Chapter 126: Lowering Your Standards

Chapter 126 -125: Lowering Your Standards

Stepping out of the mist, Li Ye turned around.

Over a dozen Undead Knights—completely clad in black armor and mounted on giant birds made of skeletal frames—charged out, glanced at him, and then retreated back into the mist without pursuing him. The scorching sunlight likely made them uncomfortable.

“Lord Ling, do you sense any Demon Qi?” Li Ye asked.

“No,” the roll of toilet paper replied.

“Oh. Have you ever considered being a shroud?” Li Ye asked with a smile. He was testing the toilet paper’s bottom line and trying to figure out its personality.

The toilet paper was the one who told him about being the Chaotic Heaven Silk, but who knew if it was actually true? The connection between the ten-thousand-year catastrophe and the Demon Suppression Tower was just something he had pieced together in his own mind.

Since ancient times, an overactive imagination had always been the most terrifying thing. Over time, it could lead to a vicious cycle of self-deception, causing someone to firmly believe their own fabrications and even actively seek evidence to support them. Li Ye had previously used this exact method to fool the Team Emblem and the wristwatch. He certainly didn’t want to capsize in a shallow ditch and end up being the one duped by a demon.

If it claimed it wouldn’t possess him, was he really just supposed to believe it? What if everything it said was merely a ploy to lower his guard?

He had to be cautious. Only by figuring out its personality could he prescribe the right remedy, further controlling and guarding against it.

“Are you insulting me? I am the majestic Chaotic Heaven Silk, and you want me to be a shroud?” The toilet paper instantly flew into a rage.

“Lord Ling, there is a Holy Artifact on Earth called the Shroud of Turin, which once wrapped the body of the son of God. Legend has it that its power is no weaker than the Chaotic Heaven Silk,” Li Ye coaxed the toilet paper as he flew along the edge of the mist, searching for signs of the living.

“The Shroud of Turin? Why haven’t I ever heard of such a thing?” the toilet paper asked in confusion.

“Didn’t you lose most of your memories?” Li Ye smiled and continued. “Because the Shroud of Turin was tainted with divine aura and blood, it is impervious to all evil and can heal injuries. I’ve heard it can even resurrect the dead and possesses blood-sucking abilities. Its status in the Martial World is not a bit lower than the Chaotic Heaven Silk.

“Lord Ling, a hero’s origins do not define them. At the end of the day, the Chaotic Heaven Silk can only churn rivers and overturn seas, but the demonic vessel you’ve possessed now is a roll of toilet paper. Toilet paper inherently has water-absorbing properties. You could absolutely build upon the foundation of the Chaotic Heaven Silk and add a few more functions for yourself.”

“While that may be true, I still don’t want to be a shroud. It sounds terrible,” the toilet paper said.

“Lord Ling, do you think staying alive is more important, or is your reputation more important?” Li Ye remained silent for a moment before asking.

“Staying alive, of course,” the toilet paper replied.

“But when you were the Chaotic Heaven Silk, you already died once,” Li Ye pointed out. “Furthermore, it was Nezha using the Chaotic Heaven Silk at the time, and he even had the Qiankun Circle, the Demon-Slaying Sword, the Fire-tipped Spear, and the Wind-Fire Wheel.

“Even with such high-end equipment and combat power, he was still suppressed.

“Even if one day you grow back into the Chaotic Heaven Silk, do you really think you can defeat the Demon Suppression Tower?

“In fact, back when you were the Chaotic Heaven Silk, you were still just being used by Nezha. You weren’t the one using the Spirit Pearl. I remember you saying that if you were strong enough, you would be the one controlling the Spirit Pearl.”

The toilet paper fell silent.

“Lord Ling, I know you look down on me.” Li Ye sighed. “But you can’t deny that what I’m saying is the truth. The Chaotic Heaven Silk is indeed your pride.

“However, that glory is in the past. What happened before can happen again. If you truly want to escape the Demon Suppression Tower, you can’t cling to your old mindset.

“I believe you need to grow by any means necessary. A roll of toilet paper has many other functions and uses. There is a divine will at work in the unseen world. You chose toilet paper, and perhaps this is an opportunity granted to you by the heavens.

“Lord Ling, think about it carefully. Is the Chaotic Heaven Silk truly your end goal?”

“What you say seems to make a bit of sense,” the toilet paper mumbled hesitantly.

“Lord Ling, did you communicate with the previous Demon Hunter?” Li Ye suddenly changed the subject.

“Am I crazy, communicating with him right under the nose of the Demon Suppression Tower? Do I think I’m not dying fast enough?” the toilet paper snorted.

“How did the last Demon Hunter use you?” Li Ye asked with a smile.

“Entanglement,” the toilet paper replied. “With the coordination of other demons, he used me to entangle a Wild Boar Spirit.”

“And then?” Li Ye pressed.

“The Wild Boar Spirit broke free from my Entanglement and gored him to death with a single thrust of its head,” the toilet paper said.

Li Ye choked on his breath for a moment. “Lord Ling, don’t blame me for being harsh, but given your current strength, if we use you like the Chaotic Heaven Silk, your reputation will never spread in this lifetime.

“After all, you couldn’t even bind a single wild boar. You saw those Undead Knights that just charged out. I reckon their strength isn’t much worse than a wild boar’s. We have to recognize reality here!”

The toilet paper remained silent.

“Lord Ling, as the old saying goes, good medicine tastes bitter but cures the sickness, and honest advice is hard to hear but good for action.” Li Ye sighed, then added more fuel to the fire. “The Chaotic Heaven Silk is your glorious past, but now it has become the shackles binding you.

