Refugees, Disaster in Purple Wind
Twenty-five warships advanced slowly, like black behemoths pressing down on the northern horizon.
The further north you go, the stronger the Tribulation Qi becomes, and the clearer the Spiritual Qi becomes.
Gradually, countless black dots appeared on the horizon.
It wasn't a military formation, but rather a chaotic bunch of people.
There were men, women, young and old, cultivators and ordinary people, with their families in tow, walking with faltering steps.
They were all dressed in rags, covered in wounds, and many even had broken Law Artifact. They staggered southward like beggars fleeing a disaster.
"These are refugees?" Dao Lord Hanzun was taken aback. "Where did so many refugees come from?"
Li Yunjing also frowned.
Northern Spirit Province has long been deserted; the survivors have all moved inland. Where did these people come from?
"Send the order: the vanguard ship must announce its identity by hailing the ship."
"Yes!"
A Mystic Crane Class escort ship slowly moved forward, its spiritual pressure receding, and a deep voice emanating from it:
"Who goes there? The Luozhen Sect fleet is here. Halt!"
The sound echoed across the wilderness.
The group of people suddenly stopped in their tracks, like a herd of startled beasts, and all looked up at them.
Upon seeing the warships in the sky, the crowd initially panicked; some were terrified, some were overjoyed, and some even burst into tears.
The crowd parted, and an elderly man in a purple robe stepped forward.
His hair was gray, his Daoist robe was tattered, and he had an unhealed wound on his chest. He was weak, but his otherworldly demeanor was still undeniable.
He raised his head, channeling his spiritual energy in response, his voice trembling:
"I, Fang Minghui the Purple Wind Dao Realm, have led my remaining forces to seek refuge with the Tianyuan Dao Realm!"
"I hope, I hope you will take me in, fellow Daoist!"
As the words fell, a low sob rose from the crowd.
The people on the bridge looked at each other in bewilderment.
Purple Wind Dao Realm?
"I know this name." Dao Lord Xuanyuan stepped forward, his expression solemn. "According to High Antiquity records, our Tianyuan Dao Realm and the Purple Wind Dao Realm had a good relationship and frequent exchanges. However, the passage collapsed a thousand years ago, severing those connections."
"I never expected to see someone from the Purple Wind Dao Realm now."
Li Yunjing's eyes flickered slightly.
"Lower the boarding ladder and invite him up."
Soon, Fang Minghui was taken aboard the Mystic Yellow.
Upon stepping onto the bridge, the first thing he did was bow deeply.
"Thank you for taking me in, fellow Daoist."
"No need for formalities." Li Yunjing raised his hand in a gesture of support. "Fellow Daoist Fang, please speak slowly. What exactly happened?"
Fang Minghui straightened up, a look of sorrow on his face.
"It was like a nightmare."
"Our Purple Wind Dao Realm is located deep in the void, three million miles away from here. A thousand years ago, spatial turbulence caused the passage to collapse, severing our connection with Tianyuan. Although these years have been difficult, we have remained peaceful."
"Until recently, a man claiming to be Dao Lord Qingxu appeared outside our Dao Realm with a large army."
He said, "Those who obey him live, those who defy him die; he wants us to submit and be at his beck and call."
"Of course we refused. The entire Dao Realm united in resistance, believing we could hold the boundary."
Fang Minghui gave a bitter laugh, his voice trembling:
"But he's too strong."
He didn't even lift a finger; he only sent out a vanguard. In less than a month, the boundary wall broke.
"His army stormed into the Dao Realm, burning, killing, and looting. Cultivators who resisted were all slaughtered, and mortals were used as sacrifices to nurture Tribulation Spirit."
"The entire Purple Wind Dao Realm has become a living hell."
"We escaped by desperately tearing open a spatial rift."
"When we set out, there were 100,000 of us, but along the way we were corrupted by the Tribulation Qi and chased by wild beasts. Now, there are less than 30,000 left."
By the end, the old man's eyes were red and his voice choked with emotion.
Silence reigned on the bridge.
Everyone was somewhat bewildered.
I only knew that Qingxu was attacking other Dao Realm, but I didn't expect him to be so ruthless.
An entire Dao Realm was wiped out in an instant.
