Chapter 880 - 247: Elder Ping’an’s Boat Westward, Human Fruit Appears in the Ancient Hall

Chapter 880: Chapter 247: Elder Ping’an’s Boat Westward, Human Fruit Appears in the Ancient Hall

The Eternal Night and snowstorm, continue spreading eastward, as one village and town after another become sealed in the Frozen Soil.

The common people, leading cattle and sheep, taking their families, leave their homes and head east.

The price of grain has risen again and is in short supply, the consequences are simple: more dead, white bones along the roads, more beggars on the streets, and every household either sells their wives or children.

In the Central Capital, however, there is singing and dancing, and several new restaurants have opened in the bustling city, with fireworks set off at the entrance, and people cheering enthusiastically.

In the East Sea, everyone is even more overjoyed, thinking to themselves, "This truly is an unprecedented boom of cultivation."

This is exactly "the people boiling like soup inside, while the noble sons and princes wave their fans."

...

In the blink of an eye, another five years have passed.

During these five years, there were no major events, but minor matters were continuous.

Li Yuan went in and out of the Myriad Sects Academy and quietly distributed talismans to the new arrivals at the Wendao Palace, helping them recover from their frenzy, while his own number of Talisman Seeds more than doubled, from nineteen thousand to fifty-eight thousand.

The data also rose from "37884~720190" to "37884~807290".

Clearly, the surge in the number of Ancestral Talismans has brought about changes that have reached some extreme, so the improvement is just so little. Besides, there is no progress with the Celestial Talisman.

On the other hand, since the Human Emperor learned about the East Sea Immortal Realm beginning to receive people, he quietly sent Fifth Grade and even Fourth Grade powerhouses affiliated with the Ministry of Martial Affairs over there, of course... the names of most of these powerhouses were not recorded in documents, and anyone who investigates would not find out.

And the East Sea Immortal Realm has started a massive expansion, the sects recruiting extensively, bringing in many people from Central Earth.

The biannual Empty Boat receptions have even become a routine.

This year is the third reception after the routine was established.

...

Winter.

Li Ping’an stood at the bow of the Empty Boat, dressed in a Profound Robe with green wood patterns, his white hair fluttering at his temples, sparse stubble on his chin, eyes deep and features sharp.

Thirty-four years have passed since he went to the East Sea, and too many things have happened.

The crybaby is long gone.

The youth with fancy clothes, a spirited horse, and an extravagant demeanor is also gone.

The Empty Ship traversed the sea, hidden in the void due to the formation carved on the ship.

The hem of Li Ping’an’s Profound Robe was pitch black, hanging quietly; outside, the strong wind roared furiously, yet it seemed to pass through this Empty Ship directly, neither allowing anyone to detect anything unusual from the airflow.

At this moment, a disciple came up and respectfully said, "Elder Li, we’re only a hundred miles from Moon River Bay. If you wish to proceed, we’ll be there shortly. However, we are more than half a month earlier than the usual reception time, should we wait here?"

Li Ping’an said calmly, "Wait."

Yet he added, "I’ll go ashore first, just dock on time."

The disciple respectfully responded, "Yes."

Just as the disciple departed, a woman with a calm demeanor walked out from the rear cabin, slowly approaching Li Ping’an, and said, "Father, after all, Central Earth is the land of the Human Emperor. Although he allows us from the East Sea to pick up people here, he might still intervene. It is dangerous for you to land rashly.

And you are the only Elder among outsiders, whether it’s in the Supreme Profound Sect or the Five Spirits Alliance, you are the highest-ranking figure and now regarded as the leader among the external factions, you cannot put yourself in danger."

This woman was none other than Li Ping’an’s daughter—Li Wan’Er.

More than ten years ago, the external factions landed massively in the Immortal Realm.

And five years ago, the external factions finally broke into severe conflict with the locals, and during this conflict, Li Ping’an, silent till then, made a shocking move, shining brilliantly, pulling what seemed to be an inevitably one-sided battle back to balance with an astonishing stance.

That night, Li Ping’an stood alone before many Fourth Grades, creating clones, more clones, and yet more clones...

He created ten clones of himself, ten Third Grades, akin to a high mountain obstructing those Fourth Grades and Elders, Sect Leaders hiding behind them watching.

No one dared to step forward.

Who would be crazy enough to fight against ten Third Grades simultaneously?

But soon someone quietly received a reminder, suggesting perhaps "those are just ordinary Third Grade Realm Powers", and a Third Grade may generate a realm all around, a realm capable of bursting forth with immense power, akin to many Third Grades acting at once.

So, someone went to probe.

Li Ping’an seemed aware of their thoughts, so a scene that astonished everyone unfolded.

The ten clones of Li Ping’an unfolded ten Ancient Wood Gardens.

The gardens covered the sky, with aerial roots sprawling and flying, vines overshadowing, countless exotic flowers and rare grasses intertwined to form an emerald green wall. The ten Li Ping’an hidden within were like ten terrifying Fierce Beasts, forcing those who intended to probe to retreat hastily.

The Third Grade Elders refrained from stepping in either; confronting would only escalate the conflict beyond reconciliation, especially since... they could sense that those ten Li Ping’an truly were ten independent Third Grades, which was truly astonishing.

After that night, Li Ping’an had his own cave dwelling, became an Elder, and was seen as the implicit leader of the external factions.

But no one knew that night, in the darkness, Li Ping’an’s body ached as if it were about to collapse, akin to a mortal enduring the cruel torture of being torn apart by five horses.

After the Third Grade, creating clones was extremely difficult; on normal days, he could at most create one capable of using Realm Power, two with effort, and three was the limit.

That night, however, he used ten.

And the benefits brought by such desperation were also evident.

At this moment, he even possessed the qualification to lead people from the Ancestral Land back.

Revisiting familiar places, overwhelmed with emotion, naturally called for exploring and taking a look around.