Venerable Yunqian's voice was gentle as he asked unhurriedly, "Is the Southern Continent still peaceful? Has there been any more warfare? How have the five great sects developed? Have they abided by the rules established when the sects were founded and sheltered the people of their lands?"
Yuan Xi answered softly, "The Five Continents have been peaceful for ten thousand years. The Southern Continent lies tucked away in one corner. Though its resources are not abundant, it has developed steadily and remained relatively tranquil, with wars rarely seen. Of the five great sects from ancient times, only the Tianyi Sect and Xuantian Sect remain major sects. The Gui Tao Sect and Lang Sha Sect destroyed each other thirty thousand years ago, and the Azure Sea Pavilion and Wutai Sword Pavilion were later rebuilt in their territories. As for the Wu Wang Sect... its sect master led it away from its original location in its early years, after which it vanished without a trace. Its whereabouts are now unknown."
Among the spectral soul projections behind Venerable Yunqian were quite a few from the other four sects. Every one of them wore sorrowful, wistful expressions.
"The affairs of the world are ever-changing. Who would have thought that in merely tens of thousands of years, the situation outside would change so drastically?"
"As long as the Southern Continent is peaceful, everything else is a small matter."
"Yes. Peace is good. Peace is good."
One sigh after another rang out, carrying the age of time and the helplessness of passing years, along with faint notes of fulfilled regret and relief.
Tan Yueqing and Yuan Xi were both affected, their eyes growing slightly sore.
After hesitating for a moment, Tan Yueqing still voiced the question in her heart. "Venerable Yunqian, you have been dead for