Free Web NovelChapter 556: Chapter 2: Pillars of the Sect (2)
"Well, if everything could truly be predicted, that would be abnormal." Li Ji’an did not indulge in self-pity, but faced it with composure.
Ning Sujin’s past instincts in seeking fortune and avoiding evil were also just predictions of outcomes, unable to account for changes along the way.
Even the Sect Leader of the once-famous "Celestial Secret Sect" in the Post-ancient Era couldn’t grasp the entirety of worldly affairs; otherwise, they wouldn’t have faded into the dust of history.
Then, the journey was mostly smooth, although they encountered many tribulation cultivators, most fled hastily under the deterrence of that early-stage True Core cultivator from the Five Blessings Commerce Association.
The only major crisis was shortly after passing the Shadowless Grassland, when three True Pill Elders from the Yin Ghost Sect attempted to board the spiritual ship under the guise of searching for a wanted criminal.
However, Master Meng resolved the conflict by presenting the token of the Corpse Puppet Sect and offering each a meeting gift.
As they neared the Celestial Cyan Domain, they encountered more tribulation cultivators and bloody conflicts, causing Li Ji’an to frown at the current cultivation environment in the Celestial Cyan Domain.
If he hadn’t recently advanced to a True Man, he wouldn’t even consider cultivating in the Celestial Cyan Domain, Boundless Domain, or Yellow Heaven Domain; the risks were too high.
Two years later, the border of the Celestial Cyan Domain was finally in sight.
Unlike the tight guard under the Ten Thousand Laws Palace’s rule, the high wall array at the border had now become a broken remnant, offering no hindrance.
Li Ji’an decisively declined Master Meng’s invitation to stay, flying off the spiritual ship and heading south.
After traveling south for two months, the Black Water Swamp came into view below.
Standing at the Lower Three Realms, overlooking below, Li Ji’an found the once seemingly endless Black Water Swamp like a small pond compared to the mist-shrouded Illusory Phantom Forest to the west.
As he extended his divine sense, it was immediately obliterated by an inexplicable force before even touching the Mysterious Forest, prompting Li Ji’an to quickly cut off the sensing.
Scanning the Black Water Swamp below again, it was filled with cultivators, much more than before, yet many were not adventuring but using the swamp’s poisonous mists for cultivation.
Upon reaching the site of that underground tomb from years past, he observed many cultivators coming and going but no signs of any True Man.
The perilous first three tomb chambers of this location had already claimed the Dharma Body of a True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws, making it a death land avoided by those at the True Man level.
Li Ji’an didn’t linger and headed straight toward the Biyun Sect.
Two months later, passing through the Eighteen Spirit Strongholds, he found it had become a lawless land, chaotic within, with commerce non-existent, and upon sweeping it with his divine sense, easily spotted several crazed and deranged evil cultivators.
Sensing further, Li Ji’an found that the spirit vein here had been damaged, and the level of spiritual qi was about to fall below a second-tier spirit vein.
This was generally caused by the unrestricted absorption of spiritual qi, leading to a depletion of spiritual qi in the spirit vein land over time.
Li Ji’an frowned slightly; this was contrary to his predictions years ago. He had expected this place’s development to soon turn it into the primary independent practitioner holy land of the Celestial Cyan Domain and perhaps even birth a loose cultivator power capable of challenging sects.
But unexpectedly, it had come to such an end.
Half a month later, Li Ji’an finally returned to the Biyun Sect.
On this day,
Descending gracefully from the skies in a moon-white magic robe, Li Ji’an hadn’t yet entered the airspace range of the Biyun Sect when the Sect Protection Array was suddenly activated.
"Who dares to visit my Biyun Sect? Please state your intentions." In the next moment, a figure in a vermilion magic robe rose to greet him.
"Again? These demon cultivators truly cross the line!"
"Be careful with your words; they’re all fellow Daoists."
"Never mind. In this era, being able to defend the sect’s homeland is already satisfactory."
...
The few remaining sect disciples, sensing the activation of the Sect Protection Array, instantly felt tense, like startled birds, instinctively filled with grievances.
Since the fall of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace, demon cultivators had advanced unimpeded, unsettling the hearts of sect members everywhere.
Although the Biyun Sect was located at the southern edge of the Celestial Cyan Domain, which was the relatively impoverished area of the entire domain, many elders and disciples couldn’t withstand the pressure and fled in panic.
Once boasting over ten thousand members, the Biyun Sect now had fewer than a thousand.
Yun Qing Ascendant died in battle, Elder Tian disappeared before the fall of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace, half of the Fake Pill Elders perished, and nearly thirty percent fled. Now, only Xiao Changfeng bore the responsibility of leadership, with three Fake Pill True Men under him.
