Chapter 750: The True Immortal Who Saves the World

"Zhu Shixiong, what did they say?"

Seeing Shen Yi's expression, Ling Su Zhenjun's heart skipped a beat; a vague premonition of something ill rose within her. At last she stopped putting on a cold face and closed the distance in two or three steps.

"……"

Master Yun Miao Zhenjun fell silent for a moment, swiftly smoothing the awkwardness from his face, cleared his throat, and said: "The meaning of the fellow disciples in the Sect is that they have just ceded part of Kaiyuan Prefecture to our Lingxu Grotto. Don't be impatient—first tidy up this place properly, then we'll talk. Let Danhuang-shidi go with you to relieve Tian Tashan."

Hearing this, a flash of anger leapt into Ling Su's eyes. Rarely, she did not throw a tantrum, but instead stared fixedly at her senior brother.

The current situation was precisely why she had been so resistant to Shen Yi joining the Sect.

The Lingxu Grotto branch had always been weak to begin with, and the senior brother had always been wavering, unwilling to truly step forward and fight for things. Now suddenly another mouth had been added to feed, and most likely it would mean taking a share that belonged to her.

Being stared at like this by his little junior sister, Master Yun Miao Zhenjun felt a twinge of guilt, and at the same time a spark of smoldering anger. He rebuked her in a low voice: "What are you putting on that look for!"

He had thought that, after all, he was a third-rank cultivator who had reached the extreme of the Nine-Nine Transformations, the leading figure among the younger generation of the Sect. Moreover, the Shenxu branch had fallen to the brink of near-annihilation precisely because it had been doing the Sect's work—everyone had a share. No matter what, these people ought to give him some face.

Even if they didn't actually carve out a piece of land, at the very least they should offer some words, show an attitude that they wouldn't treat the other party unfairly, and let him first keep this Da Nanzhou cultivator steady.

Yet the result was this.

Unfortunately, Master Yun Miao Zhenjun had already sworn grandly and let the words out earlier—how could he now take them back? With a solemn expression he waved his sleeves, putting on the bearing of the senior brother: "Perfect. Take this chance to familiarize Danhuang-shidi with Beizhou as well."

Having said this, he furrowed his brow slightly and added with a hint of deeper meaning: "The rest of the matter, we'll discuss after Master returns."

Hearing this phrase again, Ling Su's expression did not improve in the slightest.

She looked deeply at her senior brother: "Understood."

If she wanted to hold onto her own piece of sacred ground, this senior brother could not be relied upon.

"……"

Shen Yi stood quietly to the side, as if he completely could not read the meaning of the silent dispute between the two, and certainly would not offer a polite refusal.

He needed now to seize every opportunity to quickly blend into this iron-barrel Jiangshan of Beizhou.

As for modesty?

If you were even slightly polite and yielded here, the other side would immediately seize the chance to kick you out.

"Come with me."

Ling Su turned around directly, finished speaking in a muffled voice, then summoned her Dharma artifact and, without looking back, shot out of Half-Falling Cliff.

Shen Yi carried the Fire Dragon Chariot within him but could not use it. Fortunately, the Shenxu branch was extremely adept at traveling; with a slight stride he stepped into the Grand Void, and was not much slower than Ling Su.

……

Beizhou, Kaiyuan Prefecture.

The once-majestic and towering city had now become broken walls and ruined ramparts. Mottled bricks and stones still bore dark-red bloodstains, and within the city lay a wasteland of rubble, with the stench of excrement drifting everywhere.

Most of the city's common folk sat in clusters of three or five among the broken tiles and rubble, eyes vacant, faces dull and sluggish. There were also those who sat alone, still giggling foolishly.

If the prefectural city was already like this, there was no need to mention the rest of Kaiyuan Prefecture.

Around Tian Tashan, even the figures sitting had become fewer. Most people were curled up beneath tattered thatched shelters, not moving at all. If not for the faint breathing they still emitted, they would have been indistinguishable from the corpses strewn across the ground.

"……"

Shen Yi stood with his hands at his sides, quietly taking in the scene before him.

With the methods of these Yisanxian Sect cultivators, if they truly wished to provide relief, it would take them at most a few days to help these disaster victims rebuild their homeland and quickly return to normal life.

But judging by the state of these people, the current situation had clearly lasted far more than a few months.

Ling Su walked forward slowly, casting a searching glance all around, like a young lioness inspecting her territory.

Soon, several clean-clothed, otherworldly cultivators came walking from the end of the path. The one behind dragged a jade vase in one hand and clutched a sack in the other; the one leading the way held a statue of Ling Su Zhenjun in both hands.

The group, sleeves fluttering, hurried through this filthy, foul-smelling place.

With their appearance, the many common folk who had just now been like corpses suddenly stirred. Their faces were withered, their cracked lips parted—already on the brink of utter exhaustion—yet they used their last strength to struggle upright, kneel reverently on both sides, and weep joyfully: "We greet the Immortal Masters!"

An endless long line, movements perfectly uniform.

They wept because of the present misery; they rejoiced because they truly believed these were savior-immortals.

No repayment required, grain distributed month after month for relief.

