This world has a Heavenly Court and an Underworld. The laws governing it are extremely strict; Lu Xuan himself could even vaguely sense the limitations. If he followed the will of Heaven, he could probably survive. But others might not be able to. Therefore, the nurturing of the laws within the imaginary space became especially important.
Simply put, Lu Xuan needs to use the imaginary space to sever the causal ties between this world and his disciples' partners, allowing them to leave this world unharmed. To do this, he needs to find a way to accelerate the transformation of the imaginary space. In his plan, the more perfect the laws of the imaginary space are, the more effectively it can sever causal ties.
Perfecting an incomplete world with only rudimentary laws is naturally an extremely complex and difficult problem. Aside from the Yin-Yang principle, Lu Xuan had almost no other laws that could interfere. Therefore, he could only choose the simplest and most direct method.
He constantly experimented with various spells and supernatural powers within the imaginary space. Whenever he stayed in a certain place, he would create a simple spirit-gathering array to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy and then transport it into the imaginary space.
Simply put, it's about using quantitative change to lead to qualitative change. The imaginary space continuously absorbs spiritual energy, then evolves on its own based on the principles of Yin and Yang. The moment these principles appear, the world is destined to evolve ceaselessly. Lu Xuan is merely trying to accelerate this process.
In essence, Lu Xuan was also exploiting this world. However, he wouldn't easily tamper with the spiritual veins of famous mountains and rivers; he would only seek out small, unclaimed spiritual veins in deep forests to carry out this operation.
At first, he would go in every so often to check for any changes. But it turned out to be an incredibly long and arduous task. So, Lu Xuan changed his routine from checking every year to only once every ten years.
A massive amount of spiritual energy was transported into the imaginary space. It vanished completely without a trace, not even making a ripple. It wasn't until Lu Xuan's first century in this world that he finally sensed a slight change in the imaginary space.
It's a very slight change, but that's the step from zero to one.
Normally, it would take tens or even hundreds of thousands of years for a world to evolve its laws. However, the imaginary space is different. First of all, it is not a real world, but a special space formed by the remnants of the spirit of some ancient god.
Secondly, Lu Xuan only captured a small portion of that space. Compared to a complete world, his imaginary space was only about the size of a small town on Earth. As a result, its energy consumption was naturally reduced to an acceptable level.
Lu Xuan carefully sensed the changes around him and vaguely understood. This demiplane had begun to evolve from Yin and Yang into Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. This was the fundamental law of the world.
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Chapter 402 The Final Farewell
The imaginary space should now be called a demiplane. This is because it's no longer a separate space, but a demiplane, because it has begun to exhibit rudimentary rules.
Although this law is far from perfect, it is a law that evolved independently of the demiplane, proving that it has entered a period of rapid evolution and development. Currently, humans cannot stay inside for extended periods. However, once the evolution of earth, fire, wind, and water is complete, it will revert to the original chaotic space. Cultivators will then be able to stay there for longer periods.
Furthermore, if they are lucky, once the demiplane evolves the Five Elements Laws, there will be virtually no problem for people like Lu Xuan who are skilled in Five Elements techniques.
Lu Xuan and Hongyu returned to their original cave dwelling. The disciples and servants were naturally delighted with their reunion. During this time, Lu Xuan selectively revealed some things to them.
"Wow, Master, are you from outer space?" The little fox, oblivious to the problem, hadn't yet realized the significance of the question.
"I suppose so. I'm really just a traveler. I'll leave this world someday. Originally, I wasn't supposed to be able to take anyone with me. But recently, I've found a possibility that could take everyone. It's just a possibility, and success isn't guaranteed. But there are some things that need to be prepared now."
So, I need to know which of you are willing to leave with me. Let me make this clear first: this is a journey of no return. Once you leave, there's no going back. For at least a thousand years, you won't be able to go home. So, consider it a one-way trip. Don't rush to answer; this concerns the rest of your lives. I'll give you a month. After you've thought it through, give me your reply. Then we'll do some targeted spiritual practice.”
