Chapter 470: They're All Waiting, Do You Dare to Come? (4K8)

Chapter 470: They're All Waiting, Do You Dare to Come? (4K8)



"It seems not bad?"

Shen Yi released his palm, causing the strange gray-white armor to dissipate.

The surrounding grand array swiftly converged, once again settling over his heart.

He hadn't been very willing to delve deeper into array techniques.

After all, in most situations he faced, there was no one to buy him time so he could calmly set up a grand array.

Learning some rudimentary arrays to prepare for unforeseen circumstances was one thing, but these terrifying life-consuming spirit arrays seemed like a poor return on investment to Shen Yi.

But the situation was clearly different now.

This Ruins Immortal Armor array was inscribed on his body and could be activated at any time. What the former South Sun Sect Leader had given him was indeed the most suitable technique for close combat.

Moreover, after slightly sensing its effects, he felt that it was at least not weaker than the Heaven's Derivative Forty-Nine.

"Huuu."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing and looked at the remaining demon lifespan.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 427,000 years】

The biggest difference between the Ruins Immortal Armor array and the Heaven's Derivative Forty-Nine was that without the insight from Xuan Qing, the latter made no progress at all when manipulated solely by Shen Yi, and it almost caused the pile of demon residual thoughts to completely disperse and disappear.

But the Ruins Immortal Armor array... it was just slow.

There was progress, which meant it could be pushed further!

Before Shen Yi even started mobilizing the demon lifespan, he felt a wave of nausea.

If he remembered correctly, he had only cultivated this brain-intensive technique for a few tens of thousands of years at most in the past, such as the level of the Heart-Burning Palm of Leaving Fire. But when faced with a true Returning Void spirit technique, it felt like a small fry meeting a big bully.

He returned to the mountain peak once again.

Resuming his cross-legged sitting position.

The vast demon lifespan frantically poured into the spirit array.

【Year One: You once again attempt to delve into the more vast parts of this spirit array. The insights of your predecessors that once supported your cultivation are now of little use. You begin to recall the array diagrams you memorized for tens of thousands of years, trying to find patterns from those dull and monotonous years and make connections.】

As the demon lifespan flowed away.

The youth in the ink-black robe remained silent, his handsome features gradually becoming sinister.

Sweat poured down like rain, instantly soaking his entire body.

When his expression returned to calm, his clear eyes were quickly filled with bewilderment, and he looked a little foolish.

Having insufficient talent but forcibly cultivating a spirit technique was something that would be ridiculed in the Immortal Sect.

All beings in the world had their own paths, and forcibly treading on a path that didn't belong to them would only result in a shattering fall, and success was fundamentally impossible.

Unless... one possessed an amount of time far beyond that of ordinary people.

Day turned to night.

The panel had long since stopped its cultivation simulation.

Yet there was still no sparkle in Shen Yi's eyes, as if he had turned into a statue.

As his fingertips trembled slightly.

He stood up shakily, then collapsed powerlessly to the ground, retching violently as if he were about to vomit out his Nascent Soul's five viscera.

Even with various heavenly treasures, a Returning Void cultivator's lifespan wouldn't exceed 50,000 years.

To spend one's entire life researching a single technique was already considered a stubborn and rare occurrence.

A full 220,000 years of sitting in confusion, condensed into a short period of time.

It almost destroyed Shen Yi's sanity.

If not for the panel bearing ninety-nine percent of the pressure, only reflecting a minuscule amount back to him, he would likely have become an idiot by now.

【Returning Void (Spirit). Ruins Immortal Armor Array: Minor Achievement】

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 200,007 years】

Shen Yi wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, revealing a hand that trembled like sifted chaff, with black mist and golden threads emanating from his fingertips.

He panted heavily, and the corner of his mouth, which he had just wiped clean, was once again soiled with blood.

Fortunately, his hand finally stabilized.

There must not be the slightest mistake in this array diagram inscribed on his body.

As he began to draw the array on his heart, Shen Yi seemed to enter some kind of profound state. His fingertips were as steady as a rock, and the golden threads, guided by his spirit, were countless times more precise than before.

Without the slightest hesitation, it flowed smoothly like a rushing river.

Easy and effortless.

