Chapter 520: Couldn’t Let Him Face It Alone

Upon learning that Spiritless had returned only to deliver a message and that Yaoyun, a princess of the Heavenly Court, had been treated like a little messenger bird, Mu Wanxuan first breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately started complaining with memes.

Half a day later, more than twenty Daoist elders and Daoist masters arrived at the Pure Yang Sword Faction. They sat on the floor of the great palace and passed around the map that Wang Sheng had drawn.

In a nearby corner, Yaoyun had taken on her human form and was transferring cultivation knowledge to Wang Xiaomiao. She also checked whether her disciple had fallen behind in her years of cultivation and taught her a few immortal arts. Since Qing Yanzi was always around to give them guidance, she didn't have to put effort into lessons about conduct and principles.

Mu Wanxuan stared at the simple letter as she drifted into a faint daze, the paper already wrinkling slightly in her grip. Meanwhile, Xi Lian crossed her arms and leaned sideways against the wall. She looked hesitant and seemed to be in deep thought.

Wei Lin, Li Jing'an, and Zhou Liuji stood nearby, listening to their senior sister's instructions. They handled all mundane tasks, such as serving tea and bringing water.

Yaoyun softly instructed, "Hua Qing, look at this."

She formed a complex sign with both hands, and a sweep of flowing light slowly unfolded before them, showing Wang Sheng writing his letter.

He sat at his table the entire night, writing nonstop. Although the nights of the planet he was on were short, the three letters he had written and the dense rows of tiny characters made it clear that he had endless things he wished to say to his parents, younger sister, master, friends, and senior sister.

By the end, he seemed to have remembered that a man should stay strong and avoid drowning in sentimental feelings. He could have also realized that the letters he had written revealed emotions that he should keep to himself.

On the other hand, he might have simply felt that such long-winded letters did not suit the Pure Yang Sword Faction's second disciple. Hence, he smiled, shook his head, and put the letters away. Afterward, he opened fresh paper and wrote a simple line.

A message of safety would be enough.

With reddening eyes, Wang Xiaomiao asked, "Master, has my brother suffered during these centuries outside?"

Yaoyun nodded gently. "

Mm.

He was trapped and forced to cultivate in a dangerous place. Moreover, he nearly collapsed several times. Not only did he barely have time to cultivate, but being confined in one place for so long naturally strained his mind.

"His escape was extremely perilous as well. Fortunately, he managed to get out of there safely. He is now cultivating in a much better environment and trying to comprehend the Dao of the Undying True Spirit, which would allow him to reach the True Immortal Realm."

The discussions in the great palace all immediately stopped.

Mu Wanxuan softly exclaimed, "I'll go!"

Wei Lin hurriedly breathed out, "Senior Sister, that is crude language[1]."

"I..." Mu Wanxuan bit her lip, steadied her breath, and forced herself to speak clearly. "Outside."

She had already made up her mind to find her junior brother. The moment she imagined the Celestial Wind Sect trapping him for hundreds of years in a place filled with filth and blood, killing intent filled her gentle heart.

People said a nobleman could wait ten years for vengeance. Even so, she intended to cultivate outside the Realm of Exiled Immortals so she could ascend to immortality as soon as possible and tear apart the wretched Celestial Wind Sect.

On the other side, Xi Lian and Wang Xiaomiao quickly tried to persuade Mu Wanxuan to reconsider. The thirteen qi planets and the ancient battlefield beyond the Realm of Exiled Immortals were chaotic. Wang Sheng would not wish Mu Wanxuan to put herself at risk.

Meanwhile, when the Daoist elders heard that Wang Sheng had already begun his attempt to enter the True Immortal realm, their expressions shifted in complicated ways. They were all rendered completely speechless as well.

The cultivation world had not grown much stronger since Wang Sheng had left. After all, only six or seven years had passed for them.

The difference in their time flow had far too shocking effects. It made many of the Daoist elders begin to consider leaving and searching for a place to cultivate. However, most of them understood the heart of the matter and quietly dismissed the thought.

"Let's think this through. Could any of us guarantee that we would reach immortality in five hundred years?" The Celestial Master stroked his beard and sighed. "Fei Yu's far more talented than we are. As of now, he is the hope of Earth's cultivation world. We should discuss whether to send people to support him instead. Even if we can't do much, we can at least handle some errands."

Qing Long frowned. "Didn't Buddhist Master Huai Jing take the Longhu Mountains' and Mount Mao's top disciples with him? They haven't met up with him yet since Fei Yu just escaped. If we send more people out, we risk making things harder for him. The more people leave, the more likely Fei Yu will be exposed, especially considering the best we can send are Nascent Soul, Rebirth, or Tribulation Realm cultivators."

Qing Yanzi added, "There's no need to rush. Once Fei Yu meets up with Buddhist Master Huai Jing, it will be easier for him to contact us. We can discuss the next steps with him then."

Yuan Pu Zhenren smiled slightly. "I agree. Fei Yu and the reincarnated arhat can decide on matters outside. However, judging from the information marked on the map Fei Yu sent us, it seems he plans to deal with the Celestial Wind Sect next. Perhaps ten years from now, it will truly fall to him."

A Daoist elder complained, "We call ourselves seniors, yet all we do is cultivate here in comfort while a kid fights in the endless space for Earth's cultivation world. How can you all sit still?!"

Qing Yanzi sighed, his expression complicated. "When the Pure Yang Sword Faction was founded, Fei Yu said that Earth's cultivation world had to eventually step out. After all, the stronger a cultivator becomes, the more instability they bring. That's why conflicts between cultivators and the secular world are already appearing. However, we can still keep everything under control. We do not have to rush into anything."

The Celestial Master thought aloud, "I feel like we should be more proactive. I know Fei Yu well enough to say that he doesn't like to talk about what he's going through. He may truly need some help right now.

