544: Chapter 544 Helplessness

When asked about the spirit bead, Situ Jun's eyes darkened slightly, and his originally gentle expression gained a hint of solemnity. He raised his hand to signal everyone to follow him, leading them slowly back to the West Courtyard's discussion hall to take their seats in order.

Once everyone was seated,

he waved his hand, and a pale golden spiritual light instantly enveloped the entire hall, isolating it from outside sounds and auras to ensure the contents of the conversation would never leak out. Only then did he slowly speak.

His tone was flat, yet it could not hide a trace of regret:

“The spatial cracks within the spirit bead have all been repaired, and the Spatial Power has stabilized. However, it ultimately failed to recover its Peak power, let alone advance to the level of a Spirit Treasure.”

He paused, looking at everyone's surprised expressions, and continued:

“Back when I underwent the Soul Transformation Lightning Tribulation, in order to withstand the final world-extinguishing thunderbolt, I hid inside the spirit bead. The spirit bead bore the force of the Lightning Tribulation for me, causing its internal Restrictions to completely collapse, its space to shatter, and its Origin to be severely damaged. This time, even though I exhausted rare spiritual materials to re-refine it, it still lacks a spark of Origin opportunity. Now it can only barely function, but to take you all across the Void Realm to the Ascension Realm, it is still missing the most crucial step.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

The joy on everyone's faces instantly faded, replaced by deep worry and unease. The happy atmosphere from just moments ago vanished without a trace.

Liu Xuaner panicked, tightening her grip on his sleeve, and asked urgently:

“Then what should we do? Does this mean we cannot go to the Ascension Realm with Husband?”

Her voice carried a hint of a sob. At the thought of separating from Situ Jun, her heart twisted in pain, filled with terror and reluctance.

Su Yunniang quickly put away her smile, her expression becoming steady. She raised her hand and gently patted the back of Liu Xuaner's hand, signaling her to stay calm, then turned to look at Situ Jun, her voice gentle yet firm:

“Since Husband says so, you must already have a plan in mind. Why not tell us so we can discuss it together? We will surely find a solution.”

Inside the discussion hall, the pale golden spiritual light completely isolated the interior from the exterior, but it could not block the atmosphere that had suddenly plummeted. The joy that had arisen from Situ Jun's exit from seclusion was entirely replaced by worry and reluctance, making even the air feel heavy.

Situ Jun looked at the faces before him, each filled with concern and reluctance, and felt as if his heart were blocked by something, heavy and stifling.

How could he not want to take everyone with him to the Ascension Realm to begin a new Great Dao of Cultivation? But the spirit bead's Origin was incomplete and its spirituality was greatly lost. No matter how much effort he spent re-refining it, it still lacked that most crucial step.

When facing the Lightning Tribulation, the spirit bead had blocked the World-Extinguishing Thunder for him. The damage from the collapse of its Origin was not something common spiritual materials and Essence Blood could compensate for. It required long years of nurturing and refinement to slowly recover, but right now, what they lacked most was time.

He raised his hand and gently touched Liu Xuaner's hand, his fingertips carrying their usual warmth as he tried to soothe her panic. His voice was extremely soft, yet it hid an unmaskable helplessness:

“Xuaner, do not panic. Things have come to this; panicking is useless.”

Turning to look at the steady Su Yunniang, as well as Lin Suwan, Nangong Xue, and the others whose eyes were filled with worry, he spoke slowly, each word carrying heavy weight:

“I have considered this repeatedly, and there is indeed no foolproof way to quickly restore the spirit bead's Origin. The void passage to the Ascension Realm is fraught with danger. Without the protection of a spatial spirit pearl at Perfection, I do not dare take you across. If I were to force us onto the road, a single slip-up would see us torn apart by the Law of Space and void turbulence, resulting in eternal damnation.”

“Then... is there really no other way?”

Ye Nianrui's voice trembled slightly, her eyes reddening with reluctance and sadness.

Situ Jun sighed softly, a deep bitterness welling up in his eyes:

“The opening of the Ascension Realm has a fixed time limit. My Cultivation has already reached the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation; without an accident, I cannot remain on this continent. If I were to stay by force, it would only draw down Heaven and Earth Tribulation Lightning, which would not only harm me but also bring disaster to the people of the Northern Frontier and implicate all of you.”

He paused, seeing the women's faces grow increasingly pale. His heart ached, but he ultimately hardened his heart and spoke his most helpless plan:

“If there is truly no other way, I can only head to the Ascension Realm alone and be separated from you for a thousand years. I will leave behind this reforged spatial spirit pearl, setting up layers of Restrictions and nurturing it daily with my Dragon-Phoenix Origin spiritual power before passing the refinement method entirely to you. By holding this spirit bead, you can both consolidate the rule of the Northern Frontier, protecting the peace of the people, and use it to Cultivate, improving your Cultivation and ensuring your own safety.”

“Separated... for a thousand years?”

Chen Yufei repeated those words in a low voice, tears finally sliding down her cheeks uncontrollably as she choked out:

“Husband, a thousand years is too long. On the long road of Cultivation, how can we endure being separated from you for a thousand years?”

“I know, this is too cruel for you.”

Situ Jun slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across each woman, from Su Yunniang's gentle endurance to Liu Xuaner's timid reluctance, from Lin Suwan's intelligent worry to Nangong Xue's elegant sadness...

Every face was etched into the depths of his heart. Warmth and bitterness intertwined, making his chest feel tight:

“But this is the only way for now. A thousand years of time is but a blink of an eye on the long road of Cultivation. You must Cultivate well and take care of yourselves. If... if you meet someone worthy, feel free to pursue your own happiness; I will truly bless you.”

His tone was gentle yet incredibly firm. Every word was a heavy promise, as well as hidden bitterness and helplessness.

Although they were filled with immense reluctance and unwillingness, they also knew that what he said was the truth. The rules of this continent could not accommodate his Cultivation. His departure was inevitable and was also to keep them safe.

They understood his lack of choice, his helplessness, and his concern. Even with a thousand tears, they could only silently swallow them back, not daring to add more to his worries.

Su Yunniang was the first to calm her emotions. She stepped forward and gently took Situ Jun's hand, her voice steady and gentle, filled with determination:

“Husband, we understand you and trust you. Just go to the Ascension Realm with peace of mind; do not worry about us, and certainly do not try to persuade us. I will handle the affairs of the estate, and we will guard the City of the Northern Frontier. We will certainly Cultivate well, protect each other, and protect this land, waiting peacefully for a thousand years to reunite with Husband.”

With Su Yunniang taking the lead, the women also suppressed the sorrow in their hearts and wiped away the tears from the corners of their eyes. Though their eyes remained red, they no longer cried or made a scene, quietly looking at Situ Jun with eyes full of reluctance, but also hidden with great expectation and firmness.

Seeing them being so sensible, Situ Jun felt even more pity. He carefully instructed them on many Cultivation tips, estate matters, and Northern Frontier defense issues, soothing them softly for a long time before letting everyone disperse to their rooms to rest.

As the night deepened, moonlight filtered through the window lattices, casting a layer of clear light onto the bluestone floor of the discussion hall, cold and lonely.

Situ Jun stood alone outside the hall, gazing at the brilliant stars across the sky, his eyes dark and his heart full of thoughts.

The regret of the spirit bead's deficiency, the reluctance of separating from everyone, and the responsibilities on his shoulders weighed on him until he could almost not breathe. But as the City Lord of the Northern Frontier and as their husband, he could not retreat in the slightest, nor could he show a hint of weakness.