When the Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Meets the Unbeatable Protagonist | Chapter 69

Just a year had passed, but the changes in the cultivation world were quite significant. After the chaos at Yu Qiong Island and Yunshang Immortal Sect, the landscape of the cultivation world had shifted. Some sects were showing signs of decline, while the ones that had been developing well before were still holding strong. It was evident that the loss of talent from Yu Qiong Island had dealt a heavy blow to various sects.

At this time, the emergence of evil gods was causing panic. To protect their disciples, the various sects had significantly reduced their activities outside, mostly shutting their doors and creating a somewhat dispirited atmosphere. Although this self-restraint was somewhat helpless, it also provided an extra layer of security. Over the past year, while there had been some cases of cultivators being possessed by evil gods or falling into madness, they were not many and had been controlled in time.

However, against this trend, Peifeng Sect was thriving, expanding its spiritual vein territory and seeing a surge in disciple numbers, becoming increasingly prominent among the sects. Various loose cultivators and newly initiated disciples were drawn to Peifeng Sect, making it their top choice for joining.

Firstly, the sect leader of Peifeng Sect was a powerful figure in the world, and the sect's management capabilities were also outstanding. Even after expanding, everything remained orderly, with everyone working together. Secondly, the disciples of Peifeng Sect had taken on the responsibility of rescuers during the crisis at Yu Qiong Island, which had earned the sect a lot of prestige. Thirdly, with two outstanding disciples present, the admiration for strong figures alone was enough to make people eager to join and emulate them.

As Peifeng Sect's influence grew, so did its responsibilities. The sect leader's original intention was to manage his own territory well, but now, whenever something happened in the cultivation world, others would turn to him for decisions. He found himself constantly running around, discussing matters with the Punishment Division Envoy, and it wasn't good for others to be too enthusiastic either.

The sect was developing in the direction the leader hoped, but it was taking a toll on him. When Lu Xiaobai and Lin Ji appeared again at Lingxiu Peak, they had already jumped from being disciples to elders. They were invited by the sect leader to teach new disciples for a few days.

Lin Ji mainly taught sword techniques and sword formations, while Lu Xiaobai took the Yan Yu Beast to oversee the trial checkpoints. When they saw the naive and admiring gazes of the new disciples, they seemed to see their former selves when they had just entered the sect.

A considerable number of new disciples had previously been loose cultivators, accustomed to a style of cultivation that involved day and night hard work. They were very diligent in their training, but after joining Peifeng Sect, they found the relaxed atmosphere hard to understand. Thus, they wanted to take the lead in working hard. Initially, the original disciples were anxious due to this new trend and also persisted for a few days, but they found it too exhausting and returned to their previous pace. In the end, the majority influenced the minority, and the new disciples discovered that relaxation was also nice, leading to a conflict in their thoughts.

They were quite confused, so when the new elders came to teach, they deliberately waited on the main path to practice hard, and when the elders passed by, they asked them about their usual training methods and voiced their doubts.

"Don't they feel anxious?"

Lu Xiaobai happened to encounter this disciple's confusion, which was exactly the same as Lin Ji's from back in the day. He felt a surge of affection and bent down to pat the disciple's shoulder: "Haste makes waste."

"Who says our Peifeng Sect disciples don't work hard? We just focus on methods, being relaxed but not loose, finding the right path for ourselves, and balancing work and rest without pushing ourselves too hard."

When Lin Ji walked over, he saw Lu Xiaobai in this posture and stood beside him. The disciple quickly bowed to him, and Lin Ji slightly nodded, giving a couple of pointers on the sword technique he had just demonstrated before letting him go.

Lu Xiaobai looked at him: "You seem quite spirited. Did they ask you the same thing? What did you say?"

Lin Ji cleared his throat: "They don't really ask me."

When Lin Ji wasn't smiling, he gave off a cold demeanor, though he didn't mean to. He was just serious with unfamiliar people, sticking to the point without indulging in idle chatter or jokes to lighten the mood. Others thought he was very indifferent, so they didn't dare to talk to him about unrelated matters.

Only one disciple mustered the courage to run over and ask if he had plans to take on disciples in the future, wanting to become his student.

Lu Xiaobai was even more curious: "What did you say?"

So they could take on disciples now?

Lin Ji rubbed his nose and looked at him: "I directly refused. Do I look like someone who would be a master?"

Lu Xiaobai smiled with his eyes: "Not confident in yourself?"

Lin Ji thought of something: "Taking on disciples is not something to be tried lightly. Once you take them in, you have to be responsible. If one is not suited to be a master, it's better not to mislead the younger generation."

