Chapter 102: My Ambition is Not in Tian Sang, But in the Five Domains

Xu Xiaoshou was a little flustered.

It wasn't even after autumn yet—was it time to settle accounts?

Sang Lao glared at him impatiently: "That Lingji just now was pretty good; it can be researched further, but to make it controllable, it'll probably have to wait until you break through to Xiantian."

He looked Xu Xiaoshou up and down, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Your cultivation is way too low!"

Xu Xiaoshou let out a sigh of relief. Criticize me all you want—just don't hit me or kill me.

"My breakthrough has actually been pretty fast."

He still felt a bit unconvinced inside. Sure, his realm was low, but his progress was rapid! From the end of his closed-door seclusion to now, it had only been about half a month in total, and he had already advanced from the third realm to the ninth.

And this speed was under his deliberate suppression. If he hadn't been worried about an unstable foundation, he might have shot straight up even higher by now.

Of course, there was plenty of time ahead—no need to rush.

He firmly believed that a tall building rises from solid ground; the foundation of the tenth realm in Lianling had to be laid properly. He didn't want to be strong on the outside but weak within.

Sang Lao had no idea what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking. In his view, this kid's cultivation at Lianling ninth realm was indeed too low.

In the future, when competing for resources in the inner courtyard, he'd at least need to reach Xiantian, or he'd be hitting walls everywhere.

"While I was out earlier, I got you a spot to enter Tianxuan Men. Go there in three days—the spiritual energy there is dense enough to help you break through to Xiantian."

"Tianxuan Men?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, puzzled.

Sang Lao nodded: "It's a small secret realm exclusive to Tiansang Linggong. It opens once a year, with ten spots each time, allocated to new inner courtyard disciples and the newly promoted thirty-three in the inner courtyard."

"This is the first resource for outer courtyard disciples entering the inner courtyard—it's crucially important."

"Originally, since you won the Fengyun Zhengba championship, you'd naturally get a spot once you entered the inner courtyard..."

He suddenly snorted and shook his head: "But you got rigged out of it!"

"Rigged out of it?" Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

This didn't match the information Elder Qiao had given him—wasn't it because his cultivation hadn't reached Xiantian that he couldn't enter the inner courtyard?

"That's right!" Sang Lao patted his head and continued: "Officially, it's claimed your cultivation doesn't meet the standard, which is true enough, but your Xiantian physical body could make up for that."

"However, there are already four new kids entering the inner courtyard this year. If we add you, that would take five spots for Tianxuan Men."

"The newly promoted thirty-three in the inner courtyard number at least ten—the competition is fierce, as you can imagine."

"The Yuanlao Tuan had to slap you with the label of 'cultivation not up to standard' to strip you of your inner courtyard spot and free up a Tianxuan Men place."

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his fists, his eyes full of resentment.

This wasn't just about losing an opportunity and a spot—it could ruin someone's entire life!

In the Lianling world, it's all about seizing the moment, not waiting for the future.

Fall behind by a year, and how much time would it take to catch up afterward?

Sang Lao chuckled dismissively, not really caring: "Don't get angry or resentful. This kind of thing rarely happens in Tiansang Linggong, but if you've run into it, consider yourself lucky."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

Lucky?

Was he supposed to be grateful for it?

Sang Lao suddenly grew serious: "But once you step out of Tiansang Linggong, you'll find that the world is pretty much like this."

"Before you have real strength and aren't recognized, all your efforts are just crap in the eyes of those in power."

"Heaven is not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs; the sage is not benevolent, treating the people as straw dogs."

"No one will show you extra mercy just because you've worked hard. A pawn is just a pawn—life and death are up to fate, success and failure up to heaven."

"When you're still just a pawn, if you're used, that's your luck; if you're overlooked, that's completely normal."

Sang Lao grabbed Xu Xiaoshou's clenched fist and squeezed, making the young man's hand relax.

