After this incident, Immortal Zhu decided to send Li Gang to the Ethereal Sect, with a "reasonable" excuse.
But what they really wanted was to separate Lin Fan and Li Gang.
There was an important reason for it. Lin Fan wasn't under the Immortals' control. Immortal Zhu had already realized this.
Immortal Zhu was afraid that Lin Fan might become a tool for Li Gang to exploit against them. Li Gang might use him to defend himself against them.
No rational person would like to give away the slightest advantage when they are winning. Immortal Zhu understood this concept very well.
Nothing major happened after this incident.
He sent Li Gang to the Ethereal Sect and subtly influenced him to learn Alchemy. Li Gang's cultivation had also reached a bottleneck and couldn't improve further.
Thus, Immortal Zhu also prepared a method to help him improve his talent. It involved a girl with a Natural Enchantment Body.
Taking the virginity of a girl with this physique could help enhance one's potential. There was such a girl in the Northern Continent.
Immortal Zhu subtly influenced Li Gang to go to the Northern Continent after he "realized" his goal.
He started influencing his subconsciousness and instilled the idea that the Northern Continent, with its lower upper limit of cultivation, could serve as a perfect opportunity for him to build his force and influence.
After staying with the Ethereal Sect for years and improving his Alchemy and Weapon Cultivation, he also went on the mission involving the assassination attempt of Ancient Qin.
Unfortunately, it failed.
This was an important experience, and it was also the first time he met He Fan. However, there was no deeper scheme this time. Although Li Gang's meeting with He Fan wasn't a coincidence. He Fan was the one who sent the assassination request to multiple places, and he wanted to meet Li Gang face to face.
He wanted to check how much control the Immortals had over him.
After guessing that Li Gang could be the Timeless Demon God, Immortal Zhu became much more cautious. He suppressed all of Li Gang's thoughts that could cause him harm. Li Gang wanted to have more connections with He Fan, but this idea was influenced and blocked.
There was one thing Immortal Zhu was sure about. Li Gang shouldn't have access to Abstract Thinking, since his soul quality didn't allow it.
But what if he had left psychological cues in his brain and soul back during the Awakening Ceremony? However, even the Timeless Demon God couldn't do that, since he had only been Rank 1 with no soul cultivation.
They still remained cautious. What if there was a means they were unaware of, but the Timeless Demon God knew?
It's never harmful to be cautious.
One day, they asked Su Zun to help Li Gang realize his goal.
Su Zun looked at Li Gang and sighed. "A person always has an ambition hidden within them. They are often clueless about it, especially when they don't want to accept it. Accept yourself, Li Gang."
He continued, "Browse your memories and think about what you hate most. Maybe it will allow you to know what you truly want. The thing you hate most may relate to what you want most. You are a smart person."
This time, Immortal Zhu didn't interfere with Li Gang's thinking. They knew he had decided during the Awakening Ceremony that he would choose Domination. It was the most ideal path the Immortals wanted from Li Gang.
There was another reason they didn't interfere.
Li Gang thought about his life and also browsed through his previous life. 'What I hate most, huh?'
He thought about various incidents in his life—the times when he was insulted, when he was poor, when people looked down on him—but none of them made him angry, not even a bit. He didn't hate any of these situations enough.
He wasn't thinking about this life at all. He knew this life was nothing but a mask he had put on himself in order to adapt to this dangerous world. His true self could only be recognized from who he was before.
His past life memories surfaced as he recalled his peaceful life. He hated trouble. He hated when situations went out of control. He hated when he had to work too hard for something trivial.
He realized it.
He wanted peace. He wanted to live a simple life.
At that very moment, Immortal Zhu's face changed.
He gritted his teeth. 'Very good, Li Gang! Very good. No one has ever forced me like you did!'
But what did he truly mean?
Not long ago, Li Gang had elevated the stature of Emperors to match that of Immortals. Back then, Immortal Zhu suspected that Li Gang might have prepared some kind of plan during the Awakening Ceremony, but he neglected the thought, believing Li Gang couldn't control subconscious thoughts.
However, after confirming that Li Gang could be the Timeless Demon God, he assumed there could be a chance. So he became cautious.