Lu Xiaobai thought he was recalling Xuan Yi Zhenren and was about to comfort him when he saw Lin Ji grasp his hand: "Moreover, I have a narrow mind and can't accommodate too many people. I just want to focus my energy on those I care about."

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at Lu Xiaobai.

Lu Xiaobai: "..."

He was becoming more and more unrestrained. He hadn't expected that after being with Lin Ji, the other would have such a personality, completely different from before.

The two were close for a moment, and then Lin Ji asked back: "Are you going to take on disciples?"

Lu Xiaobai: "I have no intention either."

Mainly because it was too cumbersome. Taking on a disciple meant teaching them cultivation and how to navigate the world. He didn't want to create more work for himself; better to leave the worrying to the old man.

After working hard for a few days, mainly to set an example for the new disciples below, they finally completed the sect leader's commission and returned to Luoxia Peak.

Lu Xiaobai thought of his master: "How do you think the old man has been lately?"

It had been over a year since Meng Wanqiu had gone out. Even with tracking talismans and soul-chasing arrows following him, the two disciples still had to keep in touch with him and Peifeng Sect every month to avoid any unexpected situations.

Lu Xiaobai pondered; Meng Wanqiu's letter should have arrived at the beginning of the month.

Just as he was speaking, a sound transmission talisman flew into the cave.

Lin Ji raised his hand to catch the sound transmission talisman: "Look, we just mentioned him, and the master's message has arrived."

The familiar voice from the sound transmission talisman revealed that over the past year, Meng Wanqiu's tone had gradually become more lively, often sharing his experiences with excitement.

He recounted a few things about his current situation, mentioning that he had expelled some of the poisonous blood, and if nothing unexpected happened, his health would soon improve.

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Lu Xiaobai's face. From the old man's tone, he could tell that he was in good spirits lately, full of energy, unlike before when he seemed weak and had to catch his breath after speaking a few words.

However, Lin Ji furrowed his brows. Why did the master add "if nothing unexpected happens" before saying his health was improving? Usually, in stories, when someone mentions "if nothing unexpected happens," it...

Lin Ji's body trembled.

At that moment, another sound transmission talisman flew in. Lu Xiaobai was momentarily stunned, quickly catching it.

Logically, if something could be explained in one message, there was no need to send two sound transmission talismans.

He hurriedly opened it, and this time, Meng Wanqiu's tone had turned serious as he informed them that he had discovered frequent appearances of demonic creatures and urged them to remind the sect to strengthen their defenses.

The two exchanged glances.

In the previous life, there had also been incidents of demonic creatures wreaking havoc, and this time, it seemed their master had discovered it first.

Lu Xiaobai felt uneasy, but the soul-chasing arrow had not given any warning.

Unbeknownst to them, this sound transmission talisman was the last one Meng Wanqiu sent before being entangled by the demons.

The two went to report to the sect leader, asking him to contact the Punishment Division to discuss whether to inform the other sects in Jiuzhou.

They felt something was off. This year, the evil gods had been heavily suppressed, and the demonic energy was certainly unwilling to relent. Seeing that human cultivators were hard to target, they might have turned their attention to the demonic creatures.

Demonic creatures had lower intelligence and were inherently evil. The demonic energy could infiltrate their bodies, just like at Yu Qiong Island. Once the demonic creatures went berserk, they would cause indiscriminate harm and might even infiltrate the mortal realm. This was a serious matter.

After relaying the message to the disciple, the sect leader turned back and said, "In that case, let Wanqiu return first."

Right now, the outside world was too dangerous; it was safer to return to the sect, at least to avoid acting alone.

Lu Xiaobai: "Okay, I was thinking the same."

After leaving the discussion hall, Lu Xiaobai walked quickly. "I plan to find the old man and bring him back."

Previously, he had let his master live freely, but now the priority was to ensure his safety.

Lin Ji also quickened his pace to catch up with Lu Xiaobai, grabbing his arm to calm him down: "Don't be anxious. Don't forget that the master has cleared most of the demonic poison. His cultivation is high, and he has the ability to protect himself. He won't be in danger."

"Why not send a sound transmission to the master? The sound transmission talisman is fast; we can get a reply in a day." Acting in haste can lead to mistakes.

Lu Xiaobai took a deep breath and agreed with Lin Ji's suggestion.

