Longevity: Starting as a Sect Servant

"Purple Fairy herself!"

His heart stirred. Perhaps the Creation’s Embryos appearing elsewhere were not caused by others, but by Purple Fairy herself?

But the Creation’s Embryos in other places appeared almost simultaneously with the one induced by Li An’s Celestial Ascension. At that time, Purple Fairy had already met with an accident, and Hongbo Fairy was with her. How could she have gone to other places in the thirty-three heavens to act?

Unless...

She had prepared a contingency plan in advance?

Moreover, the timing was too coincidental, appearing with Li An’s Celestial Ascension, naturally sparking Li An’s imagination...

Perhaps, from the moment Master Purple Fairy returned to the thirty-three heavens, she had already set a backup plan to protect Li An?

When Li An ascended, the other Creation’s Embryos she left behind would also manifest, distracting others, making Li An safer?

This is very possible.

After all, from the current perspective, that so-called Hongbo Fairy certainly has issues.

She has been attracted by Purple Fairy’s contingency plans.

Otherwise, when Li An was in Purple Cloud Province, he could have been faced with more than just Li Nianxue!

Confronting Hongbo Fairy directly, Li An might have truly faced misfortune.

"Master..."

Thinking that Purple Fairy might have done so much for him, Li An couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of emotion.

Of course, this is merely a conjecture and may not be the truth, but at least from a logical perspective, it currently holds water.

"Hongbo Fairy is very dangerous and must be approached with caution..."

Li An became increasingly cautious and vigilant. When Purple Fairy initially returned to the Thirty-Three Heavens and the Saint Realm, she must have discovered some tremendous truth, hence leaving so many contingency plans. Unfortunately, her plan only progressed halfway before being suppressed by the enemy...

If it weren’t for the current strangeness there, Li An would have had the urge to just turn around and leave.

"No path left above or below..."

Li An felt somewhat cornered—could it really be as Shangguan Shengxian said, that some great calamity was inevitable, unavoidable for him?

Perhaps, from the day he acquired the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill, many things were already predetermined, the trajectory set.

Destiny!

"After Hongbo Fairy left, Dao Mountain within the Saint Realm became even tougher. For those twenty slots, various forces have been suppressing both openly and covertly, and Double-Headed Mountain continuously provokes, sometimes even approaching our mountain gate... Many who once followed Purple Fairy have fled, and people from both Cyan Feather Peak and Yizhu Peak have largely defected, even within Dao Mountain, there are traitors..."

Li Qingran continued speaking, but when she mentioned traitors, she abruptly stopped.

But Li Nianxue looked startled; she understood Li Qingran’s implication—could Tan Qingxue have defected from the Dao Sect?

"How could she do this?..."

Pain flickered in Li Nianxue’s eyes.

She was a dedicated follower of the Dao Sect; for its revival, she could even disregard her own life, but her kin had become a traitor... Imagine the blow that dealt her.

"Aunt Li, don’t overthink it. Ever since Ancestor Tan severed her past, she seemed indifferent towards the Dao Sect, towards everything in this world; she only sought longevity..."

Li Qingran sighed and said, "Dao Sect is on thin ice, it might even lose all slots; she couldn’t see hope, so it’s normal for her to leave."

"Even Ancestor Xiang said, people come and go, that’s how it is, but we should keep to ourselves, with a clear conscience."

Li Nianxue nodded, silently clenching her fists, then asked again, "Qingran, why do you say our Dao Sect might lose all slots?"

Li An was also very concerned.

He had long known from Li Nianxue’s memories that within the Saint Realm, there was a place called the "Space-Time Secret Realm", containing many lost times and eras, with a myriad of time particles and remnants scattered within, highly beneficial for cultivating the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill.

If various rumors were true, then within the Space-Time Secret Realm, it might not be inferior to the god-descending land burning with the fire of time!

For Li An, it was an immense blessing.

This was one of the key reasons he was willing to come here.

