Chapter 497: Chapter 487: The Obsession He’s Always Sought, The Obsession He Can’t Let Go

"Do you want to hear the truth, senior...."

"Of course."

"Because I don’t want to, I feel these titles and statuses will constrain me."

Su Ming looked at Wu Zhong, his gaze unwavering, and said firmly.

"Constrain you?"

Hearing this response, Wu Zhong looked surprised.

The entire alliance, from top to bottom, everyone wants to climb up, to obtain identity, to gain a good position, this is a very normal mentality.

Ask yourself, what cultivator doesn’t have ambitions to make contributions?

As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is not a good soldier.

Not to mention others, just taking Wu Zhong himself as an example, if he were Su Ming’s age and in his situation, he would definitely strive desperately to climb up.

Because the titles and positions within the Heaven Shepherd Alliance aren’t just honorary.

They represent a certain degree of resource allocation. The higher you climb, while enjoying power, you also enjoy abundant cultivation resources. The higher you climb, the stronger the people you can connect with, and the more people who can help you.

It was the first time he had heard the answer "constraint."

"To my knowledge, the identity and status within the Heaven Shepherd Alliance also represent resource allocation."

"If you take the position of ’Vice Commander,’ leaving other benefits aside, just the resources you receive yearly would be enough for years of arduous cultivation."

Wu Zhong continued to ask.

"Honorable status will cause one to lose their true self, gradually missing the intense dedication to cultivation."

"Once one’s strength is formidable, status and identity will naturally follow."

Su Ming provided his answer.

After listening, Wu Zhong paused, then continued to ask, "However, there are also many people in the alliance who, while holding important positions, don’t forget to cultivate diligently."

"Why not enjoy better resources while continuing to maintain your initial resolve? Isn’t that better?"

Because the alliance has a unique screening mechanism, once someone holds an important position, they are closely monitored to see if they lose their original resolve, become profit-driven, or indulge in extravagance.

Therefore, the atmosphere throughout the alliance is very good, otherwise, Wu Zhong wouldn’t confidently say these words.

After hearing these words, Su Ming fell silent.

At this moment, Wu Zhong continued asking, "Do you mean that you think the atmosphere within the alliance is severely skewed?"

Because there’s no reason for Su Ming to refuse the alliance’s attention unless he feels the atmosphere within the alliance is terrible, he scorns being a part of it.

But as the Grand Alliance Leader, he knows the internal climate of the alliance very well, especially with Dong’Er supervising in secret, there’s no way any undesirable winds could emerge.

"No."

"The atmosphere in the Heaven Shepherd Alliance is righteous, more so than any other faction I’ve ever been a part of."

Su Ming slowly replied.

"Then why is it?" Wu Zhong was really perplexed by this young man.

He chose to join the alliance but didn’t want to integrate, willing to serve the alliance but unwilling to accept the alliance’s attention, what sort of strange mentality is this?

It was then that Wu Zhong remembered Dong’Er’s advice to be patient, realizing that he might have been too aggressive.

"What I mean is, what’s really going on in your mind? If you’re willing to talk, just think of it as a chat, I’m willing to listen." Wu Zhong softened his tone and slowly asked.

......

"I don’t know either."

Saying this, Su Ming turned his head, looking towards the horizon, his eyes flickering, not knowing what he was thinking.

Hearing this response, Wu Zhong couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh in his heart.

This young man was truly peculiar....

Seeing that the topic could not go further, he switched to another topic: "I remember that the alliance provides residences. Given your notable contributions, the alliance should have rewarded you with a mountain and a private residence, why choose to live here?"

"Could it be you refused?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ming shook his head: "I did not refuse."

"I exchanged the reward for other cultivation resources and sent them to my hometown."

Hearing this response, Wu Zhong was a bit surprised.

"Your hometown?"

"Dark Inference Demon Realm?"

From the information provided by Dong’Er, it was known that Su Ming came from a relatively impoverished Demon Realm, named—the Dark Inference Demon Realm

Upon hearing this, Su Ming raised an eyebrow, his eyes deep and flickering, as he said solemnly, "It seems senior knows me well....."

He had left the Dark Inference Demon Realm hundreds of thousands of years ago, ascending continuously until he reached the Celestial Shepherd Divine Realm, and aside from himself, no one else knew he came from the Dark Inference Demon Realm.

Because he never told anyone.

So, when this middle-aged senior mentioned "Dark Inference Demon Realm," he was visibly moved.

....

"As for how I know, that’s not important."

"You don’t need to be nervous, relax, I’m just chatting with you."

"From what I know, the Dark Inference Demon Realm isn’t a powerful Demon Realm, it’s actually quite impoverished and weak, and in such a feeble Demon Realm, even if you intend to support it, the improvement wouldn’t be significant, because the world standard is too low, and the limits are set."

"Your efforts and gains are completely disproportionate, and it might even affect your development and cultivation."

"In the alliance, many excellent young people also come from humble beginnings, and they try to support their original homes, but the results are often not great."

"Because their impoverished worlds rarely produce a second person able to keep pace with them."

"If I’m not mistaken, the Dark Inference Demon Realm you support has not produced another like you, not even close to your footsteps, they are very far from you."

"They may even see you as a distant legend, your efforts are merely one-sided."

Wu Zhong pointed out Su Ming’s problem candidly.

For those who are able to ascend step by step to the Divine Domain, they have already surpassed their original worlds by far, no longer existing in the same dimension.

There are a few Deputy Commanders in the alliance who climbed from Low Martial Worlds. Do they go back to support their original Low Martial Worlds?

There are some, but very few, and eventually, they all let go of such obsessions.

Imagine, after ascending for so many years, your original world, and everyone related to you, have long since vanished, and countless eras have passed; that world has no connection to you anymore, what reason do you have to linger?

The Daoist and Buddhist Families have a common philosophy—letting go of worldly attachments.

Because after certain time, levels, and heights, with the passage of time, all worldly attachments must naturally be let go.

Hearing this, Su Ming remained silent for a long time, memories long sealed away resurfacing in his mind.

He couldn’t let go of the Dark Inference Demon Realm because of an obsession, one he has been searching for....