As the immortal sects contacted the Upper Realm, so too did the Buddhist sects.
In a resplendent temple, over a dozen tonsured monks stood before a golden figure, listening to Buddhist teachings.
"My Buddha, is the Taiyuan Realm still salvageable? Is there still a need to defend it?"
A Buddhist Bodhisattva, a True Immortal, asked respectfully. The golden figure seemed to be in discussion with someone, and after a moment that felt like a cup of tea, spoke:
"Rest assured, the Taiyuan Continent is covered by our Buddhist sect's three-thousand-year plans and arrangements; it is absolutely safe. Our Buddhist Realm and the Immortal Realm cannot descend, and the Demonic Realm certainly cannot. After all, the Taiyuan Continent is our home ground."
"As for the grain problem, the cultivators will have to work harder.
The [Moonlight Jade Nectar] and [Rising Sun Creation Technique] you transmitted are indeed Grade Eight spirit plant techniques, and possess many peculiar aspects. Careful study will greatly aid in cultivation."
"If grain truly cannot be guaranteed, then gradually abandon some mortals."
"..."
Upon hearing the words of the Upper Realm Buddhist Bodhisattva, the Buddhist cultivators in the temple fell silent.
In the end, the Taiyuan Star had been abandoned. The Upper Realm was merely offering them comforting excuses.
The immortal Buddhas of the Upper Realm had their own plans. As for an unexpected event like the Taiyuan Star, as long as it did not affect their grand scheme, abandoning it was acceptable.
Compared to myriad planets, a single Taiyuan Star was insignificant.
...
Yang Hong was unaware that the external situation had become so dire that the Upper Realm was preparing to abandon the Taiyuan Realm. All he knew was that Ancestor Chaoyang, that old fellow, had taken up permanent residence outside the Qingxun Plains.
When the seven-colored barrier outside the Qingxun Plains disappeared again, he fearlessly charged directly into the plains, intending to find Yang Hong.
However, after flying only a hundred li on his flying sword, he immediately felt as if he had been stung by a scorpion, or as if he had seen a ghost, and retreated in a panic.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, I am Chaoyang. I bear no ill will. Please retract your time domain!"
After flying to the outside of the Qingxun Plains and no longer feeling his lifespan rapidly draining, Ancestor Chaoyang dared to call out to Yang Hong loudly.
He was a ninth-rank Mahayana realm cultivator who had lived for twenty thousand years. He was naturally extremely sensitive to the passage of time, especially since he was no longer young and was even more sensitive to his lifespan.
The moment he entered the Tian Qingxun Plains, he immediately realized something was wrong.
At the same time, his estimation of Yang Hong's strength increased significantly.
When he saw Yang Hong, who only had a Body Integration third-layer cultivation, emerge, his heart immediately sounded an alarm. He directly maintained some distance from Yang Hong.
Yang Hong, feigning ignorance of the old man's intentions, asked directly, "Old man, what is it this time?"
"Fellow Daoist, I wish to purchase some rice seeds. The mortals under the jurisdiction of my Chaoyang Sect exceed ten billion. We require a large amount of grain. The people's grain supplies are running out.
The tragedy of 'exchanging children for food' has already occurred."
"Exchanging children for food?"
"Yes, exchanging children for food!"
"..."
Upon hearing this phrase, Yang Hong couldn't help but frown. This phrase had appeared many times on his previous world, Blue Star, and he had seen some in television and movies.
It was truly tragic and deeply shocking.
However, after transmigrating to the Taiyuan Continent, he had never truly witnessed 'exchanging children for food.'
The historical records of the Great Sui Dynasty contained accounts of 'exchanging children for food,' but thanks to the efforts of several generations of the Great Sui imperial family, who persisted in establishing and maintaining seed bases, the people of the Great Sui, even if they could not all live in peace and contentment, could at least ensure they had enough to eat.
After he entered the immortal cultivation world, there were even techniques like spirit plant cultivation, making grain shortages a thing of the past.
Hearing this phrase again now, he was also very surprised.
"Take me to see it."
"No need, I have a recording stone sent by my disciples."
Ancestor Chaoyang was truly well-prepared. As he spoke, he produced a handful of recording stones.
They were about the size of ping pong balls, perhaps six or seven in total.
Yang Hong rolled his eyes. He suspected the old man was trying to trick him into giving away rice seeds.
However, he still took one, infused it with spiritual power, and activated it. A video with sound unfolded before him.
"Boss, want a lamb? Less than three years old."
"If you want, but it's only a lamb. Do you want it?"
Two furtive voices emanated from two emaciated men. There were no lambs beside them, only two similarly thin children, appearing to be three or four years old.
The two middle-aged men glanced at the children beside them, their eyes glinting green. Yang Hong could even hear the sound of swallowing and see the movement of their throats.
"Too small for now. Let's trade."
The slightly taller figure looked at the child beside him, then at the other person's child, and after a moment of thought with a frown, nodded in agreement.
Unbeknownst to the two children, they were pushed by their respective fathers towards strangers.
"Daddy~ I want Daddy~"
"Daddy~ Daddy, I want to go back! Daddy, you said we'd have lamb today! Daddy!"
"No, I'm not going~"
Amidst the crying of the two children, the two middle-aged men forcefully covered their mouths, quickly pulled away, and ran off in opposite directions. Tears streamed from their eyes at that moment.
The camera panned up to reveal a small village where many middle-aged men and women, with tears in their eyes, were holding or pulling children and youths away. The village had become a marketplace.
However, the goods being sold in this marketplace were so horrifying and unbelievable.
The camera pulled up, showing a vast, verdant plain littered with unrotted corpses beneath trees, beside grass, and among flowers.
The corpses stood in stark contrast to the vibrant life surrounding them!
Under normal circumstances, grass and plants would be consumed for sustenance during a famine, but in this famine, they had become deadly poisons!
Yang Hong frowned and said nothing, picking up another recording stone to watch.
The next moment, before him, a boy around ten years old was decapitated by a group of burly men, his body brutally disemboweled in a pool of blood.
Behind the burly men, a woman, while being violated, was stuffing a piece of meat into her mouth.
The origin of this meat was, needless to say.
The next moment, a battlefield with ten thousand soldiers where two sides fought to the death. When the battle ended, the victors turned the corpses of the vanquished, along with those of their fallen comrades, into dried meat.
The next moment, a pack of wolves howled and charged into a human city, killing everyone they saw and consuming them as food.
The next moment...
The grain crisis outside had become this severe.
Although Yang Hong was not a saint, he was still shocked by these scenes of tragedy.
"Fellow Daoist Chaoyang, you are here seeking seeds, correct?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Seeing Yang Hong's long silence, Ancestor Chaoyang nodded repeatedly.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, I know your spirit plant techniques are extraordinary, and that grain can be cultivated relatively normally on the plains of Qingfeng Manor. Therefore, I extend a helping hand on behalf of the entire continent to save all the mortal citizens of the Taiyuan Continent."
"Fellow Daoist Chaoyang speaks too highly. I will help if I can.
However, the order of this continent must be managed properly by your immortal and Buddhist sects, otherwise, I will not save those who consume human flesh!"
"We will, we will!"
Hearing Yang Hong did not outright refuse, Ancestor Chaoyang breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Yang Hong did not immediately provide grain and seeds to Ancestor Chaoyang.