Chapter 844: Farewell

Strolling through the Ziwei Dao Palace, Pang Huanyin spoke softly and slowly, primarily to express her gratitude.

The zombie plague that had plagued the Wushuang Continent for a millennium, which generations of Dao Palace ancestors had persistently struggled against, was finally resolved after Lu Ye and his companions arrived. As the current Dao Palace Master, Pang Huanyin's gratitude was heartfelt. Even though she knew that Lu Ye and his companions' presence was merely a trial for them, from which they had gained many benefits, the salvation of the Wushuang Continent was an undeniable fact. Such a profound kindness could not be overstated, no matter how much gratitude was expressed.

"I haven't had a chance to apologize to the Palace Master yet," Lu Ye said. "The Dao Palace's ley lines are now depleted, and I'm afraid they will be very difficult to restore." By placing the Heavenly Mystery Pillars within the four secret realms, the ley lines inside them were completely consumed and depleted. Although these four secret realms still exist, they have lost their former ability to drift through the void and are now fixed in specific locations. Lu Ye had not informed Pang Huanyin about this beforehand, even though he knew she wouldn't have objected if he had explained it.

"It's fine," Pang Huanyin replied. "With the zombie plague gone, our Wushuang human race will no longer need to hide. However, the Wushuang human race is now in a state of revival, with much to be done and a long road ahead."

Lu Ye remained silent. He found it difficult to comprehend Pang Huanyin's idea of shouldering the future of an entire realm's human race. If it were him, he would only consider the future of those close to him. As for those he didn't know or wasn't familiar with, he had neither the inclination nor the ability to consider them. But this was how Pang Huanyin had been taught since childhood, so he wouldn't fault her for it.

"Senior Brother," Pang Huanyin stopped, turning to look at him. "Will we have the chance to meet again in the future?"

Lu Ye considered for a moment before replying, "Now that Heavenly Mystery Pillars are in place on the Wushuang Continent, it will likely become a secret realm of the Nine Provinces. In the future, many cultivators from the Nine Provinces might come here for training. If the Palace Master wishes to lead the Wushuang human race out of their predicament, you might be able to leverage the power of those Nine Provinces cultivators."

"I was asking about *you*, Senior Brother!" Pang Huanyin retorted, gazing at Lu Ye with unwavering eyes.

Lu Ye hadn't quite figured out why she had started calling him "Senior Brother," but it wasn't a big enough deal to correct her. So he explained, "Each realm has a limit to the cultivation level it can accommodate. Currently, the Wushuang Continent's limit is the Cloud River Realm, which is why Wushuang cultivators can only cultivate to its peak. The reinforcements sent from the Nine Provinces were also all in the Cloud River Realm. I gained many benefits this time, and once I return to the Nine Provinces, I should be able to begin my advancement to the True Lake Realm."

Pang Huanyin's eyes dimmed for a moment. "Does that mean Senior Brother won't be able to come to the Wushuang Continent anymore?"

"Most likely," Lu Ye nodded.

A long silence followed before Pang Huanyin suddenly smiled. "Then I wish Senior Brother a brilliant future! Senior Brother, this is where we part. You should return now."

"Take care!" Lu Ye said.

"Senior Brother, you too, please take care!"

Watching Lu Ye's retreating figure, Pang Huanyin stood on the mountaintop with her hands clasped behind her back, silent for a long time.

A figure emerged from nearby; it was Elder Xiao. He sighed softly. "Palace Master," he began, "there are many transient people in one's life. Some things cannot be forced... After all, you are people from two different worlds."

Pang Huanyin gave a sly smile. "Who said we are people from two different worlds?"

Elder Xiao stared at Pang Huanyin in surprise. He had thought his Palace Master was feeling down and had come to offer a few words of comfort, but now it seemed he had overthought things. "Palace Master, what do you mean?" he asked.

"You'll know in a few days," she replied. "But for our Wushuang human race, it's a good thing!"

Returning to the entrance of the Ziwei Dao Palace, Lu Ye found that most of the Nine Provinces cultivators who had gathered there had already left. He immediately spotted Hua Ci, Ju Jia, Li Baxian, Feng Yuebi, and others waiting there. Li Baxian and Feng Yuebi had returned earlier. With the Nine Provinces cultivators leaving, any remaining minor issues on the Wushuang Continent, such as lingering zombie threats, could now be easily handled by the Wushuang human race itself. Feng Yuebi, not wishing to disturb them during Lu Ye's conversation with Pang Huanyin, had waited outside.

They had both witnessed the scene where Lu Ye had intervened earlier to prevent a conflict between the two major factions, which made Li Baxian reflect even more on how much his junior brother had grown. When Li Baxian first met Lu Ye, their junior brother had been much weaker, requiring the protection of their senior sister. Now, on the path of cultivation, Lu Ye had already surpassed him. Li Baxian was genuinely pleased.

"Oh, you're back?" Hua Ci's beautiful eyes glanced over, her words sharp. "They didn't keep you there to be their son-in-law?" She had clearly seen the scene of Lu Ye and Pang Huanyin departing together.

"Fourth Senior Brother, Senior Sister Feng!" Lu Ye said, pretending not to hear Hua Ci's words, and stepped forward to greet them.

"Little Junior Brother, you were quite impressive earlier!" Feng Yuebi chuckled.

"I hope I didn't make Senior Sister laugh," Lu Ye replied humbly.

