Chapter 433: Preparing the Feast

Chapter 433: Preparing the Feast

"Then outside, let's address each other as old friends. Please, Fellow Shen, take a seat inside while I take care of this treasure ship."

Since Shen Yi gave face, Liu Qingyun naturally wouldn't be negligent in her duties as host. She politely stood at the bow of the ship and began to introduce Shen Yi to Hongze.

"In the vast ocean, there lies a hidden dragon—a leader of the water tribes and controller of the Hongze land and waters."

However, this place still falls under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Court.

Hence, there are heavenly immortals from the Celestial Court residing here, carrying edicts to oversee Hongze. But these immortals have no interest in mortal affairs, so this place still maintains its original state, with the water tribes holding the highest authority.

The Seven Sages of Southern Hong are a formidable force, protected by seven great Unity Realm immortals. Their legacy has been passed down through generations, rarely ever ceasing, and they are truly transcendent.

Liu Qingyun is the executor of the Clear Moon Sect.

In her words, the Seven Sages of Southern Hong naturally hold a position of high esteem, ruling over this realm.

Shen Yi and Li Qingfeng listened quietly, occasionally exchanging glances.

Neither of them were naive.

It was easy for them to see through the exaggerations in Liu Qingyun's words.

No matter how lofty her descriptions, it didn't change the fact that the water demons held dominion here. She spoke of their transcendence, yet they were limited to this small region of Southern Hong. It would be more fitting to say that they were good at self-preservation rather than expansion.

However, Shen Yi didn't show the slightest bit of contempt.

You must know, Liu Qingyun had mentioned the Celestial Court once again, and she had also spoken of immortals.

She wasn't an ordinary mortal but a powerful cultivator at the third layer of the Returning Void Realm.

Most likely, the immortals she spoke of were real.

It was already an extraordinary feat to be able to maintain self-preservation in a place overseen by an immortal.

"Immortals..."

Shen Yi retracted his gaze and looked downwards from the treasure ship.

With the aid of the Golden Eagle God Art, he could finally see the land and water shrouded in mist below. It was lush and verdant, but there were few signs of human habitation.

Most of the inhabitants probably lived in secluded cultivation grounds like the Clear Moon Sect.

Even the creatures wandering outside would find it difficult to form any large forces.

If there truly were such existences, like the nation of Da Qian, able to exist openly and without fear of harm, then the power backing them would likely surpass even that of the Seven Sages of Southern Hong.

"The birthday celebration we're attending today is for a nearby famous loose cultivator called Lingyun Shangren."

"His cultivation is similar to mine. Almost every time he celebrates his birthday, he sends us invitations, but we've never paid him any mind."

Liu Qingyun covered her mouth and laughed, "This time, we happened to be free, so I thought we could bring Fellow Shen...I mean, Fellow Daoist Shen, to take a look."

In truth, one of the reasons she invited Shen Yi was to show off the strength of the Seven Sages of Southern Hong. Otherwise, after Elder Yang's performance yesterday, these people might start to look down on them.

"..."

Li Qingfeng sat quietly in a corner of the treasure ship, like a little quail, not daring to join in on such a conversation.

No matter how outgoing he was, he didn't dare to voice his opinions casually.

Similar cultivation...that meant the third layer of the Returning Void Realm.

In the Nanyang Sect, old monsters of that cultivation level had bullied humans for nearly a hundred thousand years.

But in Liu Qingyun's words, Lingyun Shangren seemed more like a pathetic loose cultivator who was eagerly trying to climb up the social ladder, only to be constantly ignored.

Shen Yi quietly digested this information.

The water tribes hold dominion...no matter how you sugarcoat it, they're still demons. It means that as long as I increase my strength, I won't have to worry about resources.

However, I still need to keep a low profile and make my fortune quietly.

He stared at the land and water below, quietly memorizing the route so that after future hunting trips, he could find his way back to the Nanyang Sect.

It had to be said that Southern Hong was even larger than Shen Yi had imagined.

Even though they were traveling by treasure ship, it had only taken them an incense stick's worth of time to travel from the Nanyang Sect to the Clear Moon Sect. But now, after two hours, they still hadn't reached their destination.

Such a distant place was still considered "nearby."

Just then, Liu Qingyun interrupted Shen Yi's train of thought and pointed towards a treasure blue lake below, "Fellow Daoist Shen, look there. That place is called Zilan Lake, and it's where the Zilan Fairy bathes."