"In the tides of the era, many geniuses get arrogant, thinking they've broken free from their cages and claimed their freedom, shouting 'My fate is mine, not heaven's'..."

"A few years later, or a decade or so, the world keeps turning as it always has. Those so-called geniuses are long gone, not even leaving a ripple in the wheels of history."

He stared intently at the young man before him: "I don't want you to end up like that."

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, his gaze falling on Sang Lao's withered hand gripping his, lost in thought.

Sang Lao sighed deeply: "Like I said before, until you have absolute strength, just focus on being a good pawn."

"At the very least, make those in power think you're just a pawn!"

"Got it?"

Xu Xiaoshou nodded lightly.

I understand the reasoning, but why are you holding my hand so tightly?

"Let go!" He seriously shook his arm.

A vein twitched at the corner of Sang Lao's eye.

After all that heartfelt advice, your only concern is this?

Can you be normal for once?!

He was so annoyed that his breathing quickened, and he roughly let go of the boy's arm.

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his palm. This old man's grip was incredibly strong—was that the power of a Zongshi body?

Or maybe...

Something beyond Zongshi?

As for what Sang Lao had said, Xu Xiaoshou was actually quite open-minded about it.

Just like when he couldn't resist and that old man forced the "Jinzhao Huozhong" on him, he was equally powerless against the Yuanlao Tuan's decision now.

But so what?

Was Xu Xiaoshou the kind of person to be defeated by this?

One thing was for sure: what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!

The future is long. Since this world is full of cages as the old man described, he'll break them all one by one.

He had said that seriously on the day he became a disciple!

Xu Xiaoshou paced around, thinking for a while before saying: "I'm not worried about all that miscellaneous stuff. It's just that my realm breakthroughs feel a bit fast—even the ninth realm was only yesterday."

"If I go into that Tianxuan Men and break through to Xiantian, will my foundation be unstable?"

He voiced his biggest doubt, a question that had troubled him for a long time, and it was rare to have someone to clarify it for him.

To his surprise, when Sang Lao heard this, he was so shocked that his jaw nearly dropped.

"You?"

"Foundation unstable?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Sang Lao was amused and exasperated.

Beating a Lianling ninth realm expert and defeating many Xiantian opponents to win the championship, then killing Yuan Ting and Ju Wu from the inner courtyard—wasn't that enough?

Would this kid ever be satisfied without a few Zongshi-level lives under his belt?

Sang Lao took a breath and said: "Among the over 1,800 disciples in the outer courtyard, you took first place with Houtian cultivation—where's the unstable foundation?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head: "I never compare myself to them."

A flicker of surprise crossed Sang Lao's eyes, and he praised: "You're right—losers aren't worth comparing to. In that way, you're a lot like me."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

That's not what I meant—don't twist my words!

Who said I'm like you!

In his mind, he recalled the scene from that night when he was captured by the masked man, and Ye Xiaotian appeared, with the two of them exchanging words.

It was still fresh in his memory!

"Some people, upon entering Xiantian, can rival a Zongshi; others, upon entering Xiantian, can slay a Zongshi!"

"I don't think I have that ability right now," Xu Xiaoshou said.

Sang Lao rolled his eyes: "You're still only at Lianling ninth realm—what are you even thinking!"

"I wasn't thinking about it originally, but that night the masked man showed up and tried to grab me, so I had to."

Sang Lao was stunned—he hadn't realized Xu Xiaoshou was carrying such pressure.

"I can protect you!"

"You can't protect me forever," Xu Xiaoshou replied calmly.

"You want to become like them?"

"No!" Xu Xiaoshou paused, then said firmly: "I want to surpass them!"

His gaze went past the window, toward the colorless sky: "Didn't you say this continent has five domains?"

"So what?" Sang Lao watched him.

Xu Xiaoshou felt the evening breeze brushing against him, his blood stirring and his heart surging.

"My ambitions aren't in Tiansang—they're in the Five Domains!"