mtl008 Chapter 167 The Forbidden Return
Chapter 167 The Forbidden Return
After leaving the border and heading inland, sure enough, all the large and small forces and cultivators who had migrated because of the fall of the border had returned.
All the major cities seemed to be thriving.
"Thanks to the Celestial Court, otherwise the entire Northern Frontier might have already fallen."
"Yes, the Celestial Court's intervention brought us a century of peace!"
"With the strength of the Northern Frontier alone, we are no match for the Gray Mist. I wonder if the Celestial Court has any follow-up plans?"
In the streets and alleys, men, women, and children alike are praising the great kindness and virtue of the Celestial Court.
From the perspective of worldly cultivators, they are indeed extremely grateful to the Celestial Court, after all, in their view, it was the Celestial Court that saved them.
Most people in the world blindly follow others. Moreover, the information shown to them by those in power is limited, so how can they distinguish right from wrong?
Having the Celestial Court Covenant in hand is the best evidence.
"Our previous advocacy for war in the northern border region was a mistake; we still need to negotiate!"
"Yes, what was the result of the war? The borders fell, and people were displaced!"
"Heh, that guy named Li Lan, he was trying to gain fame and reputation before, saying that the Mingzun left behind a strategy to repel the enemy, but in the end, wasn't it the Supreme Immortal Emperor who made the move?"
There has been much discussion about it.
In a certain restaurant, Cao Yueshu and Mu Jianxian hosted a welcome dinner for Li Lan. Even though they were in a private room, various conversations could still be heard.
The joy of returning home, the gratitude to the Celestial Court, coupled with the rejection of previous pro-war stances...
That's enough to chill one's heart.
"I told them to get lost."
Cao Yueshu stood up in a deep voice, but Li Lan shook his head and said, "Why bother?"
"drink wine!"
Li Lan smiled and raised his cup, and Cao Yueshu and Mu Jianxian could only raise their cups to drink with him.
"Young friend, what did you gain from venturing into the gray fog?"
Cao Yueshu spoke first.
"The enemy has been successfully repelled. In the gray fog, King Qi and King Nan have agreed not to invade the Immortal Realm for a hundred years. In addition, Sword Saint Dugu is also safe and sound. He is practicing martial arts in the Heavenly King Tower."
Li Lan did not go into detail about the Black Emperor, but only gave a brief overview.
Cao Yueshu and Mu Jianxian were both stunned.
"So, you're the one who truly deserves credit for defeating the gray fog!"
Cao Yueshu frowned deeply; he had realized... this century of peace had nothing to do with the Celestial Court!
Was it Li Lan who orchestrated this? But why...?
The Wooden Sword Immortal frowned and said, "There must be some disagreement here!"
Even they, before Li Lan's return, believed that it was because of the alliance between the Celestial Court and the Gray Mist that the Gray Mist retreated!
But now, after hearing what Li Lan said, I suddenly understood that the one who truly caused the strange creatures to change was probably Li Lan himself.
"In the gray fog, although the Southern King and the Qi King promised not to invade the Immortal Realm, there are other kings who have been cooperating with the Immortal Court for a long time. They do not want to see me gain such great merit and arouse the people's desire for war. Therefore, they deliberately made an alliance with the Immortal Court before my return, so that the Immortal Court could win over the hearts of the people."
Li Lan calmly revealed the true meaning behind it.
Although Li Lan is all alone, in a sense, he has now become a banner.
He single-handedly orchestrated the main war effort in the northern frontier, had the Sun Moon Sect and Sword Sect surrounding him, and also possessed the identity of a descendant of the Mingzun.
He was still a proponent of war!
"Young friend, you risked your life and endured countless dangers to achieve peace. Such a great achievement, yet those scum of the Celestial Court have just taken it away?!"
Cao Yueshu was furious and said, "I will go back to the sect immediately. The Sun Moon Sect will absolutely not tolerate such a distortion of the truth!"
The Wooden Sword Immortal also said, "So what if it's the Celestial Court? They've turned black into white; the Sword Sect will not tolerate that!"
They were genuinely furious.
The true heroes who ventured into danger alone, only to return burdened with infamy? And those who truly colluded with the Gray Fog, on the contrary, are revered by the world?
Why bother?
Li Lan smiled and said:
"The common people under heaven are like this, born without knowing why, dying without knowing why. We only seek to have a clear conscience in our actions. As for their condemnation or praise of us, what is there to say?"
He smiled nonchalantly and then poured the wine again.
Li Lan was definitely not a hot-blooded youth who would only erupt in anger. He deeply understood that Yu Wang's plan was truly too ruthless, and the overall situation was difficult to change.
Even if he reveals all the details, and the Sun Moon Sect and the Sword Sect speak up for him, what's the point? At most, the people of the world will only have doubts.