"Next time when the time is right, I'll invite you to come and watch the Zilan Fairy's bath. It's a rare and beautiful sight."

Suddenly remembering that Shen Yi was from the Nanyang Sect, Liu Qingyun quickly added, "The Zilan Fairy isn't human. She's a water tribe member from Hongze. Now that she's fully grown, she's already a cultivator comparable to Bai Yujing."

"Mhm, thank you."

Shen Yi was indeed quite interested. If he could witness it with his own eyes, perhaps it would deepen his understanding of the Dragon Leaping Heaven's Concubine.

Just then, the treasure ship began to descend.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, we've arrived at Lingyun Cave."

Liu Qingyun straightened her clothes and nodded to Shen Yi before adopting a detached expression.

She stepped off the ship gracefully, took out a golden invitation with burning letters from her sleeve, and threw it towards the figure standing at the entrance of the cave, "I've brought a friend to visit."

Li Qingfeng watched as the invitation was thrown, and he felt that if it weren't for the two of them, the other party probably wouldn't have even bothered with those few words.

However, what left him even more stunned was the figure at the entrance—a deer demon over ten feet tall, wearing a Daoist robe, and exuding an aura that was no weaker than his own, "Are we...here to celebrate a demon's birthday?"

Shen Yi also remained silent for a moment, but he didn't say anything further.

Although he was skilled at killing demons, he wasn't reckless. Perhaps the way humans and demons interacted here was different from within the Nanyang Sect.

It was better to observe for now.

Just then, the deer demon hurriedly bent down to pick up the invitation. Hearing Li Qingfeng's muttering, its eyes narrowed slightly as it tried to conceal the malice within, but its face remained filled with delight.

It shouted in a loud voice, "The Upper Immortal of the Clear Moon Sect has arrived at Lingyun Cave. Quickly, come and greet her!"

As it spoke, the deer demon immediately knelt on the ground and performed a grand bowing ceremony.

With the deafening shout echoing through the picturesque stone abode adorned with various rare treasures, hurried footsteps could be heard from within, and a stream of bizarrely shaped figures rushed out.

Liu Qingyun maintained a neutral expression, her gaze forward as she nodded slightly, emitting a soft acknowledgment through her nose. "Hmm."

With that, she stepped into the Lingyun Cave abode.

As she fully entered, the large deer demon wore an expression as if it wanted to laugh but refrained, its gaze sweeping over the other demons. It then patted its robe with a flourish.

"It's all thanks to Brother Lingyun's connections. Not only did the Hongze water tribe come to the banquet, but you even invited an Upper Immortal from the Clear Moon Sect. It truly makes us envious."

The group of demons began flattering the deer demon, crowding around it as they followed it inside.

Li Qingfeng fiddled with his fingers nervously. Aside from the demon guarding the door, the rest were all powerful beings on the same level as his master.

In his eyes, the chattering group resembled a pack of man-eating monsters, making his scalp tingle.

"I suddenly regret coming here..."

Li Qingfeng straightened himself with effort, not wanting to embarrass Sect Master Shen.

How could it be that the Nanyang Sect only had one demon at the Returning Void Realm for so many years, yet here they were in groups?

Of course, his complaints were only internal.

He was also aware that if not for Executive Liu, these seemingly friendly demons would not be beings he could easily approach.

Even the "little deer" guarding the door could slap him to death with one palm.

As he thought this, the "little deer" had already made its way to the treasure ship, and although it seemed a bit awkward, it politely invited them, "Please, come this way, both of you."

According to custom, after Executive Liu entered, it would have to introduce the two Daoist friends to the Lingyun Upper Immortal.

It was clear that Li Qingfeng's earlier comment about the demons had displeased it, so it intentionally ignored them.

"You can leave the precious ship of your sect to the little ones to watch over."

"... "

Shen Yi nodded and stepped towards the cave.

He was not used to interacting with people, much less demons.

Li Qingfeng scurried after him, taking small steps to ensure he didn't stray from Sect Master Shen.

"Tsk."

The little deer demon had only extended its palm halfway when it saw the two of them stepping into the cave. Its expression froze, and it awkwardly retracted its hand.

What bumpkins, not knowing such basic etiquette.

The Executive of the Clear Moon Sect didn't need to follow such formalities, but these two, one at the early stage of Returning Void and the other at the middle stage of the Transformation Realm, dared to look down on it despite not wearing their sect's clothing.

As they stepped into the lavish stone abode.

