Chapter 1717
All Matters
However, Brother Duobao's condition was getting worse and worse, which made Guiling quite uneasy. If he failed to withstand this test, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Not only her, but Wudang and Jinling, whose cultivation levels were slightly lower, also looked at him with heavy expressions and worried faces.
The other disciples of Shangqing Dao were not very clear about these matters, but they knew that their senior brother Duobao was in a very bad mood, which made the atmosphere in the hall even more oppressive and gloomy.
……
at the same time.
Outside Biyou Island, Yunxiao was leading Qiongxiao and Bixiao from their own cave to the mountain gate, but they encountered a completely unfamiliar Golden Immortal cultivator there!
However, judging from the aura emanating from this person, he actually came from the Shangqing Sect and should be her junior brother, but she had never seen this person on Biyou Island.
Even if Shangqing Dao only had two or three thousand disciples left, she could clearly distinguish each of her fellow disciples even in its heyday, let alone a Golden Immortal.
In the current Shangqing Dao, the number of Golden Immortal cultivators is not very large.
"strangeness!"
Qiongxiao, who was beside him, also noticed his presence and said with some surprise, "Big sister, this person is also a disciple of Shangqing Dao, but why do I have no impression of him at all?"
"Hey! Who taught you this Shangqing Dao Jing?" Seeing that her two elder sisters had become interested in this person, the other Bixiao asked directly.
Li Zhirui never expected to run into his fellow disciples outside the mountain gate. Moreover, judging from their cultivation levels, they were all above him, and he had to respectfully address them as senior sisters.
"Li Zhirui greets the three senior sisters."
He bowed respectfully and said, "Junior brother was cultivating in the outside world before. Fortunately, he received the Shangqing inheritance and was also fortunate enough to be accepted into the master's sect. He has only recently come to the prehistoric world."
"Cultivation outside the external world?"
Yunxiao was slightly surprised. It was extremely rare for someone who was not a primordial being to be valued by their teacher.
She seemed to remember something, but didn't say it directly. Instead, she said, "Our teacher has summoned all the disciples. We should hurry over."
After saying that, she swept up the other three people, and a wisp of cloud light instantly disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, they had traversed tens of thousands of miles and arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Enlightenment, where they slowly walked inside.
The oppressive and somber atmosphere inside the hall made Li Zhirui feel extremely uncomfortable.
At first, he didn't understand what was going on, but when he saw the number of cultivators sitting cross-legged in the hall, compared with the number of those he had heard his teacher preach before, it was more than half less!
However, if you look at the empty prayer cushions inside the hall, the number of cultivators sitting cross-legged is less than ten percent.
Observing their expressions further, he quickly came to a terrible conclusion...
Could it be that the original owners of these empty prayer cushions have all perished?!
Thinking of this, Li Zhirui was filled with terror, and he couldn't suppress his emotions, which eventually showed.
He couldn't understand how a dignified lineage of saints, with the most powerful Great Luo Dao Fruit in the universe presiding over it, could experience such a near-annihilation situation.
What exactly happened?
Since arriving in the prehistoric world, Li Zhirui has found that his doubts have not only not been resolved, but have accumulated more and more.
"Hurry up and sit down," Yunxiao reminded him, then led her two younger sisters to the front row.
Since entering the main hall, she had been observing him. Judging from the emotions he revealed, it was clear that this person had never been to the prehistoric world before, otherwise he would have known about the great calamity that had just ended not long ago.
"Yes."
Li Zhirui snapped back to his senses. Just as he was about to look for his location, a sense of urgency arose in his heart. Following the urge, he saw an empty prayer mat and immediately walked over.
They were among the last to arrive, and after they sat down, the figure of Shangqing Daozun suddenly appeared at the head of the table.
"Disciple Duobao/Wudang...pays respects to Master."
Everyone stood up to greet him, and Li Zhirui followed suit instantly.
"No need for formalities, please sit down."
Shangqing Daozun waved his hand, and all the disciples sat back on their prayer mats. Then he spoke, "I have summoned you all here today to give you a few instructions."
"A thousand years from now, all of you Dao Fruit Grand Luo Immortals will leave the Primordial World. Unless there are special circumstances, you will not be allowed to enter the Primordial World again. If you violate this rule, all of you Dao Fruit Grand Luo Immortals will take action against you together."
