The Strong Are Proof Enough

As long as the Longevity realm remained hidden from the world, Dao Integration cultivators were the supreme beings walking the earth. This was true in the Xuanhuang Realm, and even more so in this pocket world of the Empire. Qing and Hong fared reasonably well; both had lived long enough, and in their distant memories from their days in the Beast Taming Sect countless years ago, they had seen Dao Integration cultivators before. For the Imperial Daughter, however, things were far less manageable. Even having inherited the memories of past emperors, giving her a vague notion of the legendary might of Dao Integration cultivators, she was, after all, merely a mortal. Faced with the mountain-crushing, sea-cleaving pressure casually rolling off Liu San, the Imperial Daughter's face turned ash-white, and she could barely breathe. The three offered their respectful greetings, but Liu San gave no reply, meeting them only with heavy silence. Anxiety stirred in the hearts of Qing and Hong. Truth be told, before today, both of them had harbored doubts about the so-called Myriad Realms Association. From beginning to end, only a single person had ever contacted them on behalf of the association, and that liaison's cultivation had not been particularly profound—merely at the Nascent Soul realm, a dime a dozen in the Xuanhuang Realm. Yet today, the instant their eyes fell upon a genuine Dao Integration cultivator, every lingering doubt vanished without a trace. Because the strong were proof enough! It was inconceivable that a Dao Integration grand cultivator would come all this way just to run a con. With a simple wave of his hand, he could annihilate the entire Empire; there was utterly no reason to resort to deception. Such thoughts flashed through their minds in an instant, and the three from the Empire grew even more deferential. Judging that the atmosphere was just right, Liu San finally let out a low grunt and nodded slightly. "Let us go. Take me to see the things you reported." Xu Bai chimed in at the right moment. "The Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has been stepping up its offensives lately. Elder Liu does not have much time to waste." The Imperial Daughter nodded repeatedly and led them down into an underground secret chamber within the soaring palace tower. The chamber was vast and cavernous. The Void Warp and Weft Track Determiner, over a thousand varieties of Spirit Crystal Marrow, and an enormous furnace had already been prepared and set in place. Liu San first glanced at the Track Determiner, then suddenly asked, "If one knows the coordinates of a certain realm relative to the Xuanhuang Realm, can this track determiner locate that realm's position within the void?" Xiao Qing was taken aback at first, but horror quickly seized her face. She realized that the "realm" Elder Liu spoke of did not refer to a pocket world attached to the Xuanhuang Realm. He meant an entirely separate cultivation world of the same stature as the Xuanhuang Realm itself. Her estimation of the Myriad Realms Association soared yet another notch. After pondering for a moment, Xiao Qing shook her head and spoke truthfully: "Due to the influence of the Immortal Ruins, the space-time surrounding the Xuanhuang Realm has been warped and distorted. With only bare coordinate data, even if one manages to escape the gravitational pull of the Immortal Ruins, one would almost certainly lose direction along the way." "However, if the destination coordinates are calibrated in advance, space-time adjustments can be carried out continuously while advancing. In theory, reaching the coordinate location safely is entirely feasible," Xiao Qing hastily added. "For a realm devoid of spiritual energy to develop such technology is no small feat," Liu San praised with a nod. At these words, a glimmer of delight flashed in the eyes of Xiao Qing and the others. Liu San then turned his gaze toward the thousands of varieties of Spirit Crystal Marrow. With just a single glance, he looked past them. To a Dao Integration cultivator, the innate abilities of these ferocious beasts were nothing more than children's games. Liu San next looked at the massive furnace, which was roaring and pulsating continuously. The wisps of dangerous aura seeping out of it caused his eyes to narrow slightly. "You are playing with fire and courting your own destruction," Liu San remarked after a long silence. "Myriad Beasts into One. There is indeed potential in that concept. But if you truly manage to forge that monstrous creation, I fear your so-called Concentric Heart Art will not be nearly enough to control it." "Perhaps if the Beast Taming Sect's supreme treasure, the Myriad Beasts Reincarnation Wheel, were still around, there might be a sliver of hope." Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong exchanged a startled glance, their hearts leaping into their throats. Yet before they could formulate a response, Liu San left them with a single parting remark and turned to leave: "I now have a general grasp of this realm's situation. Wait patiently for the outcome." Xiao Qing asked uneasily, "Fellow Daoist Xu..." Xu Bai wore an expression of helpless sympathy. "As I said earlier, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is on an aggressive offensive right now, and pocket worlds are falling one after another. The higher-ups of our organization have decided to implement a survival strategy of severing our tail—shrinking our sphere of influence to preserve only the pocket worlds that hold real value as core members." "The final outcome is not something Elder Liu alone can decide. It requires a comprehensive assessment by the organization's high council before a verdict is reached." As corroborating evidence, Xu Bai displayed scenes he had recently compiled from the Heavenly Profound Treasure Mirror, showing the desperate fall of various pocket worlds beneath the frenzied assaults of Alliance cultivators. Confronted by these brutal, blood-drenched, and terrifyingly real scenes, the three from the Empire could not help but pale. Tossing an image-recording stone to them, Xu Bai offered comforting words: "Do not worry. For the sake of our shared ancestry, even if the organization votes against granting you protection, I will quietly slip back to bring you out and save your lives." "Of course, the numbers cannot be too large. Five is the absolute limit," Xu Bai said with a grave expression. Observing the increasingly drained color on Xiao Qing's and the others' faces, Xu Bai added at last, "Naturally, if the organization ultimately decides to extend its protection over you, that would be ideal." "However, when that time comes, there will be a price. All resources and technology within the Empire must be integrated into our Myriad Realms Association." "Regardless of which outcome awaits, you must make proper preparations in advance during this period." "I hear that within your Empire, a noble class still exists..." Xu Bai let out a cold chuckle and looked directly at the Imperial Daughter. "Remember, the Empire only needs an Emperor. It has no need for nobles." "From this day forward, let the Empire speak with only one voice." With that, Xu Bai clasped his hands in salute. "I have many matters demanding my attention and cannot linger here. I hope that when I return next time, I will bring good news." Without waiting for Xiao Qing and the others to see him off, Xu Bai gracefully took flight, streaking out of the Empire. Watching Xu Bai's departing silhouette, the Imperial Daughter turned her gaze toward the outside of the palace. A glint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes, gradually hardening into resolute determination. ... In the Xuanhuang Realm, at the entrance to the Empire. Liu San, having departed first, was waiting here for Xu Bai. "Young Master, how was my performance?" Upon seeing Xu Bai appear, he could not resist asking with an air of smug satisfaction. "Haha. Who knew that Elder Liu, despite looking so upright and unyielding, could weave a lie so seamlessly that not a single flaw could be found? I will have to remind Elder Jiang to be careful around you in the future," Xu Bai replied with a laugh. Liu San's face instantly fell. Quickly changing the subject, he said, "Kidding aside, that place called the Empire's pocket world actually has some clever tricks up its sleeve. Setting everything else aside, that Myriad Phenomena Furnace alone would have been quite remarkable even back in the ancient cultivation world."