Li Qingfeng didn't even have a chance to admire the surrounding exquisite coral decorations before he instinctively sensed that something was amiss.

He stealthily poked his head out from behind Shen Yi to take a look.

As expected, Liu Qingyun was seated in the place of honor, with Lingyun Upper Immortal smiling obsequiously beside her, making small talk.

Just from their expressions, one couldn't tell that they were actually cultivators of the same level.

However, the tension in the air came from another source.

There, on a particularly wide stone chair, sat a fat toad, clad in a dark green robe, its rough skin covered in large, pus-filled blisters.

It held a raw lamb leg in its hand, and with a slight curl of its tongue, it devoured the meat, skin and all.

Before it, on the stone table, were several cups, scattered haphazardly.

Clearly, someone had been offering it drinks earlier.

But now, only the cups remained, the offerers absent, their figures huddled awkwardly behind another table.

Li Qingfeng's gaze swept the scene, and he quickly understood the situation.

The toad was undoubtedly the Hongze water tribe member the demons had mentioned earlier.

Even in Liu Qingyun's words, the water tribe took precedence over the Southern Hong Seven Sages... but as the saying goes, a local official outweighs a central one.

Being local demons, they naturally gravitated towards currying favor with the Clear Moon Sect.

"... "

Shen Yi sat in a corner with Li Qingfeng, his expression calm as he remained silent.

Seeing the swarm of demon lifespans before him, he had no appetite to reach for the food, his mood far from pleasant.

Fortunately, no one paid them any mind.

At least that spared them some trouble.

To make a name for oneself in a new place, understanding the local dynamics was essential.

Shen Yi picked up his cup and silently observed his surroundings.

"Executive Liu has quite the drinking capacity!"

Amidst the clinking of cups, the Lingyun Upper Immortal smiled broadly as he offered a cup of wine to Liu Qingyun. Just as he stood up, he noticed the neglected toad and the pile of lamb bones before it.

It paused for a moment, and then its spine broke out in a cold sweat as it seemed to realize something.

It had thought that whether it was the Hongze water tribe or the Southern Hong Seven Sages, either group's presence would bolster its standing among its peers.

But now it wasn't sure if today was its lucky or unlucky day.

Both sides had shown up.

And its peers were all trying to curry favor with the Clear Moon Sect.

Oh dear... The Lingyun Upper Immortal wiped the sweat from his brow and suddenly remembered something. "Predecessor Bi Hai, Executive Liu, Little Xiu has invited you two here not only to celebrate the birthday but also because we've obtained a rare and exquisite brew that we'd like you to taste."

"Please follow me upstairs."

The Lingyun Upper Immortal bowed to the two of them and then led the way, stooping as he walked towards the stone stairs.

Liu Qingyun subtly signaled to Shen Yi with her eyes.

If the wine was indeed good, they would have to bring a gourd of it back for the sect master.

She stood up and followed the Upper Immortal upstairs.

As the two of them reached the second floor, the Upper Immortal lifted the beaded curtain to enter, but then he paused and looked down, noticing that the toad hadn't moved from its spot.

"Er... Predecessor Bi Hai..." It called out hesitantly.

"You all go ahead, I'm not interested."

Predecessor Bi Hai, the toad, licked the lamb meat again, too lazy to even lift its head. Its voice was hoarse, but one could discern that it was a female toad.

As she had said earlier, the Southern Hong Seven Sages didn't go looking for trouble, but they certainly didn't back down from it either.

Even the Hongze water tribe couldn't do anything to them.

Luckily, they had discussed this beforehand. Otherwise, if Sect Master Shen had come here wearing the white robes of the Nanyang Sect, news of his presence would have spread by now.

"What are you saying?" Lingyun sighed and led Liu Qingyun through the beaded curtain and into a stone passage that led to the storage room.

A moment later...

"Tsk." The toad finally let out a cold laugh and tossed the lamb leg onto the table. "It's always fatty spirit sheep. To use this to celebrate a birthday and even dare to invite me, aren't you afraid of losing face?"

At these words, the other four great demons exchanged awkward glances. "Well, we did send invitations to the Clear Moon Sect, and we can't really serve up mortal cultivators. Please be understanding, Predecessor Bi Hai."

They were all Lingyun's brothers, so naturally, they tried to smooth things over for him.

But unexpectedly, at these words, Li Qingfeng clenched his fists and glanced at Shen Yi, his eyes asking, "...?"

However, Shen Yi's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Li Qingfeng's slight movement caught the toad's attention, and it stared at his rosy lips and white teeth, smacking its lips. "Who is this?"

