Read Novel Full Chapter 1246: Chapter 1240: You Should Pray
Chapter 1246: Chapter 1240: You Should Pray
“An immortal?”
Li Tianming took out a Dark Crow and the Spirit-Transmitting Smoke Gourd to relay the intelligence to his clansmen.
However, the final scene of their escape from the Banshu family’s secret ground continued to linger in his mind, impossible to shake off.
Riding the clouds together, Banshu Qingping saw the astonishment in Li Tianming’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel deeply puzzled.
When he had first seen that baby, what he felt was a terror originating from the very depths of his soul.
Even now, nearly twenty thousand years later, he still couldn’t suppress that fear.
Especially when Banshu Weide appeared, he had fled without the slightest hesitation.
Yet, Daoist Friend Tianming didn’t seem to possess the slightest sense of fear. Instead, there was a kind of… eagerness to try?
“Daoist Friend… did you see through something?” Banshu Qingping inquired.
Li Tianming was young in years, but it seemed the Li Clan had encountered far more horrors than he ever had.
“This kind of thing, our Li family has roughly… probably… perhaps, killed one before.”
“What?!!”
Banshu Qingping’s pupils continuously dilated in shock.
Li Tianming merely nodded.
He recalled the battle in the Immortal Domain.
Although his soul had been occupied by his other brothers at that time, he couldn’t forget that terrifying and disgusting feeling.
Moreover, he clearly felt that the coercive pressure emitted by the Zhao Clan’s Old Ancestor, who fed on the karmic luck of heaven and earth, was of a much higher tier than the baby he had just seen.
Even now, he still remembered that massive, pulsating, glowing red heart in the Immortal Domain, from which dense masses of human bodies emerged, rendering the cultivators immortal and imperishable.
Such an existence was absolutely incomparable to the baby of the Banshu family.
Hearing Li Tianming speak of the Zhao Clan’s Old Ancestor, Banshu Qingping wore a profoundly shocked expression.
He had originally only heard that the Li Clan wiped out the six Void Refinement experts of the Zhao Clan, but he had never heard of the Li Clan battling the Zhao Clan’s Old Ancestor.
The Eternal Immortal Sect, situated at the border of Azure Cloud Prefecture, acted exactly like a wall that firmly isolated all critical intelligence.
After recovering his wits, Banshu Qingping said in a solemn voice:
“We have already alerted the ‘immortal’ and Banshu Weide. I am now increasingly certain that the people of the Peerless Hall are looking for our Banshu family’s immortal.”
Li Tianming noticed Banshu Qingping’s heavy gaze.
He had seen this exact look in the eyes of many people back home—the look they had when they heard the Blood Moon was coming to Azure Cloud Prefecture but stubbornly refused to leave.
Li Tianming said weakly, “Prefecture Lord Banshu, the mission my family elders gave me is to help you evacuate to Clearpeak Prefecture. Banshu Weide, the baby, the Peerless Hall…”
“I’m scared.”
Banshu Qingping’s gaze was sincere. “Is there truly no way to help my Grandhaven Prefecture?”
Banshu Qingping had been Prefecture Lord for over a millennium.
Over the millennia, as Prefecture Lord, he actually didn’t have much to do.
Among the three major factions of Grandhaven Prefecture, when the Human Emperor was fine, the common people lived and worked in peace.
With the cultivators of the Sage Master Martial Academy supervising the government, everything in the entire prefecture ran smoothly.
As Prefecture Lord, he merely held an empty title.
A few centuries ago, everything changed.
A decree from the Imperial Dynasty came down, and he conscripted troops for the Imperial Dynasty.
He watched as the cultivators of Grandhaven Prefecture headed to the Northern Frontier, Western Frontier, and Eastern Frontier.
Natural disasters and man-made calamities occurred frequently.
From that time on, an idle man finally understood the heavy duty of guarding a piece of land.
And now, with the common people displaced and homeless, he watched helplessly as they frantically evacuated to the Central Plains.
For a Void Refinement realm cultivator, traversing even the largest prefecture only took two or three days.
But for the common people, it was an arduous journey of displacement.
A single journey on the road could take a lifetime.
Without the help of cultivators, ninety-nine percent of the common people would inevitably die on the road.
Void Refinement cultivators like them flew here and there, free and unfettered.
However, even cultivators at the Golden Core realm had to exhaust every means just to survive.
Such days went from bad to worse. In a cultivation world completely lacking supervision, slaughter and scheming were rampant.
Within Grandhaven Prefecture, many once-prosperous places were left with nothing but ruined walls and skeletal remains, crawling with demons and monsters.
Banshu Qingping had not left for a century.
Watching the prosperous Grandhaven Prefecture turn into its current state, he wanted to protect this former pure land.
Yet, the Daoist friend before him, who had reverted to his foolish and simple-minded demeanor, spoke the coldest facts with the most innocent articulation.
