Longevity: Starting as a Sect Servant

Gu Canye let out a cold laugh and said, "So, you’re planning to take over everything of Dao Mountain today, it seems!"

"Only, with heroes rising across the land and all the Saint Realm immortals gathered here, can your Double-Headed Mountain really swallow all this!?"

Back then on Heroic Sword Peak, Gu Canye could be said to be just as free and unrestrained as Xiang Yuntian; otherwise he would never have become Xiang Yuntian’s closest friend. But now, with the burden of the Dao Sect on his shoulders, he was no longer willful and reckless—every step he took was supremely steady.

He had been determined to fight before because he knew the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land would definitely not want war!

But now his stance was less fierce than a moment ago, for he understood... Dao Mountain truly was no match for Double-Headed Mountain.

They could only borrow a greater tide.

Now, at this banquet, guests thronged the hall; and this surging judgment and opinion of the world was the greatest tide they could borrow.

Yet Bai Jingxian only smiled faintly, cupped his hands toward everyone, and said lightly, "We’ve made a sorry spectacle of ourselves. I must ask all of you to step aside, lest you be injured by mistake!"

With those words, the people in the venue suddenly began to move away one after another.

None of them remained.

The seats lay empty.

Double-Headed Mountain truly meant to strike; the others had no kinship with Dao Mountain—why would they meddle in another’s affairs?

Gu Canye let out a soft sigh. After all, he was born of the Dao Sect, and had grown used to those days when the Dao Sect intervened in every injustice under heaven.

Now in the Saint Realm he still cherished a lingering hope, yet did not realize that the Immortal Realm remained as bitter and cold as frost, and that Dao Sect which had cared for and guarded the world was so unique as to be nowhere found under heaven.

Even the forces of the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land withdrew.

"Miss Nianxue,"

Dao Qian’s face showed a trace of unwillingness as he said, "You and I have not yet married, but I cannot bear to see your people slaughtered like this. Truly, is there any need? Dao Qian is willing to dissolve this siege—let you and me proceed with the marriage. How about it?"

In the beginning, the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land had struck precisely when Dao Mountain was being pressured by Double-Headed Mountain, forcing Dao Mountain to agree to this marriage. Now, the arrow was already nocked, and the situation was even more perilous than that day.

Tan Qingxue spoke only calmly: "They are willing to fight solely because you no longer wish to marry."

"As long as you wish to marry, they will not make a move, and they will not die."

She truly was a daughter of the Dao Sect, and saw the crux of the matter clearly. Back then, the Dao Sect had been unable to block this marriage because it was Li Nianxue herself who had agreed to it in her own words.

Now the Dao Sect fought with all its strength because Li Nianxue was being forced.

The matter was the same, but Li Nianxue’s attitude had changed.

Its nature was no longer the same.

The sole solution lay with Li Nianxue.

Li Nianxue’s delicate body trembled slightly. She looked at Tan Qingxue, her eyes filled with hatred; at this moment, in her heart, she had already completely severed the word "mother."

Yet she was forced to admit that the Dao Sect truly stood on the brink of ruin!

What to do...

"Very well then. I will respect your choice, Miss. I’ll wait outside. If you come around, this wedding can resume at any time."

Dao Qian also sighed, then rose and departed. As he left, he glanced at Bai Jingxian of Double-Headed Mountain and gave a slight nod.

The people of the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land also left.

"Heh heh, who would have thought that in the end, today would still fall into our hands..."

Bai Jingxian smiled faintly. "Strike—"

In an instant, the elites brought by Double-Headed Mountain moved at once, charging in to slaughter the people in the hall.

"How dare you!"

Xiang Yuntian and Gu Canye suddenly roared, directly activating Dao Mountain’s Mountain Protection Array. Golden light burst forth, winds and clouds changed color; this was a Golden Immortal Level Array, its power crashing down upon the people of Double-Headed Mountain.

Even though Double-Headed Mountain’s people were all experts, if they were suppressed and slain by this grand array, more than half would still die or be wounded.

"You’ve already come, and you still think you can hide behind an array to commit violence?"

Qianmiao Master sneered, suddenly raising a silver needle and said, "Break—"

The silver needle abruptly expanded, as if turning into a sky-supporting pillar, smashing toward a certain point of the grand array. Wherever it passed, foul blood energy welled up from the pillar, and the light of the Mountain Protection Array began to dim.

This silver needle was a supreme treasure that could itself seek out the eyes of arrays, and it had been soaked day and night in all manner of filth. Against grand Immortal Dao arrays, it was the ultimate bane. Moreover, Double-Headed Mountain had studied Dao Mountain’s arrays for a long time; now, one strike hit true, churning the wind and clouds and tearing the Array apart.

