Chapter 392: You Should Go

Having said her piece, Lu Sangjiu then asked, "Do you know how I’m supposed to open this door?"

It might seem a bit strange for a rescuer to ask the person they were trying to save such a question, but the Abbot had been imprisoned for who knows how long. He had surely studied the door more than she had; it couldn’t hurt to ask.

The Abbot didn’t answer her question. Instead, he said in a kindly voice, "Ah, it’s you... What a pity. I can’t see you through this door."

"I’ve actually always been quite curious what kind of young woman could stir worldly feelings in that boy. I truly wish I could see you with my own eyes."

Lu Sangjiu felt the Abbot wasn’t focused on the problem at hand. ’Is this really the time for small talk?’

She was in no mood to discuss such things and said anxiously, "You can look at me all you want once we get you out of here. The priority now is figuring out how to do that! Do you have a plan? If not, I’m just going to start trying things at random."

The Abbot seemed to chuckle softly. "Don’t waste your energy. You won’t be able to open this door."

His voice was calm, yet tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"Tell Jichen that the Old Ancestor was the mastermind behind the Demon Cultivator trade involving the Fang Family in Lu City. He is also raising Demon Flowers, secretly supporting Demon Cultivators, and deliberately provoking a war between the two factions to create a scenario of mutual destruction."

"He must be stopped, or all life in the Spirit Void Realm will be devastated."

Having said all this in one breath, the Abbot seemed exhausted. He let out a long sigh and said, "You should go now."

No matter how much Lu Sangjiu had speculated before, it had all been just guesswork. Hearing the Abbot state it so definitively left her stunned for a moment.

But she quickly realized that the Abbot knew far more than they did.

With the truth now within her grasp, she couldn’t help but press further. "Why does he want to create a scenario of mutual destruction? Do you know his true objective?"

The Abbot paused for a moment before answering, "Because he wants to achieve Ascension."

Lu Sangjiu was stunned again, growing even more confused. "He wants to achieve Ascension, so why must so many lives in the Spirit Void Realm be sacrificed for it?"

"You must know that it has been a very long time since any Cultivator in the Spirit Void Realm has successfully achieved Ascension."

"The Old Ancestor could have triggered his Ascension Thunder Tribulation long ago, but he didn’t dare. He was afraid of dying during the tribulation, just like countless others before him."

"He has spent all these years in seclusion, painstakingly researching the matter, and finally reached a conclusion..."

"The reason no one can achieve Ascension anymore is that too much of the Spirit Void Realm’s Spiritual Energy has been depleted."

As the Abbot spoke, it was as if a light went on in Lu Sangjiu’s mind. She immediately picked up where he left off, "So, he needs a massive number of Cultivators to die, allowing their Spiritual Energy to return to the world. This would create a state of unprecedentedly abundant Spiritual Energy in the Spirit Void Realm, and he would seize that opportunity to achieve Ascension?"

The Abbot hummed in agreement, then gave a bitter smile. "You are very clever... That is precisely his plan."

Lu Sangjiu’s first thought was to ask if the man was insane.

But as she opened her mouth to speak, she suddenly felt that she couldn’t definitively say his theory was wrong.

According to the script the Pseudo Heavenly Dao had laid out for Ye Zhiyao, she had indeed succeeded in her Ascension only after the great Immortal Demon war...

’Back then, no one stopped the Immortal Demon war, and the casualties were indeed countless. Could it be that things happened exactly as the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect’s Old Ancestor has envisioned?’

The idea was undoubtedly cruel and insane, but... no one could say with certainty that it was wrong.

For a moment, Lu Sangjiu didn’t know what to make of it all. But she knew her time was short. Though she was still curious about many things, those questions could wait until she was out of here.

She pulled herself together and said, "We’ll find a way to stop him. But with Xie Ningyuan currently being framed by Ting Chan, it will be difficult for us to gain anyone’s trust on our own. That’s why, no matter what, I have to rescue you."

"With your reputation to back us up, we’ll have a much better chance of convincing others to join forces with us!"

Even as she spoke, Lu Sangjiu’s Divine Sense began to cautiously probe the heavy door.

However, the Abbot’s resigned voice came from within. "It’s not that I won’t help you. It’s that you *can’t* save me."

"This door is forged from Yellow Essence Xuan Iron, making it incredibly durable. Moreover, it’s imbued with a wisp of the Old Ancestor’s Divine Sense. The moment you touch it, he will be alerted."

"With your level of cultivation, you would be utterly powerless against the Old Ancestor."

"If you want to save me, you’re better off leaving now and returning later with more powerful allies."

"Child, don’t delay any further. Once you’re discovered, you won’t be able to escape!"

Lu Sangjiu’s brow furrowed. ’Other things I might be able to handle, but the Old Ancestor’s Divine Sense... Even if he doesn’t make a move himself, he could easily summon that Supreme Elder.’

Although she was frustrated that she couldn’t rescue him, Lu Sangjiu knew this was no time for bravado. She truly couldn’t handle the situation that would arise.

After quickly weighing her options, she no longer hesitated. "Senior, Xie Ningyuan and I will return for you. Please, take care of yourself!"

Seeing she had made her decision, the Abbot seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Tell Jichen... their scheme includes the disciples of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Those disciples are innocent. I hope he will remember the bonds he shares with his fellow disciples."

"I will." With that, Lu Sangjiu quickly departed in the direction she had come from.

However, when she returned to the Abbot’s courtyard, she was met by the sight of the Divinity Transformation Cultivator who had returned from dealing with the fire.

He was clearly waiting for her. Seeing her emerge, he gave a cold sneer. "I knew it. All these incidents happening one after another today... It turns out a little thief has snuck in."

Seeing he wasn’t surprised she had come from that direction, Lu Sangjiu knew this man must be one of Ting Chan’s accomplices.

’It makes sense,’ she thought. ’They haven’t found Xie Ningyuan, so they must be on guard for his return to rescue the Abbot. Of course they’d leave at least one of their own to keep watch.’

Lu Sangjiu remained calm. She simply looked at him and said, "I wonder what they promised you to make you so willing to aid a tyrant."

"The cultivation of a Buddhist Practitioner emphasizes having a clear conscience. After committing such monstrous sins, even if Spiritual Energy becomes abundant, are you so certain you’ll be able to achieve Ascension? Do you not fear divine retribution?"

The Divinity Transformation Cultivator burst out laughing. "That old bastard certainly told you a lot, didn’t he? But... what did we do? All those people died killing each other. It wasn’t our hands that struck them down."

"How could the blame for that possibly fall on us? And with that, why can’t our consciences be clear?"

Lu Sangjiu narrowed her eyes. "That’s just sophistry. You’re only deceiving yourselves."

"Like I care what you think!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the Divinity Transformation Cultivator attacked Lu Sangjiu!

"Since you’re here, you can stay forever!"

’To be honest, at her current level, Lu Sangjiu wasn’t intimidated by a one-on-one fight with a Divinity Transformation Stage cultivator. However, a fight would create a huge commotion, which would inevitably alert the one at the Body Integration Realm.’

With so many restrictions, she didn’t dare face him head-on. She feinted an attack, and after blocking his blow, she suddenly turned and fled!