Hearing Liu Buli's explanation, the Evil God once again affirmed in his heart that what he had just seen was indeed correct. This fox-like man was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
Unlike the young man beside him who was filled with malice, the fox, though not appearing as insane and not exuding as much pressure, seemed to see through people's hearts when he met their gaze, making those interacting with him feel deeply uncomfortable.
This was precisely the case for the Evil God now.
After staring into Liu Buli's eyes for a long time, the Evil God finally gritted his teeth. Just as Liu Buli was contemplating whether to say something more potent, the Evil God suddenly laughed and said, "I don't like you as a person, but it's clear that cooperating with intelligent people has its benefits. So let's be open about it. I can indeed gain something from this. For example, if you create this pet, the pet can stimulate the malice in people's hearts. When the malice in this world reaches a certain level again, I, as the god who presides over evil thoughts, will be revived."
Liu Buli let out a light chuckle.
He had to admit that he might have a talent for writing novels. Because before the Evil God spoke, he had already formed a general guess. Now that the other party had revealed it, Liu Buli found that the correct answer was exactly as he had imagined, and he didn't even need to feign surprise.
With an exceptionally calm smile, Liu Buli did not indicate whether he was willing to cooperate. He simply continued to ask, "But the gods have fallen, why is there still a chance for them to return? If it were so easy to return, wouldn't the gods who preside over other aspects of the world have revived long ago?"
For instance, light and shadow, rivers, lakes, and seas.
Even after the gods fell, these things still existed in the world. They had never dissipated over tens of thousands of years. So why had he never heard of the gods presiding over them returning?
Hearing his question, the Evil God provided an answer. He said, "I am different from them. They never left themselves a way out from the beginning, so their fall was final, with no chance of return. But from the moment of my birth, I was aware of all the darkness in this world. I foresaw all possible worst-case scenarios, so from the very beginning, I hid a wisp of my divine soul to prevent myself from becoming as passive as other gods in the event of a divine fall."
Liu Buli stroked his chin.
He seemed to understand the Evil God's meaning.
It was somewhat similar to a movie he had watched a long time ago, where the Demon King, to ensure his survival, divided his soul into many fragments and hid them in various places.
Although the Evil God had not divided his soul into so many fragments, the general idea was the same. From this perspective, he did indeed possess some intelligence worth mentioning.
Seeing that Liu Buli had no reaction, the Evil God paused and continued, "The place where I first hid that divine soul was a valley. I thought that even if an accident occurred, as long as a fated person was found, I would eventually have a chance to recover. Who knew that after the War of God Slaying began, that beast Xi Chi collapsed that mountain. The valley where I preserved my divine soul was buried by surrounding rocks, becoming a new mountain. The location was right in the center of the mountain, making it impossible for anyone to approach. Thus, after so much time, I still haven't encountered any fated person who could help me solve this problem and release my divine soul."
As the Evil God spoke, one could tell from his tone that he was genuinely infuriated.
Liu Buli, however, struggled to suppress his laughter. Although he had never divided his own divine soul, he had heard similar things from Xi Yu during their interactions.
The so-called divine soul was merely a remnant of divine power. Under normal circumstances, a divine soul would remain in a dormant state. For example, the divine soul the Evil God spoke of should have been in this state; it would not actively attack its surroundings, nor would it actively prove its existence. It would remain quietly in place, waiting for a so-called opportune moment to appear.
If no such opportunity arose, it would remain dormant for thousands of years, unchanged.
Perhaps it was because the Heavenly Dao no longer permitted the existence of gods, which led to such a situation. Even if one left a contingency, that contingency would be permanently buried deep due to various coincidences.
In such a situation, if they were to intervene and help, it would be equivalent to them going against the Heavenly Dao.
Although Liu Buli had already done many things that went against the Heavenly Dao for the sake of Lu Wuming, he was not willing to court disaster for others. Moreover, from the very beginning, he had no intention of accepting the Evil God's proposal.
Thinking this, Liu Buli showed no change in his expression. Maintaining his faint smile, he continued to ask, "So, the cooperation you are discussing with us now is for us to help you release your divine soul, then create some monsters around the divine soul, use the monsters' existence to stimulate your divine soul, and then use that evil energy and resentment to help your divine soul recover, is that correct?"
The Evil God immediately nodded.
As if he felt that Liu Buli was considering cooperation, he began to flatter and praise him, saying, "It's truly beneficial to communicate with intelligent people. You understand my meaning without needing much explanation, which is so delightful!"
Liu Buli waved his hand, signaling that he didn't need such excessive praise. Then, after a pause, he continued, "Where is your divine soul hidden? And how exactly are those monsters to be created? Tell us everything in detail, and it will be easier for us to help you."
At this, the Evil God burst into laughter.
Lu Wuming, standing beside him, put on a displeased expression, furrowed his brows, and mumbled, "Master, I..."
"While I am discussing matters with him, you will obediently refrain from interrupting," Liu Buli calmly interrupted Lu Wuming's plea. "This is a very important matter that concerns your future progress. Just listen obediently. If you interrupt again before we finish our discussion, I will be angry with you."