Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 196

“Everyone, when Fallen Immortal Island sees the light of day again and this courtyard opens once more, it means the wheels of fate have begun to turn. Our existence is a contingency left by that person from back then. Our future task is to assist the new island master in guarding the Kunlun Realm.”

The green willow branches swayed in the wind, and a cold voice drifted from the willow tree, echoing clearly in the courtyard.

“Son…” The little donkey, about to speak as usual, suddenly felt a chill at heart, quickly biting back the word. Its long donkey face showed a human-like ingratiating smile, “Miss Liu is truly wise, you couldn’t be more right!”

“Just one little thing, though. This new island master’s cultivation level is seriously underwhelming! At just True Immortal Sixth Heaven, back in the day, that was barely enough to be cannon fodder!”

“Can we really place our hopes on him?”

The old hen hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Although this new island master talks beautifully, his cultivation really is too poor. That’s why I didn’t lay it all out for him just now.”

“And the key is, because we’ve been sealed in this space for far too long, everyone’s realms have seriously regressed, we need to recover slowly. If we expose our identities too soon, we might get tasked around by the new island master, which would be counterproductive to our recovery.”

“Exactly,” an old carp surfaced, its voice deep and steady, “Now that the Kunlun Realm is entering a revival phase, the laws of heaven and earth are still being refined. Beings of our level shouldn’t act rashly, or we could face backlash.”

“I understand your concerns.”

Willow branches danced in the breeze, exuding spring vitality, the cold voice filled with determination, “But I believe in Liu Island Master’s insight. He must be a chosen one! So what if he’s weak now? People grow. What we need to do is help him when the time comes. This is our mission, and it’s a promise we made with Liu Island Master back then.”

The little donkey drooped its ears and sighed, “This debt of human kindness is hard to repay! I don’t want to stay in the courtyard forever; I want to see the outside world, explore the vast realm, and meet more cute little donkeys.”

“Cluck cluck!”

The old hen flapped its wings disdainfully, “You silly donkey, don’t go messing around with those little girls! If it weren’t for Liu Island Master saving you back then, you would have been surrounded and killed by those Immortal Sovereign-level beings. How could you even be here now?”

“I remember it well! You were on your knees, wagging your tail begging Liu Island Master for mercy, and when you learned you could join Fallen Immortal Island, you were so grateful you nearly cried and knocked your head on the ground!”

At this, the little donkey’s eyes bulged with indignation. That was a dark chapter it preferred to forget, and having it brought up now made it grit its teeth, steam starting to puff from its head.

“And what about you and your clan? Weren’t you the ones who lost the clan fight and had to flee from the Phoenix Clan? In your flight, many died, and the rest were hurt, like a stray dog!”

“If it weren’t for Liu Island Master’s kindness in taking you in, you’d have become a delicious meal on the tables of various Immortal Emperors!”

The little donkey retorted defiantly.

Upon hearing this, the old hen took two steps back, trembling with anger, retorting, “So we’re grateful to Liu Island Master, unlike you, who just complains!”

“Hey, hey, can’t a donkey like me just grumble a bit?!” the little donkey shot back passionately.

“Enough!”

The willow tree shot back with a cold, undeniable voice.

Seeing this, the old hen and the little donkey fell silent.

The willow tree coldly stated, “Who among the beings that come to this courtyard hasn’t got a story? No need to attack each other.”

“We’re fortunate to see the light of day again, while some are still sealed due to their past mistakes.”

“Compared to them, we’re already very lucky!”

As it said this, the other beings unconsciously looked towards the old well.

Clop clop clop, the little donkey trotted over to peek into the well, finding it completely dark and filled with nothingness.

It teased, “This poor guy is really unfortunate. After so many years, who knows how he’s doing?”

“Unfortunate? Given the ruckus he caused back then, he’s lucky to be alive!” the old hen scoffed angrily.

“So be content and focus on regaining your cultivation level. The enemies we will face later will undoubtely be very strong,” the willow tree said seriously.

“Yes, Miss Liu,” everyone nodded.

The courtyard fell quiet once more.

Qingzhou.

Yuhua Sect.

A middle-aged man in resplendent attire, exuding an imposing aura, stood with his hands behind his back on the highest floor, gazing out at the grand spectacle, he sighed, “Sigh, time waits for no one.”

“Master, what news from the Underworld Abyss?” the elder Liu asked tentatively from behind.

Ever since Ye Junlin’s identity as an Immortal was exposed, public opinion rose dramatically, and even Yuhua Sect was dragged into it.

