Chapter 470: They're All Waiting, Will You Dare to Come?

Chapter 470: They're All Waiting, Will You Dare to Come?

"Not bad, it seems?"

Shen Yi released his palm, and the eerie grayish-white armor dissipated.

The grand formation around him quickly returned, re-forming at his heart.

He had never been keen on delving deep into formation arrays.

After all, in most of the situations he encountered, there was no one to help buy him time, allowing him to calmly set up the grand formation.

Learning some basic formation arrays for emergencies was fine, but for a spirit array that consumed terrifying amounts of demonic life span, Shen Yi felt it wasn't worth the effort.

However, the situation now was clearly different.

This Abyssal Immortal Armor Array was engraved on his body and could be activated at any time. The former Southern Yang Sect Master's choice was indeed the most suitable for close combat.

Moreover, after slightly sensing its effects, he felt that it was no weaker than the Heavenly Derivation Nine-Nine.

"Huff."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing and looked at the remaining demonic life span.

[Remaining Demonic Life Span: 427,000 years]



The biggest difference between the Abyssal Immortal Armor Array and the Heavenly Derivation Nine-Nine was that after breaking free from Xuanqing's enlightenment, the latter made no progress at all when Shen Yi tried to deduce it on his own, and he almost forced the pile of demonic remnants to scatter and disappear.

But the Abyssal Immortal Armor Array... it was just slow.

There was progress, which meant it could be deduced!

Before Shen Yi even started to mobilize the demonic life span, he felt a wave of nausea.

If he remembered correctly, this kind of brain-intensive cultivation technique was something he had only deduced for a few tens of thousands of years in the past, such as the level of the Heart-Burning Palm of Separation Fire. But in the face of a true Return to Void Spirit Art, it was like a small fry meeting a giant.

He returned to that mountain peak.

He sat cross-legged again.

The vast demonic life span crazily poured into the spirit array.

[Year 1: You try to contact the more vast part of this spirit array again. The enlightenment of your predecessors, which originally supported your cultivation, is now useless. You begin to recall the formation diagrams you once memorized for tens of thousands of years, trying to find patterns and make connections from those dull and boring years.]



As the demonic life span flowed away, the black-robed youth's face turned ferocious, and sweat poured down, instantly soaking his entire body.

When his expression returned to calm, his clear eyes were quickly filled with confusion, and he looked a bit dazed.

His talent was insufficient, yet he was forcibly cultivating the spirit art.

This would be ridiculed in the Immortal Sect.

In the world, every living being had its own path. Forcing oneself onto a path that didn't belong to them would only lead to shattering and failure, and success was fundamentally impossible.

Unless... one had far more time than ordinary people.

Day turned to night.

The panel had long stopped deducing.

There was still no light in Shen Yi's eyes, as if he had turned into a statue.

As his fingertips trembled slightly, he stood up unsteadily and then collapsed powerlessly on the ground, heaving and retching as if trying to vomit out his Dao Embryo's five viscera.

A Return to Void cultivator, even with various heavenly treasures, could not live beyond fifty thousand years.

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

Twenty-two thousand years of sitting in confusion, condensed into a short period.

It almost destroyed Shen Yi's sanity.

If it weren't for the panel bearing ninety-nine percent of the pressure and only feeding back a minuscule amount to him, he would have become an idiot by now.

[Return to Void (Spirit) - Abyssal Immortal Armor Array: Minor Accomplishment]



[Remaining Demonic Life Span: 200,700 years]



Shen Yi wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, revealing a trembling hand with fingertips exuding black mist and golden threads.

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

Fortunately, his hand finally stabilized.

For a formation array drawn on the body, there was no room for error.

As he began to draw the formation diagram on his chest, Shen Yi seemed to enter a mysterious state. His fingertips were as steady as a rock, and the golden threads, guided by his divine soul, were countless times more accurate than before.

Without any hesitation, the lines flowed smoothly like a rushing river.

It was as if he had mastered it effortlessly.

The brush stopped, and the grand formation was complete.

...

Inside the Ancestor Hall.

