537: The real disaster

"My situation is different from yours, but the fact that you're willing to give up longevity to stay here and guard the Nine Provinces Continent from harm, living such a dull life..."

"Ordinary people don't have your kind of courage." Duan Zhengchun looked at the old man before him with a smile—this was the Eternal Life Li of those years.

Hearing Duan Zhengchun's words, Eternal Life Li raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"It seems you've already guessed my identity, young friend."

"In truth, after living for so many years, it really has become a bit boring."

"Some people long for longevity, while others do not. I am the latter."

"In my view, longevity isn't actually that great. There are too many troubles and too many heartaches."

"It's better to be like an ordinary person, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death. As long as one can be with their loved one, the length of time doesn't really matter."

"I didn't expect Mr. Li to be such a man of sentiment. No wonder the disciples you've taught are all paragons among men." Duan Zhengchun looked at Eternal Life Li with a smile.

"Oh? If that's the case, are you also from Northern Li?"

"No, if you were from Northern Li, it's impossible that I wouldn't have noticed you before."

"Let me think... could it be that you are Duan Zhengchun, the Reliant King of Dali, who has become so famous recently?" Eternal Life Li suddenly thought of something and looked at Duan Zhengchun in surprise.

"You flatter me, sir. It's just an empty title. I didn't expect you to be so well-informed about the outside world while staying here in the Northern Border."

"Although I cannot leave this place, I still know a bit about the outside world. Besides, you've caused such a massive stir lately; it would be hard not to know." Eternal Life Li gave Duan Zhengchun a playful glare.

"How about we have a chat?" Duan Zhengchun looked at Eternal Life Li with a smile.

"A chat is fine, but I don't have much time. I have things to do; I need to go guard the passage," Eternal Life Li said.

"I have no interest in knowing that, and Mr. Li, don't even think that I'll come here to guard the passage."

"This place isn't nearly as fun as the mortal world; it's too dull. Only someone with a great sense of righteousness like you, sir, could stay here." Duan Zhengchun stated his position directly.

"Why do I feel like you're even more slippery than that Baili kid back then? I hadn't even said anything, and you've already blocked my words." Eternal Life Li looked at Duan Zhengchun with a look of frustration.

"I know your situation, sir. Besides, you already have a suitable candidate, so there's no need to make me come here, right?"

"Furthermore, I don't even know what is actually here or what is being guarded."

"How about you tell me, sir, what exactly is going on here?" Duan Zhengchun looked at Eternal Life Li with a smile.

"You little rascal, you're quite the clever one. I haven't even said anything, yet you're already fishing for information." Eternal Life Li gave Duan Zhengchun another glare.

However, he didn't truly take offense.

"I'm just curious. Someone from every era has to guard this place—what exactly are we guarding against?"

"The matters here cannot be known by anyone other than a Guardian. Are you sure you want to ask?" Eternal Life Li looked at Duan Zhengchun with a smile, a hint of craftiness in his expression.

"In that case, never mind. I don't want to be trapped here forever." Duan Zhengchun shook his head.

"You brat, why does it feel like you've lived longer than I have? You've got eight hundred schemes running through your head."

"Actually, there's no harm in telling you. I'm aware of the things you've done."

"If you were to truly encounter the matters here, you certainly wouldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"In truth, the Nine Provinces Continent isn't as simple as it seems on the surface. The reason it's called the Nine Provinces Continent is because of the nine Great Imperial Dynasties."

"Every Imperial Dynasty has a place like this, and every era requires an Earth Immortal Realm Master to sit and guard it until the next one comes to take over."

"This passage loosens every ten years, and powerful Yao Beasts appear from within, with strength comparable to the Earth Immortal Realm."

"However, their combat power is comparable to the Peak of the Earth Immortal Realm. One careless move could even lead to being killed by them."

"Fortunately, crossing the passage takes a great toll on them. They are quite weak when they first emerge, so we take that opportunity to kill them."

"But once they leave this place, catching them becomes very difficult. They don't need to Cultivate; they only need to devour flesh and blood to increase their strength."

"Furthermore, they grow very quickly. Once one matures, it would be an absolute disaster for the Nine Provinces Continent."

"So, someone must guard this place in every era to prevent these Yao Beasts from appearing."

"Those who come here are carefully selected. Not only must they be strong, but they must also be responsible in character."

"However, as long as you can kill those Yao Beasts, there are benefits for you as well."

"A Yao Beast is full of treasures. If you're lucky, you can obtain an Inner Alchemy, which can significantly increase your Cultivation speed. This is why some are willing to come and guard this place despite the boredom."

"After all, Masters who reach the Earth Immortal Realm often have few attachments left in the world; what they seek is to pursue a higher Breakthrough." Eternal Life Li explained the situation in one breath.

He also mentioned the benefits of guarding the place, hoping to entice and move Duan Zhengchun into being willing to take up the post.

What Eternal Life Li said would be quite attractive to an average Earth Immortal Realm Master, but for Duan Zhengchun, it really held no appeal.

He had the System. To speed up his Cultivation given the situation of the Nine Provinces Continent, he only needed to complete tasks.

He couldn't stay here forever relying on hunting those Yao Beasts to increase his strength, especially since it only happened once every ten years.

He couldn't endure such a dull life.

However, he felt that something was wrong with the situation here; the energy of the Protective Formation wasn't as strong as he imagined.

He could break it with his current strength, so a change had likely already occurred that Eternal Life Li hadn't noticed yet.

"So that's how it is. But surely it wasn't like this in the beginning?"

"Has this place changed over time?" Duan Zhengchun asked after a moment of reflection.

Eternal Life Li nodded. He was very satisfied that Duan Zhengchun could think of this. The more he looked, the more he felt Duan Zhengchun was suited to guard this place.

Unfortunately, this fellow was very slippery and unwilling to stay.

"You're right, it wasn't like this at first. It was only when those Yao Beasts appeared that our predecessors tracked them here and figured out the pattern of their appearances."

"It went from once every twenty years to ten years now. But I feel that this interval might become even shorter."

"After all, the energy maintaining the Seal is constantly being consumed. Perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps in a few years, a change will occur."

"When that time truly comes, I don't know if the Nine Provinces Continent will be able to survive this disaster."

Duan Zhengchun nodded. Indeed, if there were always Yao Beasts on the other side of the passage wanting to come over, they must be constantly finding ways to destroy the Seal on this side.