In fact, the title of "sage" originated from a group of beings, which gradually spread and eventually became known throughout the primordial world.
However, even those who have achieved the Great Luo Dao Fruit, such as Shangqing Daozun, do not have a high degree of acceptance of this title, and they still refer to themselves as Dao Fruit Great Luo.
boom--
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving everyone dizzy and at a loss for words.
They had never thought of this before.
In their eyes, their teacher was a supreme saint, one of the most powerful beings in the primordial world! No one could restrain him.
Moreover, it is precisely because of the existence of their teachers that they are the lineage of sages. If he is unable to return to the primordial world from now on, the lineage of sages will probably gradually lose its aura and its power to intimidate others.
Due to his own mental state, Duobao kept his head down the whole time, and even when his teacher announced the shocking news, he did not have much of a reaction.
"Teacher, will all the Dao Fruit Grand Luo cultivators leave the Primordial World?" So Gui Ling, as the eldest sister, asked first.
"Yes."
"Then, teacher, if you wish to return to the primordial world, what should you do?" the Turtle Spirit then asked.
"Currently, the several Dao Fruit Grandmasters have not yet reached a satisfactory answer."
The other disciples also spoke up, expressing their concerns. Their expressions and tones were mostly filled with anxiety and worry, as if they were concerned about the safety of the Shangqing Dao and themselves after the Shangqing Daoist left the prehistoric world.
This is actually quite normal, because in the primordial world, besides saints who stand at the end of the laws, there are many powerful beings who have survived since the ancient times!
Although they did not attain the Dao Fruit, their accumulated strength over countless years still reached a terrifying level!
It can be said that, apart from the sages, they were the most powerful beings in the primordial world.
Even Duobao, Guiling, and the others are no match for those powerful figures in a one-on-one fight. If a powerful figure were to take action against Shangqing Dao, only Duobao, Guiling, Wudang, and Jinling among them could barely cope, but they would still be no match.
Unfortunately, Shangqing Dao had offended several powerful figures in the past, which is why many disciples were worried, mainly because they feared that these figures would seek revenge.
Perhaps they wouldn't dare attack Biyou Island, but the cave dwellings they've built outside don't offer that kind of security.
Moreover, many disciples relied on the Shangqing Dao to occupy many excellent spiritual mountains and blessed lands. If we only consider their own strength, it would be impossible for them to open up cave dwellings in such places.
After Shangqing Daozun leaves the prehistoric world, it's likely that not only powerful beings, but also some beings stronger than them will set their sights on their cave dwellings.
Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Li Zhirui listened quietly to the disciples' speeches, like an outsider, but he didn't feel much in his heart.
After all, he knew nothing about the situation in the prehistoric world, nor did he understand the grudges and affections of the Shangqing Dao.
Therefore, he did not speak.
"Therefore, disciples who are not strong enough should try to move to Biyou Island when they return later," said Shangqing Daozun with some helplessness.
He knew, of course, what his disciples were afraid of and worried about, but when the time came, he couldn't care less.
However, it was a foregone conclusion that these Dao Fruit Grandmasters would leave the Primordial World, and there was nothing he could change that.
"The second thing is that after the great calamity ends and before the birth of ten Great Luo Golden Immortals, it will not only be easier to break through, but the power of the lightning tribulation will also decrease slightly."
After he finished speaking, the disciples' reactions were not as intense as before.
In truth, they were quite shocked, because they had never heard of the Heavenly Dao being so friendly to living beings before!
However, most disciples were also very self-aware of their own level and cultivation, knowing that these ten spots had nothing to do with them, so they remained relatively calm.
After all, these ten spots are not only open to the Shangqing Dao, but to all living beings in the prehistoric world.
How many beings in the primordial world are at the Taiyi Perfection stage? No one knows. Perhaps there aren't many, but there are definitely quite a few. Even if the number of slots were increased a hundredfold, let alone ten, they still wouldn't get a chance.
Only a very small number of disciples showed signs of excitement.
Among them were Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Liuguang, and Bidu, a mere handful of people, all of whom were at the Taiyi Perfection stage, just one step away from becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal!
