PCJ – Chapter 735 Rescue

“Mobilize the entire Meishan Sect. Save as many as we can,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

The grand undertaking orchestrated by the three Holy Lands had shaken him deeply. Practically all of the world’s rogue cultivators had been swept up. With the three sects entering the Immortal Realm, the rest of the cultivators were nearly wiped out. Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t even sure if anyone had been left behind within the three spiritual veins. No matter what, after this incident, the cultivation world was already on the verge of collapse. Only the Meishan Sect had come through completely unscathed.

“Master, luckily we didn’t get involved this time. Otherwise the consequences would’ve been unimaginable. But I do wonder what’s become of the three Holy Lands’ cultivators who entered the Immortal Realm,” Wei Chenguang said with lingering fear.

Kong Jiyuan sighed. “I don’t know if we’ll one day be forced to walk that same path. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I think it’s best to avoid it. And if we must, we need full preparation. Without cultivators at the Spirit Transformation stage or higher, it’s better not to go at all. That monster we saw through the gate was at least Spirit Transformation stage. With Meishan’s current strength, going there would just be suicide.”

Just then, Mute’s report came in: “We just searched the area where Spirit Mountain sank and found several survivors. Rescue teams have already been dispatched.”

“Save as many as possible. If they want to join Meishan Sect, they’ll be welcome. If they don’t, we won’t force them,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

His words made Wei Chenguang and the others brighten. The three great sects had marched into the Immortal Realm, countless rogue cultivators had died, yet Meishan was untouched. There was no need to hide in the shadows anymore. It was time to step into the open.

Cultivators were resilient. Zhang Jiaohua had assumed most would not survive, but the rescue teams kept reporting good news. In the end, the majority managed to crawl out of the sands. Only a few unlucky ones were crushed beneath Spirit Mountain, never to emerge from the desert again.

To everyone’s surprise, even the three Shushan disciples—Di Changsheng, Zhu Yingchun, and Zhang Lingxiong—were dragged out alive. But the cultivators they had deceived weren’t about to let them off.

“You bastards! We nearly lost our lives because of you! You owe us an explanation!” one furious cultivator shouted, kicking Di Changsheng flying, then pinning him to the ground. If not for Meishan disciples rushing to restrain him, Di Changsheng might have been beaten to death on the spot.

Di Changsheng’s face was ashen. Truth was, he himself had been deceived. They had all been abandoned by their sect. The realization cut him deeply. After all, he was a true Di by blood—a legitimate heir of Shushan. Never in his life had he imagined his sect would discard him. From childhood, Shushan had been his entire world. The thought that his beloved sect had cast him aside left him utterly broken.

When Zhang Yuanbao pulled him up, Di Changsheng was already badly beaten, yet he felt no pain. The wound in his heart far outweighed anything on his body.

Many other cultivators tried to rush in as well, eager to vent their long-held hatred against the Shushan trio. They had suffered enough under their arrogance; now was the perfect time to trample them.

At first, Zhang Yuanbao and Qi Xia let the angry survivors vent their rage, but once it had gone far enough, they stepped in to stop further violence.

“Everyone, stop! Meishan came here to save you, not to see you slaughter each other. Those three didn’t deceive you on purpose. Think about it—if they had known the truth, would they have ended up buried in the sand like you? They’d have escaped long ago!” Zhang Yuanbao said loudly.

“Heh, so they were just Shushan’s discarded trash after all.”

“Before, they strutted around like they were so important. Turns out they’re nothing but castaways.”

“Trash! No wonder they were abandoned.”

“Pathetic, really.”

“Pathetic? Hah! They were arrogant and overbearing before—never thought they’d see this day. The tables turn, as they say. Let’s see if they can still hold their heads high.”

…

“Enough nonsense! Get on board. There are still many more cultivators waiting to be rescued. And let me make something clear. Meishan didn’t come here to take advantage of your plight. But if you’re willing to join us, you’ll be welcomed. If you don’t wish to, we’ll still take you somewhere safe and help you contact your families. Anyone who joins, as long as you follow Meishan’s rules, will be one of us,” Zhang Yuanbao announced.

Since Meishan had always kept a low profile, few here really knew much about them. So when Zhang Yuanbao spoke of the sect, there wasn’t much reaction.

“If we join Meishan, what benefits do we get? Do you have enough spiritual energy?” someone asked.

“You’ll learn all that once you join. If you don’t, there’s no need for you to know,” Qi Xia replied.

“And if we refuse, will you just abandon us here?” another asked worriedly.

Zhang Yuanbao smiled. “You can wait until we get you to safety before deciding. We won’t force you. Our invitation is simply a chance for you. If you don’t want it, we won’t compel you. We save you because cultivating is hard, and we wish to lend a hand to fellow cultivators—not because we want to swallow you up. Meishan may not be a great sect, but we don’t resort to underhanded tricks to recruit. We only want disciples loyal to us.”

At such a moment, few were willing to make a hasty choice. But Di Changsheng, Zhu Yingchun, and Zhang Lingxiong were the first to decide.

“I’ll join Meishan,” Di Changsheng said firmly.

“I’ll join too,” Zhu Yingchun added.

After some hesitation, Zhang Lingxiong also said, “I’ll join.”

Di Changsheng had made his choice out of utter despair toward Shushan. Zhu Yingchun and Zhang Lingxiong, however, looked at the hostile cultivators glaring at them all around and realized they had no choice. If they didn’t join Meishan now, once they left its protection, those enraged survivors would tear them limb from limb.