At this moment, the speaker was a pitch-black qilin, majestic and imposing in form but with a voice as crisp as a child's.
On top of the gathering of myriad beasts sat Emperor One, who let out a low, rumbling laugh upon hearing the black qilinâs doubts.
"Experience, as they say, is a double-edged sword. It grants us the confidence to face crises, yet subtly pushes us toward the abyss."
A black, amorphous mass stirred, seemingly expressing its discontent.
âThis calamity is unlike any of the ones weâve faced in history."
"Its origins lie in..."
At this point, a grotesque multitude of fierce beasts began to emerge from Emperor Oneâs mass.
"Shut up, you!"
"Why waste breath on these useless creatures! Those who donât obey, devour them all!"
"What âTen Thousand Beast clanâ? With only me, 'Emperor One,' itâs enough!"
...
This unsettling scene silenced all attending beasts, though none of them seemed surprised by the outburst. There was fear in their eyes, but no shock.
The black mass churned once more, swallowing the snarling heads back within itself, as Emperor One resumed, unfazed, "As such, this catastrophe surpasses what the Xuanhuang Realm itself can resolve."
"If no additional factors intervene, everything in this world will end in extinction."
Emperor One's serious tone commanded the full attention of the assembled beasts, who all grew solemn.
"However, since I said I would lead you to survival, I naturally have a way out."
Emperor One's voice, as if resonating from countless forms, echoed through the space.
"Among the human cultivators, there is a sect called the Heavenly Sword Sect. In the face of this great catastrophe, they hope to seize a chance of survival by creating a 'Void-Breaking Divine Weapon,' a tool capable of shattering space-time itself, allowing them to escape from Xuanhuang."
"Setting aside the feasibility of their plan, it has inspired me."
"This mountain beneath us happens to be a natural âVoid-Breaking Divine Weapon.â With some modifications, it could lead us to escape as well," Emperor One declared confidently.
"Mount Nanming stands at the edge of the world, at the land's end and seaâs edge. Thus, it has accumulated a great deal of energy from the world's natural overflow..."
Di Yi began to explain the principles to the beasts. None dared to slacken their attention; regardless of their true thoughts, each wore a serious expression.
In the transparent room above, Xu Ke yawned as he listened.
"How boring. Why do these powerful beasts love to drone on? Not impressive at all," he muttered quietly.
Turning to the child beside him, who was even smaller than himself, he asked, "Why did you bring us here? Isnât this an internal meeting of the beast clan? Isnât it bad for us to eavesdrop?"
"Itâs fine. It wonât mind." The child looked down at the speaking Emperor One beast and said lightly.
Although Xu Ke was naturally carefree, he was no fool. He glanced around cautiously and whispered, "From the way you talk, you seem pretty familiar with Lord Emperor One."
"Could it be... that youâre its illegitimate child?"
"Think that if you wish," the child replied openly, much to Xu Keâs surprise.
Xu Ke froze in shock.
"Or rather, 'I' am Emperor One. But 'I' am not Emperor One," the child added.
Xu Keâs eyes widened in disbelief.
Li Fan, too, shifted his attention from Emperor Oneâs speech below to the child in front of him. Though he had his suspicions, it was shocking to think that the supreme beast lord would take on a human form.
Emperor One, seeing Xu Ke and Li Fanâs astonished expressions, flashed a mysterious smile.
âWhatâs the matter? Surprised?â
Xu Ke nodded repeatedly.
"Thereâs no need for that. All life, at its essence, is ultimately one."
"Beast or human, there is no fundamental difference," Emperor One continued, casually stating something shocking.
Li Fan thought that, in this sacred land of beasts, if anyone other than the beast lord himself said such a thing, theyâd likely be devoured by the furious beasts on the spot.
"Itâs almost amusing that it took me so long to realize this," the child-like Emperor One said, looking down at the gathered beasts with an air of ancient wisdom.
