“What is that?!” Fang Daolong exclaimed in shock.
To know that the Longevity Realm, though called a realm, was essentially the embodiment of Longevity. For that unknown entity to devour the white mist, wasn't that akin to devouring Longevity itself?
Yet, from Longevity's demeanor, he seemed quite content?
Longevity smiled and said, "That is me."
"You?" Fang Daolong was confused. "What exactly are you plotting?"
"Things began more than a thousand years ago," Longevity said, stroking Nannan's head as he recalled. "As you all know, the Longevity Realm is actually a subsidiary realm of the real world. Most of the resentment generated in the real world is concentrated in the Longevity Realm."
"So the question arises, is there only resentment in the real world?"
"That's impossible, of course. Resentment is merely a negative substance produced by living beings. Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are also produced," the Principal interjected, having already formed some astonishing conjectures in his mind.
"Are you suggesting..." the Principal hesitated.
"Hahaha, as expected of the person I chose," Longevity burst into laughter, commending the Principal's ability to draw inferences.
"What exactly are you talking about?" Fang Daolong frowned. He was supposed to be on the Principal's side, but now he felt excluded.
"Let Longevity explain," the Principal's tone was heavy. Longevity's words had confirmed his suspicions, and it wasn't good news.
"More than a thousand years ago, the Longevity Realm's barrier to the real world was breached by a monster from another subsidiary realm. A large amount of low-level malevolent spirits escaped uncontrollably through the rift. This is partly my fault; I was not strict enough in managing the malevolent spirits within the Longevity Realm, which led to this tragedy."
"By the time I discovered it, the malevolent spirits had already engaged with humans. Furthermore, a significant number of humans had transformed into malevolent spirits to fight against them. Under duress, I had to intervene, eradicating the malevolent spirits transformed from humans and leading the malevolent spirits of the Longevity Realm back."
Fang Daolong was incensed by this. "Why did you have to kill those humans?"
"Because I couldn't control the malevolent spirits transformed from humans in the real world. I could only control those condensed from pure resentment, which is one of my innate abilities."
"If I hadn't acted, those malevolent spirits, once deprived of their targets, would have caused widespread destruction in the real world, with repercussions far exceeding a malevolent spirit invasion," Longevity explained briefly.
"Then what does this have to do with you using us?" the Principal seized on a crucial point.
"After I returned, I captured the monster that broke the barrier and discovered its origin. If malevolent spirits are formed by resentment undergoing a special transformation, then that monster was condensed from soul power."
"Soul power?" Fang Daolong and the Principal exchanged glances, encountering a new term.
"Precisely, soul power," Longevity sighed. "The formation of these soul beings is even more rigorous than that of malevolent spirits. Consequently, their strength also surpasses malevolent spirits of the same level."
"Upon realizing this, I traced their subsidiary realm based on the origin of that soul being and stealthily entered it. Inside, I found many soul beings that were similar to, yet different from, malevolent spirits. The strongest among them was even more powerful than I was."
"Ultimately, after an intense battle with it, I managed to snatch a portion of its legacy and escape. What you two are learning now is what I obtained from that world."
"What?" Fang Daolong could hardly believe it. "Our abilities were actually your master plan?"
"Of course. Besides me, who else could have cultivated you two nascent spirits in such a short time?" Longevity scoffed. "Of course, you were just cogs in my plan; the true core is Fang Ming."
"Fang Ming?"
Fang Daolong mused. His research into runes was quite profound, and he had some inkling of Longevity's scheme.
Fang Ming was not actually his son. He was a child Longevity had found while wandering the Longevity Realm. When he found him, Fang Ming was still asleep and around ten years old.
This was also why Fang Ming had no memories before the age of ten.
After living with Fang Ming for a few years, his wife and he had to return to dealing with the affairs of the Longevity Realm, leaving Fang Ming behind in their hometown for ten years.
If Fang Ming hadn't eventually found them, they might have almost forgotten this "son."
"The center of that vortex is Fang Ming?" Fang Daolong asked, looking at the still churning vortex.
"Yes, it is Fang Ming," Longevity affirmed.
"You also utilized those rune technologies?" Fang Daolong's eyes widened as he looked at Longevity, realizing something.
Longevity chuckled. "You guessed correctly. I did too. However, unlike you, my nature, even when separated, has no good or evil; it's just a matter of different proportions of resentment, forming two main bodies of different ages, one large and one small."
