Chapter 446: Heading to the Treasure Flower Sect

Chapter 446: Heading to the Treasure Flower Sect

"Hmm."

Shen Yi strolled out of the Patriarch Hall, once again sensing the pill poison accumulated within his body.

In fact, every time he used his abilities, he could feel these things affecting him, but in the past, there were also a bunch of messy things inside his body, so he didn't pay too much attention to it.

He didn't expect it to be this serious.

He flipped through the newly added route map in his mind, and just looking at the long distance, the so-called Treasure Flower Sect was definitely not one of the Southern Hong Seven Sons.

It was an external sect.

In this situation, asking for help from the Qingyue Sect again seemed a bit inappropriate.

Shen Yi summoned Zhang Laifu, and now, it seemed that only this old dog remained as his assistance.

Both of them were only at the Fourth Layer of Returning Void in terms of combat strength, and the dog was of a particularly poor innate bloodline, only capable of fighting those below its realm.

Such strength was obviously inadequate within the entire Southern Hong region.

However, he still had to go out and take a look.

Shen Yi glanced back at his surroundings, at this Southern Yang treasure ground. If it weren't for the lack of options, he wouldn't want to give it up so easily.

The realm was secondary, after all, there were other treasure grounds in the world.

But within the treasure ground, there were too many people who had helped him in the past. If he were to put their lives in the hands of a stranger, especially with the Southern Yang Sect's previous experience as a cautionary tale.

Shen Yi felt slightly uneasy.

"..."

Calming his mind, he headed towards the direction where the Yu Clan resided.

After ten days of pill refining and breakthrough...

Li Qingfeng had already arranged for this group of new allies and, as instructed by Shen Yi, distributed the large number of moon beads.

These beads, which were useless to Returning Void cultivators, were like immortal pills to Qi Cultivation and Spirit Transformation cultivators.

After consuming a moon bead, it was as if they had taken a Mind Unshackling Pill without any side effects.

If one were to put it bluntly, relying solely on the cultivation base accumulated through moon beads might cause one's Dao Heart to be unstable, so truly powerful immortal sects usually didn't favor such things.

It was similar to the Spirit Transformation Pill; disciples with good aptitudes were not allowed to consume them.

Only by taking each step on the path could one be truly solid and reliable, and only then could one go further.

However, the cultivators of the Southern Yang Sect didn't have this concern.

Because they had endured conditions far more difficult than those faced by external cultivators.

"How is it? Are you getting used to it?"

Shen Yi walked to a lake, looking at the newly built row of houses. The Yu Clan members coming and going still had some uneasiness and tension on their faces, but they couldn't hide the joy in their eyes.

Yu Zu had sensed the approaching aura and had come to greet him early. Hearing the question, she felt slightly embarrassed: "Reporting to the Sect Leader... What is there to get used to... You may not be aware, but for us outsiders, being able to live in a Harmony Dao Site is already a blessing worthy of offering incense to our ancestors."

She had realized that this Sect Leader Shen had no idea how generous his reward was.

To put it simply, when they were outside, even a mid-stage Returning Void cultivator could inflict heavy casualties on them.

But now, within the Southern Yang treasure ground, protected by the grand array, even those who had ascended to the White Jade Capital would find it difficult to affect them.

"Thank you, Sect Leader, for your great kindness. The Yu Clan will never forget this."

Yu Zu respectfully bowed: "You must have something to instruct us, and we will do our best."

"Nothing for now, just keeping my promise from last time."

Shen Yi shook his head and placed his palm on the old woman's shoulder.

"..."

Yu Zu had only recently met Shen Yi, and even though she was extremely grateful, she subconsciously wanted to avoid his touch.

But she immediately reacted and tried to stop her movement.

However, her face suddenly froze, and as the pale hand pressed down, she found herself unable to move at all.

Although she was injured, she was a solid cultivator at the Third Layer of Returning Void.

And what about the promise made last time?

Yu Zu suddenly remembered something and looked up in surprise.

The Sect Leader had promised to heal her after his breakthrough, and she had already prepared herself for enduring another thousand or even ten thousand years of suffering. But now, it had only been over ten days... Moreover, the Sect Leader had just broken through to the Dao Palace, could it be that he had also cultivated the spirit body technique related to golden fire?

"Hmm."

Shen Yi's Phoenix Immortal Body completely suppressed the old Golden Fire Sparrow in terms of both realm and bloodline.

In just over ten breaths, he forcibly extracted the remaining golden fire from Yu Zu's body.

He then absorbed it into his own Wutong Nesting Phoenix.

Yu Zu's flushed face instantly turned deathly pale, but her eyes were filled with joy, as the scorching pain that had tormented her for many days was finally eliminated.

After recuperating for a period, she would be able to return to her previous state.

