Li Taibai smiled faintly. “Destiny is a curious thing. People cannot control the unknown, yet a small number of people can know the future even if they cannot change their own fate. People call this precognition.”
At this point, Xu Xian already had his answer.
Ye Wujiang.
It could only be him.
The Sword Tower was left by him; the sword stele and Sword Mound were created by him. All of it was to find a fated one to continue the path he once walked—or perhaps to finish the path he had left incomplete.
Li Taibai’s voice continued to ring in his ears. “Every generation of Sword Protectors from the Li clan possesses a single spirit root. Every Sword Protector is accompanied by four sword attendants, each of whom also possesses a single spirit root. Together with the Sword Protector, they complete the Five Elements spirit roots.”
“When the previous Sword Protector reaches the Immortal Realm...”
“A new Sword Protector is born.”
“As a Sword Protector, one always carries an Immortal Soul.”
He paused and gazed at the cluster of light in his palm. “This Immortal Soul was also left behind by a member of my Li clan at the time of their passing.”
Xu Xian remained silent, not saying a word.
Li Taibai offered comfort. “You don't need to feel any psychological pressure. This was our choice. Before we ever became a Sword Protector or a sword attendant, we had already made our decision.”
“This is our destiny.”
“It is also our honor.”
“To be able to wait for you...”
“...is a great fortune.”
The eyes of the other four softened, filled with a sense of gratification.
They were but withered bones, the fire of their lives nearly extinguished.
Death was a fated certainty that could not be changed.
To die a meaningful death, to die for their beliefs, had naturally become the greatest wish and hope of their lives.
Originally,
they thought they wouldn't be able to wait long enough.
Until that day.
A youth crossed the long bridge and shattered the sword stele with a single kick.
Burning hope was once again ignited in their hearts. From that moment on, they had been waiting for this day to arrive.
And today,
their wish was fulfilled.
In his heart, Xu Xian was still weighing the options.
Sacrificing the five of them to activate the fifth floor of the Sword Tower and reach the ninth stage was not the only choice, but it was the best, simplest, and fastest one.
He had the Immortal Soul.
Fanzhou did have Saint Souls; it didn't strictly have to be these five.
However, getting others to offer them up willingly was incredibly difficult.
Even if it could be done, it would take a long time, and no one knew if it would succeed.
These five were willing, and their bodies were already failing. Using theirs was the most appropriate choice.
The only drawback was the shadow it would leave in his heart.
After all, one was his Master, and the other four were his seniors.
Even if these were just worldly titles, they were people he respected.
Sacrificing the people he respected to the heavens...
Xu Xian asked himself, and he knew he couldn't simply let it go.
He began to decline, but not in his own name, as he felt that would be too fake and hypocritical.
Or rather, he felt that doing so would make him seem cowardly and indecisive, unable to achieve great things.
It would also seem childish...
So he said, “If that is truly the case, who will maintain this formation? If the formation is gone, the dark creatures will strike in an instant. How can I, even at the ninth stage, face them? This is improper; we must consider it carefully.”
Before Li Taibai could speak, Yan Yi took over. “Though the soul is extinguished, the body remains. As long as a single breath lingers, we can continuously draw upon Fanzhou's qi fortune to operate this formation for a short time.”
“There is such a thing?” Xu Xian questioned.
Li Taibai added, “Indeed. Once the fifth floor of your Sword Tower is formed, you can use the power of the five divine swords to bolster these five platforms. That way... the seal will only become firmer, buying more time for you and for Fanzhou.”
Xu Xian’s brow furrowed. It seemed they had planned this long ago.
He asked again, “If the soul leaves but the body remains, will the everlasting lamp go out?”
Wu Shuang said softly, “Naturally, it will.”
Xu Xian looked at Li Taibai and asked, “Then I must ask, Master, if your soul scatters, will the sect-protecting formation still stand?”
Li Taibai remained as calm as a still pool. “When the soul scatters, the lamp is extinguished. When the lamp is extinguished, the person is dead. And when a person dies, the immortal swords return to the mound. The immortal swords on our persons, along with the three immortal swords in the formation, will naturally fly back to the Sword Mound. Without the three swords and the support of my divine sense, the sect-protecting formation will collapse instantly.”
Xu Xian had received the answer he wanted and refused again. “The world fears the Wendao Sect for three reasons. First, our swords are sharp enough. Second, our formation can slay saints. Third, it is because of Master and my four seniors.”
“Therefore,”
“For ten thousand years, even as worldly conflicts continued and the various races hated us to the bone,”
“the mountains and rivers of our Wendao Sect have remained safe.”
“Now,”
“if I use your souls to manifest the fifth divine sword,”
“the lamps will go out.”
“The formation will collapse.”
“The Wendao Sect's strength would be greatly diminished.”
“Isn't that the same as cutting off our own arms and a leg?”
“The construction of my Sword Tower is not something that happens overnight.”
“Stabilizing the formation will also take time.”
“If the whole world comes to attack us during that time, how will the Wendao Sect defend itself?”
“When the mountain gate is shattered, the green mountains are stained with blood, and the disciples' blood is splattered across the mortal realm, is that what you want to see?”
At this point, Xu Xian stopped and looked around at the five of them, his voice heavy as he spoke.
“Therefore, it is improper.”
“We must discuss this further.”
The survival of the sect was at stake; they could not be reckless.
However,
how could the five of them not know Xu Xian's concerns?
The Wendao Sect stood in the Northern Borders.
Years ago, before they had sealed the Sky Gate, they were already surrounded by wolves.
Now that ten thousand years had passed,
the Wendao Sect's situation had only become more precarious.
Furthermore,
it was impossible for the old monsters outside to have remained completely ignorant of the Sky Gate's sealing over the last ten thousand years.
Deduction,
investigation,
precognition—
all were possible. There were always ways to uncover the truth.
The only reason they hadn't dared to move was their fear of Li Taibai alone.
Today,
if Li Taibai fell and the four of them fell as well, the Wendao Sect would not even be able to keep the deaths a secret.
The outsiders would sense it and investigate.
When that time came,
those old things at the peak of the tribulation transcendence stage would move—not just to reopen the Sky Gate, ascend, become immortals, or seek longevity...
Even without those goals,
the Wendao Sect's Sword Mound, its heritage, and its wealth would all be reasons for them to strike.
When a behemoth is about to fall, vultures will always circle in the sky, and a pack of hungry wolves will follow on the ground.
At that time, they would surely attack in a swarm.
Those with grudges would seek revenge.
Those with debts would collect.
Even those without any enmity would scramble to snatch what they could.
It wasn't hard to imagine what kind of scene that would be.
Similar events had long been recorded in the history books.
The decline of the God race at the end of the Era of Primal Chaos.
The decay of the Emperor clans at the beginning of the Era of Ancient Immortals.
All were the same, without exception.
As an anomaly in Fanzhou, how could the Wendao Sect be the exception?
Yet even so, some things had to be done.
Li Taibai said solemnly, “You should know that on the path to success, there are always sacrifices.”
“There must be an exception, right?” Xu Xian said stubbornly.
Li Taibai said deeply, “This is the Wendao Sect's destiny, and its Great Cataclysm. This day was always going to come, whether sooner or later.”
“I don't deny that,” Xu Xian said.
Li Taibai’s tone shifted, becoming softer. “Perhaps you should believe in them. Ten thousand years of accumulation were meant for this one struggle. They may not necessarily lose...”
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