Volume 14, Chapter 914 – Lu Hong Enters the Cultivation Realm

“Sigh!”

Lu Wei remained silent for a long time, before he could only let out a sigh. “It’s your Great Grandfather’s incompetence that I can’t even protect my own descendant.”

“Please don’t say that. I know you’ve already done everything you could.”

Lu Hong responded respectfully, then clearly stated his reason for reaching out. “Actually, the first reason I contacted you this time, Great Grandfather, was to thank you. The second is to resolve the obsession in my heart. Although I know the Heavenly Court will never approve my request, if I don’t hear you confirm it with my own ears, I will never let it go. If my obsession turns into resentment after death, it might lead to catastrophe.”

“You’re thoughtful… Damn it all, to have such an outstanding descendant, yet I still can’t protect you.”

Lu Wei spoke through gritted teeth, filled with pain.

“Great Grandfather, don’t blame yourself too much. Perhaps this is simply my death tribulation. No one can escape theirs.”

Lu Hong offered comfort, then respectfully left a farewell message. “My time is running short. Thank you for taking care of me during this period, Great Grandfather. I hope there will come a day when we can meet face-to-face!”

“There definitely will! I just hope you don’t stray from the right path. Remember who you are.”

Lu Wei warned him. By “stray from the right path”, he was referring to “falling into the demonic path”.

In truth, Lu Hong still had one sliver of hope. After his physical body perished, he could use Yin energy to preserve his soul. But that was clearly a sign of corruption and degeneration. Lu Wei knew this, which was why he deliberately reminded him.

“Don’t worry, Great Grandfather. If I were someone afraid of death and clinging to life, I would never carry out a final blood sacrifice.”

Lu Hong stated his resolve, then ended the conversation.

He stood where he was, dazed for a long time, before finally taking out ointment and bandages to quickly treat his wounds. He then started walking out, but as soon as he moved, his body staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground.

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‘Such a frail and heavy body… I haven’t felt this in hundreds of years.’

Lu Hong laughed at himself. His Divine Sense left his body, and his figure vanished from the tower.

Not long after, countless notices were plastered across the streets and alleys of the city.

“To the respected elders and fellow citizens of Tianlian City, Lu Hong, Grand Elder of the Immortal Alliance, moved by compassion for the common people, has decided to trade his cultivation, falling below the Immortal level, for a chance to enter the cultivation realm and eliminate the evil spirits led by the Ghost-Haired Woman. He will depart at precisely one quarter past You Hour (5:15 PM) today. All are welcome to come bid farewell to this venerable man!”

Someone read the notice aloud, immediately stirring waves across the entire city.

“He’s so old now. If he’s fallen below the Immortal level, can he even suppress the aging of his body?”

“Of course not. Otherwise, why would the Immortal Alliance issue this kind of farewell notice?”

“Then doesn’t that mean… he’s basically sacrificing himself for the cause?”

“Exactly. Sigh, those damned evil spirits, forcing our beloved Grand Elder into such a corner.”

“Today we enjoy peace and prosperity only thanks to former Alliance Leader Lu Hong’s efforts. It’s only right we go send him off!”

“Wuwuwu… I can’t bear to see Elder Lu Hong go!”

The citizens of Tianlian City spread the news rapidly, rushing toward the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance.

At the same time, inside the grand assembly hall of the Immortal Alliance, many top leaders had already gathered. Standing in the center were the current Alliance Leader Yin Wan, and the day’s central figure, Lu Hong.

Lu Hong leaned on a cane, his body hunched like a dried shrimp. Although only a few hours had passed, the signs of his aging had progressed far more than they had over the past several months. His face was already filled with deep wrinkles, and age spots had begun to emerge one after another.

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“Sigh… I never thought it would really come to this.”

Yin Wan clenched his fists with anguish. “You have given so selflessly to the Immortal Alliance, Elder. It makes me, as Alliance Leader, feel utterly ashamed.”

“No need for such guilt. Your strength is about equal to theirs. Even if you were willing to sacrifice yourself, it might not make any difference.”

Lu Hong said with gentle reassurance.

“Grand Elder, how about you delay for a few more days and head to Cultivation Realm No. 32 then? I’ve already ordered notices posted. All of the Immortal World will come to send you off.”

Yin Wan proposed. He understood clearly that publicizing Lu Hong’s noble sacrifice was the perfect opportunity to beautify both the Immortal Alliance and himself, so the grander the event, the better.

