I Don't Agree to the Terms

If someone eventually unearthed the true power of the Devil Fruit, it might become mainstream, but for now, forget it.

"They just don't recognize its value," Wang Qi knew the potential of the Devil Fruit all too well. If not for its weakness, the Island Alliance's acquisition of Devil Fruits wouldn't have gone so smoothly; it was all about timing.

"It's a good thing they don't recognize its value. As long as the Devil Fruit isn't consumed, or if the consumer doesn't die, no second fruit will appear. Having this uniqueness, you can completely monopolize all the Devil Fruits and create an army of Devil Fruit Users."

Gu Shanhai didn't care about these secrets at all; after all, it's all in the family. It's perfectly normal to give your own people an advantage. Otherwise, why all the secrecy?

"Then Teacher, do you have a Demon Fruit Atlas?" Wang Qi pondered, it should exist since it was Gu Shanhai who created them.

"No," Gu Shanhai spread his hands, he really didn't have one. He simply transmitted the data, and the evolution of the Devil Fruits afterward was actually random, having nothing to do with him.

Thinking of so many Devil Fruit powers was too troublesome for him. He created only one BUG-level fruit, the Human Human Fruit·Mythical Species·Heart Demon Form.

It poses the powerful ability of a Heart Demon substitute. If developed to the extreme, it's possible to forcefully eliminate side effects, but Gu Shanhai didn't mention this. If Wang Qi or Yu Ju consumed it, he'd give them a strategy, but otherwise, let it be a hidden bonus. Maybe someday, a protagonist might find it and embark on an invincible journey of epic battles.

Of course, these matters had nothing to do with Gu Shanhai.

"Okay, Teacher, what do you need my help with this time?" Wang Qi didn't hold out hope that Gu Shanhai would really give him a Demon Fruit Atlas.

"I'm preparing to find a place for a retreat, a deep retreat. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself," Gu Shanhai said.

That was true. He planned to lie low until the extraordinary came looking for him. He wouldn't appear again for decades, thereby reducing the influence of the Divine.

"A deep retreat? Where should I go looking for you then?" Wang Qi was used to hanging onto the coattails of the powerful, and now it seemed those coattails were about to disappear, which he found slightly unsettling.

He had dared to take bold actions only because Gu Shanhai had his back.

"You won't be able to find me. Besides, why would you need me?" Gu Shanhai looked at Wang Qi with curiosity. At his level of authority, he was supposed to be self-reliant by now.

Otherwise, why would he pass on the three ancient weapons? It was so that Wang Qi would have a solid fallback.

"Alright, when do you plan to leave, Teacher?" Wang Qi sighed, knowing he couldn't keep Gu Shanhai around, so he didn't press too hard.

"In a little while, I need to gather some necessary resources," Gu Shanhai didn't mince words about needing things.

"No problem, I'll make sure everything is perfectly arranged for you," Wang Qi didn't give it too much thought. Gu Shanhai's cultivation always required a massive amount of resources.

For the Island Alliance, such an amount of resources was not a small expenditure. Now that Gu Shanhai was becoming stronger, he definitely needed more than just a little bit of stuff, unless it was those heavenly treasures on par with Gu Shanhai that could reduce the quantity substantially. However, such treasures simply couldn't be found in the Azure Sea World.

The world's levels were set; there wasn't an abundance of such resources.

"Good, that works for me." Gu Shanhai was very satisfied with Wang Qi's attitude.

He'd worked so hard precisely for a worry-free life, and now he had achieved it.

"There's one more thing; make sure to get out more, take a look at the grassroots level. Standing too tall without looking at your feet can lead to a fatal fall," Gu Shanhai advised.

Since becoming the Great Commander, Wang Qi seldom paid attention to the grassroots. If it had been any other disciple, Gu Shanhai wouldn't have cared so much. However, compared to other disciples, Wang Qi was on the normal scale, which means if a truly exceptional talent arose, it was possible that Wang Qi could indeed be overthrown.

