The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 607 - 433: Things Remain the Same, but People Change

Chapter 607: Chapter 433: Things Remain the Same, but People Change

On the forty-ninth day after ascending Dao Court Mountain.

Li Yi mastered the Call Wind Skill, reaching the first level of the Five Qi Realm—an accomplishment emblematic of perfection. With this, he ended his period of monk-like asceticism and decided to descend the mountain, explore Dao Court, and proceed with the second part of his plan: to establish connections with Tri-Floral Realm experts of the End of Dharma Era, collect functioning Dao Artifacts, and prepare for his cross-border return to Earth.

If he were to bring something back, it should naturally be the finest treasures of this world, not a pile of junk like Xu Wen Dao, who returned to the Golden Academy with scraps and treated them as prized possessions.

Accompanied by the cry of Good Wings, the mutant beast spread its wings and soared into the sky.

The trio descended from the three-thousand-zhang-high Dao Court Mountain, landing again in the city below.

Compared to a month ago, the city had not changed much. It was still bustling with activity, filled with merchants and traders, giving off an even heavier impression of earthly smoke and fire. On the contrary, the aura of cultivation had faded further—so much so that it now felt less like a gathering place for cultivators and more like the capital of an earthly dynasty.

The decline of the cultivation era was inevitable; the future of this world would undeniably belong to the realm of mortals.

"More than a month has passed, and there’s quite a difference. Far fewer Daoists are setting up stalls now." Tu Daoist glanced at the unfamiliar vendors lining the road and let out a long sigh.

The number of new, unfamiliar stall owners had risen. Many no longer recognized him, a senior figure; the familiar Daoists of old had vanished. Perhaps they had entered seated meditation and passed away, perhaps they had switched trades, or perhaps, disheartened, they had left Dao Court to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

Previously, when Tu Daoist could often be found tending his stall, the changes were less noticeable. But now, after a sudden prolonged absence, he returned to find everything transformed.

"Taiyi, this old Daoist must go seek out Wu the Taoist and Master Liu first, so I’ll be taking my leave. I only wonder where I might find you next, Taiyi."

Saying this, Tu Daoist could barely contain his eagerness to reconnect with his old friends and check whether Wu the Taoist had taken care of the matters he had entrusted to him earlier.

Li Yi replied, "You can find me at the Heavenly Fragrance Building. I’ll stay in Dao Court for the time being. Senior, if you happen to have connections, please reach out to any remaining Tri-Floral Realm experts; I have a significant matter to discuss, though I need people who can be trusted. Here are some spirit stones and elixirs—please handle them as you see fit."

Saying this, he removed his storage wristband and pressed it into Tu Daoist’s hands.

In this world, storage magical artifacts were not in short supply. He could always find a better one later.

"Rest assured, Taiyi. A mere trifle—leave it to this humble Daoist; I will not fail your trust."

Tu Daoist accepted the storage magical artifact, his eyes welling up with tears—the overwhelming feeling of being valued and trusted moved him deeply.

For days, he had endured the mountain’s harsh winds without once staying in a survival cabin, facing endless insults and beatings from Xiang Xiangzi. Humiliated and battered, he now realized the stark contrast—how much kinder Taiyi was to him.

In that moment, he felt the urge to risk life and limb to repay this kindness.

But Tu Daoist soon felt Xiang Xiangzi’s chilling, murderous gaze, as if she were contemplating chopping off his hand to reclaim the storage magical artifact.

"Immortal, this old Daoist bids farewell."

Frightened, he took off running, fearing that even a moment’s delay might bring disaster.

"Taiyi, that bald donkey is deceitful and cunning—not to be trusted."

Xiang Xiangzi withdrew her cold gaze but gently reminded him, "Moreover, with those spirit stones and elixirs in hand, that old Daoist is very likely to abscond with the fortune. If he recovers enough cultivation, he may even retaliate against me. It’s better to let me teach him a lesson—preferably by hacking off his limbs."

"That might be going a bit far."

Li Yi’s eyelid twitched. "There wasn’t much inside that storage magical artifact anyway. Even giving it to the senior isn’t a big deal. After all, he taught me the Call Wind Skill and endured considerable hardship these days living rough—he deserves a wage for his efforts, doesn’t he?"

