Alex had traveled through several different planes and had spent over three years surviving in the harsh apocalyptic world. His temperament and emotional control had become considerably calmer and more refined. Even when he felt some inner turmoil or anxiety he could typically manage to maintain a composed and unbothered demeanor.
However when a sudden and dramatically unexpected event occurred, Alex would still instinctively display a corresponding emotional reaction on his face.
Shi Jieren who was better known as the Moon Worshiping Cult leader represented the ultimate final boss in the original Legend of Sword and Fairy storyline. Rumor had it that only the legendary Shushan Sword Saint himself could possibly surpass this man in raw power.
But when such a monumentally powerful figure suddenly appeared before him and proceeded to pepper him with innocent questions about natural science like an endlessly curious child, Alex was completely unprepared for the sudden appearance of such a dangerous individual. Naturally he reacted with visible shock and alarm.
The Moon Worshiping Cult leader looked at Alex with intense scrutiny and careful observation. When Alex spoke his name aloud he had clearly shown an unmistakable expression of surprise and alarm. This reaction told the Moon Worshiper that Alex must have somehow known his true identity all along.
Under the Moon Worshiping Cult leader's piercing and penetrating gaze, Alex felt an undeniable sense of psychological pressure weighing down upon him.
Knowing that any attempt at denial would be completely pointless and transparent, Alex nodded slightly and admitted "I know a thing or two about you."
"How much do you actually know?" The Moon Worshiper asked Alex with apparent calmness while his expression remained perfectly neutral and unreadable.
"Your true identity, your real name and your ultimate ambition." After a brief moment of hesitation Alex decided to tell the complete truth.
Li Xiaoyao and the other three people gathered beside him looked at each other with obvious confusion and bewilderment. They felt completely puzzled that the conversation between Alex and the Moon Worshiper had suddenly transformed into some kind of elaborate riddle. It seemed like they could not understand anything at all about their current cryptic exchange.
"Ambition? Do you truly understand the nature of my ambition?" Alex's words made the Moon Worshiper's eyes light up with a flash of genuine excitement but then they quickly became dim and clouded once again.
At first when Alex confidently stated that he understood his ambition, the Moon Worshiper felt a surge of excitement and hope. For a brief moment he thought Alex might actually be the only person in the entire world who could truly understand his vision and goals.
But very soon the Moon Worshiper's expression became dim and disappointed once more. The ambition that Alex mentioned was most likely referring to his desire to control and rule the entire Nanzhao Kingdom correct?
However the rest of the world did not know the truth. Controlling Nanzhao was not actually the ultimate goal or endpoint of his ambition but rather merely a means to achieve something far greater. It was perhaps even just an impossible dream that could never be realized...
Alex stared nervously at the Moon Worshiper with growing tension. The sudden appearance of this ultimate boss character directly before him would naturally shock absolutely anyone regardless of their courage or experience.
Furthermore and perhaps more importantly, the Moon Worshiper's raw power was truly immense and terrifying. Judging purely by the crystal point measurement he had taken, the spiritual energy contained within this man's body was nearly four times greater than his own current level.
The Moon Worshiper's eyes flickered with inner calculation as he continued looking at Alex. He was clearly pondering his next move very carefully.
After a long moment of tense silence the Moon Worshiper seemed to have finally made up his mind about something. "It has been a tremendous honor to have this enlightening discussion with Mister Alex but unfortunately our conversation was not completed to my satisfaction. I sincerely hope that Mister Alex will consider visiting my country as my honored guest."
After their lengthy meeting and conversation, the Moon Worshiper now viewed Alex and indeed his entire vast knowledge of natural science as an absolutely priceless treasure beyond measure. Therefore he was now preparing to bring Alex back to Nanzhao with him by whatever means necessary.
"Thank you very much for your generous invitation but I am currently occupied with other pressing matters and am truly unable to accept at this time. If the opportunity arises in the future I will definitely consider visiting your kingdom" Alex responded immediately. He shook his head firmly and politely declined the offer.
He still desperately wanted to travel to Mount Shu to study the profound way of sword cultivation and enlightenment. He absolutely did not have the spare time to remain in Nanzhao teaching natural science to the Moon Worshiping Cult Leader for an indefinite period.
"I can clearly see that Mister Alex is also a skilled cultivator and practitioner. I must confess I am genuinely itching to test my skills against yours in friendly combat. If I can best you in a fair match then how about you agree to accompany me back to Nanzhao?" The Moon Worshiper said while glancing meaningfully at the magnificent Wushuang Sword strapped to Alex's back. Despite his challenging words his tone remained perfectly amiable and pleasant.
