w.a.n.g Tianzong was talking about Tyrant.

A storm was brewing in today’s Eastern Europe. At this delicate moment, more than 20 Invincible Realm experts were gathering in Eastern Europe!

Twenty Invincible Realm experts.

What did that mean?

The world’s population was nearly seven billion. From the perspective of Martial Arts, the Divine & Holy Lists represented the peak Martial Arts.

There were fifteen people on the Divine List and fifteen people on the Holy List.

Thus, there were thirty Invincible Realm experts in total.

There were still a few who were not powerful enough to make it to the lists and people who lived in seclusion, such as Lin Fengting.

There were no more than fifty Invincible Realm experts all over the world.

In a population of seven billion, there were only less than 50 Invincible Realm experts. That was far less than the number of heads of states in the world.

In contrast, there seemed to be a lot more Half-step Invincible Realm experts who were only one step away from the real Invincible Realm.

And Thunder-shocking Realm experts were much more than Half-step Invincible Realm experts.

Fire-flaming Realm experts, who could be regarded as super elites anywhere, were the main forces of Martial Arts.

Further down, the Ice-condensing Realm and Qi-controlling Realm experts were as many as the water drops in the sea and were the cornerstones of Martial Arts.

But compared to billions of ordinary people, the so-called Ice-condensing Realm and Qi-controlling Realm elites were also rare.

It was hard to cross the threshold of Martial Arts.

It was challenging to climb up the towering tree of Martial Arts, as difficult as climbing up to Heaven.

It also ill.u.s.trated how valuable the Invincible Realm experts were.

Any Invincible Realm expert, whether he was on the Divine & Holy Lists or was not qualified to be on the lists, was a real big shot in the Dark World and even the one who could protect a country.

The chaos in Eastern Europe now brought together superpowers around the world.

There were also Invincible Realm experts belonging to different powers.

What did it mean to have at least twenty Invincible Realm experts together?

Three years ago, how horrifying was the final battle in Heaven Capital? But only a few Invincible Realm experts appeared back then.

All this meant that Eastern Europe had gradually evolved into a mess that the Dark World had never experienced in nearly a century.

And the general trend formed by such chaos was overwhelming. The Ice-condensing Realm, Qi-controlling Realm, Fire-flaming Realm, and Thunder-shocking Realm experts were not qualified to resist at all. They could only drift along in the general trend.

Experts at the peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm and Half-step Invincible Realm could make a difference.

However, in the deadlock, the ones who were truly able to break the deadlock were Invincible Realm experts.

At present, there was only one Invincible Realm expert who had nothing in the entire Dark World.

Perhaps in the future, Jiang Qiansong would be another one.

But now there was only one such person.

Tyrant, an expert on the Divine List, the former leader of the Polar Ground Alliance!

The condition was too tricky, and the screening scope was too small, so KingTong easily thought of this person.

She asked, “Tyrant?”

“Yes.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong nodded. “The Indefinite Grace I borrowed from you is prepared for Tyrant.”

KingTong thought about it and asked, “Where is Tyrant?”

“I’m still looking for him, and now I have some clues. So just wait,” w.a.n.g Tianzong said.

He now had high hopes for a breakthrough and had Tyrant as the backup to break the deadlock. Naturally, he did not want the Shadow Throne to fight desperately. Even if the w.a.n.g family of Beihai did not move forward and backward at the same time with Rothschild, the relationship between them was always close. Whenever there was a dispute in the Dark World, they were each other’s best cooperative ally. If the Shadow Throne paid too much in the chaos in Eastern Europe, it was equivalent to weakening w.a.n.g Tianzong’s power.

KingTong frowned.

“There are quite many variables.”

She said, “How can it be so easy to find an Invincible Realm expert who is determined to hide in the dark? And even if he were found, he might not be willing to work for you.”

“Certainly, there are variables, but not as many as you might think. Tyrant has nothing, and if he is unwilling to quit, he can only risk it. It’s definitely a gamble on all the bets. If the w.a.n.g family of Beihai fully supports him, why does he refuse? As for the stance, Tyrant now has no stance.”

KingTong was deep in thought.

With the Sword Emperor’s prestige in the Dark World and her authority in the Shadow Throne, KingTong believed that if she insisted on breaking the deadlock, there was a better than 80% chance that the entire Shadow Throne would agree to accompany the w.a.n.g family of Beihai to go crazy once.