“Yes, Grandfather! You’re sacrificing yourself for peace across countless realms! Such a deed deserves for all the Immortal World to come and pay their respects!”

His grandson Lu Tong added tearfully from the side.

“No need. No one can say for sure if those evil spirits have spies among the Immortal World. If we delay too long, accidents might happen.”

Lu Hong firmly declined, staying clear-headed and practical.

The sun had set. You Hour had arrived. The leaders of the Immortal Alliance escorted Lu Hong to the gates, while millions of cultivators and common folk waited outside to bid him farewell.

“Elder Lu, please don’t act impulsively. If anything happens to you, how will we go on?”

“Is there really no other way? As long as it’s something we can do, we’re willing to give up everything to support the Immortal Alliance!”

“Elder Lu, why not beg the Celestials? Ask them to help us eliminate those evil spirits. The Immortal World truly cannot afford to lose you!”

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“Yes, aren’t the Celestials supposed to be the guardians of all worlds? They’re not restricted by spatial laws, why won’t they help us wipe out the evil spirits?”

As soon as the citizens saw Lu Hong, they began crying and shouting.

Lu Hong slowly floated into the sky, then spoke from high above, voice solemn and commanding: “Thank you all for taking time out of your lives to come see me off. But I ask you not to speak rashly of the Celestials. If they choose not to act, they have their reasons. We from the lower realms have no right to speculate. Only with reverence for the Heavenly Dao and the Celestials can you continue to enjoy peace.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd below immediately quieted, not daring to say another word about the Celestials.

Lu Hong smiled in satisfaction, then turned toward the Immortal Alliance leaders and said, “Alliance Leader Yin, and esteemed elders, from now on, the matters of the Immortal Alliance will rest on your shoulders. I, for one, am going to retire and enjoy peace.”

“Grand Elder’s righteousness knows no bounds!”

Yin Wan cupped his fists with admiration.

Lu Hong then turned to the millions gathered to send him off and declared: “I, Lu Hong, solemnly swear to all of you: this journey, I will absolutely annihilate the Ghost-Haired Woman, the poisonous zombie, and the Fengming Empress along with their crooked sects. From this day forth, the Immortal World shall know peace once more!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Hong’s frail and hunched body suddenly vanished from where he stood, streaking through the sky like a beam of light.

“Respectfully sending off the Grand Elder!”

Lu Hong bowed.

“Respectfully sending off the Grand Elder!”

The Immortal Alliance’s high command followed suit.

The crowds fell to their knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

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Elsewhere, Qi Huang was still serving as carriage driver in the Immortal Realm, accompanied by her lover and maid, continuing to ferry evil spirits into the cultivation realm. Not one was to be spared. Once the task was complete, the Celestials would initiate a Great Purge upon the world, eliminating the threat to the Immortal Alliance.

As the mission progressed, Qi Huang’s internal pressure steadily decreased. At the current pace, the goal would be completed within three years. Once the threat to the Immortal World was gone, she could once again grow in peace for at least nineteen more years. The Heavenly Dao was about to awaken—she would allow no obstacle to stand in her way.

In addition to the wild evil spirits, Qi Huang also relocated familiar planets—Minghou Planet, Peach Queen Planet, and Fox Queen Planet—into the cultivation realm. Since she could tear open space at will and had a domain of assimilation, this was an effortless task for her.

The Yin Planet No.72 was one of her “colonial stars” from her later campaigns. Originally located in a star field so hostile that even evil spirits could barely survive, she had moved it to a habitable zone to use as a vegetable garden. A peak Demon Realm assimilation zombie served as its guardian. Unless an Immortal appeared, she was more than capable of holding the planet.

One day, a hunched figure streaked silently through deep space, descending unnoticed into a dense forest on the Yin Planet No.72. It was none other than Lu Hong, who had sacrificed his cultivation to enter the cultivation realm.

Lu Hong released his Divine Sense to scan the planet and discovered it was crawling with evil spirits. Even stranger, these spirits were cultivating large quantities of ghost tomatoes, a sinister crop.

After a brief moment of thought, Lu Hong walked in a specific direction. His first priority was to confirm whether this place was related to his target.

Before long, he arrived at a small town inhabited by zombies. He made no effort to conceal his faint Yang energy. It radiated openly from him.

“A living person? A living person?!”

One zombie quickly spotted Lu Hong and cried out in disbelief. Its eyes instantly glowed red as it snarled and charged toward him.