Druid Fairy

Chapter 235 Choice
Li Lingxi said softly, "Star Lord, you have made a very difficult choice."

The three siblings looked at each other and understood each other's decision.

Grandpa entrusted this world to them, so they cannot just live in a corner of the world.

When the whole world faces peril, humanity should raise its voice.

"I go."

Li Ziran spoke first, "The Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Paths is about debating the 'Dao' and discussing the 'Principles.' It's a good opportunity for them to see how the inheritance of the Human Dao operates."

“I’ll go too.” Li Weishan stood up, his posture as straight as a spear. “The Way and reason ultimately need power to protect them. The sword of the human way is equally sharp.”

Three days after the decision was made, a celestial ship slowly rose into the sky from the City of All Beings.

Its main body is a branch of the towering Jianmu tree on the shore of the South China Sea.

The "Breathing of All Things" formation was personally inscribed by Li Ziran, enabling it to circulate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the Mountain and River Guards led by Li Weishan, together with the elite demons, formed the core of the protection.

Li Lingxi moved a small "Herbal Palace" directly into it, where countless seeds of life were nurtured, ready to be sown on any land that needed them.

This giant ship has no name.

It is a microcosm of the "human way," a moving, ever-renewing little world.

Carrying the hopes of the Eastern Region and the beliefs of the third generation of the Li family, it sailed for the first time toward the legendary center of the continent—Zhongzhou.

…………

The moment this "Ark of Life," entirely constructed of verdant sacred wood, entwined with vibrant vines, and from which one could even hear the clear chirping of birds, sailed into the Central Plains.

All the monks who witnessed this scene were stunned into silence for a long time.

They had seen war fortresses forged from millennia-old black iron, and celestial palaces woven from clouds and shimmering glass, but they had never seen such a... "savage" yet vibrant creation.

"These are the barbarians from the Eastern Region?"

"It doesn't resemble a flying boat; it's more like a flying forest."

"Look, there are humans and demons standing together on that deck! It's absurd and outrageous!"

Disdain, curiosity, shock... a variety of complex gazes were cast from below.

Li Weishan stood at the bow of the ship, completely ignoring the stares. He simply frowned, sensing the laws of heaven and earth in Zhongzhou.

"The air here is so 'hard'," he said in a low voice to Li Ziran beside him.

"It's not hard, it's 'pure'."

A glint of wisdom flashed in Li Ziran's eyes. "The Heavenly Laws of the Immortal Alliance are like a precise instrument, rejecting all the impure laws that do not conform to their 'order.' This makes their spiritual energy extremely pure, suitable for cultivation, but it also makes them lose 'inclusivity.' It's like a forest with only one type of tree; it may look neat and orderly, but a pest infestation can wipe it all out."

Li Lingxi gently stroked the vines on the side of the boat, soothing them.

Upon entering Zhongzhou, these accompanying spiritual plants all exhibited a hint of unease and anxiety, as if they had arrived in a foreign land that was completely out of place.

“They don’t like it here,” she said softly. “The world here doesn’t ‘breathe.’”

Just then, the sea of ​​clouds churned ahead, and a group of cultivators clad in silver armor, exuding a stern aura, and riding cranes blocked their path. The leader, with an arrogant expression, shouted loudly, "Who goes there? State your name! This is the 'Suspended Mountain' territory of the Immortal Alliance. The Myriad Dao Assembly is about to begin. All irrelevant people, leave immediately!"

One of the demon tiger commanders, who had a fiery temper, was about to step forward to argue, but Li Weishan stopped him by raising his hand.

Li Ziran stepped forward and said gently, "We are envoys of the Human Dao from the Eastern Region, invited by the Star Venerable to participate in the Myriad Dao Assembly."

The leading Immortal Alliance cultivator sized them up, and when he saw the powerful demon kings in the group, a hint of undisguised disgust flashed in his eyes.

But he did not forget his duty. He snorted and stepped aside to make way for me: "Follow me. Do not wander around, lest you violate the heavenly rules and bring shame upon yourself."

Under the escort of the Crane Guard, the "Ark of Life" slowly sailed toward the enormous divine mountain that floated in the heavens.

The Suspended Mountain is a unique sight in the Central Plains. For some unknown reason, the entire mountain range was uprooted from the earth and suspended in the sea of ​​clouds. It is shrouded in celestial energy all year round and is one of the venues for the highest meeting of the Immortal Alliance.

As the giant ship approached, representatives from the top sects of Zhongzhou had already gathered in front of the mountain gate.

