Chapter 1862: Aftermath and Care

He Lingchuan and Granny Zhu walked into the forest, while the Illusion Sect members moved along with them, seemingly accompanying them rather than blocking their way.

The Illusion Sect disciples were resting in the pear forest. Most of them were exhausted and disheveled after two days of intense fighting.

As He Lingchuan approached, some of them were wary, others numb, but most were at a loss.

Many of them were disciples recruited after the immortals, led by Qianhuan, entered the Upside-Down Sea. They had been living peaceful, idyllic lives there until the sudden invasion by Heavenly Demons, the destruction of their homes, the fall of high-ranking immortal elders one after another, and the slaughter of their friends and fellow disciples.

The time was too short; they hadn't had a chance to recover from the confusion, grief, and chaos brought by so many shocks.

Soon, He Lingchuan met Elder Liu Qingdao.

He was sitting between two large rocks, barely alive, without the strength to even stand.

His green robe was stained brown-black with blood. The wounds on his abdomen, shoulders, and legs had been treated, but He Lingchuan could tell at a glance that he was severely injured.

When Qianhuan created the barrier to block the Haoyuan Golden Mirror from accessing the Law Network, Xiao Wencheng sent Liu Qingdao to guard the Iron Lotus Lamp at the bottom of the lake. Later, their intentions were discovered by Bai Ziqi, so Miaozhantian dispatched his Heavenly Demons and Demon Immortals to destroy the barrier.

He Lingchuan only knew that both sides fought fiercely, and Dong Rui took the opportunity to pull out the Iron Lotus Lamp, restoring the Haoyuan Golden Mirror's function.

After that, a series of major events unfolded, keeping everyone engrossed, with no time to consider Liu Qingdao's whereabouts.

However, Elder Liu, severely wounded, still managed to guard the bottom of Kidney Lake alone and even injure a demon immortal from the Heavenly Palace. His abilities were impressive, proving him worthy of being Qianhuan's direct disciple.

"Island Master He?" Liu Qingdao, clutching his chest, managed to sit upright. "Did you just say Miaozhantian is dead?"

"Yes," He Lingchuan truthfully replied. "Sect Master Xiao and I entered the Immortal Venerable's sea of consciousness to confront Miaozhantian. In a moment of crisis, Sect Master Xiao self-detonated his divine soul, severely wounding the Great Heavenly Demon, which allowed me to personally slay Miaozhantian."

Sect Master Xiao fell in battle!

This terrible news immediately overshadowed the good tidings. The Illusion Sect disciples were greatly alarmed; they exchanged glances, seeing disbelief on each other's faces.

The previous fall of Immortal Venerable Qianhuan had already been a heavy blow to everyone. But the Immortal Venerable had been in seclusion for years; how many here had actually met him?

For these younger disciples, the True Immortal was the guardian deity of the Illusion Sect, yet also an ethereal symbol, representing the sect's power.

But Sect Master Xiao's passing felt like a direct blow, making everyone's minds buzz.

For so many years, managing sect affairs, overseeing major operations, deploying personnel, maintaining daily routines... the entire Illusion Sect functioned, and while not solely Xiao Wencheng's creation, he was at least the core of the sect.

Before the Heavenly Demon invasion, he was the embodiment of order and efficiency.

How many here had received his praise, reprimands, and rewards? How many had secretly gossiped and spoken ill of him behind his back?

Elder Liu lowered his head, and two lines of tears fell.

Senior Brother Xiao is also gone.

After thousands of years as fellow disciples, he was the only one left.

He also knew that He Lingchuan wasn't fabricating the news, as Xiao Wencheng's life lamp had extinguished more than a quarter of an hour ago.

In a daze, Liu Qingdao also felt a bit lost. The true power-holder of the Illusion Sect was Immortal Venerable Qianhuan, but the backbone was Senior Brother Xiao.

The person who had always managed everything had suddenly vanished, leaving behind this mess. What was he to do?

Seeing Elder Liu shed tears, cries immediately arose among the disciples, and several covered their faces.

