After Xia Li publicly transmitted the Dao.

  The faces of all the rogue cultivators present changed dramatically—some couldn't believe what they'd heard.

  Some of the more naive young rogue cultivators immediately knelt to kowtow to Xia Li. This was a great kindness, a heavenly grace!!

  But the experienced older rogue cultivators wore expressions of horror and dread, some even shooting resentful glances at Xia Li.

  "Senior Xia, you're trying to get us all killed with no burial ground!"

  One white-haired rogue cultivator sighed.

  "Once these methods spread, the great sects will immediately kill to silence witnesses, preventing the techniques from spreading. Then they'll seize these methods and claim them as their own, declaring death to any non-sect member who dares cultivate them!"

  "In the past... there have been others like you who transmitted the Dao, but every single one ended the same way..."

  The old rogue cultivator felt a deep sorrow. This was truly a disaster falling from the sky. Under the joint rule of the great sects, anyone or anything that could potentially overthrow them would be destroyed.

  Either join them, become them.

  Or be trampled by them.

  This was simply how the world worked.

  "Is that so?"

  Hearing this, Xia Li was quite surprised, though it was also within reason. Over so many years, there must have been others with ideas like his.

  Yet why was the world still like this?

  Because resistance was futile.

  "But you all already know now. You've been noticed. Xuan Dan Sect will definitely come to silence you. I think there's only one way for you to survive, isn't there?"

  "That is... to let as many people as possible know. Can the great sects really kill everyone?"

  "A thousand people, ten thousand people, tens of millions knowing—can the great sects slaughter tens of millions?"

  "If tens of millions aren't enough, what about hundreds of millions!"

  As long as the methods spread widely enough that the great sects couldn't possibly stop the spread, it would be enough.

  "Senior Xia, we're sorry. We just want to survive. What we seek from cultivation is also just to live longer. Foundation Establishment is already a luxury we dare not hope for."

  "We understand your intentions, appreciate your noble cause. But change... requires bloodshed. It would mean corpses strewn everywhere."

  "We... don't have that capability."

  After the old rogue cultivator finished speaking, the other rogue cultivators also realized the severity of the situation.

  What Xia Li had transmitted wasn't the Dao.

  It was a death sentence!

  But could they blame Xia Li? Xia Li had good intentions. They were the ones receiving his grace. It was just that the heavens were too dark—the very existence of light was the original sin.

  "So what do you intend to do?"

  The passion Xia Li had just ignited was doused by cold reality. He had intended to bring fire, but unfortunately, heaven and earth were utterly frozen—under the icy great Dao, lighting fire itself was a crime.

  "Accept Xuan Dan Sect's control..."

  "We dare not spread this further, lest we implicate friends and family."

  "This matter is no longer just about Xuan Dan Sect alone. What you've done is provoking all the great sects."

  "Senior Xia, you are a good person. Please flee quickly."

  If Xia Li had only opposed Xuan Dan Sect, it would still be manageable. But now, having risen to the opposite side of all great sects, the rogue cultivators were not optimistic about Xia Li's future.

  "Alright. I was too naive. I apologize to everyone for today's events."

  Xia Li bowed in apology. He didn't feel wronged—only disappointed in their weakness. It seemed uniting the lower classes of this world was impossible.

  Unrealistic.

  Thinking more carefully, Earth's modern civilization had stepped from ten thousand years of barbarism into civilization, giving birth to a prosperous and brilliant era. Unfortunately, after spiritual energy revival, it had returned to its former state.

  Not feudal autocracy, but worse than autocracy!

  Now it seemed civilization was just an accident. Barbarism was the norm.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Especially in the cultivation world where individual power far exceeded collective will—what could even a billion mortals' combined will do against an immortal's wrath?

  Nothing!

  To recreate the old world in his heart, there was one and only one path.

  Just as the great sects could ignore collective will.

  He only needed to become powerful enough to ignore those great sects. In the end, it came back to the might-makes-right supremacism of power.

  Xia Li straightened up again. The rogue cultivators dispersed one after another—they didn't even dare flee Wind Crane City, only obediently waiting for Xuan Dan Sect's people to come deal with them.

  In his transmission jade slip...

  Xia Li also received transmissions from other unfamiliar cultivators after publicly sharing the Dao.

  Those expressing gratitude numbered less than one in ten. The vast majority cursed him—why was he harming them? Did they have some grudge?

  "No wonder Xuan Dan Sect acts so domineering."

  "Forget it, forget it..."

  Xia Li bowed his head to reality. His passion had come quickly and cooled just as fast. He had originally wanted to learn from his sister and bring fire to warm the world, but unfortunately, his venture had failed before it even began.

  People didn't appreciate it, didn't cooperate. There was nothing he could do.

  What could he do about those who thought they "deserved to be oppressed"?

  Nothing—it wasn't their problem either.

  He really was a "backward" ancient person who couldn't accept this "new era"!

  He should just stop thinking about changing things. Honestly earning spirit stones, having enough power to protect himself and live his own life would be enough.

  How the era developed—what did it have to do with him?

  Xia Li left, decisively departing Wind Crane City. He had completely annihilated the enemies today—an absolute victory—yet he still felt something blocked in his heart.

  Perhaps...

  He had been too presumptuous.

  Really thought he was somebody, that he could pursue and realize life's meaning. But he was nothing.

  Just a slightly bigger fart that could make people gag.

  Among the wilderness mountains.

  Xia Li walked alone, formulating his next plans. Currently, it seemed small-scale refining of inexpensive pills could ensure his safety.

  But the problem was he'd have to cooperate with some power again. It wasn't that he couldn't operate independently—he just didn't want to waste that energy.

  Before in Wind Crane City, the three powers had handled everything for him. He only needed to refine pills and collect spirit stones, not worrying about any troublesome matters.

  "Hm?"

  Suddenly, Xia Li felt movement from a transmission jade slip in his phase ring. Someone was transmitting to him.

  And it was that special transmission jade slip that could only contact Liu Jingfeng—the one currently in Lin Ye's hands.

  "Brother Xia, I've already heard about your deeds in Wind Crane City. Didn't expect you to be so fierce. Unfortunately, you were impulsive at the end—publicly transmitting the Dao is a great taboo."

  "I didn't expect transmitting the Dao could be a crime. I read in ancient books that those who did this were called sages."

  "That was before, in the era when the myriad Daos flourished and the various sages governed. But this prohibition only appeared in the last few hundred years, jointly issued by the great sects of each domain."

  "Then, Brother Lin, do you know why?"

  Xia Li was curious. They hadn't cared before, but now they did—what was that about?

  These great sects had existed for ages, easily spanning thousands or tens of thousands of years. Why had they only enforced such tyrannical prohibitions in recent centuries?

  "I don't know much either. I only heard it's related to something called the Great Era. When the Great Era comes, heaven and earth transform. Any ancient Dao legacy will turn to dust in the Great Era's struggle."

  "I guess the great sects are trying to prevent the Great Era's arrival. Severing the mundane world's path to immortality from below, blocking the Heavenly Dao's blessings from above."