That night, Lu Xuan, unusually, did not activate the Moon Refinement formation for cultivation. Instead, he sat with Hongyu on the hillside outside, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
"My husband, why don't you like being an immortal?"
Lu Xuan gently pulled her into his arms and responded:
"Gods? What are gods? In my mind, gods should be omnipotent, free-spirited, and carefree beings. Do you think the gods of this world can achieve that?"
"Being carefree and at ease is the same as the precepts of my sect. Before I left the mountain, my master told me not to get too involved in the mortal world, otherwise I would be disturbed by worldly affairs. A sword cultivator's life is only about doing whatever he wants and being carefree for a lifetime."
"So, you've decided to leave with me."
“We are not only cultivation partners, but also husband and wife. Of course I want to leave with you.”
"Haha, wouldn't you say you've become too immersed in the mundane world and lost your carefree life?"
"No, for me, true freedom and comfort come from following my husband."
At the same time, Xin Shisi Niang also returned to her hometown. The Xin family and Lu Xuan lived in the same valley, but not in the same cave dwelling; they were neighbors.
An elderly man with gray hair sighed as he looked at the graceful Xin Shisi Niang.
“Girls grow up and eventually have to leave their parents. If you really want to go, then go ahead. You still have eighteen sisters here with me, so you won’t be lonely.”
Xin Shisi Niang also couldn't bear to part with her father. In her heart, only two things were most important in her life: cultivation and family. These two things were equal to hers, because the original intention of her cultivation was to protect her family. Even when she later wanted to become an immortal, it was still to better protect her family.
Now, faced with a choice between two options, Xin Shisi Niang felt that nothing could be more cruel than this.
Father seemed to see Fourteenth Sister's hesitation and pain. He sighed and said...
“My dear girl, that’s just how things are in this world. Even your all-powerful master can’t be perfect. If you want to achieve the Great Dao, you have to give up some things.”
"But I don't want to abandon my father, and I don't want to abandon my sisters."
"Who says that once you leave, you can't come back? If one day you truly attain the Great Dao and possess that all-encompassing supernatural power, even this interdimensional barrier might not be able to stop you. At that time, you might even be able to see your sisters again."
"But Father..."
"Okay, okay, don't cry, don't cry..."
.............
Qingfeng and Yuechi returned to their hometown of Taiyuan, met with some relatives, paid respects to their parents, and then returned to the sect. They knew in their hearts that they had entered the martial arts world too late. Furthermore, they were learning sword cultivation under Master Hongyu's tutelage, which might cause some issues regarding their lifespan.
Sword cultivators excel in martial arts, but are far less adept at self-cultivation. Many of their unique supernatural abilities even shorten their lifespan. Therefore, sword cultivators generally have shorter lifespans than those of orthodox Taoist or Buddhist practitioners. These two might not live to see the day they depart. However, this has fueled their passion for cultivation. Leaving this world for outer realms is a rare opportunity that every cultivator dreams of.
Hongxiu also returned to her hometown. Actually, she felt something was strange. Because she wasn't really Hongxiu anymore. Rather, she was a special kind of spirit formed by the fusion of Hongxiu's ghost and the spirit of the family heirloom jade. Moreover, after refining the ghostly energy within her, the Hongxiu part of her spirit had become even weaker.
But in any case, she came back.
She had secretly bought the old house years ago and entrusted it to someone for safekeeping. For nearly a century, it had remained relatively intact. However, the lineages of both her parents' families had long since died out. After wandering around, she put an end to her last remaining obsession, set the old house ablaze, and then returned to her cave dwelling without looking back.
Besides Hongxiu, Xiaoqian and Xiaolan also tried to return home to find their roots. Unfortunately, the turmoil of earlier years had long since erased the whereabouts of their families. But perhaps it was for the best. Both female ghosts had been dead for over a hundred years; in such a chaotic feudal dynasty, the chances of finding their ancestors were extremely slim. They hadn't held out much hope; they could only try to resolve a lingering attachment in their hearts.