When the joy in her eyes faded, and she looked at Shen Yi again, the reverence in her eyes intensified.

No wonder he could be a sect leader at the Early Return to Void stage.

Such talent was truly terrifying.

More importantly, it seemed that he truly treated the Yu Clan as ordinary cultivators, and even now, he showed no other intentions.

"Alright, stay here for now. If there's anything, find that person from before."

Shen Yi digested the golden fire, and a glint of spirit light flashed in his eyes.

There shouldn't be anything else to do.

He then took out the Dao Token and opened the grand array, swiftly leaving the Southern Yang Sect.

...

Qingyue Sect, Bamboo Pavilion.

Liu Shiqian sat calmly in a chair, his gaze resting on the Dao Token on the table, his expression somewhat complex.

The voice of Elder Yang from the Outer Gate echoed from the Dao Token: "Absolutely true! Unquestionable! Even Senior Xuanqing offered a purple aura in celebration. It's terrifying. How long has he been out? It's impossible for him to have come into contact with too many external cultivations. In other words, this Sect Leader Shen must have self-taught himself within the Primordial Chaos Realm and started learning to contemplate the Dao Pillar!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shiqian reached out and took the Dao Token: "Let's go back and talk slowly."

What surprised him was that Yang Jingxiang remained silent for a moment, then spoke with a hint of grievance: "Elder, I can't come back. I asked them, and Shen Yi has already left the Southern Yang Sect... Only he can control the array."

"The junior and another person have been imprisoned in the Southern Yang Sect by him!"

"..."

Liu Shiqian supported his forehead in slight astonishment. What did this mean?

No, he had lent him to the Southern Yang treasure ground to give lectures, and now he wasn't coming back?

After a moment, he shook his head and said, "Forget it, don't inform others about this matter for now. I have my own plans... As for you, just stay in Nanyang for a while."

As he spoke, Liu Shiqian put away his Dao token.

He then slowly leaned back into the chair.

It was a series of unexpected twists and turns.

Even he hadn't anticipated that this troublesome matter would have so many variables.

Among many outstanding qualities, Shen Yi once again demonstrated the most crucial factor—talent.

The Heavenly Palace itself wasn't much to speak of in terms of strength.

Even if one reached the peak, they couldn't surpass the middle stage of Returning to Void.

However, the implications of this were entirely different.

This matter had become so serious that it might cause the hearts and minds of the White Jade Capital cultivators to waver.

Even if they disregarded their reputation and took advantage of the fact that Shen Yi's position as the sect leader wasn't yet fully established, it wasn't impossible for them to do something to him ahead of time.

"Sigh."

Liu Shiqian wasn't sure how long he could suppress this matter.

But he didn't want this news to spread from him.

As for the rest, he could only leave it to fate.

...

In the land of Southern Hongze, the ocean covered seventy percent, with only three percent of the land remaining.

A group of cultivators sat cross-legged on a boat, sailing across the azure sea.

Although they possessed the ability to levitate, they had to travel by boat, as not every wandering cultivator had the privilege to use teleportation techniques in the territories of the Aquatic Tribes.

This was the rule of Hongze.

At the bow of the boat, an old man and a young boy curiously gazed towards a distant reef.

On top of the reef, a young cultivator with a handsome face was meditating, accompanied by an ordinary-looking old dog.

"Grandpa Zhang, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

The young boy withdrew his gaze.

"Young Master Liu, this senior seems to be traveling the same path as us," the old man called Grandpa Zhang replied politely.

"Then let's invite him onto the boat and give him a ride," said the young man with the surname Liu without waiting for the old man to respond. He waved directly at the cultivator on the reef, "Senior! Over here!"

"Hey—"

Grandpa Zhang was startled for a moment, and before he could stop him, he realized that the reckless young master had already caught the attention of the cultivator.

The black-robed cultivator stopped his movements, slowly opening his eyes and calmly scanning the boat.

It was just a glance.

Grandpa Zhang tensed up. As a long-time servant of the Immortal Sect, he was keenly aware of the killing intent, even though the young cultivator didn't seem unusual and even carried a faint air of immortality. But the calmness in his eyes inexplicably made people feel uneasy.

This was the old man's sharp perception of killing intent.

This person was definitely not a good person.

"..."

Grandpa Zhang didn't dare to sail the boat away directly, as that would confirm the young master's provocation.

Today, there was a high chance of bloodshed.

He could only slowly sail the boat closer and cupped his hands, saying, "Please forgive my intrusion, senior. I saw you traveling with great effort, so I wanted to ask if you needed anything. I have some extra supplies on my boat."

This was the first time someone had proactively greeted Shen Yi during his journey.

He pondered for a moment and replied with a bow, "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need anything. I'd like to ask for directions. May I ask how to get to the Treasure Flower Sect?"

