Departure

"You don't need to feel reluctant about giving up these forty billion," Li Hanqiu said. "At worst, just treat it as an investment. You should all be well aware of Yaoguang's talent. Reaching the Void Piercing Realm in the future is no extravagant fantasy. Once he attains the Void Piercing Realm, he will inevitably return to Cangwu. When that time comes, we can buy the Nine Cauldrons Sect back from your hands at a premium." To the Golden Core cultivators present, these words were merely something to listen to with a grain of salt. Only a fool would take them seriously. After all, many did not believe Yaoguang could survive until the moment he broke through to the Void Piercing Realm. Go into hiding? Heh. An immortal cultivator's methods far exceeded ordinary imagination; there were plenty of ways to drag out someone who had fled to the ends of the earth. "I know none of you believe me, but I have said my piece," Li Hanqiu continued. "If our people, including Yaoguang, all die, then whatever you wish to do is your own freedom. But as long as our lineage of the Nine Cauldrons Sect remains alive..." Li Hanqiu's gaze swept across each and every Golden Core cultivator present, as if carving the fluctuations of their divine senses deep into his heart. Finally, he raised his tone, enunciating each word with heavy emphasis: "I hope you will treat the rest of the Nine Cauldrons Sect well." At these words, a chill ran through the hearts of all the Golden Core cultivators. Indeed. If Yaoguang died, everything would naturally be over. However, if he truly survived Jiang Tianzun's pursuit, reached the Void Piercing Realm, and became a top expert of Beihai Star whom any major immortal sect would gladly recruit, then forty billion at that time... might truly amount to an investment. It also meant leaving themselves a way out. After comforting themselves with this thought, the Golden Core cultivators finally felt slightly better. As for those who still felt miserable... They could only continue to suffer. What other choice did they have? ... Li Qingshan mobilized the sect with remarkable efficiency. While things had been relatively peaceful in recent years, twenty years ago the Nine Cauldrons Sect had maintained emergency evacuation drills to rally core personnel in the event of a catastrophic strike on their homeland. Back in those days, had Li Hanqiu not held the fort from above, the Nine Cauldrons Sect would have been at risk of being torn apart by a pack of wolves at any moment. Now that all these contingency plans were dusted off and put into action, the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect was swiftly set in motion. In this evacuation, the Nine Cauldrons Sect did not force everyone to leave. Adhering to the principle of open honesty, Li Qingshan publicly disclosed the sect's current predicament. Compounded by the rumors spreading outside... Not everyone in the Nine Cauldrons Sect was willing to follow the sect into an elusive, uncertain future. At least, that was the case for the Artifact Sect personnel who had recently defected over the years. Some were even secretly rejoicing over the Nine Cauldrons Sect's departure. Under these circumstances, the sect's upper echelons took stock of the evacuees and pruned away nonessential individuals. In the end, they found that the Void Disk space—originally planned to forcibly accommodate two million people—actually only needed to hold one million. The internal space of the Void Disk spanned ten li across. Based on the per capita living space in a city like Longxiang City, it could comfortably accommodate five hundred thousand people. However, if the internal space were utilized efficiently and people squeezed in, it could hold two million. The quality of life, of course, would take a drastic plunge. Yet the actual turnout was only half of what was anticipated... This outcome left Sect Master Li Qingshan feeling somewhat despondent. After decades of development, the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators alone exceeded ten thousand. Combined with the Star Lords and Primordial Spirits, this core group numbered over forty thousand. Between these forty-odd thousand people bringing their core relatives and technical personnel, two million slots theoretically should not have been enough to go around. Yet over the course of ten days, the number of people who actually rallied in Chicheng did not even reach a million. This was deeply disappointing to Li Qingshan, who had believed the Nine Cauldrons Sect would unite as one in times of crisis. Sure enough... Everyone weighed pros and cons. Those willing to share wealth far outnumbered those willing to share hardship. Wandering the cosmos with the Nine Cauldrons Sect meant bearing the hunt of a great figure, with the looming threat of being wiped out alongside the sect any day. Rather than gambling on that slim, near-fatal chance of survival, it was better to remain in the Cangwu Great World and integrate into the neighboring sects. At least there was no immediate risk to their lives. Because Li Qingshan understood their reasoning—and perhaps even felt that, as sect master, he had failed them—he shook off his disappointment after a brief moment of gloom. Revitalizing his spirits, he proceeded to arrange for everyone to enter the basic living spaces already prepared within the Void Disk by the Foundation Establishment cultivators. ... While Li Qingshan was organizing the retreat into the Void Disk, Yaoguang and Li Hanqiu "visited" each sect one by one to conduct their transactions. This process... went quite smoothly. However, upon arriving at the Wuji Astral Palace, Yaoguang lingered for a notably longer time. He went straight to Susan. "I already have some information on Beihai Star obtained from the Immortal Alliance and Myriad Beasts Sect. But I believe the Wuji Astral Palace's intelligence channels are far broader than the others. Therefore, I hope to acquire your understanding of Beihai Star as well." The Golden Core cultivator did not dare dawdle, quickly explaining everything she knew about Beihai Star in detail. At the end, she offered a somewhat regretful piece of advice: "Actually, Yaoguang, if you truly possess great confidence in your own strength, you might want to head to the Taiyi Immortal Sect and attempt to compete for the position of true disciple. If you can become a true disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, even True Disciple Jiang will not be able to easily make a move against you." "Is that so?" Yaoguang