Immortal Druid

[POV: Wan Fu]

When the warning arrived from the Touch Grass Sect, the True Origin Sect wasted no time preparing for the coming invasion.

Protective formations were activated throughout the Sacred Mountain. Disciples abandoned their secluded cultivation to take up defensive positions while elders distributed medicinal pills, talismans, and spirit stones. The sect's most accomplished formation masters reinforced every barrier they could, hoping to withstand whatever enemy approached.

Those hopes vanished the moment the enemy's grand formation descended.

An enormous array stretched across the heavens, eclipsing the sun with layers upon layers of glowing runes. It surrounded the entire True Origin Sect so completely that even the air itself seemed imprisoned beneath its influence.

Every cultivator who looked upon it understood a single truth.

They were hopelessly outmatched.

The sect immediately sent emergency missives toward every allied force within the Ten Great Sects, pleading for reinforcements before the enemy arrived.

One after another, the communication talismans dimmed.

Every connection was severed.

Silence answered their desperate cries.

The clouds above churned violently before parting.

Standing upon the bow of an immense flagship was a woman draped in robes the color of a raging sea. Her silver scepter crackled with enough spiritual power to shake the heavens.

Storm Queen Ou Ning's voice rolled across the entire domain like thunder.

"Hear my decree! This day marks the beginning of war! Surrender the True Origin Pill and bend the knee beneath my sovereignty. Do so, and the True Origin Sect shall be spared. Resist... and your legacy shall sink into oblivion."

Not a single disciple answered.

The women of the True Origin Sect stood shoulder to shoulder with swords drawn.

They were renowned throughout the cultivation world not merely for their beauty but for their unwavering righteousness. Every disciple carried herself with elegance befitting blooming flowers, yet beneath that graceful exterior resided spirits as resilient as tempered steel. Even among the Ten Great Sects, few could rival their collective resolve.

Unfortunately, resolve alone could not bridge an insurmountable difference in power.

Ou Ning raised her scepter.

The grand formation answered.

Despite the domain being completely landlocked, countless torrents erupted from the formation itself. Oceans seemingly materialized from thin air before crashing downward in monstrous waves hundreds of meters high.

The earth disappeared beneath an endless flood. Forests vanished. Cities drowned. Rivers merged into a single roaring sea. The Sacred Mountain of the True Origin Sect stood alone against the overwhelming tide.

Soon, the warships arrived.

Hundreds of vessels rode atop the summoned waves as though sailing across the open sea. Azure banners bearing the emblem of the Azure Queendom fluttered proudly above their masts while thousands of soldiers cried out with burning zeal.

The disciples of the True Origin Sect stared in disbelief.

"How is this possible!?"

"The mountain is flooding!"

"They brought an ocean!"

"Hold your positions!"

"Protect the Sect Leader!"

Wan Fu tightened her grip upon her sword as horror unfolded before her eyes.

The colossal waves slammed directly into the mountain.

Warships crashed against cliffs that had never before known water. Stone shattered beneath reinforced hulls as boarding ramps crashed down. Countless soldiers poured from every vessel, their battle cries echoing across the drowned peaks.

"For Her Majesty!"

"For the Azure Queendom!"

"Take the mountain!"

"Capture every cultivator!"

"Leave none standing!"

Most of the invading force consisted of Qi Refinement cultivators supported by Foundation Establishment officers barking commands from the rear.

Wan Fu became a blur.

Her sword flashed repeatedly, each strike claiming another life. Azure-armored soldiers fell one after another before her relentless swordsmanship. Blood mixed with the floodwaters rushing around her feet as bodies drifted away with the current.

No matter how many she defeated, more climbed onto the mountain. Soon, someone blocked her blade. A Core Formation officer wearing azure armor met her strike head-on. The collision sent spiritual qi exploding across the battlefield.

"You've killed enough of my men," the officer sneered, brandishing his spear.

Wan Fu grit her teeth and fought back with everything she possessed.

Their battle carried them farther from the main battlefield, and with every exchange, she watched the tragedy unfolding around her. Her senior sisters fell beneath overwhelming numbers. Junior disciples screamed as they were dragged onto enemy ships. Some fought until their swords shattered. Others disappeared behind closing cabin doors.

