Chapter 49: A Torturous Choice

In just half a day, the Immortal Alliance that had dominated the Linyuan Continent for thousands of years was utterly destroyed.

Such news felt surreal not only to the various sects but even to the Xuanyuan Sect itself. The key point was that it seemed they had done nothing, yet it was all over.

As the victors, the disciples of Xuanyuan Sect naturally ransacked the entire Immortal Alliance, turning it upside down. After all, the Alliance had knocked on their door more than once before, and they needed to collect their due interest.

What no one expected was that this search uncovered a great secret.

In the Alliance’s storerooms, they found nothing but demonic arts and demonic weapons confiscated from various sects.

Those cultivation methods once condemned by the Alliance as ancient demonic clan techniques were carefully preserved in the Alliance’s treasury. They even found versions translated into the continent’s language in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

The disciples of the Immortal Alliance had been practicing these very arts all along.

Qi Hong and others also learned from some elders a piece of news that shocked the entire continent: there was no such thing as a demonic clan in the world. The so-called "demons" spoken of by various sects were actually the ancient gods who had long ascended to the higher realms.

Those so-called demonic arts and weapons were the legacies left behind by these ancient gods. The Immortal Alliance fabricated the lie of demonic clans to monopolize these legacies, secretly practicing these arts while extensively searching for these relics.

Moreover, not even the Alliance’s own disciples knew that the supreme arts they had painstakingly gained access to by joining the Alliance were actually the very demonic arts they had been hunting and trying to destroy.

If it hadn’t been for their joint effort with the Beast Clan to annihilate the Alliance, no one would have believed that the Alliance had been playing such a grand game for thousands of years—simply because they had the means to decipher ancient scripts.

Once this news spread, it ignited not only the Xuanyuan Sect but every cultivation sect across the continent.

Of course, some believed it, but many others refused to accept it, turning instead to accuse Xuanyuan Sect of sinister ambitions. However, these voices gradually diminished after Xuanyuan Sect accidentally circulated some ancient cultivation methods.

Only after practicing them did people realize their true value.

Qi Hong, having been a cunning leader for many years, handled the situation with ease. The momentum from the Immortal Gate’s destruction of the Alliance still lingered, and with these unprecedented cultivation methods, the reputation of Xuanyuan Sect soared to unprecedented heights, truly becoming the foremost sect.

While the sect’s elders busied themselves absorbing the remnants of the Immortal Alliance and disputing with other sects, Qiu Ci was still preoccupied with the matter of Little Azure Dragon.

“How’s it going? Have you made up your mind, Social Anxiety Jing?” she patted him on the shoulder. “Do you want to stay as you are in Xuanyuan Sect, or revert to Little Azure Dragon and return to the Beast Clan?”

“I... I don’t know!” Social Anxiety Jing shook his head, still unable to decide.

Beside him, Pu’e couldn’t help but drift closer and say, “Young Master! You can’t abandon us. The Beast Clan has waited for you for thousands of years!”

Howls echoed urgently from the other beasts.

“I...” Social Anxiety Jing took a hesitant step back.

Meanwhile, Feng Ting frowned. Usually timid, she inexplicably showed no fear in front of the crowd of beasts and instead reprimanded them, “Stop howling! Your Young Master is important, but so is our senior brother!”

“Oh my, Sister Feng!” Zhen Yi was startled by her sudden courage and quickly tugged her away, cautioning her about the dangers around—they were no match for even one of those beasts. How dare she act so boldly!

“All right!” Qiu Ci raised a hand to interrupt the beasts and looked seriously at Social Anxiety Jing. “I’ve already sealed Little Azure Dragon’s body with a formation, but I plan to return the spiritual veins to the Beast Clan. That means Little Azure Dragon can only survive for two more months. During this time, you can think it over.”

“Mm.” Social Anxiety Jing nodded reluctantly.

“In this period, you can visit the Beast City to understand the situation of the Beast Clan.” Since his soul was placed into this new body by the main consciousness, he naturally lost all memories of Little Azure Dragon. Visiting the city would help him make a final choice.

As for whether she would lose her disguise because of this, Qiu Ci thought it no longer mattered. With her strength, no one could challenge her.

“How about I accompany Senior Brother Jing?” Feng Ting raised her hand and proposed, curious about the so-called Beast City.

“Fine.” Qiu Ci had no objections.

Zhen Yi, however, grew anxious and quickly raised his hand, “I... I want to go too!”

“Why do you want to go?” Feng Ting rolled her eyes.

“You’re all going; why can’t I?” Zhen Yi blushed but argued, “Anyway, it’s either we all go together or none of us do.” He then stepped forward and squeezed between the two.

“Fine, the three of you can watch out for each other.” Qiu Ci did not oppose and raised her hand to activate the teleportation formation.

White light flashed instantly as one beast after another stepped into the formation.

Pu’e was even more eager, drifting next to Social Anxiety Jing and enthusiastically saying, “Let’s go, Young Master. I’ll show you around the Sacred City, and you’ll definitely—”

“Stay!” Before he could finish, Qiu Ci grabbed his horn and yanked him back, irritably pointing at his nose as she scolded, “Do you have any sense of your soul’s condition? If you run around recklessly, your soul will scatter!”

“But—”

“No buts!” She tossed Pu’e into the soul-nurturing formation. “Stay in there and don’t come out. At least until I come up with a solution.”

Actually, compared to Social Anxiety Jing’s dilemma, Pu’e was in an even worse state. Originally a fragment of a soul, it had guarded the Beast City for thousands of years and was about to dissipate, barely maintaining a soul form.

Normally, staying in the soul-nurturing formation for hundreds of years could gradually restore its soul, but it had used its last bit of soul power in the battle with the Immortal Alliance. Its soul was now so faint it was nearly invisible. Without a good solution, it would vanish at any moment.

For now, the formation barely kept its soul intact. Yet it hadn’t realized that Social Anxiety Jing was its Young Master and just wanted to stay close, eager to share every piece of news from the Beast Clan.

“Master, please do not trouble yourself further on my account,” Pu’e murmured after all the beasts entered the formation. “You have already done us a great favor by helping find the Young Master. Pu’e is but a dead beast; even if I dissipate—”

“Shut up!” Qiu Ci cut him off sharply. “Are you doubting the power of Blue Star?”

“No, no, no! Of course not!” Pu’e hurriedly shook its head. “I just—”

“Then behave!” Qiu Ci snapped, then added after a moment, “Don’t worry, I will find a way.”

It was time to delve into the archives of the dog system.

Yesterday I was ill, suddenly had stomach pain, and was rushed to the hospital, so there was no update. After two days of medication, I’m feeling a little better today. Don’t know how long the pain will last—stomach pain is truly tormenting...