"You needn't grudgingly contribute to this 40 billion, consider it an investnt," Lou Yuyu said. "You're well aware of Alkaid's talent and know it's not wishful thinking for him to achieve the Hollow Void Realm in the future. Once he attains that level, he will inevitably return to Cangwu. At that point, we can buy back the Nine Cauldrons Sect from you at a premium."
Lou Yuyu said.
The Golden Core cultivators present could just listen and take it as a joke.
Only fools would take it seriously.
After all, many people do not believe that Alkaid will live long enough to cultivate to the Hollow Void Realm.
Hide away?
Hah, the thods of cultivators far exceed the imaginations of ordinary people. There are ways to forcefully drag out soone from the ends of the world.
"I know you won't believe , but I still have to say this—if all of us, including Alkaid, die, whatever you want to do is your freedom. But as long as the lineage of the Nine Cauldrons Sect still lives…"
Lou Yuyu's gaze swept over the Golden Cores present one by one, as if trying to etch the fluctuations of their divine senses into his heart.
Finally, he emphasized with a heavy tone, word by word, "I hope that you will treat the other mbers of the Nine Cauldrons Sect well."
As soon as these words were spoken, a chill ran through the hearts of the Golden Cores present.
Indeed.
If Alkaid dies, all is naturally at rest.
But if he really manages to survive the pursuit of Jiang Heavenly Venerable and cultivates to the Hollow Void Realm, becoming a top powerhouse of the Northern Sea Star that any major sect on the Immortal Path would eagerly recruit, then this 40 billion...
It indeed resembles an investnt.
It's also akin to leaving themselves a way out.
Comforting themselves in this way, the Golden Cores felt sowhat better.
As for those who weren't comforted...
They can continue to feel uncomfortable.
What else can they do?
...
Li Qingshan's mobilization efficiency was extrely fast.
In recent years, the situation had improved, but twenty years ago, the Nine Cauldrons Sect always had a contingency plan for summoning core mbers to fully evacuate in case their holand suffered a devastating blow.
After all, in that era, if it weren't for Li Hanqiu holding the line, the Nine Cauldrons Sect was always at risk of being torn apart by a pack of wolves.
Now that these plans have been rolled out, the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect began to move quickly.
This ti, the Nine Cauldrons Sect did not forcefully require everyone to leave with them.
Adhering to the principle of honest treatnt, Li Qingshan disclosed the current predicant facing the Nine Cauldrons Sect and, coupled with rumors from the outside world...
Not all mbers of the Nine Cauldrons Sect were willing to follow them in pursuit of that uncertain future.
At least the Artifact Sect mbers who had rallied to them over the years felt this way.
They even secretly cheered for the Nine Cauldrons Sect's departure.
In this situation, the higher-ups of the Nine Cauldrons Sect tallied the people leaving and cut down on so insignificant individuals, only to find out that the Void Disk space, originally planned to forcefully accommodate two million people, ended up needing only half a million.
The inner space of the Void Disk spanned ten miles in every direction. Judging by the per capita space in a city like Dragon Majestic City, it could comfortably accommodate half a million people.
But with reasonable use of the internal space, squeezing a bit here and there, it could also accommodate two million people.
However, the quality of life would inevitably plumt.
But now the actual number was only half of what was anticipated...
This outco left Sect Master Li Qingshan feeling sowhat dejected.
Over the past few decades, the number of Foundation Establishnt cultivators in the Nine Cauldrons Sect had surpassed ten thousand, plus the Star Masters, Primordial Spirits, and other core mbers totaling over forty thousand.
These over forty thousand people, along with their core relatives and so technicians, theoretically wouldn't even be enough to share the two million slots.
Yet, after ten days, the actual number of people who gathered at Red City wasn't even a million, which was a disappointnt for Li Qingshan, who thought that the Nine Cauldrons Sect could truly unite in tis of crisis.
Indeed...
Everyone weighs the pros and cons.
Most prefer to share in prosperity but not in adversity.
Wandering through the stars with the Nine Cauldrons Sect, and also enduring the pursuit of a powerful individual, they might be wiped out along with the Nine Cauldrons Sect any day.
Rather than betting on that slim chance of survival, it's better to stay in Cangwu Great World and integrate into the surrounding sects.
At least, their lives wouldn't be at risk.
Understanding these people's choices and even...
In Li Qingshan's view, it was he, the Sect Master of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, who had let these people down. Thus, after a mont of despondency, he still picked himself up and arranged for the personnel to enter the basic living spaces in the Void Disk, already prepared by the Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
...
While Li Qingshan was arranging for everyone to retreat into the Void Disk, Alkaid and Li Hanqiu also "visited" one sect after another, trading with them.
This process...
Was fairly smooth.
However, when Alkaid reached the Limitless Star Palace, he notably stayed for quite so ti.
He went straight to Susan: "I have so information about the Northern Sea Star obtained from the Immortal Alliance and the Myriad Beasts Sect in my hands, but I believe that the Limitless Star Palace has a far wider information network than the others. Therefore, I hope to gain so insight from you on what you know about the Northern Sea Star."
The Golden Core did not dare neglect and promptly relayed his knowledge of the Northern Sea Star.
Finally, with so regret, she advised, "Actually, Alkaid, if you're really confident in your own strength, you might consider challenging for the status of a True Disciple at the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Should you beco a True Disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, even Jiang Zhanchuan would not be able to lay hands on you easily."
"Is that so?"
