Watching Lei Lie, who worshipped You Di to the extreme, and then looking at Gu Qingfeng, who was currently embracing two brothel girls in carefree pleasure, Huode's heart was truly filled with mixed feelings—as helpless as could be, as speechless as could be.
However.
What he felt more was lamentation.
Lamentation for the so-called legends.
In the legends, You Di was solitary, proud, domineering, free-spirited and unrestrained, looking down upon the heavens, disdainful of all creation—a legendary overlord who stood tall between heaven and earth!
But what about reality?
Was the true You Di really as described in the legends?
Yes.
At least, Huode felt Gu Qingfeng absolutely lived up to the legends about him.
But the problem was, Huode had watched Gu Qingfeng grow up. He understood better than anyone that this kid was absolutely riddled with flaws. In ordinary times, he was a living, breathing young master of a noble house, plus a thoroughgoing rogue scoundrel. He simply didn't resemble the You Di of legend one damn bit.
What solitary pride and domineering aura!
What free-spirited and unrestrained demeanor!
What looking down upon the heavens!
What disdain for all living beings!
What roaming freely between heaven and earth!
What rampaging through the Great Desolate!
Pah!
It was all damn nonsense!
To be honest.
Seeing Lei Lie's expression of extreme worship for You Di, and Gu Qingfeng embracing two brothel girls in carefree pleasure, Huode really wanted to grab Lei Lie by the collar and shout at this kid: The You Di you worship is currently embracing two brothel girls in wanton pleasure! Not long ago, he even damn well seduced a Demon Monarch to play around with him!
Unfortunately.
He didn't dare, nor did he have the courage to expose Gu Qingfeng's true identity.
He understood clearly that if Gu Qingfeng's identity were ever exposed, forget everyone on this great ship—even the Three Thousand Great Daos, and indeed all the myriad realms of the heavens, would be shaken by an unimaginably terrifying earthquake.
Sometimes, he truly admired Gu Qingfeng to the extreme.
In the past, when this kid was besieged by the Immortal Court, it was one thing for him to idle about.
Later, when heaven and earth could not tolerate him and he was besieged by the Three Thousand Great Daos, he still acted as if nothing was wrong.
Now, damn it, he's deeply mired in Original Sin, such a terrifying karmic black hole, yet this kid still maintains the appearance of someone with nothing to worry about—eating when it's time to eat, drinking when it's time to drink, playing when it's time to play, sleeping when it's time to sleep, seducing girls, indulging in pleasure—not delaying anything.
It wasn't that Huode necessarily had a problem with Gu Qingfeng.
Nor was it that he found Gu Qingfeng displeasing to the eye.
He simply regarded Gu Qingfeng as his only family, hating his lack of ambition.
And he truly didn't want to see Gu Qingfeng sink into such depravity.
More importantly, seeing Gu Qingfeng caught in such a massive vortex, he was both worried and anxious.
But facing Gu Qingfeng, who was idling about and indulging in pleasure here, aside from being anxiously helpless, he could only be anxiously helpless, without the slightest solution.
To speak of it.
In these myriad realms of the heavens, those who admired and worshipped You Di were too numerous to count.
It wasn't that Gu Qingfeng hadn't seen them.
On the contrary.
He had seen many.
People who, right in front of him, spoke of how heroic You Di was and how much they worshipped him—Gu Qingfeng had seen those too.
In the past, Gu Qingfeng would mostly just laugh it off. Sometimes, he would feel very helpless inside, even a bit embarrassed.
The helplessness was because he had ascended to the Immortal-Monster King's Throne, and then ascended to become the Nine Nethers Emperor—not because he wanted to ascend. He single-handedly challenged the Three Thousand Great Daos, rampaged through the Great Desolate, roamed freely between heaven and earth—not because he wanted to rampage, he wanted to roam. It was because the Three Thousand Great Daos, because heaven and earth, could not tolerate him. He had no choice but to rampage through the Great Desolate, and no choice but to roam between heaven and earth. If he didn't rampage, if he didn't roam, he would only have a path of death.
The reason he felt embarrassed.
Was because he felt the legends were too exaggerated, too mythologized. Most importantly, Gu Qingfeng clearly knew what kind of character he was. He believed he neither deserved others' worship, nor others' admiration, much less the words 'heroic champion who stands tall between heaven and earth'.
However.
Today, in front of Huode, hearing Lei Lie praise him like this, Gu Qingfeng's heart was exceptionally happy. Especially seeing Huode's speechless expression, Gu Qingfeng's heart couldn't be more delighted.
"Brother Lei Lie, for the words you spoke today, from now on in this Great Desolate, this lord will definitely look after you. In the future, if anyone dares to bully you, tell this lord, and this lord will definitely beat them through the cycle of life and death!"
Lei Lie was somewhat bewildered. He didn't understand—what did his worship of You Di have to do with Gu Qingfeng? However, he didn't ask further, just smiled and said, "Then many thanks, Great Old Master. With the Great Old Master looking after me from now on, this brother has nothing to fear."
"Let's go!
Let's drink! This lord is in a good mood today, I'll treat you to good wine, and top-grade good wine at that!"
"This...
Great Old Master, let's wait a bit longer."
"What's the matter?
You're not willing?"
"What kind of talk is that, Great Old Master? For the Great Old Master to invite me to drink is to look favorably upon me, to give me face. I can't not accept it graciously. How could I be unwilling? It's just...
Isn't Upper Immortal Qingqing about to arrive soon?"
Lei Lie smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I'm not afraid of the Great Old Master laughing at me, but ever since I had the fortune to catch a glimpse of Upper Immortal Qingqing many years ago, I've been utterly captivated by her. All these years, I've always wanted to witness Upper Immortal Qingqing's peerless beauty and graceful bearing again. Unfortunately, I never had the chance. Now that I finally have the opportunity to see Upper Immortal Qingqing again, this brother really doesn't want to miss it. I hope the Great Old Master can understand this brother's current feelings!"
"I say, you little brat, a toad like you wants to eat swan meat? What beautiful daydream are you having?"
Huode's mouth was the type to spray insults at anyone he met and disparage anyone he encountered. Moreover, Lei Lie had just challenged him and left him unable to retort, speechless. Of course Huode found him displeasing to the eye, so he mocked him.
"Why don't you take a piss and look at your reflection in it? Would Upper Immortal Qingqing even glance at you?
Upper Immortal Qingqing is, after all, a disciple of the Eternal Life Pavilion of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, and a disciple of Floating Life Imperial Lord. She is both one of the Ten Supreme Immortals of the Great Desolate and the Nine Heavens' Imperially Bestowed Peerless Immortal. I dare say, in these myriad realms of the heavens, those pursuing Upper Immortal Qingqing are probably too many to count, right?
Not to mention others, just look at those great ships ahead. Even if there aren't a hundred, there are at least several dozen. The masters on those great ships, whether in terms of status and background or cultivation and strength, are probably all extraordinary, and not something you, little brat, can compare to."
Huode walked over and patted Lei Lie's shoulder, lowering his voice. "Little brat, it's not that I look down on you, but forget about winning Upper Immortal Qingqing's heart—damn it, even forcing yourself on her probably wouldn't be your turn!"
"Old Senior!
Aren't your words too harsh!"
Lei Lie's face flushed red with anger, his tiger-like eyes blazing with murderous intent, as if he wished he could slice Huode into a thousand pieces. He spat out each word clearly: "You can insult me, but you cannot insult Upper Immortal Qingqing!"
"What do you mean insult? I haven't insulted anyone. I'm just stating a fact. The words might be a bit harsh, but it's the truth. Whether you admit it or not, little brat, it's the truth."