534: Chapter 534 The Promise of Parting

The moment the words fell, the massive hall suddenly fell into a dead silence.

Liu Xuaner, Jiang Yan, and the Embroiderer's faces turned as pale as paper in an instant, yet they still forced themselves to maintain a dignified posture, their backs straight, not daring to show the slightest loss of composure; Lin Suwan, Nangong Xue, Xu Lian, Xia Wei, Jiang Ya, Jiang Yumei, and the others all lowered their heads, their fingertips tightly clutching their sleeves, their knuckles turning white from the force, even their breathing becoming extremely light.

Ye Nianrui, Hong Mei, Cherry, Shen Xingwan, and Princess Li Danying, among the rest, had reddened eyes, their lips trembling slightly as a tide of reluctance surged within them. The thousands of words at the tips of their tongues ultimately turned into silent sobs, and they couldn't utter half a sentence.

Only Su Yunniang's expression remained relatively calm, but deep within her eyes, a faint shimmer of water surfaced, hiding an inseparable reluctance.

Situ Jun looked at the sorrow filling the room, his heart sinking slightly as he spoke warmly:

"You need not worry too much. If there isn't enough time to repair the space pearl, it will only be a temporary separation. There will always be a day of reunion."

Changing his tone, his gaze suddenly became as firm as iron:

"The Otherworld opens once every thousand years and connects to this continent. As long as you Cultivate diligently and step into the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, you can enter the Otherworld when the passage next opens. At that time, our family will surely be reunited once again."

Lan Yanliu looked up abruptly, teardrops trembling on her eyelashes, her voice carrying an uncontrollable sob:

"A thousand years... but my Cultivation is currently low, and my Spiritual Root is mediocre. Forget the threshold of the Soul Transformation realm, I fear I won't even survive a thousand years of Lifespan..."

Situ Jun stood up, walked slowly to her side, and gently took her cool, slender hand. His voice was gentle, yet it contained an unquestionable strength:

"To others, shallow Cultivation and limited Lifespan are an insurmountable chasm, but for you, it is not impossible to overcome. Your Spiritual Roots are already extraordinary, and after being tempered by my Spiritual Qi, stepping into the Soul Transformation realm has never been an unreachable dream."

Ye Nianrui bit her lower lip, suppressing the sourness surging in her heart, and asked softly:

"Since Husband has this plan, do you have detailed arrangements?"

Situ Jun returned to the main seat and sat down, his expression solemn as he spoke slowly:

"Within two years, there are three things I must accomplish."

His gaze swept across everyone in the hall, word by word, clear to the ear:

"The first is that ancient spatial spirit pearl I brought back from Nether Crow Ridge. This pearl contains a small world and could originally hold living beings, but unfortunately, it was heavily damaged by a Lightning Tribulation and can now only store inanimate objects. I need to gather rare Heaven And Earth Treasures to completely repair it. If successful, I can hide you within the pearl, bypassing the rules of the Heavenly Dao to enter the Otherworld with me."

Jiang Yan was slightly stunned and couldn't help but frown as she spoke:

"Hiding people inside a spirit pearl? Is this method truly feasible?"

"Naturally, it is feasible."

Situ Jun nodded, his tone certain:

"Without reaching the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, one cannot forcibly cross the spatial passage, but if hidden within a spatial spirit pearl and carried by a Middle Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator, one can evade the surveillance of the Heavenly Dao. However, this pearl is too heavily damaged and has not yet ascended to an Innate Spirit Treasure, so it still needs careful consideration. If it still hasn't reached that grade after repair, I will leave the pearl behind for you to nurture and temper. Once it promotes to an Innate Spirit Treasure, we will make further plans."

Su Yunniang was quick-witted and instantly grasped the deeper meaning, saying thoughtfully:

"Husband means that a thousand years from now, the first among us to break through to the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation will carry this spirit pearl and bring everyone to the Otherworld together, supporting each other and never parting?"

A flash of approval crossed Situ Jun's eyes, and he nodded slightly:

"Exactly. With the protection of an Innate treasure, you won't have to fight alone. By looking out for each other along the way, you can safely find me."

