Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 614 Immortal? Saint!
Xiao Jie couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, cupping his hands and saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lin, you are mistaken. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. The three of you have the ambition to uphold justice for the world, the heart to save the common people, and the ability to reach the heavens and the earth. It is only right that you should endure more hardship and shoulder more responsibility! As a junior like me with shallow cultivation, it is already a blessing to be able to do my part and lend a hand."

Hearing this, Su Zhiqing covered her mouth and chuckled, "Hehe, you're quite the chatterbox. You've been disappearing these past few days, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail. Today is the day of the final battle. The main force of the demons and the allied forces are facing off along the Great Wall, and a great battle is about to break out. When that time comes, you, as their 'assistant,' can't keep playing hide-and-seek. You'll have to show your true skills."

Xiao Jie quickly protested, "Lord Yuan, you've really wronged me! I haven't had a moment's rest these past few days. I've been fighting bare-chested on the front lines. Not only did I single-handedly slay the two demonic masters, Mingyuan King and Xiongya Shitian, but I also wiped out countless demonic armies. I'm ranked first on the merit list, overshadowing all others. Unlike you three, who are sheltered from the wind and rain, sipping tea and watching the battle. That's true 'carefree'!"

The four joked around for a while, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere. Soon, the topic naturally veered towards the most crucial event at hand: the "Battle of Canglin."

After three days of fierce fighting and repeated battles, the main force of the Longxiang Three-State Allied Army, led by Long Xingtianxia, ​​has successfully recovered most of the important towns and transportation hubs in northern Canglin State, and has successfully joined forces with Xiaoyue Zhenren and his Canglin Tianyu Army, who are holding the fortified Jumu City. Now, the allied forces are in high spirits and at the height of their power, and are about to launch a final all-out attack on the monstrous forces entrenched in southern Canglin State.

Whether it's a large guild or a small, independent team, players can reap huge rewards by having NPCs tank damage in front while they pick up kills from behind.

Meanwhile, the demonic forces, after the initial chaos and the blow of Xiao Jie's consecutive killing of two of their lords, finally recovered from their fragmented fighting. Under the coordination of the remaining five demonic lords, they abandoned most of the undefendable outer territories, consolidated their forces, and formed a still extremely large mixed demonic legion. They too were sharpening their swords, preparing for a decisive final battle against the allied forces on the designated battlefield.

At this moment, the main forces of both sides are locked in a tense standoff along the "Ancient Great Wall" in central Canglin Prefecture. With both sides' forces concentrated, a storm is brewing, and a major battle is imminent. Today is destined to be a decisive day recorded in history.

As Xiao Jie listened to the three of them recounting the current battle situation, and seeing the passion and dedication in their eyes as they talked about the war, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

Although he himself participated in the event and even personally slew two world bosses, deep down, his motivation was probably more about fulfilling his promise to Xiaoyue Zhenren and settling the "karma" he had brought about by facilitating the alliance. He also wanted to farm some equipment. He didn't actually share the same heartfelt enthusiasm and sense of mission as the three immortals before him regarding the grand narrative of "saving the world" and "upholding justice."

"If these three were in my situation..." Xiao Jie pondered to himself, "if they knew that a more advanced world was facing a crisis of destruction, and that this crisis might affect their homeland, they would probably choose to go to the Great Thousand World without hesitation and throw themselves into that grander and more dangerous war to save the world, right?"

This stark contrast made him curious about the motives of his three companions.

"Speaking of which," Xiao Jie began, sincerely asking, "why are you all so enthusiastic about saving the world and restoring order to all living beings? As far as I know, most immortals in the world only seek to attain immortality and live a carefree life. They are mostly indifferent to the mortal world, the rise and fall of dynasties, and even world crises, and even avoid them like the plague. Now that we have met and are fighting side by side, could you tell me why you are so different from those 'lying down' immortals and why you are so enthusiastic?"

