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Chapter 1503: The Guardian
"How did you come up with the assumption we are related?" Wang Wei asked. He knew the ancestors should know about his connection to the Prehistoric World. After all, they were the ones who helped him hide it from people of higher cultivation.
"When we met you in the lower dimension, we observed your growth," Li Ming explained. "And there were signs, for example, the name Ying Zheng. Few people know this name, as most people addressed him by his title or by his Sovereign name, Qin Shihuang. n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
"The world only knows the name Ying Zheng because the world he first reincarnated in was revealed, and after that, he did not bother hiding it. However, it was kept hidden even after the information reached the lower dimension. However, you knew his name before you had access to the sect's hidden library.
"And there is the way you were always on guard against him; no, it can even be said you had hidden animosity toward him, but the two of you have never met before."
"I see," Wang Wei nodded. His behavior toward Ying Zheng has always been odd, and it seems to have revealed a lot of information.
"If something you're not comfortable sharing, it's alright," Qiyuan said.
"It's fine," Wang Wei waved his hand. "I don't know him personally. He's more of a historical figure who existed more than 2000 years before my first life."
"2000 years is a short… Wait, you were a mortal in your first life?" Li Ming asked.
"That's right. Why are you surprised?"
"We always assumed your first life was a powerful cultivator, and the reason for your excellence was because you were basically rebuilding," Qiyuan added, and the others nodded in agreement.
"Weren't you the Myriad Devourer? How come you're saying you were a mortal? Something is not adding up" Wang Chang suddenly asked.
"I was caught in an accident, probably a world collision. My soul entered Primordial Chaos, and I instinctively started swallowing up these purple orbs, probably world sources. That's how I became the Myriad Devourer."
"A mortal soul entering Primordial Chaos? Even if the world source could sustain you, the sight of seeing Primordial Chaos for the first time would have overwhelmed your mortal mind," Wang Chang commented. "If you add the fear of death you were experiencing, the loneliness of traveling the infinite Primordial Chaos, no wonder you were born with Paragon Tier Willpower."
"How did you retain your memories? The years spent as the Myriad Devourer should have taken over your mortal memories?" Qiyuan asked.
"I don't know myself, but I guess I was desperate. I think I may have accidentally created a technique to preserve my memories, and all the worlds I devoured were to fuel this technique," Wang Wei shrugged.
"You haven't retrieved your memory of the time?" Yan Haia asked.
"Where would I have the time to do that? It hasn't been a yuan epoch since I became a Paragon," Wang Wei sighed.
"True."
"Let's get back to the topic," Li Ming said. "If you never met Ying Zheng, what's with the animosity?"
"Although there was no cultivation in my first life, the concept of reincarnating into another world and cultivating was prevalent in the form of literature and other forms of entertainment. There is even a prevalent genre with millions of stories about people from our world reincarnating into cultivation worlds," Wang Wei expressed.
"That doesn't appear to occur randomly," Qiyuan observed. "Is the information in these stories useful?"
"They are. I've used many of them in this world."
"That would explain your unique ways of thinking," Qiyuan said.
"Someone definitely plans for the world to be like that," Li Ming added. "It's almost like they were preparing your people for the possibility."
"That's probably…" Wang Wei stopped himself and reinforced his Soul Network. "If there is someone behind it, it's probably Hongjun."
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Qiyuan said as he caressed his temple.
"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before," Yan Hao added.
"Me too," Wang Chang said, and Li Ming nodded.
"He's the Prehistoric World's Guardian." Everyone's gaze shifted to Wu Hong.
"Remember? During the war, we tried to contact and even forcefully enter the Prehistoric World, and he showed up, introducing himself as Hongjun, the world's guardian," Wu Hong continued. "He conversed with us for a few minutes before waving his hand and teleporting us away."
"I remember now, but the entire encounter is blurry in my mind," Yan Hai said.
