The portable grandfathers that appear are all problematic.

After a moment of stunned silence, I felt I should say something.

He lost his family at a very young age and was raised by the world; he had never encountered anything like this before. Therefore, Xue's Law could only resort to a greeting phrase he had seen somewhere, saying,

“I’m back,” he said.

"Oh, then I should say welcome back... Okay, the food is on the table. Just leave it on the table after you finish eating. I'll take care of it when I wake up..." Aunt's weak voice came through.

Xue Daolu saw that she still looked like she hadn't woken up yet. She had been sleeping for the past two days. Xue Daolu didn't know if this was a normal phenomenon for the immortal race or something else. After speaking, his aunt tugged at her messy hair and went back to her room to turn on the TV.

In the living room, Xue Dinglu saw women's clothes and socks carelessly thrown around, but his own clothes from yesterday were washed clean and hung out to dry on the balcony, which left him speechless.

"Are you related to anyone?" the old demon king asked.

"Well, I'd say half of it." Xue Dinglu walked to the dining table and looked at the dinner.

Potatoes, green beans, and soybeans—a very ordinary home-cooked meal—but he suddenly felt a little heartwarming. These were all dishes he loved to eat, and his aunt knew what he liked to eat without even asking him.

"Isn't she very old?" the old demon king suddenly asked again.

“Right, it’s quite big…” Xue Dinglu suddenly fell silent.

"Her life is like a candle flickering in the wind, about to burn out. Cherish every day. Even though she is an immortal being, she seems to have reached the end of her lifespan. Now she lives mostly by instinct and faith." The old demon king's sudden words startled Xue Dinglu.

"How is that possible?" Xue Dinglu said casually.

My aunt has lived for about 3500 years, but in my memories in the parallel world, she has always been the same. Sometimes she is very serious, and sometimes she is confused, as if the time perception of long-lived and short-lived species is different.

Just like how short-lived species are satisfied with sleeping 8 hours a day, while long-lived species need to sleep for about 7 days before waking up.

"Although your combat power has reached the level of a demigod, your perception is still at the level of an ordinary legendary." The old demon king also interrupted Xue Dinglu's prepared nonsense without any politeness. "In my perception, her life flame has become as weak as a small flame. Perhaps in a few years, it will be completely burned out. No matter how powerful the immortal species is, it cannot withstand the erosion of time."

The old demon king spoke with great certainty.

Xue Dinglu suddenly fell silent. He took a bite of rice and suddenly understood why someone like Brinton had pursued Zijella so madly in the previous world.

Because Brinton is over 100 years old.

Listening to the sound of the television in his aunt's room, Xue Luding thought that he would think of a way to help her. Although it would be a bit troublesome, it wasn't entirely out of his control if his aunt was willing.

"Your world is so wonderful... For me, this is already a perfect world..." the Demon King suddenly exclaimed again.

Xue Dinglu was taken aback, not understanding what he was sighing about again.

"You know, even an old man like this can live safely and with conviction. In my world, there's no one over 100 years old except me." The old demon king continued, "Even though people in our land generally live to be 200 years old after the myths came to be, there are no people over 100 years old. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Xue asked.

"They're all dead. Mythical beings, fighting with their last ounce of strength before their physical functions fail, striving to secure enough benefits for their race... not to mention the old wounds from their battles in their youth..." the old demon king suddenly said, sighing.

"Before I unified the world, there were no elderly people..."

Chapter 214 The Demon Emperor After the Fact

Xue Dinglu was stunned for a moment.

Is it possible that none of the mythical figures in the entire world live past 100?

This data is absolutely insane. Xue's Law closed his eyes and said that the theoretical lifespan of a legendary-level human is over 150 years. And that's just for short-lived humans. Mythical-level humans, on the other hand, have lifespans of several hundred years.

However, their world doesn't have a single mythical figure over a hundred years old...

Based on human lifespan, their world is equivalent to having no one over 30 years old.

He suddenly realized that what he took for granted might already be a miracle that many in the world could only dream of.

"But, a mythical-level being's combat power shouldn't decline until at least 200 years old, right?" Xue Dinglu thought of the Great Sage. Although the Great Sage was a demon, he was also a short-lived being. When he was over three hundred years old, he could play a support role and was second to none in all of Greece except for Zeus.

"Do you think my family would let them live until their combat power declines?" the old demon king retorted sarcastically. His tone was very impolite, but Xue Lude no longer found his words offensive, because this was already the most polite person in that war-crazed world.

"Do you know that in our world, all races have evolved the ability to recover from injuries extremely quickly, but the price is a reduction in lifespan?" the old demon king said. "Because we are all squeezing out our life force in exchange for short-term combat power."

"Starting at 90, cells begin to divide slowly and no longer have the recovery ability of young people who can heal in a few days after an injury. People your age either die in battle or are too old to lift weapons because of old injuries, becoming the object of ridicule for other young people."

"At 100 years old, the old wounds buried since childhood will make you wish you were dead every winter. The fighting power gained from long-term stimulation of cells will backfire at this time. You will become old and blind, and your hands will always tremble. Young soldiers who could be your grandsons can even laugh and throw you into the cesspool."