"We have more than thirty people in the Pool of Transcendence right now. They have sacrificed their own cultivation paths in hopes of reaching the Ascended Immortal Realm quickly. After careful consideration, though, I realized that we have all fallen into the same misconception.

"Why shouldn't we send a few dozen people out of the Realm of Exiled Immortals first? Their cultivation may be low, but unaffiliated practitioners are all over the endless space. If others can survive, why can't?"

The Daoist elders fell into silence.

"You have a point, Celestial Master," Yuan Pu Zhenren answered. "I already stepped down from my position as sect master and have been cultivating quietly in the mountains. I might as well head outside and temper myself for a while."

"Fei Yu has to approve of this matter first."

"I will open an internal sect video meeting right now and pass down my position of sect master. Let us all head outside to cultivate!"

"Everyone, everyone..." Qing Yanzi quickly stepped forward. "We can't decide on this out of sheer impulse. Even if we're sending people out, it can't be us. Though venturing out there is a major matter, maintaining the stability between the secular world and the cultivation world is even more important!"

The Daoist elders immediately began presenting their own views again. Their decision here would determine the path that the cultivation world would walk for many years to come. Hence, they couldn't let themselves decide due to a heated impulse. On the contrary, they required a detailed plan.

In a corner, Mu Wanxuan used her gaze to convince Wang Xiaomiao and Wei Lin, who had been trying to dissuade her from leaving. Afterward, she decided to visit and bring news of Wang Sheng's safety to her two future, carefree in-laws, who were currently traveling the world under assumed identities.

Wang Xiaomiao hesitated for a while. She then decided to take the chance to ask something that had been troubling her for years.

"Master, has my brother been progressing in his cultivation too fast?"

"Somewhat, yes," Yaoyun replied. "Even at the peak of the Heavenly Court, it was rare to find someone already attempting to break through to the True Immortal Realm after just a few hundred years.

"Still, he had only ever taken firm steps, and he had never used any alchemical pills or shortcuts. He always relied on his own comprehension of the Dao and his own insight into the Great Dao, most likely because he could always see the light of his own path shining before him."

Wang Xiaomiao blinked. "Then is my brother considered a genius?"

Yaoyun frowned slightly, immediately understanding what her sharp little disciple was hinting at. Thinking about it carefully, it was certainly strange. Wang Sheng had shown no astonishing talent in the beginning. He had good insight, but even that was a little inferior to Mu Wanxuan's.

Wang Xiaomiao whispered, "When my brother cultivates, he never seems to face any bottlenecks, other than feeling sick sometimes. Is he a reincarnated immortal?"

Yaoyun shook her head. "No."

Softly, Xi Lian said from the side, "Perhaps it's because of his heavenly fate. Didn't Huai Jing already say that Little Fei Yu carries a portion of the Heavenly Court's fate?"

Yaoyun added, "That's probably it."

Wang Xiaomiao pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Master, may I ask something a bit far-fetched?"

Yaoyun smiled warmly, which was quite rare. "Of course. Ask away."

Wang Xiaomiao asked seriously, "People always say, 'One day in heaven, one year on earth.' But right now, the relationship between Earth and the Realm of Exiled Immortals is reversed. A day on Earth is a hundred days outside. Is there some deeper connection here? Does that old Hua Republic saying actually hint at something? Or is the saying true? Master, master, are you listening?"

Yaoyun shook her head, her expression turning a bit stern. "Focus on your cultivation instead of dwelling on such vague and unreachable matters. The Three Realms share the same flow of time. This place is simply special—enough. Your brother will answer those questions in the future."

Wang Xiaomiao blinked, unsure what her master meant. "Really?"

Was she saying her brother already knew the answer, or that she should get the answer from him in the future?

Every interpretation had a very different meaning.

While the Daoist elders debated who to send into the endless space, another grave matter was being discussed in the corner.

Mu Wanxuan was planning to leave the Realm of Exiled Immortals. Someone had to inherit the method to open the Small Immortal Realm.

Yaoyun looked at Xi Lian and calmly said, "Hand the responsibility over to her."

Xi Lian blinked slowly and smiled. "Me? That seems inappropriate. Can you really trust a fiend cultivator like me that much, Your Highness?"

"He trusts you."

Xi Lian's smile faded at once. She bowed her head and assented.

***

"Based on my calculations, Yaoyun should have arrived safely by now."

Inside a quiet room, Wang Sheng stood up and spread his spiritual perception across his surroundings. He sensed that the small courtyard was calm and peaceful, with nothing unusual going on.

He opened the door as he thought about the difficulty of comprehending the undying true spirit. It certainly couldn't be easily grasped. His relatively shallow years of cultivation and limited accumulated knowledge were beginning to show.

Wang Sheng had bought this small courtyard with three hundred mid-grade Immortal Stones. To avoid attracting suspicion, he even went out twice to catch insects and sold them for a reasonable price, enjoying the little experience of bartering in the market.

It had been forty quick years since he had sent Spiritless to Earth, yet the war on Fengmo still hadn't ended. Several celestial gates across the thirteen qi planets near the ancient battlefield had even started treating the area as a battleground. Dozens of skirmishes had also popped up, causing losses to both sides.

Currently, there were likely eight or nine Heavenly Immortals on Fengmo, each belonging to a different celestial gate.

He walked into the courtyard and looked at the unknown immortal tree that he had planted more than ten years ago. For a moment, he felt a bit dazed.

"I wonder if Yaoyun will bring back something like a nuclear bomb," he murmured, revealing a simple and sincere wish buried deep in his heart.

1. Mu Wanxuan said "我去," which means "I'll go," but it's also a Chinese slang for "Damn," "What the heck," and "Oh shit." ☜