Waiting and Returning to Heaven-Soaring City
"Then what do we do?" Yunyouzi frowned. "We can't just let it go like this, can we? This is a once-in-a-hundred-thousand-years opportunity."
"Of course we can't forget about it." Zhang Jianchen took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation. "Send out the order: the entire army will temporarily garrison at Chaos Abyss, and all scouts will be dispatched to search for the Dao Fruit throughout the world."
Furthermore, an order was issued to all states to closely monitor any unusual phenomena, for Dao Fruit's escape would inevitably leave traces.
"Furthermore, a generous reward will surely attract brave men. Proclaim this throughout the Five Provinces: whoever can provide definitive clues about the Dao Fruit will be rewarded with one million Immortal Crystals and a superior-grade Cultivation Method; whoever finds the Dao Fruit and brings it back to the Immortal Alliance will be appointed as the lord of a state and granted a position in a core sect."
"As the Alliance Leader commands."
Everyone readily accepted the order.
But on everyone's face was an undisguised sense of loss.
Who could have imagined that the fierce battle for the Dao Fruit of 100,000 years would end in such an absurd way?
They failed to seize the Dao Fruit, and both the righteous and demonic paths suffered heavy casualties, ultimately ending up with nothing.
Zhang Jianchen turned around and looked at Li Yunjing. Seeing that his face was pale and there was blood at the corner of his mouth, he quickly asked, "Sect Leader Li, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Li Yunjing shook his head and looked at Yuanchu, "Senior Yuanchu, can you sense the whereabouts of the Dao Fruit?"
Yuanchu frowned, closed his eyes, and sensed for a long time before slowly opening them and shaking his head. "I can't sense it anymore. It has disappeared into the depths of space, and its aura has completely vanished."
He paused, then added, "However, it's still in the Tianyuan Dao Realm. I can vaguely sense that it hasn't left this world, but I don't know exactly where."
"It's good that it's still here." Zhang Jianchen breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it's still in the Tianyuan Dao Realm, we'll find it eventually."
He patted Li Yunjing on the shoulder, his tone sincere. "Sect Leader Li, today's events are all thanks to you. You killed the traitor Yan Xuanye and protected the Origin Dao Physique. Your contribution is immense. If it weren't for you, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"You flatter me, Alliance Leader. It's just my duty." Li Yunjing bowed slightly.
"Even within one's duties, there are distinctions between doing them well and poorly," Zhang Jianchen said solemnly. "Your performance today was witnessed by the entire army. Upon returning to camp, I will reward you accordingly."
Having said that, he looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Issue the order to clean up the battlefield, count the casualties, treat the wounded, and have all units withdraw to their camps in an orderly manner. Maintain strict vigilance to prevent the demonic forces from returning."
"Yes, sir."
Everyone dispersed.
Li Yunjing stood on the stone platform, gazing in the direction where the Dao Fruit had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
Yuanchu stood beside him and said softly, "Although the Dao Fruit is gone, I have a feeling that it will reappear."
"Oh?" Li Yunjing glanced sideways.
"It's just been startled. Once it stabilizes, its primordial energy will leak out again," Yuanchu said. "Then, I'll be able to sense its location."
Li Yunjing nodded.
That's fine.
At least there is still hope.
He knew in his heart that the escape of the Dao Fruit only temporarily quelled the war between good and evil.
When the Dao Fruit reappears, an even more brutal battle will ensue.
Li Yunjing took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.
When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.
He was able to kill Yan Xuanye and withstand a blow from the Demon Emperor; in the future, he will also be able to face even more challenges.
"Let's go back to camp first," Li Yunjing said softly.
The two walked down the stone platform side by side, heading towards the righteous camp.
The righteous army stretched for dozens of miles, slowly retreating along the route they had come from.
Hundreds of thousands of cultivators went on the expedition, but nearly a third of them returned.
They failed to seize the Dao Fruit, uncovered a string of traitors, and even killed Yan Xuanye, who had been lying in wait for seven hundred years. In the end, however, it was all for naught.
No one could have imagined that the fierce battle for destiny over ten thousand years would end in such an absurd way as the Dao Fruit being frightened and fleeing.
