Yan Cha wanted to say more, but Meng Wan raised his hand, directly blocking her words, thrust the roster back into her hands, and continued leading people back to guard the seclusion.
Taihe Xianshi already had ten thousand years of immortal age. Usually, when he entered seclusion to cultivate, there had never been any mishaps, nor did they need to be so concerned and diligent.
But this time, Meng Wan couldn’t understand what was happening. Since yesterday, the Immortal Master’s aura had been very unstable, and during this morning’s guard duty, even the formation’s eye had wavered. Though it only shook for a moment before returning to its original position, there must be a reason.
These were turbulent times across the three realms. If something happened to the Taihe Immortal Sect, it would certainly affect both the mortal world and the Nine Heavens, so they had to hold on until the Immortal Master safely emerged from seclusion, no matter what.
Riding a cloud back to the entrance, Meng Wan glanced at the divine tail fish swimming in the air in the cave.
Divine tail fish fed on evil energy—the more they ate, the redder their scales became. These divine tail fish were only light pink when they first arrived, but now they were blazing red.
“Senior Brother,” someone tiredly withdrew and cupped his hands, “the western side is understaffed.”
Coming back to his senses, Meng Wan headed west with a solemn expression.
“Senior Brother,” someone else called him on the way, “two people on the eastern side cannot hold on either, and the divine tail fish are circling without leaving. There may be unexpected changes.”
…
…
“The main entrance seems to have been struck, and the formation’s eye is unstable.”
Meng Wan: “…”
He hadn’t closed his eyes for half a month. Even with the ability to split himself, he couldn’t attend to so many places at once.
Just as he was troubled, he suddenly heard someone behind him say: “Why does Senior Brother always like to make things difficult for himself?”
Slightly taken aback, he turned around.
Er’er looked at him with dismay, still holding the roster written by Yan Cha.
“I came back specifically to help. Who wants to eat anything delicious?”
Raising his eyebrows slightly, Meng Wan carefully examined her from head to toe, then nodded: “You’ve improved.”
“Right?” Smiling, she took the guarding talisman from his hand and said, “I can help. Don’t look down on me.”
With that, she stepped forward.
Meng Wan reached out to stop her.
“Junior Sister,” he said earnestly, “the Immortal Master may be facing a tribulation during this seclusion. If something goes wrong, all of us will be affected.”
Er’er looked at him, puzzled: “I know, but if none of you are afraid, why should I be?”
“You’re different.”
“How am I different?” she felt somewhat unconvinced. “Aren’t we all mortals cultivating immortality? Though I may be a bit slow, I also passed Tai Chang’s test. You shouldn’t always think I can’t do anything well.”
“That’s not…” Meng Wan frowned, hesitating.
Er’er pulled her skirt and sat down on the ground: “I don’t care. I want to guard the seclusion!”
He laughed despite himself: “Throwing a tantrum again?”
Following his words, she kicked her skirt a bit and nodded seriously: “If you don’t let me guard, I’ll sit here and refuse to get up.”
Rubbing his forehead quite helplessly, Meng Wan wanted to persuade her further, but another junior brother hurriedly said: “Senior Brother, the main entrance can’t be guarded much longer.”
His expression changed, and he had no time to say more to her. He turned and rushed toward the main entrance.
Er’er jumped up and followed him.
When ordinary immortals enter seclusion, it’s usually external disturbances that require guarding, but this time, the anomalies were coming from Taihe Xianshi himself.
As soon as Er’er entered the guarded area, she sensed an even stronger aura of unease. The Immortal Master seemed to be troubled by something, struggling painfully. His powerful immortal energy was colliding with the barriers he had set for himself. Once broken through, allowing the circulating immortal power to leak out, he would at best experience cultivation deviation; at worst, his soul would scatter.
She had dreamed of this scene, but when she faced it, Er’er still couldn’t help but tremble.
The senior brothers quickly injected their immortal power into the barrier, taking turns guarding. Er’er looked around and quietly moved to the place closest to the cave entrance. After taking a deep breath, she also placed her hand on it.
