Chapter 490: The Winner's Reward

Chapter 490: The Winner's Reward

Facing countless Ink-Robed figures, the Nine-Headed Water Demons instinctively transformed into their massive true forms. Their hideous faces varied, but each wore the same look of wariness!

This action was definitely not in line with Seven Dragon Sons' order to conceal their presence.

After all, they were facing just a single Return to Void cultivator, and there was no need to put on such a display.

"..."

Previously, observing from afar through the sword formation, Su Hongxiao hadn't seen things quite so clearly.

Now that she was here in person, she suddenly realized that Shen Yi's cultivation was only at the eighth layer of the Return to Void.

A moment ago, he had personally fought and killed the Red-Eyed Phoenix despite being four whole layers of cultivation apart.

She glanced sideways.

On the empty, vast ocean, the Nine-Headed Water Demons were all on guard, staring at nothingness as if they saw something extraordinary.

Tian Yan Si Jiu?

As a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Su Hongxiao had some knowledge of this spirit art.

However, to simultaneously envelop nine demons and devils whose cultivations far surpassed his own with this spirit art required not only tremendous consumption but also a profound mastery of the Tian Yan Si Jiu.

Just based on this display, one could infer Shen Yi's attainment in this art was likely beyond the level of perfection and approaching completeness.

So, this was the existence that carried the fortune of the entire Nanyang Treasure Land on his body?

After a full one hundred thousand years, he had finally led the human cultivators to break through the protective sect formation.

His appearance was probably a manifestation of the residual will of the Nanyang Treasure Land, or perhaps even a move left behind by that Hegemon of the Unity of Heaven and Man? This was the only explanation Su Hongxiao could think of.

Roar!

In an instant, the furious roar of the Azure Dragon Destroying Star Spear reverberated through the sky once more!

In this battle involving Bai Yujing, it was ironically the group of Return to Void cultivators that made the most formidable commotion.

Outnumbered nine to one, not only did Shen Yi not show any sign of intimidation, but he also took the initiative to launch an offense.

In the desolate azure sky, a massive dragon head emerged from the clouds, indifferently overlooking the mortal world. Its whiskers and claws were solid, and its azure dragon scales shimmered with strands of purple intent.

This was the first time Shen Yi had used the Primordial Purple Qi to empower a technique other than his spiritual body art.

The next moment, the azure dragon's shadow howled as it swept out.

At a speed invisible to the naked eye, it enveloped one of the colossal water demons!

Its fiercely extended dragon claws overlapped with the spear's edge.

Pfft!

An ink-robed figure spanned the sky. By the time the azure dragon's shadow dissipated, Shen Yi had already appeared behind the water demon. The entire spear was stained red with blood, and the colossal demon's shoulder had a bloody gash. Its massive upper body slanted and collapsed, separating from its lower body that was still standing in the water.

Boom!

A hundred-meter-high wave splashed up.

The remaining eight water demons finally broke free from the Tian Yan Si Jiu.

Stimulated by the pungent bloody smell, they opened their eyes just in time to see that sideward glance and the motionless aquatic general behind it.

Clang!

Shen Yi slightly flipped his palm, and the dragon spear in his hand violently trembled, spraying blood as it glinted coldly once more.

His gaze swept across these fierce and powerful demons one by one.

Yet, not a single one dared to meet those purple-golden irises, all of them breathing heavily as they remained rooted in place.

Earlier, when they were hiding underwater, even though the Red-Eyed Phoenix's screams were heart-wrenching, the pressure they felt now, facing this Ink-Robed figure, was far greater.

In confrontations, the most dreaded thing was not understanding your opponent.

They couldn't comprehend how he was doing what he did.

Without understanding, they couldn't counter him, and the fear in their hearts would only grow as they pondered.

"You come?"

Shen Yi casually pointed at one of them, slowly raising the tip of his spear.

The targeted catfish demon subconsciously dodged, but finding that the spear tip followed his movement, it angrily hissed, "I'll come later!"

Damn it, was he picking on them now?

This was an encirclement and annihilation! Not child's play!

Who would duel with him?!

"Then you come."

Shen Yi inverted his spear, pointing it at a python demon.

"..."

The eight great demons glanced at each other. In the face of an unknown opponent, whoever made the first move would most likely be the one to eat another spear strike.

Logically speaking, they were all generals who had risen through the ranks in the Turtle Army, earning their current cultivation and foundation through their military exploits.

Their courage and boldness were exceptional.

