Please read the author note at the end.

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A myriad of emotions were currently flowing through Lin Mu. Sorrow, Rage, Pity, Discomfort, and Disgust all combined to form a strange mix that Lin Mu could not explain.

He felt sorrow for all the bad that had happened to Jing Wei and Duan Ke's families and clans. He felt rage against the people who had put them in this position and had caused the downfall of their clan and kingdom. He felt pity for Duan Ke as she never got to see her mother and Jing Wei because he lost his grandson as well.

He felt discomfort at the idea that even if one has everything in the world, it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. Lin Mu himself had gone through this before when his property was taken from him and he was thrown out of the town, but in the case of Jing Wei, it was different. He and his clan were so powerful, yet against the machinations of many, it could not stand.

Then finally he felt disgusted because of the actions of the cultivation sects. Their so-called Righteousness was only a facade that they would drop at a moment's notice if they were benefiting from it. Jing Wei and his clan had stood with them and helped them resist the invaders and the northern tribes. Without them, perhaps countless more lives would have been lost and they would not have even won wars.

Lin Mu felt as if the beasts were better than these cultivators, at least they stayed true to their nature and acted according to it.

Xukong was able to see each and every thought that Lin Mu had. He didn't even have to deliberately listen to them, rather they were so powerful and loud that he could hear them through their link even if he didn't want to.

But Xukong didn't mind it, rather he was happy. He had long since wanted Lin Mu to experience the true realities of this universe, the bitter absolutes that ruled and reached over both the mortals and the immortals.

While Lin Mu had already experienced some, they were simply not enough. The world of cultivation was harsh… much harsher than that of the commoners. The commoners could easily live out their lifespans being ignorant and they would not suffer much, at least usually.

But the cultivators… they pursued immortality… they pursued eternal existence. For them, what happened to the mortals was but a mere fraction of their lives.

They could potentially live countless times more than them. The ones that could not go above the sufferings of the mortals were forever bound to remain mortals.

They had to embrace the truth… or break it!

Going beyond it, beyond the shackles of mortality, is how an immortal is born. Not only does this require the 'Qi' but it also requires the 'Dao'.

The Qi can be obtained even by an inanimate object, but the 'Dao' needs a soul… it needs a mind… it needs a will.

A weak will won't let the mind grow, a weak mind will cripple a soul, and a soul like that will never be able to comprehend the 'Dao' without which one would never touch the precipice of immortality.

Cultivators take countless years to learn this and stumble through a sea of mistakes before they discover this truth. But Xukong, he didn't want Lin Mu to do that. No… he had much bigger plans. He had seen his capabilities, his… talent. He knew there was much more to it than he could even see now, and for this very reason he wanted him to grow faster, better and stronger.

Lin Mu learning about the past of Jing Wei and Duan Ke was showing him a small aspect of this 'Truth' and that was enough for him… at least for now.

Suddenly, Xukong could feel it. There was a change in the ring. Xukong now knew a little bit about how the ring was working and how it would give Lin Mu the skills and abilities it was giving. He now knew that they both had the same thing on their minds. Both Xukong and the mysterious ring wanted Lin Mu to grow.

"So you will let him see it all… let him experience it and only then will you reward him. Good… very good… I like it." Xukong said while looking towards the ethereal altar which had started glowing in dark purple light.

"What is it that you want to give to him? Are you still assessing it or have you already made a decision?" Xukong asked the alter without expecting an answer.

Xukong stared at the glowing altar with a strange glint in his eyes. While he could see the glowing altar, there was no specific aura that could be felt from it. Xukong had experienced the Buddhist path's aura, the sword path's aura, and even the demonic path's aura. But right now there was nothing that was similar to them.

'What is this?' He wondered but was soon forced to focus on the situation outside.

Lin Mu looked at Jing Wei and Duan Ke with a calm expression. He felt like if he expressed sympathy with them, that would simply insult them. With all that they had gone through, this would be degrading to them. They were much more stronger than this and deserved a better response.

Jing Wei and Duan Ke saw Lin Mu giving them a respectful and calm gaze. This made them take a breath of relief as they did not want to be pitied. They were going to take their revenge, and that was absolute. If it were anyone that was to be pitied, then it was their enemies, for their fates had just be flipped.

Lin Mu inwardly felt a need to help them, but it was not just because they had helped him, but rather because he did not want the people who pretended to be righteous but acted differently, to exist in this world. 

Today an intense dislike had been born in Lin Mu's heart for the cultivation sects.

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