Wan Fu couldn't even bear imagining what fate awaited those captured alive.

"Sisters!"

She desperately tried to break away. The Core Formation officer denied every attempt. Meanwhile, high above the battlefield, the Sect Leader challenged Storm Queen Ou Ning herself.

The duel lasted only moments.

Ou Ning lowered her scepter.

Another colossal wave descended from the heavens. It swallowed the Sect Leader whole. The impossible happened. The Sacred Mountain itself began to sink. The floodwaters spiraled around its foundation as though grasped by an invisible hand before dragging the entire mountain beneath the lake.

Wan Fu screamed.

She attacked without restraint, abandoning every trace of caution.

Her swordsmanship, refined through decades of cultivation, became meaningless before the overwhelming force of Ou Ning's tyrannical spells and the endless tide of enemy soldiers.

The defenders collapsed.

The invaders erupted into thunderous celebration.

"Victory belongs to the Azure Queendom!"

"Long live Storm Queen Ou Ning!"

"The True Origin Sect has fallen!"

"All hail Her Majesty!"

Pain suddenly blossomed within Wan Fu's chest. She looked down. A spear protruded cleanly through her body. Her strength abandoned her. The floodwaters embraced her like a cold grave as she slipped beneath the surface.

Darkness followed.

...

...

...

A sharp gasp escaped her lips.

Wan Fu's eyes flew open. She found herself lying upon the shore of an enormous lake, coughing violently as water spilled from her lungs. Confused, she clutched the ragged hole in her robes.

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There was neither wound nor blood. Instead, there was only smooth and unbroken skin. She slowly lifted her head. Standing quietly before her was a familiar figure dressed in simple robes, a wooden staff resting comfortably in his hand. Disbelief filled her eyes.

"Sage... Wo Li?" she whispered hoarsely, her voice trembling. "H-How are you here?"

…

..

.

[POV: Wo Li]

My entire body hurt.

That was the inevitable price of resurrecting dozens of people one after another without stopping. Every resurrection called down another Heavenly Tribulation. Every bolt of heavenly lightning carved through my body with the subtlety of an angry god wielding a hammer. As if that wasn't enough, the misfortune accumulated with each successful resurrection, clinging to me like an invisible curse waiting for the perfect opportunity to make my life miserable.

It hurt like a son of a bitch.

Fortunately, I had become rather good at pretending otherwise.

Outwardly, I remained as calm as ever.

I looked at the woman who had just drawn her first breath after returning from death.

"You are the last one," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I believe your name is Wan Fu. I'm sorry I arrived too late."

Recognition slowly dawned within her eyes.

She had visited the Touch Grass Sect not long ago as the messenger representing the Ten Great Sects. Although she never explicitly asked me to intervene on behalf of the True Origin Sect, I still remembered the emotions carried by the parchment she had read aloud. Through the Voice of the World, I had heard its mixture of pride, anxiety, and quiet hope.

"You... remember my name..."

Wan Fu stared at me blankly. The confusion in her eyes gradually gave way to memory. Tears poured freely down her face as she collapsed onto her knees, trembling so violently that she could barely remain upright.

I crouched beside her.

"It's alright," I said gently. "Take a deep breath. Calm yourself. You're alive now."

I gestured toward the shoreline surrounding us.

"Look around you."

Wan Fu slowly lifted her head.

Everywhere across the lakeshore, resurrected disciples of the True Origin Sect gathered in small groups. Some embraced each other while crying. Others checked one another for injuries despite knowing their bodies had been completely restored. Many had already leaped back into the lake, searching beneath the sunken mountain for the bodies of sisters who had yet to be recovered.

Several disciples spotted Wan Fu and hurried toward her.

"Senior Sister Wan Fu!"

"You're alive!"

"We thought... we thought we'd never see you again!"

"Senior Sister, are you hurt?"

"We're so glad you're back!"

One after another, they surrounded her. Some threw their arms around her shoulders. Others simply held her trembling hands.

I quietly allowed them a moment before speaking again.

"I've already asked your fellow disciples to recover every body they can find beneath the sunken mountain," I said. "Gather them into your storage rings. I'll resurrect them as time allows."

I looked toward the distant horizon.

"But I can't remain here."

