Roots Severed

Although Zhang Yang found Heavenly Profound Daoist strange, he still greeted Heavenly Profound Daoist very politely.

In fact, even Ling Yunzi had to be polite.

Heavenly Profound Daoist was Mid Dao Integration Realm cultivator, living seven or eight hundred years ago. Both his cultivation and age are worthy of respect.

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Yang said, "I've come to see you, senior, because other major sects seem to have ulterior motives towards our Azure Cloud Continent. It feels like they're inciting our Azure Cloud Continent to leave..."

Before he could finish speaking, Heavenly Profound Daoist gave a wry smile and said, "I know!"

Zhang Yang was taken aback, then suddenly realized something and asked, "The people from the Heavenly Profound Sect have left too?"

"He's gone!" Heavenly Profound Daoist said with a sigh.

Zhang Yang looked at Heavenly Profound Daoist with a mixture of speechlessness and helplessness. "Senior just watched them leave?"

"Then what can I do?" Heavenly Profound Daoist countered. "Most of the disciples have already entertained their schemes. Am I supposed to kill them all?"

Regardless of whether he has the resolve, even if he does, isn't the Heavenly Profound Sect already reduced to such a small force?

Zhang Yang was speechless. He thought this old man was just as foolish as the seniors of the Azure Cloud Sect!

However, he had to admit that sometimes these fools were quite respectable.

Why can't that brain of his be a little smarter?

"Why didn't you leave, senior?" Ling Yunzi asked.

Heavenly Profound Daoist looked at Ling Yunzi and asked in return, "Your Azure Cloud Sect has suppressed so many Demon Lords, and those Demon Lords would kill you as soon as they were released. Why don't you leave?"

Ling Yunzi also fell silent.

Heavenly Profound Daoist said calmly, "I cannot stop those young people from leaving, nor can I control their thoughts, but I can control my own. Although most of the people in the Heavenly Profound Sect have left, I am still here, and some disciples who are unwilling to leave are still here, Heavenly Profound Sect is still here."

Although I am old, I still possess some Daoist skills and would like to see what those Demon Lords are really like."

"Your kindness is truly admirable!" Ling Yunzi rose and bowed.

Heavenly Profound Daoist waved his hand and shook his head, saying, "I am ashamed to say that I am of no help whatsoever. However, since I have chosen to stay, and my disciples are also willing to stay, we will do our utmost to help in any way we can."

He knew very well that since the Azure Cloud Sect had sent someone to visit, it must be for something important.

Zhang Yang put aside his random thoughts and looked at Heavenly Profound Daoist, asking, "Senior, may I assume that you are willing to live and die with the Azure Cloud Continent?"

"Of course!" Heavenly Profound Daoist answered affirmatively.

Zhang Yang frowned and asked, "Senior should be able to see that these major sects are deliberately spreading rumors and abducting people from various sects. Their intentions are despicable. One day in the Future, these people who left Azure Cloud Continent may very well return to our Azure Cloud Continent with cultivators from other continents."

I'd like to ask you, senior, if you were to encounter your disciples and their descendants again, what would you choose to do?

"They probably won't be coming back!" Heavenly Profound Daoist replied.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Senior, you know very well that they will definitely come back again! So, could you give me a definite answer? Otherwise, to put it bluntly, your staying on the Azure Cloud Continent and claiming to live and die with the Azure Cloud Continent is a joke!"

Heavenly Profound Daoist stared at Zhang Yang, remaining silent for a long time.

Ling Yunzi hurriedly apologized, then glared at Zhang Yang and shouted, "Hurry up and apologize to your senior!"

In his view, wasn't this forcing Heavenly Profound Daoist to make a Heavenly Dao Oath?

How incredibly rude of me!

Zhang Yang did not back down and looked directly at Heavenly Profound Daoist, waiting for his answer.

At this point, there can be no ambiguity; a definite answer is required.