“In the entire Southern Frontier, only our Li Clan and the Eternal Immortal Sect of Westfall Prefecture have not been infiltrated by the Peerless Hall.
I told you, the people of your Grandhaven Prefecture were infiltrated by the Peerless Hall, which is why a firm decision was never made.
By the time you realized it, it was already too late.”
“My elders said that such a place cannot form a complete defensive force and lacks sufficient preparation to deal with the Western Frontier.
Even if we came to defend it, it would just be throwing our lives away in vain, severing our final hope.”
“You should pray. Pray that we can achieve victory in the Southern Frontier. This is also our final two hundred years of peaceful times.”
Banshu Qingping lowered his head, looking through the cloud layer below.
It was a tiger demon from the mountains that had stepped into the abandoned city.
It stomped its foot onto the back of an elderly man with mobility issues who couldn’t escape, and took a massive bite, covering itself in blood.
“Sigh.”
Li Tianming picked up a steamed bun, completely ignoring Banshu Qingping’s sigh.
He had grown accustomed to such scenes along the way. He took a fierce bite.
“Let’s resolve the trouble with the Peerless Hall along the way. My clansmen are waiting for us.”
Azure Cloud Prefecture.
It remained a prosperous scene. A light drizzle fell from the sky.
The common people of Azure Cloud did not use umbrellas; this was a habit gradually formed over the past few decades.
Strangely enough, if a child in any household caught a minor illness like a cough or a cold, upon hearing where it was raining, they would run overnight to get drenched in the rain, and the illness would be cured.
The people of Azure Cloud said this was the Great Lord of the Blue Sky saving them from misery and suffering.
However, the cultivators of Azure Cloud Prefecture knew better: there was no Great Lord of the Blue Sky; this was a mighty figure breaking through the Great Dao.
It was just that Azure Cloud Prefecture had successively produced two mighty figures.
The most common sights on the streets were blacksmith shops.
They were forging iron arrows, and the baskets beside them were mostly filled with ores that were nearly hollowed out.
These blacksmiths had taken up the trade halfway through their lives; they didn’t care if the arrows they forged were crooked or not, as long as they could be shot out, it was fine.
The Daoist factions of Azure Cloud Prefecture didn’t hide anything at all.
They openly said that in another two hundred years, demons and monsters would arrive, and the Daoists wouldn’t even be able to look after themselves.
When the time came, they couldn’t save everyone, they asked the folks to be understanding and bear with it.
The words were harsh, but the people of Azure Cloud, born of barbarian stock, were honest and pragmatic.
What else could they do? Make arrows.
With two hundred years of aged arrows, plus the ones made by future generations—regardless of whether they hit the target or not—a village and a city believed in strength in numbers.
Only then would they talk about leaving things to fate.
Whether they could save their family’s spiritual herb gardens and descendants was another matter; at least they would have tried and struggled.
The Daoist factions also desperately spent their foundations.
The Southern Sea had prepared spirit boats, arranging for young disciples to be ready to flee at any moment.
The old Li family didn’t interfere. How they fled was each family’s own business.
Those who could abandon their homes could be considered dead to them; let them live in exile outside.
In the end, not many factions could afford to lose that kind of face; leaving a sliver of inheritance was enough.
The inner city of the City of Merit also became bustling, with people from the major factions arriving every day.
They either begged the Alchemist Li Yaoqing to refine pills, asked for a Dharma Treasure, or sought to cultivate inside the old Li family’s foundational Dharma Treasures.
The Li Clan wasn’t hospitable.
The Fire Ancestor told people to get lost, Supreme Elder Yunlin tossed people into the Cliff of Reflection, the alchemy sanctuary demanded money, and the Seven Ironclads cursed up a storm…
But it was useless; the old Li family couldn’t do anything about people with thick skin.
In the past, the Fire Ancestor used to say, ‘I’m going to die tomorrow, can I squeeze into your room?’
Now, it was the people of Azure Cloud saying, ‘I might die tomorrow, can I freeload a bit?’
Now, a group of Daoists had run to the Li Clan.
Dongfang Xuan, Li Kuangren, Li Changsheng, and other Li family members stood on the surface of the lake.
There was a Dao method in the lake, providing a view of Azure Cloud, Westfall, Clearpeak, and Grandhaven.
They discussed battle tactics, strategy, and offense/defense.
It was just that this time, they weren’t facing enemies who knew fear, but rather things they had never seen before—immortals and gods.
The people of Azure Cloud Prefecture no longer called themselves immortal factions, but Daoist factions.
Daoists did not believe in the protection of immortals and gods; they only believed in their own fists.
What they cultivated wasn’t immortality, but the Dao.
In this situation, it could only be considered the Dao against immortals.
“It’s a letter from Clan Elder Tianming.” A wisp of blue smoke drifted over, and Li Qiuming received it.
This kid was the true Patriarch now.
Although he couldn’t speak on major issues, he could ensure the peace and health of the common people in Azure Cloud Prefecture, so that the major factions wouldn’t dare act recklessly in the mortal realm.
