Chapter 651 - Stand Anew

Alex activated his Teleportation Array as soon as all people who stayed behind gathered. 

Outside, he could only see the green leaves around the surrounding area, not giving a single light to penetrate them. Yet, below the trees were the Underground Cave he stayed earlier.

Surprisingly, there was a dead tree that only one person could come in. Normal people wouldn't think much about a dead tree, more so for the one that had been cut half. Little did they know that this tree hid a tunnel that led to a cave. Alex thought someone in the past made this tunnel to escape from others' pursuit and let the cave be. 

He then teleported to the actual battlefield, according to Nelson and Anya. It was situated closer to the Ancient Blue Family.

"Young Master." Nelson appeared as soon as he arrived before leading him to the meeting place.

Alex nodded with a smile as he followed him into a small stone hut they built as the base of their operation. Inside the hut, Anya stood on a chair while looking at the map planted on the stone table. 

"Alex!" Anya smiled as she finally looked away after staring at this map for a few hours, searching for the perfect plan.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Alex asked. Anya was their strategist after all, so he wished to incorporate her idea as well, but the latter shook her head in disappointment. 

"I see. I have a plan, and the plan is-" He didn't continue as he took everyone's card out and recalled them into the card. 

A few seconds later, he re-summoned them here. At the same time, those who stayed in the cave also appeared, making the small stone hut look stuffed.

"So that is your plan." Anya sighed while the other spirits also furrowed their eyebrows and couldn't really agree with this plan. "As much as I want to reject it, I can't come up with a single usable plan. Everything will always end up with those Martial Saints killing us, whether it was because they were not baited, or the Martial Arts inside the token missed its targets. I just can't let you go alone or with Leoz…"

"Anya," Alex called her with a sad smile. He hadn't been able to talk with Anna for a while. He thought it was normal, but he realized that he had unconsciously made a certain distance from her. 'I thought I had gone past it… but the memory really couldn't be erased…'

Anya narrowed her eyes, wondering how he would convince her.

"Can I be a bit more selfish here?" Alex glanced at Anna first before answering Anya.

"What do you mean by selfish?"

"Not long ago, I was punished… I knew I was wrong since it would be really bad if someone took control of my mind. Still, there were many ways to punish me and teach me the lesson. I thought there was nothing wrong, but the past somehow resurfaced in my unconsciousness, making me think it was normal. I didn't realize the first time I used it, in the fight against Moar, or the second time for Black Devil Sect's annihilation, I could use this technique because I believed in you guys. I knew that you all would protect me even in a situation like this." Alex paused for a moment before continuing.

"Yet, I somehow cowered again after Anna got mad at me… That's why I want to ask Anna first, why did you use this kind of punishment? Having the knowledge and experience, you should be able to come up with another way to teach me." Alex smiled weakly, looking at Anya with gentle eyes. Yet, Anna could only feel a sharp pain in her heart.

'Why?' The thought lingered in her mind. She thought she could answer it easily, but it seemed there was something that hindered her. "That's because you-!" 

Anna couldn't finish her words and fell on her butt. Her face was filled with despair. The spirits began thinking about the reason before looking away, ashamed of themselves. Anya didn't say anything and clenched both her fists before putting them in front of her face. She didn't wish for Alex to see her like this, and somehow… tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes. 

The spirits didn't tell him the answer, but he already knew the answer. "It must be the previous me, right?"

No one answered him. The contracted beasts also fell into silence, not stretching their hands in this matter.

Alex looked at them again and closed his eyes, remembering Lin Xingzhi. The reason she talked about it when he was in Gacha Palace must be for this. In fact, out of everyone near him, that knew his previous self, only Lin Xingzhi thought him a genuine Alex. She truly cared for him as the Current Alexander Sirius and supported him this whole time without influencing him unnecessarily. Of course, the time where he couldn't help but let out some tears the first time he met her was an exception.

He thought about this possibility when he discussed this war with Sherry. 

Anna's body was shaking. She had accepted him the way he was this whole time, but never did she know that her actions still linked up with the Previous Alex. 'I… I have said to him that he is him and the previous him is the previous him. Yet, I am the one who broke this as well… What have I done… I…"

As tears appeared on the corner of her eyes, Alex already knelt in front of her and hugged her tightly. "I am not blaming you or whatsoever. I know that the previous me had etched his existence in you guys. The memories you had with him should still be in your mind no matter how hard you hid it.

"Knowing this does not make me feel anguish or angry… Just disappointed in myself and proud of my previous life's achievement." Alex shook his head. "That's why I want to challenge all of you and challenge me as well, to be ourselves and see the person as it is."

