PIT... PATTER...
A fine rain fell like a curtain.
The hazy mist filled the world, blurring the slender figure kneeling before the Cave Mansion.
"Junior Sister."
Guk Rusong appeared at Xi Youyue's side and urged her in a low voice,
"Master is doing this for your own good. I've been to the Void Secret Realm before. It's far too dangerous inside."
"Senior Brother Xi..."
"He's already gone!"
Xi Youyue remained kneeling, her head bowed, letting the rain soak her clothes without a sound.
"Sigh!"
Seeing this, Guk Rusong could only shake his head helplessly and walk away.
The rain.
Fell harder and harder.
A torrential downpour, like a waterfall.
The ground turned to mud. The ditches filled and overflowed with water. The plants, having drunk their fill, grew even more lush.
The kneeling figure swayed.
Inside the Cave Mansion.
"Master."
Guk Rusong asked in a low voice,
"Junior Sister has been kneeling for seven whole days. Going this long without food or water... even someone at the Innate Realm can't take it."
"If she wants to kneel, then let her kneel." Zhu Ju snorted coldly, flicking his sleeve and walking toward the Quiet Chamber.
「Half a month later.」
"Master!"
Guk Rusong rushed over, his face pale.
"Junior Sister has fainted!"
Zhu Ju stood before the Array Plate with his hands clasped behind his back. Hearing the news, his eyes twitched, and a complex expression appeared on his face.
'One after another...'
'...they're all so troublesome!'
"Fine!"
He flicked his sleeve, tossing two items to Guk Rusong.
"Everyone has their own destiny, and even I, her master, cannot force it. Since she wants to go to the Secret Realm, then let her go."
"Take her back to her own Cave Mansion. Don't come see me again!"
"..." Guk Rusong took the items, his expression shifting, before finally lowering his head.
"Yes, Master."
"Mmm..." Xi Youyue slowly opened her eyes. She felt sore all over, unable to muster a shred of strength.
"Where am I?"
Her voice was hoarse and weak, but fortunately, the person beside her could hear it clearly.
"Junior Sister."
Guk Rusong handed her an Elixir, having a nearby servant girl help her swallow it with Spirit Wine.
"This is my manor."
"You fainted in front of Master's Cave Mansion a short while ago. I followed Master's orders and brought you back here to recuperate."
"Master..." After swallowing the Elixir, a faint warmth rose from her abdomen. Xi Youyue struggled to sit up.
"I want to see Master!"
"Master doesn't wish to see you, but..." Guk Rusong shook his head, then sighed.
"Junior Sister, you can go to the Secret Realm."
"Ah!" Hearing this, Xi Youyue's expression shifted through shock and joy, before she finally nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Master!"
Xi Youyue knew in her heart that Zhu Ju forbidding her from going to the Secret Realm was for her own good.
But...
her brother's fate was an obsession for her. She had to know the outcome, no matter what.
"Junior Sister."
Guk Rusong handed her two items.
"Master told me to give these to you."
"This is called a Blood-Seeking Jade. If you drip a drop of your Essence blood into it, it can detect whether any of your blood relatives are nearby."
"This Spirit Talisman can be used to save your life."
"Master..." Xi Youyue's eyes reddened.
"If I can make it out of the Void Secret Realm alive, I vow to follow Master's side for the rest of my life."
"Don't say such disheartening things, Junior Sister," Guk Rusong said with a serious expression.
"The Secret Realm is dangerous, but it's not a place of certain death. As long as you're careful, you still have a good chance of survival."
"Let me tell you about my own experience back then!"
Xi Youyue's spirits lifted.
She remembered that when Guk Rusong entered the Secret Realm, he had also been at the Seven Acupoints Innate realm, with a Cultivation similar to her own.
'The more experience I gain, the better my chance of survival.'
"Please tell me, Senior Brother!"
*
*
*
"It's decided!"
In the grand hall, Pei Jingque clapped her hands lightly.
"The Sect's relocation will be divided into two parts, one overt and one covert."
"Overtly, we will move to Cold Moon Valley, where we will set up an Array and establish it as the Sect's main base."
"Separately, we will dispatch a group to Coiling Snake Cliff to serve as the Sect's backup location."
