Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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“Master Mu, please lead us to repel the Demonic Sect!” A group of cultivators boldly stepped forward and bowed.
“Master Mu, please lead us to avoid their sharp edge!” Another group of cultivators also bowed.
These two groups spoke in unison for the first two sentences, but by the last sentence, their voices had diverged sharply.
For a moment, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Sure enough, with a formidable enemy before them and no leader, everyone had different thoughts.
These different thoughts mixed together and ultimately split into two directions— fight or escape.
One group hoped Mu Qingning would devise tactics, while the other hoped he would plan an escape route.
After a brief silence, the two groups paused, then began to argue fiercely, the atmosphere becoming heated again, even confrontational and tense.
“War? How can we fight? Our Immortal Lord has just passed away, and we are completely unprepared. Even with Master Mu’s exceptional talent, it will be difficult to defeat the well-prepared demonic army!” Several older cultivators stroked their beards and sighed.
“With such a formidable enemy at hand, you only think of fleeing, aren’t you abandoning the honor of Kunlun?” Several cultivators known for their martial prowess were also enraged: “We would rather die in battle than be ridiculed by the demonic sect, nor be mocked by other sects for having no backbone!”
“You are naturally willing to sacrifice yourselves, but there are plenty of women, children, and the elderly on Kunlun Immortal Mountain. Are we just going to send them to their deaths in vain?” The fleeing faction sneered: “Those who understand the times are wise. Only by preserving our lives can Kunlun continue.”
“If we flee, the women and children may not even survive!” The fighting faction also had a point: “How do you know the demonic sect won’t pursue and intercept us? We’ll die even faster then!”
….
The two sides went back and forth, neither giving an inch.
Li Yuebai listened quietly for a while, and for a moment he couldn’t judge who was right or wrong.
After a long debate, both groups turned their attention to Li Yuebai.
“Master Mu, what is your opinion?”
“Yes, Master Mu, do you think Kunlun should fight or flee?”
“…” Li Yuebai was speechless for a moment, cold sweat trickling down his back.
In the classroom of the real world, he had dealt with countless mischievous students and answered countless tricky questions, but he had never answered such a difficult and complex question.
This was no joke; the lives of tens of thousands of people, the life and death of a sect— how could he decide such a matter with just a few words?
If this were a modern Western society, the outcome could be decided by a vote, but in this world, the power still rested with the Immortal Lord.
“Whether to fight or surrender should be decided by the Immortal Lord,” Li Yuebai said.
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.
“Master Mu probably hasn’t received the news yet,” an older cultivator stepped forward and said, “The Immortal Lord… passed away yesterday…”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present burst into tears.
“What?” Li Yuebai could only feign shock and grief.
He also noticed that everyone present was dressed entirely in white, even their sword hilts were adorned with white silk ribbons. The news of the Immortal Lord’s death had already been made public, but he hadn’t left his residence and was only now receiving the official news.
“The position of Immortal Lord is vacant, and no one can decide. Therefore, we will carefully consider and listen to Immortal Master Mu’s opinion…” After a period of grief, the crowd continued.
“Gentlemen, please forgive my inability to judge. I am of limited talent and have been retired for many years; I fear I am unfit for such a great responsibility…” Li Yuebai sighed, answering helplessly.
Since transmigrating, he had taken on countless solo missions or faced hordes of enemies alone… but he had never commanded tens of thousands of people, never made such a difficult choice.
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of fluttering robes filled the air, and the entire courtyard of cultivators knelt down in unison.
Kneeling, in this world of cultivation, was the etiquette of apprenticeship.
“Master Mu, you cannot abandon Kunlun!”
“Yes, only you can save the lives of tens of thousands of disciples now!”
“Whether it’s battle or surrender, only you can devise the best tactics!”
“If Master Mu is willing to take on this great responsibility, we will obey your every command, whether it’s battle or surrender!”
Li Yuebai saw the gazes of everyone, filled with grief, anxiety, despair, anger… and a sliver of hope.
“Master Mu, we unanimously recommend you for the position of Priest.” A senior immortal stepped forward from the crowd.
Everyone echoed, “Yes, we unanimously recommend Master Mu for the position of Priest.”
Li Yuebai carefully examined the person who stepped forward, and the system immediately provided information: Su Xu, the Pavilion Master of Miaoyan Pavilion, a prominent figure in Kunlun, renowned for his intelligence and shrewdness.
It seemed this person was there to persuade him on behalf of the crowd.
He just didn’t know what the position of Priest was in this cultivation world.
“System, what is a Priest?” Li Yuebai asked silently.
Of course, this would be in the original owner’s memories, but those memories were too numerous and complex, making it too time-consuming to search. Therefore, asking the system was faster.
“The position of Priest is an extremely high celestial post on Kunlun Immortal Mountain, usually held by the Immortal Lord’s most trusted person. They are practically the Immortal Lord’s right-hand man, second only to the Lord himself,” the system replied.
“Now that there is no Immortal Lord…”
“Then the Priest is the highest leader,” the system answered.
Despite being promoted to such a high position in an instant, Li Yuebai only felt worried.
“Sect Master Su is joking. The position of Priest is of great significance; I cannot accept it,” Li Yuebai declined.
“Immortal Master Mu, please take a look at this precious mirror first,” Su Xu sighed, taking out a bronze mirror from his sleeve.
The bronze mirror was ancient in shape, its surface so smooth it reflected a person’s image; it was clearly no ordinary object.
With a flick of Su Xu’s finger, a moving image appeared in the mirror.
“Two months ago, the Demonic Cult launched a surprise attack on Hualong Immortal Mountain in the central part of the Divine Continent. The attack was so sudden that Hualong Immortal Mountain was caught completely off guard and unprepared. By the time the major sects sent reinforcements, it was too late,” Su Xu explained, his tone heavy.
The images playing in the Treasure Mirror were horrifying— the once magnificent pavilions and towers were all razed to the ground, the clear spring water had turned blood red, and scorched earth covered the land. Many cultivators had their elixirs and flesh drained by the Demonic Cult members, leaving them as withered skins, including young disciples…
“System, are the images in the Treasure Mirror real?” Li Yuebai asked.
“Yes,” the system replied, “The Treasure Mirror is like a video player in the cultivation world; it plays out real events. The Demonic Cult has always done this.”
Hualong Immortal Mountain was a small sect with relatively distant relations with the major sects, so its destruction didn’t cause much of a stir in the cultivation world.
“Master Mu, are you really going to just stand by and watch Kunlun Immortal Mountain become like this?” Su Xu said, heartbroken.
Li Yuebai felt a pang in his heart.
The sky was clear and bright, surrounded by rolling mountains, the several peaks covered in snow. Fragrant flowers and grasses grew on the ground, and lush immortal trees covered the mountains. Various buildings were arranged in a harmonious and elegant manner, magnificent yet refined. One could even see disciples studying in a building halfway up the mountain.
The system’s answer was resolute— don’t harbor any illusions about the Demonic Sect.
They could crush other sects just as easily as they crushed Kunlun Immortal Mountain.
Tens of thousands of people were just a number, but his two young disciples were real. He had no personal relationship with them, but they were deeply attached to the original owner of this body. The original owner certainly couldn’t just watch them die.
And he himself… based on his consistent style of doing things, of course he wouldn’t back down.
Li Yuebai didn’t want to hesitate any longer and accepted the position of Priest.
Everyone’s sorrow turned to joy, and they cheered again.
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