"Do you think they would rather risk their last bit of energy in their 90s to fight for a future, or wait until they are over 100 years old, slurring their words and wearing diapers, only able to wait to be fed by others?" the old devil said slowly.

He spoke very quickly, and only looked at Xue Dinglu after he had finished speaking.

Xue Dinglu remained silent. He had never imagined that there really was a race that would recklessly stimulate their bodies in their youth, resulting in injuries and illnesses before their lifespan was even half of their theoretical lifespan, and that they would even have to choose their own death at the age when they were at their strongest.

The cruelty of that world, Xue's Law, had only been heard from the old demon king from beginning to end, but now that he was here, he was finally beginning to truly understand it.

On Earth, that would be a race that would risk their lives to secure a future by the age of 30.

Even if the future they risked only resulted in dying together with a mythical-level enemy a few years younger than themselves, or other even younger warriors, it would still be a profitable choice for their race.

He recalled the old demon king's experiences: at the age of six, he went to the battlefield and fought against a group of adults, wielding a weapon longer than his own body and risking his life in sub-zero temperatures.

His sister, brother, sister, and parents all died before his eyes. As they died, they didn't tell him to live well, but to avenge him and kill all the enemies...

“Military-oriented…” Xue Dinglu uttered a term.

"No, a world even more cruel and extreme than the cruelest systems and ideologies in your world... Even all races, who may originally be peace-loving, are forced to become more extreme and more insane than others in that environment..."

"Because if you don't go crazy, you'll die!"

The old devil's words made Xue Lude speed up his cooking.

Without any preaching or inspirational rhetoric, Xue Dinglu simply recounted everything about their world in a straightforward manner, yet he still felt a suffocating sense of oppression.

Just like he learned that in the world of the old demon king there was a group of originally peace-loving races called the "Spirit Race". They were somewhat like elemental spirits in nature, but in that high-pressure environment, each of them learned how to unleash all their magic power.

They treat themselves like a bomb, charging forward and self-destructing during wartime.

Of course, this race was later wiped out, by the demon race to which the old demon king belonged.

……

For a long time afterward, the old demon king continued his intense absorbing of knowledge through binge-watching TV series, while Xue Law lay in front of the computer, idly watching everything on the screen.

In such a world, there's nothing he can do. Xue's laws don't have mind control abilities, so he can't change everyone's minds. He naively believes that once everyone's material needs are met, they won't want war... That's impossible.

Just like the old demon king had basically ensured that everyone had enough to eat and wear, but ironically, the very confidants he originally led were the first to betray him.

Even their confidants didn't think their betrayal was wrong; rather, they believed the old devil had betrayed them first because he had abandoned the glory of his ancestors and brought the war-driven dump truck to a halt, thus depriving these war-born individuals of their life's purpose.

That world can only be saved by the old demon king himself, and it's not something that can be saved overnight.

Just like his initial plan, four generations? Five generations? Perhaps only after so many generations, when the world is no longer plunged into the fear of the dark forest due to war and mutual slaughter, will people's perceptions slowly change.

Even this peace is unlikely to last long. Once everyone gets used to peace, we will inevitably enter an era of population explosion. However, after the population explosion, the resources that were barely enough to keep society running will not be enough to distribute after the population growth.

Therefore, some people will inevitably begin to struggle to survive, and they will inevitably think of the methods of their ancestors and start to exploit their bodies to gain strength in order to fight for a future of survival.

As these unstable factors increase, the entire foundation becomes a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. Once a fuse is lit, the original peace will be destroyed from the root.

This is the dynastic cycle...

Just as Xue was deep in thought, the old demon king's voice suddenly came: "Is there more?"

"Hmm?" Xue Dinglu gave him a puzzled look.

"I've finished watching. I saw that Ying Ziying was beheaded, and I can completely guess the rest of the ending... There's no need to watch any further..." the old demon king said, handing the phone back to Xue Dinglu.

"You're pretty fast." Xue Luding took the phone and began transferring all the torrents he had prepared, covering everything from the Han Dynasty to modern history. As the download started, Xue Luding asked, "What do you think? Can you analyze from an outsider's perspective which fatal mistakes the First Emperor made?"

The old demon king closed his eyes. At this moment, he recalled his life. Xue's law asked him to analyze the reasons for the First Emperor's failure. Wasn't he also analyzing the reasons for his own failure?

"First, arrogance; they didn't exterminate the nobles and unstable elements of the other six kingdoms..."

"Ah."

"Secondly, greed, spending vast amounts of time and resources on the search for immortality..."

"Thirdly, the issue of succession..."

"Fourth, regarding the original Qin state's military industrial system..."

"Fifth, the contradiction between the advanced system of the present era and their extremely backward productive forces..."

……

With each point listed, the old devil seemed to be dissecting his own problems as if he were cutting open a knife.

He made almost all the mistakes that the First Emperor made, and even more serious ones, only because of his own strength. If their world were a world without magic, he wouldn't have made these mistakes in 14 years...

It will explode within ten years.

He can now view the First Emperor objectively, whereas he himself, who was once involved, was completely unable to view his own actions correctly.