But precisely because of this... Now that they had finally achieved their current status, each of them wanted to be the one reaping the rewards, taking another step forward, rather than becoming the one sacrificed. Moreover, given Seven Dragon Sons' indifferent character, he might not even remember them.

As they hesitated.

The desperate, mournful cry of one of their companions rang out in their ears once more.

That silkworm insect demon, comparable to Bai Yujing, had already endured Su Hongxiao's strongest sword strike. Now, it was entangled by a fearless stone golem, unable to get support, and its injuries were worsening. Eventually, its fleshy wings were torn off.

"Die for my master!"

Wu Jun let out a long howl, his entire body's golden veins converging like flowing light.

His body drilled directly into the silkworm insect demon's wound, unable to heal, frantically bombarding its internal organs until its massive body exploded with successive booms.

Having lost its wings, the silkworm insect demon, a cousin of the Seven Dragon Sons, finally lost its strength and crashed into the water.

[Killed Bai Yujing-level silkworm insect demon. Total lifespan: 320,200 years. Remaining: 97,000 years. Absorption complete.]



The fall of a demon comparable to Bai Yujing signified the failure of this encirclement and annihilation.

"..."

Shen Yi slowly retracted his spear, taking a light breath.

Even a rich landlord would run out of grain eventually.

First, he had killed the Red-Eyed Phoenix, and then, to intimidate these demons, he had been forced to use his full strength, swiftly killing one of the water demons.

It seemed that no one remembered that he was merely a cultivator at the eighth layer of the Return to Void. Although the Primordial Purple Qi was powerful, it wasn't inexhaustible.

If he could truly devour these great demons, who would bother talking to them?

"You..."

The remaining group of twelfth-layer Return to Void demons seemed to realize something, but when they looked up again, there was already a face covered in knife scars before them. The bald head was slick and shiny, and under the dense coverage of golden veins, it appeared dazzling and blinding.

"Why aren't you kneeling yet? To serve my master?"

Wu Jun's voice rang out gently, and before his words faded, he unleashed a punch, the golden veins crisscrossing like a chessboard and enveloping the head of the mighty demon.

Crack!

In the instant the head exploded, the demon's body slowly knelt on the water's surface.

This was a slaughter of the Return to Void realm by a White Jade Capital demon.

Swift and brutal!

Wu Jun's slightly damaged stone body swiftly swept across the sky, reaping their lives.

One after another, the hundred-meter-tall bodies knelt, obscuring the sky and sun like towering statues. They sank into the dark red waters, crowding around the center where a figure in ink-robes gently swayed.

Within Shen Yi's mind sea, between his eyebrows.

Ke Shisan was stunned, finding it hard to imagine how there could be such a shameless and sycophantic creature among the aquatic demons! Even in such a situation, it didn't forget to flatter?

"Huh."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing.

He stored away the pile of corpses into his finger ring and then strode across the sky, grasping the nine threads of profundity.

Even though Su Hongxiao looked like a flickering lamp about to go out, with the white jade sword in hand, she suppressed Wu Rongbao in battle from start to finish, despite both being at the same cultivation level.

The innate divine ability of the golden-veined turtle demon seemed as fragile as tofu before this sword, easily destroyed.

In a short time, the old softshell turtle was covered in blood and seemed to have lost its ability to defend.

Just as Su Hongxiao's killing intent surged, her body staggered, and she heard a faint voice from behind.

"Save some strength, leave the rest to me." Shen Yi casually pulled on the thread of profundity, storing it into his finger ring.

"..."

Those words sounded somewhat familiar.

Su Hongxiao glanced at the white jade sword in her hand, which was becoming more and more unstable. The other party was only at the Return to Void cultivation, yet he could tell that she was at her limit, and continuing to fight would definitely affect her foundation.

For a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, they must always stand at the forefront and never show weakness.

But Shen Yi was the sect master.

It was reasonable and expected for a disciple to receive help from the sect master.

She finally stopped her actions, her arms weakly lowering, and the white jade sword in her palm returned to its purple light form, disappearing back into the gate of Dragon Han Grand City.

"Disciple Hongxiao thanks the South Yang Sect Master for his assistance."

She nodded slightly and flew downward, landing next to her unconscious sister. With a trembling hand, she pinched her sister's cheek, leaving a bloodstain on her delicate skin with her aged fingers.

A rare gentle smile appeared on Su Hongxiao's withered face.

She then used her sleeve to wipe away the bloodstain on her sister's face and sat cross-legged to start resisting the backlash of the Cycle Sword Fruit.

"Hey."