Upon hearing Xiao Jie's question, Lin Xuance couldn't help but look speechless, as if to say, "Is this even a question?" He then said with righteous indignation, "What's there to say? When I, Lin Xuance, was still a mortal, I was a renowned hero in the martial world. I would draw my sword to help those in need, and I would set aside all grievances with righteous indignation. This is the true nature of us!"
As you said, with great power comes great responsibility! Now that I, Lin, have been fortunate enough to ascend to immortality, possessing the power to overturn rivers and seas and summon wind and rain, facing this world crisis and the plight of all living beings, if I were to stand idly by, how would I be any different from those self-serving cowards? Who else but me should take on this responsibility!

Wu Qingyue laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the bamboo forest. His reason was even more straightforward and pure: "I, Old Wu, don't have as many grand principles and chivalrous sentiments as Fellow Daoist Lin. I did this simply because—I'm bored out of my mind!"

He patted his muscular chest and continued, "A person's life is as fleeting as a blade of grass in autumn. What we seek is to become stronger and fiercer, to pursue the ultimate in power, and to experience the thrill of battle! If one spends all day doing nothing but eating, drinking, having fun, meditating, and sitting in meditation, then life is truly boring. What difference is there between that and a stone? Other immortals may think that kind of life is carefree and happy, but my happiness, Wu, lies only in fighting with others, battling against powerful enemies, and winning!"

His eyes gleamed with a belligerent light: "Looking around the world, where is there anything with more powerful enemies, a more urgent crisis, and greater challenges than 'saving the world'? Such an exciting and thrilling stage, of course I have to get involved! If I can also become a great hero who saves the world and is revered by all people, hehe, that feeling wouldn't be bad!"

When it was Su Zhiqing's turn, she sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding bamboo forests and mountains. Her tone carried a poet's sentimentality and pity: "Look at this remote mountain village. Although it is simple, it has a natural charm, a rustic and harmonious beauty."

Looking again at the distant, mist-shrouded valley, that tranquil, elegant, and vibrant bamboo forest… how many such beautiful and magnificent landscapes exist in this land of Kyushu? How many breathtakingly beautiful mountains and rivers are sculpted by nature itself? If the world were to be destroyed, its laws broken, and heaven and earth reduced to a filthy wasteland, Kyushu reduced to endless ruins, and countless people reduced to piles of bones… if things reached that point, all the beauty in this world would vanish, truly a terrible sight.”

She gently shook her head, her eyes revealing her reluctance: "I truly cannot bear to see this beautiful, vibrant world ultimately turn into a desolate, dilapidated, and decaying place of despair. Perhaps my reason is to protect this beauty."

Xiao Jie couldn't help but smile at the three men's distinct yet heartfelt answers. Their reasons for saving the world were truly...unconventional. While Lin Xuance represented a classic example of chivalry, the other two's motivations were quite peculiar: one a battle-crazed hedonist, the other an art-loving aesthetic fastidiousness. However, compared to those immortals who chose to "lie flat" and only care about their own carefree lives, their willingness to take responsibility and intervene in worldly affairs was truly commendable.

"Haha, the reasons of the three fellow Daoists are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people," Xiao Jie laughed.

"Then, Brother Suifeng, why did you ultimately choose to join us and participate in this matter?" Lin Xuance countered, putting him in a difficult position. Xiao Jie chuckled and said in a half-joking tone, "Hahaha, well... of course, it's because I couldn't stand the constant nagging and persuasion from my fellow Daoists, it gave me a headache. I could only do my best to get some peace and quiet!" He spoke lightly, but his mind was once again deep in thought because of this question.

Yes, there are driving forces and reasons behind everything people do. So, what is it that we truly pursue deep down?

Freedom, ease, transcendence, control over one's own destiny... Yes, it was precisely because I was tired of the constraints of the mortal world that I so longed to become an immortal, to transcend mortals and not be controlled by any rules or forces.

My initial decision to establish a game studio, instead of taking a regular job like most people, stemmed from a deep-seated aversion to being controlled and to having my time and fate decided by others. My destiny should always be in my own hands!

But if... if, as the Celestial Venerable said, and as logical deduction shows, the Nine Provinces world and even the reality of Earth will sooner or later be affected by the crisis of the Great Thousand Worlds, then even if I become an immortal, I probably won't be able to truly be "free and unfettered," and will ultimately be drawn into it.

