Li and feeling somewhat embarrassed. The leader roared,
"Kid, what are you looking at? I don't like that look in your eyes. You seem quite sad. As long as you obediently tell me everything you know, I'll send you on your way to reunite with them."
Zhao Li's heart grew more and more irritable. With a thought, he suppressed the few people to the ground. He walked towards them step by step, squatted in front of them, and asked coldly,
"Where did you come from? What happened to them?"
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