After all, the Celestial Court also has evidence of the alliance; whose should the people of the world believe?
Even with the Sun Moon Sect and the Sword Sect, Li Lan is still relatively weak compared to the Celestial Court. If they really want to expose the Celestial Court's conspiracy and distinguish right from wrong, it will ultimately just be empty talk and meaningless.
Moreover, matters concerning the Black Emperor should not be publicized extensively.
The best course of action now is to wait and see, and then make any further plans.
The Celestial Court is not the Li family. The Supreme Immortal Emperor was a figure who was on par with the Bright Venerable back then. After betraying the Bright Venerable, he even reached the realm of the Immortal Emperor and ruled the Immortal Realm for more than 10,000 years. He was a true behemoth.
Moreover, the Celestial Court is also colluding with the Gray Mist, and with a powerful figure like the Feather King joining forces... it won't be easy for Li Lan to break this deadlock.
"Having time is enough!"
Li Lan felt calm yet resolute.
His primary motivation for going to the Gray Fog was to buy time, and now that he has, the core objective has been achieved. As for merit, reputation, and popular support, these are merely secondary considerations for Li Lan.
What he needs to do is grow rapidly.
As long as he has enough immortal energy, he can keep breaking through...
When he becomes powerful enough that he no longer needs to rely on a vague "successor of the Black Emperor" for protection, settling accounts with him will be a piece of cake!
When Cao Yueshu and Mu Jianxian saw that Li Lan was so calm and open-minded, they couldn't help but have complicated expressions and exclaimed, "Young friend, your magnanimity is truly admirable!"
"However, it now seems that the Celestial Court's collusion with the supernatural is a wolf's ambition, and they probably have some serious ulterior motives..."
Cao Yueshu said, "I heard that the Celestial Court seems to be contacting the forbidden beings of the Primordial Era, and there have already been some responses!"
"Those beings who have long since left the Immortal Realm and sought refuge in remote and desolate places in the universe may return to the Immortal Realm in the near future."
The primordial beings of the Immortal Realm have all departed, and have not been seen again for thousands of years.
Li Lan pondered that the Celestial Court would not contact these beings without a reason; their ultimate goal was probably still the path of alienation!
For ordinary cultivators, it is almost impossible to undergo a transformation.
Only those who have mastered the Primordial Techniques or possess those ancient bloodlines can withstand it.
The Li family went to great lengths to set up the Tengshe Water-Taking Formation, all to get Li Hao to take this step.
"Those beings left the Immortal Realm to escape peril; now, why would they easily return?"
Li Lan asked a question.
Even if the Immortal Realm enjoys a hundred years of peace, a hundred years is nothing to cultivators; it's just a blink of an eye. It has no appeal to those primordial forbidden beings.
“Several primordial beings with terrifying cultivation have glimpsed the chaotic cause and effect of the Immortal Realm, which is now in complete disarray, and believe that there may be a glimmer of hope for the Immortal Realm.”
When the Wooden Sword Immortal spoke, it was clear that both the Sun Moon Sect and the Sword Sect were super-powerful forces and knew some secrets.
"This calamity will be extremely terrifying. Even if you hide in the remote wilderness, it will not be safe. Therefore, some beings believe that rather than hiding and waiting to die in the distant borderlands, it is better to return to the Immortal Realm and seek a glimmer of hope in the chaotic cause and effect."
Cao Yueshu sighed, "If those primordial beings also stand with the Celestial Court and follow its path, then it's truly all over!"
The Wood Sword Immortal said in a low voice, "I heard that several races have clearly reached cooperation agreements with the Celestial Court. The Nine-Headed Heavenly Lion, the Primordial Demon Ape... and even the True Dragon Clan have sent messages, expressing their willingness to follow the same path as the Celestial Court."
"When they return, they will directly intermarry with some human forces, and their offspring will be able to directly embark on the path of mutation..."
Li Lan felt increasingly heavy-hearted.
Nine-Headed Celestial Lion, Primordial Demon Ape, and other such races are not actually the earliest forbidden beings of the Primordial Era. They only have some forbidden blood, so they are also classified as forbidden beings.
But the True Dragon Clan, which is truly on par with the Stone Clan and Phoenix Clan as one of the most authentic and original forbidden beings of the Primordial Era, has actually made peace with the Celestial Court?
In this way, the power of the Celestial Court will become even greater!
A sense of urgency filled my heart.
The tide is rolling, the primordial beings are about to descend, and the final calamity may strike at any moment...
You must grow quickly!
"I'll take my leave now."
Li Lan spoke.
“Li Lan…”
Cao Yueshu spoke again, and Li Lan looked at him, only to see a hint of hesitation flash across Cao Yueshu's face before he finally shook his head: "It's nothing, just be careful."
