The immortal is beside me

Chapter 26: Jiuli has not existed since Zhou Wuqing, a thousand years have passed
The hall, which had been buzzing with discussion just moments before, suddenly fell silent. When he uttered the words "Boundless True Fire," expressions began to change on both sides. By the time the words "Zhou Wuqing" were uttered, everyone was speechless.

"That's impossible!" someone blurted out. "It's been fifteen hundred years since the Peach Blossom Spring Incident. If it were him, how long would he have to live to this day?"

"Perhaps it's the Soul Reincarnation Technique or the Corpse Transmutation Technique, which are life-extending methods used by evil cultivators. Could it be that the senior has turned to evil ways?"

"What evil ways are you talking about? How dare you speak ill of our ancestors like that!"

After a brief silence, a wave of questioning erupted, the atmosphere even more heated than before. It wasn't until Yan Guoyun, who was in the center, signaled again that everyone's attention was focused on him again.

When the name "Peach Blossom Spring" was mentioned just now, the old man showed a hint of surprise, but it was fleeting and almost imperceptible. But when he heard the name "Zhou Wuqing", his calmness was instantly broken.

The leader of a sect is the leader of a sect after all. He calmed down within a few breaths, lowered his eyes and focused, as if he had sensed something.

"A thousand years have passed since the Shakya Rebellion, and we still haven't found any trace of Zhou Wuqing."

He spoke in a low voice, his words carrying an undeniable authority: "Now that we have suddenly received news of him, we must go and see him, no matter what."

The hall fell into silence again, and this time Jiang Ruifeng was among them.

The Sakya Rebellion was a massive catastrophe that swept across the entire Central Plains world of immortal cultivation more than 1200 years ago.

During that catastrophe, the number of cultivators in the Central Plains was reduced by nearly half, the Immortal Alliance led by Jiuli was broken up and disintegrated, and the sect itself also suffered heavy losses. Since then, Jiuli has closed its doors to the mountains and recuperated for more than 500 years before it was able to recover its strength.

According to later generations, that catastrophe gave rise to countless legends, and Zhou Wuqing was a frequent guest in these legends.

In the sect's texts, records of Zhou Wuqing have appeared sporadically since his initiation into the sect. However, when the Shakya Rebellion broke out, most of the Jiuli sect's history was lost, leaving only sketchy descriptions and few details. It wasn't until a hundred years later that records returned to normal. All that is known is that he left Jiuli shortly after the Shakya Rebellion and never returned.

Some say that he had already died in the catastrophe, some say that he fled to the Central Plains and died alone, and some say that he finally broke through the barrier of heaven and saved the world. But all the legends ultimately point to the same fact.

It has been a thousand years since the Jiuli people came into being before the Zhou Dynasty.

Yan Guoyun, who was sitting on the seat, closed his eyes slightly, and opened them again after a while.

"If Zhou Wuqing is indeed still alive, then according to the rules, I, the sect leader, should personally go and bring him back."

Silence reigned supreme. Normally, the Sect Master stepping down from his seat would be a major event that would shake the entire sect, and several elders or deacons would often voice their objections.

But in response to these words, no one present raised any objection, as if this was a truth recognized by everyone.

"However, he is still alive, yet he keeps a low profile. Not only in our sect, but also in the entire world of immortal cultivation, there is no news of him. I believe he must have his own considerations. Perhaps he deliberately created the current situation."

Yan Guoyun lowered his eyes: "If that's the case, then if we go to find him in a big way, it would seem like a form of disobedience."

After hearing this, everyone was silent in thought. After a while, an elder sitting next to him finally spoke.

"What the Sect Master said is absolutely right. Besides, everything concerning Zhou Wuqing right now is just speculation. If we really go to great lengths to find him, only to discover that the information is wrong, it would be a huge joke."

"Indeed. Moreover, with the two major hidden dangers of Buddhism and Peach Blossom Spring before us, every move of our sect could reveal its flaws, so we should proceed with caution."

"However, with this matter in mind, the deployment of Peach Blossom Spring must also be adjusted."

"."

Another round of discussion ensued, this time with a rare unanimity of opinion. A moment passed, until the clash of words within the hall ceased. Yan Guoyun, seated in the center, supported himself with his hands on the seat and slowly rose to his feet.

In the past, whenever he made this gesture, it meant that the day's meeting was over and everyone should disperse.

"Regarding the deployment of Peach Blossom Spring, I have already written a letter. The First and Second Elders will revise it within the next few days and distribute it to all locations. Inform the outside world promptly and order the elites from all locations to take immediate action."

The sect leader's order is the highest command no matter which sect it is from. The people below immediately responded and retreated outside the hall to make preparations.

