And so, Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao received their orders and descended from the mountain.
Due to the mass deaths of mortals, the concentration of 'Immortal Plague' in the environment skyrocketed.
To prepare for this, before their departure, Sect Master Ji provided them with a generous supply of resources, including the Creation Purple Gold Pill.
However, this wasnât enough to entirely ease their heavy hearts.
After confirming that 'Immortal Plague' could infect multiple times, they realized that no matter how well-prepared or protected they were, constantly being in contact would inevitably lead to reinfection.
The painful memories of being infected just a month ago were still fresh in their minds.
As cultivators, it had been a long time since they experienced something worse than death.
If this torment were to repeat again and againâŠ
That kind of suffering might be worse than simply ending it all.
Of course, this was merely a moment of frustration.
Both Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan were wholeheartedly dedicated to the Dao, seeking Immortality, and wouldnât easily give up their lives.
But orders were absolute, and even though Senior Sister Zhao held the esteemed position of the future sect master of Grand Dao Sect, she could only obediently follow instructions.
"This situation seems a bit odd. Iâve made inquiries, and although the other nine sects have also sent their disciples out into the world, at most, they sent True Desciples . I havenât heard of any sect, like our Grand Dao Sect, sending out someone of 'Dao Child' status!" Li Fan slightly shook his head, his eyes full of confusion.
"Senior Sister, you are the next in line to become the sect master, an incredibly noble position. Especially in these turbulent times, what you should be doing is staying in the sect, in secluded cultivation, striving to raise your strength. Not participating in some absurd mission. What if, just what ifâŠ"
Li Fan glanced at her before continuing, "I mean, if something were to happen to you, and you fall, how much would it cost the sect to cultivate another Dao Child?"
"All the resources theyâve invested in you up until now, would they all be wasted?"
"Sect Master Jiâs decision this time is truly hard to understand. And none of the elders even voiced any objectionsâŠ"
Senior Sister Zhao glanced at Li Fan and said calmly, "Junior Brother, youâre overthinking it. Our Dao Sect is representing of all Immortal Sects. Sending a Dao Child to represent us shows how seriously we take this matter."
"BesidesâŠ"
Her voice suddenly became slightly somber, "Junior Brother, in the past, your assumption might have been correct. But nowâŠ"
"The times have changed."
Li Fan was suddenly startled.
Indeed. He was still stuck in the mindset of the prosperous era of 'Great Immortal Cultivation', unable to adapt to the current reality.
In todayâs cultivation world, each person held their own irreplaceable position.
The quicker a Dao Child increased their cultivation, the more of a threat they became in the eyes of the sect elders.
In the past, one could cultivate together with the sect. If someone didnât want to become the sect master, they could simply retire as a Grand Elder and pass on the position.
But now, not interested in being the sect master? Fine, but you canât continue holding onto the 'Heaven-Slaying Dao Scripture', right? Youâll have to switch your cultivation method!
Who could accept that?
Therefore, suppressing the growth of 'Dao Children' had become the logical outcome.
Realizing this, Li Fan fell silent.
The two followed the trail of blood-red light in the sky, arriving at a desolate ruin.
They remembered that just a few years ago, this was a thriving mortal city, with a population of at least 500,000.
But now, there was not a trace of life left.
Scanning with their divine senses, they saw that the ruins were filled with the corpses of mortals.
Men, women, young, oldâno one was spared. The horrific scene was something that even the most terrifying nightmare couldnât conjure.
"What utter madnessâŠ"
Murderous intent flashed in Senior Sister Zhaoâs eyes as she cautiously protected herself from the Immortal Plague still lingering below, casting a spell to trace the perpetratorâs tracks.
"Letâs go!"
Moments later, after finding their target, Senior Sister Zhao transformed into a beam of light and flew away swiftly.
Li Fan hurried to follow.
He lagged slightly behind, and when he caught up, he found Senior Sister Zhao standing there, somewhat lost and at a loss.
It turned out that the cultivator who had massacred the city had already succumbed to the Immortal Plague and died.
The culprit was already dead, leaving Senior Sister Zhao with no outlet for her burning rage.
"Were they wrong? If we didnât have so many pills to save our lives, wouldnât we do the same when facing death?" For a moment, Senior Sister Zhao couldnât help but question, feeling lost.
Li Fan was about to respond when he noticed a strange phenomenon in the sky above them.
"Qu Xinfeng, a cultivator of fifty-six years, who established his Dao foundation with the 'Mountain Stone Sword'âŠâ
âNow dead, his Dao returns to heaven!â
As the scene in the sky unfolded, a message instantly flashed in Li Fanâs mind.
âWhat is this?" Li Fan was stunned.
"Hmm?" Senior Sister Zhao also noticed the strange sight above and looked up.
Moments later, her expression darkened.
She unleashed a sword slash, trying to scatter the phenomenon.
However, it seemed that the vision was engraved upon the heavens, and her attack was futile.
"What is this supposed to be? A joke from the heavens?"
Li Fan remained silent.
No shared cultivation methods, Immortal Plague.
And now, these eerie "death declarations" had appeared. Who knew what else might happen in the future?
He sighed lightly.
"Letâs go, Senior Sister. There's no point staying here. The sooner we finish the mission, the sooner we can return to the sect." Li Fan advised.
After a long pause, Senior Sister Zhao didnât respond.
She simply obliterated the body of Qu Xinfeng, who had committed the massacre but had now fallen victim to the 'Immortal Plague'.
Only then did she turn into a streak of light and fly off.
The next two years were spent traveling across the Xuanhuang Realm, preventing countless tragedies.
They killed numerous insane cultivators and saved many mortal lives.
Once news of the 'Great Migration Plan' spread, the remaining cultivators gradually calmed down, no longer slaughtering mortals so recklessly.
Of course, some sporadic incidents couldnât be avoided.
There were places the two couldnât reach, where their efforts fell short.
Having completed the sect masterâs task, the two were preparing to return to the sect as planned.
However, an unexpected order caught them off guard.
Sect Master Ji Changxi declared that the 'Great Migration Plan' had officially begun.
They were not to return just yet.
They were to remain in the Xuanhuang Realm and assist in coordinating the various sects, helping to carry out this crucial plan for all cultivators.
Li Fan, seeing Senior Sister Zhaoâs face darken to the point where it almost dripped with anger, didnât dare to speak.
He had no idea how to comfort her, so he simply stood silently by her side.
After a long while, Senior Sister Zhaoâs expression returned to normal.
She smiled gracefully. "Letâs go, Junior Brother."
"Orders are orders, after all."
For some reason, seeing Senior Sister Zhaoâs smile filled Li Fan with an indescribable sense of fear.
âHeh, yes, Senior Sister.â He responded cautiously, hurrying to comply.
In the blink of an eye, a hundred years had passed.
With the collective efforts of all cultivators, the Great Migration Plan was successfully completed.
All the mortals had been relocated to various 'cave heavens' and 'small worlds', and the Xuanhuang Realm was left empty.
After being away from their sect for over a century, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan were finally able to return.