Yaya nodded, her gaze fixed on the Azure Spirit Fish swimming in the lake, as if reminiscing about something.
"But do you know," she began, "I was once just a beggar, fighting stray dogs over a single bun."
"From the moment he took me in, I swore in my heart to become someone like him—even if I could only get close to what he is."
Chen Xianyan listened quietly, her thoughts drifting back fifty years.
Her childhood memories were blurry, but one moment was etched deeply in her mind: a land filled with wails, demonic beasts, and a crimson-black sky. Amid the ruins, a figure clad in pure white descended, sword in hand, cutting down the fiends and carrying her to safety. (Remember? She is one of the two siblings that Elian saved from a demonic cultivator in a Chen Family's town, everyone else died in that town)
"Time flies so fast," she murmured.
Years passed like a fleeting dream, and that memory felt as vivid as yesterday. Would there come a day, she wondered, when she grew old and frail, while he remained the same—a timeless figure clad in white, standing aloof from the mortal world, untouched by the passage of ages?
Unknowingly, her slender fingers gripped the hem of her dress tightly, as if trying to hold onto that snowy white sleeve.
…
Elian soared to Pingyang City on his sword and approached the Patriarch directly.
"All these years, we've relied on Senior Jiang to shield us from immense pressure as we grew stronger step by step," he said.
"And if we can capture Sky Python Lake, it would be a monumental contribution to the entire Chu Kingdom."
"That's why we must fully support Senior Jiang in this endeavor," Elian declared firmly.
The Patriarch nodded but hesitated for a moment.
"This battle will require both of us, but with our family's population nearing one million mortals, we cannot leave Pingyang City unguarded. At least six Foundation Establishment cultivators must remain here to ensure the safety of the protective formation."
Elian understood. To fully activate the city's third-rank formation, at least six Foundation Establishment cultivators were needed. With only fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators in the family, their numbers were far fewer than those of clans like the Xu or Yang, each boasting twenty to thirty.
"Our Foundation Establishment cultivators can't be spared," Elian concluded.
"We'll both head to Tianxu Mountain. If we act swiftly, the demonic cultivators won't have time to respond."
The decision made, Elian and the Patriarch set out for Tianxu Mountain.
Riding the Fiery Void Sword, Elian could travel forty to fifty thousand miles in a day. The Patriarch, wielding the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, which had been upgraded to third rank, could cover over thirty thousand miles. The two of them reached Tianxu Mountain after only three days, traversing over one hundred thousand miles of wilderness.
Upon their arrival, they found more than a dozen Purple Mansion cultivators already gathered.
In addition to Jiang Linglong, Lin Qianshu, and Su Mingwei of Tianxu Mountain, there were the two Purple Mansion elders of the Xu Clan, Pan Boyuan from the Pan Clan, and even Yang Zhengyuan of the Yang Clan, whose injuries had yet to fully heal. It was clear he understood the significance of the operation.
"That person is…" Elian's gaze lingered on a striking figure.
Once everyone was present, Jiang Linglong led them into her cave dwelling.
Inside her Spirit Pool Cave, Elian noticed a stunning woman dressed in a violet gown standing beside Jiang Linglong. Adorned with a phoenix hairpin, she radiated a regal and alluring aura. Her features were exquisite, her figure voluptuous, and her eyes shimmered faintly with purple light.
"Could she be…?" Elian's heart stirred as he guessed her identity.
Jiang Linglong confirmed his suspicions. "This is Ziji, the leader of the Purple Abyss Sect and my esteemed senior. I've invited her here to oversee Tianxu Mountain in my absence."
"You must not be disrespectful," Jiang Linglong added.
The group hastily bowed in greeting, recognizing the woman's significance.
Yan Ziji was no ordinary figure. As Jiang Linglong's close friend and the leader of the Purple Abyss Sect, she was also one of the few Heavenly Root cultivators in the Chu Kingdom. It was said that despite being just over two hundred years old, she had already reached the third level of the Golden Core realm.
Her extraordinary talent and cultivation placed her among the most exceptional figures across the six nations of Ji Continent, with many believing she had the potential to become a Nascent Soul Sovereign.
Jiang Linglong had invited Yan Ziji to Tianxu Mountain primarily to guard against retaliation. With Tianxu Mountain precariously situated in the borderlands and viewed as a thorn in the side by both Sky Python Lake and Dire Lion Ridge, Jiang Linglong's attack on Sky Python Lake could provoke Dire Lion Ridge.
Having Yan Ziji oversee the mountain would deter any rash moves; no faction could risk a Golden Core-level cultivator raiding their stronghold and setting up a fourth-rank formation.
Noticing that everyone had gathered, Jiang Linglong began to outline the plan.
"As per the Tianxu Alliance's rules, the spoils of this war will be distributed based on contributions," she announced.
"In the event of a Purple Mansion cultivator's death, I will personally compensate the family with two Five Elements Crystals. Any objections?"
The group nodded in agreement. Two Five Elements Crystals were a substantial compensation, capable of nurturing a new Purple Mansion cultivator, leaving little room for dissent.
After some discussion, they resolved to act swiftly. In addition to the ten Purple Mansion cultivators, they would use only two mid-sized treasure ships to transport sixty Foundation Establishment cultivators for the assault.
One of the treasure ships was the Chen family's Seven Star Demon-Slaying Vessel. The other was a mid-tier third-rank treasure ship refined by Jiang Linglong after the Beast Tide War, capable of carrying fifty cultivators and equipped with a killing array that rivaled a peak Purple Mansion cultivator's full power.
Once the plans were finalized, the group decided to rest and fully restore their strength before launching the attack on Sky Python Lake.
As the others dispersed, Yan Ziji's gaze followed Elian's retreating figure. She spoke calmly to Jiang Linglong, "You gave him the Green Lotus inheritance?"
"Yes," Jiang Linglong replied.
"It was his fate."
"The Green Lotus lineage has shed too much blood," Yan Ziji murmured, a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
"Preserving its legacy as a seed is the best outcome."
Jiang Linglong remained silent, her expression serene.
Yan Ziji hesitated, then said, "Your talent far surpasses mine, yet you've been stuck at the Purple Mansion realm for two centuries."
"The Supreme Golden Core remains a mere legend. Even if you restore your spiritual roots, success is uncertain."
"You must understand, when the millennial Abyssal Cataclysm descends, every Golden Core and above cultivator in the Purple Spirit Realm will be conscripted."
"Two centuries ago, during the last cataclysm, the Eastern Sea cultivation world suffered catastrophic losses. I fear it won't survive the next, and if it falls, the Eastern Wastelands will succumb to a tidal wave of demonic calamity."
Yan Ziji's gaze turned toward Jiang Linglong, only to find her friend's expression as calm as ever.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D