The soul-chasing arrow could move freely in the secret realm because, although the secret realm was divided into different areas, it was still one entity. Now that Meng Wanqiu had reached the edge of Jiuzhou, even if they used the soul-chasing arrow to track him, they couldn't instantly appear by his side. It would take at least two or three days. The safest method was to agree on a fixed meeting point for both sides to meet.

So, Lu Xiaobai set the meeting place at Zhongzhou and released the sound transmission talisman. By then, the three of them would reunite and could also eliminate the demons together.

At the same time, he and Lin Ji returned to pack their belongings and prepare to leave.

Back in the cave, Lin Ji quickly found the list of lucky individuals from Yu Qiong Island that he had previously copied from the bookshelf and looked at it in his palm.

In the world of stories, perhaps the original plot was destined to happen, so his previous plans should also be put into action.

Lin Ji sent out the sound transmission talisman he had prepared in advance, with the contact being Song Ruoci, who had already agreed to cooperate with him.

Just as they were about to leave Peifeng Sect, something unexpected happened, as if it were a coincidence.

Nearby sects urgently sent messages that the evil energy from Youming Mountain had erupted, and it was said that vengeful spirits had appeared.

Youming Mountain was also one of the five great ruins.

And it wasn't just vengeful spirits appearing near the ruins; they were appearing inside the ruins! Fortunately, there were barriers set up by powerful beings from previous generations outside the ruins, which had been prepared in advance, so the vengeful spirits couldn't break out for the time being.

But those who were training inside were likely to have encountered disaster.

They had visited this ruin a year ago, and at that time, there was no evil energy at all.

Was it related to the demonic energy? Or did the ruins... originally have it?

They still hadn't found a way to eliminate the evil gods, and now vengeful spirits had inexplicably erupted in the ruins. Was the calamity of heaven and earth about to come again?

This eruption was fierce and widespread, and the powerful beings could not hide it. Cultivators across Jiuzhou fell into panic.

However, the Punishment Division Envoy felt that the vengeful spirits did not appear out of nowhere.

To seize opportunities and treasures, ruins had always been places filled with killing intent and malice. In the past, those evil energies had always appeared and then inexplicably disappeared, which was illogical.

Was there a possibility that the evil energy had always existed but had been hidden or suppressed, which was why it hadn't caused chaos?

Now that it had accumulated and erupted, the cultivation world was truly in danger.

"The demonic creatures are probably also attracted. They will inevitably swarm towards Youming Mountain!"

Lin Ji immediately recalled the day when Lu Xiaobai had forcibly summoned powerful heroic spirits to protect Yu Qiong Island, seeking a way for the people on the island to survive.

It seemed that previously, the powerful heroic spirits had been protecting the ruins. After they dissipated, the evil energy in the ruins and the vengeful spirits that had died unwillingly began to surface, accumulating to a certain extent before erupting.

Lu Xiaobai said, "Not just Youming Mountain; other ruins are also likely to erupt next. Right now, all sects must unite to guard the ruins and prevent those things from breaking out. No one can afford to be an island."

It was truly a critical moment for survival.

The Punishment Division Envoy made a decisive decision: "I will return to issue a summons to the sects."

Seeing that the situation had been determined, Lu Xiaobai stood up, bowed, and was the first to walk out.

Lin Ji followed him, walking side by side.

Suppressing his anger, Lu Xiaobai spoke in a low voice: "I suspect the old man discovered something unusual on the way and went to confront the demonic creatures. He might have already rushed towards the ruins! He always meddles in others' affairs, never caring for himself for the sake of the people!"

In his previous life, the master might have encountered disaster because of the demonic poison. In this life, although most of the demonic poison had been cleared, there was still a risk. What if it flared up again midway?

But the sound transmission talisman had already been sent out for a day, and no one had replied. They didn't know if he had received it or if he had time to listen.

The soul-chasing arrow had not given any warning, indicating that he was not injured for the time being.

The old man would never stay in one place at ease. Even if they went to find him now, he had been moving around, making it hard to catch up!

Lin Ji wanted to say that Lu Xiaobai was also following in the master's footsteps, but he knew that Lu Xiaobai was now extremely anxious. He quickly held Lu Xiaobai's shoulders, his voice carrying a calming power: "Xiao Bai, it's okay."

"I know where the master is."

"He will go to Jueyuan. Let's go directly."

Lu Xiaobai looked at him, "A Ji, I..."

Lin Ji: "I know. I sent a sound transmission in advance, letting those under our protection at Yu Qiong Island rush to Jueyuan before us. They will definitely be able to protect the master."

