Chapter 434: The First Meal After Leaving Nanyang Zong
Chapter 434: The First Meal After Leaving Nanyang Zong
As the stone mansion's large door closed, the light inside dimmed slightly.
The flames of several jade candlesticks flickered, casting an uncertain light and shadow on Shen Yi's fair and handsome face, leaving the demons around him bewildered.
What was this unaffiliated cultivator up to?
The Giant Sea Toad, perched on the table, directed its gaze at the black-backed, large yellow dog that had suddenly appeared. Though its fur seemed lifelike and its eyes shone with intelligence, upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was not a living creature. Its flesh seemed stone-like, as if it were a puppet crafted through some mysterious means.
"Is it this stone puppet that gives you your courage?" The Giant Sea Toad let out another cold laugh. Here in Hongze, there were countless cultivators with all sorts of strange and wonderful abilities. But in the end, the aquatic demons reigned supreme. In the face of true strength, any clever tricks were insignificant.
However, it was somewhat surprised that this unaffiliated cultivator dared to turn against the aquatic demons.
"I'll give you one last chance." The Giant Sea Toad glanced at the beaded curtain on the second floor. To be honest, this was Nan Hongqi's territory, and it didn't intend to make a big deal out of this. It just wanted to teach someone a lesson.
That was why it had bypassed Shen Yi, who was in the Returning Void realm, and chosen the most junior and tender boy instead. But this didn't mean that it truly feared a mere executor of Qingyue Zong.
"Hand over that boy to me, and I will let this go." The Giant Sea Toad stood up, its massive form resembling a small mountain as it took a wobbly step forward.
It was being merciful by giving this young man a way out.
"Otherwise..." It turned its gaze to Shen Yi. Before it could finish speaking, several demons, including the old ox that had just climbed to its feet, hesitated for a moment before surrounding Shen Yi.
If it had been Liu Qianyun, they definitely wouldn't have dared to get involved in a matter concerning Hongze's aquatic demons and Qingyue Zong. But this was merely an unaffiliated cultivator. To put it bluntly, if the Giant Sea Toad truly lost its temper and didn't care about repercussions, even if it demanded the person from Liu Qianyun in person, it wouldn't be considered a major incident.
The Giant Sea Toad didn't finish its threat; it merely stuck out its scarlet tongue and licked its lips. But its bulging eyes were already filled with deep coldness.
"..." Under the gaze of several pairs of eyes, Shen Yi stood there calmly, as if he hadn't heard a word. He merely lifted his sleeves slightly.
This action caused confusion on the faces of the demons. Was this youngster unable to understand human speech? Why wasn't he taking the opportunity to back down now that it had been offered to him?
Could it be that after just entering the Returning Void realm and attaching himself to an executor of Qingyue Zong, he couldn't immediately discern who held the true power in Hongze?
Putting aside the rest, even if he were allowed to leave safely today, could Liu Qianyun really protect him for the rest of his life?
Just then, the eyes of the demons narrowed slightly. As the youth lifted his sleeve, the old dog, which had been baring its fangs in a sinister grin, suddenly leaped up. Its body transformed into a black shadow as it pounced silently toward the Giant Sea Toad.
This ordinary-looking mongrel, even if considered a demon, caused the others to feel ashamed. Even within their demon sects, it would be good for guarding the kitchen at best.
However, the next moment...
The towering little mountain of flesh suddenly toppled over. This powerful demon, comparable to the third layer of the Returning Void realm, had, in just one exchange, been viciously knocked to the ground by the mongrel.
The seemingly skinny body of the dog flashed as it swung its paw.
A tearing sound rang out.
Caught off guard, the Giant Sea Toad's face was suddenly missing a large chunk of flesh.
It froze for a moment, then let out a sharp, piercing shriek, "Ah!"
In its rage, the toad unleashed all its power and struck at the old dog viciously, stomping on its head.
With just one palm strike, it intended to completely shatter this stone puppet!
Dong—
A dull, muffled sound reverberated within the stone mansion, like the sound of flesh striking iron.
The Giant Sea Toad's palm had struck the dog's head, but the dog remained unmoved, its body steady. Its dull yellow eyes were filled with scorn.
The thick power that surged from the toad's thick arms was reflected back at it, causing the bones beneath its flesh to creak as if they were about to shatter.
What kind of material was this stone puppet made of?!
It was shocked and finally realized that something was amiss.
Demons were different from cultivators; they didn't have as many intricate methods. It only took one exchange for them to roughly gauge the gap in strength between two parties.
This was definitely not the strength one would expect from the early Returning Void realm.
At the very least... it was comparable to a stone puppet demon of the fourth layer or higher!