"The second thing."

He continued:

"I will exhaust my inventory to collect Heaven And Earth Treasures and refine a batch of protective Magical Artifacts and high-grade Medicinal Pills to leave for your protection. I will also properly arrange the defense and administration of the Northern Frontier City. Zhu Changpo and Tu Xiong are both loyal Subordinates. With them guarding it, the Northern Frontier will have no worries of internal strife."

Ye Nianrui followed up softly:

"And the third thing?"

Situ Jun paused, and his gaze toward the women suddenly softened, warmth flowing within:

"The third thing is you. Over the next two years, I will exhaust the Spiritual Qi of the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Derivation True Scripture to temper your Spiritual Roots and enhance your Aptitude one by one, laying the most solid Foundation for your thousand years of Cultivation."

He didn't speak too bluntly, but all the women in the hall were intelligent and clear-headed, instantly understanding the deeper meaning.

One by one, their cheeks flushed crimson, yet not a single one retreated or avoided him. Instead, their eyes held a bit more resolve and determination as they looked at him.

After soothing the women's emotions, Situ Jun immediately summoned Mo Chenggui.

"What are City Lord's orders?"

Mo Chenggui bowed, his attitude extremely respectful.

Situ Jun took out a pre-prepared Jade Slip and handed it to him:

"This Jade Slip records all the Materials needed to repair the spatial spirit pearl. Use all the channels of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce to collect them with all your might, at any cost, the faster the better."

Mo Chenggui took the Jade Slip and scanned it with his Divine Sense. His expression suddenly changed:

"Void Crystals, Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade, Star Sand, nine-colored soil... City Lord, these are all top-tier Heaven And Earth Treasures rarely seen in the world. Several of them only exist in ancient legends. I fear... they will be extremely difficult to find."

"I know this task is difficult."

Situ Jun's tone was steady as he cut him off directly:

"Void Stones can expand the internal realm of the spirit pearl, Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade can stabilize the pearl's Origin, while Star Sand and nine-colored soil can repair cracks in the pearl's body and restore its spirituality. Previously, I only ordered you to keep a quiet eye out, but now that the passage to the Immortal Realm is about to open, time is pressing. You must personally oversee this. Even if there is only a sliver of news, it must be reported back immediately. The Qingyun Chamber of Commerce spans over a dozen Dynasties and has the widest connections. If even you cannot find them, it would be even more impossible for others. Just do your best; collect as much as you can."

Mo Chenggui took a deep breath and solemnly cupped his fists in a salute:

"This Subordinate will certainly do his utmost and not fail the City Lord's trust!"

Situ Jun nodded slightly and added:

"Furthermore, from today onwards, the priority of all spiritual material trade between the Northern Frontier and surrounding nations will be adjusted. Any Materials needed for repairing the spatial spirit pearl will be prioritized for allocation. Even if the price doubles, they must be secured."

"Yes!"

Mo Chenggui took the order and, not daring to delay for a moment, hurried away to deploy the arrangements.

Silence returned to the hall.

Situ Jun looked at the dim, lusterless spatial spirit pearl on the table, its Spiritual Qi dissipated, his gaze as deep as the night.

This spirit pearl was his final trump card for protecting his family.

If it could be successfully repaired to the point of holding living beings, he could hide Su Yunniang, Ye Nianrui, Jiang Yan, Xia Wei, Li Danying, and the others all inside the pearl, carry them with him, and enter the Otherworld together so the family would never be separated.

But if the repair failed, he could only accept this thousand-year separation.

A thousand years...

He muttered these words in his heart, his chest tightening slightly with a fine, dense sourness.

To a Cultivator, a thousand years is but the blink of an eye; but to the Mortal World, it is the life, aging, sickness, and death of dozens of generations, the shifting of seas into mulberry fields.

He couldn't guarantee that a thousand years later, they would still remember today's covenant, or if they would still be willing to cross endless space to find him.

But he had to strive with everything he had to pave a stable path for them. This was the best arrangement he could make for them as a husband and as the City Lord of the Northern Frontier.