After a period of deliberation, Pei Jingque had finally made her decision.
Two bases would be established.
One overt, one covert.
The overt location was Cold Moon Valley.
The covert one was a treacherous area near the Earth Abyss—the location Zhu Ju had approved of—which was named Coiling Snake Cliff.
The vast majority of disciples would be settled in Cold Moon Valley, with only a very small number going to Coiling Snake Cliff.
This way,
even if the Demon Dao invaded and Cold Moon Valley was heavily damaged, the Bright Void Sect would have an escape route.
This was a lesson learned from suffering several calamities.
"Junior Sister."
Looking at Liuu Huang'er, Pei Jingque said,
"I'll be relying on you for this journey."
The opening of the Void Secret Realm was not long after, and they also had to lead two groups for the relocation.
The responsibilities were by no means light.
"Nephew Jir Mingxi and I will lead the team to the Void Secret Realm, while Qingfeng will take people to get settled in Cold Moon Valley."
Luu Huang'er smiled.
"The Void Secret Realm will only take a month or two. It won't be too late to go to Coiling Snake Cliff after we return."
"Mm."
Pei Jingque nodded slowly.
"Be careful above all else."
Zhu Ju could not go on this trip.
For the Sect relocation, the original Array needed to be excavated and brought to the new base to be set up again.
Without the Array's protection, the Sect's defenses would be extremely weak.
But Zhu Ju possessed The Investiture of the Gods, which could completely substitute for the Sect Array and guard against sneak attacks from Demonic Demon People.
As for Pei Jingque...
The Immortal Alliance had been wanting to establish new rules in recent years. As the Sect Leader, she could be summoned at any time.
The same was true for Shui Qianning.
She was currently overseeing a nearby Marketplace and wouldn't be rotated out for another five years, so she couldn't get away.
Considering all this,
the Bright Void Sect still didn't have enough Dao Foundation Cultivators.
「Soon after.」
Luu Huang'er and her husband, Zhai Qingfeng, along with the newly promoted Dao Foundation Cultivator Jir Mingxi, led two hundred disciples toward the Earth Abyss.
This was the first group.
Barring any accidents,
a second group would follow in half a year. At this rate, the entire relocation would take about five to ten years.
...
"The rain seems especially heavy this year."
Under the stone pavilion.
Pei Jingque shielded her forehead with her hand, gazing at the misty rain ahead as she spoke slowly,
"It's been raining every few days, and this time it's been going for seven straight days with no sign of stopping."
"Indeed." Zhu Ju looked up, his eyes seeming to pierce through the Celestial Cloud Layer.
"The Ten Thousand Mountains have always been full of marshes and rivers. This year, the water vapor is like a tide. It looks like this rain has a long way to go."
Ever since Liuu Huang'er had left with her group, the Bright Void Sect seemed to have become much quieter.
The noise had faded from their ears.
The two of them could even get together from time to time to enjoy the scenery and sip wine.
"By the way,"
Zhu Ju asked,
"What exactly is the Immortal Alliance planning?"
"I don't know." Pei Jingque's relaxed expression vanished. Her brow furrowed, and her tone grew heavy.
"More and more Demonic Demon People are coming from Dazhou, as if they intend to go to war with the Immortal Alliance again."
"It is said..."
"that the Six Paths Demon Monarch's injuries have healed. His Cultivation and strength have even improved."
A chill ran through Zhu Ju's heart.
'If that's true, the situation for the Righteous Dao will be dire,' he thought. 'Perhaps the Sect should speed up its relocation.'
"They're here!"
SWOOSH!
A faint streak of Spiritual Light pierced the rain curtain. The Tunneling Light dissipated in front of the stone pavilion, revealing a tall, brawny figure.
"Haha..."
The newcomer laughed heartily.
"Sect Leader Pei, we meet again."
"And this must be Fellow Daoist Zhu Ju, yes? I've long heard of your great name. I am Ping Daochuan, a Cultivator from the Star-Picking Tower."
"Brother Ping!"
"Fellow Daoist Ping."
The two stepped forward and bowed.
Zhu Ju's gaze lingered on the man for a moment, a glint of Spiritual Light flashing in his eyes before he looked away.