Disciples like Qiongxiao and Mengwei, who were at the late Taiyi stage, also had a glint in their eyes, as if they wanted to try and see if they could get a spot.
Li Zhirui had only recently broken through to the Golden Immortal realm and wasn't even a Taiyi Golden Immortal yet, so naturally he wouldn't be so ambitious as to stare at this opportunity, because it had nothing to do with him!
However, while he was observing everyone, he happened to see the changes in the expressions of the three senior sisters who had brought him in earlier. Yunxiao, who was the strongest, was excited and confident, as if she had already secured a spot.
Qiongxiao, whose strength was slightly inferior, was not so confident, but she also planned to try her best. Even if she failed in the end, it would still improve her cultivation to some extent.
Bixiao, who was the weakest, didn't take it to heart at all, because she knew that she was still a long way from breaking through to the Great Luo realm.
"The third thing is to tell you that you must work hard in your cultivation and not be as lazy as before, working only sporadically!"
At this point, the Shangqing Daozun's expression became very serious, with a hint of pain in it. He said in a deep voice, "There are some things I cannot tell you now, but you must know that the primordial world is not peaceful!"
"In these turbulent and contentious times that are about to begin, I hope you can seize the opportunity and achieve great things."
Li Zhirui, who had always maintained a calm state of mind, was suddenly overwhelmed with shock upon hearing these words!
Although he only had contact with this teacher two or three times, it is not hard to see that he is by no means an exaggerator, and may even be hiding something.
The reality is likely even more serious than this sage described!
He wasn't the only disciple present who had thought of these things.
Moreover, because Li Zhirui had not experienced the great calamity, he did not know how dangerous it was, nor had he personally experienced it. Therefore, although he felt heavy-hearted and worried, unlike the other disciples, he was not as terrified or afraid.
"Teacher, you mean..."
Before Gui Ling could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Shangqing Daozun, who said, "It cannot be said! It is not the right time yet."
His attitude only made the disciples feel heavier and more uneasy.
"The fourth thing is that I would like to ask you, if possible, to reintroduce the reincarnations of your fellow disciples who perished in the Great Calamity into the Shangqing Dao."
"Teacher, rest assured, this is something we all want to do. Even if you don't give the order, we will do our best to guide our junior brothers and sisters back into the sect!" It was Turtle Spirit who spoke again, and gave a positive answer.
Duobao, who had been keeping his head down and silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Leave this matter to me alone."
"Then I'll leave it to Duobao."
Before the other disciples could say anything, Shangqing Daozun immediately agreed, saying, "There's no time to lose, you should set off now."
"Master, this disciple takes his leave." Duobao did not refuse, and after bowing, he got up and walked out of the hall.
“Teacher, tens of thousands of fellow disciples have perished. How much time would it take for Senior Brother Duobao to survive alone? Moreover, Senior Brother's current condition is very bad. What if…” Zhao Gongming said anxiously.
"Let him be. This is his tribulation, and also his trial. As long as he gets through it, he will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with those old guys."
Upon hearing this, the disciples who wanted to offer advice were momentarily at a loss for words.
This strange situation made Li Zhirui very curious. What exactly had his cheap senior brother gone through to become like this?
It was completely different from what he remembered!
In addition, he was also very curious about what had happened in the prehistoric world during this period.
"The last thing I will do is to preach to you one last time in the primordial world before I leave."
thump—
Before anyone knew it, a fish drum appeared before the Supreme Pure Daoist. With just a light tap, it cleared away the chaotic thoughts of all the disciples.
"The way of heaven and earth and all things lies in yin and yang. When yin and yang overcome each other, all things are born..."
"There was something undifferentiated and complete, which existed before heaven and earth..."
When sages preach the Way, although there are no extraordinary phenomena such as heavenly flowers and spiritual trees or golden lotuses emerging from the earth, and they do not narrowly describe a particular law, they still reach the true meaning of the Great Way.
Many of the problems Li Zhirui encountered in his cultivation were readily resolved during the course of listening to the Dao. He even exclaimed "So that's how it is!" after hearing some of the questions.
His recently broken through realm has begun to slowly improve after this sermon. (End of Chapter)