Hearing the toad's question, the four great demons hesitated and glanced at each other. "He seems to have come with Executive Liu, but he's not wearing sect clothing, so he's probably a loose cultivator."

Executive Liu? The toad glanced at Shen Yi, sensed his Returning Void Realm cultivation, and then shifted its gaze away indifferently. It pointed a claw at Li Qingfeng. "Bring him over here."

"This..."

If it were any other time, the four great demons wouldn't have cared about two loose cultivators.

But now, since Executive Liu had brought them, even if they weren't sect disciples, there was still some connection there.

"Have you forgotten where we are?" The toad, Bi Hai, seemed to be taking this opportunity to vent its frustration, clearly displeased by their earlier actions of putting down their cups and turning to leave.

Its cold laughter sent shivers down the spines of the four demons.

South Hong... that was also Hongze.

They slowly stood up and walked over to the two loose cultivators. "Little friend, come and sit with Predecessor Bi Hai. You'll definitely get a reward."

At these words, Li Qingfeng's face turned red.

He didn't understand how the situation had suddenly turned like this.

What did they mean, sit with it? It was a toad!

But then he looked at the four great demons, all of whom were at the Returning Void Realm. Executive Liu wasn't here, and he couldn't cause trouble for Sect Master Shen.

His breath hitched as he stood up... Sitting was fine, as long as it didn't touch him.

"...?" Shen Yi gave Li Qingfeng a strange look.

Then, he suddenly reached out and pulled Li Qingfeng back.

Before Li Qingfeng could react, the bulky ox demon had already lost its patience. "Hey! What's it got to do with you?"

As it spoke, the ox demon reached out towards Li Qingfeng.

The other three demons also surrounded the two of them.

In that instant...

Shen Yi finally put down his wine cup. Just as the ox demon's thick arm reached out, he suddenly opened his palm and grabbed the demon's flesh.

With the enhancement of the Heaven-defying Phoenix Immortal Body, he didn't even need to use his Golden Flame.

The ox demon's bulky body staggered under the sudden, immense force and crashed onto the table with a loud bang!

Bang—

Shen Yi pressed the ox demon's head down onto the table with one hand, holding it there.

Even at this moment, he maintained his previous calm demeanor, his clothes not even ruffling.

As the ox demon struggled, the other three demons instinctively took a step back.

"...?" The toad, Bi Hai, paused and then stared coldly at Shen Yi.

It finally stood up from its stone seat, like a small mountain of flesh, and walked towards the two of them. With a wave of its hand, it pulled the ox demon off the table.

It sat on the stone table, looking down at the two of them, its hoarse voice echoing in the room. "What's the meaning of this? Do you want to trade places with him?"

With its Returning Void Realm cultivation...

Before Li Qingfeng could react, his entire face was licked by the toad's thick, red tongue.

The wet tongue left his face damp.

He gasped for breath, his eyes wide as he stared at the toad, whose eyes were filled with greed. "So sweet. Come with me to the Jade Sea Pool as my guest. When I'm in a good mood, I'll send someone to notify you to come and pick him up."

Li Qingfeng clenched his fists tightly, his other hand reaching for his waist.

Just then, Shen Yi grabbed him and pushed him towards the door.

Li Qingfeng stumbled and stood there, dazed for a moment, before realizing what Shen Yi was doing.

That's right... With the Clear Moon Sect here, these demons wouldn't dare do anything. They just needed to lie low for now until Executive Liu returned.

As expected of Sect Master Shen, he remained calm even in the face of so many demons, his mind sharp and clear.

"You think you can just walk out of here?" The toad, Bi Hai, didn't get up to chase them. Instead, it stared at them with a mocking smile.

"...?" Li Qingfeng stared at Shen Yi, confused, as he saw him walk to the cave entrance and stop.

Wasn't Sect Master trying to leave?

As Li Qingfeng watched, Shen Yi channeled his qi, gripped the two copper rings, and calmly closed the stone door.

Boom!

He had expected something different, but it was the same as always.

Since it was the same, he was used to it.

"...?" Shen Yi's lips curled up slightly, and he opened his robe.

He turned around slowly to face the stunned demons.

In the next moment, a spiritual light flashed from his brow, transforming into a black-backed, yellow dog with a sinister smile on its face as it strode towards the demons.

At the same time, golden flames erupted from Shen Yi's body, forming flowing golden wings.

After drinking for so long, it was time to eat.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end