Zdravko drew a long breath and said, “Everybody has both good and evil tendencies, and the line between good and evil is often thin.

“For instance, take Xanthakos—before ascending as one of the Five Path Emperors, he wasn’t inherently malicious. As one of the earliest beings to enter Zymurgy, he represented the epitome of virtue, striving for self-improvement and reaching the zenith of cultivation.”

James squinted and murmured, “So good and evil are essentially contextual and based on circumstances, environment, power, status, and identity?”

Zdravko looked at James and nodded in response.

James asked, “Are you saying I might follow in Xanthakos’ footsteps? I will become self-serving, manipulative, power-hungry, and eventually abandoned by my loved ones?”

Zdravko lowered her gaze and bit her lips, offering no response.

James sighed and said, “I must admit, I do resort to deceitful tactics in power struggles as well. However, that’s only against opponents.

“If I had the choice, I would n