Chapter 255: The Days When I Wasn't Present
After collecting the spoils of war, everyone else also gathered around.
As usual, there was a wave of shock and admiration.
Even those like Gui Cang and Void Abyss were a bit hesitant to fly at the same height as Sect Leader Jiang.
The ability to take down an Immortal Emperor was indeed a bit too fierce.
"Sect Leader Jiang, could it be that you've always been invincible?"
"Did you come to the Lower Realm specifically to rescue us?"
Brother Cheng waved his hand with a smile, planning to say something pretentious, like the mere Immortal Emperor was nothing to worry about, completely not worth a fight, stay calm, stay calm.
But then the system notification suddenly sounded.
"Ding! Due to not matching the current plane, having mobilized excessive power in advance, the system is unstable and is about to forcibly reboot for an update."
"Reboot countdown: 59 minutes and 59 seconds."
Damn, it'll forcibly reboot in an hour?
"System, during the reboot, what will happen to me?"
"The host will vanish into the void, fall into slumber, and be untraceable."
That's acceptable, essentially a prolonged enhanced invisibility status.
At least it guarantees absolute safety during this period.
"How long will the reboot take?"
"Unknown."
"Can you give me an estimate? Will it take a year?"
"Yes."
Well, Brother Cheng has a plan now.
Looks like he really needs to 'go into forced seclusion' for a while.
But no matter what, after this battle, the legend of brother will continue to spread throughout the world, right?
Thinking about needing a reason for 'forced seclusion', he activated Immortal Yuan Power to make his face pale as paper.
He even coughed up a bit of blood, putting on a convincing show.
This frightened everyone.
"Sect Leader Jiang!"
"Sect Leader Jiang, what's wrong with you?"
"Could it be that the battle with the Immortal Emperor just now cost you a great deal?"
"It must be. After all, it's the Immortal Emperor. Never mind that Sect Leader Jiang won effortlessly, there must be hidden dangers that we can't even imagine."
Everyone was deeply moved, and many cultivators had red eyes.
"Sect Leader Jiang sacrificed so much to protect us from harm!"
Lan Ti and Ji Linghan were the first to rush to Brother Cheng's side, eagerly embracing him.
"Brother Cheng, please don't scare me!"
"Tell me what I can do for you, quickly..."
"Sect Leader, you won't be in trouble, you definitely won't!"
Smelling the fragrance of the two beauties, with his head being squeezed by four snowy peaks simultaneously, Brother Cheng almost ascended on the spot.
Damn, had I known that playing the victim would lead to this treatment, what was I doing before?
When the system finishes updating later, I must try this more often.
However, when the tears of the two women fell on his face, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.
Brother Cheng is careless with others; he treats everything as a game.
But with his own people, he's earnest.
"Don't worry..."
"I'm just overdrawn and need to go into forced seclusion for a while."
Lan Ti, Ji Linghan, and the other women finally wiped their tears and relaxed.
By now, Dingtian City had reappeared in the outside space.
The city's residents looked skyward, still in shock from the Immortal Emperor's pressure, utterly unaware of what had just happened.
Everyone re-entered the City Lord's Mansion, with Sect Leader Jiang contemplating the long-term seclusion he needed, things needed arranging.
"Without a doubt, the death of the Nine Flames Immortal Emperor will draw attention from the Upper Immortal Realm."
"In the future, more Immortal Emperors might arrive."
"And I need a long time to recover, unable to face the enemy."
Sigh, no pretending to be grand for a while.
But this truth in everyone else's ears meant something else.
Sect Leader Jiang really sacrificed too much for everyone.
Already severely injured, yet still concerned about everyone's safety.
For a moment, many evil demon cultivators were deeply touched, regarding Brother Cheng as the only truly respected person in this life.
"So, Dingtian City... is not safe anymore."
Everyone had already realized this point.
"We need to leave here temporarily."
"If you're willing, you can travel with my Sword Domain. While Sect Leader Jiang is in seclusion healing, my Sword Domain is willing to risk our lives to protect!"
Gui Cang Sword Immortal had good intentions.
In his opinion, Jiang Cheng wouldn't have much self-preservation ability during recovery.
But before he could finish speaking, Bi Chang shoved him aside.
"Since when is it up to your Sword Domain? Of course, a brother should follow us, the Desolate Domain! Before we're all dead in battle, not a hair of his will be harmed!"
Void Abyss chuckled coldly, "With your Desolate Race's little brain, it's fortunate if you don't screw over the benefactor."
"How about coming with our Demon Domain. Heh, demon cultivators getting things done... you get it."
Bi Chang was enraged, "What do you mean?"
"I mean we can better protect Sect Leader Jiang!"
"Want to try fighting it out?"
Luo Yuan, Shan Tai, and others also stood out, "Don't argue, Sect Leader already has us Feixian Sect disciples as guards! For life and death, as one, inseparable..."
Before they finished speaking, they were quickly drowned out by others' voices.
"Come on."
"You guys are too inexperienced and young. Any experience of hardships? You'd get cheated and count money for the crooks."
This group respects Brother Cheng greatly, but not so much the Feixian Sect disciples.
For a moment, the great hall was in chaos.
Sect Leader Jiang helplessly clapped his hands.
"There's no need for everyone to compete. During my seclusion healing, I am confident of ensuring my own safety."
"You can each disperse."
"Based on Nine Flames Immortal Emperor's reaction today, they currently suspect only me as the ascender, unaware of any of you."
"That means if you leave here and scatter across the Middle Immortal Realm, you won't arouse suspicion."
The Middle Immortal Realm, reportedly a hundred times larger than the Lower Immortal Realm.
Once dispersed, finding someone again is almost impossible.
Having said this, he looked to his group of disciples.
"It's time for you to also go out and experience the world."
Originally, he planned to put them in the Xuanji Map.
But considering the words from Gui Cang and others were reasonable, cultivating behind closed doors without going out lacks something.
His wings can protect them for a while, but not for a lifetime.
"This is all I can do for you as Sect Leader."
His pretentious desire rose again, intentionally creating a scene of farewell as though it were grandly sad.
"In the future, you'll rely on yourselves."
"During my absence, you must take good care of yourselves. The Feixian Sect's pretentious sect culture, you must uphold and promote it wonderfully..."
Sect Leader Jiang's act was over the top, heading straight for tear-jerking rhythm.
"Sect Leader..."
"Sob, sob, sob. When will we see you again?"
Feixian Sect disciples cried as one, and for a moment emotion filled the City Lord's Mansion.
In a year, when the pretentious device reboots, the legend of brother will resound throughout the Immortal Realm again!
The crown of pretending king in the Immortal Realm belongs to this Sect Leader!
Yet in his performance high, he started spouting nonsense: "Maybe a hundred years, maybe a thousand, maybe ten thousand..."
After just a year apart, creating such pathos sounds like a joke—hardly enough to astound.