"Pff!"

Xiang Yuntian and Gu Canye both spat a mouthful of fresh blood, their faces suddenly pale.

"Let me show you the means of my Double-Headed Mountain as well!"

Bai Jingxian coldly laughed and swept his hand. A Magical Artifact had already flown forth—a small net-pouch, which as it hung in the air expanded into a vast net that sought to cover all of Dao Mountain.

In an instant, immortal qi became chaotic, Dao Mountain’s Array vanished, and instead they were trapped by this net-pouch Magical Artifact. Within the pouch, countless black threads erupted, drilling straight into the Spirit Platforms of the Dao Sect people.

Even disciples like Li Qingran and An Li, who exerted themselves to the utmost, were unable to resist. Their Primordial Spirits were invaded, the black threads seized upon their Souls; the people whose fighting spirit had just been ignited on Dao Mountain lost all combat strength before this single Artifact.

"Soul-Execution Net!"

"They actually used this foundational Magical Artifact—does Double-Headed Mountain truly mean to annihilate this place?"

"Not leaving a single living mouth... sigh."

Outside Dao Mountain, the guests who had originally come to the banquet now watched like spectators on a wall. Many sighed softly, but said nothing.

"With what does your Dao Mountain fight against us?"

Bai Jingxian shouted coldly. As he channeled power into the net-pouch, the black threads emanating from the net tightened around the Primordial Spirits of Dao Mountain’s people. Many disciples’ Primordial Spirits were on the verge of being torn apart, cracks already appearing. They collapsed to the ground one after another, faces pale, blood flowing from their seven apertures!

"Li Nianxue!"

Tan Qingxue spoke again: "Have you thought it through? For the sake of your selfish desire, will you truly bury the Dao Sect with you?!"

Dao Qian said mildly as well, "Miss Nianxue... the shore of return is just behind you. Listen to your mother’s advice, apologize to her, and everything can still be mended."

This was giving Li Nianxue a way down.

The whole matter had begun with Li Nianxue suddenly striking at her mother, which then triggered... and the end should likewise start there. To reduce the conflict between several great powers to the resentment between mother and daughter was a way of resolving a heavy matter lightly.

Li Nianxue trembled slightly. She had already prepared herself to die...

Yet now she didn’t even have the qualification to die.

She let out a wretched laugh, looking at Tan Qingxue—at the woman who had killed her father Li Yunxiao, the woman who now personally sought to destroy Dao Mountain... she hated.

She hated, yet was so utterly helpless.

Give her an apology, follow the steps laid out by the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land, and then... only then could the Dao Sect live.

Only then would Supreme Li An have the chance, the time, to grow...

"I was wrong..."

It was as if all her spirit had been drained from her, as if everything had been pulled away, leaving her a walking corpse. She gave a bitter laugh and said, "Mother, I was wrong... I promise you..."

As she called out "Mother" again, it felt as if her entire life had already failed completely...

Up in the heavens, Tan Qingxue and Dao Qian both smiled instantly.

Everything was under their control!

Li Nianxue was the prize Dao Qian was determined to obtain.

And the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land was the prize Tan Qingxue was determined to obtain.

All of this fell upon a powerless chess piece that could not resist... Li Nianxue!

Li Nianxue, laughing miserably, was about to kneel toward Tan Qingxue.

"No!"

"Nianxue!"

Xiang Yuntian and Gu Canye’s eyes burned with rage to the absolute extreme. In that instant, their hatred nearly drove them mad—they hated their enemies’ shamelessness, and they hated their own lack of strength!

"Ah..."

And just then, from deep within Dao Mountain, there suddenly came a faint sigh. "Friends of the Celestial Pearl Sacred Land and Double-Headed Mountain, do you not feel that this has gone too far, bullying people to the very limit?"

As that voice sounded, a strange power actually appeared before Li Nianxue, blocking her from kneeling!

Li Nianxue, who had been plunged into total despair, suddenly shook. That voice seemed to grant her some kind of strength; her lashes trembled lightly in agitation, and with endless concern and worry she looked toward the depths of the Stele Forest—

The people of Double-Headed Mountain all started in shock.

"There’s still a master within Dao Mountain?"

Qianmiao Master and Bai Jingxian both furrowed their brows tightly, for as this voice rang out, the Soul-Execution Net in their hands seemed to be hindered.

And in the sky, outside Dao Mountain, Tan Qingxue heard this voice and a flash of bewilderment crossed her face for no reason—but she seemed unable to recall anything...

...

Couldn’t sleep, so I wrote another Chapter.

Good night.