As they watched the old dog lift its paw again, Shen Yi finally stepped forward. Earlier, from Liu Qianyun's mouth, he had learned about the correlation between the cultivators' realms and their status in Qingyue Zong, and he had guessed that this so-called twelve layers of Returning Void might not be as simple as he had imagined.
This was the reason why Shen Yi dared to unleash his dog with such confidence.
Even if the old dog's bloodline was lacking, its cultivation was far superior to that of the Giant Sea Toad.
Though he felt a bit itchy for a fight, Shen Yi had no intention of sparring with the toad. Back then, when he killed Zhang Laifu, who was also at the third layer of the Returning Void realm but old and frail, it was still a difficult victory even with the help of Nie Jun, Ye Wenxuan, and Tong Xinquan, as well as the large array they had set up in advance.
Not to mention the Hongze water demons, who were in much better shape and had a stronger bloodline than the old dog.
That was a battle he couldn't afford to get involved in yet.
Shen Yi's goal was clear.
He turned his attention to the remaining four demon beasts. Earlier, while drinking, he had taken the opportunity to observe them carefully, and they were all first-layer Returning Void great demons.
With this in mind, Shen Yi took a step forward, and in an instant, golden flames engulfed the entire Lingyun Cave.
Suddenly, a startled and angry shout came from the second floor.
"Stop!"
A tall Sika Deer demon with a frightened look on its face rushed out from behind the beaded curtain. It had just heard the commotion and rushed back from the stone passage to the storeroom without hesitation.
However, it was still too late, and the scene before it startled it.
Its esteemed guest, whom it had invited with great difficulty, now lay on the ground in a miserable state, struggling and covered in pus and blood.
This time, it was really going to cost its life! Even if it was just an ugly toad, inferior to the fish and dragon clans, it was still a member of the Hongze water demons!
"How dare you, brat!"
Lingyun Shangren was both shocked and angry, and he didn't bother to think about Shen Yi's background at all.
In this place, no background was more influential than that of the water demons.
"Stop your divine abilities at once and get out of my Lingyun Cave, or I'll take your dog life!"
Even in this situation, Lingyun Shangren remained rational and did not act rashly. For the sake of Liu Qianyun's face, he tried his best not to offend either party.
First, get him out, then deal with the rest later!
As for what happens afterward, that would be up to the water demons and Nan Hongqi to sort out slowly.
"..."
Dog life?
Hearing this, Zhang Laifu glanced at it silently.
"This..."
Liu Qianyun had rushed out almost at the same time as Lingyun Shangren, and it was clear that she was also in a hurry. However, compared to her imagination of Shen Yi being humiliated, the current scene left her stunned for a moment.
Just from the situation below,
it seemed as if Shen Yi had trapped this group of demon cultivators in the cave.
She wanted to ask what had happened, but she didn't know where to start.
"Liu Qianyun, aren't you going to control your man?!"
At this moment, Lingyun Shangren didn't care about anything else and abandoned his previous fawning attitude.
If he offended Nan Hongqi, he could still find another place to hide, but if he offended the water demons, there would be no place for him in Hongze.
"He's impetuous, don't you know that, Liu Qianyun?"
"..."
Liu Qianyun remained silent for a moment. If she remembered correctly, she had indeed instructed Shen Yi about these matters before leaving.
However, it was during this moment of hesitation.
Shen Yi seemed to have chosen his target, and his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot.
The rolling golden flames obscured everyone's vision, and the scorching temperature made everything in sight blurry.
Boom!
Accompanied by a deafening explosion,
a stout figure flew out from the golden flames. The old ox's features were twisted as it watched the black shadow leap out of the flames with flowing golden wings and land heavily on its chest.
Crack.
Under the boot, the old ox's chest caved in.
Shen Yi gave it no chance to resist at all.
Taking advantage of the formidable body of the Unending Phoenix True Form, he ruthlessly attacked, catching the old ox off guard.
He extended his right palm, and the Dao Palace shot out from between his brows.
Restricted by the size of the cave, the Unending Demon Emperor's Palace did not reveal its full splendor, but even a portion of it was enough to cover the entire stone mansion in a scarlet glow.
All Demons Bow, Break the False!
Shen Yi didn't know if the old ox had any life-saving tricks up its sleeve, so he struck with a killing move.
Pichi's blood thunder fell from the Dao Palace.
Enveloping the ox demon within.
At the same time, Shen Yi once again plunged into the blood thunder, his body surging with golden flames that gathered in his arms, his wide sleeves billowing wildly as he clenched his five fingers tightly.
Puchi—
With his fist as the blade and his body as the sword,
Shen Yi transformed into a golden, flowing light and instantly pierced through the old ox's body.
Leaving a terrifyingly large hole in its body.
