Chapter 71

Step by step, let's translate this passage:

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Step Li was truly at a loss this time, what did these words mean? From the sound of it, it seemed like someone wanted to impart him with a set of extraordinary skills, allowing him to dominate the Soul澜 Continent and become invincible? Could it be that this body had a long-lost wild father? No way...

In that instant, Step Li was completely flustered. A long-lost wild father? Could such a bizarre and strange thing happen to him? It was truly odd. No matter how he looked at it, Yu Ze didn't resemble him at all. Could he have mistaken him for someone else?

Yu Ze couldn't possibly know about Step Li's dirty thoughts. Seeing Step Li deep in thought, he assumed the young man was stunned by the immense surprise and didn't know what to say. He gently consoled, "First, go to the Henshan Sect for training. Once your strength improves, other opportunities will naturally arise. Moving too quickly and too fast is sometimes not a good thing."

Step Li felt a sense of gratitude. No wonder they say having a long-lost wild father is a fortunate thing. Just look, they had just met, and without even going through the drama of hugging and crying, he was already planning his future.

But... Step Li came out of his joy at the unexpected good fortune and remembered that Zhang Xitong seemed to have said something later. Could it be because of Zhang Xitong?

The strange and fanciful thoughts swirling in Step Li's mind were incomprehensible to others. Seeing Step Li's changing expressions, Yu Ze didn't rush him to make a decision. In the mirage just now and during their two meetings, Step Li had given Yu Ze the impression of a young man as solid as a rock, stubborn and unyielding, willing to shed blood and sacrifice everything when there was no way out. Let him think it through; urging him would only have the opposite effect.

Go to the Henshan Sect for training? That must be what the young girl named Zhang Xitong meant, Step Li knew. The so-called long-lost wild father was just a joke. Even if he could go to the Henshan Sect, what about Cai Xiaoxian? What about these young descendants of the Western Mountain?

The Western Mountain descendants, judging by this person's demeanor, should be able to handle it. But what about Cai Xiaoxian? Step Li didn't have the habit of entrusting his life and the safety of someone more important than his own life to a person he didn't fully trust. That would make him feel too insecure.

"I don't want to go. I'm used to living in the Western Mountain, and I prefer a carefree life," Step Li said with a grin. Nonsense, if he went to the Henshan Sect, wouldn't he still have to follow others' orders? If he wanted to take Cai Xiaoxian and run away, it wouldn't be that easy.

"Hmm?" Yu Ze had never imagined that Step Li would discard such a great opportunity. Was the slight embarrassment on his face because he felt he had let him down? What was this young man thinking? Entering the sect was a goal that many Western Mountain descendants would die to achieve. Now it was right in front of him, and he actually said no?

Step Li looked down at the green stones on the Broken Dragon Platform. Moss grew in the cracks, sporadically, not particularly interesting. But at this moment, in Step Li's eyes, they seemed to be the most beautiful things, and he couldn't get enough of them.

"What did you say?" Yu Ze's face turned unfriendly as he asked.

"I said, I don't want to go to the Henshan Sect. I just want to live in these mountains," Step Li said, having made up his mind. His nature made him unafraid of Yu Ze. Although Yu Ze's displayed strength made Step Li lose any thoughts of a mutual destruction, he still wouldn't easily change his mind. Sometimes, Step Li's stubbornness didn't seem like that of a person who had lived for many lifetimes but rather like that of a young man as hard as a rock.

"Why?" Yu Ze stared at Step Li, asking. It was truly strange. Could this kid be here just to cause trouble? Yu Ze laughed in anger.

"I have a bad temper and can't stand being treated poorly. If I really go to the Henshan Sect, I'm afraid the entire clan will be scattered and sold across the Soul澜 Continent. I'm worried I might end up hindering your good intentions," Step Li explained.

"Uh..." Yu Ze's position was exalted, and he had never thought about the descendants of the Western Mountain being scattered and sold after leaving. He had heard of such despicable acts but hadn't considered Step Li's concerns just now.

"Rest assured, with me here, the sect has other arrangements, and no one will bully you," Yu Ze said.

Step Li looked up at Yu Ze, smiling but saying nothing.

This kid, he really had a stubborn temperament. Was his assurance so worthless to him? Yu Ze felt a bit angry, but this matter was significant and required caution. Could it be that his attitude was too gentle?

Thinking this, Yu Ze's soul power fluctuated violently, and a fierce wind arose.

