Chapter 1388: The Path I've Given You Is the Best One!

The arrangements had indeed been made, though entering and leaving the Sacred Realm was no longer convenient. Control at the entrances and exits had become extremely strict.

Sha Rulai smuggled the two of them inside under cover of escorting Misty Pavilion prisoners, specifically direct-line personnel of Mu Lianze and Zhangsun Mi who were being taken into custody.

In truth, Sha Rulai had advised against entering the Sacred Realm at a time like this. Could matters not be handled through messages instead?

Even passing messages in and out had become difficult now. Couriers had to memorize coded secret messages and reproduce them in writing after crossing the checkpoint.

But Niu Youdao said he had important arrangements to make and absolutely had to enter personally.

Left with no choice, Sha Rulai exhausted every method he could think of. Fortunately, during the earlier personnel reshuffling at the Sacred Realm entrances and exits, he had planted some of his own people there in advance to make communications easier. That preparation now gave him the opening he needed to get Niu Youdao and Fire Phoenix safely inside.

Getting out would require cooperation from Niu Youdao's people outside as well. They would release a lead uncovered by one of the supervisors, a matter involving someone from Daluo Sacred Land. That would give Sha Rulai grounds to obtain Luo Qiu's authorization to leave. With that authority, he could resist an overly rigorous search and take Niu Youdao out with him.

Fire Phoenix was extraordinarily nervous as they passed the checkpoint, but in the end she successfully entered the Sacred Realm, a place she had never set foot in before.

To her, the Sacred Realm was an unimaginably lofty place.

Once Niu Youdao and Fire Phoenix had safely shaken off the escort arrangement, they headed for the appointed location.

Fox Clan people were waiting there to receive them, using flying mounts Niu Youdao had left behind earlier.

The group reached the Desolate Marsh Deadlands without incident and entered one of the Fox Clan's underground palaces.

Yin Ji and Hei Yun both came to receive them after hearing the news. A round of courtesies was unavoidable.

When Hei Yun noticed that Niu Youdao had brought an unfamiliar woman, he raised his chin toward Fire Phoenix. "Who's this?"

Niu Youdao smiled. "Kunlin Shu's wife. I'm afraid she'll be staying here from now on. By the way, please have someone call Kunlin Shu over."

Hei Yun glanced at Yin Ji. Seeing no objection from her, he nodded to one of the elders nearby.

Fire Phoenix's fingers twisted tightly together. Knowing she was about to see her husband, she could hardly suppress her excitement.

Niu Youdao noticed and merely smiled. He said nothing, nor did he introduce Yin Ji and Hei Yun to Fire Phoenix. She could learn about them gradually on her own later.

Kunlin Shu appeared very quickly.

The moment he heard Fire Phoenix had arrived, he flashed out from the depths of the underground palace. As soon as he saw her, he called, "Junior Sister!"

"Senior Brother!"

Fire Phoenix cried out in delight and ran straight to him. The two embraced and would not let go.

Yin Ji seemed to enjoy scenes like this. A smile appeared on her face as she watched them.

Niu Youdao coughed lightly.

When Yin Ji turned back toward him, he said, "There's something rather difficult to ask, so I won't conceal it from Old Clan Chief. I've come this time because I need a favor from you."

Yin Ji was puzzled. "What is it?"

"The Fox Clan still has one fruit in its possession. I've come to ask Old Clan Chief for that fruit."

Yin Ji smiled. "Then take it. I told you back then to keep it, but you insisted on giving it to me."

Niu Youdao cupped his hands. "I thank Old Clan Chief for the kindness, but I should still explain matters clearly. Yin Die'er has already crossed hands with the Nine Saints..."

He recounted what had happened inside the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm.

When they heard that Zhangsun Mi and Mu Lianze had died, Kunlin Shu and Fire Phoenix, who had been speaking quietly after their long separation, both turned to look. Kunlin Shu in particular was visibly astonished.

Fire Phoenix had already heard the news that the two Saints were dead, but she had not known the truth behind it. Now she too was greatly surprised.

