Li Cheng smiled and replied, "If it weren't for your help, my young friend, it would have all been for naught, no matter how hard I tried. When my Lifebound Painting evolved, the mutation also sealed off my path forward. Without this opportunity to open the way, no amount of effort would have been useful."
Zhang Deming replied, "Ultimately, this is the result of your own hard work, Elder. I merely added the icing on the cake."
Li Cheng shook his head. "This wasn't merely icing on the cake. This was a lifeline when I needed it most."
Li Shifan watched with a bizarre expression as the two of them launched into a round of mutual flattery, each praising the other for their help. His face twitched, and he could barely maintain his cold, aloof persona.
'How can they be like this?'