However, this kind of madness was just a choice made in desperation.

Tyrant was indeed a good candidate.

If he was willing to cooperate with the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, naturally, the Shadow Throne would not want to pay any price.

KingTong asked, “Where is Tyrant?”

“He appeared in Snow Country a few days ago, but our men were a step behind and lost his trace.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong shook his head. “But don’t worry, we will find him.”

“Hmm.” KingTong wanted to say something more, but w.a.n.g Tianzong’s cell phone suddenly rang.

There was only one word on the caller ID.

Solstice.

w.a.n.g Tianzong glanced at KingTong without speaking.

Full of gravity, KingTong suddenly became resentful.

“I’ll go downstairs to order.”

KingTong was silent for a while. She stood up and made an excuse to leave the suite.

w.a.n.g Tianzong answered the phone and said, “h.e.l.lo.”

“Have you had breakfast yet?”

At the other end of the line, Summer Solstice’s languid, elegant voice sounded. “It should be dawn in Wulan State now.”

“Not yet.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong told the truth. “KingTong went downstairs to order.”

“Were you with KingTong last night?”

Summer Solstice’s voice was soft.

This question was not easy to answer.

Because w.a.n.g Tianzong couldn’t understand what this sentence meant.

He and KingTong were in a suite.

He stood on the balcony all night, and KingTong slept in the bedroom all night.

Were they together or not?

w.a.n.g Tianzong looked out the window.

The living room of the suite had an exaggeratedly luxurious floor-to-ceiling window. He looked out of the window and found that it was rainy in the cold city.

“It’s raining in Recchi City.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong shifted the topic.

Summer Solstice snorted softly.

w.a.n.g Tianzong laughed. “I watched the starry sky on the balcony all night and didn’t come into the room until the rainy dawn. Are you satisfied?”

Summer Solstice giggled and quipped, “My Majesty is getting more and more measured.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong said solemnly, “My lady taught me well.”

At this moment, all the chaotic moods of last night seemed to disappear completely, and all w.a.n.g Tianzong could feel inside was peace.

Summer Solstice asked suddenly, “Is Eastern Europe… beautiful?”

w.a.n.g Tianzong’s hand holding the phone stiffened for a moment, and he said blandly, “Average, and very cold.”

“I’m not afraid of cold.”

Summer Solstice’s voice seemed to contain something else.

w.a.n.g Tianzong said, “Beihai is better and suitable for recuperation.”

Summer Solstice remained silent, and for a long while, she didn’t speak.

w.a.n.g Tianzong fell silent as well.

The silence was gentle and heavy.

After a long time, Summer Solstice said softly, “I should have been by your side at this time.”

As the hostess of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, Summer Solstice seldom expressed her opinions on things other than Beihai. Many times, she was like a precious vase carefully protected by w.a.n.g Tianzong and was carefreely happy in her little world.

But that didn’t mean she was stupid.

At each critical moment, Summer Solstice would appear appropriately. Indeed, she did not understand the overall situation of the Dark World, but someone understood it. She could listen to it whenever she wanted.

So she knew well about the subtleties of Eastern Europe’s chaos.

She, too, understood how difficult was the situation that w.a.n.g Tianzong had to deal with at this time.

It was no exaggeration to say that in such a chaotic situation, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai was the superpower that should be most cautious because it was the strongest, yet, it was not strong enough to ignore everything.

Such w.a.n.g family of Beihai was an easy target for everyone.

Once the w.a.n.g family of Beihai encountered an obstacle in Eastern Europe, if it weren’t severe damage, few of the senior officials in Zhongzhou State would be aflame with indignation, given the current situation in Zhongzhou State. The reason was simple.

It was because of the might of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.

So Summer Solstice wanted to move.

She lost all of her foundation at the border war that year. Though she had the Immortality Potion, which was miraculously effective, to prolong her life, she had never recovered from her serious injuries.

But the Martial Arts of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai aimed at the breakout.

If Summer Solstice fully unleashed her power, her combat capability would almost be as good as that of any peak Invincible Realm expert.

w.a.n.g Tianzong, Lin Fengting, Li Kuangtu, Summer Solstice.

When the four learned the sword together, Summer Solstice was the most talented.

