Chapter 83

...

After about ten minutes, Fa Zheng came out, holding a bowl in his hand, which contained a star beast core, still with a trace of fresh blood.

The body and soul of the star beast had likely been exorcised.

Everything was very calm, as if nothing had happened.

But this was quite normal.

Fa Zheng was a great master of the Fifth Rank of Innate, and exorcising a small star beast, whose strength was roughly equivalent to the Ninth Rank of Acquired, was a trivial matter for him.

Next, the two continued to wander around Jianghai City.

In the afternoon, they exorcised three more star beasts that were mingling with the crowd and a vengeful spirit.

By evening, Fa Zheng's face was slightly pale, and his eyes had a hint of emptiness.

Ye Xiao felt that he was not tired, after all, those were just minor characters, and as a great master of the Fifth Rank of Innate, he wouldn't be exhausted by a few minor characters.

But he didn't ask for the reason.

"Should we continue?"

Fa Zheng shook his head.

"No, Layman Ye must be hungry. Let's have a meal first."

"Alright."

Ye Xiao didn't hesitate. This time, he found a very nice waterside restaurant and ordered a full fish banquet.

Fa Zheng, as usual, had a bowl of rice and a cup of plain water.

After spending most of the day together, Ye Xiao had come to understand Fa Zheng's temperament. He was like a kind old man who had seen much of life, with a gentle disposition.

So there was no need to be formal.

Otherwise, why had he agreed to come? He should give him some benefits, right?

A hundred thousand a day, after all, was more than enough. Not enjoying good food would be a waste.

The food arrived quickly, with various delicious fish dishes that were visually and gastronomically pleasing.

Ye Xiao and Huan Liuli ate heartily.

Fa Zheng, however, did not touch his chopsticks. Watching Ye Xiao eat, he suddenly spoke.

"Layman Ye, do you think humans and star beasts can coexist peacefully?"

Ye Xiao shook his head.

"Why do you think so?"

Fa Zheng asked again, but Ye Xiao replied:

"Master, you misunderstood me. I mean, I don't know. After all, I'm just a small-time librarian."

Ye Xiao's words made Fa Zheng laugh involuntarily.

Yes, why did he ask Ye Xiao?

After all, Ye Xiao was just a Second Rank of Acquired martial artist who hadn't even opened his divine soul, and a mere librarian.

It wasn't that Fa Zheng was discriminating against him, but his status and strength limited his perspective.

Fa Zheng stopped talking and quietly picked up his bowl to eat rice.

In fact, Ye Xiao had more or less understood.

Fa Zheng was troubled.

This old monk was a kind-hearted person, and the task of slaughtering star beasts was bound to make his heart waver.

After all, there were some good star beasts, and among the humans they protected, who could say there were no bad people?

That's why his face had turned pale in the afternoon. It wasn't because he was injured or tired, but because he was in self-doubt, his mindset was wavering.

For a martial artist, especially a high-ranking one, this was a major taboo.

As a mature person, you can think about problems, but you shouldn't get overly involved in them.

The fundamental issue between star beasts and humans was the conflict over survival resources and the clash of spiritual and cultural values.

They were two completely different life forms.

Discussing whether killing star beasts was right or wrong was meaningless.

A human might kill another human for some reason, let alone a star beast.

The problem now was that star beasts appearing in human cities, once they went out of control, would bring catastrophic disasters to humans!

This was uncontrollable, and the same went for half-beasts. When they were good, they were good, but when they were bad, they were truly deadly.

There were too many bloody lessons in history.

That's why there was a saying: "Those who are not of our kind, their hearts must be different."

There was no need to dwell on it too much. If you think about it, the reason for killing star beasts was simply because they couldn't be controlled. If they could be controlled, whether to kill them or not wouldn't matter.

Just like in Ye Xiao's previous life, people invented machine guns, so the fierce warriors of the grasslands became skilled in singing and dancing.

Before humans could completely suppress star beasts, killing them was the only choice.

Being too merciful, if something went wrong, could lead to the extinction of the human race, leaving no room for tears.

In the end, it was a matter of not being strong enough.

Only the strong could rule everything!

Only the strong had the right to choose!

Whether to kill star beasts or keep them as pets.

However, this also gave Ye Xiao a reminder.

As his cultivation improved, the things he saw and the insights he gained would also gradually improve.

New knowledge often broke previous understandings.

At such times, people would fall into self-doubt, which could lead to making wrong judgments and choices, resulting in mental confusion.

So, one must never be lost!

Thinking about this, Ye Xiao suddenly had an epiphany.

When he entered the great master realm, his two previous epiphanies were about protecting loved ones and the greater good of the nation.

But the essence of these two epiphanies was actually the same.

That was to become stronger.

Only by becoming stronger could he protect his loved ones.

Only by becoming stronger could he defend his country.

With these two points as the foundation of his heart, he could gradually strengthen his will, which would, in turn, nourish his martial arts essence, allowing him to improve.

But... what next? Should he continue to protect?

Ye Xiao believed it shouldn't be like that.

The process of a martial artist's growth was a process of transcending the mundane.

Imagine, if you were so strong that a mere glance could protect everyone, could they still serve as the foundation of your spirit? Clearly not.

Without a solid spiritual foundation, it would be like losing one's skeleton, and how could martial arts improve?

So, he needed a higher spiritual foundation to support his heart, so he wouldn't lose himself as his power grew.

This spiritual foundation was to become stronger, endlessly stronger.

Strong enough not to be swayed by anyone, not to be bound by any force or any matter.

Without needing to consider anything, just becoming stronger would gain everything!

His belief was unwavering!

Thinking about this, Ye Xiao suddenly felt a loud rumble in his spiritual sea.

The Supreme Heavenly Gang rapidly circulated, and spiritual lotuses bloomed in his spiritual sea.

At this moment, his spiritual power received a significant boost.

His martial arts essence also received a significant boost!

His martial arts essence had reached the level of the Sixth Rank of Innate!

The improvement in cultivation was the fusion of spiritual energy and martial arts essence.

Both were essential.

Previously, when Ye Xiao broke through from the Fourth Rank to the Fifth Rank, his spiritual energy had already reached the critical point, but his martial arts essence hadn't broken through, so he hadn't entered the Fifth Rank of Innate.

Now, his martial arts essence had prematurely broken through to the Sixth Rank of Innate. As long as his spiritual energy reached the critical point, he could directly break through to the Sixth Rank of Innate.

It was like the college entrance exam, where others needed to take the exam seriously, but he had already been guaranteed admission.

Whether he took the exam or not didn't matter because he was destined to become a top university student.

Ye Xiao's lips curled slightly, and his mood improved significantly.

Today, he had gained a lot!