Li Lan then turned and left.
"Brother Cao, what were you trying to say just now?" the Wooden Sword Immortal asked.
Cao Yueshu sighed and said, "It's about that girl Shangguan Xiaoxiao... but she repeatedly told me not to tell him."
"Fine!"
……
Li Lan quickly used the teleportation array in the city to travel to the Land of a Thousand Rivers.
He now travels the world in his true form, unafraid of being ambushed. He possesses the Heavenly King Tower, and the Sword Saint Dugu is also in seclusion within the tower. Unless the Great Sage comes in person, it will be very difficult to kill him.
Soon after, Li Lan appeared at the edge of the Thousand Rivers Land.
However, after only a few months, this place has undergone tremendous changes!
Nourished by a massive amount of source energy and earth energy, coupled with the cat's secret management and arrangement, the originally barren Thousand Rivers Land has become incredibly rich. At a glance, the land is shrouded in ethereal mist, with buildings and pavilions scattered like stars in the sky. Cranes occasionally fly out, and the crisscrossing water system is filled with spiritual energy. Even ordinary aquatic plants are transformed into medicine!
The land of a thousand rivers has truly become a blessed place.
Li Lan couldn't help but sigh, if things continued to develop like this, it wouldn't be long before this place caught up with the ancestral homeland of major northern forces like the Li Clan and the Sun Moon Sect.
Moreover, with the Great Sage of the Nether Phoenix now in charge, outsiders dare not even covet it.
Li Lan stepped into the land of a thousand rivers, walking slowly and enjoying the rare leisure and comfort.
Several members of the Abyss Clan were cultivating by the river when they discovered him, and they were overjoyed.
"The clan leader has returned!"
"Chieftain!"
They all stepped forward to pay their respects, deeply moved.
"No need for formalities, just continue your cultivation."
Li Lan smiled. Thanks to the abundance of resources, the cultivation levels of these clansmen improved rapidly.
True immortals have appeared.
Everything is moving in a better direction.
Before long, Liu Ziwen and others came to greet them personally.
To Li Lan's surprise, he also saw several familiar faces.
"Brother Li, it's been many years. The Yuan Clan has achieved great success. I admire you!"
Zhu Xianchou smiled. Behind him were several descendants of Mingzun, including Ming Qingqing. Clearly, Zhu Xianchou had fulfilled his promise and brought the people of Ming Village safely.
"Now that the Yuan clan has been established, we should return as well."
The siblings Jian Yingzhou and Jian Yinyue also arrived. They left the Sword Sect and returned to the Abyss Clan. The Sword Sect not only generously released them but also gifted them many cultivation techniques, which they brought with them to the Abyss Clan.
"Elder Li Yue is currently in seclusion, receiving personal guidance from the Great Sage Mingfeng."
Liu Ziwen added, his expression filled with excitement and emotion, "Clan Chief, our Yuan Clan... has succeeded!"
Li Lan was also extremely gratified!
Zhu Xianchou is an extremely shrewd and resourceful man. He had fought against Li Lan in Dali many times, but later they became friends and joined forces to set up the Sinful State. He also received a drop of true dragon blood from Li Lan, and now his bloodline is undergoing a transformation!
Swords that reflect the day and swords that conceal the moon are both among the top 100 geniuses in the Northern Frontier.
Li Yue is even stronger. He is Li Lan's direct disciple and is a genius who has cultivated the True Dragon Skill step by step without any external help.
Now that the land of a thousand rivers is not lacking in the energy of true dragons, Li Yue's progress will surely be faster.
The descendants of Mingzun, such as Ming Qingqing, are all exceptionally talented individuals, but they have always lacked resources.
……
With the addition of these people, the Yuan Clan finally had a true pillar of strength.
"Let's get drunk tonight!"
Li Lan was overjoyed.
On that day, the Yuan clan held a joyous banquet, where many old friends chatted and reminisced about the past and present.
……
late at night.
"Want another drink?"
The Great Sage of the Underworld Phoenix finally appeared. She hadn't disturbed Li Lan's reunion with old friends until now, and only now, carrying a cup of wine, did she appear in Li Lan's residence. Dressed in a long black gown, she was extremely charming, elegant and poised. She calmly looked at Li Lan and said:
"This cup is the Heavenly Fire Dao Wine of my Phoenix Clan, which is traditionally only drunk when the Phoenix Clan discusses the Dao."
Incredibly precious.
The wine cup had already flown to Li Lan's hand. Li Lan caught it and said, "Great Sage, have you come to discuss the Dao with me?"
"No, thank you."
The Great Sage of the Dark Phoenix said with some emotion, "I did underestimate you. I will remember your kindness in bringing back the remains of my clan."
She spoke calmly and drank it all in one gulp.
Clearly, she had sensed something about Li Lan.
……