Other sects were still under attack. Every moment I delayed could mean another mountain reduced to ruins and another sect erased from history.

"I need to continue marching to the remaining sects before it's too late."

My gaze returned to Wan Fu.

"As the highest-realm cultivator currently standing among your sisters, I'm entrusting them to you. Keep everyone together. Organize the recovery effort. Preserve every body you can find. When I return, I'll bring back as many of your sisters as Heaven permits."

Wan Fu wiped the tears from her face. The despair that had consumed her moments earlier gradually transformed into determination. She stood before me and bowed deeply.

"I understand, Sage Wo Li."

When she raised her head again, her eyes had regained their resolve.

"I swear upon my dao heart that I will do everything within my power to protect my sisters. We'll recover every body we can find and wait for your return. No matter how long it takes, we won't abandon a single one of them."

That was exactly what I had hoped to hear. There were still countless people waiting for salvation. I couldn't afford to stop now.

I gave Wan Fu a reassuring nod.

"Once you've recovered everyone you can from beneath the mountain, evacuate to the Touch Grass Sect with your sisters. I'll assign one of my crows to accompany you. It'll serve as your guide and assist you on the journey. If you encounter danger along the way, listen to its judgment. It knows the safest routes back to my domain."

Wan Fu lowered her head once more.

"Thank you, Sage Wo Li. I cannot possibly repay the generosity and aid you've shown our sect."

"You don't have to," I replied. "Just make sure all of you survive."

While the other disciples organized themselves, Wan Fu remained behind to answer the questions I had regarding the invasion. Piece by piece, her account matched what I had already learned from the fish beneath the lake and the visions granted by the Heavenly Eye. She also confirmed something else.

The warning from the Touch Grass Sect had reached them. Hao Lei had done exactly what I asked of him. He had warned the True Origin Sect before the invasion began.

Unfortunately, the warning hadn't changed the outcome. Knowing death was coming meant very little when one lacked the strength to stop it. I couldn't help wondering if everything we'd done had been futile from the very beginning.

Before departing, I summoned the Heavenly Eye once more.

If it could peer into the future, then perhaps it could also witness the past. Golden light enveloped my vision. The world dissolved. I watched the invasion unfold exactly as Wan Fu described.

Storm Queen Ou Ning stood at the heart of an incomprehensibly vast formation, her silver scepter raised toward the heavens. At her command, an ocean materialized over an entirely landlocked domain before crashing downward in a world-devouring tsunami.

The flood swallowed everything.

When the battle ended, Ou Ning simply lowered her scepter and the tsunami obediently receded. As the waters withdrew, the Azure Queendom's fleet retreated alongside them. The mountain, already fractured beyond repair, collapsed beneath its own weight before disappearing into the depths of the newly formed lake.

The vision faded.

I exhaled slowly before looking toward my companions.

"We're leaving."

Everyone gathered around me.

"Our next destination is the Clear Harmony Sect. Make haste."

Zhen Ai resumed her dragon form, and I climbed onto her forehead once more. Xuanwu followed close behind while the crows filled the skies around us.

I silently prayed we hadn't arrived too late.

...

We had.

The smell reached us long before the mountain came into view. Smoke. Burned wood. Burned flesh. The entire mountain had become a funeral pyre. Flames still raged across every peak despite having consumed nearly everything worth burning.

I raised my staff.

"Control Weather."

Dark storm clouds gathered overhead before unleashing torrential rain upon the burning mountain. Nothing changed. The crimson flames continued burning as though the rain didn't exist.

"They're spirit flames!" Xuanwu shouted.

Zhen Ai immediately descended.

Her enormous body twisted gracefully through the skies as she performed her Dragon Dance, drawing vast quantities of water into spiraling currents. At the same time, Xuanwu raised both hands and released layers upon layers of protective blessings that weakened the spiritual flames.

Only through the combined efforts of all three of us did the inferno finally begin to subside.

By then, there was nothing left to save. Ash blanketed the mountain. Entire palaces had been reduced to blackened outlines upon the earth. Not even bones remained. Instead, there was only ashes.

I stared silently across the ruined landscape. If I devoted enough effort, perhaps I could still resurrect them. I'd once restored life that had completely vanished within Zhen Ai's womb.

But this?