"Back then, Lu Ya once told me that the strength of beasts lies in the inheritance of bloodline power. But over generations, the purity of that bloodline weakens. Although rare cases of atavism can occur, overall, the strength of the beast clan has undeniably been diminishing."
At the mention of Senior Lu Ya, Xu Ke's eyes lit up, and he listened intently.
"Meanwhile, our opponents, humans, have grown stronger through generations of learning and accumulation. Cultivation methods, talismans, tools, formation, elixirsâtheir sources of power are things that can be passed down through generations."
"The gap continues to widen. What, then, lies in the future for the beast clans?"
"I thought about this question for three days and nights, but still found no answer."
"Forcing those without brains to learn alchemy or artifact refining?â
"Even I couldnât achieve that. If lying around, eating, drinking, and resting makes them stronger, why would they strive for anything else?"
"This is the beast clanâs dilemma. Although there may be some exceptional individuals, it canât change the entire clanâs ecology."
As though he were explaining to Xu Ke and Li Fan, or perhaps just talking to himself, Emperor One continued.
"So, you plan to turn beasts into humans? Like what youâre doing now?â Xu Ke asked, astonished at the realization.
Li Fanâs feathers ruffled slightly, sensing a chill.
"Yes."
"And no."
Di Yi shook his head, then nodded.
"As the leader of all beasts, I must consider the future of the entire beast clan, not just act based on personal preferences."
The child-like Emperor One gestured to the ten thousand beast gathering below.
"That other version of me has decided to lead the beasts in fleeing Xuanhuang."
"Even though I have utmost confidence, I canât deny that this plan may fail."
"Even if thereâs only a minuscule chance, I have to account for it."
"I donât want the beast clan to be doomed by one decision, so I need an alternative plan."
"I understand! This is what my seniors often sayâyou need a backup plan for everything!" Xu Ke said excitedly.
âNo, you donât understand,â Emperor One said bluntly.
"âTwo optionsâ would spell self-destruction for such a vast clan."
"How many beasts would accept the plan of transforming into humans? Not many, that much is certain."
"Enforcing such an order would only bring harm to an already divided clan, so I need to carry this plan out in secret."
Xu Ke scratched his head, looking perplexed. "What are you trying to say? The more you explain, the more confusing it gets."
Emperor One waved his hand, and suddenly, a lush tree appeared before them.
At the tip of one of its branches, Xu Ke saw his own reflection.
âThis isâŠ?â he asked, puzzled.
"This is the future," Emperor One replied solemnly. "One possible future."
"The fate of the beast clan is intertwined with you," Emperor One said, gazing at the small Xu Ke, his eyes filled with an ancient sadness.
Xu Ke watched the treeâs branches, each branch displaying different visions of the beast clanâs futureâsome filled with blood and complete extinction, others thriving and recalling the grandeur of ancient times.
There were scenes of beasts and humans coexisting in harmony, creating a glorious civilization, and others of desolation and ruin.
"An infinite future holds infinite possibilities."
"This means that no matter how slim a possibility may seem, under the concept of âinfinity,â everything is bound to occur."
"As the leader of the clan, I must consider every possible outcome for the beast clan's fate."
In that moment, Emperor One, despite his childlike form, spoke with a weight as heavy as mountains.
"This is my answer to Lu Yaâs question."
"Humans may have infinite potential, but you are divided, unable to unite the clan's power, exhausting yourselves in endless internal conflict."
"During a catastrophe, humanity would suffer greatly."
"Even if they survive by chance, the odds of extinction increase as disasters accumulate over time."
"But for us beasts, itâs different. As long as I exist, Iâll think everything through for my kin."
"Though they may have individual thoughts, when it comes to life and death, they must follow my command."
"As long as I live, the beast clan wonât face total extinction."
"If we canât compete with humans, we just have to outlast them until they destroy themselves."
Emperor One's tone carried a hint of faint irony.
Xu Ke frowned, wanting to retort, but found no suitable words.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Then how can you guarantee that you wonât die before the beast clanâs extinction?"
Emperor One gave Xu Ke a dark look but remained silent.