vrcanaries Chapter 1772 The Gap Between Responsibility and Reality
Chapter 1772 The Gap Between Responsibility and Reality
It was afternoon that day.
There was a gentle knock on the door of the quiet room.
Leng Xi opened her eyes from her meditation, got up, and opened the door.
Jinman and Jizhou stood outside the door, both of them looking a little tired from their long journey, but their eyes were bright.
"Jinman, Jizhou, you're back." Leng Xi stepped aside to let them in, her voice low, "How did things go?"
"The three plague crystals from Blackwater City have been completely refined in the Nine Transformations Furnace. The remaining evil poison has been cleared, and the well water has been purified and is usable. Sect Master Mu and Saintess Yao Yao have suffered considerable losses, but are fine and have returned to the Heaven-Mending Holy Sect to recuperate."
Jin Man gave a brief report, her gaze falling on Ming Chuan, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes, "He... is still the same as before?"
"Yes, he's been sleeping, but his breathing and pulse are getting stronger every day." Leng Xi nodded, looking at Ji Zhou, "What about the Western Regions?"
Ji Zhou succinctly stated: "The Yin Fire Array Plate has been destroyed. The demon beast's blood crystals were frozen by the Xuan Water and taken back by the Xuan Tian Sect for processing. The earth veins have been reinforced and there are no hidden dangers. Holy Son Chu Huai asked me to bring back a few bottles of Xuan Yuan Heavy Water, saying it has miraculous effects on stabilizing meridians and nourishing the body, and I will give it to the sect leader." He took out several deep blue jade bottles.
"Xuantian Sect is very kind." Leng Xi accepted the gift and carefully put it away.
Jin Man continued, "The spiritual vein nodes of Liufeng Valley have been completely purified, thanks in no small part to the elders of the Heaven-Mending Holy Sect. Sect Master Ye and Sect Master Lin asked me to convey their message that they will personally visit to express their gratitude once Mingchuan awakens. Furthermore…"
She paused, "Both Zixiao Pure Courtyard and Butian Holy Sect have hinted that regarding the division of the territory and resources left by Qingcheng Yufa Sect, they are willing to prioritize the opinion of Sect Master Mingchuan and believe that Wanchuan Sect will make the fairest arrangement."
This is a very clear signal, meaning that after this incident, Mingchuan's voice in the core affairs of the Spirit Realm has been substantially recognized by the four major sects.
Leng Xi nodded slightly, not surprised by this.
Mingchuan deserves the status he has earned for the price he paid.
“There is one more thing,” Ji Zhou added, his expression slightly grave. “When I and the people from Xuantianmen were leaving, we vaguely sensed an extremely subtle spatial fluctuation deep within the Western Regions… It was very weak, fleeting, and we couldn’t determine its exact source or nature. Holy Son Chu Huai also sensed it and has already increased the number of people patrolling the border.”
Jin Man frowned slightly: "The Holy Domain?"
"I'm not sure," Jizhou shook his head, "but the timing is somewhat coincidental."
A faint shadow fell over everyone's hearts.
At the Sacred Dragon Roar Temple, Fairy Yueyao left in anger, determined not to let the matter rest.
It's just unknown what form their next move will take, or when it will occur.
"We'll meet force with force." Leng Xi's cold voice rang out, carrying a calm yet powerful tone. "The most urgent task is to help Mingchuan recover as soon as possible. We'll handle all matters concerning the sect."
Jinman and Jizhou nodded; that was exactly what they meant.
While Jinman, Jizhou, and Lengxi were talking quietly in the quiet room, far away inside the Qingcheng Yufa Sect's mountain gate, the atmosphere was completely different from the calm and resilient atmosphere of the Wanchuan Sect.
The once magnificent palaces and pavilions still stand, and the light of the sect's protective array has not been extinguished, but the entire sect is shrouded in an indescribable sense of decay, fear, and confusion.
The air was no longer filled with pure spiritual energy, but with a repressive, almost deathly atmosphere.
On the training ground, a few hundred disciples stood scattered about, their cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment. They were middle and lower-level disciples who had not yet escaped or had nowhere to go after the chaos in the sect.
At this moment, the pride and spirit of being disciples of a major sect were long gone from their faces. Instead, they were filled with anxiety, unease, anger, and deep confusion.
"Senior Brother! Senior Brother Luo! What is the sect now? The spirit stones consumed by the sect's protective formation are almost gone! The storeroom was mostly emptied by those elders and deacons who fled earlier! What do we do next?"
"That's right! Everyone outside is saying that our Qingcheng Yufa Sect has harmed the Spirit Realm and is a sinner! Will the four major sects and Wanchuan Sect come to settle scores with us?"
"Su Hongzhen did something that angered both heaven and man, so why should we, the ordinary disciples, bear the consequences? What about our future? What about our cultivation resources?"
"The sect's discipline hall has been disbanded, and there have been more than a dozen incidents of private fights and looting of resources in the past few days! If no one intervenes, this place will turn into a den of bandits!"
At the front of the crowd, Su Hao and Luo Yang stood side by side, listening to the disciples' questions and complaints. Both of them looked extremely ugly, their lips were tightly pressed together, and their eyes were filled with pain and helplessness.
The two of them were once highly regarded core disciples within the sect, enjoying immense prestige.
But now, the sect leader has fallen into demonic possession and been executed, and the sect's high-ranking members have either died, fled, or been captured. The Qingcheng Yufa Sect, which has been passed down for thousands of years, has become infamous and disintegrated overnight.
All that was left was this empty shell, and a group of disciples who didn't know where to go.
A tremendous responsibility and unprecedented pressure weighed heavily on the shoulders of the two young people.
In the past few days, they have worked almost non-stop, struggling to maintain the most basic order, taking stock of the few remaining resources, and dealing with the predicament from both inside and outside the country.
But faced with the increasingly intense emotions of their disciples and the real survival difficulties, their prestige and methods seemed so pale.
"Everyone...please be quiet!"
Su Hao took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and spoke in a tired, hoarse voice, trying his best to remain calm, "Sect Master... the sect cannot evade Su Hongzhen's sins. But the sect is the sect, and disciples are disciples! Since we have chosen to stay, we cannot lose our composure!"
Luo Yang stepped forward, forcing a smile, and said, "Regarding the resource issue, we are currently taking stock and will try to contact our former allied vassal families and merchant guilds to secure some support. As for the four major sects and the Wan Chuan Sect... we have already submitted a formal letter of apology, expressing our willingness to cooperate with the investigation and assume our responsibilities. We have not yet received any information about a military crackdown. The most urgent task is for everyone to unite and overcome this difficult time together!"
However, these empty words of reassurance clearly failed to quell the panic and discontent in the disciples' hearts.
"Overcome this crisis together? What will we use? Spirit stones? Elixirs? Who will guide us through the rest of the cultivation technique?"
"That's right! Senior Brother Su, Senior Brother Luo, it's not that we don't trust you, but this situation... seems hopeless!"
"If I had known... if I had known, I would have run away with those people!"
Complaints, doubts, and even faint sobs rose again, and the scene looked like it was about to get out of control again.
Su Hao and Luo Yang exchanged a glance, both seeing deep exhaustion and a hint of despair that almost overwhelmed them in each other's eyes.
How could they not feel lost? How could they not feel fear?
The enormous gap between their unwavering sense of responsibility and the harsh reality almost tore them apart!