Wu Jun swept over to the old softshell turtle, his palms ruthlessly sinking into its shoulder meat. The two heavily injured White Jade Capital demons, both golden-veined turtle demons, began a test of strength under the sky canopy.

"..."

Wu Rongbao's eyes turned bloodshot as he desperately drove his golden veins, only to be mercilessly crushed.

The bloodline within this stone puppet's body had far surpassed the upper limit of the golden-veined turtle clan.

Creak, creak.

"Will I... also become... like you... a spirit puppet?" As Wu Rongbao felt his formidable demon body gradually cracking, despair and fear welled up in his eyes, and he suddenly laughed at himself for conversing with a lifeless object.

But at this moment, he heard a response from the stone puppet.

"You wish." Wu Jun curled his lips and suddenly tore Wu Rongbao's body apart. The turtle clan's bloodline must be his, and as for the father, he could serve the master in other ways.

The next moment, he brought the old softshell turtle's corpse back to Cui Yun Reef and then entered Shen Yi's mind sea between his eyebrows.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 1,910,080 years】

Just from these twelve demons, nearly a million years of demon lifespan had been offered.

But more precious than the demon lifespan was their flesh, blood, and demon souls themselves.

Shen Yi stood up and walked to the other side of Cui Yun Reef. Just as he was about to sacrifice the Wu Guang Xuan Sword to leave this place, he heard Su Hongxiao's murmur from behind.

"Heal your injuries first, don't worry about anything else."

"Hmm?" Shen Yi turned his head slightly.

"A disciple can act willfully as long as they win." Su Hongxiao opened her eyes, rarely explaining anything to others.

"What if they lose?" Shen Yi seemed to understand something.

"If they lose, then another disciple will take their place."

Su Hongxiao's reply was crisp, but it also implicitly explained the true nature of a sect disciple.

To inherit the Unified Treasure Land, one must bear the responsibility for the lives of all the creatures within it.

This wasn't about raising an heir, playing house, or raising a child.

In the mortal world, an emperor could first ascend the throne and then slowly learn what it meant to be an emperor, but a sect disciple was different. The moment they unified with the sect, the lives of everyone in the sect were tied to them, and there was no turning back.

A disciple could make any decision as long as they won, and they could never lose, not even once.

First, gain power, then prove that you have the strength and temperament to hold onto that power, and finally, truly ascend the throne.

"..."

Shen Yi was a little uncomfortable with putting away his flying sword.

Ever since leaving Nanyang, this was the first time he had experienced not having to rush away after taking action.

It felt a bit strange.

At the two ends of Cui Yun Reef, the two sat with their backs to each other.

Blood flowed into Shen Yi's mind sea from his finger ring, and one by one, the town stones began to take shape, with large amounts of demon lifespan flowing away and the demon source merging into the demon soul.

After an unknown amount of time had passed.

A flesh-winged silkworm demon opened its eyes in the boundless night.

Due to the presence of the Su sisters, it didn't roar or release its aura, but its slowly turning eyes emitted an indescribable fierceness.

Without needing to measure it with a pillar, just a glance was enough to know that it far surpassed a first-grade pillar.

The rest were the mighty generals of the Turtle Army, who had risen through the ranks by suppressing other aquatic clans and monopolizing power over the years.

And with that, another one hundred and forty-plus Demon Origins were exhausted.

One by one, their eyes opened in the darkness, and their exaggerated and ferocious visages gradually came to life.

"Huh."

Instead of rushing to break through the ninth layer of the Return to Void, Shen Yi stood up and looked at the old woman whose hair was gradually turning black.

Su Hongxiao also opened her eyes and hugged her sister before placing her into the teleportation sword formation.

Then, with a flick of her fingers, she quietly watched as Su Yushang disappeared from the spot.

Although her aura couldn't be considered dense, the previous hint of weakness, as if she could pass away at any moment, had vanished.

"Disciple still has something to do. Is the South Yang Sect Master interested?"

After sending her sister away, Su Hongxiao bowed to Shen Yi. Although she wasn't very familiar with this young cultivator, his earlier actions seemed to indicate an interest in the demons' remains.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi turned his gaze towards the waters ahead.

If he remembered correctly, she had mentioned earlier that she wanted to kill their entire family, and now, with the Dragon Grandson nowhere to be seen, it was obvious that her goal hadn't been fully achieved.

He was just wondering if she could really go underwater to kill the Dragon Grandson.

Shen Yi retracted his gaze and nodded, "I'm interested."

Seeing this, a slight, barely perceptible smile appeared on the corners of Su Hongxiao's lips. This young Sect Master seemed to understand her temperament quite well.