After the Celestial Yu Sect went into seclusion, the Star-Picking Tower became the undisputed second-greatest power in the Righteous Immortal Alliance.
He had heard of this Ping Daochuan before.
The man possessed an Innate Dao Body, a true Son of Heaven who had reached Dao Foundation Perfection at only two hundred years of age.
Not long ago,
this man had attempted to break through to the Golden Core Realm, but unfortunately, he had failed.
A Fake Pill Cultivator!
The man made no effort to conceal his Cultivation. His aura radiated outwards, making him seem like a towering mountain.
His every breath converged with the Power of Heaven and Earth. With a wave of his great sleeve, the dark clouds scattered.
With a thought,
the world obeyed!
When such a Cultivator cast spells, their power far exceeded that of an ordinary Dao Foundation Cultivator.
During Combat, he could even plunder the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi for dozens of miles around, preventing his opponent from drawing upon the Power of Heaven and Earth.
Zhu Ju asked himself.
'Even with all my skills, I'd have no chance of winning against him. It would probably be a struggle even with my Outer Body Incarnation.'
"Both of you."
Sweeping his gaze over them, Ping Daochuan began to speak slowly.
"The Immortal Alliance has issued a decree. As long as the Demon Dao's ambition to destroy us remains, we Righteous Cultivators must embrace the idea that there is no creation without destruction."
"We have now established the position of Immortal Alliance Chief Steward to oversee the affairs of the various Immortal Sects."
"I, Ping, am now an Immortal Alliance Chief Steward, responsible for over ten Sects, including the Bright Void Sect."
As he spoke,
he tossed a Token to them.
The Token bore the aura of a Nascent Soul True Man; it could not be a fake.
"Fellow Daoist Ping."
Pei Jingque inspected the Token, glanced at Zhu Ju, and then cupped her hands in a salute.
"With Demon Cultivators running rampant, we must naturally stand united against a common foe. The Bright Void Sect is willing to follow the Immortal Alliance's commands."
Zhu Ju nodded.
For over a hundred years, the Bright Void Sect had been besieged by the Demon Dao several times.
It had gone from being one of the Major Immortal Sects, with several Golden Core Grandmasters presiding, to the brink of annihilation.
Their hatred ran deep.
Resisting the Demon Cultivators was a responsibility they would not shirk.
"Haha..." Ping Daochuan laughed heartily.
"I knew Sect Leader Pei was a reasonable person, unlike some sects that are always hemming and hawing."
"Sect Leader Pei!"
He took a deep breath, his expression turning grave.
"The Righteous Immortal Alliance's repeated defeats in recent years are primarily because the major Immortal Sects have all been fighting for themselves."
"In this Immortal Alliance council, two Nascent Soul True Men have jointly decided that we must unite all Righteous Immortal Sects to resist the Demon Dao. We can no longer be scattered as before, collapsing without a fight at the first sign of Demon Cultivators."
"That is a sound principle." Pei Jingque nodded.
"As far as I know, many Righteous Cultivators claim to be going to the front lines to resist the Demon Cultivators, but in reality, they've never even fought one."
"Correct." Ping Daochuan produced a jade scroll and said,
"This is the Immortal Alliance's decree. Please take a look, Sect Leader Pei."
Pei Jingque reached out, took it, and unrolled it. A single glance was enough to make her expression change drastically.
"An Immortal Tax?"
"Yes." Ping Daochuan nodded.
"The Immortal Alliance suffers countless casualties resisting the Demon Cultivator invasion, while the major Immortal Sects sit back and reap the rewards."
"How is that fair?"
"Starting this year, every major Immortal Sect must pay a certain amount of Immortal Tax to the Immortal Alliance annually."
"Of course..."
"you can also offset the tax by sending Dao Foundation Cultivators to the front lines to fight the Demon Cultivators."
Zhu Ju was right beside Pei Jingque and also saw the contents. His eyes narrowed instinctively.
'This Immortal Tax...'
'...is terrifyingly high!'
"Steward Ping."
He spoke slowly.
"And what if we don't pay?"
"Don't pay?" Ping Daochuan's face darkened. The clouds overhead roiled, and in the blink of an eye, the rain came down in a deluge.
"You can try!"
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