Shen Yi wasn't sure how many years it had been since Li Xuanqing had last left the sect.

In any case, the route map he provided was so vague that it was almost useless.

As a result, Shen Yi began to doubt whether the Treasure Flower Sect even existed.

"Senior, you're too kind."

Grandpa Zhang was clearly startled. Those who could levitate over water were Returning to Void cultivators, and this senior was even returning the courtesy.

Of course, what surprised him the most wasn't this, but rather the Treasure Flower Sect mentioned by the senior.

As a cultivator who frequently traveled outside, Grandpa Zhang immediately became vigilant. He forced himself not to look at Young Master Liu beside him and started thinking of a way to escape.

How could things be so coincidental?

"Senior, are you also going to the Treasure Flower Sect?" Liu Jun suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Then we're going the same way! I'm heading back to my sect. Please come aboard, senior, and we can look out for each other along the way."

"..."

Grandpa Zhang pulled the young man back.

His face turned bitter.

It was over; now, things were completely unclear.

"This..."

Shen Yi hesitated for a moment. During this journey, he had also noticed this boat, and even if he used Dragon Leap Heavenly Virgin with all his strength, he couldn't create much distance between them.

Moreover, he didn't even know the way.

"Sigh."

Grandpa Zhang sighed inwardly but forced a smile on his face. He reached out and invited, "Senior, please don't be polite. Come aboard quickly."

Although he felt that Shen Yi didn't seem like a good person, sailing away now would be asking for trouble.

If the senior wanted to make a move, he already had a good enough excuse.

Moreover, he, a mere servant of the Immortal Sect, didn't dare to offend this Young Master Liu.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jun smiled and said, "Grandpa Zhang is indeed generous. As for the expenses for the senior to board the boat, I'll have my sister pay you when we reach the Treasure Flower Sect."

"That's not necessary."

Grandpa Zhang shook his head with a bitter smile, then pinched the incantation and steered the boat. He cautiously asked the young cultivator, "What should I call you, senior? Are you going to the Treasure Flower Sect for something urgent?"

"Just call me Shen Yi. This time, I'm going to ask to see the Treasure Flower Immortal."

Shen Yi slowly walked onto the boat and realized the intentions of the old boatman, but he indeed needed someone to guide him. At most, he would give more compensation later.

The name Treasure Flower Immortal might be the most useful thing on that route map.

"Ah?"

Even the carefree Liu Jun felt something was amiss and stammered, "My sister... she's the maid of the Treasure Flower Immortal."

In the region of Hongze.

The title of Immortal Maiden wasn't used lightly.

Only those with a powerful background, exceptional talent, and a breathtaking appearance could earn this title.

A typical example was the Purple Orchid Immortal.

She was a white dragon of the Aquatic Tribes, and everything about her, from her dragon horns to her scales, was of the highest quality.

In comparison, the Treasure Flower Immortal was inferior in terms of fame, background, and strength, but she was younger and had great potential.

"Senior Shen, please feel free to find a place to rest."

At this moment, Grandpa Zhang resigned himself to his fate. In just a few sentences, Young Master Liu had revealed everything.

As a servant, he could only accept his bad luck.

With this in mind, he urged the Treasure Boat to move again.

However, before they could completely leave Shi Qiao behind...

Laughter echoed all around.

"I've seen many cargo escorts, but this is the first time I've seen one stop and wait to pay tribute to us."

As the words fell, two figures clad in fish-scaled armor and wielding long spears suddenly emerged from the churning river waves, revealing themselves as two fish demons.

Upon seeing the nearly identical armor on the two demons, Mr. Zhang's heart tightened. Then, with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, he wiped away the bitterness from his face, transforming it into a sycophantic smile.

Wearing the Dragon Palace fish-scaled armor, they were not some scattered wild demons of the self-proclaimed aquatic tribes.

These were the genuine Hongze aquatic tribe!

"Do you understand the rules?" The two fish demons spoke little, merely glancing at the treasure ship.

"Junior understands!"

Mr. Zhang instantly retreated, discreetly giving a knowing look to all the tense cultivators on the ship.

Then, he quickly ran into the cabin, pretending to casually retrieve something from the pile of identical storage artifacts, and took out the one he had prepared in advance.

"There are nineteen people on the ship, all Spirit Transformation cultivators... Only one is a Reverting Void Realm senior."

Mr. Zhang smiled and handed over the storage bag, then quickly took out two pill bottles from his own bag and made up for Shen Yi's extra share, "Grandpas of the Dragon Palace, you've worked hard. Here is twice the amount, and the extra is my tribute."

"Tsk."

The two fish demons exchanged a glance, reached out to take the bag and looked inside, but said nothing.

"Farewell, farewell."