"As for Zhou Wuqing"

He turned his eyes away and looked at Jiang Ruifeng in the center: "You have been stationed in Liangzhou for more than ten years and have close contact with various departments outside. This time, you will take the position." Although he had a premonition, Jiang Ruifeng was still stunned for a moment: "Me?"

As a senior deacon, his status in the outside world and within the sect was not low, but compared with the people in this hall, it was really insignificant, not to mention the legendary figure from a thousand years ago. Hearing this, he was as shocked as if Benboerba was asked to kill Sun Wukong.

"Master, is this a bit..."

"That person's position is truly special. We shouldn't act rashly. The best way is to go along with them under the guise of the Environmental Sanitation Bureau, and that's exactly your area."

Yan Guoyun shook his head slightly: "This time when you go, your first task is to determine that person's identity and intentions. To do this, you need one thing - the Seventh Elder, to open the treasure pavilion."

An elder beside him nodded in response, and with a flip of his wrist, a golden token appeared in his palm.

As spiritual power was infused into it, the token shone brightly, as if breaking through the void, and colors like mirages and mirror-like flowers spread from it, instantly enveloping the two people in front of it.

In just a few breaths, the surrounding scene had completely changed. The magnificent sect hall disappeared, replaced by a giant cabinet that filled the entire field of vision.

The cabinet covered the entire wall and was divided into thousands of grids by special formation patterns. Each grid contained a spiritual treasure of different styles. Judging from the lingering spiritual light, they were all top-grade treasures.

Yan Guoyun slowly walked towards the center of this huge treasure house.

Where he was heading was a complex formation about two meters wide. A spiritual sword was inserted on it. There seemed to be faint fire patterns surging on the sword body, and the emitted precious light formed a hazy area, covering the entire treasure pavilion.

This scene caught Jiang Ruifeng's eye, causing his pupils to shrink. Having been in the sect for four hundred years, he had seen this sword more than once, and the impression it left on him could be simply summed up in four words.

The clan treasure.

As a millennial sect, the Jiuli Sect's treasury houses countless spiritual treasures. If only the finest ones were considered, one could pick out a handful. This spiritual sword, despite its immense power, earned the title of "Trusting the Sect" for a single reason.

"A thousand years ago, I stood here and watched him place the sword here with my own eyes."

Yan Guoyun suddenly spoke, which startled Jiang Ruifeng who was waiting beside him.

Among the Jiuli people today, Yan Guoyun is the only cultivator in the Spirit Transformation Realm and the only old man with a lifespan of over a thousand years.

Before this, he had only vaguely heard that the sect leader joined the sect in the late period of the Sakya Rebellion, and he did not think too much about it. Now that he heard this, he realized one thing.

A thousand years had passed, and those original people had long since passed away. Looking at the Jiuli people today, perhaps the only person who had seen Zhou Wuqing in person was the old man in front of him.

"When he left the sect, the Immortal Alliance was splitting apart, and the Jiuli people were retreating from the world amidst internal and external troubles. Before leaving, he left this sword behind to calm the world and protect our sect through its darkest period."

Yan Guoyun faced the sword, a dazed look on his face. It was as if time had faded from his body in an instant, and the once powerful leader of a sect had become like a child again.

"When I saw him leave, I was still a young boy who hadn't experienced anything. Even I wouldn't have thought that after more than ten generations of sect masters, this sword would eventually be pulled up by me."

Yan Guoyun raised his hand slightly, and the spiritual light of the formation in front of him shone brightly. The seal patterns connecting the surroundings faded away, and the spiritual sword inserted in it was pulled out with a tremor, leaving its residence where it had stood for a thousand years, and floated into the hands of the old man in front of him.

"This sword retains his spiritual charm, which has remained unchanged for thousands of years. If it were him in person, he would surely resonate with it."

He gently stroked the blade of the spirit sword, then turned and solemnly handed it to Jiang Ruifeng: "Take this sword to see him and tell him that it is an old item returned by our sect and ask him to accept it. The rest of the matters will be decided by him."

Jiang Ruifeng stared at the magic sword in his hand. The sword body seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, he saw that there seemed to be flames rolling in the blade, emitting a slight heat, which did not diminish in the slightest even in the cold treasure pavilion.

A heavy feeling surged in his heart. He took it back into his arms and said, "I will follow the Sect Master's orders."

Yan Guoyun nodded slightly, and walked away with his hands behind his back, but he did not go to the attic exit. Instead, he walked to the front of the formation again and reached out to touch the cracks left by the magic sword.

"Remember, everything I've said above is based on the attitude of that senior. If he's interested, then tell him."

"Jiuli welcomes the return of Senior at any time."

(End of this chapter)