Li Baxian said, "Indeed, you were very impressive! I only regret not getting a good ranking in the Cloud River Hegemony; otherwise, I could have stood by your side and cheered you on."

After some casual talk, Li Baxian patted Lu Ye's arm. "Alright, it's time to go," he said. "Did you leave anything behind?"

"No," Lu Ye shook his head.

Hua Ci also looked over. "Are you sure?" she pressed.

Lu Ye thought carefully. "Well," he said, "I did provide some items to the Dao Palace earlier. It wouldn't be appropriate to take them back now, so let them keep them." Those spirit artifacts were his spoils of war. For him, they were meant to be sold to the Heavenly Mystery Treasury for contribution points, so their individual value wasn't significant. Thus, he was fine with giving them away, especially since the Dao Palace had paid a considerable price to contain the zombie clan earlier.

Feng Yuebi, standing nearby, chuckled softly. "Little Junior Brother might have left behind more than just a batch of spirit artifacts!" She clearly knew something.

Lu Ye was puzzled. "What else?" he asked. How could he not know what he had left behind?

Amidst his deep confusion, the group of several people stepped into the Nine Provinces portal, experiencing a dizzying sensation.

The evacuation of the Nine Provinces cultivators did not take long; only two or three hours passed from the opening of the portal to its closing. After all, all cultivators who came to the Wushuang Continent had already received guidance from the Heavenly Mystery and were instructed to arrive at the Ziwei Dao Palace within a specific timeframe. As their return to the Nine Provinces was at stake, no one dared to be careless, preferring to arrive early rather than be late. When the portal closed, the once bustling area in front of the Dao Palace was left with only a few local cultivators.

Interestingly, some cultivators from the strongholds had originally intended to blend in with the Nine Provinces cultivators and use the portal to enter the Nine Provinces. Their idea was good, but it was impossible to execute. Nine Provinces cultivators could easily enter the portal, but local Wushuang cultivators simply could not. The portal seemed to possess the ability to identify a cultivator's origin, and all local cultivators who tried to sneak in were stopped, causing them to sigh with regret. It was natural for local cultivators to yearn for the Nine Provinces. Although the zombie plague on the Wushuang Continent was now resolved, it was inherently a broken realm. Its spiritual energy was not abundant, cultivation resources were scarce, and even basic living supplies were difficult to secure. In contrast, the cultivators from the Nine Provinces wore bright clothes and possessed fine spirit artifacts. Witnessing their demeanor and prowess, how could the local cultivators not yearn for such a life? Unfortunately, it was ultimately not possible.

At this time, within the Ziwei Dao Palace, an order from the Palace Master was suddenly issued. The Ziwei Dao Palace, which had only recently concluded a major battle, was once again preparing for war, sharpening its blades. This time, however, it was not to deal with the zombie clan, but to march on the other two human secret realms!

Throughout the millennium-long fight against the zombie plague, even the cultivators from the strongholds had made enormous efforts and sacrifices. Yet, Silver Serpent Valley and Sumeru Mountain had hidden within their secret realms, merely surviving. When they occasionally ventured out to bring stronghold humans into their realms, it was solely to replenish their servant population, selecting only naive youths and children. Previously, when the zombie plague was rampant, the Ziwei Dao Palace had no choice but to unite with all possible allies. They had repeatedly conveyed their intention to ally with the other two secret realms but had never received any proper response.

Now that the zombie plague was resolved, the Ziwei Dao Palace had no more worries. It wasn't about settling old scores. To achieve a goal that would determine the future destiny of the entire Wushuang Continent, they first had to subdue the other two secret realms! Pang Huanyin needed to ensure that only her voice held sway on the Wushuang Continent! This action was not for revenge, nor was it for personal gain, but to secure the well-being of the entire human race on the Wushuang Continent. Many stronghold humans had not yet dispersed, and when they learned of this news, they eagerly volunteered to join. The stronghold humans had witnessed the conduct of the three great human secret realms over the years. That's why, when the news spread that the Ziwei Dao Palace was preparing for a decisive battle with the zombie clan, so many stronghold humans had rushed from all directions to offer their support. The Ziwei Dao Palace still had an excellent reputation. As for the other two... it was best not to mention them. So, upon learning that the Dao Palace intended to march on the other two secret realms, these stronghold humans who hadn't left naturally volunteered to join. In their view, if the Ziwei Dao Palace were to lead the Wushuang Continent in the future, it would surely forge a bright future for humanity, and they were willing to contribute to that.

If it had been before, it would have been difficult for the Ziwei Dao Palace to locate the other two secret realms. Even if Elder Xiao knew how to deduce and open portals, a large-scale military expedition would have been unrealistic. But now, with the ley lines of the three great human secret realms depleted, they could no longer drift through the void and had all appeared in the world, making them easy to find.

The entire process of subduing them was effortless, and no intense battles erupted. The reason was simple: when the portals of the three great secret realms had previously appeared, the Dao Palace had many Nine Provinces cultivators helping to guard it and slaughter zombies, ensuring everything within the Dao Palace remained stable. But Silver Serpent Valley and Sumeru Mountain did not have such luck. Nine Provinces cultivators had not appeared on their side at all. Large numbers of zombies swarmed from all directions. The panicked cultivators of the two great secret realms hastily counterattacked. However, years of merely surviving had long since stripped them of the courage and determination to fight the zombies to the death. So, despite having a considerable number of cultivators, they suffered heavy losses during the confrontation.