Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 799 Escape Route (Part 3)

"Yan Xuanji... you're still your fellow disciples, and you've worked together for so many years. Shouldn't you have some feelings for each other? Even if you're no match for him, shouldn't you... at least do something? Don't you... don't you even feel a little bit of sympathy for the fallen?"

Upon seeing the expressions on the three men's faces, Li Huade immediately understood their thoughts and became even angrier.

His original intention was not to ask the three of them to go down the mountain directly to confront Han Yi and avenge Yan Xuanji.

We are no match for them.

Going there would just mean delivering vegetables to people.

Just because you can't win doesn't mean you can't do anything.

Let's brainstorm ideas, discuss each other's backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses. Everyone should share their thoughts and opinions, leverage their networks, and seek help where possible.

That's something...it can always be done, right?

silence.

There was still a deathly silence.

The entire hall was cold and deserted, deathly silent. Only the incense burner under the statue occasionally let a clump of incense ash fall into the bronze burner with a soft "poof".

"you…..."

Li Huade's gaze, sharp as a knife, swept across the faces of Cao Xuanzhen, Liu Xuanwei, and Yang Xuanming.

His face instantly changed color, turning ashen, and the rage in his eyes seemed ready to erupt at any moment, devouring the three people in front of him.

These three people.

They either lower their heads and remain silent, their expressions hidden; or they furrow their brows, as if deep in thought; or they simply close their eyes, pretending not to have heard anything.

“Everyone says that each generation is worse than the last, and I originally thought it was just a joke... but I never expected…” The anger in Li Huade’s eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a hint of disappointment. “I know what you’re thinking. But sometimes, there are things that you can’t avoid just because you want to.”

Their generation also experienced competition and sordid dealings over interests.

However, the sense of honor among sects still exists; they share in each other's glory and their losses.

At the very least, when facing external enemies, they will put aside their own conflicts, disregard personal gains and losses, and unite against external threats.

Things change with circumstances.

So many years have passed.

The Yuanmiao Sect, which constantly invoked the concept of cause and effect and considered itself superior, dividing the mountain into two worlds, finally faced a backlash.

They valued cause and effect immensely and were afraid of being implicated by Yan Xuanji, thus needlessly triggering a karmic conflict.

Losing one's own interests is a minor matter.

The key is one's life and property; what if it gets affected...?

Therefore, even though they had some camaraderie with Yan Xuanji and shared a common hatred for Han Yi, they also wanted to do something to vent their anger.

What they show is selfishness and indifference to feelings. Even when their classmate dies tragically, they remain unmoved, only wanting to mind their own business and avoid getting involved in the bloodshed.

disappointment.

It feels empty and desolate.

I've given up completely.

At this moment, Li Huade finally understood.

Why did my senior brother Yang Huawu put in so much effort and energy to try to change the sect's traditions and insist on doing something practical?

Now he understands everything.

The more you experience something firsthand, the more you can perceive it.

The Yuanmiaozong Pavilion, though seemingly bright and glittering on the surface, actually has many small corners inside that have begun to decay and infest with insects.

"Fine... I don't expect anything from you anymore..." Li Huade sighed deeply, utterly disappointed. "You...you...you'd better watch yourselves..."

His body shattered like a mirror, a burst of white light exploded, and he vanished completely.

In the main hall.

Cao Xuanzhen and the other two exchanged glances and sighed.

After a long while, someone finally spoke up quietly.

"The chief is good in every way... but he speaks so easily... such a fierce person... even if we wanted to help..."

...It's a case of having the will but lacking the ability...

The speaker had a gentle face, wore a yellow and black Taoist robe, a white square crown on his head, and a black jade pendant hanging at his waist that occasionally emitted dense, fine, mosquito-like flashing runes.

This is Yang Xuanming, the head of Renwei Academy, who has a profound understanding of inscriptions and runes.

Cao Xuanzhen and Liu Xuanwei could hear the underlying dissatisfaction and complaints in his words.

Perhaps this is somewhat disrespectful.

Neither of them refuted the point, which was tantamount to acknowledging it.

Since this was the karma that Yan Xuanji herself had created, there was nothing they could do about it.

"Head of Xuanzhen Academy... I remember... that Han Yi... didn't you have some connection with him before... supposedly some kind of brotherhood?" Yang Xuanming seemed to recall something, his gaze turning to Cao Xuanzhen. Cao Xuanzhen's heart tightened instantly; the matter he had been trying so hard to conceal and distance himself from had finally been brought up by someone.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and had his own explanation to deal with the situation.

"Origins? Headmaster Xuanming's words... are a bit of an exaggeration." Cao Xuanzhen chuckled, not denying it. "They were just some trivial matters of the mortal world, long since turned to dust and vanished."

"Really? Your teacher-student relationship... is quite extraordinary." Yang Xuanming looked him up and down, somewhat suspicious. "As the saying goes, 'A teacher for a day is a father for life,' and Wang Yunkai... the days he taught you... must have been counted in years. Such a relationship..."

He smacked his lips and shook his head, clearly not believing it.

"What difficulties could there be?" Cao Xuanzhen laughed nonchalantly. "Thinking back to my life down the mountain, it was nothing more than a trial. The mortal world was turbulent, like waves crashing against the shore, but my Dao heart remained as firm as a rock, eternally enduring. That Wang Yunkai was nothing more than someone who, relying on his rich experience and silver tongue, deceived my young and ignorant self. That's all."

"Speaking of which, I'm actually somewhat grateful to the head of Xuanji Academy. If it weren't for her casual remark, I might have actually taken Han Yi under my wing, thus incurring karmic calamities."

Back then, Han Yi, armed with a letter of recommendation from his teacher Wang Yunkai, went up the mountain to apply for entry into the sect.

According to the rules and the division of areas, it was assigned to the Sword Academy.

The documents were delivered to the six heads of the academy, but Yan Xuanji disliked Han Yi's inferior aptitude and refused to accept them, intending to return them by the same route.

Wang Yunkai was a renowned scholar at Dongyang Academy in the prefectural city, and also Cao Xuanzhen's mentor.

He had been taught by Wang Yunkai since childhood and had received much kindness from him, so he couldn't refuse his teacher.

Returning it would naturally displease the teacher and damage the relationship.

Considering this relationship, Cao Xuanzhen had taken the initiative to try and bring Han Yi into his Qinghe Courtyard.

But as soon as he had this idea, Yan Xuanji persuaded him to give it up.

There was no other reason than fear of getting burned and causing trouble.

Wang Yunkai is indeed his teacher, but the two have not seen each other for more than a decade, and their ideas and viewpoints have long since diverged.

Especially after Wang Yunkai resolutely took a stand and completely sided with the Tantai family.

In order to gain a foothold in the Yuanmiao Sect and avoid attracting criticism, Cao Xuanzhen has made it clear that he has completely severed ties with his former teacher.

The position of head of the Lower Six Peaks might not be considered anything special within the Yuanmiao Sect.

In other parts of Yunzhou, he would be considered a very important figure, a rare sight for ordinary people.

If you get entangled in trivial matters, attract criticism from others, damage your status and reputation, lose your own interests, or even lose your position as head of the academy, it would be a loss that outweighs the gains.

So, it didn't work out.

If it had succeeded, Yan Xuanji and the other two would not have died today.