The spirits closed their eyes and clenched their fists, couldn't say anything to him. On the other hand, Anna was one the verge of tears this whole time, but Alex stopped it with his next word. "I love you, Anna. That is the truth, and I can say it from the bottom of my heart. I won't regret saying it. Having the shadow of myself, I know that he is someone that I need to confront in the future… That's why I swear to you and myself, I will be myself and make you fall in love to the point I'm the only one in your heart." 

Alex hugged her tightly, and she started crying while saying, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

He didn't say anything and simply stroked her hair with a gentle smile. 

Sherry wanted to come closer and comforted the Elder Sister that had been helping her this whole time but brushed it off after Stina grabbed her hand and shook her head. 

Meanwhile, Alex looked at Anya and said, "I know that this is the worst thing I can do in this type of situation. We are in a war, and an emotional thing should be avoided, but I also feel that this is a must talk problem."

"Yes. This is a necessary topic that should be discussed immediately. You haven't done any wrong, and to think I have made such a blunder…" Anya let out a long sigh, calming her heart down. "I'm sorry, Alex… as your Spirit and Wife… I'm truly sorry." 

"Alright. Time to drop this matter." Alex shook his head. "I just want to say that I will always be Alexander Sirius, but won't be the same Alexander Sirius. I hope that everyone can support me while thinking of this in your heart." 

"Yes, Young Master!" Leoz and the others roared. They always considered Alex as the Spirit King. There was nothing to that end as they kept using his identity to smooth things out and none of them actually contradicted him as a careful person. They used it precisely for plan and deceit to set up the stage. 

It was just the last one truly hurt as it put too much contradiction. Anna actually harmed him and made those wounds resurface without Alex noticing. If she could turn back time, she would definitely think of a better way for this.

The thought stopped after Alex said, "I am not regretting everything that was done in the past, including this matter. After all, the past made our present, and I believed it was a good thing. I wish no one would forget this matter as we will grow together as one family, Spirit Nest." 

Meanwhile, Lin Xingzhi leaned back on her chair, looked at the white ceiling of her room, and let out a long sigh. "I hope this won't make their situation awkward… Well, someone should be able to fix it soon." 

Back to Alex, he looked at this heavy atmosphere and said, "Alright. Let's continue our discussion about this next battle."

"There is nothing much that needs to be said. Luckily, you have given a concrete and usable plan since the way I am now can't come up with a strategy in this kind of mood." Anya sighed while looking at Alex. "We are going according to your plan… Let's have this as the first change to say that we believe in you… As for who is going to pair with who, do you have the pairs in mind? If you don't have one, I should be able to come up even in this mood. It's not a big deal anyway."

"I have." Alex nodded. "I will say it from left to right."

Alex paused for a moment and made sure the spirits were listening to him. Even Anna wiped her tears and calmed her heart. 

"Anna with Artur. Anya with Jean. Nelson with Greg. I will be with Leoz. Sherry and Jeanne. Stina and Kyle. Last but not least, Fabio and Vera."

Anna's body shook when she heard her name first. The furthest would be the safest in this plan, and Alex put her there must because of this. Yet, she couldn't reject him because she knew her mind had yet to calm down. She didn't wish to risk the plan for her selfish desire. Just like what Alex said, she would put her trust in him more and only be against it if it would really be ridiculous. 

This time, Alex already thought the line up carefully. The five around him should be able to protect him to the utmost limit. Greg could put on a barrier while Nelson created confusion with his Shadow Art. Sherry could enter his body and give assistance to Alex, while Jeanne's attack was also nonsensical. Last but not least, Leoz was the strongest out of them and even dared to challenge death.

Anya agreed. "Alright. We will go with this plan and formation. I'm sure you already know about our enemy number and their power level, so I will ask another thing besides these two. Do you want to make an array?"

"No. The arrays will simply make them hesitant. Their size is only two hundred or so anyway, so I think the normal encirclement will suffice… Even without the True Spirit Body. Though I want Leoz to activate his True Spirit Body since I'm not assured, I will be able to react to Martial Saints moves." Alex had confidence in his Spirit Eyes that would allow him to follow their movements now he had become a Martial Monarch. However, he still wanted Leoz to be his assurance. It wasn't much, but Leoz should be able to hold one or two attacks with his current strength. 

"I understand. Then we should also make sure to spare someone to tell the tale and create confusion on the Heavenly Continent." Leoz nodded.

"Yeah. Let it be their weakest link to make sure he is too afraid of us because of our power difference." Alex nodded. 

The spirits nodded.