The vast Azure Dragon Plaza was silent.
The bloodstains left from yesterday’s great battle had yet to dry, and the buildings shattered by the shockwave and the overturned, broken stone slabs all told of the fierce intensity of the battle.
At this moment, all the elders and disciples of the Azure Dragon Temple stood aligned in rank.
Everyone bore an expression of grief, with some quietly sobbing.
In the center of the plaza rested a coffin.
The coffin had been hastily crafted from a centuries-old pine tree from the back mountain, which Zhao Ya had broken with his Palm Power and dragged back.
Although the temple had no professional carpenters, Zhao Ya managed, through sheer skill, to carve a coffin from the massive pine log.
The pine wood’s grain was quite clear, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of pine sap.
Within lay Guan Xuejiang’s body.
Although a brand new robe had been put on him, it could not hide the emaciated body, weakened from over-exhausted Qi Blood.
Everyone stepped forward in turn to look at Guan Xuejiang’s visage.
Some wept aloud, while others shed silent tears.
The whole of Azure Dragon Temple was enveloped in a profound, unspoken grief.
After all, they had just barely survived a near-annihilation battle yesterday, and today, the great elder had departed from them.
This naturally left many feeling lost, unsure of the path forward.
Zhao Ya stood silently before the coffin, while Guo Luming suddenly sighed beside him.
"Can you see it? Everyone is at a loss."
He looked at Zhao Ya and said, "So, have you figured out the path we should take next?"
Saying this, Guo Luming looked at Zhao Ya with full expectation in his eyes.
Zhao Ya remained silent for a long time, until Guo Luming’s face nearly showed disappointment, and only then did he speak.
"At present, there is only one path to take."
"Oh, what path?" Guo Luming immediately inquired.
"Seal the mountain and close the gates, gather strength, and wait for the right opportunity." Zhao Ya said solemnly.
Guo Luming smiled.
This was exactly what he was waiting to hear.
If Zhao Ya had rashly decided to storm into Wanghai Tower, or hurried to consolidate his power by showing strength, Guo Luming would have had to reconsider whether his efforts to endure immense pain and stay in the world were worth it.
Fortunately!
Zhao Ya was far more mature and steady than he had imagined.
Although sealing the mountain would bring various disadvantages, it was the best choice under the current circumstances.
After all, after this battle, Azure Dragon Temple was already drained and its Primordial Energy seriously wounded.
It was an obvious fact that couldn’t be changed by mere bluff.
At this very moment, who knows how many eyes were secretly watching Azure Dragon Temple.
Not to mention last night’s incident at Wanghai Tower.
If Zhao Ya hadn’t intervened in time, it could have resulted in another catastrophic massacre.
So, at present, the only strategy is to honestly seal the mountain.
Although doing so would significantly lower the temple’s prestige, even potentially removing it from the Beyond the World Thirteen Sects.
At least this way, many with ill intentions would find it harder to target them.
After all, the unwritten rule Beyond the World was that once a sect announced the sealing of its mountain, unless there was a life-and-death feud, no one was to provoke them lightly.
Even though most of the rules Beyond the World now seemed nominal, this particular rule was still observed.
Because no one could guarantee their sect wouldn’t face hardship one day.
This was essentially giving oneself a chance to recuperate and plan a comeback.
"Very good, your plan aligns with the intentions of both myself and my fellow disciples."
As he spoke, Guo Luming glanced at Guan Xuejiang’s corpse and said lightly.
"Although this won’t necessarily ward off all greedy eyes, nor prevent those who would add insult to injury, at least it allows us to catch a breath."
"During this period, you must accomplish two tasks."
"Elder, please, tell me." Zhao Ya asked respectfully.
He understood that Guo Luming’s injuries were no less severe than Guan Xuejiang’s.
It was only due to his deeper foundation that he had managed to hold on until now.
But normally, at this time, the urgent task for Guo Luming should be to find a quiet place to recuperate, which might allow him to live a few more years.
Clearly, Guo Luming had no intention of retreating from the world now.
His intentions were evident.
He wanted to spend his remaining time helping Zhao Ya—or rather, helping Azure Dragon Temple—along its way.
Thus, Zhao Ya held him in deep regard.
"First, although your strength is not weak, your foundation is still insufficient, so compared to truly top-tier masters, you have many shortcomings. During this period, you must follow me, focus on your training, and strive to make up for these shortcomings to become a truly formidable figure Beyond the World."
Zhao Ya readily agreed and nodded.
"Second, such a vast Azure Dragon Temple cannot rely on just you and Yun Shen and Jianji alone to manage. You must quickly cultivate enough middle-level experts. In this, I can be of little help, so you’ll have to handle it yourself."
Guo Luming’s words echoed Zhao Ya’s own thoughts.
"Elder, I understand."
A cool breeze swept through as Guo Luming coughed twice, wrapped himself tighter in his garments, and sighed while looking at Guan Xuejiang’s body.
"Honestly, I think we should just cremate his body. There’s no need to fuss as you said."
To this, Zhao Ya firmly shook his head.
"Elder, while I can listen to you on other matters, on this, I cannot."
Saying this, Zhao Ya also looked at Guan Xuejiang’s body and said softly.
"The great elder dedicated his heart and soul to Azure Dragon Temple, sacrificing even his life. He deserved a grand funeral, but given the current situation, the conditions simply do not allow it. I indeed feel a profound guilt in my heart."