After a long silence, Heavenly Profound Daoist resolutely declared, "I, Tian Xuan, hereby swear to the Heavenly Dao that I will live and die with the Azure Cloud Continent. However, I will not harm those who belong to the Heavenly Profound Sect."

"Senior, do you mean you're willing to resist people from other continents?" Zhang Yang had no intention of letting Heavenly Profound Daoist off easily. He didn't think oaths were truly effective. The Heavenly Dao was elusive and boundless; there were too many loopholes to exploit in oaths.

Therefore, he wanted a definite answer from Heavenly Profound Daoist.

Pressed further by Zhang Yang, Heavenly Profound Daoist asked somewhat angrily, "I think the people from other major sects aren't entirely here to deal with the rest of the Azure Cloud Continent, are they?"

Won't the other major sects ultimately come after the Azure Cloud Sect?

So, did he think Zhang Yang was determined to tie him to the Azure Cloud Sect's warship?

"What you're saying, senior, is a bit unreasonable." Zhang Yang's expression turned serious. "This continent is called Azure Cloud Continent because thousands of years ago, the Azure Cloud Sect earned the respect of other major sects through its strength, and that's why it was named Azure Cloud Continent."

To put it bluntly, for thousands of years, the people of this continent have not been easily humiliated or oppressed by cultivators from other continents, because of the existence of the Azure Cloud Sect. Senior, do you think what I said is correct?"

Heavenly Profound Daoist remained silent, offering no rebuttal.

In fact, he couldn't refute it either.

Zhang Yang stared at Heavenly Profound Daoist and continued, "When the Azure Cloud Sect was not in decline, cultivators from other continents would not only bully cultivators from the Azure Cloud Continent, but even after setting foot on the Azure Cloud Continent, I think they would all behave themselves."

In other words, all living beings on the Azure Cloud Continent have enjoyed the protection of the Azure Cloud Sect for thousands of years, and this is especially true for cultivators.

A thousand years ago, the Azure Cloud Sect declined, and the status of the Azure Cloud Continent plummeted as a result.

If it weren't for the enduring strength of the Azure Cloud Sect Azure Cloud Continent, one can imagine what it would be like now. I imagine the great cultivators from various sects would have already stormed onto the Azure Cloud Continent and divided it up among themselves.

In fact, aren't those major sects already doing this?

They sent people to plunder our foundations, trying to sever our core strengths.

If I'm not mistaken, these major sects definitely have other methods they use to continuously target us.

It's because our Azure Cloud Sect is there to protect us that ordinary people don't suffer as much disaster.

Under these circumstances, how could the senior still believe that this matter is solely the problem of the Azure Cloud Sect? He even believes that the Azure Cloud Sect caused the trouble?

After a long silence, Heavenly Profound Daoist finally said with a wry smile, "I admit I can't win an argument with you!"

Zhang Yang said seriously, "The reason you can't argue with me, senior, is because I'm in the right!"

Heavenly Profound Daoist pondered for a moment before asking, "Why have you come to see me?"

"We came to see you, senior, because we thought that Heavenly Profound Sect, as a famous sect on the Azure Cloud Continent, should set an example at this critical juncture!" Zhang Yang said, then couldn't help but smile bitterly. "I didn't expect that Heavenly Profound Sect would indeed set an example, but a negative one. Next, I'm afraid more sects will be persuaded by other major sects to flee Azure Cloud Continent."

In other words, the number of cultivators on the Azure Cloud Continent will decrease sharply in the near future.

In particular, when these sects leave, they take away some Immortal Cultivation cultivators and most of the Immortal Cultivation resources, which means that the foundation of the Azure Cloud Continent is being drastically reduced.

Faced with this situation, it becomes even more difficult to confront other major sects.

It has to be said, this move by these major sects is quite ruthless.

From the perspective of other sects, if the Heavenly Profound Sect has already fled, why shouldn't they run away too?

Therefore, an avalanche effect is inevitable.

When he thought of this situation, Heavenly Profound Daoist was speechless.

Ling Yunzi also frowned, unsure of what to say.