Within the magnificent Grand Hall, various streams of light flickered, adding an unusual spectacle to the hall carved from a beautiful and imposing mountain.
Something is missing from the Continent!
When Zhao Li heard the being, who he wasn't sure was the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, speak of the true secret of the Continent right away, a hint of surprise appeared in his heart.
Then he began to ponder, Could it be that I, relying on the plot and knowing that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave Dwelling is not here, have prematurely assumed he isn't the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor? What if the person above is truly the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor?
After all, as the sole Dou Di in the twenty thousand years surrounding his era, he was inherently mysterious. And even in the original story, it was never mentioned that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor left nothing else behind besides the Ancient Emperor's Cave Dwelling.
Zhao Li's surprise and astonishment were even evident on his face, but in Nine Nether's eyes, his expression clearly showed that he was stunned by the news he had thrown out.
"No matter how brilliant and talented you are, without Origin Qi, you won't be able to break through to Dou Di. I don't believe you can resist the temptation of the Secret of the Dou Di."
He chuckled inwardly, believing he had taken control of the situation. Next, all I need to do is manipulate Zhao Li a little more, and this kid will be completely under my control, won't he?
The Youmeng Clan's grasp of living beings' emotions and Desire could be said to have reached the pinnacle, and he was the King of the Youmeng Clan. Dealing with a mere Earth Supreme like this, he had absolute confidence!
Nine Nether saw that Zhao Li remained silent for a long time and didn't rush him. To plant a Soul Imprint, Zhao Li needed to be emotionally agitated. Letting him process it would also benefit his subsequent plans.
Taking this opportunity, he thought for a moment and had already planned his next move. He was about to begin his performance.
"Junior, This Emperor observes that your Strength is not weak. You must be a formidable expert on the Continent. Have you ever felt that no matter how you cultivate, you simply cannot break through?"
Nine Nether adopted the appearance of someone who had been isolated from the world for too long and didn't know the specific situation outside, asking about Zhao Li's circumstances.
Zhao Li gave him a very strange feeling. His Soul essence was ridiculously strong, but the energy on his body didn't match his Soul Realm at all, being so weak it wasn't even at the Earth Supreme level.
He was a little unsure about this situation and decided to play it safe first, continuing to act and probe.
If I let Zhao Li go, I might never have another chance to get out and can only wait to slowly dissipate!
Zhao Li heard his words, not knowing what he intended to do, and decided to cooperate. He nodded and replied:
"To be frank, Senior, on the current Continent, since your time, no one has been able to break through to Dou Di. I was fortunate enough to reach Late Stage Nine Star Dou Sheng, which is already the Peak on the Continent."
He wasn't worried at all about the person above seeing through his Strength. This clone of his, apart from his Soul Power, only had the Realm without the corresponding energy. In a word, he was very weak and didn't exceed the standard in any way.
Nine Nether heard this and made his first move. He nodded gently, then reached up and pressed his forehead, leaning back onto the armrest of the Stone Chair. He was preparing to drop another bombshell. He seemed a little emotional and said slowly:
"This is not your fault. Ten Thousand Years before me, several Dou Di walked out of the Chaos together. No one knows where they went, but since then, there have been no more Dou Di experts on the Continent."
At this point, he changed the subject, deciding to tell Zhao Li a cruel truth:
"I cultivated in seclusion for Ten Thousand Years and finally grasped the fundamental reason. Although I broke through to Dou Di, the last trace of the Emperor's Origin on the Continent has already been used up by me."
Zhao Li didn't miss a single word he said. These Ancient Secrets, whether true or false, were what he needed.
Seeing that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor wasn't continuing to speak, and being someone who consciously acted as a good listener, Zhao Li naturally knew what to do at this moment. He showed a look of Doubt and asked very cooperatively:
"Emperor's Origin? Is that the thing Senior mentioned was missing from the Continent? What is its relationship with Dou Di?"
He wasn't just acting; he was genuinely curious about these matters!
Moreover, after hearing Nine Nether say so much, he was starting to have trouble distinguishing whether the person in front of him was the real Tuoshe Ancient Emperor or not.
But he didn't care too much, because whether he was the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor or not didn't have much impact on him. His Route was already different from the traditional sense of a Dou Di.
For him, no matter who the person in front of him was, as long as he was willing to speak, even if he was spouting nonsense, he would cooperate. It's rare to encounter someone who might be from Ten Thousand Years ago, so I naturally won't miss this opportunity. As for how much of what he says is true and how much is false, I can verify it later.
Nine Nether gave Zhao Li a definite answer, and then revealed the almost despair-inducing truth:
"That's right, Emperor's Origin is a special kind of energy between heaven and earth. Only by refining it and using it to establish a mysterious connection with this world, and Imprinting your cultivation achievements, can you break through to Dou Di!"
Saying this, a trace of pity appeared in his eyes as he looked at Zhao Li, and then he continued:
"Without the Emperor's Origin, no matter how brilliant and talented you are, you can only stop below Dou Di. It's not your fault that the Dou Qi Continent has had no Dou Di for Ten Thousand Years. You... were born at the wrong time!"
"This... how could this be?"
Zhao Li thought of Xiao Xuan, of Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi, and of the Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, who was trapped in the Ancient Emperor's Cave Dwelling for a sliver of opportunity. He tried to put himself in their shoes and then showed a look of despair.
At the same time, he became increasingly curious about the identity and purpose of the person in front of him. Why did he know these secrets? Why did he tell him so much?
Then, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He stared intently at Nine Nether, his eyes full of Fire, and asked expectantly:
"Senior, do you have a way for people to break through to Dou Di?"
He didn't believe that the person opposite him would ask for nothing. Since he wasn't showing his hand, he would take the initiative. Even if he was overthinking it, he wouldn't lose anything. At least he would know some Ancient Secrets that were a mix of truth and falsehood.
Thus, each with their own thoughts, they unexpectedly hit it off!
"He's hooked!"
Nine Nether chuckled inwardly at the sight. He had anticipated this step long ago. Anyone who heard such news would be thrown into disarray, and then, with a legendary figure right before their eyes, they would subconsciously see him as their last straw.
This was not an exaggeration, because even in the era when Origin Qi existed, in the eyes of the people of the Continent, Dou Di were like deities, let alone now that Dou Di had become a legend!
He laughed heartily, but then shook his head:
"Hahahaha, kid, you are clever, but unfortunately, the last of the Emperor's Origin Qi has already been absorbed by me. I have no way..."
The manipulation wasn't enough. Only by making Zhao Li feel complete despair would he not let go of any opportunity. The more desperate he was, the easier it would be to plant the Demonic Imprint!
Unfortunately, Zhao Li's cooperation was never for the sake of breaking through to Dou Di, but for the Ancient Secrets he spoke of. He heard the word "Origin Qi" again and took this opportunity to steer the conversation towards it, asking unwillingly:
"Senior, why would Origin Qi be depleted? Is it used up bit by bit? If so, wouldn't that mean the predecessors enjoyed the benefits while the descendants suffered?"
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