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

The Sect Master had gone to cultivate somewhere, and he couldn't be contacted through the jade slip.

The only person he could find was Senior Xuanqing.

The Chen family elder and the numerous executives of Qinghai Prefecture had brought the people of the Xiao family fortress back and resettled them in Da Qian.

Li Qingfeng had come to report this matter, but unexpectedly, this Junior Immortal had received a letter from someone and had become like this.

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

Li Qingfeng forced himself to remain calm and waved his sleeve, signaling the others to leave.

"Uh..." The group of Southern Yang Sect executives looked at each other. As newcomers who hadn't done much for the Southern Yang Sect, they didn't dare ask too many questions. Hearing this, they respectfully bowed and quietly retreated from the hall.

"..."

Li Qingfeng exhaled and approached Xuanqing, "Can you please help me find the Sect Master? I have an important matter to report."

"He should be cultivating."

Xuanqing opened his eyes, recalling the spiritual energy changes he had sensed earlier. It was clear that the Sect Master 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 advice.

"There's nothing convenient or inconvenient about it."

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

There was no identification on the letter.

From the tone of the message, Li Qingfeng deduced the identity of the speaker—it was none other than Liu Qianyun, the executive of the Clear Moon Sect.

"The Dragon Palace's aquatic forces have destroyed four major strongholds, including the Chen Family, the Puppet Sect, Qinghai Prefecture, and the Water Moon Trading Alliance."

"Among them, the disciples of the Chen Family and Qinghai Prefecture had already evacuated and suffered no casualties. The Puppet Sect was completely annihilated, and the floating island of the Water Moon Trading Alliance was destroyed. The leader of the Trading Alliance, Wen Qiujin, received the news in advance and fled with the offerings to the Yan Family."

"The Southern Flood Seven Sons... are waiting for news from Sect Leader Shen."

As they say, one knows one's own affairs best.

Li Qingfeng didn't hold back. In the entire Sacred Land of Nanyang, the only person who could help Sect Leader Shen was the senior standing before him.

He found it hard to understand, "What do you mean by waiting for news from Sect Leader Shen? The Dragon Palace has taken action; do they have to wait for Sect Leader Shen's orders to retaliate?"

Even though Li Qingfeng rarely left the Sacred Land, he knew from the mouth of the Clear Moon Sect's executive that Hongze was the territory of the Dragon Palace.

The reason the Southern Flood Seven Sons were bound by life and death was to resist the aquatic forces and secure a place to live in Southern Flood.

"Because it's most likely not the Dragon Palace."

Xuanqing shook his head calmly and advised, "They are just trying to scare you. Of course, the messenger might be of low rank, simply frightened and used as a tool by others."

"It's impossible for the Dragon Palace to give the order. To truly move against the Southern Flood Seven Sons, the Southern Dragon Palace alone is not enough. At least one more party would be needed. If that were the case, they wouldn't inform the Southern Yang Sect."

The words might be harsh, but they were the truth.

In the face of a life-and-death crisis, the current Southern Yang Sect would be of no use.

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

But then, Senior Xuanqing shook his head again, "If it's just about Nanyang, it might be even more serious than you think. Even if it's not the Dragon Palace's intention, it's definitely some demon within the Dragon Palace."

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

If this issue isn't resolved, the plan to reclaim the 182 families will fall through, a fait accompli.

The one who could orchestrate such an event must be a cultivator from White Jade Capital.

The other party doesn't even need to show up or seek help from demons; merely leaking some information could reduce the Southern Yang Sect to its original state.

Of course, there is another way out.

That is to pick up the words left by the six major Immortal Sects when they first called.

The doors of the six sects remain open to Shen Yi.

Xuanqing pondered for a moment, then took out a Dao token, recounting the entire matter in detail and adding, "Go to the Yan Family; there might still be a chance to turn things around."

The Yan Family was once a vassal of Nanyang, later taken over by the Clear Moon Sect.

It is one of the top four major forces among the 182 families, with a cultivator from White Jade Capital stationed there.

Li Qingfeng's eyes widened in surprise.

