Chapter 185: Chapter 181: Back to 10,000 Years Ago, the Battle of the Cyan Yang Sect’s Destruction
Seeing the expressions on Du Youqian’s and Li Daojia’s faces, the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators instantly understood that something else had gone wrong.
Zeng Baoming asked anxiously, "What’s going on?"
Li Daojia shook his head. "I’ve... completely lost my connection to the Thousand-Mile Shuttle. I imagine it’s the same for Fellow Daoist Yu! It’s certain now—something has happened inside the Relics."
Du Youqian nodded.
Songyangzi’s voice was also anxious. "Fellow Daoists, what should we do now?"
The Foundation Establishment leader of the Red Lotus Sect, Xiao Bingyan, had a fiery temper due to the Cultivation Technique she practiced.
At this moment, her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, and she practically spat through clenched teeth, "What’s there to think about? We go into the Relics right now and bring all our junior disciples out!"
"Enter the Relics? Fellow Daoist Xiao, can you even get in? These Relics only permit those in the Qi Cultivation Realm to enter. Surely you haven’t forgotten that." Du Youqian’s tone was flat, his eyelids drooping. He looked like he was asking for a beating.
Xiao Bingyan nearly ground her teeth to dust. "How will we know if we don’t try! If you’re scared, Fellow Daoist Yu, you can wait outside."
After experiencing Xiao Bingyan’s venomous tongue firsthand, Du Youqian finally understood just how much self-control the Destruction Sect’s Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Cen Xiaoqin, had exercised by not attacking her earlier.
Li Daojia stepped in to smooth things over. "Fellow Daoist Xiao, please, say no more. Fellow Daoist Yu has a point. The Cyan Yang Sect Relics don’t allow Foundation Establishment Cultivators to enter. Otherwise, we would have arranged for them to explore it long ago. Why go to all the trouble of sending in Qi Cultivation Disciples?"
Xiao Bingyan said, her cheeks puffed with anger, "Then what do you suggest we do!"
Li Daojia couldn’t make up his mind either. He simply used his Divine Sense to exchange opinions with Du Youqian.
Du Youqian was staunchly against entering the Relics.
Li Daojia, on the other hand, was worried. Not only would he fail to protect the Qi Cultivation Disciples, but he had also lost the Treasure, the Thousand-Mile Shuttle. He feared severe punishment upon returning to the Sect, a setback that could ruin him for decades, even a century.
Du Youqian made his stance clear: ’If you want to go, go by yourself. I’m absolutely not going.’
’Losing the disciples is one thing. If the Treasure is lost, I’ll compensate for it. But don’t even think about making me risk my life in that damned place.’
Li Daojia was fraught with indecision, becoming more flustered by the second. He had no choice but to ask, "What are all of your thoughts?"
And so, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present began to argue, all talking at once.
Xiao Bingyan was determined to enter the Relics. Even if no one else went, she would find a way in by herself.
Cen Xiaoqin of the Destruction Sect took the opposite stance to Xiao Bingyan, firmly refusing to enter the Relics.
On the side of the Profound Sects Orthodox Sect, the Ten Thousand Laws Sect agreed to go in, as did the True Preservation Sect. Songyangzi said he needed to think it over. Representing the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, Zeng Baoming also suggested it was best to wait and see, to first send a message to their sect and await instructions, disagreeing with entering the Relics now.
When it was finally Lin Sha’s turn, she glanced at Du Youqian and said calmly, "I agree with Fellow Daoist Yu’s assessment."
This took Du Youqian by surprise.
Lin Sha had previously shown great concern for the Qi Cultivation Disciples, so Du Youqian had assumed she would be like Xiao Bingyan, ready to rush in recklessly to save them.
Among the Nine Great Sects, only three people agreed to enter the Relics, while four were against it.
And then there was the wavering Songyangzi.
This left Li Daojia even more indecisive.
Xiao Bingyan roared, "While you all dawdle here, our sect’s Qi Cultivation Disciples could be facing life and death, waiting for rescue! Fellow Daoist Yu, you may be the Guardian Envoy of our Holy Sect, but even if you object today, I cannot listen to you! I can’t just stand by and watch the next generation of our sect meet a terrible fate!"