Living beings no longer needed to exchange labor for food; they only had to wait at ease, and the immortals would not let them starve.

Of course, it was only that they wouldn't starve to death—getting a full belly was impossible, after all, for the immortal households also needed time to gather water and provisions.

Now everywhere was this scene of desolation. There were too few immortals; how could they possibly provide for everyone? Being able to let people like themselves keep their lives was already an immense kindness and merit.

As for the imperial court… after being broken through by the demons and monsters, the imperial court had long since abandoned people like them. They had heard the Immortal Masters say that the present imperial capital was still ablaze with lights, feasting and making music every night.

The Human Emperor was extravagant and muddled, neglecting state affairs, spending his days only in wine and pleasure, provoking the wrath of Heaven—which was why the present demon calamity had come about.

Those who slay demons are immortals! Those who save the suffering are immortals!

Only by turning one's heart toward the Dao of the Immortals is there a chance to return to the former golden age!

"Heh."

Ling Su took in the reverent expressions of the crowd, gazing with satisfaction upon the long line of kneeling figures along the way. Her five fingers curled slightly, and pale-yellow mist gathered, condensing in her palm into a Hundred Tribulation Golden Pellet.

The bountiful harvest had clearly washed away the displeasure in this Zhenjun's heart, bringing a smile to her face.

But when a sidelong glance caught sight of the youth behind her, Ling Su could not help but roll her eyes, as if a fly had been mixed into a fine dish—truly most off-putting.

The Lingxu Grotto disciples finally began distributing grain. Each time they scooped a handful from the small sack, countless figures surged forward, packing the surroundings full.

Some, having finally snatched a handful of spiritual rice, feared it would be taken by others and simply lay flat on the ground, gulping it down mouthful after mouthful mixed with dust. When choked, they clutched their throats hard, faces turning blue, yet refused to spit it out—for if they did, it would surely be eaten by those beside them…

The Immortal Master pushed through the crowd, crouched behind this person, and gently patted his back. There was no mockery in the gesture, only eyes full of pity. He handed over the Pure Jade Vase in his hand and personally gave the man water to drink.

The man finally caught his breath. Looking at the Immortal Master before him, for some reason his eyes suddenly reddened, and his voice grew thick with emotion.

He said not a word, only kowtowed with all his might, until his head split and bled.

"Everyone, no need to scramble. Ling Su Zhenjun has traveled far and wide this time, and has gathered no small amount of water and provisions—enough for you all to share."

The Immortal Master stood up once more.

The struggle to survive is the instinct of living beings; in conditions of scarce grain and water, scrambling is only natural.

But with just that lightly spoken sentence, without any technique used to interfere, the chaotic crowd around them spontaneously formed a neat, orderly line and fell silent in an instant.

"The training is not bad."

Ling Su cast a look of praise toward that disciple.

If nothing unexpected happened, following the original plan, continuing this relief effort for another two or three years, plus staging a grand spectacle to warn the world with blood, would solidify the hearts of the people for a thousand generations.

Of course, the premise was that nothing unexpected happened.

Unnoticed by anyone, a chill surged in Ling Su's eyes.

She continued striding forward, soaring toward the Heavenly Tower Mountain ahead to better observe her Dao field.

Just then, a streak of light suddenly fell from the sky; accompanied by a Boom, a massive body crashed onto the mountain. It was covered in fresh blood, its scales stripped away, its great tendons pulled out, and the two large horns on its head were severed at the roots.

It was clearly a white dragon, yet now it was hideously ugly, with no path to survival left, clinging only to its last breath.

Its head was being trampled by someone.

That young cultivator smiled at Ling Su: "Lin Shimei Ling Su, look what I caught."

Speaking thus, he extended his palm and waved it, a token clutched between his fingers.

Carved upon it were the small characters: Immortal Department Rain-Prayer Envoy.

"This demon dared to privately move water and bring rain in your Dao field. Fortunately, I happened to pass by and casually caught it."

For these common people, the two most important things were water and grain, with water being the primary one.

If the heavens and earth were not in drought, there would be opportunities for farming and gathering food, and the functions of the Jade Pure Vase and the Birthless Rice in the hands of the immortals would be greatly diminished.

Indeed, Ling Su's face immediately darkened.

She coldly glanced at this white dragon, then clasped her hands toward that cultivator: "This junior sister thanks Zhu Shixiong Brother Mao Feng."

"..."

The white dragon's mouth was full of blood, a huge gash on its throat, and it was sealed by a spiritual mark; not only could it not survive, it could not speak.

It stared fixedly at the three people before it with blood-stained eyes, possessing a look that seemed to wish to swallow their bones alive.

As one of the many Rain-Prayer Envoys of the Kaiyuan Prefecture, it had luckily survived when the city was breached, yet it had refused to leave for a long time.

By the time it had recovered from its injuries, it saw that everywhere the people were suffering.

Seeing those people fight fiercely over a small jar of turbid water, even to the point of wanting to take each other's lives, it finally could not hold back and moved water to bring down a light rain.

Now caught, it could only blame bad luck; it was nothing more than death.