"You ungrateful thing, I think of you in every matter, yet you empathize with that bald fellow and not with me. Truly, it makes one feel very hurt. I too have suffered through wind and meals under the stars these days, and if we talk about passing down skills, my contributions far outweigh that bald rogue by a hundredfold."

Xiang Xiangzi’s tone changed abruptly, her enchanting eyes filled with grievance as though vying for affection like a beauty seeking favor.

Li Yi replied, "Immortal, why say such things? I would never forget your kindness. It’s just that the timing isn’t right. Immortal, please have patience—when the time comes, I will offer you a grand opportunity."

At this point, he still couldn’t reveal the Cross-Border Technique.

If word got out, it would inevitably create an uproar. Li Yi had yet to grasp the full extent of the world’s hidden depths and needed to remain vigilant and cautious.

"Oh, a grand opportunity?"

Xiang Xiangzi’s enchanted eyes twinkled, her curiosity piqued.

Li Yi’s generosity was well-known. Spirit stones and elixirs were everyday items for him—even the Life Extending Pill that granted one hundred additional years of life span seemed almost trivial. She struggled to imagine what could truly qualify as a grand opportunity.

Could it be a groundbreaking new Daoist skill?

However, martial arts cultivation became unimpressive in its later stages, unable to confer eternal life. Truly, it wouldn’t be considered a grand opportunity.

"Heavenly secrets must not be divulged," Li Yi said.

Xiang Xiangzi chose not to ask further but instead gracefully shifted her gaze and said, "Taiyi, now that you’re a first-level cultivator of the Five Qi Realm, there are many opportunities within Dao Court that must not be missed during the End of Dharma Era."

"What do you mean, Immortal?" Li Yi asked.

Xiang Xiangzi extended her hand and pointed in a direction. "The Duo Bao Building in Dao Court specializes in purchasing cultivators’ magic artifacts and Dao artifacts at incredibly low prices. Although most of the artifacts are damaged, there’s a chance of finding hidden gems. If Taiyi were to spend some spirit stones, you could easily obtain treasures that were once the pride of entire sects."

"There’s also the Taoist Collection Building, which buys up Daoist skills, formations, artifact refining techniques, and alchemy methods from various sects. While their spells may not be as profound as those of the Heavenly Dao Sect, they still hold value worth exploring."

Li Yi’s interest was immediately piqued.

Among the Dao artifacts he currently owned was only the Xuanhuang Seal, gifted by Xuan Yuezi, one of the Seven Immortals. If he could acquire more treasures, taking them back to Earth would be priceless.

Xiang Xiangzi continued, "Additionally, you must acquire Tianyi Sect’s Big and Small Ruyi and River Flipping Technique. These Daoist skills, left in the hands of the Imperial Court, are wasted on them. Their Tri-Floral Realm experts are gradually dwindling. If no one inherits their Dao skills and Dao artifacts, they will inevitably decay and be lost. Instead of letting that happen, wouldn’t it be better for you, Taiyi, to take them on?"

"That does sound reasonable," Li Yi remarked. "But would they sell them?"

"Why bother buying them? Just take them by force. With your current strength, Taiyi, wielding the Xuanhuang Seal, no one in Dao Court is your equal. Even those remaining Tri-Floral Realm experts would struggle to defeat you at their peak." Xiang Xiangzi said.

Li Yi replied, "Why does this feel like a case of ’without a tiger on the mountain, the monkey reigns as king’?"

"Taiyi, they are the monkeys; you are the tiger," Xiang Xiangzi retorted mischievously.

As they conversed, they returned to the Heavenly Fragrance Building.

But what lay before them was no building—only charred ruins and crumbling walls. The once luxurious and splendid structure had long since turned to dust, and judging by the scene, the destruction had occurred quite some time ago.

"Is the Heavenly Fragrance Building gone?"

Xiang Xiangzi’s body trembled, and sadness filled her beautiful eyes.

If Xuan Yuezi had been present, the Heavenly Fragrance Building would never have been destroyed. She would have led the others in its defense.

The only possibility was that Xuan Yuezi was defeated and her fellow disciples killed, leading to the burning of the Heavenly Fragrance Building.

Among Dao Court’s forces, only the Imperial Court, established by Tianyi Sect, could achieve such devastation.