The brush stroke stopped, and the grand array was formed.

...

In the Ancestral Hall.

Li Qingfeng leaned nervously against a pillar, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The Sect Leader had gone off to cultivate somewhere, and the communication jade slips couldn't reach him.

The only person he could turn to was this Senior Xuan Qing.

The Chen family elder and the many executives of the Qinghai Mansion had brought the people of the Xiao Family Fortress back and resettled them in Da Qian.

He had originally come to report this to Li Qingfeng, but he hadn't expected that the young immortal would receive a letter from someone, after which he fell into this state.

"You... you all go out first."

Li Qingfeng tried to calm himself and waved his sleeve for everyone to leave.

"Uh." The group of South Sun Sect executives looked at each other. After all, they had just arrived and hadn't done much for the South Sun Sect yet, so it wasn't appropriate to ask too many questions. Hearing this, they all bowed respectfully and then quietly exited the hall.

"... "

Li Qingfeng let out a breath and walked over to Xuan Qing, "Can I trouble Senior to help me find the Sect Leader? I have an important matter to report."

"He should be cultivating."

Xuan Qing opened his eyes, recalling the spiritual energy fluctuations he had sensed earlier. It was clear that the Sect Leader had made new progress.

"If it's convenient, you can tell me first."

He might not be able to help much, but he could definitely give the other party some advice.

"It's not really a matter of convenience."

Li Qingfeng lowered his head and sat helplessly on the ground, taking out a secret letter from his sleeve.

There was no identity mark on the letter.

"The Chen family and the Qinghai Mansion had evacuated their disciples beforehand and suffered no losses. The Gui Sect has been annihilated, the floating island of the Shuiyue Merchant Guild has been demolished, and the guild leader, Wen Qiu Jin, received advance notice and led his followers to seek refuge with the Yan family."

"The Nanhong Seven are... waiting for news from Sect Master Shen."

As the saying goes, family matters are best kept within the family.

Li Qingfeng did not hold anything back. Currently, within the Nanyang treasure land, the only one who could lend a helping hand to Sect Master Shen was the senior in front of him.

He asked in confusion, "What do you mean by waiting for news from Sect Master Shen? Are they supposed to wait for his orders before daring to strike back at the Dragon Palace?"

Even though Li Qingfeng rarely left the treasure land, he knew from the executive of the Qingyue Sect who had come to deliver their message that Hongze was the territory of the Dragon Palace.

The reason for the Nanhong Seven's life-and-death alliance was to join forces to resist the Water Clan and secure a foothold in Nanhong.

"Because, most likely, it's not the Dragon Palace," Li Xuanqing said calmly, shaking his head. "They're just trying to scare you. Of course, the one who sent the message might be of low status and simply got scared, becoming a pawn in someone else's game."

"It's impossible for the Dragon Palace to give such an order. If they truly wanted to make a move against the Nanhong Seven, they would need more than just the South Dragon Palace. At least one more family would be involved, and in that case, they definitely wouldn't inform the Nanyang Sect."

Perhaps his words were a bit harsh, but they were the truth.

In the face of a life-or-death crisis, the current Nanyang Sect was of no use at all.

"So, it's not as serious as I thought?" Li Qingfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he then saw Senior Xuanqing shake his head again. "If we're just talking about Nanyang, it might be even more serious than you imagine. Even if it's not the Dragon Palace's intention, it's definitely one of the demons from the Dragon Palace."

The four forces mentioned in the letter were all recently contacted by Sect Master Shen.

If this matter couldn't be resolved, it was certain that the plan to reclaim the 182 families would fall through.

The mastermind behind this scheme must be a White Jade Capital cultivator.

The opponent didn't need to show up in person, nor did they need to seek help from demons. Simply revealing some information was enough to bring the Nanyang Sect to its knees.

Of course, there was one more option.

And that was to take up the offer left by the six great immortal sects after Shen Yi called on them.

The doors of the six sects were still open to Shen Yi.

Li Xuanqing paused for a moment, then took out a token and recounted the entire situation in detail. He added, "Go to the Yan family. Perhaps there's still room for negotiation."

The Yan family used to be one of Nanyang's vassals but was later taken over by the Qingyue Sect.

