The Final Struggle
A moment of silence fell over the room.
After a long silence, Tong Nanyang said calmly, "The Bai Clan, backed by the Crimson Cloud Realm, has already retreated. The strength of my Slanting Moon World has been weakened by a third. We weren't even confident before. What can we, just a few families, do now?"
Wang Shihong said, "It seems that Tong Family has already found a good place for the Tong Family?"
Tong Nanyang said, "What good place is there to go? Leaving the Slanting Moon World is just about finding a place to settle down, and then having to keep a low profile from now on."
Wang Shihong then turned to Chen Zongyao and asked, "Where is the Chen Family?"
Chen Zongyao gave a wry smile, "What else can we do? Let fate decide."
Wang Shihong then looked at Ji Yuhuan.
With her white hair, Ji Yuhuan looked even older, and the Dragon-Head Cane in her hand seemed heavy. She said, "Wang Family, please speak plainly!"
Wang Shihong said in a deep voice, "I know that you have been transferring your Lineage's resources outwards over the years, but are you really willing to give up the Slanting Moon World? You all know how cruel the Exquisite World is. If we lose the Slanting Moon World, we will be living under someone else's roof. Unless we can migrate to the Upper Thirty-Six Realms, the decline of our Lineage is only a matter of time!"
Patriarch Chen Family, I know your Tong Family has a good relationship with the Spirit Crane Sect of the Seven Treasures World, but do you think the Spirit Crane Sect will sit idly by and watch your Chen Family grow stronger in the Seven Treasures World? Even if the Spirit Crane Sect acquiesces, how could the other Sect and Lineage in the Seven Treasures World allow it?"
"Brother Wang, everyone knows what you're saying, but what can we do? Even the Crimson Cloud Bai Family has given up, which means there must be a Celestial Person Realm expert in this Floating World. They are Celestial Person, how can our few families possibly defeat them?" Chen Zongyao said.
"That's right. The ancestors of our Lineage are at most at the Void Heaven Great Accomplishment, and even combined, they are no match for Celestial Person Being," Tong Nanyang said.
Wang Shihong said, "I believe that Heavenly Human in the Floating World, but I think this person may not be a native of this realm. Everyone knows the state of the Floating World; even the Divine Platform Realm can hardly support it. I don't believe that Dao Fire Realm Cultivator could become Celestial Person in just a few decades! If that's the case, even if there are Celestial Person, they won't be able to participate in the World Conflict. With the combined strength of our four families, are we really no match for them?"
"Brother Wang, this is just a guess. What if this person is actually from the Floating World? Although migrating to another realm is difficult, there is still a chance. But if we lose the World Conflict, the Slanting Moon World Origin is taken away, and it is reduced to the Floating World and falls into the Demon Realm, then our Lineage will only sink into oblivion and never have a chance to rise again! Such a risk is too great. Who can bear it?" Chen Zongyao said.
Wang Shihong said, "The path of cultivation is inherently about fighting against fate, battling against heaven, and fighting against man. Every step is fraught with danger. Moreover, what if we win? As long as we win the World Conflict and seize the origin of the Floating World, the Slanting Moon World will surely be greatly enhanced. You all should know the benefits involved. Perhaps in just one night, we can use this to directly enter the Void Heaven! Honestly, if we cultivate step by step in a normal way, how confident are we in breaking through to the Void Heaven?"
Those present fell silent again. To become the head of a family, one must be one of the most powerful cultivators in the clan; otherwise, it would be difficult to command respect. But for someone of their age to still be the head of the family meant that their hopes of reaching the Void Heaven Realm were practically gone! Otherwise, they would have already abandoned worldly affairs and gone into seclusion to cultivate.
Their Qi and Blood and spirit began to decline, and normally they would have no chance of achieving the Void Heaven realm again. However, victory in the World Conflict was one of their opportunities!
"Gentlemen, our Lifespan are numbered!" Wang Shihong looked around at everyone.
The Divine Platform lifespans of eight hundred years, but here, almost everyone's Lifespan is nearing its end. Even though Tong Nanyang looks very young, he is actually seven hundred years old.
Chen Zongyao sighed, "We have certainly considered what Brother Wang said, but we dare not gamble our Lineage's fate on our own future..."
"Indeed, I am also half-buried in the ground. I am content to have lived for over seven hundred years. I only wish that the Ji Family can continue peacefully and steadily," said Ji Yuhuan.
Wang Shihong said, "Gentlemen, my intention is not to gamble everything. Even though my Wang Family has naturally left ourselves a way out, it would be too unwilling to flee without even seeing the enemy, and it is not the behavior of Cultivator."
Tong Nanyang narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother Shihong, you mean..." Wang Shihong said calmly, "That's right. Most of the Lineage have left the Slanting Moon World, but those of us whose Lifespan are running out and who can hardly advance any further on our own can stay. If we lose, there's nothing to say; if we win, we've risked our future!"
Ji Yuhuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Let me discuss this with my clan."
Chen Zongyao and Tong Nanyang gave the same reply, clearly showing that they were also somewhat interested.
Wang Shihong added, "But before that, I would like to request Soul Summoning once more."
"The Mysterious Moon Mirror of Profound Communication of the Wind Moon Sect and Moon Sect?"
"This time, the Wang Family can provide the items borrowed from the Mysterious Moon Mirror of Profound Communication, but..." Wang Shihong looked at Chen Zongyao and Tong Nanyang.
The Wang and Ji families are all long dead. The Bai Clan Bai Clan still has members, but they have all left the Slanting Moon World. Now, only the Tong and Chen families remain in the Floating World.
Another month has passed.
During the Spiritual Mountain Trial, Gu Yuanqing was deducing Cultivation Method suitable for the Yin-Yang Realm when suddenly a thought struck him. He sensed something and looked up towards the Western Regions of the Floating World, in the direction of Purple Cloud Island.
At this moment, Tong Yuefei, who was meditating, felt somewhat dazed, as if someone extremely familiar and important to him was calling out to him from a distant place.
He then remembered what Chen Zhengfeng had said before, hesitated for a moment, and gave up resisting. Then, his Divine Soul was drawn into the Underworld by some kind of force.
When he regained full consciousness, he saw Tong Nanyang in a Mystic Mirror opposite him.
Tong Yuefei knelt down with a complicated expression. "Greetings, Patriarch!"
"Get up." Tong Nanyang raised his hand.
Tong Yuefei stood up. Although he didn't see anyone else in the mirror, he was certain that there were other Lineage members present.
Tong Nanyang stared at Tong Yuefei for a long time before slowly saying, "Yuefei, tell me the truth, are you in the Floating World that is in World Conflict with my Slanting Moon World?"
Tong Yuefei said with a wry smile, "Uncle, please don't ask anymore, I can't say."
Tong Nanyang said, "Then pick what you can say!"
Tong Yuefei was silent for a moment, then said, "The Tong Family should leave the Slanting Moon World!"
"Is there anything else?" Tong Nanyang asked.
Tong Yuefei shook his head. So many years have passed, his Lineage must know something by now, but no matter what, this is all he can do.
Just then, another person's voice came from the mirror.
"Do it!"
Tong Nanyang turned around and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"
"Tong Family, I'm sorry, but this is the only way to understand the Floating World! Moreover, since he has defected to the enemy, he can no longer be considered a member of your Tong Family."
Tong Yuefei could feel a force binding his Divine Soul, which was about to pull him into the mirror.
He didn't struggle, but just gave a wry smile, "It's no use!"