"Me too," the others nodded. Then, they looked at each other with a somber atmosphere. Honjun not only modified their memories but also influenced them not to think of the entire encounter for billions of yuan epochs.
"How do you remember?" Yan Hai suddenly asked.
"I just do," Wu Hong said calmly, and no one questioned her, especially after what happened recently with Maitreya. However, only Wu Hong knows that her [Perfection Foundation] has allowed her to remember numerous encounters with transcendent entities.
"Why don't you continue?" Li Ming motioned toward Wang Wei.
"Oh, right. Where was I? Information. Yes, the information from our world is so valuable that I instinctively was wary of Ying Zheng's presence. However, now that I think about it, he lived more than 2000 years ago, so he never had access to that period's literature and other media."
"Your words have increased the validity of the training's theory," Qiyuan said. "Ying Zheng was Hongjun's first test. After he saw success or failure considering his first life, he started training the population through literature and entertainment. Then, he picked the best to reincarnate.
"The world collision was most likely artificially created to make the reincarnations appear random. And you were probably an accident in the process. However, one thing I've learned in my long life is that there are no accidents."
Qiyuan looked at Wang Wei in the eyes but he waved his hand: "Let's not get into this." Although he did not mind sharing about his life, some things were left for him and maybe his wife. So, he would not mention things about his Fate Seed Status.
"If you wish," QIyuan shrugged. Everyone has secrets. As close as he was with his brother and sister, there were things he also kept from them for one reason or another.
"Can you tell us more about the Prehistoric World?" Li Ming asked. "Based on your words, many of the things you've done were inspired by your experience there. You also mention there was no cultivation. Is the cultivation separate from the mortal world?"
"You want to know about my life on —" Wang Wei didn't finish saying [Earth] before a terrifying cosnciounsess descended in their meetings, warning everybody present.
"It seems we've talked too much," Qiyuan said with a wry smile.
"So, even we're not worthy of peeping into the secrets of the Prehistoric World?" Yan Hai said in an aggravated tone.
"Didn't we already know we are just bigger ants?" Wang Chang shrugged.
"There will be a day," Li Ming said quietly. Wu Hong was the one with the least reaction. The memory from the other self has granted her plenty of memories and knowledge about Earth and the Prehistoric World, so she didn't care, except for maybe the sudden and rude interruption.
"Well, this is my cue to leave," Wang Wei said. This conversation had gone longer than he anticipated. "Ancestor, you're going to be free, right? I need a favor."
"What is it?" Yan Hai asked begrudgingly.
"My retreat should take between 60,000-90,000 Yuan Epochs. I need you to train one member of the Ma Clan to the peak of the Paragon Realm?"
"How talented are they?" Yan Hai asked. Depending on these people's talents, this was more than doable.
"That's the issue — they have terrible talent. However, one of their ancestor was excellent, so if you could revive that part of their blood, it's possible. And I don't just want a Peak Empyrean, but someone with potential to enter the Paragon Realm."
"Of course you do," Yan Hai snorted. "Bloodline Purification and Mofication is slowly and research draining — in other words, a pain in my ass."
"So?" Wang Wei asked.
"I'll do it, but why are you annoying me instead of your wife?" she asked while looking at Wu Hong.
"He already dumped other responsibilities on me," Wu Hong immediately said.
"So, this is a pattern?" Yan Hai stared at Wang Wei.
"I just want to save time," Wang Wei explained. "The Ma Clan is the key to the largest soul energy reserves in the entire world. Once it gets it and takes what I need, there will still be enough for the sect to use and gain advantage in the upcoming catastrophe."
"The largest, you said?" Wang Chang asked, not hiding his skepticism.
"Imagine secretly collecting soul power from mortals and cultivators since before the Tribulation Era."
The others immediately took a deep breath after hearing his words. This world is so old, and mortals have always been as numerous as grass. To be able to gather from such a large pool of people for such an extended period, no wonder he boldly claimed it was the largest.