"What exactly is wrong with you? Mister Alex has already clearly stated he will not go with you and yet you are actually planning to forcibly arrest someone? How is this any way to treat an honored guest?" As the Moon Worshiping Cult Leader finished speaking his threatening proposal, Lin Yueru who had been standing quietly nearby suddenly sensed something was seriously amiss. She immediately shouted out her angry protest.
Meanwhile Li Xiaoyao and Liu Jinyuan who stood close by also began looking at the Moon Worshiping Cult Leader with obvious wariness and suspicion in their eyes. They had all just been chatting together so peacefully mere moments ago and now this stranger was suddenly trying to forcibly kidnap someone?
"Please do not worry about me. I can handle this situation myself." Alex was genuinely worried that if his companions continued their protests the Moon Worshiper might lose face and become angry enough to kill everyone present. So he quickly shook his head while signaling them firmly to remain quiet.
He absolutely did not want to escalate this confrontation into open conflict with the Moon Worshiper. Nor did he wish to reveal his true identity and complete knowledge of future events. He simply hoped there was still some room left for peaceful negotiation and compromise.
"Since you insist on wanting a physical contest then so be it. However since this is meant to be a friendly spar, let us establish clear limits from the start. As the old saying goes, the best contests end in three moves. If you can defeat me or gain clear advantage within three moves then I will willingly accompany you back to Nanzhao. Does that sound acceptable?" Alex's steady gaze fell directly upon the Moon Worshiper as he responded calmly while stating his own reasonable terms and conditions.
Alex knew perfectly well that if an actual fight developed into a prolonged life or death battle he would absolutely be no match whatsoever for the overwhelmingly powerful Moon Worshiper. However he also did not believe his verbal persuasion skills were remotely strong enough to convince the Moon Worshiper to simply leave peacefully without some physical demonstration of strength. So he needed to find a workable middle ground and compromise solution.
Nearby Lin Yueru and Li Xiaoyao who were both rather straightforward and hot-blooded individuals were naturally growing even more displeased and angry with the Moon Worshiper's forced invitation that was clearly just polite kidnapping. Their faces were openly etched with righteous anger and indignation. Alex was clearly in serious trouble so how could they possibly just stand by passively and watch without helping?
However before Lin Yueru and Li Xiaoyao could continue their protests or rush forward to assist, Liu Jinyuan who stood close by acted with surprising speed. He quickly moved to physically stop them both while shaking his head slightly and signaling them urgently to stay completely out of this confrontation.
"This man's martial arts cultivation and fighting ability are incredibly powerful beyond anything we have faced before. Even if all of us joined our forces together we would still be absolutely no match for him whatsoever" Liu Jinyuan muttered quietly after successfully stopping them from interfering.
"How can you possibly know that when we have not even started fighting yet?" Li Xiaoyao asked with genuine surprise and confusion at Liu Jinyuan's absolute certainty.
"Master Alex deliberately prevented us from intervening which obviously means he firmly believes that even if we all joined forces together we would still be no match for this opponent" Liu Jinyuan explained patiently while shaking his head. His expression radiated quiet wisdom and careful analysis.
"Also did you not listen carefully to Master Alex's exact words? He specifically said they could fight for three moves and that if the Moon Worshiper did not win within that limit then he would not have to go with him. Master Alex never once claimed that he himself could actually win the fight. In other words Master Alex never believed from the very beginning that he could truly defeat this opponent in direct combat."
"That analysis actually makes perfect sense when you explain it that way..." Liu Jinyuan's intelligent breakdown of the situation made Li Xiaoyao suddenly grasp the full implications. He looked at Liu Jinyuan with considerable surprise and newfound respect in his eyes.
Li Xiaoyao had originally assumed that Liu Jinyuan as the top scholarly examination champion was simply a typical bookworm who had become hopelessly stupid and impractical from studying dusty texts too much. However based on this sharp analysis, Liu Jinyuan was clearly not a useless bookworm at all. In fact he was far more perceptive and intelligent than Li Xiaoyao had ever imagined possible.
Setting aside Liu Jinyuan's impressive analysis and the various concerned thoughts of Li Xiaoyao and the others, the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader gave Alex a long and penetrating look filled with careful evaluation. After a brief period of contemplative silence he finally nodded in agreement.
"As Mister Alex has proposed then the limit shall be three moves exactly. If I cannot gain clear and decisive upper hand within three moves then I will gracefully bow down and leave without further argument..."
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