In the center of the formation, Zhang Jianchen, dressed in a white robe, stood at the bow of the flagship, his brows furrowed as he gazed at the rapidly receding mountains on either side.
Beside him, two Loose Immortal, Xuanjizi and Yunyouzi, stood side by side, their expressions equally solemn.
"Alliance Leader, are you still thinking about the Dao Fruit?" Xuanjizi spoke first, his tone somewhat consoling. "The Dao Fruit possesses a spirit and cannot be bound by ordinary things. Since it has escaped, it means the time is not yet ripe, and we cannot force it."
Zhang Jianchen sighed, "I'm not forcing you, but I'm worried. The Dao Fruit is hidden in the shadows, and both the righteous and demonic paths are searching for it. The next time it appears, I'm afraid the battle will be even more brutal than this time."
Yunyouzi Rogue Person said coldly, "What's there to be afraid of? We'll meet force with force, and if Old Devil Yan dares to come again, we brothers will fight him again."
That being said, everyone knows that next time it will not be as simple as it was this time.
The Dao Fruit has vanished into an unknown land; whoever finds it first will gain a decisive advantage.
If the demonic path finds it first and sets a trap beforehand, the righteous path will have to pay several times the price if they try to take it.
Three days later, the army arrived at Heaven-Soaring City.
The majestic immortal city still stands tall in the clouds, the colorful sunset glow not yet completely dissipated, reflecting the entire city as if it were crystal clear.
However, the atmosphere in the city was far less enthusiastic than before the expedition.
The cultivators lined the road to welcome him, but their usual cheers and jubilation were gone; they had clearly already learned of the Dao Fruit's escape.
After the army entered the city, the various sects returned to their respective camps to rest and recuperate.
Zhang Jianchen then directly issued an order for all the leaders and elders of the core sects to hold a meeting in the council hall one hour later.
An hour later, inside the Lingxiao Council Hall.
The leaders of the seven core sects, the eight elders, and dozens of leaders of first-class sects gathered together.
Unlike the solemnity before the expedition, the hall was now filled with lively discussions and noise.
"How could the Dao Fruit run away on its own? I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Who would have thought that the Dao Fruit would actually possess a spirit, and even flee in fright? If only we had known, we should have gone slower and been more cautious from the start."
"What's the use of saying all this now? The most urgent thing is to find out where the Dao Fruit went. We can't just let it go like this, can we?"
"We definitely can't count on it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; how can we just give it up like that?"
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but in the end, they all kept bringing up the topic of finding the Dao Fruit.
Zhang Jianchen sat in the main seat, raised his hand to quell the noise, and the hall instantly fell silent.
"I understand your meaning," he said slowly, his voice steady. "The Dao Fruit concerns the fate of the righteous path and cannot be abandoned. The reason I summoned you all here today is to discuss He Xun the Dao Fruit."
First is the Yuanchu, which is the Origin Dao Physique and closely related to the Dao Fruit.
But Yuanchu had said before that he couldn't sense the Dao Fruit, and it's even more so now.
Therefore, it's impossible to get Yuanchu's help.
"Isn't there any other way?" Ge Changyun of the Pill Cauldron Sect asked in a deep voice, "Such as deducing heavenly secrets? Or using High Antiquity treasures to track it down?"
Lu Tianji is dead. The newly appointed Grand Elder of the Heavenly Evolution Sect stepped forward and bowed. "Reporting to Sect Leader Ge, we have tried, but Tianji is completely obscured, and we cannot deduce anything. The Dao Fruit itself is transformed from the Dao Realm Origin, and Tianji moves because of it, so we simply cannot deduce its location."
The group exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.
Deduction fails, tracking fails, and even the Origin Dao Physique cannot be sensed.
How can we find it then?
We can't just search aimlessly all over the world, can we?
Zhang Jianchen remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "In that case, we can only wait."
"Wait?" someone asked, puzzled.
"That's right." Zhang Jianchen nodded. "The Dao Fruit is ultimately formed from the Dao Realm Origin. It cannot be hidden forever. As long as it remains in the Heavenly Spirit Dao Realm, it will inevitably reveal its aura again sooner or later."
"I hereby issue this order: all states and sects in the Five Provinces shall monitor celestial phenomena day and night. Any signs of seven-colored light or fluctuations in primordial energy shall be reported immediately."