"If I hadn't used runes to strengthen myself, Nannan could have easily defeated me," Longevity said, looking at Nannan. He and Fang Ming were two sides of the same coin, and his affection for Nannan was no less than Fang Ming's.
"No wonder..." the Principal murmured.
He finally understood why Nannan had been so easily defeated. Their plan itself had no issues, and Nannan had indeed broken through to the Longevity realm. But the problem was that Longevity himself had also undergone separation and strengthening, possibly even transcending Longevity. How could Nannan be a match for him?
On the other side.
Fang Ming was madly absorbing the white mist. The entire Longevity Realm was continuously providing him with resentment to help him break through to Longevity.
The resentment within him grew more abundant, and his strength increased!
This completely stunned the Professor and the Blood King.
This wasn't the script! If he charged all the way to Longevity like this, how would they separate and strengthen, and then manipulate things for soul-seizing?
Indeed, the Professor and the Blood King intended to seize the weaker half the moment Fang Ming separated into two sides, and then use the formation to channel all the power to the side seized by the Blood King. Thus, the Blood King would become a true Longevity!
But now, the problem was that Fang Ming didn't need to separate and strengthen; he was breaking through the realms himself, charging forward non-stop. How could they act?
"Can it be cut off?" the Blood King, feeling frustrated, asked a question he already knew the answer to.
"Your Highness, no," the Professor shook his head helplessly. "The formation is now almost irrelevant to him. He has already begun to take the initiative; no, the resentment is actively surging into his body."
"What is his body's limit? Have you inadvertently created a body capable of containing Longevity's power?" the Blood King asked with surprise. "Can my body be made like this?"
The Professor had to pour a bucket of cold water on him.
"Your Highness, I believe his ability to devour resentment like this now has little to do with his physique. His current state is likely related to Longevity."
After all, the white mist in the Longevity Realm belonged to Longevity. For other malevolent spirits to devour it was akin to engaging in a PK with Longevity's consciousness, and the outcome was predictable.
Fang Ming's unrestrained devouring of the white mist meant that if Longevity felt nothing, the Professor would dare to climb a tree right now!
So the question arose: why hadn't Longevity appeared yet? Was he being held back by the Principal?
"Longevity..." the Blood King sighed wistfully. He wished he could strangle Longevity to death right now. He and Longevity were mortal enemies! But he was only at the level of a nascent spirit, how could he possibly deal with Longevity?
At this moment, Fang Ming suddenly felt a certain shackle within his body shatter. Everything seemed so ordinary. The realm he had never dared to dream of had been reached so easily...
As he became a Longevity, countless memories flooded his mind.
He finally understood why he felt so familiar with Longevity, why Longevity had helped him, and why he could converse with Longevity as an equal.
It was because he himself was also Longevity!
He was himself, which was even closer than a blood brother; how could they not be familiar?
Even without those memories, his body's subconscious wouldn't lie. This was why Fang Ming dared to challenge Longevity.
"I've really set up a grand scheme..."
Fang Ming smiled with relief, but no matter what, it was successful now!
He had won the gamble!
Fang Ming stopped devouring the white mist and looked in the direction of Longevity and the others. With the shackles of memory gone, he could easily sense Longevity's location.
"Let's go, we'll head over," Longevity said to Fang Daolong and the other. In an instant, they appeared before Fang Ming.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him, Fang Ming felt a sense of melancholy.
"You've worked hard all this way," Longevity said with a smile.
Fang Ming smiled and remained silent.
Although they were the same person, their experiences were entirely different. It was like one person walking in two directions, and even upon meeting again, a hint of unfamiliarity was inevitable.
"You should have seen the memories in your mind by now. You can restore Nannan now," Longevity said, handing the benevolent-faced Nannan to Fang Ming. Fang Ming carefully took her and approached the malevolent-faced Nannan.
"Fang Ming, is that you..." the malevolent-faced Nannan asked tentatively.
The Fang Ming before her gave her a strange feeling. The strangeness wasn't due to his attitude, but due to the disparity in their status.
It was like two siblings, one had become an emperor, and the other was still a commoner. No matter how close their relationship, there would inevitably be an awkwardness when they were together.
"Of course, it's still me," Fang Ming said, reaching out a hand to stroke the malevolent-faced Nannan's head. "Now, do you want to merge back with your benevolent face?"
The malevolent-faced Nannan shook her head. "I don't want to. My affection for Fang Ming is mine alone. If I go back to being Nannan, then I won't be me anymore."
"Is that so..." Fang Ming sighed imperceptibly. He could understand her feelings, as he himself felt the same way.