Du Youqian said coldly, "I have already made it clear that it is not permitted. Fellow Daoist Xiao, if you insist on acting alone, I will not stop you with force. But afterward, I will report your insubordination to the Sect for punishment."
Xiao Bingyan retorted furiously, "Do whatever you want! You spineless coward."
With his several centuries of composure, Du Youqian, of course, wasn’t angry... ’No, I can’t get angry.’
’I’m an old monster of the Demon Sect now. I have to be calculating and must not show any emotion.’
Cultivation didn’t mean he had to cultivate away his emotions.
It was about learning to control them better.
He narrowed his eyes and stared at Xiao Bingyan. "When this matter is concluded, I will gift you a sword strike. I hope you’ll be able to receive it."
The furious Xiao Bingyan felt as if a basin of ice water had been dumped over her head. A chill ran down her spine, her body trembled, and she suddenly sobered up considerably.
Seeing the emotionless eyes of Du Youqian, she almost couldn’t stop herself from shivering.
"I misspoke and have offended you. Fellow Daoist Yu, you are a person of great magnanimity. Please forgive me."
For the usually fierce and proud Xiao Bingyan to apologize so humbly came as a shock to those who knew her.
But then, considering Du Youqian’s past battle records and ruthless methods, it wasn’t so strange.
’If I were in Xiao Bingyan’s position,’ they thought, ’I would have begged for mercy with soft words too.’
Why provoke this baleful star for a moment of verbal satisfaction?
Du Youqian nodded but said nothing in response.
Anxious and unwilling to delay any longer, Xiao Bingyan charged toward the entrance of the Relics.
The entrance to the Relics was at the top of this slope, not in the same space as Yu Kun Mountain.
To the naked eye, one could see the distorted space and the faint, flickering ruins within the Relics.
Everyone’s gaze fell upon Xiao Bingyan.
Although the Taihe and Holy Blood Sects had claimed that these Relics would prevent Foundation Establishment Cultivators and above from entering...
...they had never specified what the consequences would be if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator tried to force their way in.
Would they be repelled?
Or would they die during the spatial transition?
Or even be sliced into countless pieces?
Or perhaps, Foundation Establishment Cultivators could actually enter, but their Cultivation would be suppressed to the Qi Cultivation Realm?
Xiao Bingyan stopped at the entrance to the Relics. After a brief moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and charged headfirst into it.
’Did she really get in?’
The rather gruesome scene they had imagined did not occur.
Xiao Bingyan simply vanished.
Li Daojia frowned.
Du Youqian suddenly had a premonition and shouted, "Not good! Run!"
As he spoke, he instantly grabbed Lin Sha, released a Flying Sword, and stepped onto it, preparing to flee.
But a violent spatial fluctuation swept over them, giving him no time to react or evade. It engulfed him, along with the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators, pulling them all inside.
~~~~~~~~~
"Brother Xiaofang, look what I found!" The girl smiled with innocent charm, holding a stalk of Snake Grass in her hands.
This was a Spirit Grass that could be used as a supplementary ingredient for Tier Two Elixirs, making it quite valuable for Qi Cultivation Cultivators.
Gu Xiaofang said in an exaggerated tone, "Little Sister Lin’Er, you’re amazing! It looks like you’ll have the biggest haul from this exploration of the Relics."
Xie Linyu gave a sweet smile, her fair cheeks blushing slightly. "Oh, not at all! My abilities are very weak. Even if I find something good, I won’t be able to protect it!"
"Don’t you worry, Little Sister Lin’Er," Gu Xiaofang said, thumping his chest with a loud THWACK. "I will definitely protect you."
"Really? Thank you so much, Brother Xiaofang!"
’Hmph, you Holy Blood Sect scum. Be a good little bodyguard for me, and if I’m in a good mood, I might just let you live.’
"Don’t mention it, Little Sister Lin. I’d do anything for you."
’Hmph, you little bitch from the Red Lotus Sect, trying to play mind games with your grandpa? I’ll make sure you regret it!’
In truth, Gu Xiaofang hadn’t wanted to team up with Xie Linyu.
