269: Too clever to scheme

The Sphinx was unwilling to believe Shen Xi's words.

The reason was simple.

If Zhu Feng Ao had only intended to test the courage of later generations, leaving other Yao Beasts would have sufficed. There was no need for these First Generation Demon Beasts to survive.

One must know, they were all at the Martial Dao Five Realms, and one of the prerequisites for entering the Chasing Wind Secret Realm was that one's age could not exceed thirty.

Genius individuals under thirty who could Breakthrough to the Martial Dao Five Realms were few and far between; at most, they would be in the Spirit Activation or Embryonic Stage, and could not be stronger.

Among the First Generation Demon Beasts, there were many Nirvana and Yuyue Realm powerhouses. Leaving them behind was clearly a move to kill those who came later, wasn't it?

Therefore, the Sphinx did not believe Shen Xi's words.

"But your current predicament already explains everything."

"Don't tell me you voluntarily Sealed yourself beneath the Thatched Cottage."

Shen Xi retorted.

These words plunged the Sphinx into silence.

It wasn't a fool; how could it Seal itself?

Even if it wanted to trick other Yao Beasts, making them believe that they could leave the Sealed Land as long as they Breakthrough to the Dian Ling Realm, and thus Cultivate harder, it didn't need to Seal itself at all!

Moreover, its movements were restricted, and even if it wanted to hunt Yao Beasts, it could only use Clones to act on its behalf – such a desperate situation.

The Sphinx could have completely hidden itself and secretly fanned the flames.

The fundamental reason for all this was that the Sphinx was not voluntarily Sealed.

Two thousand years ago, after it successfully tricked and killed other First Generation Demon Beasts, not long after, it was pulled by a mysterious force and Sealed underground.

At that time, the Sphinx didn't know what was happening, only thinking it was a contingency left by Zhu Feng Ao to prevent the First Generation Demon Beasts from escaping the Sealed Land.

But now, when Shen Xi brought up the matter again, the Sphinx suddenly realized something.

"This was all Zhu Feng Ao's doing?"

The Sphinx couldn't help but shriek.

"You're not that stupid; you figured that out so quickly."

"That's right! To become the successor of Senior Zhu Feng Ao, courage alone is far from enough. Besides that, wisdom is also required!"

"If I'm not mistaken, Senior Zhu Feng Ao's plan was that the Yao Beasts outside the valley were the first test, to test the courage of later generations!"

"Then came you First Generation Demon Beasts, testing whether later generations could keenly discover the truth of your secondary Seal from various clues – that is, wisdom!"

Shen Xi explained in detail.

He laid out his conjectures completely.

However, although it was a conjecture, Shen Xi was ninety-nine percent sure, as the Sphinx's situation also confirmed this point.

"No, impossible!"

"If Zhu Feng Ao wanted to Seal us First Generation Demon Beasts a second time, why didn't he Seal us from the beginning, but activated the secondary Seal so much later?"

"And by then, Zhu Feng Ao should have already died. He hadn't appeared in the Sealed Land for at least a hundred years, otherwise, we First Generation Demon Beasts wouldn't have dared to join forces to break the Seal!"

The Sphinx said through gritted teeth.

Rather than not believing, it was more like self-deception.

It didn't want to admit that what Shen Xi said was the truth.

This indirectly proved that all its efforts were in vain. For over two thousand years, it had always been under Zhu Feng Ao's control, even after he had died.

"Because he needed to leave traces of your existence outside the valley!"

Shen Xi mercilessly shattered the Sphinx's fantasy, revealing the cruel truth.

In Zhu Feng Ao's plan, the process should have been like this.

After later generations mistakenly entered the Sealed Land, they would first discover a large number of bloodthirsty Yao Beasts breeding and living there.

Under normal circumstances, later generations would choose to leave this troublesome place immediately, as millions of Yao Beasts, even a drop of saliva from each, would be enough to drown the later generations.

However, if later generations stayed, whether out of courage, to temper themselves, or out of hatred between humans and Yao Beasts, and began to hunt the Yao Beasts in the Sealed Land, they would be considered to have passed Zhu Feng Ao's first test – the test of courage.

Then, as later generations gradually delved deeper into the Sealed Land, they would naturally discover traces of many Martial Dao Five Realms level Yao Beasts.

These were, of course, the traces left by the First Generation Demon Beasts.

And if later generations were brave enough to remain in the Sealed Land even in the face of Martial Dao Five Realms Yao Beasts, they would be considered to have passed the second test.

Besides that, Zhu Feng Ao's original intention should have been to hope that later generations would discover that the traces left by these First Generation Demon Beasts were all quite ancient.

Because by this time, the First Generation Demon Beasts had already been subjected to a secondary Seal by the contingency left by Zhu Feng Ao.

If later generations were clever enough, they would definitely discover these clues and, with the help of the power of the secondary Seal, kill these First Generation Demon Beasts.

This was the test of wisdom.

Only by completing these two tests would later generations be qualified to inherit the Wind Chasing Swordplay and become Zhu Feng Ao's successor!

"Are we just tools for Zhu Feng Ao to find a successor?"

The Sphinx was deeply struck.

It was unwilling to accept this outcome.

But from all the clues, what Shen Xi said should be the truth.

The First Generation Demon Beasts were merely tools from beginning to end!

"All your elaborate schemes, devouring the flesh and blood of so many First Generation Demon Beasts, and leaving a two-thousand-year-old deception, were all in vain. Senior Zhu Feng Ao never intended for you bloodthirsty Yao Beasts to leave, not even to die of old age here; he wouldn't grant you freedom!"

Shen Xi mercilessly destroyed all the Sphinx's hopes.

What did it matter to go through all that trouble; it was destined to be for nothing.

The Sphinx had no hope of leaving since it was confined to the Sealed Land.

It had only been giving itself hope, believing it was just one step away from leaving.

Yet it didn't know that that step led to an abyss!

"I can't get out! It's impossible to get out. Finding that Elder is also impossible, and joining a School is just a pipe dream. I'm just a tool..."

The Sphinx was somewhat dejected and sad.

Over two thousand years of effort, ultimately, all for naught.

"That's right, all your intricate calculations are nothing but a joke!"

Shen Xi mocked mercilessly again.

"A joke? No! Not a joke! Even if I can't get out, I am still the supreme being in the Sealed Land, an ancestor admired by millions of Yao Beasts!"