Ultimately, Min Juan honestly revealed her original plan.
“Originally, it wasn’t a big deal. I wanted you to log in to Ten Thousand Things because many people miss you.”
Min Juan phrased this somewhat delicately. In reality, the people below were pressuring her so much for Li Yunxian to go online that the demands had reached her ears.
She thought back to what had happened during Li Yunxian’s final period in the interstellar world. The messages Li Yunxian had posted on the network were still competing with those various factions!
In the eyes of the public, as Li Yunxian fought, those factions suddenly seemed to join forces.
They even produced pill formulas authorized by Li Yunxian. Most importantly, Li Yunxian had vanished without a trace from that point onward!
One had to understand that although Li Yunxian often stayed offline before, she would always appear at least once every one or two months.
As a result, the people in Ten Thousand Things waited and waited for her response. They waited for half a year, then a year.
They watched as the various factions collaborated more closely with their own planets, began the work of city reconstruction, and excluded the Lishi family.
Meanwhile, Li Yunxian, the greatest representative of the Lishi, was never seen again.
Although there was plenty of gossip regarding the internal disputes of these factions, they appeared to be flourishing and prosperous from any angle.
Considering the numerous attacks encountered before, it was truly difficult for people not to descend into conspiracy theories.
At that time, the overwhelming momentum of public opinion was impossible to suppress.
During those two or three years, Min Juan had wanted to find Li Yunxian desperately. She had indeed asked the members of the exchange group to convey this intention.
The people from the interstellar world who went to Shenzhou for the exchange mission simply could not find Li Yunxian and her companions.
At that time, Li Yunxian and Su Wenjing were already inside the divine ruins secret realm!
Those with slightly higher cultivation levels had all visited a secret realm or two and knew there was nothing to be done in such a situation.
To forcibly drag someone out of a secret realm—setting aside whether they could actually be found—would create a deadly enmity if they were! Such a thing definitely could not be done.
Ultimately, this matter required someone at the tribulation stage to step forward and use their personal prestige to forcibly calm the many controversies.
Later, under the arrangements of Min Juan and others, the attitudes and behaviors of the various factions gradually aligned with the path of righteousness, and only then did the dispute finally settle down completely.
Listening to Min Juan describe the events that occurred in the interstellar world ten or so years ago, Li Yunxian reflected for a moment before offering her evaluation.
“It was likely trouble caused by the group organized for the city reconstruction work back then, using me to sow discord. They only stopped when they saw you were determined to push forward.”
Hearing Li Yunxian’s words, Min Juan didn’t know whether to say Li Yunxian was hitting the nail on the head or that she completely underestimated her own status in the hearts of the average citizens of the interstellar world.
Combining the circumstances of the time, Min Juan felt it was a bit of both. In fact, the latter factor was likely even greater.
By this time, Li Yunxian’s thoughts had already shifted to another aspect. she asked Min Juan, “So, your reason for calling me here to collect the sword now is so I can log in to Ten Thousand Things while I’m at it?”
The message Sheng Yu had sent to Li Yunxian only notified her that she could collect the sword; she hadn’t been particularly pushy.
Thus, Li Yunxian could sense that Min Juan definitely had something she wanted to discuss, but it was likely not very urgent or critical.
Connecting this with the premise Min Juan had just mentioned…
The fact that the waves caused in the interstellar world had already been resolved indeed fit the criteria of being non-urgent.
Min Juan only needed Li Yunxian to make an appearance whenever she was free to show that the tribulation stage experts hadn’t lied to the public.
Li Yunxian had indeed guessed Min Juan’s intention, but…
“Yes. A year ago, the Ten Thousand Things platform had a new breakthrough. It can now support players at the fenshen stage…” Min Juan’s voice was faint.
When Li Yunxian first used Ten Thousand Things, the entire platform could only sustain a cultivation level at the golden core stage. After Duan Huacai and the others established contact with the interstellar world…
Good grief! Every single one of those people was a core researcher capable of advancing the development of an era!
It could be said that the sages of various generations worked together to forcibly raise the golden core limit to the fenshen level over the span of ten years!
Anyone who heard of it would call it incredible. When this change was mentioned online, it was met with universal praise! Min Juan felt she could puff out her chest before anyone regarding this achievement.
She wanted to show off. Especially to Li Yunxian.