“Clan Elder Tianming has encountered a situation in Grandhaven Prefecture.”
Li Qiuming’s expression was solemn as he reported to the many elders and seniors, his words brief:
“He rescued Prefecture Lord Banshu and went to the Banshu family’s secret ground. The Banshu family… has an immortal.”
Hearing this, the crowd fell silent.
The Banshu family had been investigating the Western Frontier all these years; how could they not have asked or cared?
“I took a trip to the Western Frontier two years ago.” Xuanji, the Sect Master of the Black Tortoise Sect, had fought many battles alongside the Li family.
Now over a thousand years old and just one step away from Void Refinement, he was much better at venturing outside than the Li family members and was incredibly bold.
At this moment, a trace of dread appeared on Xuanji’s face.
“Your Li Clan said that beneath the Blood Moon of the Western Frontier, delusive thoughts are born, and Dao Seeds will be planted silently.
Those of us who went have verified this one by one.
The last time we heard about it, as long as one stabilized their Dao heart and disposition, didn’t use spiritual power, and didn’t shed blood, they wouldn’t have any accidents for at least a century.
But now, this force is getting stronger and stronger.”
“I met an old friend who used to roam the martial world with me. I can confirm he has become a different person.
Perhaps that is an immortal. However, the legendary immortals are far too weak. I managed to escape from him, so what kind of thing is that?”
These old Daoist friends of Azure Cloud Prefecture began whispering to each other.
They were gradually adapting to these bizarre occurrences.
The Li family never guessed wildly. For them to say the Blood Moon over the Western Frontier was an immortal was simply too bizarre.
It was far more bizarre than the Peerless Hall preparing for sixty thousand years and using Dao Seeds to spread spies all over the world.
“Whether it is or isn’t, wouldn’t we know if we just caught one and brought it back?” Li Changyao said casually, instantly drawing everyone’s gaze.
It made sense.
Li Kuangren waved his hand. “The most important thing right now is to help Grandhaven Prefecture evacuate, to withdraw to Clearpeak Prefecture.”
“The Peerless Hall’s influence in Grandhaven Prefecture is too deeply infiltrated.
Grandhaven Prefecture is completely powerless to deal with the Western Frontier.
I’m afraid they intend to keep all the cultivators of Grandhaven Prefecture there to provide nourishment for the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier, just like how the Zhao Clan’s Old Ancestor fed on human karmic luck.”
Li Changsheng stared at the surface of the lake with his Human Emperor’s Eyes of Authority, actually locking onto the fleeing Li Tianming and Banshu Qingping.
He grinned, “I saw that thing in the Banshu family; it can’t compare to Zhiheng’s Divine Heart. It’s a good thing the Peerless Hall is looking for it.
Let’s see if there’s a chance to wipe them all out in one fell swoop, so we can pull out a thorn in our side.”
The crowd nodded slightly. Right at this moment, their expressions turned to shock.
“Which Daoist friend is breaking through the Dao?”
Looking outside, they saw that in the cloudy sky of Azure Cloud Prefecture, the white clouds underwent a shocking transformation, morphing into a human figure swinging its fists.
High in the cloudy sky where he was dispensing rain, Sword Venerable Drizzle’s sword pierced the Dao Gate. Washed by the drizzle, the Dao Gate was pushed wider and wider.
At this moment, a flash of astonishment passed through his eyes as he looked toward a mountain.
He saw a little old man performing martial arts at the peak. It could be said that the Great Dao was simplified, yet every punch and kick contained Dao rhythm.
Gathering the essence of hundreds of beasts and the nature of heaven and earth.
“Old Man Martial Emperor?”
Sword Venerable Drizzle was slightly surprised, stunned for a long time.
“Entering the Dao through martial arts, transforming martial arts into Dao methods, and then integrating Dao methods back into martial arts. In this era of great strife, this Daoist friend is truly formidable.”
At the peak of the mountain, the Martial Emperor demonstrated his martial arts.
On the ground, his martial arts generated a wind that blew open the pages of a book—
‘I, Li Yuanwu…’
In the inner city of the City of Merit.
Li Yuanshang was constantly busy, reprimanding the children of the merchant lineage for not understanding accounting.
He was overwhelmed managing the logistics while asking where his descendant, that kid Jianguo, had gone.
Learning that Jianguo was building inside the Grotto-Heaven, he instantly grew irritated.
But the foot he had just kicked out was suddenly pulled back. Feeling a sudden sensation, he hurried to the window.
On the streets, everyone was looking up at the sky in amazement.
Li Yuanshang raised his head, gazing through the white clouds, demonstrating martial arts in the cloudy sky.
He lost himself in thought for a long time, only leaving behind a long sigh—it was hard to tell if it was out of regret or relief.
“My eldest brother spent his entire life believing that his inability to master martial arts was due to the heavens’ injustice, the heavens’ injustice…”
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