Step Li thought, this is to scare me. A mix of threats and persuasion is a normal tactic, nothing unusual. After a gust of wind, a snow-white unicorn rhinoceros appeared on the Broken Dragon Platform. The green stones, which had not worn down much over countless years, were now cracked and creaking under the weight of the massive creature.

"Annihilating your entire clan is just a matter of lifting a hand," Yu Ze said coolly. As he spoke, the unicorn rhinoceros let out a strange cry, its hooves kicking up a cloud of debris on the Broken Dragon Platform, charging straight toward a nearby small mountain. The sound was deafening, and each step on the ground felt like an earthquake, rumbling loudly.

In a few miles, the massive creature reached its destination in the blink of an eye. Its jade-like horn collided with the mountain, and countless rocks fell like rain, mixed with boulders the size of millstones. Dust rose, and even the massive figure of the unicorn rhinoceros was swallowed.

After a moment, the dust gradually cleared, and the unicorn rhinoceros had disappeared. The small mountain had a huge gap, as if split by a god. The power was truly awe-inspiring, like the wrath of heaven.

Yu Ze stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the jagged mountains under the moonlight, and the mountain that had just been shattered. He was very satisfied, thinking that annihilating the Western Mountain descendants was just a matter of lifting a hand. You are like a frog at the bottom of a well, thinking too highly of yourself. Scare you a bit, then pull you in, and you'll comply.

"How about it? Do you believe me now?" Yu Ze asked.

"Sure, I never doubted what you said," Step Li replied, his voice somewhat vague and lazy. Yu Ze turned back, a surge of anger rising from his heart, almost summoning the unicorn rhinoceros to crush Step Li. How could this guy be like this? Do I have to beg you to practice soul techniques? Thinking this, Yu Ze suddenly realized that he was indeed begging Step Li to go to the Henshan Sect to start practicing soul techniques.

What a ridiculous situation. Yu Ze felt a bit confused.

Step Li didn't know if he had seen the majestic and awe-inspiring appearance of the unicorn rhinoceros. When Yu Ze turned back, he was squatting next to Big Black, both of them smoking. The carefree look on his face made it hard to believe that he was the passionate young man in the mirage, ready to die with the Henshan Sect elders. The lazy and indifferent look was indescribable.

"You..."

"I know how powerful you are. I know you can destroy the Western Mountain descendants with a lift of your hand," Step Li said, a cigarette in his mouth, his eyes half-closed.

"But so what? You're a big shot. Should I be grateful just because you condescend to speak to me? Do you think I should follow you to the Henshan Sect without complaint?"

"What do you want, then?" Yu Ze suddenly found this young man named Step Li interesting. If Step Li had known his identity beforehand, it could be attributed to arrogance and deserved punishment. But just now, when he was ready to die with the Henshan Sect elders, it was clear that Step Li didn't know his identity or the identity predicted by Old Du. If so, this kid's mindset was open and unpretentious, neither servile nor fawning, with a clear conscience, making him a first-class character.

Step Li took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "I don't understand why a common descendant of the Western Mountain would cause so many big shots to be alarmed. Although if you hadn't come, I would probably be dead by now, I still can't understand it and want to figure it out."

"To be honest, I don't know either," Yu Ze rarely showed a playful smile and said, "Could it be that the young master has taken a liking to you?"

As soon as the joke was out, Yu Ze regretted it. The young master was extremely pampered, and a girl's thoughts were as deep as the sea, impossible to fathom. If a joke made the young master blush and she took it out on him, that wouldn't be good. This time, he had brought the young master to the Henshan Sect for business, and something unexpected happened, making him responsible...

Coughing, Yu Ze said seriously to Step Li, "If you go to the Henshan Sect, no one will make things difficult for you. You can learn and practice freely. How high you can fly depends on your potential. However, everything depends on you. The sect and I can only provide a relatively stable environment for cultivation. What happens ultimately depends on you."

The last sentence truly moved Step Li. Fly as high as you can!

After a moment of contemplation, the smoke in his hand flickered, and wisps of blue smoke drifted in the moonlight. Yu Ze didn't urge Step Li but watched him, waiting for this stubborn kid to make his own decision. Only then could he truly make Step Li stay at the Henshan Sect.

Yu Ze suddenly felt a strange and absurd sensation. What was he doing? Begging Step Li to learn soul techniques?

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This translation captures the essence and nuances of the original text, maintaining the character's thoughts, emotions, and the overall flow of the narrative.