Liu Qingdao forced some true qi to steady himself:

"Island Master He came all this way, not to annihilate us, surely?"

Earlier, the Immortal Venerable had indeed ordered their fellow disciples to intercept He Lingchuan and his group, creating a feud between them. But Sect Master Xiao had entered the sea of consciousness to fight alongside He Lingchuan, and He Lingchuan's survival owed thanks to Xiao Wencheng.

He Lingchuan had told the truth, and it seemed he had no intention of retaliating against the Illusion Sect.

His words left the Illusion Sect disciples bewildered. Island Master He and his dozen or so companions had previously fought alongside them against the Heavenly Demons, so why did Elder Liu suddenly suggest he was here to wipe them out?

What had truly happened in the past hour or two?

"Elder Liu, what are you saying? Am I someone who would betray trust?" He Lingchuan shook his head and took a conch from his embrace. "Before entering the sea of consciousness, Sect Master Xiao and I made a soul pact: if either of us perished, the survivor would be responsible for looking after the other's people."

He emphasized the words "looking after."

He gently placed the conch on a nearby stone. It was smaller than a palm, shimmering with a golden luster, with only a hint of crimson at its tip.

Elder Liu recognized it at a glance as the Echoing Conch gifted to them by their master.

Then, Xiao Wencheng's voice emanated from it:

"Qingdao, Jibin, if you hear this, I have perished. Yet Miaozhantian is surely vanquished. This is truly fortunate, and I have not disgraced our master's mission. The Illusion Sect was brave in ridding the world of demons, but I lament the ferocity of the Heavenly Demons, which caused my disciples to fall. Before I left, I made a pact with Mr. He, asking him to take over the Illusion Sect and manage it properly. Mr. He is wise, righteous, and capable; I trust him. As for you all, you are free to stay or leave as you wish."

The words were clear; everyone recognized it as Xiao Wencheng's last message.

He Lingchuan smiled inwardly. Could Xiao Wencheng truly trust his character?

Probably not; at most, he trusted his abilities.

Jibin, Xiao Wencheng's direct disciple and long-time assistant, burst into tears upon hearing the message.

Elder Liu struggled to stand, and Jibin quickly offered a supporting hand.

"Where is my Sect Master brother's body?"

"By Kidney Lake."

"Can the Haoyuan Golden Mirror show my Senior Brother's battle in the sea of consciousness?"

The Haoyuan Golden Mirror belonged to He Lingchuan; if he didn't allow it, the Illusion Sect couldn't use it. But He Lingchuan nodded without hesitation.

"It can."

"Please take me there."

He Lingchuan reached out and summoned the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, allowing Elder Liu and Jibin to pass through, while the other Illusion Sect disciples waited.

By Kidney Lake, a clear breeze swept over the hills.

Xiao Wencheng's body sat peacefully beside the Haoyuan Golden Mirror. Were it not for the broken trees and shattered rocks all around, his posture would resemble someone meditating in a practice room.

Elder Liu, upon seeing him, cried out "Sect Master Brother," then slowly knelt, pressing his shoulders, tears streaming endlessly.

He Lingchuan gently tapped the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, replaying the final battle of their three-person group against Miaozhantian in the Solitary City of Winding Dragons.

Watching it from a third-person perspective, even He Lingchuan himself found it breathtaking.

As he had told his companions, his impression of Xiao Wencheng had always been neutral, neither good nor bad. This great immortal possessed profound cultivation, was somewhat smooth and cunning, yet also a bit indecisive. In He Lingchuan's view, he was certainly not decisive or wise enough.

Although he was the Sect Master of Illusion, the true power lay with Qianhuan, and Xiao Wencheng had been the second-in-command for thousands of years. As soon as Qianhuan issued the order to capture He Lingchuan, Xiao Wencheng immediately turned hostile without a word.

However, Xiao Wencheng's heroic sacrifice in the Solitary City of Winding Dragons still greatly impressed He Lingchuan.

