The way things had unfolded was simply too absurd.
So much so that Li Chang’an couldn’t even find anything to roast.
After all, reality truly defied logic. Even if the Immortal Palace and the Liyang Empire were mortal enemies, it didn’t stop them from setting aside their grudges to work together in the face of a greater enemy.
The Immortal Palace’s warship, the Immortal Ship, came and went in a flash. In the blink of an eye, it vanished beyond the range of Li Chang’an’s senses.
Not far away, Lu Shang and Elder Hun walked over. Seeing the crestfallen expression on Li Chang’an’s face, Elder Hun asked, "Are you going to leave this world?"
Li Chang’an didn’t rush to answer. Instead, he looked at Elder Hun and said seriously, "You knew this would be the outcome all along, didn’t you?"
The Immortal Palace was incredibly powerful, yet Elder Hun had still dared to act so decisively. It was impossible that he knew nothing of the Immortal Palace’s true strength.
Sure enough, Elder Hun nodded. "I’ve gathered some information about the Immortal Palace from other nearby worlds, but it’s not very detailed. I certainly never imagined we would provoke one of their patrol fleets!"
Hearing Elder Hun’s answer, Li Chang’an thought for a moment and felt a sense of relief.
While his relationship with Elder Hun wasn’t particularly close, they were in the same boat. Elder Hun had no reason to harm him without cause.
The arrival of the Immortal Palace’s warship had been sudden; it was impossible for Elder Hun to have predicted it.
With this in mind, Li Chang’an said, "I’ve already agreed. In three years, I’ll ascend to the Immortal Realm to see for myself what the current state of these so-called Cultivators is."
Elder Hun was clearly not surprised. After a moment of contemplation, he offered a warning, "You have a unique status. You don’t belong to any one world. On lower-level planets, that’s fine. As long as you don’t actively reveal your identity, it’s difficult for even a planet’s Will to detect your presence."
"But the Immortal Realm, where the Immortal Palace resides, is a planet with an exceptionally high Evolution Level. Rushing in so rashly might cause you some unnecessary trouble..."
He paused, hesitating for a long moment before seemingly making up his mind. He continued, "I can grant you a measure of this World’s Favor. It will help conceal the traces of another world that cling to you."
"However, in exchange, you must spend the next three years cleaning up the remaining mess on the Jiuzhou Continent for me. What do you say?"
Li Chang’an hadn’t expected Elder Hun to offer his help so proactively. He couldn’t help but smile. "Of course. No problem!"
Hearing their conversation, Lu Shang, who was standing nearby, looked captivated. "Can you really ascend to the Immortal Realm?" he couldn’t help but ask. "I want to go see it too!"
Li Chang’an remained silent. Lu Shang was a Child of Destiny, bearing a portion of the world’s Destiny and essence. Elder Hun would not necessarily be willing to let him travel to another world.
...
「For the next three years.」
Li Chang’an dedicated himself to resolving the remaining problems and potential threats on the Jiuzhou Continent.
The first issue to address was that of a successor.
After Li Chang’an’s departure, the throne of the Great Zhou would need a mature successor. Right now, the only person who fit the bill was his younger brother, Li Yuanqing.
When he heard the news, Li Yuanqing was clearly dumbfounded.
He was merely the son of a concubine and had never once imagined he would one day become emperor. Thus, at first, he was firmly against it.
However, once he learned that Li Chang’an was ascending to the Immortal Realm, he finally nodded in agreement.
After all, Li Chang’an had no spouse or heirs. If he, the younger brother, was unable to accept the throne, it would simply fall to an outsider.
Next, Li Chang’an tackled the issue of national identity among the various countries.
After all, Li Chang’an himself was the first person to unify Jiuzhou. His strength and political savvy were more than enough to allow him to control such a vast territory.
But if he couldn’t properly unify and integrate the Twelve Countries of the Jiuzhou Continent during his reign, it was likely they would fracture and fall apart the moment he left.
To this end, during those three years, Li Chang’an mandated a unified script, language, and currency. He even established schools to standardize Cultivation methods...
After this series of measures was implemented, it finally began to foster interaction and exchange between the previously isolated regions.
Although many conflicts still existed between the different regions—the policies hadn’t been in place long enough to see their full effect—a foundation had been laid.
But Li Chang’an had already written out the plan. Even after he left, Li Yuanqing would only need to continue following the blueprint he had established.
Finally, Li Chang’an turned his attention to the research institute.
In the past, the institute’s operating Logic had been simple: Li Chang’an provided the research topics, and the institute handled the research and development. If they ever ran into a problem they couldn’t solve, they could consult him directly.
But now that Li Chang’an was leaving, this operating Logic was no longer sustainable. After all, no one else possessed his Heaven-defying Comprehension, nor did they have the profound knowledge he had accumulated from traveling between worlds.
To address this, he wrote another detailed plan, entrusting it all to Li Yuanqing to manage.
...
Amid the hustle and bustle, three years passed in a flash.
As the deadline from the ultimatum drew near, Li Chang’an said his goodbyes to everyone and crushed the stone the Cultivator named Xia Zizhan had left for him.
As the stone shattered.
About three days later, Xia Zizhan appeared amidst the clouds, piloting the Immortal Ship.
As the floating Immortal Ship slowly descended, Li Chang’an realized that the once pristine and exquisite warship now looked somewhat battered and damaged.