Chapter 635: Chapter 311: Farewell to a Close Friend (Part 4)
"Lihua..."
Reuniting with someone from the past thousands of years later, Li An felt a swirl of emotions in his heart. He hurried forward, helping her up, and said, "Two thousand years, where have you been?"
Lihua, with tears in her eyes, replied, "Reporting to Master, shortly after the Emperor Origin Realm ascended into the Spirit Realm, I was taken as a disciple by Senior Tan Qingxue, cultivating in Daozhou. Only now have I come to see Master and ask for forgiveness!"
Tan Qingxue?
Li An was somewhat surprised and looked at Li Nianxue.
Li Nianxue gave a slight bow and said, "Reporting to the Supreme, my mother has transformed and been reborn. She has forgotten all from before. Before severing everything, she left me a letter revealing the matter of Senior Lihua, saying she took Senior Lihua as a disciple because the Senior died at Profound Turtle Peak. She wished to leave a successor, but now has decided to cut everything off, and Senior Lihua should come to acknowledge the Supreme."
Li An felt a bit confused.
Back when they entered the Spirit Realm and joined the Dao Sect, their situation wasn’t good, as they were imprisoned on Profound Turtle Peak.
After faking death to escape, in the eyes of Tan Qingxue and others, it was as if he no longer existed in this world.
He never expected that Tan Qingxue had this kindness, taking care of Lihua for him...
Until today.
He observed that Lihua was already a Mahayana Stage cultivator, evidently having consumed Immortal Dao materials.
"Thank you, thank you—"
Li An expressed his gratitude repeatedly. Even with his stone heart, having undergone such changes over time, meeting one or two old friends was always comforting.
"Miss Lihua is not of the Dao Sect, being able to participate in the selection. Moreover, the Immortal Dao materials in her body aren’t much, she should be able to cut it all off..."
Li Nianxue spoke.
Li An nodded, "Thank you, Miss Li!"
"Congratulations to the Supreme on the reunion with your disciple, Nianxue takes her leave—"
Li Nianxue left immediately.
After she left, Li An further inquired Lihua about many things. He learned that over the years, Tan Qingxue had always taken good care of Lihua, never lacking in cultivation techniques and resources, and felt quite moved in his heart.
In some sense, he owed Tan Qingxue a favor.
However, he didn’t dwell on this favor too much.
He had Lihua meditate in seclusion, sever her cultivation and the Immortal Dao materials within her, and when the time was right, he would arrange for her to be selected and sent away.
As the Supreme, he could still achieve a bit of favoritism.
In the blink of an eye, twenty years passed.
In twenty years, Lihua’s cultivation regressed to the Divinity Transformation Stage, similar to An Li back then, and Li An arranged for her to board the ship.
At the moment of parting, Lihua was extremely reluctant.
The Immortal Dao is ruthless, and Li An was her guide. He also helped to reforge her Dantian, and after entering the Spirit Realm, it was also because of Li An that Tan Qingxue took her as a disciple. Thus, in her heart, she truly regarded Li An as her closest and most trusted person.
"You go first, Master will come later."
Li An waved his hand.
The great ship set sail.
...
In the blink of an eye, another twenty years passed.
Over forty years, the Dao Sect had been selecting the right people to send away from the Spirit Realm.
"Just as the third great upheaval is about to occur, our Dao Sect has done its utmost..."
On this day, the high ranks of the Dao Sect finally issued a Daoist Sect Order, stopping the selection of the masses. Next, the Dao Sect would make its final withdrawal.
The announcement caused an uproar across the world.
After all, there were simply too many beings in the Spirit Realm. The Dao Sect, despite their best efforts over forty years, managed to save just a small fraction.
Many people rushed forward, itching to break through the mountain gate of the Dao Sect in anger.
To this, Li An could only sigh and shake his head. He had advised the high ranks that, at such a moment, for the safe and smooth retreat of the Dao Sect, it would be best to deceive the people.
For instance, claim that the Dao Sect spent years building a great ship and can transport more people later, or say that the Heaven and Earth Dao is being restored, and that by enduring, they wouldn’t have to leave the Spirit Realm—better days lie ahead, and so on.
Just let these foolish people believe it so the Dao Sect can quickly escape.
But they insisted on revealing the truth.
Alas!
Amidst the uproar, the Sect Leader Su Yebai, Taiqingzi, and others walked among the populace, informing them that there was no chance for escape. They too would stay, committing to a battle to the end against the mysterious creatures.
Moreover, that very day, they organized a counterattack and sweep against the mysterious creatures.
This left the people speechless.
After all, if the Dao Sect high ranks and the Sect Leader wouldn’t leave and were willing to sacrifice their lives, what else could the populace say?
...
Meanwhile, within the main sect of the Dao Sect.
The final group was boarding the ship.
The Dao Sect actually had the capacity to retreat fully.
They had already perceived the intentions and potential dangers of the mysterious creatures earlier, so if they had acted sooner, not only the core members but even the servants could have been evacuated from the Spirit Realm.
But they didn’t do so until now. Brahma Sect, Five Elements Sect, Sun and Moon Sect, and other major forces’ high ranks had all vanished, while the Dao Sect remained.
Within the Dao Sect, they only chose a group of people to leave.
Led by Xiang Yuntian, Gu Canye, and others, along with a mixture of middle-aged and new-generation cultivators, totaling a thousand people.
The entire Dao Sect witnessed the departure of these seeds.
"My Dao Sect does not fail the masses..."
Someone murmured, shedding tears.
"If we hadn’t sent away so many insignificant low-level cultivators and mortals, we might all have been able to leave... But it doesn’t matter now."
"To perish with the Dao Sect, is a life not in vain!"
With only a thousand departing and tens of thousands of cultivators seeing them off, not a single person left behind complained.
"Senior Brother Lu, the journey across the heavens is tough, while we seek an early release in battle here. All future hardships will be yours to bear—"