Song Ruoci's father, the owner of Ming Ding Manor, had many friends across Jiuzhou. Lin Ji couldn't be sure he could use his connections to persuade those people, so he had Song Ruoci go to his father for help.

The reason for seeking them was that he was afraid that asking others would be ineffective. Every character in the story was controlled by the plot, which was useless for Lin Ji.

And those people were originally supposed to die at Yu Qiong Island but survived, which was unexpected. If the world of stories couldn't fill the gaps, they were the only characters who could transcend the established narrative.

Lin Ji hugged Lu Xiaobai, silently saying: Don't be afraid, we will never lose the master this time.

After greeting the sect leader, Lu Xiaobai and Lin Ji headed straight for the Jueyuan ruins.

The various sects in the cultivation world also received the summons and quickly set off to guard the ruins closest to their own.

If they did not take action, once the vengeful spirits broke the barrier, Jiuzhou would be affected, and the mortal realm would also fall.

There was an unwritten rule in the Jiuzhou cultivation world: once a disaster caused by demons and monsters appeared, they must be stopped in time, even if it meant sacrificing their lives. They could not let it affect the mortal realm; otherwise, it would mean that the cultivators of Jiuzhou were powerless. Even if they survived, they would no longer receive the favor of the heavenly path, and their path to immortality would be severed.

Whether for their own safety, for ascension, or to protect the world, some principles must be upheld.

As expected, following Youming Mountain, the Lingxu Ruins and Jueyuan also erupted with evil energy and vengeful spirits, drawing out demonic creatures as if they were lured by a fatal temptation, swarming towards the ruins.

Cultivators eliminated demons along the way, and the various sects stood ready, plunging Jiuzhou into chaos.

At this moment, at Jueyuan, some sects had already arrived, but they found that the number of demonic creatures they encountered along the way was not many.

The sects maintained contact, and the sects heading to Jueyuan were considered to have the least danger.

The so-called Jueyuan was a bottomless chasm between two mountains, with no known boundaries.

When the cultivators from the sects arrived, the barriers set up by powerful beings from previous generations had gradually weakened.

The evil energy and vengeful spirits were tearing at the barriers, each strike feeling like a fish about to break free from the net.

In the depths of the chasm, a gray-black mass obscured its original appearance.

They saw a tall figure standing at the edge of the chasm, holding a sharp sword, looking down in contemplation.

The sect leader leading the group was about to ask who the cultivator was and thank him for arriving first when he noticed the demonic energy emanating from the figure.

They had all gathered together.

"He! He is a demon cultivator!"

Meng Wanqiu had his back to them, wanting to deny that he was not.

But he was unfortunately entangled by demonic energy, and with some karmic obstacles in his heart that had not been cleared, he was temporarily unable to expel the demonic energy from his body.

He felt truly helpless; he had just managed to rid himself of the demonic poison and had now gotten entangled in demonic energy.

Before the cultivators from the sects could attack him with their swords, Meng Wanqiu took a deep breath and turned around.

Everyone was shocked: "Ling Yun Zunzhe!"

Meng Wanqiu: "It's me."

The cultivators were speechless, astonished that even Ling Yun Zunzhe had been corrupted by the evil god!

They hadn't recognized him at first because Meng Wanqiu looked completely different from the familiar figure they once knew.

His eyes were tinged with red, and his face bore traces of evil energy.

Someone broke the silence with a trembling voice: "Venerable, you..."

Meng Wanqiu: "I'm fine. Just do what you need to do."

"Wait." One sect leader reacted: "Are you sure he is still Ling Yun Zunzhe? He might have harmed the Venerable and become a demon!"

"We have seen cultivators possessed by evil gods before, and without exception, they all went mad. He seems so calm; perhaps he is just pretending to deceive us!"

"..." Meng Wanqiu: "Whatever you say, you came to Jueyuan to reinforce the barrier, so don't waste time!"

He had waited for the cultivators to arrive. If they were afraid, he could hide.

Meng Wanqiu flew away, but the sect leader who had spoken struck out, "You think you can leave!"

Fortunately, the previous protection at Yu Qiong Island had been in place, and another sect leader who had been entrusted to help came out in time to stop him, clashing with another person.

"What are you doing? He is Ling Yun Zunzhe! Don't forget how many people Peifeng Sect protected at Yu Qiong Island!"

"Being kind to you doesn't mean being kind to us. Let him go. If he harms others, can you bear the responsibility?"

Some disciples also stood up: "He won't! He must have cleared the demons along this route in advance. We are clearing the obstacles; he could never fall into demonic madness!"