She heard the sound of a huge stone sinking into water. Er’er saw her pure white immortal power spreading throughout the entire barrier. Then, she heard Taihe Xianshi’s voice.
【Must not…】
【This is a great sin…】
【Must not…】
An extremely hoarse voice murmured repeatedly in the deepest part of the cave. The immortal power that should have been circulating him was now being poured into another void space.
Er’er instinctively shook her head.
No wonder someone as powerful as the Immortal Master would perish—his approach was essentially suicidal. How could he give away all his immortal power?
Seeing the increasing chaos within the barrier, Er’er focused, took out the ring given by Chu Yuan, and passed it through the barrier.
Those in seclusion are extremely cautious and will only accept help from those they trust most. Although Er’er didn’t understand why the Immortal Master would trust Chu Yuan, whom he only saw once every dozen years, rather than Senior Brother, once the ring fell inside, the tense aura on the barrier indeed relaxed for an instant.
Seizing this moment, Er’er quickly transmitted her immortal power inside.
As long as she could prevent him from transferring his immortal power, with the Immortal Master’s strength, he would certainly recover.
Her immortal power formed one of her spirit manifestations, which staggered into the cave. Er’er wasn’t very accustomed to moving in spirit form and almost fell in front of the Immortal Master.
Hearing the sound, Taihe painfully lifted his eyelids.
“It’s you.” His cloudy eyes held a particularly complex expression as he looked at her, as if wanting to smile, yet with some pity. “Indeed, the mandate of heaven is difficult to defy.”
Strangely, Er’er felt that the Immortal Master seemed to know everything, but he wouldn’t say more. He only sighed deeply and waved at her: “Since it cannot be defied, you needn’t try further. This is this old man’s tribulation.”
What tribulation? Er’er wouldn’t listen. She stepped forward and grabbed Taihe’s hand, saying firmly: “Leave with me now, and everyone will be safe.”
Taihe laughed, almost in despair.
“Calling you useless—you truly are useless. Having lived for several hundred years, how do you still not understand what cause and effect means?” He shook his head and pointed to the void in front of him.
“How could this old man die from stubbornness? This old man dies because of this door that should never have been opened. Even if I don’t die today, once this door opens, heaven and earth will eventually be destroyed. At that time, how could everyone be safe?”
Her pupils suddenly contracted as Er’er looked at him in shock.
The Immortal Master had foreseen his death and predicted what would happen in a hundred years.
As if knowing her amazement, Taihe drooped his wrinkled eyelids and gently snorted: “Little child.”
“Go quickly.”
His snow-white long beard waved at her like a broom. Er’er twisted to avoid it but still sat down beside him reluctantly.
“If you leave now, you can at least live a few more decades,” she muttered. “A few decades—that’s an entire lifetime in the mortal world. You could see the peach trees in the immortal sect bear fruit many more times, you could wait for your turtles to lay eggs, and you could wait for senior brothers and sisters to ascend.”
Counting on her fingers for him, Er’er said with complete incomprehension: “When you can cling to life, why choose death?”
Taihe’s hand moved for a moment.
In just that moment, a large mass of death resentment surged from the void in front, clawing and thrashing throughout the entire cave.
His gaze sinking, Taihe’s body erupted with golden light, protecting her within it, shielding her from corrosion.
Heaving a long sigh, he said: “Do you see now?”
Er’er hugged her head and shrank to the side, nodding with a complex expression.
Once a bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Even if the Immortal Master let go now, with no one to block the door, the immortal sect would certainly suffer.
However, this death resentment seemed very familiar.
Looking at the black energy surrounding them, Er’er remained silent for a while, then suddenly asked: “If the door closes, would you be able to escape unharmed?”
The light on his body grew dimmer and dimmer. Taihe chuckled softly: “Foolish child, if this door were so easy to close, how would this old man have come to this?”
