Chapter 465: Cloudstream Ascendant, Nanyang's Reappearance

Chapter 465: Cloudstream Ascendant, Nanyang's Reappearance

In the vast expanse of water and land, far from the Puppet Sect.

A flash of white light appeared.

A pitiful figure emerged, covered in blood and injuries, making it difficult to discern their original appearance.

The oil lamp seemed to be on the verge of extinguishing.

If not for the Eight Trigrams Disk at his heart, sustaining his life force, he would have likely perished.

The air around them trembled.

Someone had used a teleportation technique to pursue them, and it was none other than Wei Yuanling, who had been observing from the shadows earlier.

She reached out to support Li Yu, and upon seeing his pitiful state, her pale face filled with rage, "I never intended to take his life! Yet, he treated you this way, clearly aware of your identity, and still resorted to such viciousness!"

Wei Yuanling couldn't understand why, if they were playing for real, Li Yu could have easily hidden among the demons and suddenly emerged to strike. From the moment he revealed himself to being smashed down from North Goose Mountain, there were at least three opportunities to launch a surprise attack.

Whether it was the warning before striking or the polite request for guidance afterward, it was as if they were just short of saying it was all a joke.

"If you want to play for real, so be it! At worst, I'll compensate him with a life after I deal with him!"

It was Wei Yuanling's playful nature that had transformed Li Yu into the likeness of a pig demon.

And now, he had ended up in this sorry state.

How could she possibly stand by and do nothing?

As Wei Yuanling's emotions surged, a powerful aura, far surpassing Li Yu's, stirred in the surroundings, causing even the boundless ocean to roar.

An Immortal Sect prodigy at the Eighth Level of Returning to Emptiness was a formidable and fearsome existence in this water and land.

Even the Dragon Palace demon soldiers lurking below couldn't help but stay hidden underwater, quietly glancing outward.

"..."

At that moment, Li Yu struggled to extend his limp arm, trembling as he opened his five fingers and grasped Wei Yuanling's wrist. His feeble voice quivered, "Senior Sister, I want to return to the sect."

After saying this, he fell silent again.

His eyes, dyed red by blood, stared blankly at the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

"You..."

Wei Yuanling felt the viscous blood on her wrist and remained silent for a long while before finally exhaling, "This time, I'll listen to you."

The youth's strength had far exceeded her expectations.

Only now did Wei Yuanling understand why Senior Xuanqing had suddenly stepped forward and called for the assembly of the six allied sects.

A cultivator who had emerged from the hidden abyss possessed strength surpassing that of Li Yu.

Although it was a narrow victory, the two had grown up hearing different teachings, consuming different precious elixirs, and receiving vastly different treatments.

Especially when it came to the Three Levels of the Heavenly Palace.

Setting aside their differences, even Wei Yuanling had to admit that, up until now, the opponent was indeed stronger than her brother, who had ascended to the White Jade Capital.

It was hard not to acknowledge the terror of such an opponent.

Looking at Li Yu's silent demeanor, Wei Yuanling sighed lightly, summoned Auspicious Clouds, and swiftly carried him toward the direction of Lingyun Sect.

As a direct disciple of an elder, Li Yu's severe injuries, including damage to his protective Eight Trigrams Disk, would be difficult to conceal from the sect.

After an unknown period, Wei Yuanling finally arrived with Li Yu within the inner hall of Lingyun Sect, concealed by a light curtain.

Instinctively, she performed a concealment technique, intending to bring him back to her residence for treatment.

With her cultivation and skills, it was easy to hide from others.

However, just after taking less than twenty breaths outside.

Wei Yuanling's face suddenly changed, and her entire body seemed to freeze in place. She tried to move her fingers, but even that was beyond her control.

In that instant, Li Yu, whom she was supporting, also disappeared from her grasp.

A tall figure silently appeared before her, clad in a golden-threaded Lingyun Sect robe, his black hair neatly tied with a green jade hair ornament, exuding an air of meticulousness.

Only his temples showed signs of aging.

He stood with his back to Wei Yuanling, gazing down at Li Yu in his arms, "Where did you go?"

The man's voice was steady, and despite his youthful appearance, he was addressing the person behind him.