He saw the sect's array formation open wide, and a figure riding a black-tinged mystic sword swiftly flew out of the sect.

The Chen Family and Qinghai Prefecture, who had just dispersed, gathered again, puzzled and uncertain, "What's going on?"

Doesn't Immortal Shen need help with some miscellaneous tasks this time?

Li Qingfeng looked at the people outside the hall with a complex expression, unsure whether to inform them. The Chen Family aside, Qinghai Prefecture had indeed sent their disciples to the Southern Yang Sect, but they hadn't arrived yet... who knows what might happen on the way.

After all, Qinghai Prefecture had dispatched almost all their capable cultivators to serve as executives in the Southern Yang Sect.

...

Lingyun Sect.

Although the disciples of the entire sect didn't know what had happened, they could sense the atmosphere becoming strangely tense.

The outer gate elders and executives suddenly lost their smiles, all appearing solemn.

The inner disciples, whom one could occasionally see, were now back in their caves, closed off, as if waiting for something.

Finally, a figure in a golden-threaded white robe streaked across the sky.

Under the puzzled gazes of many fellow disciples, the sect leader's direct disciple left the sect.

"Senior Brother Yuanzhou has left the mountain?"

The inner disciples were merely curious, but the direct disciples and elders sitting in their caves slowly furrowed their brows.

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

But they will certainly reap the benefits.

At such a time, when no one knows who is behind the plot, Wei Yuanzhou actually stepped forward.

Whether he is helping the Southern Yang Sect or harming the Southern Yang Sect.

Striking the first bird, the tall tree catches the wind.

He will surely offend many people.

This is not a rational move.

Meanwhile.

In the Clear Moon Sect, Liu Qianyun and a few others were still there, but this time, the one in the middle was a bitter-looking Yan Wencheng.

"Junior Brother Yan, what did your family say? Did they reply to your letter?"

Liu Qianyun was clearly anxious, as she realized that even her father, who was an elder, couldn't intervene much in such a situation.

It was agreed that the Seven Sons Conference would be held three months later.

But in less than a month, someone had already lost patience.

"They replied."

Yan Wencheng looked at the two women and smiled bitterly, "Ambiguous, no clear answer... at least they are better than the other three families. They temporarily saved the people of the Water Moon Trading Alliance."

This time, the rescue was only because he had written to his family, telling them about Sect Leader Shen.

"Let's go! We need to check it out!"

Zheng Qian gritted her teeth. Although she couldn't help much, just waiting in the sect was driving her crazy!

"Alright, I also want to have a face-to-face talk with my uncle."

Yan Wencheng nodded and followed Zheng Qian out of the Clear Moon Sect.

With various thoughts in mind, figures swiftly left the area of the Southern Hong Seven Sons, all heading towards the Water Moon Trading Alliance.

At this moment, Shen Yi stood upon a black-lighted sword, glancing at the Level 7 Water Demon Tranquilizing Stone beside him, "Who gave you this information?"

He wasn't afraid, but he at least wanted to know who they were.

"Reporting to my lord, we don't know. That jade slip appeared silently before the Pavilion Lord, concealing its aura and transcending the mortal realm. It knew that you have a grudge with the Dragon Fish Pavilion, and only informed us of your whereabouts."

The fish demon respectfully stood behind Shen Yi.

"..."

Shen Yi paused for a moment.

Compared to the minor scuffle with the Lingyun Sect, these White Jade Capital cultivators were countless times more ruthless, and their target was clearer.

They didn't care about life or death; they only wanted the Southern Yang Sacred Land.

"Who will avenge you?"

Forget it, focus on the present.

Shen Yi wasn't sure about the Yan family's attitude, and his main purpose for coming out was to find those disciples from Qinghai Prefecture.

"The Pavilion Lord, aside from his only daughter, also has an adopted son. However, his talent is so extraordinary that he was noticed by the South Dragon Palace at a very young age. They sent people to take him away, and the Pavilion Lord didn't dare to associate himself with such greatness, so he never publicized this relationship."

"It was because of this adopted son that the Dragon Fish Pavilion could connect with the Dragon Palace."