Indeed, what Min Juan originally wanted to do most was show off in front of Li Yunxian. After all, Li Yunxian’s last visit to the interstellar world had turned entirely into a “finding flaws” convention.
Their interstellar side had lost face! Min Juan naturally had to find a way to prove she was capable.
The result…
Min Juan looked gloomily at Li Yunxian’s current cultivation level.
Spirit fusion stage.
Ha. A slap to the face.
No matter how much she racked her brain, she never expected this girl would disappear for ten or so years and emerge at the spirit fusion stage.
Li Yunxian could also sense the awkwardness of the situation, but… anyway, she wasn’t the one who was embarrassed.
“If there’s a need, should I go visit a few other planets?” Li Yunxian suggested a solution.
Min Juan waved her hand. “Since you’ve reached the spirit fusion stage, it doesn’t matter.”
In a place where cultivation was the foundation, the level of one’s cultivation was the best explanation. Whenever Li Yunxian showed her face, it would be the best proof.
“If you’re willing, do you have any plans to take a job as an Assistant of Dengxiantai?” Min Juan directed her schemes straight at Li Yunxian. Her intention to poach her was plain to see.
Li Yunxian replied, “…No, I feel like I’ll be reaching ascension in a few years.”
A matter of 100 years or so was indeed considered “a few years” to a cultivator.
Min Juan, thinking of Li Yunxian’s cultivation speed, remained silent. There was no way to refute that.
Min Juan regretfully dropped the topic and returned to serious business.
“Then finally, there’s the matter of the town-sealing city,” Min Juan said. “Or rather, the matter of Senior Duan Huacai and the others.”
Li Yunxian was shocked. “They haven’t come out yet?”
When Li Yunxian had greeted them through the screen last time, Duan Huacai and the others had already reached the Qi Refining Entry Level.
Many years had passed since then; accounting for the flow of time, at least 1,000 years must have passed for Duan Huacai and the others. After so much time… they still hadn’t found a way to come out?!
“Did something go wrong with their cultivation?” Li Yunxian was completely puzzled. “When I taught them, I verified everything. There was no problem with what they learned!”
“There is indeed no problem,” Min Juan said. “After they adjusted the rate and contacted us, we also confirmed their cultivation methods were fine. It is a psychological issue,” Min Juan added helplessly.
“A group of experts was arranged to test them. Ultimately, it was confirmed that although they all know and believe they are dead, they can still mess themselves up in bizarre ways.”
“For instance, they stuff random things into their bodies, bang their heads against walls, or even cut open their own stomachs to see what’s inside. They engage in reckless operations because they know they can’t die.”
“But in their hearts… they still feel like they are human. They don’t think of themselves as creepy.”
“Even if they’ve said it and know their own situation, they all believe they are human, or rather, living in the state of a dead person for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. Suddenly asking them to fully accept that they’ve changed species…”
“There is no way to fix this. Issues of the heart and mind are always the hardest hurdle for all cultivators.”
“However, the situation with the seniors can’t be called a lack of mental fortitude. After connecting with us, their state improved a lot.”
“They accepted their cultivation speed very easily and didn’t worry about it. You saw them before, so you must have felt it too. Their resentment has lessened significantly.”
“Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise; their cultivation is low and their improvement speed isn’t fast, so even if they receive a shock, they can recover quickly.”
“Now, there is already a trend toward them becoming Guixiu.”
As she spoke, Min Juan looked toward Li Yunxian.
“The moment they all transform into Guixiu, I’m afraid all the town-sealing cities within the cities will fluctuate. That is the time point my side has discussed and settled on for the normal replacement of magic tools. Only you can enter the Gap in Time where the seniors are. If possible…”
“I hope you can stay in the Gap in Time to protect the seniors for a bit. If the Gap in Time is unsafe, you can bring them out and put them in a safe place. However, at that time…” Min Juan sighed.
“At that time, I’m afraid it will be hard to find a so-called safe place in the entire interstellar world.”
After hearing Min Juan’s words, Li Yunxian responded very readily, “Fine, leave this matter to me.”
Hearing Li Yunxian’s decisive promise, the tension Min Juan felt due to the gradually approaching great war eased considerably.
“Then is there anything else you want?” Min Juan asked.
Li Yunxian smiled freely. “No, and I don’t need anything. Before, I was the only one leading people, so it was fine to take a spirit sword or anything else.”
“But now… everyone is fighting for the path of righteousness, for the present and future of many people. I, too, am part of the path of righteousness.”