With the Blade

"Perhaps I've already lost."

With a deep sigh, Huang Tian collapsed onto the altar.

Maybe he did have the strength to defeat that monster, but once he had the thought, "Can I really win?" he truly couldn't defeat that creature anymore—though it might sound a bit convoluted, at the heart of it, it was because now there was a new element in his heart: fear.

If in his prime state, he could exert his full strength, then with fear in his heart, the strength he could exert would be no more than eighty percent.

And that's in the best-case scenario; in an actual fight, he might not even manage eighty percent.

With fear in his heart, he would be flustered when he acted, hesitant when he struck, and lack decisiveness in his moves. Coupled with the chaos fear brings, much of this can't be quantified—but it is precisely these minor details that greatly affect the outcome of a battle, ultimately leading to...

"Hoo..."

Exhaling a breath of impure air, Huang Tian cleared these thoughts from his mind.

He mustn't think, he mustn't dwell on such matters; the more he thought about it, the stronger the fear in his heart would grow. If he let this fear develop, he would eventually be completely consumed by it.

Just like how he once used fear to control those ants.

"I can't continue like this. I must wash away this fear quickly."

With this thought, Huang Tian immediately left the altar and headed for the archive that housed numerous records.

The archive contained everything he had collected, from martial techniques to Cultivation Techniques, and even peculiar, knowledge from various worlds. However, this time he wasn't there to rummage through these; he headed straight to the deepest part of the archive.

Stored there were the documents chronicling his family history.

"Hoo..."

Exhaling another breath of impure air, Huang Tian steadied his mind and opened the pages, reading on.

The family's history started being recorded from his great-great-grandfather's generation. Although that old man didn't have any grand achievements to boast about, he raised a remarkable son—and so, this man's son, who was his grandfather's father, placed this elder at the forefront of the family history. One reason was to show respect to his father, and another was to set an example, encouraging future generations to honor their elders.

"Ah..."

Seeing those plain yet warm records and feeling the nuances hidden between the lines, looking at those old images and photos, Huang Tian's previously agitated emotions gradually settled down.

But then, Huang Tian's emotions soared suddenly.

Simply because the family records in his hands had turned to his grandfather's father, that remarkable son just mentioned—under the nurturing of that kind old father, this son, his great-grandfather, fully exhibited his genius. With his outstanding abilities, his great-grandfather was quickly promoted, and at a young age was already able to hold down the fort and take charge independently.

"Remarkable! Truly remarkable!"

Even from Huang Tian's current perspective, the tales of climbing up the ladder in the mundane empire might seem somewhat naive, but considering his great-grandfather rose from almost nothing to that position, he couldn't help but admire it immensely.

To go from being a powerless ant to a person who could control his own destiny, who knows how much hard work and sweat it took?

Of course, exceptional talent was also indispensable.

But unfortunately, his great grandfather's story ended there; people of that time were ultimately limited by lifespan. Even if his great-grandfather's son, his grandfather, possessed great abilities, he couldn't possibly bring the dead back to life.

At least in those days, that was the case.

In those days, dead was dead; it was a basic fact that the dead couldn't be resurrected—but just as there are always heroes to challenge dragons, some brave people always attempt to do things that are absolutely impossible.

And, this is the story of his grandfather's generation.

Relying on his great-grandfather's power and wealth, his grandfather could do many things he wanted. Naturally, he didn't pursue those professions considered highly useful by others at the time. Instead, he became an explorer, the least profitable occupation, by delving into places beyond human reach and experiencing the thrill absent from everyday life.

"This is less of a rebellion and more of a form of self-exile. Born with everything, I lost the meaning of life; only through constant adventure and challenging myself can I feel alive and comprehend the weight of life."

Tracing his fingers over the words in the records, Huang Tian recited them one by one. At this moment, he seemed to feel the mindset of his ancestors, sensing the void and torment his grandfather once faced.

Although he had read it several times, Huang Tian still couldn't help but sigh at how his once invincible and resilient grandfather was troubled by such matters in his youth.

But soon, his grandfather no longer worried about these things because his grandfather's father, his great-grandfather, passed away due to illness—it was only after losing the shelter of his predecessor that his grandfather realized how hollow his so-called adventures had always been.