They were one of the top four forces among the 182 families and had a White Jade Capital cultivator in their ranks.

The next moment, Li Qingfeng looked up sharply.

He saw the sect's grand array open, and a figure riding a streak of dark light and wielding a mysterious sword suddenly flew out from the sect.

The people from the Chen family and the Qinghai Mansion, who had just left, gathered again, confused. "What's going on?"

"Isn't Sect Master Shen going out this time without needing anyone to help with miscellaneous tasks?"

Li Qingfeng looked at the people outside the hall with a complicated expression. He didn't know if he should inform them about this matter. As for the Chen family, let's not mention them for now. The Qinghai Mansion did send their disciples to the Nanyang Sect, but they hadn't arrived yet... Who knew if something would happen on the way?

After all, the Qinghai Mansion had sent almost all their capable cultivators to serve as executives in the Nanyang Sect.

...

Lingyun Sect.

Although the disciples within the sect didn't know what was going on, they could sense that the atmosphere had become strangely tense.

The outer sect elders and executives suddenly lost their smiles, and their faces turned serious.

The personal disciples who were occasionally seen were now back in their caves, not making any appearances. It seemed like they were waiting for something.

Finally, a figure clad in golden silk and white robes streaked across the sky.

Under the watchful eyes of his fellow sect members, the personal disciple of the sect leader left the sect.

"Brother Yuanzhou is making a move?"

The inner sect disciples were merely curious, but the personal disciples and elders sitting in their caves frowned slightly.

This matter definitely had nothing to do with the Lingyun Sect.

However, they would surely benefit from it.

At a time like this, when no one knew who was behind the scheme, Wei Yuanzhou had decided to step forward.

Whether he was helping or harming the Nanyang Sect, his actions were bold and risky.

He would surely offend many people.

This was not a rational move.

At the same time.

Within the Qingyue Sect, Liu Qianyun and the others were still there, but this time, the one surrounded by them was Yan Wencheng, who had a bitter expression on his face.

"Yan, what did your family say? Have they replied to your letter?" Liu Qianyun asked anxiously. It was clear that she was worried because even her father, who was an elder, couldn't do much in this situation.

It had been agreed that the Seven Sons would hold a meeting three months later.

But now, in less than a month, someone couldn't wait any longer.

"They replied," Yan Wencheng said, looking at the two women with a bitter smile. "Their response was vague and non-committal... At least it's better than the other three families. They temporarily rescued the people from the Shuiyue Merchant Alliance."

This time, they took action because Yan Wencheng had sent a letter to his family, informing them about Sect Master Shen.

"Let's go and see!" Zheng Qian gritted her teeth. Although she might not be able to help much, waiting anxiously in the sect was driving her crazy!

"Alright," Yan Wencheng nodded. "I also want to talk to my uncle in person."

Shen Yi stood on a dark light, his feet resting on the Xuan Sword, glancing at the Water Demon, Town Stone, beside him. "Who gave you this information?"

He wasn't afraid, but he needed to know who his opponent was.

"Reporting to my lord, we don't know. That jade slip quietly appeared before our lord, concealing its presence. Its cultivation is transcendent, far beyond our understanding. It knows of your grudge with the Longyu Palace and only informed us of your whereabouts."

The fish demon respectfully stood behind Shen Yi.

"... "

Shen Yi fell silent for a moment.

Compared to the previous minor skirmish with Lingyun Sect, these White Jade Capital cultivators were infinitely more ruthless, and their target was clear.

They didn't care about their own lives; they only wanted the Nanyang treasure land.

"Who will take revenge for you?"

Never mind, for now, let's focus on what's in front of us.

Shen Yi wasn't sure about the Yan family's stance, and his primary goal in coming out was to find the disciples of Qinghai Mansion.

"Aside from his biological daughter, the lord of Dragonfish Palace actually has an adopted son. However, due to his extraordinary talent, he was noticed by the South Dragon Palace at a very young age, and they sent people to take him away. The lord couldn't afford to offend them, so he never publicized this relationship."

"It's also because of the existence of this adopted son that the Dragonfish Palace was able to establish a connection with the Dragon Palace."