If it hadn’t been for the battle more than two decades ago, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai might have had the first female Chosen One throughout the history of the Dark World.

It also meant that even though the foundation of Summer Solstice had collapsed entirely, with a brief breakout, she was able to break the deadlock utterly in the fastest time.

Deity of the Purgatory of Heaven Capital.

Aresis of the Vatican.

And Lin Fengting from the Lin Clan, who the w.a.n.g family of Beihai did not want to think about now.

After Summer Solstice’s sword, it would basically be a situation where both sides suffered. No deadlock couldn’t be broken.

“No need.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong’s eyes were calm and firm. “I can handle it.”

“It’s nothing. I also want to go to Eastern Europe and have a look. Tianzong, it suddenly occurred to me that it was about time…”

Summer Solstice smiled gently on the other end of the line.

“Stop saying so.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong suddenly interrupted Summer Solstice.

His voice was calm, with a hint of anger.

Everyone on Mount Dibing knew that His Majesty was very fond of Summer Solstice, and he had never once been angry with her. In Summer Solstice’s impression, it seemed the only time w.a.n.g Tianzong had interrupted her since she had known him.

Maybe the second time?

“I can handle it here.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong held the drinking gla.s.s in his hand.

The thick crystal gla.s.s slowly melted into debris in his hand.

The debris fell down along his fingertips and fell on the coffee table. The water in the cup had completely turned into steam and melted in w.a.n.g Tianzong’s hand.

w.a.n.g Tianzong said again, “I can definitely handle it.”

Summer Solstice remained silent for a longer time.

“Sorry.”

It was a long time before she whispered, “I am not…”

“I know.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong laughed, his voice deep. The thing in his voice was strong persistence instead of tenderness. “I can rest a.s.sured when you are at home. It is not only about the safety of you and Mount Dibing, but also because I am afraid that if you are not at home, I will not find my way home.”

In silence, the sound of deep breathing came from the other end of the line.

w.a.n.g Tianzong held the phone tightly and slowly said, “The current situation is indeed a bit tricky, but no one in the current Dark World can hurt me. Please rest a.s.sured. In Eastern Europe, there must be an explanation for everything.”

Summer Solstice said softly, “I don’t need that.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong laughed. His smile was extremely bitter, and he was not resigned to the situation.

He whispered, “Sorry.”

There were too many meanings in this sentence.

Perhaps everyone in the world could understand the helplessness and distress of the Sword Emperor.

They, too, understood the responsibility and weight of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.

But in w.a.n.g Tianzong’s view, the so-called helplessness was his inability.

Summer Solstice was the only woman in his life.

She was amazingly talented at Martial Arts and even had the potential to become the first female Chosen One in the history of the Dark World.

She was his most cherished wife.

She was his world.

How important was she?

But the most cherished woman in his life, the woman who was supposed to be the most dazzling in the Dark World, lost her foundation and lived a life she didn’t like on Mount Dibing.

This kind of life had been going on for more than two decades.

Two decades!!!

And the man who almost ruined Summer Solstice’s life was still alive today!

There must be an explanation on this matter.

Must!

w.a.n.g Tianzong could apologize to Summer Solstice because he was carrying too much weight.

But some people were not qualified to apologize to her.

w.a.n.g Tianzong hung up the phone silently, watching the rain outside the window.

In the morning of Recchi City, a bolt of raging thunder flashed across the gloomy sky.

The wind was getting stronger.

The rain was heavy.

w.a.n.g Tianzong watched in silence.

His eyes were indifferent, but in them, there was a touch of depth stained with calm and determination.

There was a soft knock on the door.

w.a.n.g Tianzong casually said, “Come in.” Seeing that there was no response outside the door, he raised his eyebrows slightly, stood up, and repeated it in Chinese.

The unlocked door was gently pushed open.

A cloud of mist seemed to be swarming into the suite.

An old man with the demeanor of an immortal walked into the living room with a smile.

He was dressed in a neat Taoist Robe, holding a Horsetail Whisk, with white hair and a white beard.

Such a costume was unusual even in Zhongzhou State, which had grown more respectful of traditional culture in recent years. In Eastern Europe, it was a complete anomaly.

But instead of looking strange, the old man appeared natural. There was already a hint of natural simplicity in him.

“Master, welcome.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong chuckled, asked Xuan Xuanzi to sit down, poured him a gla.s.s of water, and put in it a bag of tea provided by the hotel.