What the Celestial Venerable said was not wrong. Placing one's hopes on others and praying that others can handle the crisis so that one can rest easy... this has never been Xiao Jie's style.

"Perhaps... this vast world really does need to be 'saved'..." A thought became clear in his mind. However, when he thought of what the Celestial Venerable had mentioned—that thousands of immortal players were already working hard to save the world, yet still making little progress—he couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness. "If thousands of immortals can't handle this, what can I, a mere individual, change even if I go? I'm just a drop in the ocean."

"Fellow Daoist Suifeng, why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Your brows are furrowed. Are you perhaps thinking of some miraculous way to defeat the enemy and turn the tide?" Su Zhiqing asked when she saw him remain silent for a long time.

Xiao Jie was awakened from his reverie, sighed, and said, "Alas, I am indeed thinking about how to break this deadlock, but no matter how much I think about it, I can't come up with a perfect solution. I originally thought that once I became an immortal, I would be all-powerful and omnipotent, but now I realize that even immortals are powerless and face difficulties when confronted with such a catastrophe sweeping the world."

"Omnipotent?" Lin Xuance chuckled and shook his head upon hearing this. "Fellow Daoist Suifeng has quite the thoughts. How easy is it to say that one is 'omnipotent'? We immortals, though thousands of times stronger than mortals, are still bound by the laws of heaven and earth. We have our abilities, but also our limitations. If we truly want to achieve the ability to do whatever we want and be omnipotent... perhaps only the legendary sages who have merged with the Dao and hold sway over the universe can do that."

"A sage?" Xiao Jie's heart skipped a beat, as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind! His gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked intently at Lin Xuance, asking, "Fellow Daoist Lin, how... how do you know about 'sages'?"

"What do you mean by that?" Lin Xuance was taken aback by the question, and Wu Qingyue and Su Zhiqing also looked puzzled.

"I mean, in the history of this Nine Provinces world, has there ever truly been a 'sage'?" Xiao Jie asked in a different way.

“Of course not,” Wu Qingyue replied in a deep voice. “What kind of existence is a sage? They are beings that transcend the realm of immortals and gods, coexist with the Great Dao, and are almost omniscient and omnipotent, supreme and majestic beings! Since the beginning of time, our Nine Provinces world has never even produced a legendary 'Golden Immortal,' so how could such an incredible 'sage' have been born?”

“In that case,” Xiao Jie’s gaze swept over the three of them, and he asked the most crucial question, “then how did you… come to know the concept of ‘sage’? Who told you about it? Or did you see it in some classic text?”

"Ah! This..." Upon hearing this, all three were stunned, their faces simultaneously showing confusion and a desperate attempt to recall. They looked at each other, seeing the same bewilderment in each other's eyes.

After a long while, Lin Xuance said somewhat uncertainly and hesitantly, "I can't remember. But... deep down I do know that there should be such a thing as a 'sage' in the world, or rather, such a realm exists... but I have no recollection of where or when I learned it."

Su Zhiqing and Wu Qingyue nodded in agreement, indicating that they were in the same situation.

Xiao Jie thought to himself, "Just as I thought..." This situation instantly reminded him of the mysterious and unpredictable nameless Taoist priest, and the director of the Tourism Administration Bureau who was erased from everyone's memory by some force in reality!
There must be some unknown connection between them!
"Perhaps... when I meet that nameless Taoist again, all these mysteries will be revealed." A realization dawned on Xiao Jie's mind. "But this nameless Taoist is elusive, so where can I find him? However, as an immortal, I must have a way. Right, there are countless Taoist scriptures in the Scripture Pavilion. Surely there are some techniques among them that can lead to the nameless Taoist. I must go and take a look, and find more to study."

Just as he was lost in thought, Su Zhiqing suddenly pointed at the Xuan Guang Ying Ying Pool and exclaimed softly:
"Look! The allied forces' camp is starting to move—it looks like war is about to break out!"

(End of this chapter)