But there were also cultivators who had not received any favors hesitating. The previous Cangwu Xianzun and the master of Yu Qiong Island had also been highly respected, yet they ended up harming many people. How could they know that Ling Yun Zunzhe was not that kind of person? Moreover, he was possessed by an evil god!

Meng Wanqiu sighed. If they wouldn't let him go and were afraid to stay, how could he deal with them and still get the job done?

At that moment, he saw a spot in Jueyuan that seemed about to break open a gap, and he quickly flew forward to try to patch it up.

He struck out with his palm, only to find that all that poured out was black energy.

Once a cultivator was eroded by demonic energy, they could only use offensive techniques; any defensive or healing abilities would be rendered ineffective.

Meng Wanqiu cursed under his breath, but the black energy behind him suddenly coalesced into sharp claws, pulling him into the gap in the barrier.

The sect leader who had attacked him quickly sealed the gap, while Meng Wanqiu fell into the chasm.

"What are you doing?"

Another sect leader was in disbelief.

The former showed guilt on his face: "Perhaps I misunderstood the Venerable just now, but in this situation, it's better to kill the wrong person than to let the right one go!"

As long as one part of the barrier was broken and not patched in time, those evil energies and vengeful spirits would rush out, making the gap larger and larger, ultimately leading to the complete loss of the Jueyuan ruins, a consequence they could not bear.

Others were left speechless. Some disciples agreed, while others glared at him.

But that sect leader continued: "The barrier must be repaired. Let's form a formation."

"…Ling Yun Zunzhe is still inside. Are you planning to give up on him?"

The sect leader remained calm and rational: "There isn't enough time. He won't be able to come out for a while. Are we going to gamble with everyone's lives?"

"One person versus millions, which is more important?"

As the barrier grew weaker, some began to agree. They didn't want to die, filled with fear of the unknown dangers.

But others still held their ground, and the sect leader and disciples split into two factions. Just as they were at a standstill, a mocking voice came:

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Lin Ji had arrived. The moment he landed, he drew his sword and pointed it at the throat of the "righteous" sect leader.

The sect leader was terrified: "You... you are the Venerable's disciple, of course, you would defend your master, but my considerations are not without reason!"

Lin Ji: "Do you know that those possessed by evil gods over the years do not leak demonic energy until they are discovered?"

"I will certainly defend my master, but I suspect you are the one possessed by an evil god!"

The man was shocked, but Lin Ji didn't give him time to react. Now that he had reached the Nascent Soul stage, he was on par with this person, yet he easily subdued him, pressing the sword against his throat.

At that moment, everyone suddenly saw the sky filled with specks of spiritual energy falling like raindrops.

These needle-like raindrops of spiritual energy fell on them, bringing immense pressure. Among the hundreds present, even those at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage were forced to the ground.

When Lu Xiaobai landed, they realized that this Nascent Soul cultivator had a pressure comparable to that of a Transformation stage cultivator, rendering them unable to move!

But Lu Xiaobai had no time to care about others. After clearing away the obstacles, he was about to enter the chasm when Lin Ji pulled him back.

Lu Xiaobai turned around, his eyes already red: "Don't stop me."

Lin Ji: "I'm not stopping you; let me go."

"Once you leave, the pressure will disappear. Someone needs to guard outside Jueyuan; otherwise, we don't know what they will do!"

"Jueyuan cannot be sealed. Only you can lead them to block the overflow of vengeful spirits!"

Lu Xiaobai was truly anxious: "Then why are you arguing with me? What difference does it make who goes?"

Lin Ji: "It makes a difference!"

He suddenly raised his voice, causing Lu Xiaobai's chaotic thoughts to pause for a moment.

Lin Ji looked at Lu Xiaobai: "Do you know why some people survived at Yu Qiong Island?"

"Those who survived were all saved by me."

Even if he had only lent a hand. But there were too many people at that time, and he couldn't attend to everyone, so more people died.

"Only I can change the predetermined fate!"

At this moment, Lu Xiaobai understood the deep feelings in Lin Ji's eyes as he heard him say:

"Xiao Bai, you have given me so much in the past."

"This time, let me do something for you, Senior Brother."

Feelings are never just one-sided.

After receiving Lu Xiaobai's agreement, Lin Ji broke through the weak gap in Jueyuan and rushed in.

In his previous life, he had regretted not being able to save the Venerable. In this life, he must save his master!

Lu Xiaobai quickly used his spiritual power to temporarily seal the gap, watching Lin Ji's retreating figure as he shouted: "Lin Ji!"

"You and the master must come back alive!"