The tea was made casually, but since it was w.a.n.g Tianzong who did that personally, it already showed his respect and politeness.

Only one Taoist priest in Zhongzhou State deserved his respect.

Xuan Xuanzi, a grandmaster of metaphysics.

w.a.n.g Tianzong whispered, “You had been traveling every day. It took me a lot of effort to find you. Why not take a break on Mount Dibing in the future? With you on Mount Dibing, I will feel a little more at ease.”

He didn’t understand metaphysics, but he knew about metaphysics.

Although the essence of metaphysics was not about omniscient predictions, it was not about pure conspiracies, either.

Xuan Xuanzi was a person of true skill and genuine knowledge.

The same was true of Great Master Wuwei.

Such people may not be able to predict one thing exactly when there was no one pushing them behind, but at least they knew a general direction.

That was the truest and rarest part of metaphysics.

The Daoist magic, the Book of Changes, the Five Elements of Eight Diagrams, and metaphysics were really mysterious and yet illusory. The true masters of metaphysics had always been scarce than the Invincible Realm experts. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai had a deep foundation and also had masters of metaphysics, but that was not the case in this generation. However, w.a.n.g Tianzong could understand the benefits that a true master of metaphysics could bring to his family.

So his invitation was extremely sincere.

It was not the first time he had invited Xuan Xuanzi.

However, Xuan Xuanzi never gave a definite answer. Now his status was equivalent to an advisor of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, but he rarely went to Mount Dibing and was even less likely to stay on Mount Dibing.

“I’m used to being idle, and I’ll feel uncomfortable staying in a place for too long. I’d rather not stay on Mount Dibing. It will not be difficult for Your Majesty to find me for I rarely leave Zhongzhou State. Given the resources of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, it’s easy to find someone in Zhongzhou State if you want to.”

Xuan Xuanzi laughed softly.

w.a.n.g Tianzong smiled, lowered his head, and lit a cigarette.

Amidst the rising smoke, there was a strange light in Xuan Xuanzi’s eyes.

The chaos in Eastern Europe had become increasingly deadlocked.

Xuan Xuanzi knew that w.a.n.g Tianzong would find him.

Even if he didn’t know that, given the fact that he was now the thirteenth Super Master of the Samsara Palace hidden in the dark, Qin Weibai would also tell him that w.a.n.g Tianzong would find him.

So Xuan Xuanzi appeared in front of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai’s intelligence system at an appropriate time and was then logically taken to Eastern Europe.

Xuan Xuanzi was a little confused.

He could roughly know the purpose of w.a.n.g Tianzong.

But he couldn’t see through Qin Weibai’s mind.

w.a.n.g Tianzong invited Xuan Xuanzi.

Qin Weibai knew the news, but she never gave him any order.

She told him that there was no need to mislead or hide anything.

There were only four words in her command—to tell the truth.

To tell the truth to w.a.n.g Tianzong?

Xuan Xuanzi was increasingly ignorant of Qin Weibai’s meaning.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, “Your Majesty, have you been confused recently?”

“The situation in Eastern Europe is tricky.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong said, “Do you have any advice?”

“The situation in Eastern Europe is the contemporary trend. I cannot see through it.”

Xuan Xuanzi looked at w.a.n.g Tianzong, his eyes calm and unperturbed.

Since he was telling the truth, his conscience was clear.

w.a.n.g Tianzong asked, “Can’t you see through it?”

“No one can see through it. Since it is the contemporary trend, there are bound to be countless possibilities, each of which may have a different cause and effect. I can’t see through it, and I dare not.”

Xuan Xuanzi smiled.

w.a.n.g Tianzong nodded slowly and suddenly asked, “What if Beihai moves first?”

Xuan Xuanzi kept silent for a long time and seemed to be calculating.

It was a long time before he shook his head and said, “It’s all possible.”

That meant Beihai might win or lose.

w.a.n.g Tianzong narrowed his eyes and took a drag on the cigarette, a small half of which turned into ashes.

“Your Majesty, your sword intent is mighty. If nothing goes wrong, this should be the critical moment of your Martial Arts. In this case, I have a suggestion.”

Xuan Xuanzi slowly said, “It’s better to be quiet than to move.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong didn’t know how to choose or whether he could choose.