...

In an underwater palace far from Cui Yun Reef.

The magnificent stone palace was adorned with various treasures, making it look extremely luxurious.

This was the territory of the Dragon Grandson's maternal clan.

Even though the Silkworm Insect Clan wasn't considered a top-tier force, as long as they flew the flag of the Dragon Palace, they were a formidable power in the South Hong waters, and no one dared to provoke them.

Ke Laoqi leaned against a bed-like throne, tightly clutching a conch shell in his hand.

As time passed, his expression became increasingly gloomy.

There was still no reply from the other party.

Finally, Ke Laoqi couldn't bear it any longer and sat up straight, looking at the conch shell in his hand.

Behind him, a beautiful woman gently patted his shoulder, "You are a Dragon Grandson, don't lose your composure. With your uncle here, there won't be any problems... Even if there are problems, you must stay calm and keep a clear head so that you can make a comeback."

Ke Laoqi took a deep breath, "No need to comfort me, I know what to do."

After making his decision, he had cautiously hidden himself here with his mother.

But even so, the anxiety in his heart only grew stronger, as if it would fill his entire being.

"You should quickly arrange for the guards in the palace to be on high alert and take good care of yourself. I have something important to ask you, and I plan to go and see Father."

Ke Laoqi finally stood up and casually reassured his mother as he walked towards the door.

Even if it meant exposing his actions, he wanted to hurry to his father's side as soon as possible. Only then would he feel a sense of security.

"...'

The beautiful woman remained silent for a moment, a hint of lament in her eyes. Her son was excellent in every way, except for his lack of composure, unlike his father, who was always calm and steady.

"Alright, go ahead." She gently waved her sleeve.

Ke Laoqi strode towards the palace door, and just as he took two steps, he felt something amiss.

Instinctively, he picked up the conch shell and began to send a message to that esteemed Dragon Son, his voice trembling slightly, "Father... I'm with Mother... Please send someone to pick me up... I have something important to discuss with you."

The conch shell seemed to have lost its function.

Whether he was trying to reach Wu Rongbao or his father, there was no response from within.

At the same time, in the Dragon Palace at the other end of South Hong.

In a grand palace.

On both sides sat four figures, a total of eight people, all wearing sword robes and staring indifferently at the center of the hall.

And on the highest throne, a vague figure lazily leaned back.

He lowered his eyes to look downwards.

The dragon-headed demon, with a golden crown on its head and splendid robes, seemed to be pinned down by an invisible giant hand. Even though its body beneath the robes was struggling to the point of trembling, it couldn't stand up.

In front of it was a water mirror.

The scene in the mirror was so vivid that it felt like one was right there.

The beautiful woman sitting on the stone seat trembled, her eyes fixed on the scene before her. Ke Laoqi, on the other hand, was so scared that he crouched on the spot, his body trembling as he tried to crawl backwards.

In front of them.

An elderly figure and a man in ink-robes slowly stepped into the palace from both sides.

The pale-faced young man's face was stained with blood, and the dragon spear in his hand was a terrifying blood-red color. He strode past Ke Laoqi, and the bald man behind him, with a body full of golden light, stomped on the dragon grandson's heart, crushing it.

"Roar!"

In the palace, the splendidly robed dragon-headed demon suddenly lifted its head and let out a roar.

On both sides, the sword-robed elders slowly stood up, picked up a jade cup, and smashed it on the dragon-headed demon's forehead, saying indifferently, "Why are you shouting? If you lose, accept it. Are you the type to start something but not have the guts to see it through?"

"If you shout again, we'll finish you off as well!"

Upon hearing this, the splendidly robed dragon-headed demon glared at the vague figure above with sharp dragon teeth.

The vague figure seemed to find this quite amusing, "Do you want to try looking at me again?"

Before the words fell.

The splendidly robed dragon-headed demon gritted his teeth and reluctantly closed his eyes.

Once again, a puff sound came from the water mirror.

That sharp dragon spear had mercilessly pierced the beautiful woman's throat.

After an unknown amount of time had passed.

"...'

When the splendidly robed dragon-headed demon opened its eyes again, all the figures in the hall had disappeared, as if they had never been there. The empty palace only left it alone.

The South Hong Seven Sons were usually quite gentle.

But that didn't mean they would tolerate their kin being ambushed and killed.

This was a warning, and it also meant that the matter would end here.

The Sword Child had kept the appointment and gambled with the life of the Dragon Grandson.

Su Hongxiao had won, and his wife and children were now hers.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end