Hei Yun and the Fox Clan elders, on the other hand, were visibly invigorated.

Hei Yun even shouted, "Good! They deserved to die!"

Yin Ji was pleased as well, but she frowned. "Even Yin Die'er wasn't a match for the Nine Saints?"

Unlike Hei Yun, she did not possess such a foul mouth that she insisted on calling the Nine Saints the Nine Dogs.

Niu Youdao said, "One against one, her strength should be no weaker than any of the Nine Saints. Her disadvantage is that she doesn't know how to adapt. In that state, we also have no way to communicate with her. Inside the Illusory Realm, with countless Butterfly Rakshasas helping her, she can still cope. Once she leaves the Illusory Realm, she is unlikely to be a match for the Nine Saints. And after what happened this time, the remaining Seven Saints are unlikely to enter the Butterfly Dream Illusory Realm again."

Yin Ji nodded slightly, then asked, "What does that have to do with asking me for the fruit?"

"After hearing Old Clan Chief's words before, I originally had some confidence in Yin Die'er," Niu Youdao said. "But the facts have proven that the Nine Saints' strength exceeded our expectations. When no one can restrain them directly, relying only on schemes makes it very difficult to bring them down. Assassination and trickery probably won't be enough anymore. Old Clan Chief, schemes alone are no longer sufficient. I'm afraid we also need to prepare for some hard clashes!"

Yin Ji understood. "You want more Nascent Soul cultivators capable of confronting them?"

"Exactly. I originally thought one or two more or fewer wouldn't make much difference. Now I see things differently. Having one or two more may be precisely what gives us a little more chance of victory."

He suddenly looked back toward Kunlin Shu, who had been listening. "If I let you break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, would you dare fight the Nine Saints?"

Kunlin Shu was struck speechless.

Even when they had mentioned the "fruit" earlier, he had not immediately connected it to the Wuliang Fruit.

"Master Dao, how could I possibly break through to the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Niu Youdao's answer landed like a hammer. "I'll give you a Wuliang Fruit!"

"..."

Kunlin Shu was speechless again.

There was a Wuliang Fruit here?

Fire Phoenix immediately grew nervous. Obtaining a Wuliang Fruit was naturally a wonderful thing, but if it meant her senior brother had to fight the Nine Saints to the death, would he still have a life afterward?

Almost instinctively, she took Kunlin Shu's hand and squeezed it.

Niu Youdao asked, "Afraid?"

Kunlin Shu said, "It isn't fear. I'm only afraid my strength won't be enough!"

"There are other people around me," Niu Youdao said. "Do you know why I want to give the Fox Clan's last Wuliang Fruit to you?"

Kunlin Shu slowly shook his head. "I don't."

"Because you are the only person in several generations of the Tianhuo Sect to master the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art. A supreme art like that, combined with sufficient cultivation, should not produce a useless man. You know Wu Chang. After he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, he was able to contend with the other Eight Saints. Don't you want to see what you can do? You have blood in your veins too. Don't you yearn for the chance to fight the Nine Saints?"

Fire Phoenix could see that Niu Youdao was deliberately provoking him. She suddenly interjected, "Master Dao, he can't even defeat you. How could he possibly be a match for the Nine Saints?"

"Fire Phoenix, I chose him for a reason," Niu Youdao said. "I may as well state it plainly. Among Golden Core cultivators, in terms of combat strength, I doubt anyone is my match. Anyone capable of fighting me at all can unquestionably be counted among the very strongest experts on the Golden Core Ranking. You don't need to belittle your own husband. The reason he lost to me again the moment he left the mountains was simply that he chose the wrong person to challenge. I can also tell you that Yan Baoru, presently ranked first on the Golden Core Ranking, is not your husband's match. I have crossed hands with Yan Baoru as well. She too was defeated by me. Fire Phoenix, if your husband were outside, he would be fully qualified to challenge for the number-one position on the Golden Core Ranking!"

A faint smile appeared on Yin Ji's face.