He traversed the Ox Demon, treading on the Blood Thunder, and embedded the Demon Elixir into his finger. The plain cloth shirt on his body had already been drenched with blood. The blood on his pale skin was swiftly seared away by the golden flames.
"...!"
"Brother Ox!"
Lingyun Shangren's eyes widened in disbelief. He never expected that in just a moment's exchange of words, he would lose one of his closest brothers.
It panted heavily, and then it saw the old dog waving its claws, using its frail body to pin the toad to the ground, as if it intended to flay the toad alive with its claws and turn it into a pile of white bones.
Liu Qianyun, on the other hand, stared at the youth in black.
His handsome face was calm, yet it exuded a strong killing intent, as if a violent nature was engraved in his very bones.
What...what did this mean?
Had he changed from a white-robed cultivator to this?
The polite and modest demeanor he displayed at Qingyue Zong seemed to have completely vanished in an instant.
He seemed more like a butcher with blood-stained hands, and even Liu Qianyun felt a sense of unease looking at him.
How many lives must he have taken to condense such dense killing intent?
After all, he was the leader who emerged from the broken lineage of Qianyuan Land, and the one whom that group of people wholeheartedly acknowledged as their sect master. How could he possibly be a gentle and humble man?
"Are you just going to stand there?!'
Liu Qianyun heard Lingyun Shangren's roar in her ear. The Blossomhorn Deer suddenly tore off its disguise and bellowed, "Then I'll take care of it myself!"
She paused slightly.
Take care of what? Who takes care of whom? First of all, he's not even from Qingyue Zong, and even if we consider Nan Hongqi's group as one entity, in terms of status and seniority, he's the real sect master.
Liu Qianyun shook her head.
As the deer demon leaped downward, she waved her hand slightly, and a long sword appeared in her palm.
She channeled all the energy from her brow's Dao Palace into the sword's tip.
In an instant, the surroundings seemed to transform into an endless domain of swords, and everything was covered by sharp white light, with the incessant buzzing of swords filling the air.
When her hand fell.
The white light converged into a single point and landed on the deer demon's chest.
Puchi.
Lingyun Shangren was startled by the sudden piercing pain in his heart, and he fell from the second floor, staring incredulously at the sword protruding from his chest. He turned his head in astonishment to look at Liu Qianyun.
"Are...are you crazy?!"
With a dull thud, Lingyun Shangren fell to the ground inside the stone mansion, his mouth filled with blood as he asked, "Are you going to offend the Hongze water demons for the sake of a so-called fellow cultivator?"
It didn't understand.
Had this woman lost her mind?
Couldn't she distinguish between what was light and what was heavy? How could Qingyue Zong allow such a foolish person to become an executor and represent Nan Hongqi's group?
If all the disciples of the sect had such poor judgment...
The Nan Hongqi group would have perished long ago.
However, under Lingyun Shangren's gaze, Liu Qianyun's expression remained indifferent. She lowered her eyes to look at him, her red lips parting slightly as she spoke in a voice as sharp as a sword.
"A group of evil demons and petty thieves dare to offend the dignity of the Nanyang Zong Master."
"Their sins deserve death."
In the moment she took action, she, too, seemed to transform into a different person. Her voice was like an imperial decree, carrying an air of unquestionable authority.
She pressed down with her hand once more.
"Sever!"
According to Lingyun Shangren's strength, even if he was caught off guard by Liu Qianyun's sneak attack, he shouldn't have been completely unable to resist.
But when he heard the words "Nanyang Zong Master,"
His heart, which had been pierced by the sword, suddenly throbbed violently.
It was as if that title was something to be feared.
His entire body trembled involuntarily.
As everyone knew, the sect masters of the Nan Hongqi group were all Immortal Ascension cultivators. Even in Hongze, a place of water and land, they were terrifying beings akin to immortal gods.
They were far beyond the status of an executor or elder.
Even if Lingyun Shangren had a thousand or eight hundred guts, he wouldn't dare to look at them directly, let alone offend their dignity.
But where was the sect master?
Lingyun Shangren was so focused on the life-threatening crisis brought about by the sword that he subconsciously ignored it and began to search for the sect master in his surroundings.
Not just him.
Even the Giant Sea Toad was gritting its teeth and enduring the intense pain, turning its head in surprise to look.
At this moment.
Liu Qianyun's pressing hand paused slightly.
This was because she realized that the so-called sect master she mentioned had abandoned his original target and was suddenly attacking Lingyun, the deer demon.
Then, he grabbed the sword hilt and pulled it out.
How was she supposed to use her techniques now... Liu Qianyun stopped her incantation in confusion.
She didn't dare to hurt Shen Yi.
But what did this mean? Could it be that he had suddenly softened his heart?
(End of Chapter)
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