You Want Me to Eat Children

With a head full of white hair and a withered frame, you lay sprawled on a rocking chair in the courtyard, swaying gently.

Watching the children laughing and playing beside you, you felt as though your nearly depleted life was being slightly nourished.

"Xia, stop picking on Xiao Na. Why do you keep pulling her pigtails? Ha ha..."

"Xiao Lin, why are you sneaking a sip of Grandpa's wine again? Kids shouldn't drink."

"Canxing, Qingtai, no swearing. You two want to be high officials someday, right? Then you need to set a good example for the people."

You gave these orphans you adopted the names of your former enemies. Who knows what twisted pleasure you got from that.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! A lot of people are here to see you!"

"Let them in."

A group of middle-aged and elderly people walked in.

These high and mighty figures, who commanded absolute authority in their respective factions, now stood before you like a bunch of green recruits.

Though you looked ancient and frail, utterly harmless, they all felt an awe-inspiring pressure emanating from you.

When facing you—especially when stared at by those murky eyes of yours—they experienced a soul-deep reverence, like prey locked onto by a predator.

"Sword Sect Master Wan Jianyi of the Infinite Sword Sect, paying respects to the Swordbearer!"

"Clan Head Shen Yue of the Shen family, paying respects to the Swordbearer!"

"Chief Steward Dongfang Yujue of the Carefree Sacred Ground, paying respects to the Swordbearer!"

"Danxiang Valley..."

"Swordbearer"—that was your official title now.

"Chess God" was still a bit too rustic.

You thought to yourself. The Seven Luminaries Celestial Array was in your hands. As long as this array gathered seven War Gods, it could directly ascend in dimension and control everything in this world.

No matter what enemy the mortal realm faced, this array could save the world.

Thus, you named the one who wielded the Seven Luminaries Celestial Array the "Swordbearer."

Common folk still often called you the Chess God, but all major factions had changed the title, because the Swordbearer, like the Guardian, would become a legacy passed down through generations.

You looked at these faces. Only one was familiar: Shen Yue.

The others were the newly rising leaders of various powers.

An era had passed.

The heroes of the world were as numerous as fish in a river, and new strong figures had taken the stage of history.

Still, you weren't entirely unfamiliar with this Sword Sect Master Wan Jianyi.

In the Third Simulation, you'd already seen him while spectating the "Tournament of Supremacy."

Back then, you were in your sixties, and he was just over twenty—an outstanding among the younger generation of the Infinite Sword Sect.

During this simulation, Wan Jianyi was also a major combatant of the middle generation, taking part in battles large and small, with a brilliant record that allowed him to become the sect's helm after the Sword Master's death.

"What brings you here today? Didn't we already hold a grand assembly in the Star Domain? I made my posthumous arrangements very clear. The Seven Luminaries Celestial Array has been entrusted to Shen Qingshan for safekeeping.

All you need to do is work hard to cultivate the younger generation, seek out talent, and ensure the mortal realm can field seven War God-level forces. Then, even if someone wages an inter-realm war against us in the future, the mortal realm can defend itself."

You calculated that your lifespan was nearly spent.

So you'd convened the assembly and settled your affairs.

The various factions were caught off guard.

In their eyes, you were a War God who should live for a thousand years.

But thinking about how you'd used the Seven Luminaries Celestial Array—a formation that drains lifespan in return—they understood.

Dongfang Yujue dropped to his knees directly.

"Swordbearer, elder! The mortal realm cannot do without you!"

You chuckled wryly.

"What, I haven't even died yet, and you're already here crying over my grave? In life and death, all are equal. Though I have extraordinary abilities, I am no match for the end of my lifespan."

Over the years, you and Shen Qingshan had also studied methods for reconstructing the physical body.

The result of your research was this:

If a person hasn't exhausted their lifespan and their soul is preserved intact—through means like the Ten Thousand Soul Banner—then using all kinds of heavenly treasures to rebuild the body could let them live a while longer.

But if a soul had already run out of lifespan, even if it regained a body, that body would collapse in minutes.

To break free from lifespan limits, it seemed the only option was body-possession.

However, the mortal realm had no universal method for possession.

Old Shen's technique only worked for him, and it wasn't standard possession—it had far too many restrictions and prerequisites.

You had little interest in possession and no intention of researching a method yourself.

Having lived through several lifetimes, you were fairly indifferent to life and death.

But it seemed Shen Yue and the others couldn't let go.

"The scouts you sent to other worlds have reported back—fighting everywhere! The mortal realm cannot stay out of it forever!"

"Raising a War God is no easy task. A new Swordbearer can never do as well as you..."

"Without a Swordbearer like you, capable of suppressing an entire era, the mortal realm would struggle even to unite, let alone resist enemies like the Dragonfolk!"

"And the war against the Dragonfolk already devastated us. We're still recovering. If you leave at this moment, and the mortal realm is attacked while weak..."

"We simply cannot accept that you must leave the world at such an age!"

These "bigshots" poured out their grievances.

In other words, these shrewd old-timers who'd lived for ages couldn't stomach the simple fact of someone growing old and dying.

"You lot... but my lifespan is already gone. What can you do about it? Whining to me will only make me die faster, you idiots."

They exchanged glances, until Dongfang Yujue stepped forward, cupped his fist, and said.

"We have an unorthodox recipe to offer, Swordbearer, to extend your life!"

You frowned, sensing this "recipe" was probably no good.

"What recipe?"

"The Human Essence Pill!"

"Human Essence Pill? I've only heard of the Demon Essence Pill."

The Demon Essence Pill was a major spark for war between the Five Domains and the Great Wilderness Demon Clan in earlier simulations.

One pill could extend life by up to a year, and it could be taken repeatedly.

You hadn't expected the mortal realm's top figures to have adapted it.

Since the demons had fled, their eggs could no longer be used to alchemize the pill.

So, the recipe for this so-called Human Essence Pill used...

"You want me to eat children?"

"No... it's just... a kind of pill—and yes, it does, does need children... But! If it can extend the Swordbearer's life, any sacrifice is worth it! This is for the mortal realm's sake, for the greater good!"

"HA HA HA!!!"

You laughed in fury, then slowly stood up.

The unparalleled killing intent of one who had weathered a hundred battles and emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood seeped out uncontrollably from your body.

In an instant, the entire Baiyun County was plunged into an icy abyss—snow fell in the sixth month!