Mr. Zhang repeatedly bowed, not daring to look back, and hurriedly turned the ship away.

Shen Yi quietly watched this scene, not interrupting, "... "

He suddenly felt a bit more familiar with this unfamiliar world.

Just listening to Liu Qianyun wasn't enough; only by staying far away from the Southern Hong Seven Sons could he truly understand the rules here.

When facing the aquatic tribe, that Mr. Zhang didn't even dare to mention the name of the Treasure Flower Sect.

"Heh."

Liu Jun patted his chest as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster.

Turning to Shen Yi beside him, he muttered, "Fortunately, Mr. Zhang is experienced and prepared enough tribute. If we offended these grandpas, no one would have a good outcome."

A moment later, he didn't get a response from Shen Yi.

Curious, he turned to look.

The black-robed senior's expression remained unchanged, but his pitch-black eyes became increasingly sharp.

Shen Yi didn't want to meddle in other people's business.

He currently lacked the strength to break the rules.

It just seemed that someone was unwilling to let him leave.

Just as the other cultivators were heaving a sigh of relief, Mr. Zhang felt like he had a thorn in his back, wishing he could push the treasure ship to its limits.

"It won't exceed the second layer of Returning Void."

The slightly fatter fish demon retracted his gaze from Shen Yi, weighed the storage artifact in his hand, and a sneer slowly spread across his chubby fish face, "That old man seems to think we're fools."

"The things inside and the scent I smell are not the same."

The thinner fish demon glanced sideways, "Taking tribute is not the same as highway robbery."

Upon hearing this, the fat fish demon burst into an exaggerated laugh, his voice sinister, "Who would know?"

In an instant, the fish-scaled armor on the two demons glowed brilliantly!

The long spears in their hands transformed into streams of light, whipping up waves tens of zhang high, and ferociously slammed into the treasure ship that was fleeing into the distance!

Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from behind, the numerous cultivators on the ship could only turn back in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief. After receiving the tribute, they still wanted to silence them?!

"Two demon grandpas! This is what the Treasure Flower Sect wants! Please spare us!"

Mr. Zhang immediately activated the grand array, but the two fish demons were both powerful cultivators at the second layer of Returning Void. In the face of the two long spears shooting towards them, the massive treasure ship seemed like a leaf boat in the waves, about to capsize in an instant.

"Treasure Flower Sect?"

The two demons laughed in unison, then stepped forward, their eyes fixed on the black-robed figure.

This kid might be the only tricky existence.

Liu Jun instinctively hugged his head, wanting to hide behind the senior beside him, but he suddenly found himself with nowhere to hide.

Under the gaze of the two fish demons, Shen Yi stood at the stern and raised his palm.

The shooting long spear flew into his palm at just the right moment, and the vast aura that churned the ocean seemed to disappear into the sea, vanishing instantly.

After the Obscure Tail Spear shattered, Shen Yi had not used any weapons for a long time and was a bit rusty.

Casually, he thrust the long spear forward.

The two spear shafts collided, then instantly shattered into several pieces.

Shen Yi waved his sleeves indifferently, stirring up waves of golden flames.

Several broken spear shafts exploded back like fiery rain, each carrying a sharp phoenix cry!

In an instant, the youth, who had been motionless a second ago, burst forth with an aura that directly made the two fish demons' faces change.

They turned to try and dodge.

However, with the support of the perfected Heavenly Phoenix Immortal Body, their movements seemed to slow down several times in front of the broken spear shaft.

Pfft! Pfft!

The spear shafts, carrying raging flames, pierced the two demons' bodies!

The seemingly brilliant fish-scaled armor couldn't even withstand a breath, and it shattered completely.

Blood splattered everywhere, and before the blood could fall into the ocean, staining it red.

Shen Yi waved his hand again, and spiritual pressure swept through, rolling back the two corpses along with all the blood, which fell into the finger ring.

Shen Yi touched the finger ring, took it off, and put it into his sleeve.

Only then did he turn to look at the crowd of people who had collapsed on the ground and the old man who had opened his mouth and was staring blankly at him.

"Alright, let's go."

Killing aquatic demons in this place was too risky.

Even Shen Yi didn't want to stay any longer.

Hearing this calm voice, Mr. Zhang suddenly snapped out of his stiffness, swallowed his saliva, took out a pill and put it in his mouth, widened his eyes, and desperately infused his aura into the treasure ship.

With everyone on board, they instantly moved far away from the place.

His saliva overflowed as he chewed the pill, and his face couldn't help but tremble.

Sure enough... his judgment was correct.

The expression Senior Shen showed when he opened his eyes earlier was the most genuine.

Definitely not a good person!

It's just that the killing intent wasn't directed at them.

Otherwise, where would they have had the chance to bring the treasure ship over.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end