He decided not to interfere with Li Gang's goal. But why specifically this goal?
It was because this was the only thing that seemed completely open to the Immortals and that could potentially be a trap. The memories of Li Gang's Awakening Ceremony ended with Li Gang wanting to conquer the world, which was exactly what they wanted him to do.
At this moment, he realized.
It was an open scheme. Li Gang had deliberately let them know back then.
He was threatening them.
The meaning of those memories, based on his current situation, was clear:
"I know you want me to conquer the world. But I refuse to follow it. If you stop it, you fall into my trap. If you don't, you give up on what you want from me."
Su Zun made his move and asked, "So, what is it that you hate most?"
Li Gang replied, "What...... I...... hate...... most...... is losing!"
Why did Li Gang speak so slowly?
It was because he was resisting.
His goal was peace, but his mind was being influenced, and it triggered his bottom line. He was trying to resist this thought.
The moment he decided on his goal, something triggered in his mind. It was a psychological cue he had planted on himself.
Back during the Awakening Ceremony, he had decided in his subconscious that if he ever had a goal besides peace, it meant it wasn't something he truly wanted and that his thoughts were being altered and his memories could be read.
At this very moment, the memory of his thoughts not being under his own control was saved in his soul and his brain. At this very moment, he finally realized that all this time he had been under the control of his enemies. His memories could be read, and his thoughts could be altered as well.
With Li Gang's cautious nature, would he truly be so reckless as to assume his memories couldn't be read and his thoughts couldn't be tampered with? Of course not.
He had speculated about this possibility, but without confirmation, he couldn't be sure. Thus, he made this plan. If he had only speculated, his enemies could have interfered with his speculation and changed his belief over time. Now he had finally confirmed it and saved it in his long-term memory. It could no longer be changed.
Li Gang placed another black piece on the board. Even though they were talking to each other, they were playing at nearly instant speed. The positions on the board had already become very complex, and it was difficult to tell who would be victorious.
Ming Chuan was shocked by the move. 'How is that possible? He was already being suppressed by Su Zun from all sides. This was the only move that could allow him to survive in this game. To think he would find it in such a situation!'
Su Zun was equally surprised, but he wore a smile of victory. "So, what is it that you truly wish? What is your goal in life?"
Li Gang gave Su Zun a deep smile, made a move, and said lightly, "I want DOMINATION!"
Li Gang's eyes had a depth that even Su Zun couldn't see, and his words were louder than usual. He deliberately emphasized the word Domination.
He was mocking his enemies.
He was saying: the goal you gave me begins with dominating you.
Immortal Zhu was composed outwardly, but he was irritated at this moment. He had been toyed with by an inferior creature through an open scheme.
Imagine being a Chess Grandmaster, and a newbie comes and tells you the exact tactic he is going to use. He already reveals the tactic, yet you are forced to play the move that triggers it—and then lose the game.
This was the greatest humiliation one could suffer.
This was the greatest humiliation Immortal Zhu had ever faced.
He lost thoroughly.
He still couldn't figure out how Li Gang was able to control subconscious thoughts at such depth without any soul cultivation.
He still couldn't figure out what arrangement the Timeless Demon God had made that allowed him to achieve this in this reincarnation.
He composed himself and said, "I must make sure you lose—and you lose terribly."
After this, Li Gang lost his game with Su Zun.
He deliberately lost the game and made it look like he had found the only defense by fluke. He had an important reason for doing this.
In the future, when someone read his mind, they would never be able to truly know how smart Li Gang actually was.
Because Li Gang himself wasn't aware of how smart he actually was.
His cognitive prowess was his biggest secret, and he must not let anyone realize his true potential. It was so important that he didn't even allow himself to realize it.
His schemes were carried out through subconscious thoughts, and these thoughts couldn't be saved in memory. Thus, every time he proceeded with a plan, it was either because he had already left psychological cues for the actions he needed to take back during the Awakening Ceremony, or because he deduced everything from the beginning once again and re-planned it. The clues were already present in his memories, so what he had reasoned out earlier could also be reasoned out again.