As his words fell, the restraint on Wei Yuanling's body was lifted, and she adjusted her breathing with lingering fear, casting a reverent gaze at the figure's back, "Reporting to Brother... I... Earlier, an executive informed me about the Puppet Sect and Nanyang Sect. Feeling uneasy, I took Li Yu with me and left the sect, intending to deliver materials for repairing spirit puppets on behalf of the Nanyang Sect..."

At this point, Wei Yuanling hesitated, "Since the Puppet Sect no longer falls under our Lingyun Sect's jurisdiction, I wanted to hint that they should establish themselves as an independent sect and embarrass the Nanyang Sect."

Hearing her honest confession,

The man finally turned to face Wei Yuanling, glancing at her casually, "Continue."

"Later, a cultivator named Shen Yi appeared and intimidated the three families. Seeing his formidable strength, I wanted Li Yu to pretend to be a demon and provoke him, making him lose face in front of his vassals... But I truly never intended to harm him!"

Wei Yuanling's emotions suddenly stirred, "I've never encountered someone as ruthless as him. Even when Li Yu summoned his Dao Palace and asked for guidance, he still tried to kill him! A cultivator with such a heart is no different from a demonic sect, how can he gain the respect of others?"

"Silence."

The man was none other than Wei Yuanling's elder brother, known as Cloudstream Ascendant, a direct disciple of the sect leader who had ascended to the White Jade Capital, Wei Yuanzhou.

With a single calm sentence, he silenced Wei Yuanling's aggrieved voice.

He turned his gaze back to Li Yu's face, "What do you think? Do you want to seek revenge for this severe injury?"

"I..."

Li Yu's body trembled, staring at those calm eyes, and after a long silence, he said, "I admit my mistake, Senior Brother Wei."

"You rarely leave the sect, and you've been seriously injured. What fault is there?" Wei Yuanzhou's expression remained as calm as a still well.

Hearing these words, Li Yu felt his pain ease significantly.

Shen Yi's words echoed in his ears once more.

Embarrassed, Li Yu closed his eyes and said, "I was toying with others' lives and the inheritance of our sect's treasure land. I deserve to die a thousand times over."

"..."

Finally, a hint of a smile appeared on Wei Yuanzhou's lips, but it quickly faded, "Focus on recovering. I'll speak to your master and ask him not to act rashly. Let's end this matter here, okay?"

"I'll leave it all to Senior Brother Wei," Li Yu nodded.

As the two of them talked, Wei Yuanling felt somewhat neglected, not knowing what to do.

Just then, she heard her brother's gentle voice calling her over with a wave, "Come here."

"Er..."

Wei Yuanling's face lit up with surprise, and she quickly walked over.

But just as she reached her brother, she saw that he hadn't lowered his hand, and a fierce aura suddenly gathered in his palm. As she watched in shock, he slapped her!

Slap—

Wei Yuanling flew backward like a torn sack, her face turning deathly pale, filled with disbelief.

Five thin chains, like coiling dragons, covered her face with a clinking sound, sealing her forehead.

"You dare to use the Dao Palace?"

Wei Yuanzhou glanced at her indifferently and, before she could land, flipped his palm and pressed down.

Suddenly, countless white clouds gathered in the sky.

They transformed into a nine-story pagoda, trapping Wei Yuanling inside with a boom, then shrinking to the size of a palm. The chains on Wei Yuanling's forehead extended again, binding her limbs tightly as she hung in the pagoda.

Wei Yuanzhou waved his sleeves again, throwing the White Cloud Pagoda directly towards the back mountain, "When Sect Leader Shen pardons you, you can come out. Until then, don't even think about cultivating, as it's just a waste of heavenly treasures."

Hearing the commotion, Li Yu subconsciously opened his eyes and stared blankly at the back mountain.

Instinctively, he said, "Sect Leader Shen... wouldn't issue a pardon."

Given the other party's decisive and ruthless character, if they met again and Li Yu had sufficient strength, he even believed that Sect Leader Shen would strike again. How could such a person possibly forgive Senior Sister Wei?

"..."

Wei Yuanzhou paid no attention and instead took out a letter, carefully writing with his fingertips. After finishing, he placed it in Li Yu's hand, "Please deliver this letter to your master."

This group from White Jade Capital had already been wavering in their thoughts, and now they had given their opponent an excuse.

They needed to be taught a lesson.

After speaking, Wei Yuanzhou summoned a cloud and sent Li Yu back to the Elder's cave abode.

He then strode towards the Ancestor Hall.

Inside the quiet hall, only the smoke of incense filled the air.