After all, every cultivator in the Eastern Domain knew that Yuhua Sect had a feud with the Xuantian Sect and, to be blunt, with Ye Junlin.

As his fame skyrocketed, Yuhua Sect, who once had enmity with him, found themselves in the spotlight.

The more impressive Ye Junlin was, the more it highlighted how foolish Yuhua Sect had been back then!

Of all the people in the world, why did they choose to provoke this ancient monster who was already an Immortal? They’d been led around by the nose the whole time—what a disgrace!

Rumor even had it that Yuhua Sect had already fallen and no longer deserved to be called the Eastern Domain’s number one cultivation holy land; instead, that title should go to the Xuantian Sect.

This showed just how damaging public sentiment was to Yuhua Sect!

At this moment, the Yuhua Sect Master said in a deep voice, “According to the Deity’s request, we need to issue a slashing order to gather strong cultivators from the fourteen states of the Eastern Domain and formally establish a massive coalition army to attack the Underworld Abyss.”

“Uh… this…”

Elder Liu’s murky eyes widened in shock.

What kind of strange request was this?

Are you crazy?

“Shouldn’t we be lowering our profile at this time? Why jump into danger like this? Could it be that the Star Gate plan is to be abandoned early?”

Elder Liu was puzzled, finding this behavior counterintuitive.

The Underworld Abyss, having been subdued by ongoing assaults before, was no longer as fierce as when they initially attacked the Eastern Domain and was now low on morale, barely hanging on.

Like grasshoppers in late autumn, they wouldn’t last long.

If another fire were added…

“Elder Liu, I understand your meaning. Ever since Ye Junlin publicly killed the Underworld Abyss Lord, the morale of the human cultivators has surged, and a counterattack has begun. The Underworld Abyss armies previously stalled in various locations have crumbled easily. The territories we captured from the Underworld Abyss have begun to be taken over by major factions.”

“Given how things have progressed, the Star Gate plan can be considered a complete failure.”

The Yuhua Sect Master gritted his teeth, frustration swelling within him.

Not even he expected things would spiral out of control so quickly; it was completely contrary to the initial plans.

Ye Junlin! It’s all Ye Junlin’s fault!!

Why did such a person have to show up?!

And when this news reached the five ancestors, it created an enormous stir.

Especially Old Ancestor Tianhong, who found it utterly hard to believe.

He even speculated whether Ye Junlin was an ancient monster that had survived from ancient times, as he had never heard of any Ye family True Immortal in the Eastern Domain, despite having lived so long.

But at this point, pondering that was meaningless.

After all, below Immortals, everyone was just ants!

As long as one was an Immortal, they were the chess player capable of deciding the course of the entire Eastern Domain.

Thus, if Yuhua Sect wanted to pull any underhanded tricks behind the scenes, they had to be extremely cautious!

“What about the Deity?” Elder Liu questioned, bewildered over this self-destructive approach.

Could he be aware the plan was hopeless and intended to sacrifice the Underworld Abyss for Yuhua Sect’s gain?

That’s a bit grandiose…

The Yuhua Sect Master waved his hand, “I know what you’re thinking. I found it strange at first, even suspecting the Deity feared retaliation and wanted us to cooperate in staging a dramatic escape.”

“But then, he secretly hinted to me that he had a trump card in the Underworld Abyss. As long as we lure the powerful from the Eastern Domain over, he’s confident he can wipe them all out, even Ye Junlin that kind of Immortal will turn to dust on the spot!”

“What?!”

Elder Liu’s eyes nearly popped out, and his heart almost stopped beating.

This news was too shocking!

“Ha ha, scared, huh? I felt the same as you did back then,” the Yuhua Sect Master said with a playful smile.

“Master, if this plan succeeds, then the entire Eastern Domain will no longer have the power to resist us. All major factions will face a scenario of strong warriors lacking successors, and from then on, my Yuhua Sect will stand alone, free from worries!” Elder Liu exclaimed, his face brightening with joy as he realized the implications.

“Exactly.”

The Yuhua Sect Master nodded, his face taking on a cruel glint, “Outsiders are formidable. My Yuhua Sect’s choice was not wrong; as the saying goes, ‘those who know the times are exceptional.’ Since they are wholeheartedly siding with Ye Junlin, they deserve to become sacrificial offerings.”

He realized that in this game of chess, Yuhua Sect had no way to retreat. If the plan leaked, they would face annihilation, but if it succeeded, they would transform into a true Immortal sect, enjoying endless cultivation resources and a lineage that would last forever!

This time, only success is allowed, failure is not an option!