She did not think Niu Youdao was boasting.

As Shang Song's disciple, Niu Youdao was fully qualified to say Kunlin Shu had simply chosen the wrong opponent.

Besides, Yin Ji herself had attacked Niu Youdao before. Someone capable of blocking one of her strikes could truthfully say he had no rival in the Golden Core Realm without exaggerating.

Even so, she found something strange. "How long will it take you to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Niu Youdao said, "Probably no more than two years."

Yin Ji grew even more puzzled. "With your combat strength, once you break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, you certainly won't be any weaker than Wu Chang was when he first advanced. Forget the present Seven Saints. Even if all Nine Saints were still alive, they probably couldn't do much to you. Two years isn't long. Why not endure a little longer?"

"I faked my death precisely because I wanted to endure and wait," Niu Youdao said. "Everything else I arranged was merely preparation against the unexpected. Who could have known the Wuliang Fruit tree would flower early? Heaven did not grant what I wished. It completely disrupted my rhythm. All the disturbances I've created in the cultivation world lately have been meant to delay the Seven Saints. But judging from the current situation, the Seven Saints truly deserve to be called people who have weathered countless storms. Despite all the chaos I've stirred up, the seven of them are simply watching and steadily advancing their own intentions. At this pace, two years? I'm afraid we can't wait two years. If it were only me, things would be simple enough. I have more than enough resources in my hands. If I hid for two years, they might not be able to find me. But what about everyone else? Too many people around me have already been drawn into this. If the day comes when they are implicated, there will be mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Old Clan Chief, unless I truly have no other choice, how can I preserve myself alone and ignore the lives and deaths of so many people? Some things require preparing for rain before it falls. Only then can we respond calmly when the event arrives. Wouldn't Old Clan Chief agree?"

Yin Ji nodded slightly.

She understood.

Niu Youdao suddenly looked at Kunlin Shu again. "You count as a man with blood in your veins. Are you planning to preserve yourself alone? If that's truly what you think, then I was wrong about you when I went to such lengths to recruit you. Ask yourselves honestly, husband and wife: have I ever truly treated the two of you as servants? Do you think I lack two useless hands for menial chores?"

Kunlin Shu's lips tightened.

He could feel his junior sister squeeze his hand again.

Niu Youdao glanced at their joined hands, then fixed his gaze on Fire Phoenix. "Fire Phoenix, there's one thing I must remind you of. In the eyes of the Seven Saints, your husband has long been a dead man. Unless he hides for the rest of his life and never shows himself, the moment he appears, the Seven Saints will inevitably seize him. He's been hiding for so long. He's involved with me, and he's involved with the Fox Clan. If he falls into the hands of the Seven Saints, do you really think your husband will walk away safely? The two of you will meet the same fate. Even if you don't die, you'll lose a layer of skin. If your husband refuses to stand with us wholeheartedly, we won't make things difficult for either of you. But we will never tolerate divided loyalties among our people. The two of you may leave now. From this day forward, whether you live or die will no longer concern us. But this is the Sacred Realm. Whether the two of you can come and go freely, you should understand for yourselves. And once your husband uses a Wuliang Fruit, he becomes an enemy of the Seven Saints. Unless he defeats them, the Seven Saints will never tolerate his existence. Do you still have a choice? Kunlin Shu, Fire Phoenix, neither of you has a choice. The path I've given you is the best one!"

Fire Phoenix bit her lip and lowered her head without speaking.

Niu Youdao suddenly barked, "Kunlin Shu! Will you take your wife and spend your lives hiding and fleeing, or will you fight alongside us? Give me your answer now!"

Kunlin Shu slowly withdrew his hand from Fire Phoenix's grasp and gave a bitter smile. "Master Dao, I'll obey. But there was no need to drag my junior sister into the danger as well."

Niu Youdao replied calmly, "Out of pure goodwill, I took a risk to reunite husband and wife, and I'm even giving you a Wuliang Fruit. You should appreciate the kindness."

[End of Chapter 1388]