"Your ancestors were truly great. They meticulously recorded every pitfall and detour in history for future generations to reference," the old demon king remarked, adding his own感慨 (feelings/admiration).

Xue Dinglu was stunned for a moment again, then laughed.

“Yes, that’s why I always say that history progresses in a spiral, not a flat path. All the costs will become valuable experiences for future generations. Just like after you’re gone, there will definitely be people in your world who want to follow the same path as you and learn from your mistakes so they won’t repeat them,” Xue Law said to the old devil.

"Heh, but they don't have time. I'm already in the form of the 'Emperor of Aftermath' now." The old Demon King laughed, recalling a suggestion Xue Dinglu had made earlier, and said, "By the way, don't call me 'Demon King' anymore, it sounds awful. Call me 'Demon Emperor'!"

Xue Law: "..."

It seems that every person from another world who has finished surfing falls into some kind of serious illness.

He either becomes a madman, or he frequently uses jokes that even Schrödinger's Law can't help, and they might even be just random jokes.

Fortunately, my aunt just became someone who likes to sleep, do square dancing, and secretly play "Drunken Butterfly" late at night.

“I also have a very meaningful piece of history here. Would you like to take a look?” Xue Dinglu said. He naturally wanted to show the history of the Titan civilization to the old Demon King… or rather, the old Demon Emperor.

"Ok?"

"That's my history in another world, a very healing civilization." Xue Dinglu took out a video that he had edited, which was originally intended for the people of Silver City to watch, and handed it to the old Demon Emperor.

Similarly, there is the history and culture of the entire Titan civilization.

Chapter 215 The Starfleet's Commission

Xue's Law has always felt that the entire history of the Titan civilization is very educational.

He also decided that in his future magic academy, he would definitely make the history of the Titan civilization one of the key texts, because that world, whether it was the good or the bad, was extremely meaningful.

The old Demon Emperor began reading the records of the Titan civilization, and then...

An hour later, he became somewhat emo, as if he were possessed by NetEase Cloud Music and seemed a little depressed.

Right there in the tavern at the magic academy, without consulting Xue Lude at all, he picked up a large bottle of baijiu and started chugging it down. Xue Lude's lips twitched as he watched him drink.

Life Vodka, 96% alcohol content...

He wasn't discouraged; he just felt that the universe was truly unfair. Some races had paid such a terrible price to continue their lineage, with hundreds of generations working tirelessly to build an Ark of Tomorrow in a world where temperatures were below -100 degrees Celsius, offering hope for the survival of future generations.

However, some races are constantly fighting amongst themselves in what is supposedly a perfect world, even squeezing their lifespans to the point of exhaustion in the process.

The choices made by the Titan civilization were truly shocking to the old Demon Emperor. Whether it was the hope that their ancestors had sacrificed for hundreds of generations, leaving their people on their home planet to turn into ice sculptures, or the later generations' desperate efforts to maintain their sanity and preserve the civilization's tombstone...

He suddenly felt that all the difficulties he was facing were nothing compared to the desperate situation. He realized that he only needed to do what he was supposed to do to achieve the peace he longed for.

Instead of being like that desperate race, who start thinking about the future of civilization from birth.

"It's finished downloading. Take your time reading it. I'm going to take a nap. Don't disturb me. Also, drink less of this stuff; it's bad for your health." Xue Dinglu pointed to the Water of Life in the old Demon Emperor's hand.

This stuff isn't worth much; Xue Lude could conjure up a lot of it at will. But he was worried that the old Demon Emperor's brain would be damaged by the high concentration of alcohol.

After all, he was like other mythical beings in their world, covered in hidden injuries. In addition, he had desperately increased his strength and squeezed his cells dry when he was young, and finally, his youngest son gave him a spectacular backstab with that insectoid poison.

Xue's Law believes that this old man's lifespan is probably no more than 200 years. For a near-5th level being to have such a short lifespan is already considered an early death.

Oh no, actually this old Demon Emperor should already be considered "dead," but because his near-5th rank strength was strong enough, his body died but his soul materialized, just like the old undead in the past. However, the degree of soul materialization was much higher than that of the old undead, and his hidden injuries were replicated one-to-one.

The old Demon Emperor hummed in agreement.

Xue Lude naturally lay down on the bed to rest. Although he had now become an energy being and didn't actually need the sleep habit of carbon-based beings, he was already there and lying in bed, so he might as well sleep.

In the darkness, the old Demon Emperor, who seemed to have recovered somewhat, rallied under the influence of alcohol. His magic could digest the alcohol very quickly, but he wanted this slightly tipsy state, which at least made him feel a little better.

So he slowly opened the book, sighed, clicked on a new video, and continued the "Complete Online Course on the History of the Demon King of Another World" process.

……

Xue Dinglu dreamed of the old Demon Emperor's childhood memories.

He was already fighting on the battlefield when he was 6 years old...

The little brat, barely a meter tall, roared like a wild beast while wielding a two-meter-long spear. He had once been separated from the main force on the battlefield and even had to fight his way back from behind enemy lines to his own camp.