Chapter 1281: Indomitable Will

Alcraz, who did not understand anything, could only look at Aldrian and Gu Cangtian in a daze.

He had already expected the masked man to be a young man, but it was still unexpected that he was this young and also this handsome.

The man whom he had long respected was actually saying his own name in front of the young man. He even kowtowed to him and called him "Your Majesty," as if he were royalty. The title itself was so grand that it felt as though the one standing before him was a god.

The sight before Alcraz was truly shocking, and he did not know what to think.

Gu Cangtian, who heard Aldrian's warm voice, was deeply touched, and his tears fell even more. But then he straightened his body and quickly wiped them away with the back of his robe's sleeve.

Aldrian, who saw this, only felt warmth inside his heart. Seeing this man again could not help but remind him of the memories of the first time they had met.

There was a young man wearing a simple white robe who came to the area beneath the floating land where his palace was located. At that time, the young man was only an Immortal Realm cultivator, something that was not special.

Even more so, he was merely one among the countless living beings who had come to pay their respects.

However, his purpose at that time was not to pay his respects. Instead, he shouted toward the Great Emperor while kowtowing.

"Please accept me as your servant! Please let me work for you!"

Those who heard him thought that he had gone crazy. Many sneered at him and ridiculed him for daring to ask to become the Great Emperor's servant.

The Great Emperor was a being beyond their comprehension, and he had no need for any servants. Yet this young man seemed completely unashamed to ask to become his servant. They thought there must be something wrong with the young man's head.

Some even wanted to kill him for daring to disrespect the sacred zone with such a presumptuous act.

But in the end, no one dared to harm another being within the sacred zone without the Great Emperor's permission. Many people could only berate the young man, but he ignored them. He did not say anything and simply kept kowtowing.

Aldrian's past self, the Great Emperor, became intrigued, as this was the first time someone had acted like this right before his palace. From his throne, he observed the simple young man, instantly learning everything about him.

He could not help but find it interesting because he did not find anything special about the young man. Although he possessed the character of a hard worker with firm determination and an unyielding spirit, there were others whom he knew with the same qualities. There were even those who had endured far worse situations than this young man.

That was why he was not special.

The only thing that differentiated him from others was his daring character, just like this moment. Like countless other beings, he regarded the Great Emperor as his god and worshipped him. But he was the only one who had gathered enough courage to ask to become his servant.

After the young man shouted his request and continued kowtowing without saying another word, those who had been berating him eventually grew bored and ignored him.

Time continued to pass. People came and went continuously, yet the young man remained kowtowing. The seasons changed, and the years continued to pass, but he did not move from his position even an inch.

Despite receiving no answer from the Great Emperor, he never became discouraged.

The Great Emperor, who spent most of his time outside the palace, occasionally checked on him to see his condition.

Every time he looked, the young man still had not moved. Even so, he did nothing and simply continued with his own affairs.

Years continued to pass, and the sight of him kowtowing earned him the title of "the Unbeaten Kowtower."

Without anyone realizing it, he had already become an iconic sight in the area where he kowtowed.

Time continued to fly by. More than two million years passed. The young man's hair had grown so long that it spread across the ground, and a thick beard had grown over his face. People continued to come, and they still found the young man kowtowing.

If not for the fact that they could still sense him breathing, they would have thought that he was already dead. He was like a statue after all.

They even started to feel pity for him. At the same time, they were amazed and impressed by his determination and spirit to keep kowtowing for so long. He had wasted all the time that could have been used for more beneficial pursuits such as cultivation or treasure hunting.

Moreover, he was still young. It would be a pity if he wasted his youth on something that no one knew how it would end. Would he continue kowtowing until his death?

The Great Emperor, who still occasionally checked on him, could not help but be amazed. He, someone who was not easily impressed by anything, was genuinely amazed by the young man's determination to continue kowtowing until he received an answer.

The thing that amazed him the most was the state of the young man's heart. His heart had not been disturbed at all throughout all this time.

He still maintained the same spirit and determination in his heart as when he had first started kowtowing. It was as though those millions of years meant nothing to him, and his heart had not been affected in the slightest during all that time.

In the Great Emperor's opinion, he possessed the talent to become one of Tianlian Buddha's followers. He might even have been more talented than most of Tianlian's followers, as there were only a few who could maintain such an unwavering heart while also proving their determination through their actions.

The young man had already been kowtowing for more than two million years, something that would have made most beings give up or at least begin to doubt themselves. Such doubts arising within their hearts were only natural and nothing strange.

How could someone keep doing the same thing with the hope of achieving something for millions of years, yet still not achieve it? They would naturally begin to doubt their own efforts.

But this young man, who had already been kowtowing for more than two million years, still had the same state of heart as when he had first knelt down. It had not changed in the slightest.

He was determined to become the Great Emperor's servant, and he would continue kowtowing until the Great Emperor accepted him.

This had already surpassed the realm of strong will and entered the realm of indomitable will.

Those with a strong will would have times when their determination became weaker, but they would not give up. They would continue to push themselves until they reached what they desired.

But those with an indomitable will would never let the state of their heart change from the beginning until the end.

Even if they ultimately failed, they would fail with pride because they knew they had already given everything they had. They would feel no regret because they had truly done their best.

That was the most difficult realm to reach, and only a few people possessed such an indomitable will.

Seeing the young man's determination, the Great Emperor finally brought him into the palace.

The people near the young man were stunned when he suddenly disappeared. The young man himself also felt his surroundings change. He lifted his head, and he was stunned to find himself already inside a vast hall.

Even more shocking, he finally saw the figure he had wanted to see the most. Without realizing it, his face and body had already returned to the same condition they had been in when he had first kowtowed beneath the floating land.

The Great Emperor sat upon his grand throne, looking at him with a smile, or rather, with interest. Aldrian could feel it despite not being able to see his own face.

The young man quickly kowtowed again.

"Your Majesty, it is truly an honor for this lowly one to appear here and meet your great self from such a close distance," he said with utmost reverence.

"Are you really that determined to become my servant? Why do you want to be my servant?" the Great Emperor asked.

"It is because this lowly one truly reveres Your Majesty and wishes to remain by Your Majesty's side and serve you. Even if I cannot follow Your Majesty everywhere, at the very least I can stay in the place where Your Majesty spends your time."

His reason was simple, and his answer contained no embellishment.

He simply wanted to serve him. That was all.

The Great Emperor continued smiling.

"Do you know that I do not need a servant? Why would I need one when I can accomplish anything with nothing more than my own will?"

"Well, this lowly one knows that. But this lowly one thought that offering myself as your servant was one way to become closer to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty refuses me, then I can offer myself as a gardener or as one of the palace guards. I can even become an iconic statue in Your Majesty's beautiful garden if that is what Your Majesty desires," the young man said without the slightest trace of shame.

Hearing the reply, the Great Emperor knew that besides possessing an indomitable will, the young man also had a shameless character.

But that was precisely what made him even more interesting.

"Don't ever think about becoming a statue in my beautiful garden. Just imagining it makes me feel disgusted," the Great Emperor said.

"Alright, Gu Cangtian. You may stay in the palace, and you may do whatever you want. Just don't become a statue."

The young man's eyes widened, and his expression immediately turned joyful. He was not surprised that the Great Emperor already knew his name, as someone like the Great Emperor would naturally know everything about him.

The Great Emperor had finally accepted him, and his efforts had finally borne fruit!

He immediately kowtowed once again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! This lowly one will surely serve Your Majesty to the best of my ability!"