The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

"Someone wants to see me? Who?"

The old crow said mysteriously, "That person at the bottom of the River of Oblivion has been waiting for you for ages."

The crow pointed with its wing, "He said that as long as you stand by the river, he can talk to you."

Golden Armor added, "Don't worry, he's not one of Hades's people. That person... you'll know once you meet him."

Shen Yifei looked at Liu Mengli.

Liu Mengli was pale but in good spirits. She whispered, "Master, Shi Yan's remnant soul is beneath the River of Oblivion."

Shen Yifei didn't speak, but had Hongxiu catch Liu Mengli. He looked in the direction of the River of Oblivion, then walked over.

At this moment, everyone inside the Cauldron of Myriad Things came out and looked at Shen Yifei's back.

Ye Ling did not participate in this battle. She and Shen Yifei were of one mind, and there were some things that he had to face on his own.

The River of Oblivion remained as gray and white as ever, calm and still, without a ripple, as if the great battle had nothing to do with it.

Shen Yifei stood by the river, and ripples suddenly appeared on the river surface.

A voice rose from the bottom of the river, clear and gentle, "Shen Yifei."

Shen Yifei had heard his voice before in front of the Three Lives Mirror, and calmly replied, "Shi Yan."

The river rippled slightly, as if Shi Yan were smiling: "You should understand the current situation now, right?"

"Yes, all I understand is that this was all a scheme you set up. From Thirteen Sister's mask to the Reincarnation Decree to the Terrace of Longing for Home, it's all interconnected. It would be a miracle if you weren't behind it all."

"Design? Not really, just a scheme that's been in the works for thousands of years," Shi Yan said slowly. "Back then, Wan Shuo and I made a pact to each set up our own scheme. He left behind the Spirit Ruins, and I left behind the Reincarnation Decree in the Underworld. We're waiting for a successor like you to appear."

Shen Yifei frowned: "Wait for me? How do you know you'll definitely come?"

"Wan Shuo said that the Five Elements inheritance has its own spirit and will find the most suitable person. As for when that person will come and in what way, no one can predict."

Shi Yan paused for a moment, "But there's at least one thing that's certain about that person... he... must be someone who dares to overturn the table."

"Flip the table? What do you mean?" Shen Yifei was somewhat confused.

"I've met many inheritors, many of them talented and resolute, but they all share a common flaw... reverence. Reverence for the rules, reverence for the Way of Heaven. They can do things to the extreme within a framework, but they never dare to break that framework. You're different. When you entered the Underworld, you first burned the Book of Life and Death, then smashed the Terrace of Longing for Home, and finally even tried to refine the King of the Underworld. This shows... you're not the kind of person who would bow down to the rules."

Shen Yifei felt a chill run down his spine: "So, all of this was part of your plan?"

"Deduction is not calculation. Wan Shuo and I have deduced countless times what kind of person can take the final step. The result is always the same: only those who dare to challenge authority are qualified to face something even more terrifying."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yifei's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What is this even more terrifying thing you're talking about?"

Shi Yan fell silent.

The river calmed for a moment, then he slowly spoke: "Shen Yifei, do you think the enemies of the Immortal Realm are the Immortal Punishment gang? Or the Immortal Emperor?"

"Isn't it them? My father is still fighting those people from the Celestial Punishment Sect!"

"Yes, your father, Shen Changtian, he was also one of our candidates, but unfortunately, he wasn't suitable..."

"My father is better than me!! He's a big part of why I've gotten to where I am today!"

A very soft laugh echoed from the bottom of the River of Oblivion: "Your father was indeed strong. But the path of the strong and the path of those who can take the final step are not the same."

"What do you mean by that? Isn't it true that you only have confidence when you become stronger?"

"Heh, confidence and courage are different. Shen Changtian is a righteous person. Righteous people have strong bones and a firm back. He wouldn't stoop to overturn a table. Everything he does is within the rules. Burning the Book of Life and Death, smashing the Terrace of Longing for Home, refining the King of the Underworld... he wouldn't do such things."

"Why? What my father is doing now is exposing the actions of the Celestial Punishment. Isn't that courage?"

"No, that's not enough. Your father had his principles; he could expose wrongdoing, but he couldn't overthrow it. But to be honest, in thousands of years, only he himself has gone to such lengths!"

Shen Yifei stopped refuting and slowly digested Shi Yan's words.

He himself did not think he was any better than his father, and he did not have the courage to face divine punishment now.

He didn't feel that he had the courage to flip the table as sometimes mentioned; he just felt that he couldn't stand it and felt that he should do it.

Courage? I only have the courage to protect my group of women and my mother!

Shi Yan remained silent, waiting quietly for Shen Yifei.

After a long while, Shi Yan's voice finally came slowly: "How do you think the Nine Demon Gods died?"

"Fighting among themselves."

"Fratricide? Heh..." Shi Yan's voice came from the bottom of the river, "You believe that reason?"

Shi Yan paused, then continued, "The nine demon gods all originated from the same source. Back then, the nine of us sat together drinking wine. That wine was brewed by Ling Yun himself, and it hadn't soured even after three hundred years. Tell me, would nine people like that turn on each other over a few words?"

How did they die?

"Killed by others... well... I should say, manipulated by others to make us kill each other."

Shen Yifei was somewhat puzzled, "Even the Celestial Emperor wouldn't dare to provoke demon gods like you, so who could control you?"

"Who can control it? Isn't it all caused by greed?"

Shen Yifei was even more confused. "Shi Yan, at your level, what else would you want? Aside from immortality, you probably have everything, right?"

Shi Yan chuckled and said, "Everyone's greed is different. Wan Shuo wants to leave everything behind. Kong Yuan wants to break free from the shackles of heaven and earth. Fen Ge is obsessed with the pleasure of the flames merging with his flesh. Mie Tian wants to destroy everything that displeases him. Ling Yun wants all things to live forever. Huo Xin enjoys manipulating everyone. Lun Ji is unwilling to let his reincarnation be controlled by others. Hun Dian wants an endless supply of souls to nourish himself."

"And what about you?" Shen Yifei asked.

"I covet 'immortality'," Shi Yan's voice lowered. "I don't want to die."

Shi Yan sighed deeply, "No matter who it is, even if they are all Immortal Emperors, their lifespan is only a few tens of thousands of years. No one can escape the fate of death! Alas... once a person dies, all the beauty before their eyes vanishes like smoke..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yifei felt a surge of emotion.

Nine demons, nine kinds of greed.

Ultimately, we are all human, and even if we become gods, we are still the same. No one can escape the word "greed."

"So you were manipulated back then because you coveted this 'immortality'?"

Shi Yan remained silent for a long time.

"Yes. It all stems from me... That person told me that as long as I gather the legacies of the nine great demon gods, I can comprehend the origin of the Heavenly Dao and achieve immortality... I was tempted!"