"Ancestor, what are you talking about? With our patriarchs to lead the way, our Qiu clan has braved immortals, deities and tribulation lightning to build you a brand-new body, force open a rift into this place, and give you the tools to return to the Great Desolation World! Although the rift is gone, the body is here! In me I also carry the energies of the entire Qiu clan. With your methods, can we not find a way out? Can we not plan our grand revenge?
But now you're calling the thousands of Qiu sons and daughters sacrificed for your grand return a... waste? No! I can't accept it, won't allow it and refuse to hear it! Ancestor, our grudge, our wrath and vengeance all rely on you! Where is your spine?!" The deference that Qiu Chen initially felt vanished upon hearing Qiu Meng's words.
So many had died, so much was lost, all to give him an opportunity! Regardless of what thought coursed through his mind, he didn't have the right to call it all a waste! This was an insult to all the Qiu had endeavored for, making Qiu Chen tremble with grief and indignation.
Undisturbed by Qiu Chen's outburst, Qiu Meng shook his head.
"Child, you don't understand. And how could you? After going through the River of Time and rolling back to immemorial times, I realize that I am the last of the first sons. So long as my Ancient Spirit lineage doesn't pass on, the Primordial Source will not allow me to perish. It is for this reason that Hell chose the Ancient Spirits—aware that through us, the resurrection of the Demon Monarch would go on till the end of times.
Your sacrifice wasn't necessary. Sooner or later, I would have returned to your world. I was just waiting for my wife, and A'Lin is back," Qiu Meng said, and by A'Lin, he naturally referred to his wife: the Snow Empress, Xue Lin.
However, Qiu Chen couldn't care for this. His ancestor's words made a mess of his mind, making him shake his head with an erratic vehemence. To find the Northern Dark Sea Palace, Qiu Sanbao and Qiu Sanren braved untold dangers. To locate the materials needed for the ritual, they spent thousands of years in self-imposed exile, challenging the brutal threats of the Endless Sea, one after the other.
For this grand ritual, so many had died, and it was all for nothing? An unnecessary show of loyalty that brought self-destruction to the overreaching fools of the Qiu clan? Who could accept such truth? Qiu Chen refused to! Despair, rage and unwillingness welled up in his soul—and as the scenes of his relatives' violent deaths replayed, his eyes turned red!
Focused on the past and mellow emotions, Qiu Meng ignored this. "Fine. My wife has been waiting for me for long enough. It is indeed time that I return. But as for this call for vengeance...sorry, I can't answer. I have seen the past and myriad variations of the future. No one can stop the Thousand-Faced God. The Great Desolation World will perish, Hengye Zhen will fall and Yongye dominate all until the last star falls from the Night. No matter what road you take, this result is unavoidable. I do not want to shoulder asinine hopes or expectations. Not for you, not for Sanren, not for Sanbao, Tusha, Miejue, Haoyou or Nieyuan, none can make me pick up the sword in defiance of the natural order.
Once, I too wished to stand above all. First, I took over my natal state, becoming the first and last Eunuch King. Then I spread my wings all the way to the Celestial Hall. All for what? In this life, I only want A'Lin. My apologies for letting you down." As Qiu Meng's words reached this point, melancholy softened his face further. From jet-black, his hair turned green. Green made way for a golden hue, before once again returning to black.
With each hair color change, Qiu Meng's face and clothes changed as well. Qiu Chen couldn't make sense of any of this, and he didn't care to.
"Is this the ancestor that we were all dying for? For you, we've lost it all. If it were all for naught, if you didn't need us to act the way we did, so be it. But you won't even take our grievances seriously, you won't consider avenging us and making Taiyang and Hengye pay back what they owe? That being the case, of what use are you?
What a joke! My Qiu clan's 5,000 clansmen have perished for his sake, but he only wants his wife! HIS WIFE!" Qiu Chen screamed in a dangerous mix of rage and agony. His voice boomed throughout the Void Space, causing ripples in the River of Time. Qiu Meng's gaze locked on Qiu Chen's. In it, he saw hatred and dementia that rose with each passing second.
Of all the futures that he peeped at through the River of Time, only his own remained a mystery. Dark mist oozed out of Qiu Chen's pores, the cries of ten-thousand demons laced his boundless wrath, and under Qiu Meng's horror-struck gaze, Qiu Chen's Heart Demon took over, enabling the Lords of Hell to make him balloon into a mass of pure Evil Qi.
"GOOD! VERY GOOD! You won't do it? Then I shall! Yongye, Hengye Zhen, Sun and Night, I WILL DESTROY THEM ALL! AVENGE THE QIU CLAN, AND TRAMPLE ALL UNDER THE HEAVENS!
THE ANCIENT SPIRIT LINEAGE IS WASTED ON YOU! GIVE IT TO ME!" Utterly unaware of the powers infesting his heart and soul, Qiu Chen merged his soul with the body prepared for his Ancestor, then lunged at Qiu Meng, activating the Swallowing Skill!
In his junior's eyes, Qiu Meng saw conflicting forces play tricks, the Lords of Hells at the front, and Heaven at the back.. Perhaps Heaven too had come to the conclusion that, only through an Ancient Spirit could it bring down its most rebellious children? Qiu Meng would never know. The Swallowing Skill sucked him in, and with the puppeteer behind Qiu Chen's rise suppressing Qiu Meng's soul force, junior and ancestor competed for dominance over one another!