However, this secret realm was extremely mysterious, allegedly opening once every three thousand years and remaining open for about eight hundred years. But its entrance has been monopolized by the Biluo Palace and Treasure Cauldron Palace, with other source lands and famous mountains only receiving a limited number of entry slots.

After Purple Fairy returned to the Saint Realm, she also spoke out about this matter. Given her significant background and formidable cultivation, the two Celestial Palaces gave enough respect, treating Dao Mountain like other famous mountains, awarding twenty slots.

Li Qingran sighed and said, "Those twenty slots have become the greatest root of disaster... What a treasure the Space-Time Secret Realm is! One more cultivator entering may produce a top Immortal, so after Purple Fairy’s accident and Hongbo Fairy’s departure without return, and with the Space-Time Secret Realm set to open soon, other forces naturally developed greed."

The more decorous ones exchanged them for other resources, promising great benefits, while more blatant ones, like Double-Headed Mountain, repeatedly pressured and went so far as to intercept Purple Fairy’s Jade Bone... all trying to force Dao Sect to hand over the slots to them.

"Wasn’t Purple Fairy’s Jade Bone in Biluo Palace... how did it get into trouble?" Li Nianxue gritted her teeth.

Li Qingran explained one by one. It turned out that when Purple Fairy returned, she had a transaction with Biluo Palace, using her own bone to extend the life of a senior from Biluo Palace, in exchange for Biluo Palace’s Daluo Treasure "Biluo Celestial Book" to repair the Creation Vein of Qingzhuo Mountain, achieving the current Dao Mountain.

Later when Purple Fairy encountered trouble, that Jade Bone continued to be held in Biluo Palace, until many years ago, after Hongbo Fairy left with Purple Fairy, Biluo Palace sent it back, when just handed to members of Dao Sect, it was snatched away in secret.

After that, Double-Headed Mountain declared they had retrieved the Jade Bone for Dao Mountain, but demanded that Dao Sect exchange it for the most precious twenty slots...

Purple Fairy’s Bone must not remain outside for long, but once exchanged for those slots, the future of Dao Mountain might become bleak. The slots she painstakingly secured years ago, how could they be easily surrendered?

Dao Sect has been working tirelessly for this matter.

"Despicable, despicable!"

Li Nianxue exclaimed furiously, "Double-Headed Mountain cries thief, using this to blackmail us... Truly despicable!"

Killing intent flashed across Li An’s heart too. Double-Headed Mountain... just for this act alone, they seek their own demise.

"Chi Yilan, this place is the important land of our Dao Sect—Stele Forest. You are responsible for guarding this place; you must diligently clean and never let the Stele Forest gather dust. Moreover, without the sect’s permission, you must not take a single step away. Do you understand?"

As Li Qingran spoke, she had already led them to the Stele Forest, where stone steles stood densely, each engraved with the names and lives of the Dao Sect’s previous martyrs...

Withered Fate Daoist, Dao Sect Supreme, once Dao Sect Leader, stayed behind in the Spirit Realm during its chaos, perished.

Taiqingzi, Dao Sect Supreme, once Dao Sect Leader, stayed behind in the Spirit Realm during its chaos, perished.

Tianchenzi, perished in the Mist Sea.

...

The living erect steles for the dead.

Li An walked calmly inside, Li Nianxue said, "You don’t have to worry, the Blade Mountain where I reside isn’t far from here either."

Li An understood, she was telling him that the control and restriction in her mind would not be affected.

After all, Li An had planted a Demon Seed in her mind, but this Demon Seed had a certain distance limit. If too far away, Li An would be unable to control it.

Just like a puppet, if the distance was too great, his puppets might gain intelligence and turn on him. This time, Li An used Zhao Tong and the three major puppets to hide himself, setting restrictions in their minds beforehand—destruction upon reaching the designated place!

"Aunt Li, come, let me take you to Blade Mountain."

Li Qingran led Li Nianxue away.

...

Goodnight.