He bowed before the tall statue of the ancestor, lifted his robe, and knelt on the meditation cushion, "Greetings, Master. Yuanzhou will seek a pardon letter from Sect Leader Shen on behalf of my younger sister."

"Is that necessary?"

The ancestor statue slowly opened its eyes, "Even if she hadn't taken action, other elders and direct disciples would have found it hard to resist. And they certainly wouldn't have played around like this."

Clearly, the sect leader was well aware of the thoughts of those below.

But after achieving Fusion Dao, he believed even more in following the will of heaven.

Dao Art was natural, and nature... meant non-interference.

Hearing this, Wei Yuanzhou slowly cupped his hands, "Rules are rules. Yuanling broke the rules today. As her brother, I can't bear to kill her, but I've already shown favoritism. If I don't compensate the Nanyang Sect, then tomorrow, others might come to take Yuanzhou's treasure land."

"If this continues, the Seven Sons will exist in name only."

"They'll fall into the hands of the Dragon Palace of the Water Race, it's just a matter of time."

Hearing these words, the ancestor statue fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "You don't want the Nanyang Treasure Land? Your master may live for many more years."

Wei Yuanzhou smiled and slowly stood up, cupping his hands, "Of course I want it, but I wouldn't stoop to such means to obtain it. Disciple takes his leave."

...

Outside the Puppet Sect, at North Goose Mountain.

The once vast and boundless forest had almost turned into a scorched land, with deep cracks resembling the claws of a ferocious beast.

The scarlet demon aura and surging golden flames had completely disappeared, leaving only the clear and empty sky.

Hundreds of cultivators from vassal forces gathered beneath the demon cave, whispering among themselves.

The previous scene had clearly shocked them.

That six-story-high Immortal Cloud Dao Palace.

It was obviously from one of the Southern Flood Seven Great Immortal Sects, Lingyun Sect.

Such strength, no matter where it was, would make one famous as a heaven-defying genius.

His actions could represent the intentions of the forces behind him.

It seemed to indirectly confirm that what Yang Lin had said about "provoking the allied sects" was true.

But the ruthless attack by the Nanyang Sect's immortal was clearly without restraint.

With just one punch, the cultivator disguised as a pig demon was nearly killed.

And until this moment... the matter seemed to have ended. After the pig demon fled, there was no further development, as if everyone was still fearing something.

The Nanyang Immortal Sect's Decline? Is this an action a fallen sect would dare to take?

Thinking of this, everyone gradually quieted down and gazed fearfully into the demon cave.

"..."

Shen Yi stood there, his upper body bare, as the Heavenly Phoenix within him continuously supplied vitality.

His nearly shattered spirit body finally regained its vigor.

The gifts of heaven and earth, when used on the spirit body art, were obviously a deviation. Instead, the White Pig Demon's use of it to empower his Dao Art was the most effective way to unleash the power of the Primordial Purple Qi.

With the Heavenly Eagle Seizes Buddha Technique, Shen Yi finally gained a glimpse of a true Heaven's Pride's strength.

In fact, if he added the Purple Qi gifted by Senior Xuanqing, he could barely be considered a one-layer Dao Palace.

The gap between Shen Yi and the Pig Demon was only between the fifth and sixth layers of Return to Void, and it wasn't even considered a watershed.

Yet, it left him severely injured.

Although the Heavenly Palace was powerful, its techniques and accumulation were far inferior.

For instance, the Eight Trigrams Disk the opponent used to escape at the end—Shen Yi had no countermeasure for it. He couldn't even catch up, let alone sense its aura.

All he relied on now was a simple spirit body art and the Heavenly Transformation Nine-Nine given by Xuanqing.

After returning to the sect, he would have to make up for his shortcomings in other areas.

Shen Yi adjusted his state and finally turned his gaze towards the small, frail figure wrapped in animal skin ahead.

It was also a Rhinoceros Demon, but in front of its two brothers, it looked like an infant—skin and bones, so weak that even breathing was difficult.

Its body wasn't pitch-black but had a bluish-gray hue.

"Tsk."

This familiar scene reminded Shen Yi of the Gold Sparrow Young Lord.

Both had bloodlines different from their clans.

They were both refugees seeking a place to hide in Southern Flood.

This was too much of a coincidence.

Shen Yi slowly stepped forward and, under the gaze of the bluish-gray Rhinoceros Demon, suddenly snapped its neck.

