Fairy, return my flying sword to me

Chapter 183 Don't Become an Immortal!

"I surrender." Chunxue covered her head with her hands, shrinking back. "I shouldn't have questioned our greatest brother Jian's orientation! But brother Jian, brother Jian, haven't we been a bit too conspicuous by thwarting the Demon Worship Sect's plots twice?"

Last time was better; not many people knew about it, and it was done under the pseudonym Bai Ji.

What about this time?

All the believers of Mingguang Temple have heard his story, and many of them have even seen him in person or up close.

In this situation, Lin Jian might already be on the list of those associated with the Demon Worship Sect.

……

"This child must not be kept!"

In the dark cavern, a deep voice rang out from beneath a bronze demon face, “Twice you’ve thwarted our important operations, and this time you’ve even caused the Demon Lord’s divine body to be severely damaged! This disciple of the Zheng Yang Sect has great potential; if she continues to develop, she might very well become the second Heavenly Saintess.”

In the dark underground passage, a figure took a small step out from the shadows, and an old voice snorted coldly.

"You summoned me for this matter? You should know that even the Holy Maiden Tianyi isn't worth our special attention. Left Envoy Tong descended to the mortal realm to search for the whereabouts of that sword immortal. After searching for so long, do you have any definite news?"

The bronze-faced demon clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please reply, Your Excellency! We have indeed tried our best to mobilize our connections, and even used some hidden agents that we would not normally use, but so far we have not heard of the strange phenomena that Left Envoy Tong mentioned!"

Heaven knows how a legendary sword immortal, who had been said to be unparalleled, suddenly appeared in the lower realms after such a long period of estrangement between the Upper Nine Realms and the Lower Nine Realms.

The alliance's high command pursued the enemy all the way down to the mortal realm, only to find that the enemy had vanished without a trace after a major battle.

Everyone has speculated about who the sword immortal's opponent was in that great battle, and subsequent signs all indicate that the battle ended in the sword immortal's victory.

The vanished sword immortal is definitely not dead!
But then the person disappeared again.

Where could it have gone?
That must be because even if he won the battle against the four Demon Lords, he wouldn't feel good.

His cultivation might be damaged, and he might not dare to face anyone.

The sword immortal wasn't stupid; she knew that the Human Alliance had been hunting her down.

When one is weak, one certainly wouldn't dare to make a big fuss.

However, once a cultivator of the Sword Immortal level is seriously injured, it is very difficult for them to recover on their own. To recover, they need some extremely precious natural treasures.

Who in the Lower Nine Realms has access to these precious cultivation resources?
Naturally, apart from those from major sects or even holy lands, it's difficult to find a way to contact them.

In this situation, it goes without saying which people to focus on.

Unfortunately, after monitoring all the major sects and holy lands in the Nine Realms... or rather, the Seventh Realm, they found no one who was pursuing those precious natural treasures with such fervor in the short term.

Even when there were occasional disputes over transactions, no trace of the sword immortal was ever found after investigation.

"Then let's try a different approach!" The aged voice spoke coldly. "Information about rare and precious materials is highly confidential; even if they were to appear in the world, you might not be able to find out. On the other hand, the legacy of that sword immortal is easily recognizable."

It's a very simple principle: finding rare and precious materials is not easy.

Who could possibly go to such lengths to find treasure for her?

Sword immortals always deserve some reward.

It's either supplies or spiritual practice.

That sword immortal was a notorious pauper in the Upper Nine Realms, so the only thing he could offer was guidance on cultivation.

The lineage of sword immortals is ancient and profound; even a tiny bit of it slipping through their fingers represents a height that cultivators of the lower nine realms can hardly reach.

Those who receive guidance from a sword immortal in their cultivation will inevitably make rapid progress in a short period of time. It is obviously more intuitive to look for this approach from a more direct perspective.

The eyes behind the bronze mask darted around, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "So this is the information we just reported! How could a Foundation Establishment disciple of the Zheng Yang Sect repeatedly thwart our carefully planned operations? With his cultivation level, it's completely impossible for him to accomplish this! I implore Your Excellency to personally take action and annihilate that petty thief in the slightest!"

"Foundation Establishment stage? Zhengyang Sect?" Upon hearing these keywords, a handsome and dashing figure indeed appeared in the old man's mind.

The aged voice was slightly cold, "Master Tang, why don't you tell me the name of that little thief? Perhaps I know him."

"White Season".

"Hmph! Never heard of it!" The old man flicked his sword sleeve. "Hall Master Tang, how long are you going to keep toying with me? Since when can Foundation Establishment cultivators access rare and precious herbs that can heal even a Sword Immortal? Or are you just using this as an excuse to get me to expand your territory?"