"My Red Cloud Cave and your Lingxu Cave have always been on good terms; no need for such polite words."

Brother Mao Feng True Person waved his hand, then looked down at the terrified common people below.

He calmly issued a deep voice: "This beast has malicious thoughts, disrupting the heavenly numbers, and intercepted the rain and dew of our Kaiyuan Prefecture, causing this great drought here. Now captured by True Person Ling Su, it must pay the price!"

The words fell.

This white dragon, which had already prepared to face death, suddenly became somewhat panicked. Its dragon tendons pulled out, it could only struggle like a maggot, opening its toothless mouth to roar low, yet it could not utter a single word of defense.

However, this frenzied appearance only made its already hideous form even more repulsive.

"..."

In the eyes of the many common people looking at this white dragon, fear was gone; they were all silent, only their eyes gradually filling with blood vessels, staring straight at the demon dragon.

The next moment, weeping voices gathered into a single sorrowful, indignant, and solemn declaration: "Please, Immortals, slay this beast!"

"Roar—"

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the white dragon suddenly felt a deep powerlessness.

It gradually stopped its restlessness, looking back at the three people before it, its eyes full of malice.

Shen Yi silently returned the gaze.

Although the other party did not have a purple long beard, it still reminded him of Ziyang, who served as a Rain-Prayer Envoy in Da Nanzhou.

Sometimes Shen Yi did not quite understand.

For the sake of some meaningless things, losing one's life—what was it all for?

For instance, this rain; after the rain stopped, the Kaiyuan Prefecture would remain exactly as it was, with no changes whatsoever.

But it seemed precisely because of these meaningless things that drove oneself further and further down a meaningless path.

He doubted very much whether he could truly, once the dust settled, peacefully become a Bodhisattva or an Immortal Venerable.

"..."

Seeing that the emotional buildup was nearly sufficient, Brother Mao Feng Daoist cast a glance at Ling Su.

In a situation like this, personally parading this demon dragon around once and then slaying it would absolutely leave an unforgettable impression on these common mortals.

Ling Su nodded, understanding the meaning.

The white dragon seemed to see through the two's thoughts; a trace of fear appeared in its blood-stained eyes. In its current state, even suicide had become a luxury.

Just then, it suddenly felt a slender palm fall beside its eye socket.

The white dragon's pupils trembled as it looked to the side.

It saw that young man with a gentle appearance gently pat its head, his expression calm; the next moment, a vast torrent of calamity force instantly poured into its skull.

Under such profound cultivation, a mere seventh-grade small demon felt no pain at all and simply ceased breathing.

Shen Yi slowly stood up.

The many common people who had been staring at the demon dragon instantly turned their gaze toward this tall figure.

"..."

This unexpected scene left Brother Mao Feng stunned in place, looking at Ling Su with some confusion.

He did not know this young cultivator, nor did he know why the other party would suddenly steal Ling Su's spotlight.

Ling Su's face had already turned iron-green, staring tightly at Shen Yi.

After a long while, a sneer curled her lips: "Junior Brother Taixu Danhuang, do not blame Senior Sister for not warning you; you have just arrived in Beizhou, and your heart is too eager... it is easy for things to go wrong."

Having spoken, Sister Ling Su swept her sleeve in anger, turned, and said, "Let's go."

Briskly and decisively, she took True Person Brother Mao Feng and swept out of Kaiyuan Prefecture.

They drifted aimlessly for a long while.

They found a beautiful green mountain before finally descending.

"Lin Shimei Sister Ling Su, what's going on here? Tashan is your Dao field, and he acted so presumptuously—how could you be the one to leave first, leaving him behind?"

True Person Brother Mao Feng furrowed her brow.

"What's going on? My fine senior brother is planning to give half of Tashan to him." Sister Ling Su let out a cold laugh, her voice dripping with venom.

"This… this is too absurd. True Person Master Yun Miao, as the senior brother, doesn't side with you—how could he instead help an outsider?" True Person Brother Mao Feng chimed in with a couple of complaints following the other's words, then asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Sister Ling Su's mood finally improved a little. She clenched her teeth: "I won't wait any longer!"

That insect-demon disciple acts so brazenly—if we follow the original plan and keep doing relief for another two years, who knows how many more problems will crop up.

Before her own master even returns, her Dao field will be seized by someone else.

"Zhu Shixiong Brother Mao Feng, please help me find that great demon. I plan to erect the Zhenjun Shrine as soon as possible!"

"No problem. As it happens, it's been so hungry lately it's going frantic—time to come out and stretch its legs… But Lin Shimei, when you make your move, you must be careful. Don't actually beat it to death for me—your senior brother is keeping it for a great purpose." True Person Brother Mao Feng let out a hearty laugh.

"Don't worry, I won't mistreat it. At the very least I'll fill three-tenths of its stomach—consider it compensation for hurting it."

True Person Sister Ling Su was also frank and straightforward, agreeing crisply and decisively.

If one wants to fight for a Dao field, what good are empty-headed things like a dead master and a destroyed sect? It still comes down to strength.

This great demon possesses the cultivation of three transformations—even if that insect-demon disciple has such intentions, he lacks the means.

(End of this chapter)