...
Xuan Hao listened quietly.
After she finished speaking, Xuan Hao did not show any emotion or sympathy.
"And now?"
"What?" Huo Wu was stunned, tears still clinging to her face.
She was clearly taken aback by Xuan Hao's sudden question and was momentarily at a loss for words.
"I'm asking, how are you feeling right now?"
Xuan Hao leaned back on the sofa. "You went on stage against your will, got beaten up, and even used your trump card, the 'Ring Fusion Out of Control.' Now, looking back, has your so-called inner demon been broken?"
Huo Wu opened her mouth, but didn't know how to answer.
She thought that Xuanhao would be somewhat moved after hearing her story, and might even appreciate her courage.
Seeing her dazed expression, Xuan Hao leaned forward with a strange look in his eyes.
"You came to see me in the middle of the night, you wouldn't happen to be hoping for some comfort from me, or a couple of bland words of encouragement, would you?"
Huo Wu's face instantly turned bright red. "That's not what I meant! I just..."
"sit down."
Huo Wu gritted her teeth and obediently sat back down on the sofa.
"I think your mindset is really problematic."
Xuan Hao picked up his water glass and took a sip.
"Look at Shui Bing'er from Tianshui Academy.
She and her sisters were directly shocked by my dragon might, causing them to bleed from all seven orifices and go into shock on the spot.
Their experience was much worse than yours, wasn't it?"
"And what happened? That night, he composed himself, came to thank me openly, and even asked me for help in getting rid of his teammates' trauma.
What do you call that?
That's called being flexible and adaptable!"
Xuanhao put down his water glass and continued listing the items:
"Look at Tiandou City, and even the nobles and playboys around the imperial city.
Over the past few years, how many of them haven't been beaten to a pulp by me?"
"Let's not talk about anything else, just take Yu Tianheng from the Heavenly Fighting Royal Team.
That guy is a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and is known as a top genius with the best chance of inheriting the position of the sect leader of the three upper sects.
And what happened?
I've been beating him up since two years ago. You could say he's been defeated time and time again, and then he keeps fighting."
Xuan Hao shrugged: "Look at them, because I beat them up, they've been completely devastated ever since, constantly complaining about inner demons and wanting to die?"
"No, they still eat and drink as usual, and get up the next day to continue their training."
Xuan Hao looked at Huo Wu and relentlessly criticized her:
"Look at you again. Just because you lost to me once in the arena, you're acting like you're trying to kill yourself, spouting all sorts of 'shadows' and 'inner demons.' Isn't your mentality a bit too fragile?"
Huo Wu's eyes reddened as he spoke, her chest heaving violently.
She couldn't help but retort, "You don't understand! They are them, and I am me! I've never..."
"I know."
Xuan Hao interrupted her directly.
"I know that you geniuses who have grown up in a greenhouse are used to smooth sailing and have never experienced any real setbacks. So you all have a misconception deep down that you were born to be the protagonist and that you should be invincible."
"So when you suddenly encounter a powerful enemy that you can't fight back against, and suffer a crushing defeat, your self-esteem will collapse instantly.
You'll feel like the sky is falling and it's unbearable."
"But the problem is..."
Xuan Hao leaned forward, looking directly into Huo Wu's eyes:
"There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Isn't that the most basic common sense in this world?
What's there to be upset about?"
"You think I'm strong, an invincible monster."
Xuan Hao pointed to himself, his tone frank, "But I've never thought of myself as truly invincible.
In this vast world, and even beyond this continent, there are definitely monsters more powerful and terrifying than me!"
"Does the thought that someone stronger than me exists, and that it hurts my pride, make me want to just slit my throat and end it all?"
"Isn't that nonsense?"
Huo Wu stared at him blankly, as if she were seeing this legendary "peerless evil god" for the first time.
"Pride is something you can certainly have.
It allows you to maintain your dignity in front of the weak and gives you the motivation to move forward."
Xuan Hao's voice became deep and powerful, "But the problem is, you can't have nothing but pride!"
"So, once your so-called pride is shattered by others, you become an empty shell, without even the courage to live?
Are you living all this time just for that pitiful face?
For that ephemeral vanity?"
"Fire Dance, tell me," Xuan Hao stared at her, "what is the purpose of life?"
Huo Wu opened her mouth, her mind a complete mess.
In her mind, a Soul Master lives to cultivate, become stronger, and fight for the honor of the academy and the family.
"Let me tell you."
Xuan Hao didn't wait for her answer and gave his own: "People live to be happy."
"It's that simple. So that I can live comfortably and happily."
"If your pride makes you feel proud, makes you feel energetic every day when you wake up, and makes you feel that your life is meaningful and valuable... then that pride is a good thing."
"But what if one day, this pride becomes a heavy shackle; what if it causes you pain, makes you feel like you're living a life worse than death, or even drives you to despair..."
"Then it's no longer a source of pride; it's just a burden, a pile of worthless garbage!"
"When it comes to trash, just throw it away. What's the big deal?"
Xuan Hao shrugged. "To drive yourself into a dead end for such a trivial matter of face is something only a fool would do."
After hearing these mind-blowing remarks, Huo Wu was completely stunned.
"Xuanhao...don't you want to listen to what you're saying?"
As Soul Masters, we are taught from a young age that we can sacrifice everything for honor.
But in this guy's mouth, honor and pride have become trash that can be thrown away at any time?
"Am I wrong?"
Xuan Hao countered with a matter-of-fact tone.
"Survival is the first priority at the genetic level of all life. Only after satisfying this most basic rule can you have the right to talk about pursuits, honors, or living a meaningful life."
"But whatever you pursue afterward, it must never violate this most basic point—that is, you must live."
"Only by living can anything be possible. Only by living can there be hope.
When you die, everything is gone. Can those so-called face and pride be buried with you in the ground?"
"You lost to me today, and you feel like the sky has fallen and you have no face to live anymore."
"But who knows if you'll meet new people, experience new things, find new pride, or find new attachment when the sun rises tomorrow?"
Xuan Hao leaned back on the sofa.
"So don't let one failure defeat you so easily. Don't define your life arbitrarily, and don't deny yourself arbitrarily."
"You're actually pretty good. At least, you're much better than the vast majority of good-for-nothings in this world who just drift along with the tide."
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