"So these disgusting things are called the Void Insect Race?"
Lu Sheng’s words gradually brought Kong Xiaotian back to his senses. Although his emotions were still somewhat unstable, he could at least hear what Lu Sheng was saying and respond.
Kong Xiaotian took a deep breath. He looked at Lu Sheng in front of him, with a hint of caution in his eyes.
"How can you prove your identity as an Outer Realm Demon?"
Kong Xiaotian had been hunted by various major forces in this world for thirty years, and it was this thirty years that had made him extremely cautious.
Even though Lu Sheng claimed to be an Outer Realm Demon, without proof, Kong Xiaotian was unlikely to believe him.
Lu Sheng thought for a moment, and a vast surge of Qi Blood Power instantly roared out from his body. The entire interior of the valley shook under this wave of Qi Blood.
"Is this proof enough now?"
Lu Sheng calmly looked at Kong Xiaotian.
The best way to prove oneself as an Outer Realm Demon was nothing more than displaying a cultivation method that this world had never seen before, and... a cultivation technique that didn’t carry the aura of the Void Insect Race.
This, Lu Sheng could easily do.
Kong Xiaotian looked at Lu Sheng, and a complex expression gradually appeared in his eyes.
He bowed to Lu Sheng first, then sat on the ground somewhat dejectedly, forcing a bitter smile.
"Senior... would you be willing to listen to a story of mine?"
Lu Sheng smiled slightly: "I would like to hear the details!"
When Kong Xiaotian was sixteen years old, he successfully joined the Pure and Muddy Gate.
That day, Kong Xiaotian was full of ambition, and had great fantasies about the path of immortality.
"I shall stand at the pinnacle of the immortal path!"
Standing at the gate of the Pure and Muddy Gate, looking at the cloud-covered entrance, Kong Xiaotian made a bold and lofty declaration.
And it was because of these bold words that after joining the Pure and Muddy Gate, Kong Xiaotian diligently cultivated, successfully advancing from an ordinary person to the Foundation Establishment Realm in just thirty-six years.
Such speed allowed Kong Xiaotian to gain the favor of a Golden Core Elder from the Pure and Muddy Gate, who bestowed upon him a Golden Core.
Upon receiving the Golden Core, Kong Xiaotian was overjoyed.
"Golden Core! I, Kong Xiaotian, will become a powerful figure who commands the wind and clouds!"
Kong Xiaotian was extremely excited. With fervent emotions, he consumed the Golden Core one night.
From that moment on, Kong Xiaotian successfully stepped into the Golden Core Realm!
Enjoying the various treatments and benefits that came with increased power, Kong Xiaotian felt as if he was the favored son of heaven in this world.
However, this feeling didn’t last long before Kong Xiaotian discovered something.
"Lately... I seem to have become somewhat cold."
Standing in front of the mirror, looking at his unsmiling self, he noticed that he hadn’t shown any other expressions for a long time.
"To ascend to the peak of the immortal path, one must first be detached!"
"Perhaps this is the price of standing at the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao!"
Looking at his expressionless face, Kong Xiaotian comforted himself this way.
However, this self-comfort did not last long.
After cultivating for several more years, while carrying out a sect mission, Kong Xiaotian passed by his hometown.
Pausing on the road that led to his hometown, Kong Xiaotian hesitated.
Clearly, he had immense longing for his hometown and his parents, yet...
Yet Kong Xiaotian hesitated.
But after a moment of hesitation, his reason took over, and Kong Xiaotian returned to his hometown.
He thought that after decades without seeing his parents, many emotions would surge in his heart.
When Kong Xiaotian truly stood at the doorstep of the small courtyard where he had lived for sixteen years, he suddenly found...
The emotions he imagined did not appear in his heart.
He remained as cold as ever.
Even when his parents came out to greet him, their hearts filled with joy upon seeing their child, now a grown man, Kong Xiaotian’s heart remained utterly unmoved.
"Son, you’ve finally come back!"
The thick wrinkles on his parents’ faces narrated the passage of time.
But their love for him had not diminished in the slightest; it had only grown stronger.
His feelings were incredibly calm, as if unaffected.
At this moment, Kong Xiaotian realized that his emotions seemed to be gradually slipping away.
The loss of emotions made him so cold that he no longer felt like a living person, but rather... like a machine.
Everything around him gradually became unfamiliar.
The warmth of his parents made Kong Xiaotian feel increasingly uncomfortable.
In this strange, uncomfortable environment, Kong Xiaotian felt an increasing urge to escape, and eventually, he chose to leave his hometown and return to the Pure and Muddy Gate.
After making this decision, his parents were silent for a long time, only mentioning that they would get him a Peace Talisman.
Kong Xiaotian paid little heed to it. The next day, with the sky still gray, he was already prepared to leave.
Just before leaving, he saw his father, shivering from the cold, returning from outside with a Peace Talisman freshly acquired from a nearby temple.