Thousands upon thousands had perished here, reduced to indistinguishable ash scattered across an entire mountain. I couldn't even begin to imagine where to start.

"...I'm sorry."

The mountain accepted its children back into its embrace.

Reluctantly, we moved on. After searching the ruins, we found only a single survivor. An old mortal sat alone upon a broken stone staircase, staring blankly into the distance. His robes had long since burned away, leaving only tattered remnants fluttering in the breeze.

He didn't seem to notice our arrival.

"I am..." he muttered absentmindedly. "The Sect Leader of the Clear Harmony Sect... My name is Pan Bai..."

His cloudy eyes wandered aimlessly.

"I lost everyone..."

Slowly, he repeated himself.

"I am the Sect Leader of the Clear Harmony Sect... My name is Pan Bai..."

Another pause.

"I lost everyone..."

Again. And again. And again. Each repetition sounded emptier than the last. He was already broken by the time we found him. I quietly consulted the Heavenly Eye. The vision unfolded before me. Unlike the Azure Queendom, the Sunblood Dynasty hadn't relied upon overwhelming formations or natural disasters. They simply marched.

Disciplined ranks of cultivators advanced through the mountain like an unstoppable tide of steel. Their sovereign never once appeared. They didn't need to. Every resisting man and woman was executed without hesitation. Elders. Disciples. Servants.

None were spared, except for the children who were taken away and the Sect Leader who had his cultivation ripped from his body before being discarded like worthless refuse.

The Clear Harmony Sect ceased to exist in a single day. The vision disappeared. I knelt beside Pan Bai. Even before trying, I already knew ordinary healing spells wouldn't be enough.

Still, I had to try.

"Cleanse Spirits."

Soft emerald light enveloped the old man. For one brief moment, clarity returned to his eyes. His frail body trembled violently as decades of restrained emotion erupted all at once.

"I WILL KILL THEM ALL!"

His voice echoed across the mountain, filled with hatred, grief, and despair. Every emotion burst forth together. Just as suddenly they surged, the light faded. His eyes became vacant once more.

"I am the Sect Leader of the Clear Harmony Sect..."

He looked toward no one in particular.

"My name is Pan Bai..."

A long pause followed.

"I lost everyone..."

If anyone could restore his shattered mind, it would be the youngest Immortal of the Renewal Sect. With careful movements, I lifted the old man onto Zhen Ai's back.

"We're taking him with us. Our next destination is the Divine Trinity Sect."

...

When we finally arrived at the site, the sight before me shattered every expectation I had carried. I realized, with a sinking dread, that I had been horribly wrong. I hadn’t yet witnessed the worst this war had to offer.

The Greater Palm Mountain… was simply gone.

Where one of the grandest mountains on the continent should have proudly stood, only an impossibly flat stretch of barren earth remained, as though some unimaginable force had reached down and simply plucked the entire mountain from the world.

I immediately activated the Heavenly Eye. The vision it revealed horrified me to my core.

An enormous floating island had descended from the heavens like a god’s judgment. Its vast shadow had swallowed the Divine Trinity Sect whole. Then, with terrifying ease, the entire mountain had been ripped from the continent’s crust. It rose into the air and disappeared into the floating mass, swallowed without the slightest resistance.

The massacre hadn’t happened yesterday. Nor even last week.

It had happened a full month ago.

An entire month before the invaders had even issued their ultimatum to the Ten Great Sects. It hadn’t been strategy. It had been mockery. They had been toying with us from the very beginning.

The vision ended. I stood there in heavy silence for a long time, the weight of the revelation pressing down on my shoulders.

Three of the Ten Great Sects had already lost the very foundations of their existence.

The True Origin Sect had been sunk beneath a newly formed lake. The Clear Harmony Sect had been reduced to a desolate mountain of ash. And the Divine Trinity Sect… had been erased from the map itself.

I drew a slow, weary breath.

“I tried,” the words slipped from my lips almost unconsciously. “I truly tried.”

But no amount of diplomacy could undo what had already been done. War was no longer avoidable. It had become inevitable.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

I silently prayed that the Purple Flame Sect still stood.

Turning toward everyone behind me, I spoke with quiet resolve.

“We’re changing course. We’re regrouping with Sword King Hu Gang.”

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