Their expressions were a mix of amusement and disbelief as they looked at the large, rustic-looking ship and the diverse group of people on board, both human and transgender.

Suddenly, a sharp sword light shot out from the crowd, its target not anyone on the ship, but a vine covered with small white flowers that hung down naturally in front of the giant ship!
The one who made the move was a young man with a striking and heroic air, dressed in a white sword robe. He was the sword master's last disciple, and had always taken it upon himself to slay demons and monsters. Upon seeing humans and demons traveling together, he could no longer contain himself.

This sword strike, though not intended to kill, was filled with provocation and humiliation.

He wanted to sever this "harmony" in front of the whole world and tell these barbarians of the Eastern Region what the true orthodox path of immortality was!
However, just as the sword light was about to touch the vines, Li Weishan moved.

He didn't draw his sword, nor did he even leave the bow of the ship; he simply stomped heavily on the deck.

"Boom!"

A muffled thud, as if it had not struck a piece of wood, but rather the very pulse of the entire world.

A thick, heavy ripple suddenly spread out from the "Ark of Life".

The young swordsman felt as if he had instantly sunk into a bottomless quagmire, his proud and sharp sword energy being enveloped layer by layer by a force of earth energy coming from all directions. He himself was so oppressed by this force that his blood and qi churned, and he almost fell from the sky.

"The flowers and plants of my human realm are also the things I protect."

Li Weishan looked at the young swordsman whose face was flushed, his voice calm but full of undeniable power, "If there is a next time, it will be your sword that breaks."

The whole place was in dead silence.

With just one powerful kick, he effortlessly neutralized the sword master's most powerful sword strike!
What terrified them even more was the nature of that power. It wasn't simply a matter of overwhelming magical power, but rather a kind of "Dao" that seemed to be able to manipulate an entire world for its own use—a Dao they had never heard of before!
In the crowd, the Flower Master chuckled to the Sword Master beside him, "It seems your disciple has gotten you into some trouble, not too bad, not too bad."

The sword master's blurry figure did not respond, but the soaring sword intent subtly subsided.

…………

The Grand Conference of Ten Thousand Paths was officially held at the "Questioning Platform" atop the Suspended Mountain.

The Star Lord sat high on the Star Throne, overlooking the two clearly divided camps below.

On one side were the sect leaders and elders of the Immortal Alliance system, exuding a solemn aura and maintaining strict discipline; on the other side were the representatives of the Eastern Region, led by Li Ziran and his two siblings.

"I'm sure you all already know why I've gathered you all here today," the Star Lord's voice resounded throughout the hall. "The extraterrestrial demons have descended. At this critical juncture of life and death, all sectarian prejudices must be set aside. Today, we must discern a 'new path' that can lead us out of this calamity."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Sword Master was the first to step forward.

"Star Lord." He nodded slightly to the throne, then turned to Li Ziran and the others, saying without any politeness, "I admit that your path does have its unique aspects in dealing with 'contamination.' However, this path is too complex in its foundation, with humans, demons, spirits, monsters, and all things living together without any rules. It may seem resilient in the short term, but in the long run, it will inevitably lead to internal strife. At that time, without the evil spirits taking action, we will be destroyed by our own chaos."

"The Celestial Laws of the Immortal Alliance, though lacking in rigidity, can ensure the absolute stability of order. I believe that simply integrating your 'techniques' for dealing with pollution into the 'laws' of my Immortal Alliance will be sufficient to cope with the great calamity. As for 'fusion,' it is absolutely impossible."

These words represent the sentiments of all the conservatives in the Immortal Alliance.

They can accept the "technology" of the human way, but they are absolutely unwilling to accept the "ideology" of the human way.

All eyes were on Li Ziran.

Li Ziran slowly rose and calmly bowed to the sword master.

“What the Sword Master said makes sense. An order without rules will inevitably descend into chaos.”

Upon hearing this, many members of the Immortal Alliance showed expressions of "I knew it!"

However, Li Ziran suddenly changed the subject.

"But the principles of human society are not 'heavenly laws' set by the strong from top to bottom. Rather, they are 'contracts' formed spontaneously by every living being in the need for 'coexistence' from bottom to top."

He waved his hand gently, and a screen of light unfolded in the center of the platform.

What was presented within the light screen was not some profound Dao law, but rather a most ordinary spirit rice field in the Eastern Region.