[Killing the Returning to Emptiness Beast Blood Rhino Demon, total lifespan of 174,000 years, remaining lifespan of 90,000 years, absorption complete]



[Remaining demonic lifespan: 938,000 years]



Excluding the three Rhinoceros Demons, among the remaining hundreds of demons, only four were at the Return to Void stage, and not more than ten at the Transformation stage. However, the small demons at the Cultivation stage were the ones with the most demonic lifespan.

Accumulating these, they eventually formed a terrifying number.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged.

He only condensed a Tranquilizing Stone.

As he expected, the blood and flesh of the three Rhinoceros Demons flowed into the stone, beginning to refine their bloodlines.

The stone's skin peeled off, turning from black to bluish-gray, then gradually fading to gray, and finally becoming a Rhinoceros Demon with skin like green jade.

At the same time, its aura began to surge! Shen Yi channeled the demonic lifespan, and one by one, the demon origins quickly merged into the remnant soul, beginning to reshape the Rhinoceros Demon's soul.

After seven, it finally took shape.

But it was clear that this weak demon soul couldn't control this Green Rhino statue, making it impossible to awaken.

After sixteen, the panel behind the Green Rhino Demon Soul showed an extra word, "Precious."

Shen Yi sent it into the stone.

But it was still not enough.

"What's going on?"

Shen Yi slowly furrowed his brows. These three Rhinoceros Demons were only at the sixth layer of Return to Void, and merging their blood and flesh would be difficult to cross the watershed. How could they possibly need so much demonic lifespan?

He slowed down, feeding one by one.

Until the twenty-third one seeped in.

The Green Rhino Demon Soul finally successfully surged into the Tranquilizing Stone.

And when the statue, like green jade, opened its eyes, a vast and awe-inspiring aura spread through Shen Yi's Heavenly Palace.

"..."

Shen Yi, unsure, summoned the Measurement Pillar Ruler and watched as the golden rays surged past the second-rank line, undiminished, until it reached a point just one-third away from the first-rank line.

According to previous experience,

This should be the position only reachable by eighth-layer Return to Void demons.

The accumulation of bloodlines allowed this Green Rhino statue to not only cross the watershed of the late phase of Return to Void but also climb to the next level?!

"Huff."

Shen Yi suppressed his mind. Although he couldn't gather six Dao Pillars for now, even if he only considered it as a helper, with such strength, it would be hard to find similar assistance in his current situation.

Moreover, the demon-sealing stone was absolutely loyal, the kind that would die without hesitation.

The harvest was quite good.

Shen Yi closed his eyes and slightly assessed his current strength.

At the fourth layer of Return to Void, with the gift from Senior Xuanqing, he held four strands of Primordial Purple Qi.

The Phoenix Immortal Body was complete, possessing strength comparable to the Return to Void stage.

The combination of the two was enough to forcefully cross the watershed of the late phase and reach the seventh layer.

Adding the Heavenly Transformation Nine-Nine spirit art, unless he encountered another Heaven's Pride, there should be no opponents at the seventh layer of Return to Void.

Now, they had a new powerful member.

Even without the Southern Flood Seven Sons, on this land and sea, self-preservation would be more than sufficient.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi took out a new black robe and put it on.

Only then did he stand up and leave the demon cave.

As the black-robed youth exited the cave, three elders of the Chen Family approached him.

First, they destroyed the demon cave, then they retreated from the Lingyun Immortal Sect's Heaven's Pride.

These two moves were enough to demonstrate the opponent's terrifying means and strength.

In Jing Jing Song's lead, the Qinghai Prefecture cultivators stepped forward and bowed respectfully towards Shen Yi above them.

They were the least complicated group, and their hearts and minds were in agreement.

With the Nanyang Immortal Sect's reappearance in the world, the lost cultivators of Qinghai Prefecture should naturally return to their rightful place.

"Choose ten cultivators around the mid-stage of Returning to Emptiness and temporarily transfer them to the Nanyang Sect to handle matters."

Shen Yi had a favorable impression of this old man.

He vaguely saw a shadow of Chen Qiankun in him.

Though not fearless or defiant, he knew when to be afraid. But when it was time to face death, he would never back down.

"If you're concerned about the safety of Qinghai Prefecture and its weak defenses, you can also send your disciples to the Nanyang Treasure Land first."