“Forget about it. Lower your head and walk down the path beneath your feet steadily. Only then can you climb out of the mud and truly stand at the pinnacle of your demonic life.”

“Mhm,” the toilet paper acknowledged, seemingly swayed. “Fine, I can try to be a shroud. But I have one bottom line: you absolutely cannot use me to wipe your ass.”

Wasn’t wiping an ass the fundamental ability of toilet paper? It was actually being stubborn about this! What bottom line? A bottom line was meant to be broken!

Li Ye smiled. “Lord Ling, do you know what the predecessor of the Primordial Golden Dipper was?”

That single sentence rendered the toilet paper speechless once again.

“The Power of Filth is equally formidable. Neither Yang Jian nor Lu Ya could withstand a single strike from it and were stripped of their powers, reduced to Mortals. Even the Primordial Celestial Venerable was somewhat wary of it,” Li Ye said. “Lord Ling, don’t set limits for yourself. Any ability, when developed to its extreme, can be incredibly powerful.”

“I…” The toilet paper wanted to say something, but suddenly didn’t know where to start.

“Lord Ling, don’t overthink it.” Li Ye chuckled, choosing not to push the toilet paper too hard. “Our top priority right now is to find some living people. With living people, Demon Qi can grow, and only then will there be a chance to make you great again.”

“Mhm,” the toilet paper replied softly before ceasing communication with Li Ye, likely left to ponder its future as a demon.

Through this conversation with the toilet paper, Li Ye could largely confirm that its claim of being the former Chaotic Heaven Silk was probably true.

Because of its material nature, it hadn’t had many opportunities to communicate with the Demon Hunter, nor were there any records of it being taken out by a Time Traveler. The possibility of it having been brainwashed by someone else was low.

Newly awakened demons didn’t have so many twists and turns in their thoughts. Their personalities slowly formed alongside the people they interacted with and the growth of their Demon Qi. It was just like the wristwatch in the previous world, which had eventually inflated its ego to the point of genuinely believing it was the Time God.

The mist covered a massive area, stretching for hundreds of miles and blanketing the entire plain. At the edge of the mist lay rugged, lofty mountain ranges that were impassable to humans. Since navigating the terrain was inconvenient for zombies, the mountains remained untouched by the mist.

Li Ye added another cycle of Magic Elements to his hexagram, planning to fly over the mountains and bypass the Undead Corps entirely. The territory behind him had already been ravaged by the Undead Corps, leaving not a single living creature behind, meaning it held no further value to exploit.

After traveling several hundred miles along the mountain range, the stench of corpses gradually dissipated, and Li Ye finally sensed the aura of living beings. Looking at the beasts in the forest and the small birds hopping back and forth on the branches, his mood lightened considerably.

From a distance, Li Ye sensed a group of living people camping in the forest, so he picked up his pace and hurried over.

It was a party of thirty. Twenty people formed an outer perimeter, standing guard to protect the core group of ten.

The ten individuals sat around a blazing campfire, representing a diverse array of identities. There was a young girl wearing a Mage Robe, a Samurai in full armor, an exceptionally handsome elf with pointed ears, and a burly minotaur wielding a massive battle-axe.

“Linton, can we really find the Divine Fragment?” the young girl in the Mage Robe asked. She appeared to be in her early twenties at most, with golden hair and a Magic Staff in her hand, its tip inlaid with a blue gemstone. She was currently looking at a burly, middle-aged man roasting meat on a fork over the campfire.

The middle-aged man had a full beard and carried a massive Two-Handed Sword on his back. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

“We definitely will,” the middle-aged man said as he turned the roasting meat, looking relaxed. “Since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over good. The Undead can never defeat us—”

“Who’s there?” The elf was the first to spot Li Ye. She swiftly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming directly at his position.

RUSTLE!

Everyone instantly leaped to their feet, forming a protective circle around the young mage girl. The girl raised her Magic Staff, and the gemstone at its tip cast down a blanket of blue light that enveloped the entire group.

“Everyone, I mean no harm.” Li Ye revealed himself, spreading his hands open with a smile.

“Halt. Do not take another step forward, or we will attack immediately,” the middle-aged man warned in a deep voice, gripping his sword with both hands.

“There’s no need to be so tense. I truly mean no harm. I’m actually just a lost mage.” Li Ye opened his hand, and a ball of light glowed at his fingertips, proving his identity. “We can talk.”

“Holy Light Magic?” The mage girl looked at Li Ye in surprise. Her nervous gaze softened slightly, but she didn’t entirely let her guard down as she asked, “Why did you come from the Land of the Dead? Why is your hair black, and why are your eyes black? Tell me, where are you from?”

Li Ye’s Eastern features stood out conspicuously among the group of Westerners. He looked around at the crowd and said, “Everyone, I am a mage. My name is Aragon, Aragon Vincent.

“The reason my hair and pupils are black is that I suffered a magic backlash. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Why did you come from the Land of the Dead?” the middle-aged man asked. “Wherever the Undead have passed, no living person could possibly survive.”

“I would also like to know what happened. At the time, I was researching a lost Forbidden Magic. When I stepped out of my Mage Tower, the continent had already been overrun by the Undead. I found some books in the Land of the Dead and discovered that the current era seems to be several centuries after the world I knew.

“I need you to tell me what happened,” Li Ye said, looking at the group earnestly. “Why did the Undead Calamity occur on the continent?”