Westfall Prefecture, Eternal Immortal Sect, rear mountain.
An old man with a transcendent, immortal bearing could be seen bending over, digging in the dirt, opening an array formation hidden deep underground, and stuffing spatial rings into his robes one by one.
Ancestor Lan gritted his teeth.
"Bad, this is bad, they are coming for my Dao. The karma cultivated by the Human Emperor... once a great cause is planted, one can never escape."
The old man muttered endlessly.
"I told myself not to show off. I've lived all these years in vain."
"No, it's not the Human Emperor either. That heaven-defying thing refuses to yield, and he ran out of strength to scheme against me long ago.
I've done no evil, so he wouldn't mess with me right before his death. Besides, he and I could be considered to be on the same side.
Could it be Lin Jiu? He can barely protect himself. Just which old fogey is scheming against me?"
"I haven't even made a move against the Great Emperor, yet someone set a trap for me first.
I'll just have to survive this great tribulation and see. As for the sect, little Duanmu has his own ways of dealing with things."
The old fellow with the immortal bearing wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of wretchedness.
"There's also the Li Clan. I'll take a look in passing on my way out. It's a pity about those kids, I hope they can still... Hm?"
Just as he hoisted a bundle onto his shoulder, Ancestor Lan straightened his back and turned around.
He saw a patch of fiery clouds rising from where the dark clouds and lightning converged in the Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Then, a towering tree rose from the ground, reaching 1,000 feet in height.
A burst of vibrant red light imbued with vitality suddenly appeared, making the pitch-black, cloudy sky of Azure Cloud Prefecture appear even more vividly colored.
Up in the cloudy sky, the disciples of the immortal sect were on high alert, flying swords darting everywhere as they cried out in continuous alarm.
"It's the aura of a mighty figure! A mighty figure has emerged in Azure Cloud Prefecture!"
"So what if a mighty figure has emerged? I heard the legendary Uncle Rain has arrived in Azure Cloud Prefecture, the god who dispenses rain."
"Can that god be killed? Isn't he also just a cultivator, only at a higher realm than us?"
"Probably... not, right?"
"..."
These disciples hadn't noticed that the Old Ancestor in the rear mountain was planning to run away.
The wretched old man was staring at the anomalies in the Azure Cloud Prefecture just like them, tossing and turning between the choice of fleeing or staying because of this battle.
The old man had lived for a very long time; perhaps he cherished his life, or perhaps he had experienced too many things.
"Clang."
The linen bundle slung over Ancestor Lan's back dropped to the ground, emitting a crisp collision sound.
Gazing toward the dark clouds and fiery clouds in the distance that could nearly destroy a prefecture, he fell into deep thought for a long time, the hand inside his sleeve continuously performing divinations.
"Can a god be killed..."
"Yes."
"Even the Li Clan does not fear; what does this Ancestor have to fear?"
Ancestor Lan flicked his sleeve and turned his back stylishly.
After walking exactly ninety-nine steps, he suddenly frowned, hurriedly turned back, bent down, and picked up the bundle.
"If the Li Clan loses, it won't be too late to run then."
...
Inside the Thunder Fire Demon Cave.
Holy Monk Yidian, who had been hiding for years, finally showed himself.
He led the cultivators of the Grand Tower to pack their bags, all of them gazing at the aura of mighty figures turning the clouds and rain upside down in the cloudy sky.
To the side.
The people of the Grand Tower were weighed down by heavy hearts.
They had rid themselves of the Dao Seed and were saved by the Li Clan.
Although they merely eked out a living in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave and didn't even dare to cultivate, they ultimately had a path of survival under the Li Clan's protection.
But now that disaster had struck the Li Clan, Holy Monk Yidian actually wanted to lead them away.
Among them were not a few who had committed many evil deeds. They glanced at Holy Monk Yidian's back and viciously spat on the ground.
A bad life might be better than a good death, and fleeing to the ends of the earth was one thing, but leaving behind their last shred of good reputation and human morality in Azure Cloud Prefecture was just too much.
"Holy Monk."
Consort Ji—the imperial consort who had managed to escape when the Li Clan ambushed the Grand Tower convoy—furrowed her delicate brows.
Having pondered for a long time, she gritted her teeth and said,
"Are we truly going to abandon the Li Clan? If it weren't for the Li Clan, I would still be used by Min Tiange right now."
"Under Min Tiange's command, I did many things: stealing intelligence, killing for him, and even selling my body to serve the powerful.
Upon arriving at the Azure Cloud Prefecture, I hid in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave. It is pitch black and filled entirely with demons, yet I have lived in peace and comfort here."
As Consort Ji's voice rang out, a ripple finally appeared in Holy Monk Yidian's eyes.
The numerous Grand Tower cultivators gritted their teeth.
They were all old foxes who had lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. How could they not know Holy Monk Yidian's calculations.
Ultimately, he still hoped to gain Uncle Rain's help—this god-like existence—to better prepare for a great battle against Min Tiange.
From Holy Monk Yidian's perspective, since the Li Clan possessed treasures, they should just be open-minded, taking out their savings to buy off Uncle Rain. It was absolutely the best choice.
But from their perspective... it was a motherfucking beastly act.
Uncle Rain was not necessarily more human than Min Tiange.
Consort Ji continued,
"At the very least, I don't have to put on fake smiles with people anymore. I saved my life, and I saved the last bit of my Dao Heart.
The Li Clan gave me a life. They originally could have made us do many things. When Li Chang came, and you said you wouldn't help, he didn't say anything and just left.
For all these years, it has always been like this."
"These years, I've been able to eke out a living in the Thunder Fire Demon Cave.
I was thinking, when Min Tiange can no longer remember me, and I am no longer an imperial consort, what can I do?
I still have a long lifespan ahead. Perhaps I could establish a sect, or perhaps, when the time comes, find a Dao Companion who doesn't care about my past."
"But I never thought about abandoning the Li Clan during today's crisis.
Now I understand. I didn't think about it because the Li Clan protected us so well, which gave me the time to freely envision the future."
"Now, you're asking me to stand by coldly and watch Uncle Rain destroy the Li Clan? You're asking me to stand on the side of my benefactor's enemy?"
"You can do that, but I cannot."
Under the gazes of the crowd, Consort Ji decisively bowed to Holy Monk Yidian and then turned around.
"Boom!"
At this time.
In the cloudy sky, fiery clouds churned, and the Old Tree stood 1,000 feet tall.
Behind Consort Ji stood Holy Monk Yidian and the numerous fellow Daoists of the Grand Tower.
Consort Ji's face turned pale.
She felt a murderous intent born of a Buddha's wrath.
She paused her footsteps momentarily, then let out a long breath and continued walking toward the patch of light beneath the gloomy clouds.
She had been a slave and a maidservant her entire life, fleeing and hiding her entire life.
She was tired anyway. One must walk their Dao path with a clear conscience at least once.
Following Uncle Rain and Holy Monk Yidian on the path of seeking revenge against Min Tiange in the future might not be any more clean-cut than dying right now.
Behind her.
Holy Monk Yidian remained expressionless, gazing at Consort Ji's back as she headed toward the giant, red-crowned tree in the distant cloudy sky.
The Buddhist chants in his palm radiated a golden light.