"He is a genius comparable to the direct disciples of an immortal sect. Although he comes from a lowly background, his fame is widespread. My lord should have also heard of him. He is the General Daohai of the South Dragon Palace, of the same age as the lord's daughter, but already a formidable demon comparable to the eighth layer of Returning Void."

"Huh."

Although Shen Yi hadn't heard of this name, if he remembered correctly, the red-skirted girl from last time was only at the second layer of Returning Void.

However... Wen Qiujin seemed to have mentioned that only someone at the peak of Returning Void could break the formation on the floating island.

Since the Shuiyue Merchant Guild has been destroyed, it doesn't seem like it was only the work of General Daohai.

...

The floating island where the Shuiyue Merchant Guild was located is now in tatters, drifting aimlessly on the vast ocean.

The once towering luxurious corner tower has completely disappeared without a trace.

At the edge of the endless ocean, countless figures stood, their gazes fixed on the floating island. Their clothing and appearances indicated that they belonged to different factions, and their cultivation levels varied greatly.

They stared intently at the floating island, their expressions grave.

The reason they dared to come this close was because of the extremely large formation in the distant horizon, enveloping hundreds of massive treasure ships within it.

On the foremost treasure ship...

Wen Qiujin stood still, his expression dazed and filled with disbelief.

The Shuiyue Merchant Guild had never held any grudges against the Water Clan, and they had never been stingy with their offerings. The first thing they did before sending out their cargo ships was to prepare gifts for the dragon palace soldiers and generals, using the names of the Nanhong Seven and the Dragon Palace to deter other water clans from attempting to rob their ships.

When he received the news from his spies that the Chen family, Qinghai Mansion, and the Gui Sect had all met with disaster, Wen Qiujin didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately fled the place with the cultivators of the Shuiyue Merchant Guild and sought refuge with the Yan family.

And now, he could only watch helplessly as his years of accumulation were destroyed in an instant.

"Elder Yan."

He turned his head and asked, "What are they doing here?"

"Don't ask, don't interfere. This matter is not something you should involve yourself in. As for worldly possessions, you should understand better than I do."

The one addressed as Elder Yan was an elderly man wearing a long robe.

All the cultivators present knew his name.

Yan Xingyuan, the head of the Yan family.

A cultivator who had reached the eleventh layer of Returning Void, standing at the pinnacle of power in the Nanhong region.

"... "

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiujin didn't ask any further questions about why they were still waiting here and what they were waiting for.

He quietly retreated.

Under the watchful eyes of countless cultivators, there were only two figures left on the floating island.

One was a young man wearing neat armor and a silver crown on his head.

He didn't carry any weapons, his hands were empty as he sat cross-legged in the air.

Behind him stood a black-backed Flood Dragon demon. Its lifespan was clearly nearing its end, as it stood with its arms folded, its eyes closed.

Neither of them released their aura, yet they oppressed the surrounding cultivators into silence.

General Daohai of the South Dragon Palace—his reputation was built on blood and slaughter, with no exaggeration or falsehood.

He was like a rabid mad dog, unafraid of anyone, using only his own power to climb up the ranks within the South Dragon Palace.

But today, he had come alone, without any soldiers or generals, and had single-handedly destroyed four factions.

As for the black-backed Flood Dragon behind him, its reputation was not as well-known, and its appearance was unfamiliar. However, this made it even more terrifying, indicating that it was one of the oldest and most elite veterans of the South Dragon Palace who had retired from the front lines long ago. The passage of time had caused cultivators to forget its infamous name.

The two dragon palace demons didn't move.

Yan Xingyuan also remained still.

They faced each other in a stalemate, as if waiting for someone's arrival.

Neither side knew if that person would dare to come.

"Look, who's that?"

In the clouds, Liu Qianyun and her companions rushed over, intending to approach Yan Xingyuan, but Zheng Qian suddenly pulled her back.

Their eyes widened as their hearts skipped a beat.

In a place where no one else had noticed, a figure in golden silk and white robes slowly appeared.

He didn't deliberately conceal his aura.

It was just that he stood so high that those below couldn't see him.

Like a celestial being, looking down upon the mortal realm.

Wei Yuanzhou, the master of Lingyun Sect, was also silently waiting.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end