Chapter 4967: Jiuli Tower
If Long Chen’s arrival in the Heavenly Desolation Domain was a shocking piece of news, then the news that Long Ziwei became his little brother was a significant shockwave. As for what Long Chen had done on the martial stage, that was more like an earthquake. The news rapidly spread in the entire Long clan’s territory, and everyone swiftly learned his name.
In comparison, the news of Long Qingyun’s death at Long Ziwei’s hand was nothing. Far more surprising was Long Chen’s ability to hold the former fourth Heavenly Saint hostage and withstand the first Heavenly Saint’s pressure until the martial stage shattered.
The shockwaves caused by Long Zhantian had yet to settle, and his son already arrived, stirring things up again. Just what was this father-and-son duo thinking?
Long Zhantian had cut off Long Zaiye’s arm, and this time, Long Chen almost killed him.
Last time, Long Zhantian had faced Long Qihua evenly, and this time, Long Chen, with an early Divine Venerate cultivation base, directly withstood the divine pressure of the first Heavenly Saint. The two of them were absolutely terrifying.
There was an uproar throughout the Long clan as people tried to confirm the veracity of this news. When they learned that it was true, they couldn’t close their mouths for a long time.
…
A tall, precipitous mountain had a single pavilion built on top of it. From this spot, one could see the unending mountain range in the surroundings. The rise and fall of the land, the immortal mist swirling around the peaks, the flow of auspicious light through this land, the pavilions and palaces that seemed to fade in and out of the surroundings—all these things appeared grand and mysterious.
This place had one of the best sceneries within the Heavenly Desolation Domain. There were only two such places: one where the patriarch went into seclusion, and this one, the immortal wonderland unique to the Heaven Overseer.
The four Heavenly Saints had their own mansions. However, in terms of scenery and location, their mansions were a far cry from this place. Even Long Ziwei was not qualified to come here. After all, the number of people who had been invited to the Heaven Overseer’s domain definitely did not surpa.s.s five.
Once they arrived at the ancient pavilion, Long Chen and the Heaven Overseer sat down. Looking at Long Ziwei, the Heaven Overseer said, “You can sit.”
“Disciple does not dare. Disciple is happy to be standing here,” answered Long Ziwei hastily. Even this hot-headed guy was completely polite toward the Heaven Overseer.
The Heaven Overseer was in charge of the Long clan’s laws and management. He was an honest and upright man whose character had won over everyone in the Long clan. Because of this, while Long Ziwei might dare to argue with the clan leader, he couldn’t say anything in front of the Heaven Overseer.
Long Chen said, “Sit. Cultivators shouldn’t bother with trivial things. If you really respect the Heaven Overseer, you should try to learn from the Heaven Overseer’s actions, working hard to become someone humble like him. A cultivator doesn’t bother with convoluted etiquettes.”
Since Long Chen had said this, Long Ziwei reverently bowed to the Heaven Overseer before slowly sitting down. However, he didn’t dare to sit like a normal person; his b.u.t.t barely touched the edge of the seat.
The Heaven Overseer looked at Long Chen and sighed, “The heavens truly like to toy with man.”
Long Chen couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, what do you mean?”
“Although the two of you prefer to keep a low profile, the two of you are very prideful inside. No one in the Long clan can enter your eyes. I owe your father for being willing to speak to me. In truth, at that time, he hinted to me that I should give you as much help as possible before you entered the Sovereign Emperor Heaven. I also took his advice seriously and tried, yet I could only watch as the chance slipped away.
“I waited at the gate to the ninth heaven, but by then, you had everything under control. I couldn’t offer any help. When the High Firmament Academy needed a.s.sistance, I returned to the Long clan and tried to persuade them, but once again, I failed. Now that you’ve come to us, I tried to secure an opportunity, but that too… ended in failure. The Long clan has repeatedly pushed you away. Perhaps once a person is seated high up, they gain a broader perspective but lose clarity on closer matters.”
The Heaven Overseer once more sighed, gazing out at the mist-covered scenery. It was truly beautiful, yet nothing was clearly visible.
“The Long clan has countless heavenly geniuses. Why are you so fixated on me?” asked Long Chen curiously.
“Because you have kindness in your bones,” replied the Heaven Overseer as he looked at Long Chen profoundly.
Long Chen’s heart shook. Other than the Spirit race, no one else had ever said such a thing to him.
With a bitter smile on his face, Long Chen shook his head. “This time, Senior might have misjudged. I am not some kind person. I’ve slaughtered more lifeforms than there are in the Heavenly Desolation Domain.”
Long Ziwei was shocked when he heard that. He knew Long Chen wouldn’t lie, but if Long Chen had truly killed so many, shouldn’t he emit an aura of bloodl.u.s.t and resentment?
“The kindness I speak of extends across all the nine heavens and ten lands. It is virtuous, but not merciful. When people speak of a merciful heart, it’s often fake, foolish, and at times, even evil. Sometimes, killing can also be a form of redemption. In times of chaos, when the boundary between good and evil blurs, and when the world is turned upside down, using violence against violence becomes the necessary means to save the world,” explained the Heaven Overseer.
Long Chen was deeply moved. “Senior, I didn’t expect your insight to be so profound. This little one was rude!”
Long Chen hadn’t expected the Heaven Overseer to possess such wisdom. This time, Long Chen was the one to misjudge.
Hearing Long Chen’s praise, the Heaven Overseer shook his head. “Sometimes, even if you can see things clearly, it’s still meaningless. Only those who can shape the future of this world are true heroes. People say the Long clan is filled with talented geniuses of unprecedented power. However, they fail to see that the Long clan has already veered off the right path. If they do not correct their course now, there may be no going back from their mistakes.”
“Going back?” probed Long Chen.
The Heaven Overseer did not reply and just murmured, “When you first arrived in the Heavenly Desolation Domain, I urged the Long clan to give you your birthright. It belongs to you, and it would even count as a favor. Unfortunately, they feel like the Long clan’s things belong to them. When the master raises a dog to look after the house, after a while, the dog starts to think it’s the master and everything in the house belongs to it.”
Long Chen was surprised by the Heaven Overseer’s words. As for Long Ziwei, his jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe these words came from the Heaven Overseer’s mouth.
“Things have progressed to the point of no return. That’s why they let me come out to clean up their mess. Really, why bother? Instead of being good people, they just had to be villains. Now, they’ll need to hand over what’s yours while being hated by you. Are they stupid?” The Heaven Overseer shook his head.
His tone was calm, but Long Chen could detect anger and resentment beneath it. Long Chen was at a loss for words.
As the Heaven Overseer’s eyes met Long Chen’s, he said, “This time, there are two places you have to visit in the Long clan. One is the Heavenly Fate Divine Pool, and the other is the Jiuli Tower!”
“Jiuli Tower?”
Long Chen’s heart shook when he heard that name.