"Tianyi Sect has gone too far." Xiang Xiangzi gritted her teeth, her face filled with fury as she conjured a cloud beneath her feet and prepared to ascend to Tianyi Sect for revenge.

"Wait, Immortal. Don’t act rashly." Li Yi quickly stopped her.

"Taiyi..."

Xiang Xiangzi’s eyes softened but still showed defiance. "My bond with my fellow disciples was as close as family. To avenge them, I am willing to perish—Taiyi, please allow me to go."

Li Yi said calmly, "I seem to recall leaving three high-energy sniper rifles with Xuan Yuezi and her disciples before departing the Heavenly Fragrance Building. Those weapons do not rely on spiritual energy yet possess significant power. With those weapons in hand, even if they couldn’t defeat the Imperial Court, they should have been able to protect themselves. Perhaps the disciples of the Heavenly Fragrance Building weren’t killed but rather fled. Let me look for them to see if I can track them down."

"Dao Court is vast—it’s not so easy to find someone in a short time. Moreover, I am no expert in divination techniques." Xiang Xiangzi’s emotions eased, but her brows were still furrowed with lingering anger.

Li Yi replied, "Divination won’t be necessary. I can use the intelligent system for remote tracking."

The high-energy sniper rifles were equipped with tracking systems, and with the Thunderbolt Fighter’s Intelligent Computer Lan Ji, it was possible to locate them immediately—provided they weren’t stored in a storage magical artifact, which would disrupt their signal.

"Lan Ji," he called aloud.

"Master, here I am."

A voice suddenly responded—it was the remote control system. As long as he was within the signal range of the Thunderbolt Fighter, Li Yi could summon Lan Ji at any time. Along with the activation of the intelligent system, the Thunderbolt Fighter hovering in the sky resumed its operations.

"Locate the position of the high-energy sniper rifles," Li Yi commanded.

"Understood, Master. Searching for locations now," Lan Ji’s voice replied.

Soon after.

A beam of light fell from the skies, followed by the appearance of a holographic projection before Li Yi and Xiang Xiangzi.

It displayed a virtual map of Dao Court City, with two locations marked and glowing.

One marked location glowed red, signaling that the device was out of contact. The other marked location glowed blue, with Xuan Yuezi’s avatar identified—confirming her identity.

"Xiang Xiangzi, Xuan Yuezi is still alive. She’s hiding here," Li Yi said.

"That place is the Hundred Flower Garden, where the Goddess lineage of the Heavenly Dao Sect once cultivated rare flowers and herbs," Xiang Xiangzi said as her enchanting eyes sparkled with recognition. "But the other location—that’s the Imperial Court. It seems that one of my fellow disciples has indeed met her end."

Li Yi examined the map but couldn’t find the position of the third high-energy sniper rifle.

It seemed likely that the third sniper rifle had already been destroyed, leading to the signal loss.

"Three sniper rifles—one captured, one destroyed—only Xuan Yuezi managed to flee with the third rifle," Li Yi deduced. "Indeed, the Imperial Court still has experts of Daoist skill."

He wasn’t too concerned about losing the sniper rifle, as each one was identity-bound. Once the user died, it locked itself, rendering it unusable by anyone else. Only Lan Ji could unlock them.

"Tianyi Sect, as one of Dao Court’s three great sects, is no less powerful than the Heavenly Dao Sect. In recent years, they’ve rarely consumed sect resources, mostly delegating tasks to ordinary agents. They only deploy Daoist experts during critical moments. For Xuan Yuezi to flee in such desperation, it must have been because a Tri-Floral Realm expert was dispatched," Xiang Xiangzi remarked.

"Taiyi, I wish to visit the Hundred Flower Garden first," she said.

Li Yi nodded. "I’ll accompany you there. If trouble arises, I’ll be able to assist. The Immortal has passed down skills and knowledge to me, and I consider myself a part of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Now that the sect faces hardship, it’s only right to offer support."

"Taiyi, your righteousness touches me deeply," Xiang Xiangzi responded, moved.

After all, the Heavenly Dao Sect held no further value for Li Yi; he had already learned the Dao skills he needed. For him to still willingly involve himself in this conflict demonstrated his upright character.