Myriad Dao Immortal Palace.
Li Yunlin was still in his self-imposed confinement, but in recent days, he had finally met the Old Palace Master of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace, Ming Daozi.
The Old Palace Master was truly a good man, with an exceptionally limpid gaze. Ever since Ming Daozi had emerged from seclusion, the disciples surrounding the Skyveil Hall had finally been called away.
Just today, he had received word in the Ancestor Space that it was time to escape.
Yet, in that very moment, Ming Daozi suddenly appeared before him.
He looked once more into that pair of clear eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Ming Daozi." Li Yunlin bowed slightly.
Ever since Tian Xing had been devoured by the Old Tree, he, too, had returned to Eternal Sun Prefecture.
The Skyveil Sect's lineage continued, but with a new Sect Master at its head, he had taken on the title of Grand Elder. With a growing number of disciples and grand-disciples, he had developed more of a transcendent air.
He thought, We are both Grand Elders. It's only right that we meet as equals.
"Fellow Daoist Yunlin."
Ming Daozi's expression was complex. "Discussing the Dao with you these past days... you are a man of fine character, Fellow Daoist. Why must you wade into this mire?"
...
For the past few days, Li Yunlin's wish to 'seek the Dao' had finally been fulfilled. The discussions had been going very well, and he had benefited greatly from them.
But now... why did it feel like this old dog was insulting him?
Li Yunlin's brow furrowed instantly. "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?"
"Are you aware, Fellow Daoist, that the Li family is in collusion with Skynet? They bring nothing but turmoil to the world and disaster to its people. They have caused endless chaos in Eternal Sun Prefecture, practice the arts of evil cultivators, and have now come to stir up trouble in our Duravia Trade Prefecture."
Ming Daozi said with a grave expression, "Fellow Daoist Yunlin, this poor Daoist knows that you are fundamentally a good man. But what imprisons you is not this cage—it is the great evil of the Li family."
Li Yunlin's expression remained calm.
But the horsetail brush in his hand trembled slightly. His tone was level as he asked, "Where have you just been? What have you heard?"
He saw Ming Daozi frown and remain silent, his face a mask of pity.
Li Yunlin let out a derisive scoff. "Let me guess. You went to Prince Qian's Mansion? Are these the things he told you?"
Ming Daozi still wore that same pitying expression.
Li Yunlin's tone became even more scornful. "My Li family is a great evil, and I am an even greater one. I once did something foolish that got my kin killed. That was true devastation. Have you ever seen anything like it?"
At these words, Ming Daozi's expression sank.
Li Yunlin viciously gripped the horsetail brush, his face contorting into a savage snarl.
"You fucking haven't seen a thing! You've cultivated in this Myriad Dao Immortal Palace for twenty thousand years, sitting high above it all!
What you see is always good, because your status has long since forced people to be utterly respectful to you.
Who would dare show their wicked side in your presence?!!
Do you fucking think that not killing is what makes someone good?
That not practicing evil arts is what makes someone a righteous cultivator?"
His eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body trembled. For someone to tell him to abandon the Li family... it was simply the most malicious thing he had ever heard in his life.
"You think you can see everything clearly? Have you seen me clearly?"
Watching the lines on Ming Daozi's forehead deepen, Li Yunlin abruptly calmed himself. His eyes remained bloodshot, but he took a deep breath before speaking in a level tone.
"You saw Prince Qian clearly. He truly is a good man. I suddenly think you're right. Go on. Do what you must."
Ming Daozi gazed at Li Yunlin for a long, long time.
Finally, he shook his head at Li Yunlin with a pitying sigh and turned to leave. One can never wake a man who is only pretending to be asleep.
Li Yunlin sat down cross-legged.
Holding the Ancestor's Spirit Tablet, he watched Ming Daozi's retreating back with piercing eyes and muttered under his breath.
"Old Ancestor, this child is preparing to emerge from seclusion."
The Ancestor's Spirit Tablet began to glow.
...
Ming Daozi walked out of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace, his brow furrowed and refusing to ease.
The hundred fortified mountains along the Duravia Trade Prefecture's border—he had always believed them to be a necessary defense against the Eternal Sun Prefecture.
The great aristocratic clans mobilizing their forces—he had once thought it a display of farsighted strategy.
And Prince Qian seated upon his throne—in Ming Daozi's eyes, he had always been the unshakable foundation of the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
..
In the Perennis Immortal Palace, Li Kuanghua was in a secret meeting with Palace Master Fairy Hongxiu and Shu Wandong.
With the Azure Cloud army on the move and forces converging on the Three Great Powers from all sides, they too had to prepare for what was to come.
Meanwhile, at the Aeternus Sect, Li Chang'an sat cross-legged on one of the thirteen immortal mountains.
Daoist Mingtai and six elders stood nearby, all with grave expressions.
The sect's Supreme Elder, Daoist Puci, harbored great ambitions. Persuaded by Li Chang'an, they stood ready to bring order out of chaos at a moment's notice.
Suddenly.
From their respective meeting places, they all emerged. Their faces turned grim as they gazed in the direction of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace.
A voice transmission from a Void Refining cultivator was echoing across the land, filled with a vast and noble righteousness.
"Today, the Li family of Eternal Sun commits evil, and the cultivators of Azure Cloud invade Duravia. I, Ming Daozi, do hereby use the Supreme Command of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace to call upon Fellow Daoist Puci of the Aeternus Sect and Fairy Hongxiu of the Perennis Immortal Palace. Let us jointly command the grand banner of Duravia, intercept this foreign enemy, and annihilate the invading cultivators in one fell swoop!"
"It is commanded."
"Let the twelve Regions of the Duravia Trade Prefecture and all its great aristocratic clans mobilize! Our generation must act as one to eradicate this evil, down to the very root."
Within the Aeternus Sect.
Seated cross-legged inside an Eight Trigrams formation diagram, Grand Elder Puci stroked his beard and smiled faintly.
"Excellent!"
Within the Perennis Immortal Palace, the sea of blood began to boil.
Standing beside Li Kuanghua, Fairy Hongxiu's face was dark, yet her voice was gentle as it carried across the land to the Three Great Powers and all the clans.
"...Good."
As the three voices spoke, cheers erupted from the great aristocratic clans throughout the Duravia Trade Prefecture.
Li Kuanghua, still within the Perennis Immortal Palace, could hear them. The sect's disciples were celebrating as if in a frenzy. These disciples acted without distinguishing right from wrong; perhaps they had long since received benefits from Prince Qian.
After all, a prince who gives them miraculous pills and elixirs—how could he not be a wonderful person?
Fairy Hongxiu could only shrug at Li Kuanghua, her face fixed in a bitter smile.
Shu Wandong's expression was somber.
"We must kill Prince Qian quickly," she said. "Otherwise..."
Li Chang'an looked at his fellow Daoists, his voice low and deep.
"Otherwise, with this rallying cry from Senior Ming Daozi, the Duravia Trade Prefecture will become a unified front."
"He is like the bright sun on a warm winter day. To stand under his protection is to stand in the light."
"From that point on, the Three Great Powers will be cloaked in the righteousness he bestows upon them. No matter what they do, it will be seen as an act of great benevolence."
"In less than a year, Prince Qian will be able to use him to rally the great aristocratic clans of the Duravia Trade Prefecture and march into our Eternal Sun Prefecture!"
---
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [https://ko-fi.com/darktea] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 50 Chapters: Search for "Dark Tea" on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!