"He is a Heaven's Pride, comparable to a direct disciple of an immortal sect, despite his humble origins. His reputation is renowned, and you should have heard of him too. It's the Sea-Striding General of the South Dragon Palace, of the same age as the Pavilion Lord's daughter, yet already a great demon comparable to the eighth level of Returning to Emptiness."

"Huff."

Although Shen Yi hadn't heard this name before, if he remembered correctly, the last time he saw that girl in the red skirt, she was only at the second level of Returning to Emptiness.

However... Wen Qiujin seemed to have mentioned that the formation on the floating island could only be broken by a cultivator who had reached the perfection of Returning to Emptiness.

Since the Water Moon Trading Alliance had been destroyed, it didn't seem like it was just the Sea-Striding General alone.

...

The floating island where the Water Moon Trading Alliance was located was now in tatters, floating above the vast ocean.

The once towering luxurious corner tower had vanished without a trace.

At the edge of the endless ocean, countless figures stood in a dense formation, their clothing and appearances indicating their diverse affiliations and varying cultivation levels.

They gazed solemnly towards the floating island.

The reason they dared to approach was because, in the far distance, there was an expansive formation that enveloped hundreds of enormous treasure ships.

On the foremost treasure ship, Wen Qiujin stood in a daze, his face filled with disbelief.

The Water Moon Trading Alliance had never made enemies with the water demons, and they had never been stingy with their tributes. The first thing the treasure ships did before setting off was to prepare offerings for the Dragon Palace soldiers and generals, using the names of the Southern Hong Seven Sons and the Dragon Palace to deter other water demons and avoid cargo theft.

When Wen Qiujin received the spy's message that the Chen family, Qinghai Prefecture, and the Puppet Sect had all fallen into calamity, he didn't hesitate. He immediately fled the area with the Water Moon Trading Alliance cultivators and sought help from the Yan family.

Then, he watched helplessly as his years of accumulation were destroyed in an instant.

"Senior Yan."

He turned and looked to the side, "What are they doing?"

"Don't ask, don't get involved. This isn't something you can participate in. As for external matters, you should understand them better than I do."

The one addressed as Senior Yan was an elder in a long robe.

All the surrounding cultivators knew his name.

Yan Xingyuan of the Yan family, a cultivator who had reached the eleventh level of Returning to Emptiness, stood at the pinnacle in the Southern Flood region.

"..."

Hearing this, Wen Qiujin didn't ask further about why they were still lingering here or what they were waiting for.

He quietly retreated.

With so many cultivators watching, there were only two figures on the floating island.

The first was a youth in neat armor, wearing a silver crown.

He carried no weapons, his hands empty as he sat cross-legged in mid-air.

Behind him was a black-backed dragon demon, clearly near the end of its lifespan, standing with its arms folded and its eyes slightly closed.

Neither of them released their auras, yet they suppressed the surrounding cultivators into silence.

The South Dragon Palace's Sea-Striding General had a reputation forged in the Blood Sea, without any exaggeration.

He was like a mad, rabid dog with no background, seeking to build his status in the South Dragon Palace using the corpses of his enemies.

But today, he came alone, destroying four factions.

As for the black-backed dragon behind him, its reputation was not well-known, and its face was unfamiliar. This made the situation even more terrifying, indicating that it was one of the South Dragon Palace's most elite veterans, its notoriety forgotten over the long years, causing the cultivators to forget its sinister name.

The two Dragon Palace great demons didn't move.

Yan Xingyuan didn't move either.

They stood in a stalemate, as if waiting for someone's arrival.

Even if both sides didn't know if that person dared to come.

"Look, who's that!"

In the clouds, Liu Qianyun and the others hurriedly arrived, intending to approach Yan Xingyuan, but Zheng Qian suddenly held them back.

They raised their eyes and their hearts skipped a beat.

In a place where no one else had noticed, a figure in a golden-threaded white robe swayed slowly.

He didn't deliberately conceal his aura.

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

Like an immortal god, overlooking the mortal realm.

Cloudstream Ascetic Wei Yuanzhou, such an existence, was also silently waiting.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end