The old man was furious when he talked about it.

I haven't even settled accounts with you for what happened right under my nose last time. Good heavens, I didn't know until I asked that you were secretly carrying out countless underhanded schemes at the same time.

Is it something our Humanity Alliance should do to summon celestial demons to invade the human world?

"Don't become an immortal! Don't become an immortal! Don't become an immortal!"

This is the foundation upon which the Humanitarian Alliance was established.

This is something they have always been doing.

Instead of constantly thinking about letting the Heavenly Demons cleanse the world, find every potential immortal and eliminate them!

The Humanitarian Alliance targets exceptional geniuses who have the potential to become immortals, not the ordinary masses of this world.

The old man looked at the other person with disdain.

If the true members of the Humanitarian Alliance were not so scarce, why would they need to recruit these lowlifes to join them in their grand scheme?
The bronze mask lowered its head, not daring to let the other party discover the resentment in its eyes.

'Hmph! You old fool! If it weren't for the fact that it was someone from your Immortal Slaughtering Sect who descended to the mortal realm this time, would I still be here listening to your lecture?'

'I don't understand why all the high-level power is in the hands of your Immortal Slaughtering Sect. What are the people of the Upper Nine Realms up to?'

'They're fixated on appearances all day, never considering what humanity truly needs right now!'

I simply don't believe that "not becoming an immortal" was the original intention of the Humanity Alliance when it was first established.

At most, they are afraid that cultivators who become immortals will turn around and dominate the entire world!
Is it different from the world today?

Is there?

Not to mention, can all geniuses be killed?
They can't kill them all!

One generation is killed, and another generation comes.

Every generation has geniuses who have the potential to become immortals. Does that mean every generation has to play this cat-and-mouse game with those geniuses?
Being a villain in the eyes of the mainstream cultivation world all day long must be exhausting, okay?

The geniuses remain constant, while the villains come and go.

Geniuses come in every generation, but who knows if the Humanitarian Alliance will be able to have a next generation after this one?
If the next generation of the Human Alliance cannot produce combat power capable of annihilating geniuses, wouldn't we just have to watch those geniuses become immortals?

The so-called genius-killing mechanism is a complete mess; otherwise, how could they be so nervous over just a sword immortal slipping away?
Purification is the only salvation this world needs! Thorough purification is the only salvation this world truly requires!

Fine! You're not going to kill me, huh?!
If you won't kill me, I'll kill you myself!

He's just a Foundation Establishment stage kid? I refuse to believe that I, a Golden Core stage cultivator, am no match for him!
He responded humbly, "Yes, Your Excellency! I will do my utmost to investigate!" The old man stared at the top of his head with exasperation, "Investigate where you should! Don't spend all your time focusing on those insignificant little places. Stop the activities that should be stopped. The orders from the upper realm are the most important."

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Watching the bronze mask depart, the old man sighed softly.

If the Humanitarian Alliance weren't so weak, why would it need to recruit these people?

Instead, the original good intentions have been turned into this bizarre and incongruous state?

A genius with the potential to become an immortal?
What connection do those kinds of people have with the Lower Nine Realms?
It was only occasionally necessary for them to act in the Lower Nine Realms that they had to develop a branch of the Humanity Alliance in the Lower Nine Realms.

In order to gather information, those seemingly insignificant and ordinary members actually constitute the main force within the Humanitarian Alliance.

The same applies to the lower nine realms and the upper nine realms.

The more advanced Immortal Slaughtering Sect became a minority within the Human Alliance, while the Demonic Sect, a newcomer, flourished.

As a result, these orthodox members of the Humanitarian Alliance are gradually losing influence within the alliance.

Most of the people below also outwardly comply but inwardly defy.

If it weren't for the fact that the one who descended to the mortal realm this time was an immortal from the Upper Realm of the Immortal Slaughtering Sect, he would have had a hard time even achieving this most basic justification.

"Hey!"

Humanity is beset by internal and external troubles: internally, there are these demonic factions, and externally, there are world-destroying demons.

Why do the common people of the lower realms suffer?
With a final sigh, the old man left the cave with his hands behind his back.

In the gentle, warm breeze, the old man raised his face.

In the sunlight, a familiar face appeared.

If Lin Jian were here, he might be able to call out the other person's name immediately...

……

Go home.

With the matter of Mingguang Temple settled, the day for the Zhengyang Sect to set out to guard the Tianyuan Demon Rift is fast approaching.