Alkaid spoke indifferently, "Why do I have information that suggests True Disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect tend to die every three to five years? So are killed by other forces while adventuring outside, and so... even die at the hands of so elder within the Taiyi Immortal Sect itself?"
"Uh..."
Susan was at a loss for words for a mont.
It took her a while before she said, "But at least, this kind of competition is not aboveboard... If you were also a True Disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, Jiang Zhanchuan wouldn't be able to mobilize the power of the Taiyi Immortal Sect to act against you..."
Alkaid no longer paid attention to Susan. After collecting the information, he quickly left and t up with Li Hanqiu, who had been escorting him all along.
However, after eting up, Li Hanqiu also frowned, "True Disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect can die from infighting within the sect? Is it that chaotic?"
"I've looked at so information about the Northern Sea Star, and their definition of True Disciple is different from what we understand of a True Disciple."
Alkaid said, "Rather than calling them disciples, it's better to say they are Vein Masters or Hall Masters who haven't grown up yet. The entire sect is basically equivalent to a super alliance. If we consider a sect as a world, the Sect Leader's lineage is equivalent to the Alliance Hierarch, and the Hall Masters and Vein Masters are like directors just below the level of the Sect Leader, while each True Disciple is a mber, each representing a huge force, just not as vast as that of the Hall Masters and Vein Masters."
Li Hanqiu contemplated the information he had seen and nodded in agreent.
The birth of a True Disciple often signifies the rise of a force.
Even if the True Disciple starts from scratch without any backing, once he becos a True Disciple, there will be plenty of forces without support that will co to attach themselves to him.
The True Disciple needs the support of those forces to cultivate to the Hollow Void Realm and will rely on their backing to compete for the seat of Vice Sect Leader against other True Disciples in the future, while these forces can also wave the banner of the Taiyi Immortal Sect to gain a firm foothold on the Northern Sea Star.
In such a scenario, there are countless overt and covert struggles among the forces behind the True Disciples.
If the fighting becos fierce, it's not strange for so powerful figure to personally step in and eliminate a True Disciple.
Of course, due to certain rules, prominent figures are not allowed to personally intervene.
But, rules are always made by people. As long as the bigwig's status is high enough and their actions are clean enough, even if a True Disciple dies, it's not certain that the sect will hold anyone accountable.
"Does such a sect even have a shred of cohesion?"
Li Hanqiu exclaid in astonishnt.
"Sect cohesion..."
Alkaid pondered for a mont before saying, "Perhaps, for the cultivators of the Northern Sea Star, the sect... belongs to a broader concept. They only unite because they share a common language, culture, territory, and interests, even... The sect is just a tool for them to acquire benefits. They... or rather all cultivators, truly believe in only themselves."
As he said this, he paused for a mont, "In a world where myriad mighty powers are concentrated, being powerful in oneself is truly powerful. Therefore, they naturally will use any ans to encompass all resources to strengthen themselves... The sect, transfers the benefits of multiple individuals to the collective, and then appropriates the collective's benefits for themselves, this is just one of the better ways, one of the tools."
Upon hearing this, Li Hanqiu felt a chill in his heart.
Suddenly, he wasn't sure if their journey to the Northern Sea Star was the right choice.
Compared to at least the sowhat superficial Cangwu Great World...
The Northern Sea Star, was a world that truly "devoured" people.
"Let's go,"
Alkaid said.
Li Hanqiu snapped back to reality.
He took a glance at Alkaid...
And quickly cast aside that line of thought.
They...
No longer had a choice, did they?
If even he, the foremost person of Nine Cauldrons Sect, harbored thoughts of fear and withdrawal, then Nine Cauldrons Sect would truly be without hope.
Even if they went to the Northern Sea Star, they would be quickly devoured to the bone.
...
Soon, Alkaid and Li Hanqiu arrived at the Void Disk located in the center of Red City.
Li Qingshan, Lou Yuyu, Jiang Zhuoyue, Huang Tianhao, and others were already waiting there.
Looking at the entrance which was still bustling but had relatively fewer people, Li Hanqiu said, "Are we ready?"
"With only ten days, it's too short; we can't say we're completely ready. We can only simplify everything,"
Li Qingshan said.
"Let's just go with it,"
Li Hanqiu said, then entered the Void Disk.
According to the information left by Wan Liugui, he would drag out the return journey with Jiang Heavenly Venerable as much as possible.
But in order to ensure there's enough ti to erase the traces left behind by their distortion of space without being tracked by the real Hollow Void Realm experts brought by Jiang Heavenly Venerable afterward...
They had to set off within ten days.
Therefore...
"Let's take one last look at Nine Cauldrons Sect. Once we leave, we probably won't have the hope of returning for thirty to fifty years,"
Li Hanqiu told Li Qingshan and the others, then stepped into the Void Disk first.
The others listened with complex expressions.
Li Qingshan dug up a small handful of soil from the ground and carefully kept it close to him.
He looked at the ground beneath him once more...
After a long while, he resolutely turned and went into the Void Disk.
The other Hall Masters and disciples did the sa, each taking so ordinary flowers, grass, and stones with them and followed closely into the Void Disk.
Half an hour later, the Void Disk slowly rose into the void and then gradually accelerated, entering the Nine Heavens.
Once they reached outer space, the already accelerating Void Disk suddenly distorted its surroundings.
The next mont, ripples spread out.
The entire Void Disk, like a raindrop entering a lake, was instantly engulfed by the ripples, vanishing without a trace.
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