These simple words caused the faces of the cultivators below to change once again.

This was not a decision an ordinary executive could make.

From the tone of his voice, this young Immortal seemed to hold a high position within the Nanyang Sect.

"Your Excellency Jing Song, please receive the Imperial Edict!"

Jing Jing Song didn't hesitate for a moment. Having chosen to surrender, he was ready to fulfill his duties as a vassal.

He turned and quickly named nine people.

Most of them were at the fifth layer of Returning to Emptiness, and the remaining few at the fourth layer were those with the most stable auras.

As for the last one...

Jing Jing Song recalled how the pig demon had casually slapped him away earlier, and his face reddened. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, Jing Song actually has some strength, but he's just too powerful... Please allow Jing Song to also contribute a small effort for the Nanyang Immortal Sect."

Before he finished speaking, Shen Yi casually waved his hand, and ten Nanyang Executive Robes were already in the hands of the crowd.

These were the Nanyang Sect heirlooms that Li Qingfeng had painstakingly sorted out.

Shen Yi had brought the most of these robes with him.

"Ah?"

Seeing this, the selected cultivators from Qinghai Prefecture were all dazed, staring blankly at the smooth long robes in their hands. Their eyes fell on the Nanyang pattern, and for a moment, they were lost in thought.

They even forgot to ask about the monthly salary.

The cultivators instinctively knelt down with a thud, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your favor! We will do our best and not disappoint your trust."

Seeing their comical expressions, the others couldn't help but smile, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

They wished they could rush forward and ask Shen Yi to take a look at them.

The elders of the Puppet Sect were extremely annoyed at this moment, and they timidly raised their eyes, their eyes filled with expectation.

"Oh yes, and you too."

Shen Yi had just gained a few more free errand executives, and his mood was quite good.

In that thick book, there weren't many things related to demons, but if the Nanyang Sect ignored them, other forces might feel neglected.

Someone had to handle these matters.

"Please give the order, Your Excellency!"

The Puppet Sect cultivators also performed the walking bow.

"Don't be so polite, I just need to borrow some things from you."

When he stepped into the Puppet Sect, seeing the numerous spirit puppets, Shen Yi already had an idea.

Using these puppets for transportation would be more efficient than personally using the teleportation technique, even if it couldn't compare to the Qingyue Treasure Ship.

"Er..."

The Puppet Sect cultivators were startled for a moment. Suddenly, they remembered that they had been so caught up in the spectacle that they had forgotten the Immortal hadn't settled the matter with them yet.

At this moment, they dared not hesitate and quickly rose into the air, leading the way, "Your Excellency, please follow me. We dare not hide anything from you."

After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

Above the Puppet Sect, nearly twenty colossal spirit puppets appeared, blocking out the sky.

Unlike the lifelike puppets, these spirit puppets used for transportation maintained a bronze-like appearance, resembling majestic lions.

"Keep making them, and I'll come back for more if needed."

Shen Yi lightly nodded, leaving only one bronze lion puppet and storing the rest in his finger ring.

Then, he led the selected cultivators from Qinghai Prefecture and several Chen family elders, and they disappeared into the clouds atop the spirit puppet.

Until their auras completely vanished.

"Phew."

The Puppet Sect elders seemed to have lost their strength, sighing in relief. They forcefully suppressed the pain in their hearts and patted their chests to regulate their breathing.

It was fortunate that they only had to provide some items; their lives were still intact, and they felt blessed.

Just based on Yang Lin's rebellious words earlier, the entire Puppet Sect could have been plowed over thirty times.

Moreover, there was no doubt about the Nanyang Sect's strength.

To accomplish this task, the black-robed Immortal alone was more than enough.

This debt of life would likely take many years to repay.

"..."

The Zhao family had little presence throughout the entire event.

However, they had witnessed everything that happened today.

They glanced at each other quietly and wisely kept their mouths shut.

To be honest... if the Nanyang Sect had arrived a little later, they might have been swayed by Yang Lin's words. By then... their Zhao family wouldn't be able to pay the price like the Puppet Sect.

They thought of several other forces with whom they had good relations, and it seemed they had similar intentions.

The Zhao family members had already taken out jade slips, attempting to spread the news as quickly as possible before the Nanyang Sect killed them.

After disappearing for ten million years.

Today, they had returned, and they were still as awe-inspiring as the legends described.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end