That was his biggest confusion.

He asked, “Quiet?”

“Just wait and see.”

Xuan Xuanzi nodded.

w.a.n.g Tianzong turned his head and looked through the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling window in the direction of the Office of the President.

He couldn’t see the Office of the President at this height.

But the bright red Star Flag was still obvious.

w.a.n.g Tianzong looked at the flag in his sight and suddenly asked, “Do you think I can break through and become the only Chosen One in the Dark World?”

There were not so many possibilities for this kind of thing—only could and couldn’t.

So it was an easy question for Xuan Xuanzi to answer.

“A breakthrough is inevitable.”

Xuan Xuanzi answered quickly without hesitation. But on second thought, it was half a sentence.

“Hmm?”

w.a.n.g Tianzong turned to glance at Xuan Xuanzi.

Xuan Xuanzi looked at w.a.n.g Tianzong strangely, with some emotions such as pity.

Xuan Xuanzi asked suddenly, “What is the Chosen One in Your Majesty’s heart?”

“The Chosen One is naturally invincible.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong answered without hesitation. That was his philosophy.

The strongest person—the invincible one, was the Chosen One.

“But from my perspective, the Chosen One is actually perfect. Your Dark World has divided Martial Arts into many levels, but when did you hear that the Chosen One is also a level? When the Invincible Realm didn’t appear, the first Invincible Realm expert was the Chosen One. When the Thunder-shocking Realm didn’t appear, the first Thunder-shocking Realm expert was the Chosen One. In a sense, the invincible one is the Chosen One. But it is not absolute. The Chosen One is actually perfect. He has favorable climatic, geographical, and human conditions, so he is perfect. When many seemingly accidental conditions are concentrated on the strongest man, he will be the real Chosen One.

“The Chosen One is not a realm but a person. There is only one truly invincible man.”

Xuan Xuanzi looked at w.a.n.g Tianzong with real regret in his eyes.

w.a.n.g Tianzong asked, “You mean I’m not perfect?”

“You’re talented enough, Your Majesty, to be able to reach this stage today and can even continue to take half a step, almost exceeding the limit of manpower, which is called an earth-shaking move. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai has a profound foundation, strong fate, and is in a favorable climatic as well as a geographical position…”

Xuan Xuanzi lowered his eyelids and said truthfully, “But Beihai is unstable, so how can the favorable climatic, geographical, and human conditions be perfect?

“With Your Majesty’s talent, you’re already destined to take the last half step. But you lack fate, so I don’t know what you will become of in the end because I have never seen the true Chosen One.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong suddenly had nothing to say.

After thinking for a long time, he slowly asked, “Can you help me?”

Xuan Xuanzi smiled and calmly said, “It’s a choice you have to make, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Choice?”

“Choice.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong leaned forward slightly and supported himself with both hands on the desk.

He looked into Xuan Xuanzi’s eyes and asked, “What do I need to choose?”

Xuan Xuanzi sighed softly. With a gentle flick of his hand, the Horsetail Whisk landed on w.a.n.g Tianzong’s left hand.

“Your sword.”

He slowly said, “This.”

He looked at his Horsetail Whisk with lowered eyelids.

w.a.n.g Tianzong lowered his head and looked at the Horsetail Whisk. His face suddenly became pale.

Xuan Xuanzi’s Horsetail Whisk landed on his left ring finger.

He had a ring on his ring finger.

The wedding ring of he and Summer Solstice.

Xuan Xuanzi looked at him, his eyes soft. “Your Majesty, your heart is fettered by too many things. You’d better let go of them.”

w.a.n.g Tianzong fell into a trance.

His sword guarded the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.

His ring represented his past with Summer Solstice.

Was that the so-called choice?

However, he forgot one thing.

What Xuan Xuanzi said were “your sword” and “this”.

There was no word before the two. It was not a choice between “sword” and “this” or a choice of the combination of the two.

“Sword” and “this”.

w.a.n.g Tianzong silently thought about his life, his tone dull. “Let it go?”

Xuan Xuanzi didn’t speak.

“If I let go, what about my past deeds?”

What was his calm, forbearing, brilliant, warm, and invincible past?

It was like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.

w.a.n.g Tianzong looked at his palms. “If I let go…”

Xuan Xuanzi said quietly, “There is nothing in the world.”