At this moment, Fang Minghui gritted his teeth and said:
"Moreover, he has already wiped out more than just one of us."
"Before us, he had already devoured the Crimson Sand Realm, the Netherworld Realm, and the Ancient Vine Realm —three Dao Realm in total."
"When we escaped, he was leading a large army towards the Golden Sand Dao Realm."
Li Yunjing's fingertips tightened slightly.
It was faster than I expected.
If we let him keep swallowing, he'll only get stronger.
"Fellow Daoist Fang," Li Yunjing said slowly, "Now that you're here, please stay."
"Although Northern Spirit Province has suffered a calamity, it is vast enough to accommodate you."
"The sect will arrange everything: pills, food, and lodging."
"Really?!" Fang Minghui looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He thought he'd be lucky to be taken in, but he never expected to be given territory to settle down in?
"It's true, of course," Li Yunjing nodded, "But there's one rule."
"Those who join my Tianyuan Tianyuan will abide by its rules, work together, and resist Qingxu."
Fang Minghui quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his voice trembling with emotion. "Of course! We, the remnants of our forces, hate Qingxu to the core. If we can avenge him, we will gladly die ten thousand times over!"
"That's good."
Li Yunjing turned to the disciples of the Luozhen Sect and gave the order, "Pass down the order to arrange for people to receive the refugees and settle them in the reconstruction area in the southern part of Northern Spirit Province. Give them priority in receiving medicine and food."
"Your disciple obeys."
Fang Minghui looked at Li Yunjing, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart.
He made the right bet.
This Tianyuan Dao Realm truly has the capacity to tolerate others.
He suddenly remembered something and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is one more thing I must remind you of."
"Qingxu's next target is very likely Tianyuan."
"The more Dao Realm he conquers, the stronger he becomes. You should prepare early."
Li Yunjing gazed at the northern void, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
"I know."
He won't wait for Qingxu to call.
Passive defense has never been his style.
After settling the remnants of the Purple Wind Dao Realm and leaving two escort ships to assist in the defense of Northern Spirit Province, Li Yunjing hurriedly led the fleet back to Luozhen Province.
As soon as he landed, he set off for Heaven-Soaring City without stopping.
Zhang Jianchen was handling official business in the council hall when he heard that Li Yunjing was requesting an audience, so he immediately summoned him.
"Sect Leader Li is back so soon? Has the matter in Northern Spirit Province been resolved?" Zhang Jianchen stood up with a smile.
But when he saw Li Yunjing's solemn expression, his smile gradually faded.
Something happened?
Li Yunjing nodded, sat down, and recounted everything that had happened in the Purple Wind Dao Realm.
Zhang Jianchen's expression grew increasingly grim.
"An entire Dao Realm just vanished like that?" he muttered to himself. "That Qingxu has far too big an appetite."
"It's more than just a big appetite," Li Yunjing said calmly.
"He devours the Dao Realm Origin, cultivating evil arts. The more Dao Realm he devours, the stronger he becomes. He currently has four; once he devours ten or eight, even the Tianyuan Dao Realm won't be able to stop him."
Zhang Jianchen took a deep breath.
He knew the situation was serious, but he didn't expect it to be this serious.
"Then what do you think should be done?"
"We can't just sit here and wait to be killed." Li Yunjing raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "We must take the initiative."
The alliance leader was taken aback. "Take the initiative? You mean like last time, go and attack the Floating Tribulation Stone?"
Li Yunjing shook his head. "Not only that, the Floating Tribulation Stone is just one of his strongholds. If you destroy one, he can just build a second one."
"What I mean is, to contact other Dao Realm."
The alliance leader frowned slightly. "Contact other Dao Realm? But that passage has been severed for thousands of years."
"What's broken is the passageway, not the coordinates," Li Yunjing said.
"All the major sects of High Antiquity had interdimensional teleportation arrays and coordinates, but they had fallen into disrepair and were no longer in use."
"Now that Qingxu is destroying the Dao Realm everywhere, it is a time of great anxiety for the people. We should take the initiative to reach out and unite all forces that can be united to form an alliance."
"He swallows one, we pull one out; only by this ebb and flow can we hold out."