Adding to the misfortune, when Elder Tian and several Fake Pill Elders fled, they took with them the sect’s already meager spiritual resources, leaving the Biyun Sect even more strained.
Facing the unrestrained demon cultivators, only Xiao Changfeng stood a fighting chance.
With the support of the sect’s grand array, he could barely withstand the joint assault of two True Pill Masters.
But now that demon cultivators ruled the domain, Xiao Changfeng dared not act rashly, often having to swallow his pride and make compromises.
So whenever a True Pill Master showed intentions against the Biyun Sect, Xiao Changfeng would first display his strength and then try to persuade them with kind words, occasionally making small sacrifices.
This left the current Biyun Sect with nothing more than a Tier Three Upper Grade Spirit Vein Dao Field and some cultivation techniques, with no additional spiritual resources to aid cultivation.
Since the Foundation Establishment, Xiao Changfeng had returned to his nature, acting freely, but now was forced to take charge and endure humiliation. These years had indeed been arduous for him.
Yet, to fulfill the instructions left by Yun Qing Ascendant before his demise, he could only stand his ground.
Upon seeing the new visitor from the sky, a sharp killing intent surged within him, wanting to slay any intruders daring to challenge them.
However, sensing the True Pill aura approaching from afar, which was not weaker than his own, he restrained his nature.
"Master Changfeng, how have you been?"
Suddenly, a warm and familiar voice echoed throughout the Biyun Sect.
"Ping’an?" Xiao Changfeng focused his gaze, the floating figure outside the array becoming increasingly familiar.
Sweeping with his divine sense, the Evergreen Wood Technique’s magical power was unique, exactly the Earth Level Upper Grade cultivation technique he had handpicked for Li Ji’an.
The only difference was that ten years ago, Li Ping’an was at the Foundation Establishment Peak and postponed Core Formation due to a lack of superior Core Formation Spirit Treasures.
But now, his refined magical power was not much weaker than Xiao Changfeng’s, who was about to advance to Mid-stage True Core, but the other’s realm was clearly still at Early Core Formation. There was only one explanation: the quality of his formed Magic Pill was high, at least a Middle Level True Pill.
"Ping’an! You’ve finally returned." After repeatedly affirming his magical power’s aura and consuming a Purifying God Talisman, Xiao Changfeng seemed to vent the accumulated gloom over the years, suddenly shouting violently.
Immediately, the sect’s array opened, and Xiao Changfeng resolutely went out to meet him.
"Ping’an?"
"Does our sect have a Master Ping’an?"
"Hiss, could it be that Senior Brother Li Ping’an, the former Chief True Inheritor, has returned?"
"Senior Brother Li has returned as a True Man, the sect is saved."
In an instant, the several hundred disciples remaining in the sect rejoiced jubilantly.
Although upon returning to the sect in the past, many disciples found many people missing, including Chief True Inheritor Li Ping’an, many sect members had expressed dissatisfaction.
Some even used it as an excuse to flee the sect.
Additionally, many secretly cursed Li Ping’an for enjoying the sect’s resources yet fleeing in times of trouble, calling him a disgrace to the sect.
Yet now, seeing Li Ping’an return as a newly advanced True Man, the sect’s disciples automatically regarded him as the sect’s savior.
His past act of leaving was naturally reinterpreted as preserving strength and enduring humiliation for a greater cause.
Above the sect, Xiao Changfeng tightly grasped Li Ji’an’s shoulders, his expression excited.
With two True Pill cultivators stationed, they would be virtually worry-free within the Cangyun State!
As long as they could hold the sect’s Spirit Vein Dao Field, the Biyun Sect would surely have a day of revival.
"Ping’an, you’ve finally returned."
Li Ji’an smiled, nodding heavily at the noticeably older Xiao Changfeng.
"Master Changfeng, thank you for your hard work."
While in the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain, he had already heard from many Celestial Cyan Domain cultivators who had fled about the Biyun Sect’s plight, and indeed Xiao Changfeng had endured much over these years.
Although the Golden Puppet Holy Monarch had declared a cessation of retribution against remaining forces in the domain years ago, due to his practice of jungle law, aside from the major forces like the Corpse Puppet Sect and Blood Spirit Sect, many smaller forces or independent cultivators did not need to adhere to this edict. Thus, the strong preyed on the weak, plundering and slaughtering without end.
The Biyun Sect had already faced several assaults over the years, with many sect disciples suffering heavy casualties or death while outside.
Had it not been for Xiao Changfeng, the pillar of the sect, it would have ceased to exist long ago.
Li Ji’an’s return to the sect this time could not only stabilize his own Early Golden Core Stage but also repay the sect’s nurturing, achieving two goals with one action.
