There were millions of Prodigies in the world, and "villains" were not stupid either; it was always better to have one more friend than one more enemy. Unless both sides had an irreconcilable feud, everything was negotiable. Suppressing a Prodigy brought no benefits to people like them; on the contrary, it would only bring trouble upon themselves.
The two passed through the side gate of the martial arts arena and walked into a quiet corridor. Both sides of the corridor were planted with spiritual bamboo, the leaves rustling in the breeze, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the outside world, this place felt like another world.
Commander He Guanshan walked in front with his hands behind his back, his pace leisurely. He did not speak, and Han Xuanji did not open his mouth either; the two just walked silently, one after the other.
After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Commander He Guanshan suddenly spoke.
"Aren't you curious why I cancelled the third round?"
Han Xuanji shook his head slightly:
"I am curious, but since you, Commander, did so, you naturally have your reasons."
Commander He Guanshan chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of relief:
"You certainly know how to talk."
He stopped, turned around to look at Han Xuanji, his gaze much softer than it had been in the martial arts arena.
"The third round I originally arranged was for you to fight against the Huben Legion's hundred-man battle formation.
It wasn't a wheel battle; it was to face one hundred people at the same time.
Those one hundred people are not ordinary soldiers, but the elite of my Huben Legion, skilled in combined attack techniques and highly coordinated. Even an Eternal True Lord would find it difficult to escape if trapped within it."
Han Xuanji listened quietly without interrupting.
Commander He Guanshan continued: "But I thought about it later and felt it was unnecessary. Your battle with Centurion Zhou Lie has already shown me your strength."
He paused, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes:
"To tell you the truth, I have some regrets."
Han Xuanji raised an eyebrow slightly:
"Regrets?"
"I regret not discovering you sooner."
Commander He Guanshan sighed and said:
"If you were in the Huben Legion, I would spare no effort to cultivate you. My He Family is also a Saint Family, much more prosperous than the current Hun Family, and even thirty percent stronger than the Hun Family at its Peak."
Han Xuanji was silent for a moment; he naturally understood Commander He Guanshan's intention to recruit him.
The other party's implication was very simple: the He Family had a Saint overseeing it and was much stronger than the Hun Family. If Han Xuanji was interested, he could certainly recommend him.
Han Xuanji could obtain better resources, and he could also be more highly valued by his Family's Old Ancestor for recommending such talent.
It was a win-win situation.
But naturally, Han Xuanji could not just inexplicably change places; the Hun Family treated him well, and he did not need to move for the time being.
"Thank you for your kindness, Commander. 'I, Han' appreciate it, but the Hun Family treats me well, and I will not switch allegiances."
Commander He Guanshan waved his hand:
"I know, so I did not force it. I was just... a bit regretful, that's all."
He turned around and continued walking forward, saying as he walked:
"As for me, I value the concept of 'fate' in everything I do. You and I have fate; being able to meet in Qianhun City is fate.
I am helping you once today; perhaps you can help me once in the future.
On the path of cultivation, who can say for sure?"
Han Xuanji understood the deeper meaning in his words.
Commander He Guanshan was building good karma, not making a transaction.
Such a person was much more terrifying and much more respectable than those who quibbled over every ounce and calculated at every turn.
After all, his meaning was very simple: if Han Xuanji did not succeed in the future, it did not matter to him; if he did succeed in the future, he could lend him a hand.
" Xuanji will remember the Commander's kindness today," Han Xuanji said solemnly.
Commander He Guanshan laughed and waved his hand:
"It doesn't count as kindness; it's just going with the flow. If you didn't have the strength, I couldn't help you even if I wanted to.
Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We have arrived at the Creation Platform."
He stopped and pointed forward.
Han Xuanji looked in the direction he was pointing, and his pupils constricted slightly.
At the end of the corridor, the view suddenly opened up. Han Xuanji stopped, and where his gaze landed was a high platform floating in mid-air. The high platform was cyan-gray all over, and it was unknown what kind of stone it was built from. The surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the clouds in the sky.
Around the high platform, huge stone pillars shot up into the sky. The pillars were engraved with dense Dao markings. Those Dao markings were not static but were slowly flowing, as if they had life, emitting a pale golden light.
But what truly shocked Han Xuanji was not the scale of the high platform, but the dao-rhythm that rushed towards him.
It was as if a majestic giant spirit was sitting cross-legged there, overlooking all things in heaven and earth.
In that dao-rhythm, there was both the vitality of creating all things and the cold ruthlessness of overlooking all living beings.
Two completely opposite auras intertwined, yet they were whole, without the slightest conflict.
"Do you feel it?"
Commander He Guanshan stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching Han Xuanji's reaction, the corners of his mouth slightly curled:
"The Creation Platform is actually the place where a friend of one of my He Family's Old Ancestors attained the Dao."
Han Xuanji nodded, his gaze still fixed on the high platform.
He could feel that the dao rhyme here was much purer and much more profound than that of the Five Elements Altar.
Thinking about it, this Saint's Dao cultivation might be even more powerful than he had imagined. After all, there were differences in strength among Saints.
"However," Commander He Guanshan changed the subject and said with a smile:
"There is one thing that outsiders do not know, and I am afraid even the Hun Family's intelligence has not mentioned it."
Han Xuanji turned his head and looked at him.
Commander He Guanshan extended a finger and pointed at the high platform, a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes:
"That Old Ancestor did not just cultivate the Dao of Creation. He also mastered the Dao of Destruction. Creation and Destruction, in his hands, merged into one, indistinguishable from each other.
That kid, Centurion Zhou Lie, only grasped the superficial aspects. The true core Legacy is hidden deep within the Creation Platform, and to this day, no one has been able to touch it."
Han Xuanji felt a jolt in his heart.
Although Centurion Zhou Lie had also mastered these two Dao principles at the same time, his Fusion was too rough; it was just a superficial superposition, not a true Fusion into one.
"In your battle with Centurion Zhou Lie, I have already seen your potential."
Commander He Guanshan looked at Han Xuanji, his gaze serious:
"For this Creation Platform, if an ordinary person enters, it would be good if they could grasp the superficial aspects.
But you are different. If you can gain some enlightenment on the Creation Platform, you might be able to touch that Old Ancestor's core Legacy."
He paused and added:
"Of course, whether you can comprehend it or not depends on your own fortune. I have helped you this far, and I have done my utmost."
Han Xuanji was just about to thank him when a prompt from the System sounded in his mind.
[Detected a ten-star Sign In location, "Creation Platform". Do you wish to Sign In? (Each Sign In requires 40 eternal points, and you can Sign In 50 times)]