469: Chapter 469 Aftermath

"Actually, Pingan had mentioned this matter before."

"Hm?"

Chen Xuan looked toward Qi Yue, waiting for her to continue.

Qi Yue softly explained, "He mostly wanted to go to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven to sweep his parents' graves, but after learning that the Secret Realm only opens once every thirty years, he gave up on that idea."

This child...

Chen Xuan couldn't help but recall the scene of his first meeting with Li Pingan. His skin was dark, his figure was thin, and he looked malnourished at a glance. If not for the System's appraisal, who could have imagined that such a person would be a one-in-ten-thousand martial arts prodigy?

Chen Xuan said in a deep voice, "Go bring Pingan here; we might as well go together."

"Yes, Sect Master!"

"Wait, call Xingchen along as well."

Qi Yue softly reminded him, "What about Wanqing?"

"Her... never mind."

Chen Xuan waved his hand. Among his Disciples, Wanqing was the luckiest one; both her parents were living out their retirement in the Dao Seeking Sect, and she could see them whenever she wanted. Only that girl Shu Shichan could compare to her.

A moment later, Li Pingan, having learned that he could return to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven, was brought over by Qi Yue.

"Thank you, Revered Master."

Chen Xuan glanced at him. The boy's skin had shed the dark tan accumulated from years of exposure to the sun and rain, and his figure had returned to a normal, healthy standard.

His entire demeanor had undergone a complete transformation compared to years ago.

He stood with one hand behind his back, while the other hand casually slashed at the Void Realm.

"Sshh—"

The originally stable space was easily torn apart like fabric, and a pitch-black, deep fissure suddenly appeared. Behind the fissure, violent spatial turbulence whistled through, leading directly into the depths of the Void Shattering Abyss.

"Let's go."

Chen Xuan stepped into the darkness, with Qi Yue following closely behind. The figures of the three instantly vanished from the quiet room.

Passing through that pitch-black, deep spatial fissure, they were met with a slightly muffled sound of wind. What came into view was a vast, rolling range of verdant mountains.

Chen Xuan's first sensation upon returning to the Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven was that the Spiritual Qi here... was truly too thin.

If the Spiritual Qi concentration of the Profound Realm could be compared to a rich, fine wine, then this place was like a cup of tea diluted countless times with water, not to mention the Immortal Vein of his own Dao Seeking Sect.

It truly is hard to go from luxury to frugality!

Qi Yue looked around, observing the familiar silhouettes of the mountains in the distance, and said softly, "It seems we have arrived in the Southern Region."

"You have been here?"

"When I was in the Golden Core Realm, I traveled here a bit. At that time, in order to find an opportunity for a Breakthrough, I ran through almost every corner of this Grotto-Heaven."

Li Pingan looked around with some curiosity. This was the place where he grew up. Although his cultivation base was higher now and his horizons were broader, returning to this land still stirred complex emotions in his heart.

He couldn't help but think of his parents, who were killed by the Ma Family.

It was a pity that he hadn't met Revered Master yet at that time; he was just meat on a chopping block... No, he wasn't even worth that.

"I wonder where the Sect Master intends to go now?" Qi Yue asked softly.

Chen Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through layers of clouds and mist, casting toward the distant east.

"Let's return to the Eastern Region first."

"I wonder how the Bamboo Mountain Sword Sect is doing now."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue couldn't help but frown; it had been a while since she had properly taught that person surnamed Bai a lesson.

...

The next day.

Heavenly Tribulation Continent, above the Endless Sea.

The sky was washed clean, without a single cloud for ten thousand miles. The sea surface was as flat as a dark blue mirror, capturing all the light and shadows of the sky. Only the spatial fissure slowly closing above the sea still surged with faint, residual fluctuations of spiritual power, like an unhealed scar spanning between heaven and earth.

Heavenly Venerable Mogong and Medicine Venerable, leading dozens of leaders from various major Sects, piloted various flying boats and spiritual warships, hovering grandly in the Void Realm. The spiritual warships were arranged in a Formation, surrounding this sea area so tightly that not even water could pass through. Flags fluttered on the flying boats, and spiritual light swirled, reflecting off the shimmering sea.

Everyone's gaze was fixed intently on the narrowing spatial fissure, and no one spoke.

Medicine Venerable stood at the bow of the ship with her hands behind her back, her robes billowing slightly in the sea breeze. She stared at the fissure, her brows gradually furrowing.

The surrounding Void Realm had been smoothed over by an invisible force. When her Divine Sense probed inside, it was like a clay ox entering the sea; she couldn't find a single trace of any Formation. It was as if no one had ever set up defenses or operated here, so clean that not a single piece of evidence remained.

"It seems the other party was prepared long ago."

Medicine Venerable's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of Heavenly Venerable Mogong beside her.

Mogong did not respond, only his gaze fixed on the fissure grew deeper.

Just then, golden light burst forth from a flying boat nearby, like the rising sun, bathing half of the sea in a golden glow.

Great Love Immortal Venerable, clad in a plain white robe, walked slowly out of the golden light.

His face was like jade, and his features carried an air of compassion for heaven and humanity. When his gaze swept over the Sect Masters present, it held just the right amount of attention, finally landing on Mogong and Medicine Venerable.

"So it is the two Fellow Daoists who have come."

His voice was gentle as jade, "Could it be that you are here for the matter of the many Yao Race in this Secret Realm?"

Heavenly Venerable Mogong glanced at him sideways, the killing intent in his eyes undisguised: "Immortal Venerable truly has excellent methods. I didn't expect you to have handled the aftermath so quickly. No wonder you could hide for so many years without your true origins being discovered."

"What does Fellow Daoist mean by this?"

Great Love Immortal Venerable frowned slightly, his face showing confusion, "Why does this Venerable not quite understand?"

The Sect Masters behind him exchanged glances and retreated half a step in unison, hiding their bodies within the spiritual light of the flying boats. No one wanted to pick the wrong side at this moment, and no one wanted to be dragged into this dispute that was clearly about to come to a head.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand."

Mogong's tone was cold, and the Spiritual Qi around him began to slowly surge. His robes fluttered without wind. "The casualties among the Nine Provinces forces this time are numerous. You don't still think you can fool your way out of this with a few words like you did before, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Great Love Immortal Venerable was stunned for a moment, then revealed an expression of sudden realization. Immediately after, that expression receded like the tide, replaced by deep self-reproach and sorrow.

He let out a long sigh: "So the two Fellow Daoists have come to hold me accountable."

He lowered his head slightly, "This Venerable indeed cannot shirk responsibility for this matter. If not for this Venerable informing everyone about the intelligence regarding the guixu immortal ferry boat, many Cultivators would not have been led to the Secret Realm, and there would not have been the subsequent casualties."

"But this Secret Realm turned out to be an ancient battlefield of humans and the Yao Race, and there was even that Yao Venerable inside."

He raised his head, meeting Mogong's gaze with a frank expression, "This Venerable was truly unaware. Otherwise, my Wansheng Dao Court would not have suffered such heavy losses."

"Heavy losses?"

Medicine Venerable narrowed her eyes, "Immortal Venerable's words are a bit too high-sounding, aren't they?"

"I will not hide it from you two Fellow Daoists."

Great Love Immortal Venerable's expression was dim: "The group of experts led by the Fifth Elder of my Wansheng Dao Court all perished in the Secret Realm. To this day, not a single person has returned."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice lowered.

"Those were my own brothers..."