"Yes." Wei Wuya said, "Qi Baiyu was crafted by me, strictly speaking, Sword One was just his experiment. With the successful experience from Sword One, Qi Baiyu will only be more successful."

The Elder Celestial Master gazed at Wei Wuya for a moment and asked, "Have you considered what might happen if Qi Baiyu fails again?"

"Absolutely not." Wei Wuya confidently replied, "Sword One wasn’t truly a failure; it was just an unexpected accident at the last moment. As long as I can find him, I am still successful, and Qi Baiyu will only be more successful. I will have every contingency plan in place."

The Elder Celestial Master shook his head, "But you haven’t even taken the final step, how can you be sure of success?"

"Martial Uncle," Wei Wuya said gravely, "You say that because you haven’t seen Sword One fallen into a demon state. His demonic qi was the purest in the world, so pure it’s unimaginable. If you had seen it, you wouldn’t doubt it at all. Demonic qi absolutely can replace spiritual qi."

The Elder Celestial Master pondered for a while, then said, "Alright, even if what you say is true, that demonic qi can replace spiritual qi, but if Sword One cannot be found, and Qi Baiyu fails again, what will you do?

Have you thought about the fact that if you hadn’t made that choice back then, Sword King City would have had both Qi Baiyu and Sword One, two geniuses of unparalleled generation, both with hopes of reaching the Grotto Heaven Realm? Adding you, that makes three. How great would the chances of success be for three people?

If any one of the three of you successfully reached the Grotto Heaven Realm, Sword King City would have continued its glory for another hundred years. Yet, your decision may mean that after I die, there will no longer be any Grotto Heaven Realm cultivators in Sword King City."

Wei Wuya’s pupils slightly contracted, and he respectfully replied, "Martial Uncle, the world has changed. As a Land Immortal, you should know best that the world and heavens have changed. The difficulty of breaking through to the Grotto Heaven Realm is increasing, and the constraints on Grotto Heaven Cultivators are also becoming greater.

If we do not seek change, one day Grotto Heaven Cultivators will no longer emerge. We must change, Martial Uncle. The current world is on the brink of chaos; all forces are seeking breakthroughs. We cannot proceed step by step any longer. When chaos arrives, if you don’t advance, you retreat!"

The Elder Celestial Master sighed deeply, saying, "I understand your argument, but have you considered how many seek breakthroughs and fail, and what those consequences are?

The Jixia Academy, one of the prestigious Eight Sects, has now become a vassal of the Royal Family. The Royal Family, too, sought breakthroughs, and now, one wrong step has destabilized the kingdom."

Wei Wuya was silent for a while, then slowly said, "What if it succeeds?"

The Elder Celestial Master did not speak.

Wei Wuya continued, "Martial Uncle, if we succeed, Sword King City will become the greatest sect under the heavens, not merely in the Xia Kingdom, but throughout the entire world. Martial Uncle, this gamble has great odds of winning and great rewards. I have no reason not to bet.

Moreover, we really don’t have many retreats left, Martial Uncle. Thirty years ago, I already started trying to break through, yet in these thirty years, there has been no progress at all. Or rather, has anyone succeeded in recent decades?

Martial Uncle, we really don’t have many retreats left. In today’s world, this ever-changing heaven and earth make breaking through the Grotto Heaven Realm increasingly difficult or impossible. Even if I do not seek breakthroughs and proceed step by step, can we really nurture the next Grotto Heaven Cultivator?"

The Elder Celestial Master sighed deeply, "But the cost of losing the bet is too high."

Wei Wuya said, "Betting now still has a slim hope. If my generation doesn’t bet, the next must, but by then, it would’ve already lost its chance, and there might not even be a chance to bet again."

At this moment,

Yuan Zhixiang, who had been silent until now, cupped his hands and said, "Martial Uncle, actually, now is the best time. Regardless of the outcome, at least you can still hold it together. Even if we lose, Sword King City can bear the loss and try again. But if we wait until the next generation, that really will be no retreat."

The Elder Celestial Master closed his eyes slightly and said flatly, "I still hope you can stop."

Wei Wuya shook his head, "Martial Uncle, I won’t stop. If Qi Baiyu fails, then I will use myself for one last gamble. If I fail again, the decision-making power of Sword King City will be handed to you."

The Elder Celestial Master remained silent for a long while, speaking no further. His figure gradually became translucent and finally disappeared into the world, as if he had never been there.

"Senior Brother," Yuan Zhixiang looked at the departing Elder Celestial Master and softly said, "Martial Uncle still doesn’t approve, huh?"

Wei Wuya chuckled lightly, "He approved long ago, it’s just that in his heart, he still hesitates, caught between gain and loss. If he didn’t agree, he wouldn’t have agreed to Sword One cultivating the Yellow Court Scripture back then. His lack of obstruction was agreement.

In truth, Martial Uncle knows well that with the changes in heaven and earth today, the possibility of breaking through to the Grotto Heaven Realm is diminishing. Without making changes, it’s simply impossible. Even the Royal Family has wagered their entire kingdom; what are we in Sword King City to hesitate?

Martial Uncle is just accustomed to seeking stability, and also lacks confidence. In his generation, he was always suppressed by his peers, so he subconsciously thinks if others can’t, neither can he. And with the failures of the Royal Family, Jixia Academy, and the Gu Family over the years, he feels even less confident in our success.

But in his heart, he still holds a faint hope, wishing for a miracle to happen. Even though he never supported it openly, he never truly stopped it either. Even with Sword One, whom he liked so much, he never stopped it, did he? In the face of the entire legacy and fate of Sword King City, what does personal sacrifice count for?"