"This is the 'Spiritual Plant Symbiotic Array' promoted by my academy," Li Ziran explained. "Spiritual rice provides food for mortals, and the 'vitality' cultivated by mortals nourishes the accompanying spiritual herbs. The spiritual herbs absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the dissipated energy in turn nourishes the spiritual rice. There is no one who is more noble than the others; there is only a contract that was spontaneously reached for the purpose of 'living together'."

"The 'Inheritance' contract of the Natural Academy, the 'Guardian' contract of the Mountain and River Guard, the 'Symbiotic' contract of the Hundred Herbs Hall... countless such contracts have ultimately converged into the highest principle of our human way—"

Li Ziran's voice suddenly rose in pitch, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Respect every life that wants to live well."

These words, devoid of any earthy sentiment, resonated deeply in the hearts of all the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance.

They cultivate immortality, seeking transcendence, longevity, and to rise above all living beings.

But the "Tao" they spoke of was based on the very thing they despised most: the very existence of the millions of "ordinary" people.

Just as the sword master was about to refute, a sudden change occurred!
"Boom!!!"

A deafening roar did not come from the Suspended Mountain, but from the distant heart of the Central Plains. The tremor even caused the rock-solid Asking Platform to shake violently!

The Star Lord suddenly stood up, and the ancient star mirror in front of him shone brightly. The scene in the mirror was the "Demon Land" that had just been polluted!
At this moment, the corrupted spiritual vein erupted like an enraged black dragon!

Endless, foul black energy surged into the sky, transforming into a vast, sun-obscuring "tide of filth" that began to spread wildly in all directions.

Wherever it went, mountains turned to scorched earth, rivers became poisonous swamps, and countless creatures were transformed into monsters that only knew how to kill amidst their wails!

Crisis is no longer a theory, but a bloody reality!
"Everyone!"

For the first time, Xingzun's voice carried an air of anxiety and killing intent: "The debate ends here!"

"I hereby declare that the Immortal Alliance and the Human Path shall, from this moment forth, establish the 'Torch Alliance'! All forces shall be unified and mobilized to jointly resist the great calamity!"

He looked at Li Ziran and his two siblings, and then at the Sword Master, Flower Master, and other leaders of the Immortal Alliance.

"If we win this battle, we will become the inheritors of the torch of this world!"

"If we lose..."

Xingzun didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

If we lose, this land will have no future.

The Star Lord's decision was as resounding as a bell, but before everyone could recover from this shocking announcement, the destructive aura emanating from the heart of the Central Plains swept over the Suspended Mountain like a tsunami!

"Woo!!!"

A mournful wail echoed through the heavens, a painful cry born from the distortion of the laws of heaven and earth.

The image on the Starry Ancient Mirror on the Asking Platform was shaking violently.

On that "demon land," the filthy tide expanded at a visible speed, and everything in its path withered.

The transformed monsters, with bloodshot eyes and devoid of reason, their mouths dripping with black saliva, were frantically attacking all the living beings around them that had not yet been corrupted.

What's even more terrifying is that many of them are cultivators from various sects of the Immortal Alliance!
They were originally ethereal and otherworldly, but now their bodies were twisted, and strange blackness grew on their skin. The magical artifacts in their hands had lost their spiritual light and were covered with a thick layer of filthy rust. However, the spells they cast became even more bizarre and vicious because of the power of this filth!

"evil creature!"

The sword master was the first to react, and his sword intent, which had been stirred up by the debate, instantly transformed into a monstrous killing intent.

"All sword cultivators, heed my command! Draw your swords and vanquish the evil!"

Before he finished speaking, the young swordsman who had spoken rudely earlier had already transformed into a streak of light and rushed out first. The hundreds of swordsmen from the Immortal Alliance behind him followed closely behind, forming an incomparably sharp torrent of sword energy that rushed straight towards the vanguard of the filthy tide.

"Immortal Alliance Punishment Hall and War God Hall, heed my command!"

An elder roared, "Form the Four Symbols Locking Heaven Formation and flank from the side! We must stop this turbid current from spreading!"

In an instant, precious light soared into the sky above the suspended mountain, and immortal magic resounded.

The Immortal Alliance, this war machine that has been running for countless ages, revealed its formidable strength after a brief moment of shock.

"Chucky!"

The sword energy was fierce, instantly turning dozens of demonized cultivators into dust.

But the shattered flesh and blood did not dissipate; instead, it transformed into an even denser, murky black mist, which, like maggots clinging to bones, instantly wrapped around the blades of those flying swords!

(End of this chapter)