The Netherworld Gate contained death resentment from those who had passed through the eighteen levels of hell in the underworld. It was difficult to refine, extremely ferocious, and vast in number.
He didn’t know who had opened this door, but he was the first to discover it. He had already exhausted all his strength, yet could only block the door, unable to make it close.
Er’er tentatively extended her small hand as well.
Taihe was quick-eyed and fast-handed. His white beard swiftly swatted at her, his eyes glaring: “What are you meddling with?”
“Let me try,” her fingertips moved slightly as Er’er said, “since I’m already here.”
“…” Was this some market attraction that needed to be tried? Taihe was furious: “You truly are the most foolish of my direct disciples. Any of your senior brothers or sisters in this situation would know to leave quickly. What are you interfering with? What is there to interfere with?”
“Do you know how destructive the underworld’s killing energy is to immortal energy? Do you know what’s behind this door? Being young and ignorant is one thing, but you’ve lived for several hundred years—how can you still be so confused!”
His voice grew louder as he spoke. Taihe’s eyes reddened slightly: “With your foolishness, after this old man is gone, I don’t know if Meng Wan and the others can handle you.”
Er’er listened to the old man’s scolding very calmly, even taking his long beard to wipe the corners of his eyes.
“They can’t handle me,” she curved her eyes in a smile. “So, Immortal Master, please stay.”
As her words fell, her hand quickly covered the back of his hand.
Taihe was startled and hurriedly tried to break free, but suddenly sensed a warm and powerful immortal energy, like a hot spring flowing from her palm, merging into his meridians, then flowing toward that void.
“You…” he was astonished.
Er’er acted as if he was just angry, helping while saying: “Immortal Master knows me—I don’t cultivate properly, my spiritual energy is never abundant, I fear hardship, and I love to sleep in. So before I’m exhausted, please let go.”
Despite her words, the immortal energy from her body remained stable and substantial, continuously flowing to him, giving him a chance to catch his breath.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, her mixed fire-and-water immortal energy, which wasn’t pure at all, actually made the death resentment in the door retreat somewhat, greatly reducing the consumption needed to block it.
Taihe couldn’t help but glance at her.
The Netherworld Gate, which was about to reopen, suddenly closed back a few inches.
Above in the Nine Heavens.
Zhu Yan looked on in surprise for a moment, then hurriedly reported to the Upper Bing Palace.
At that time, Li Ye was sitting on the high eaves of the palace, expressionlessly looking at the thorns surrounding him.
“It’s closing?” He lifted his eyelids slightly: “Has Taihe’s cultivation greatly advanced?”
“Not so,” Zhu Yan stole a glance at him and tried to maintain his composure: “Someone is helping.”
“Chu Yuan?” Li Ye frowned. “He should be stretched too thin.”
Zhu Yan smiled apologetically and leaned forward to ask: “Is Supreme God in a good mood today?”
Why suddenly ask this? Li Ye felt somewhat irritated. What mood? Wasn’t every day the same? So many days had passed, and no one had come to disturb him in the Upper Bing Palace. He felt very happy, truly—the thorns worked well, blocking all kinds of demons and monsters.
However, as the weather grew colder, these thorns also blocked the light annoyingly. Perhaps he should remove them the next time the sun comes out.
Tugging at his clothes irritably, he said with slight displeasure: “Speak of the matter at hand.”
This matter should only be mentioned when he was in a good mood. Zhu Yan sighed and, after hesitating for a while, still said: “Immortal Er’er has returned to the Taihe Immortal Sect and is likely by Immortal Taihe’s side right now. The death resentment in the Netherworld Gate has sensed your aura and is retreating, giving Taihe the chance to close the door.”
“…”
The surrounding air suddenly cooled by a few degrees. Zhu Yan sensed danger and immediately cupped his hands: “This humble immortal will go handle it right away.”
“Stop.”
Li Ye stood up, his gaze cold as he looked into the distance: “Their immortal sect has many people. You alone might not be able to stop them.”
“Then?” Zhu Yan looked toward him.