Although the situation at the time was unique, merely sacrificing He Lingchuan would certainly not have been enough;

Although Xiao Wencheng clearly knew that once Miaozhantian left Qianhuan's sea of consciousness, he and everyone else in the Illusion Sect would also die without a burial place, and their bodies would be made into vessels for Heavenly Demon descent...

But knowing was one thing; actually daring to charge forward and perish with the enemy was another entirely.

Even ants cling to life; which old being, having lived for thousands of years, doesn't know to cherish life?

The decisiveness Xiao Wencheng displayed in his final moments made He Lingchuan see him in a new light.

Until the image disappeared, silence fell over the scene.

Jibin, beside Elder Liu, was sobbing uncontrollably, his head bowed.

"Elder Liu, if Miaozhantian had won, every disciple of the Illusion Sect would have been flayed and dismembered. The bodies of Immortal Venerable Qianhuan and all the elders would have been made into vessels for Heavenly Demon descent, leaving behind a notorious legacy for ten thousand years!" He Lingchuan said with a solemn expression. "Xiao Wencheng's sacrifice in a time of peril was simply fulfilling his duty as Sect Master!"

His mention of "flaying and dismembering" was not an exaggeration regarding the Heavenly Palace forces, as the Feathered Mountain Kingdom of Beijia often captured and ate prisoners during their past campaigns. The way avian demons ate was by tearing off skin and flesh.

Liu Qingdao's eyes were red, and he choked out, "That's right, exactly! Senior Brother Xiao dedicated himself wholeheartedly to our master and our sect, giving his life until his last breath!"

He knew his senior brother too well. The only thing that could make Xiao Wencheng sacrifice himself for righteousness was probably the word "duty."

Seeing their heightened emotions, He Lingchuan didn't elaborate further and used the Haoyuan Golden Mirror to bring over all the Illusion Sect disciples.

Upon seeing Xiao Wencheng's body, everyone knelt and kowtowed.

"In the end, Miaozhantian was truly defeated by the combined efforts of Immortal Venerable Qianhuan and Sect Master Xiao. Those two eradicated a great menace for the world!" He Lingchuan declared loudly in front of everyone. "This is an immense merit!"

It would have been better if he hadn't spoken; as soon as he finished, the Illusion Sect disciples burst into wails of sorrow, some crying uncontrollably.

He Lingchuan and the Black Armored Army, understanding their intense emotions, waited by the side.

More than a quarter of an hour later, Jibin came to invite He Lingchuan: "Elder Liu requests a word with you privately."

Liu Qingdao couldn't stand, so he could only ask He Lingchuan to come to him.

His eyes were still a bit red and swollen, but his tears had been wiped away, and only Jibin was by his side.

He Lingchuan found a rock and sat down.

"Island Master He, Sect Master Xiao designated you in his dying words to take over the Illusion Sect." Elder Liu, having carefully considered his words, spoke directly. "May I ask, what are your plans going forward?"

He had heard the message from the Echoing Conch and watched the final battle in the Haoyuan Golden Mirror. He had indeed seen soul bracelets on both Xiao Wencheng and He Lingchuan's wrists, and heard them both mention a soul pact. This matter was essentially confirmed.

The "plans" he asked about naturally referred to how He Lingchuan intended to lead these four hundred or so members of the Illusion Sect.

"I will leave the Upside-Down Sea, and I hope Elder Liu and the disciples will come with me," He Lingchuan said without beating around the bush. These things needed to be stated plainly and quickly. "The Heaven and Earth Gang Array has been broken. There will no longer be an endless supply of spiritual energy within the Upside-Down Sea, so it will cease to be a blessed land."

He continued, "In recent years, Imperial Nectar has frequently appeared, leading to a steady increase in spiritual energy in the human world. Miaozhantian and his dozen or so Heavenly Demons all died here, so the Imperial Nectar that erupts in a few months will be even more significant. At that time, spiritual energy will recover even further."

He knew that Liu Qingdao, as an immortal, was still unaccustomed to the current concentration of spiritual energy in the human world.

The Upside-Down Sea was very special; its environment was enclosed, and spiritual energy was exceptionally abundant and did not dissipate, which allowed immortals and demons to wage large-scale battles.