Douluo Continent: All I Do Is Destroy Rings is Skill.

Chapter 354 Power is merely a means to an end.

"You ask me about my future? It's simple. My future is to continue researching my Ascension Soul Tool, and then—to become an existence comparable to the gods, although I know that may be impossible."

Xiao Hongchen spoke very frankly. Since being influenced by Ning Wuque, he had a new definition of his future, a new direction, and new goals.

In his plan, the Ascension Soul Tool was enough to allow him to ascend to godhood! However, becoming a god was unlikely. According to his calculations, the most likely outcome for his Ascension Soul Tool was that it would be classified as a Soul Beast, and becoming a god would just be a restricted and empty dream.

After experiencing several ascensions, Xiao Hongchen gained a new understanding of "gods." Combining this with some legends and stories on the Douluo Continent and the fact that there have been no divine miracles for the past ten thousand years, he deduced a somewhat impossible but very likely truth.

But that's not important. In his mind, his complete ascension after the ninth ring would completely free him from the shackles of flesh and blood. Even if he didn't become a god, he would still have a long lifespan.

Therefore, he didn't have much of an opinion about the future. Time is a magical thing; as long as you live long enough, even an ordinary person will earn the respect of those in power.

He only needed to live long enough; other things didn't seem to matter much to him.

"Absolutely impossible? How so?"

"It's a bit complicated to explain, so let me ask you this: if you became a god, would you sever the path to godhood?"

"No, but human thought is complex, so some people will. I see."

Ning Wuque's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected that Xiao Hongchen could understand the deep truth of this world just through this simple principle. No wonder he said that becoming a god was simply impossible.

As he said, if he hadn't been targeted by Destruction, his chances of becoming a god would have been slim, and he would have even had to depend on the whims of the Tang God King.

The Tang family's back garden isn't called that for nothing!

"So I don't really care about anything else. My vision for the future is crystal clear. I am a Soul Master, and I always have been. What are you trying to convince me of? To stop the Sun Moon Empire from going to war?"

As Xiao Hongchen spoke, he poured himself a glass of red wine and gently waved it in front of Ning Wuque's eyes, wanting to hear how Ning Wuque would convince him.

Across from him, Ning Wuque was momentarily speechless. Xiao Hongchen was, in a way, the same kind of person as himself. They had a strong sense of family but no sense of national identity; their home was their country.

Therefore, they don't always consider other things too much. In addition, they all have strong abilities and backgrounds, as well as the ability to not care about other things.

But he refused to give up and continued, "And then what? The cultivation level of a Soul Master has always been a major weakness. I believe in your talent; you should have no problem achieving your ascension within a hundred years. But—and then what? You achieve your goal, and then what?"

"And then—you reminded me, sometimes being too talented isn't a good thing, it makes it easy to achieve goals."

Reaching out to brush the white hair from his forehead, Xiao Hongchen gently put down his wine glass, lost in confusion. Indeed, even with his current talent, he couldn't imagine what else he could do after achieving ultimate ascension.

Continue researching new soul tools? Or aimlessly search for a way to become a god? Or perhaps—

Gradually, Xiao Hongchen's smile faded, becoming flat and even somewhat dejected. When you realize you're trapped in a cage, many ideas seem destined to fail before they even begin.

Intelligence is both his strength and his weakness.

"I----"

"Laugh, don't you think this world is too dilapidated and too terrible? Maybe you shouldn't limit your vision to your own little world."

Seeing Xiao Hongchen waver, Ning Wuque pressed on while extending his hand to offer him a new direction: "Power is merely a means to an end. Our goals should not be solely focused on power. Just like me, if power were all I had in my heart, I wouldn't have come to you, and I probably wouldn't have formed this happy family today, nor would I have had such a thrilling battle with Long Aotian."

Life is full of wonderful moments, but they are usually not right in front of us. They lie in the corners we easily overlook, like you—I used to find it hard to believe that we would become friends today.

"Sigh—maybe you're right, so do you have any plans? I mean—can you give me some advice or something?"

With an expression that said "I really can't do anything with you," Xiao Hongchen had been convinced by Ning Wuque's words. His future was indeed too limited, so much so that he could see the end at a glance, and even reach out and touch it.

After that, he had no more goals. Once he achieved his ultimate ascension, he would become a god among men.

As a god, there are very few things that can interest him, and just thinking about those days is incredibly lonely!

Sitting opposite Xiao Hongchen, Ning Wuque poured another glass of red wine and steadily handed it to Xiao Hongchen before leisurely saying, "How about we start by establishing a technologically advanced era? A person's talent has its limits, Xiao. You can be proficient in countless fields, but there will still be blank areas that you cannot explore. However, if an entire civilization raises questions for you, then there will eventually be a blank question that points you to a completely new direction."

Unfortunately, this is impossible in the present era, and it will be difficult to achieve in the future. Human civilization is built on a two-tiered system, and no one knows how many unsung geniuses will be buried in obscurity.

"You brat! You're waiting for me here, aren't you? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to His Majesty the Emperor for instigating me to commit treason?"

"Haha, so you can do it?"

"No, but I will also never betray my family or my country."

Shaking his head heavily, Xiao Hongchen also had his own bottom line. He was very similar to Ning Wuque; they both possessed something that strong people had—a steadfast heart.

To Xiao Hongchen's surprise, Ning Wuque shook his head slightly and said something that puzzled him: "No, I will not oppose the war. Unifying the two continents is the correct historical direction for this world, and only a unified civilization can achieve the world I told you about."

"so what?"

"War is like the wheel of civilization's progress; it crushes the flesh and blood called 'stagnation' and the souls 'indulging in the old world,' allowing the world to be destroyed and rebuilt."

Suddenly, Ning Wuque changed the subject: "But! Civilization needs proper guidance, and that's the meaning of leaders and heroes. Do you understand? Laugh?"