Lin Jian did indeed gain a real sense of spiritual fulfillment from two days of hands-on work. Without the demonic energy invading his body, he didn't know yet whether it was the so-called merit of the masses.

But there really wasn't time to waste any longer.

Knowing that she had to leave the forest, Fairy Red Clouds was extremely reluctant to part with her.

But when she thought about the crushing defeat during the night raid when everything was defended, she felt that even her charm had been weakened by three-tenths.

The Hehuan sect's concept of "Hehuan" encompasses the entirety of body, mind, and soul.

This kind of one-sided, completely ignored pleasing is definitely not the result she wants.

No! My cultivation has slackened; I must go back and practice diligently!
Once I've improved my skills further, I'll challenge this cold, snowy mountain again.

Hua Xiaodie couldn't escape the clutches of the devil and was eventually dragged away by her.

Whether she was taken back to continue being a saintess or did something else remains unknown...

After bidding farewell to the Imperial Preceptor and Abbot in the forest, Lin Jian and Chunxue embarked on their journey home once again.

Without Hua Xiaodie's constant nagging or the advances of enthusiastic members of the community, the two returned peacefully to the territory of the Zhengyang Sect.

When passing by the small mountain where the former Supreme Elder was said to have lived in seclusion, I deliberately took a detour through the woods.

I had no hope this time, but to my surprise, the other person was actually home.

"Supreme Elder."

After exchanging a few words about protecting their home outside the fortified area, they were about to leave when they discovered that a one-armed, white-browed old man had actually come out of a thatched hut inside the woods.

He immediately bowed and performed the disciple's salute, asking for instructions: "This junior is a disciple of True Yang Zhenren, from Linjian. I am about to join the team to guard the Tianyuan Demon Rift, so I have come to inquire after the elder."

The white-browed old man smiled warmly, looking quite kind. "Come in."

He waved his hand casually as he spoke.

Lin Jian felt the barrier in front of him dissipate.

Seeing the young girl following behind Lin Jian, the Supreme Elder raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his expression. "And this is...?"

"This is a mortal I found while traveling. Seeing that she was all alone and helpless in the world, I have kept her by my side ever since."

The white-browed old man was taken aback, then his smile deepened. "You are a kind-hearted child."

Leading them through the woods into the thatched hut, the white-browed old man waved his hand and offered them two cups of hot tea.

"Speak, what brings you here?"

Not many people know where he is, so to have received this information, he must be a highly regarded young disciple within the sect.

Lin Jian scratched his head. "It's my first time going to Tianyuan, and I'm not sure what to do. I came here specifically to ask the elders for advice on things inside the Tianyuan Demon Rift. Maybe it can save my life in a critical moment."

"I see..." The white-browed elder pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "Many basic rules will be explained by the elders leading the team on the flying boats that go to guard the area. But some personal insights still need to be understood by oneself. Here, I can only share some of my own understanding with you, which may serve as a reminder when appropriate."

"In the Heavenly Abyss Demon Rift, the first thing you must do is trust. You must completely trust your fellow Daoists who fight alongside you. Remember, even the smallest gap between you and your companions may become a loophole that the Heavenly Demons can exploit."

"Secondly, know when to back down. In the demonic rift, being too brave is not a good thing. You can't kill all the demons, but you will increase your chances of becoming a demon by killing too many demons. The more you immerse yourself, the more vigilant you must be. Many cultivators who become demons are often unaware that they are in the process of becoming demons."

"Furthermore..."

The white-browed elder talked on and on for a long time, imparting his experiences to the younger generation of the sect in great detail.

This elder, who supposedly exiled himself, truly embodied the utmost in his paternal love.

Lin Jian felt he had learned a great deal, but before leaving, he asked curiously, "With the elder's abilities, even if he can no longer be a leading cultivator on the front lines, retiring to the second line would surely create more benefits for the sect. Why... exile himself and leave the sect?"

Seemingly never expecting to hear such a question from Lin Jian, the white-browed old man's smile froze on the spot.

After a moment, he smiled helplessly, gently patted Lin Jian's head with affection in his eyes, and said, "Child, there are some things we can't just look at from our own perspective."

"What the superiors do, the subordinates will follow. If we, the higher-ups of our sects, cannot set an example by leaving the sect without burdening others after becoming disabled, how can we expect others in the sect to willingly accept such an outcome?"

"Of course, I know that such behavior may just be wishful thinking on my part, but even if I can only persuade one or two sect outcasts who might go to extremes to come back, it is a responsibility that I should fulfill as a member of the Zhengyang Sect..."

(End of this chapter)