In such a situation, paying attention to the grassroots and winning the people's hearts could help him secure his position with his strength.

"Teacher, rest assured, I too come from the lower ranks," Wang Qi wasn't unwilling to visit the lower ranks; it's just that he truly did not have the time right now.

Gu Shanhai didn't say much more. He considered the matter closed. Whether Wang Qi was genuinely too busy or simply indifferent towards the lower ranks was irrelevant to Gu Shanhai. As the saying goes, every generation has its own fortune. Now that Wang Qi had become a power in his own right, Gu Shanhai had done enough, and it certainly wasn't his role to play the nanny for a lifetime.

Playing nanny was for when his disciple was weak. Now that Wang Qi's wings were mature, expecting Gu Shanhai to look after him would be like nurturing a grown baby. And he certainly had no intention of taking care of overgrown babies.

In Gu Shanhai's eyes, with the addition of the three ancient weapons—Hades, Sea King, and Heavenly King—Wang Qi had come of age and no longer needed his care.

After all, the strategic world defense system formed by these three ancient weapons was unshakeable within the Azure Sea World, save by the world itself. If even this couldn't protect one's realm, Gu Shanhai could do nothing more. If an Alu couldn't stand up, then best remain as the Anle Duke.

"All right, let's leave it at that," Gu Shanhai stood up, preparing to leave.

"Aren't you going to see your junior disciples?" asked Wang Qi.

"I've seen them. Each one is as busy as the other, making me feel like an empty-nester," Gu Shanhai complained. He was the last to come to see Wang Qi; the others had already visited.

They truly were busy, sometimes too busy even to drink water. Only Fang Chen, that dandy, led a leisurely life—yet that leisure was not about indulgence but about daily devotion to the Spirit Martial Path.

Fang Chen was not cut out for a life of power and prestige due to his lack of capabilities. On the other hand, he possessed considerable talent for cultivation, and he also knew that he needed enough strength. He had no desire to return to the dark days following Wangjing Island's collapse.

And only by having sufficient strength could he maintain such a tranquil life. Otherwise, everything else was just talk.

Having responded, Gu Shanhai did not linger any longer and instantly used the Five Elements Great Escape to leave.

Seeing this, Wang Qi couldn't help but remark, "Teacher really lives a carefree life."

He had a premonition that it might be a long time before he saw Gu Shanhai again—a lifetime, perhaps, or maybe just before his own death.

Of course, this was just a premonition; whether it would come true was an unknown.

...

Arriving at the Azure Sea World in his sixty-third year, Gu Shanhai finally waited for the fantastical and bizarre.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late, mainly delayed by a mission," the other apologized for their tardiness upon arrival.

"It's fine, a few years here or there don't matter. It seems you've completely switched from a combat system to a destiny system?" Gu Shanhai immediately noticed the change in the other.

If the previous aura was one of wild destruction, now it was restrained with a sense of mystery.

"You've noticed. Right, you must be skilled in that too. Too bad, I still can't see through you," the fantastical and bizarre now had a simulator that could react to Gu Shanhai, but sadly, it was limited to just that interaction; it could not simulate the rest, though it was much better than before when it felt hollow and indiscernible.

"You're growing stronger, and I'm growing stronger. It wouldn't be fair if only you were allowed to become more powerful while I just stood still," Gu Shanhai teased back.

"Indeed," the fantastical and bizarre chuckled, then continued, "With that said, let's set off in three days. I'll go back and rest for three days now."

"No problem, we'll do as you say," Gu Shanhai nodded in agreement, knowing that the other needed time to prepare. Besides, the invitation could only be used in the "First Epoch" players' rest area.

With a response, the fantastical and bizarre vanished, and Gu Shanhai, after a final glance at Wang Qi and the others, murmured softly, "I'm off, I'll come to see you next time."

And with that, he too disappeared.