Before entering the Relics, he had interacted with many people from the Demon Sect Camp and had already discovered that Xie Linyu was on another level, not someone easily manipulated.
It would have been much easier and less trouble to find someone simpler, someone cute but dumb, to travel with in the Relics.
But who could have known? Not long after entering the Relics, the world suddenly spun, and he was separated from the other members of the Holy Blood Sect, ending up alone in a somewhat desolate forest.
Although he had a Magical Artifact that allowed for Flying, in this unfamiliar place, he didn’t dare fly up into the open sky and make himself a target.
So, he could only carve a difficult path through the dense woods.
His destination, naturally, was the distant Cyan Yang Sect ruins.
Among the ruins were some buildings that, despite being broken, were still tall enough to serve as landmarks, preventing him from losing his way.
Thankfully, there were no fierce beasts in the forest. It wasn’t long before he ran into Xie Linyu. With both of them harboring ulterior motives, they hit it off immediately.
Gu Xiaofang guessed that this Red Lotus Sect disciple must possess a special Magical Artifact, or perhaps even a Spiritual Artifact, that allowed her to easily find all kinds of Spirit Grass and Spirit Medicine.
Gu Xiaofang was happy to cooperate with and protect her, collecting more Spirit Grass and Spirit Medicine. ’I’ll just treat her as a temporary storage locker.’
Just then, Gu Xiaofang suddenly felt a violent tremor that shook the mountains and split the earth. Xie Linyu, next to him, clearly felt it too and grabbed his hand in panic.
The shaking quickly subsided, as if nothing had happened.
"Brother Xiaofang, are you alright?" Xie Linyu’s long eyelashes trembled slightly.
"I’m fine," Gu Xiaofang said, feeling that something was extremely strange. "What was that just now? I thought it was an earth dragon turning over."
"Me too..." Xie Linyu’s words trailed off. She stood with her mouth slightly agape, staring blankly in the direction of the Cyan Yang Sect ruins.
"What is it?" Gu Xiaofang also turned to look, and was instantly struck speechless.
Where the ruins of the Cyan Yang Sect had been, there now stood perfectly intact buildings, towering into the clouds.
An uncountable number of Cultivators hovered in mid-air, some on war galleons, some riding Flying Swords, and others standing on various other Flying Spiritual Artifacts or Treasures.
Some Cultivators had enormous Dharma Aspects appearing behind them, their auras so powerful that even looking at them from a distance made one’s eyes sting.
’So many powerful Cultivators... if they went outside, they could easily wipe all the sects in the Nine Countries of Momenan Desert off the map...’
But their opponents seemed even more powerful.
A sky-blotting horde of monsters surged toward the Cyan Yang Sect like an endless tide.
"The Demon Race!" Xie Linyu recognized the monsters.
Gu Xiaofang felt a pressure emanating from the Demon Race that made it difficult for him to breathe.
"At least a hundred Core Formation Demon Race members!" he whispered.
"What is this? It’s fake, right? Could this be the scene from the day the Cyan Yang Sect was destroyed? Are we seeing an illusion? A projection?" Xie Linyu seemed scared out of her wits.
"Look out!" Gu Xiaofang suddenly pulled Xie Linyu and threw them both to the ground.
A massive dragon, dozens of zhang long, flew over their heads with something in its mouth. Its enormous shadow covered them, and it seemed not to notice the tiny ants beneath it as it sped toward the Cyan Yang Sect.
A blackened object, smelling of charred meat, fell from the sky and landed not far in front of them.
Gu Xiaofang felt his teeth chattering.
He pointed at the blackened thing. "I don’t think it’s fake... Look at this. This is my junior brother... uh, just the lower half of him... I recognize his shoes."
"URGH, BLECH!" This time, Xie Linyu wasn’t pretending. She really threw up.
For a Demon Sect Disciple, seeing blood and corpses was a common occurrence.
But half of a roasted corpse was a bit too much.
Gu Xiaofang didn’t feel much better and was just barely holding it together, but the dazed look in his eyes betrayed his helplessness.
"Could it be that these Demon Race members are real? Have we... been sent back ten thousand years?"
Suddenly, a scream erupted nearby.
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