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In theory, the Lotus Cloud Sect should be able to plant suggestions in these disciples without them knowing, making them like puppets forever loyal to the Sect, but Ji Lian did not incorporate this when designing the Immortal Master system.

Why?

Was it because she had shown her siblings a broader world?

Chen Xuan couldn’t be sure of this.

But either way, it was good news for Liu Shuyue.

"Also, I don’t think your past efforts to help the people were meaningless—every person living in Qing State is not a fabricated illusion but a real, living person," he continued, "They can’t see the world beyond the Sect—the kilns and a piece of farmland in Hot Pepper Village are their entirety. You’ve helped them survive through the calamity, and that’s what matters the most."

"But they are like fish in a puddle, and now the water is drying up, Hot Pepper Village will disappear, and everyone will die..." Liu Shuyue looked at Chen Xuan, "Is there really nothing we can do to turn this around?"

The others remained silent.

The twins who created this Grotto Heaven accommodating the Six Kingdoms and lasting a millennium clearly had reached a level beyond ordinary people. The Inner Demon that a cultivation genius can’t defeat indeed exceeds their limits.

"What we need to deal with isn’t the Inner Demon but the invaders disrupting this balance," Chen Xuan said firmly, "Whether this can be achieved is another matter. Of course, you can choose to give up—Lotus Cloud Sect being destroyed won’t affect you much. I’m not imposing any demands, just letting you know that every choice is yours to make. Lotus Cloud Sect may have deceived you, but it hasn’t dictated your destiny—in this regard, you’re freer than Lin Qing."

Lin Qing sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "Ah, I never thought about such distant issues, as long as I have a clear conscience."

"...You’re right, I’ve been too fixated on past missions," Liu Shuyue took a deep breath, "Now that things have changed, I should look forward."

Perhaps she hadn’t completely let go of this conflict, Chen Xuan thought, but that’s okay, time heals all. Someone as determined as Liu Shuyue might not even need several years, perhaps just a couple of months to regain her spirit.

"Exactly," Lin Qing agreed enthusiastically, "Before, the main conflict was the Six Kingdoms’ struggle, but now, whether we can save the Lotus Cloud Sect is the most important issue!"

"How do we save it? We don’t even know where the enemy is." Honglian shrugged, "Deep inside the Grotto Heaven... could it be deep underground?"

"Xu Xuanling, can you figure out how this Grotto Heaven is set up?" Chen Xuan asked his disciple.

"If I could, I would have shown off to you all a long time ago." She pouted, "Do you know what the Lotus Cloud Sect over there looks like? They employed over a hundred thousand builders, the main hall is built on a snow mountain, covering a thousand acres, it’s magnificent and hasn’t even been completed yet. But compared to the scale of this Grotto Heaven?" She clicked her tongue, "It’s not even worth mentioning."

"Undoubtedly, this is the masterpiece of the Gemini twins."

Xu Xuanling emphasized.

"Alright... I thought so too." Chen Xuan wasn’t surprised, "Then let’s activate the backup plan."

"Eh, do we really have to go that far?" Xu Xuanling sighed, "I was hoping to keep this secret to myself."

"I don’t wish for this either, after all, once the curtain is pulled back, no one knows how many chain reactions will ensue. But we can’t just do nothing and let the Lotus Cloud Sect fall."

He didn’t know if the backup plan would come in handy, after all, the challenge this time far exceeds those in the past.

If it were other Sects that caused such a catastrophe, it would be another story.

Taking Liu Shuyue and as many residents of Hot Pepper Village as possible, closing the doors, canceling branch registration, and completely severing contact isn’t a bad option.

But how could it be that the Lotus Cloud Sect happens to be the Sect his disciple established?

Moreover, if this world collapses, Jiang City is likely also doomed. For the fate of millions on both sides, he decided to take a risk.

...

...

The ground trembled slightly.

Small stones continuously fell from the ceiling.

A shadow passed through the white light, arriving in a dim cellar.

The floors and ceiling here were jade-built, many cubic holes lined up on the walls around, each just enough to fit an adult. The surface of these holes was covered with a layer of translucent film, pulsing rhythmically.

This place should have remained spotless, pure and immaculate, yet now it revealed a trace of decay: the jade surfaces were no longer as smooth as ice, and web-like cracks appeared in many places. There were many bugs crawling around, making a rustling noise.

Upon a closer look, one would find these multi-legged bugs crawled out from the cracks.

They even targeted the hole film, one of the few things they could chew.

The figure ignored the bugs running rampant.

She walked to the center of the cellar and stopped.

Here stood a person, whose figure was almost identical to hers, except the body and clothes were completely "jade-ized," as if a most exquisite statue. This person was surrounded by an unimaginable volume of Spiritual Qi, which, even without conscious control, formed threads connecting her to the ceiling and the surrounding walls.

She was Ji Lian’s Soulless Body.

Flesh and blood had long disappeared here, and looking at this jade-like body was actually no different from a solidified Spiritual Qi.

"I’ve seen the person you’ve always wanted to meet again."

"Just as you said, he seems almost unaffected by time; even after a thousand years, he remains as he was in his twenties."

"He inquired about the Lotus Cloud Sect with the jade plaque you all carved. I answered his questions as best as I could; I suppose this fulfills my mission?"

She closed her eyes, gently cupping the "statue’s" face with both hands, and murmured softly.

"But are you really willing to end it like this? He clearly can transcend the barriers of time, yet he hasn’t seen you once in a thousand years. He is your teacher, don’t you want to ask him why? If I’m not mistaken, you complained for a whole hundred years."

"I’ve thought about it, but he must have his reasons. He’s not someone who forgets his disciples; the moment I saw the jade plaque, I forgave him already."

"You’re just too soft-hearted." The shadow smiled, "Oh, and he almost mistook me for you."

"But you also took yourself as me, didn’t you? Otherwise, how could you not forget to apologize in front of Master?"

"That’s right, I’ve always wanted to be you, even to replace you."

"No need, you are me now."

The shadow spoke to herself, as if whispering to an unseen person in conversation.

"So am I allowed to rest now? Fighting for hundreds of years, I’m really tired."

"Of course, sleep well."

"It’s a pity I can’t bring him here to let him see you one last time. Is that a minor regret?"

"It’s alright even if we don’t meet, as the Soulless Body isn’t truly Ji Lian. Besides, neither of us can alter the restrictions here; this possibility never existed from the start."

Her voice grew quieter until it was barely audible.

However, the tremors in the cellar intensified, with loud rumbling noises from above, as if something was digging its way here.

Crumbling pieces of jade continued to fall.

The shadow suddenly opened her eyes, fuming with anger, "So noisy, can’t I just sleep peacefully? Fine, to hell with the Inner Demon, let me strike this beast with a couple of swords first!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the ceiling suddenly blasted open!

Several people, enveloped in dust and debris, plummeted into the cellar with a thud.

"Cough, cough, cough... are you sure we haven’t gone in the wrong direction?" a very familiar voice asked.

"No mistake, if it were me, I’d design the core area this way!" another even more familiar voice replied.

The shadow paused involuntarily.