remarked nonchalantly, "Why does the intelligence in my hands show that every three to five years, one or two true disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect inevitably die? Some are slain by other factions while out adventuring, and some... even die at the hands of elders from other lineages within the Taiyi Immortal Sect itself?" "Uh..." Susan was momentarily at a loss for words. Only after a good while did she say, "Still, at least such competition cannot be brought into the open... If you are also a true disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, True Disciple Jiang will not be able to mobilize the sect's power against you..." Yaoguang paid Susan no further heed. Having gathered the materials, he soon departed to rendezvous with Li Hanqiu, who had been escorting him all along. Upon their reunion, Li Hanqiu also frowned. "Even true disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect can die from internal factional struggles? Is it truly that chaotic?" "I examined the records on Beihai Star. Their definition of a true disciple is quite different from what we understand," Yaoguang said. "Rather than mere disciples, true disciples are more like budding lineage masters or hall masters. The sect as a whole is essentially equivalent to a massive super-alliance. If we view a sect as an entire world, the Sect Master's lineage is like the alliance leader, while the hall masters and lineage masters are directors second only to the Sect Master. Each true disciple is an alliance member backed by an immense faction—just not as vast as those of the hall and lineage masters." Reflecting on the records he had read, Li Hanqiu nodded. The rise of a true disciple often heralded the rise of a new power. Even if a true disciple started from scratch without any backing, the moment they attained the rank of true disciple, countless factions without patrons would eagerly flock to attach themselves. The true disciple needed funding from those factions to attain the Void Piercing Realm, and later required their support to vie with other true disciples for the seat of Vice Sect Master. In turn, those factions could raise the banner of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and truly secure a firm foothold on Beihai Star. Under such circumstances, open clashes and covert power struggles among the factions backing the true disciples were naturally endless. When the fighting grew fierce, it was hardly strange for a major figure to intervene personally and eliminate a true disciple. Of course, due to certain restrictive rules, major figures were forbidden from stepping into the fray directly. However, rules were always made by men. As long as a figure possessed sufficient status and cleaned up after themselves thoroughly, even if a true disciple died, the sect would not necessarily pursue the matter to the end. "Does a sect like that have any cohesion whatsoever?" Li Hanqiu remarked with a sigh. "Sect cohesion..." Yaoguang pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps to the cultivators of Beihai Star, a sect... is a generalized concept. They only band together because they share a common language, culture, territory, and interests. A sect is even just a tool for them to reap benefits. They... or rather, all cultivators, truly believe only in themselves." Pausing briefly, he continued, "In a world where myriad mighty powers reside within the individual, only personal strength is true strength. Thus, they will naturally exhaust every means and hoard every resource to empower themselves... A sect channels the interests of multiple individuals into a collective, and then allows one to claim that collective power as one's own. It is simply an effective method—one tool among many." Hearing this, Li Hanqiu felt a chill run through him. Suddenly, he wondered whether their decision to head for Beihai Star was truly the right choice. Compared to the Cangwu Great World, which at least maintained a veneer of civility and saving face... Beihai Star was a truly dog-eat-dog world. "Let's go," Yaoguang said. Li Hanqiu snapped out of his daze. He glanced at Yaoguang... and quickly cast those doubts aside. They... had no other choice. If even he, the foremost expert of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, succumbed to fear and retreated, the Nine Cauldrons Sect would truly be devoid of hope. Even if they reached Beihai Star, they would swiftly be devoured whole. ... Soon, Yaoguang and Li Hanqiu arrived at the Void Disk situated in the center of Chicheng. Li Qingshan, along with Lou Yuyu, Jiang Zhuoyue, Huang Tianhao, and others, was already waiting there. Looking at the entrance—which, though still seeing people coming and going, had grown comparatively desolate—Li Hanqiu asked, "Are we ready?" "Ten days was far too short. It's impossible to say we are completely ready; we could only simplify everything," Li Qingshan replied. "Let it be, then," Li Hanqiu said as he entered the Void Disk. According to the message Wan Liugui had left behind, he would do his utmost to stall for time on his way back with Jiang Tianzun. However, to ensure they had sufficient time to erase the traces left behind by warping space—so that they would not be tracked by the genuine Void Piercing Realm experts Jiang Tianzun would subsequently bring... they had to set out within ten days. Therefore... "Take one last look at the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Once we depart, I fear there will be no hope of returning for thirty to fifty years," Li Hanqiu said to Li Qingshan and the others before stepping into the Void Disk first. Hearing his words, the crowd wore complex expressions. Li Qingshan scooped up a small handful of yellow earth from the ground and carefully tucked it close to his chest. He turned his gaze once more toward the land beneath his feet... After a long time, he resolutely turned around and strode into the Void Disk. The other hall masters and disciples followed suit. Each took away a piece of ordinary grass, flower, soil, or stone before boarding the Void Disk in succession. Half an hour later, the Void Disk slowly ascended into the air, gradually accelerating as it soared into the higher heavens. Upon reaching the outer reaches of the starry expanse, the Void Disk—having accelerated to a tremendous speed—abruptly warped the space around it. In the next instant, ripples spread outwards. Like a raindrop falling into a lake, the entire Void Disk was instantly swallowed by the ripples, vanishing without a trace.