Chapter 491: I Am the Dragon Slaying Daoist

Chapter 491: I Am the Dragon Slaying Daoist

Tick. Tick.

Dark red blood dripped down the spear blade, seeping into the cracks between the stone bricks and spreading outside the grand hall, only to dissipate into faint blood mist within the clear water waves.

Shen Yi pulled the dragon spear out of the fairylike woman's slender neck.

A look of disbelief and terror was frozen on the woman's face. Even in death, she couldn't comprehend how someone could stride into her palace so boldly, crush her son's chest, and then finish her off with a swift thrust of the spear.

She was no ordinary aquatic demoness; she was the main wife of the Sixth Prince, known as the Dragon Consort.

Where were her guards, her brother who was comparable to Bai Yujing, and the Sixth Prince himself? It seemed as if they had all vanished, and no one was paying attention to what was happening here.

Was this still the Dragon Palace, ruled by the Lord of Nan Hong?

"..."

Su Hongxiu suddenly felt uneasy.

They had agreed to slaughter the entire family.

She had even prepared her spirit arts, but she never got the chance to use them.

Logically, when the two of them entered, the guards should have rushed forward. Yet, even now, the grand hall remained empty, and the outside was equally silent.

She glanced outside, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Her pupils narrowed slightly as she noticed the thick blood mist that had enveloped the entire grand hall at some point, like a giant mouth, choosing whom to devour, or a grotesquely shaped monster.

Within the blood mist, corpses floated into the hall.

Dozens of bodies piled up at the door, including three great demons at the twelfth level of Returning Void.

Then, streaks of light rushed in and quickly penetrated Shen Yi's brow.

Only then did the blood mist outside gradually dissipate, washed away by the water.

"Phew."

Su Hongxiu released the spirit art she had been holding. She suddenly realized something.

Shen Yi, the sect master, had the means to control puppets, but he had never mentioned that he only had one. From the streaks of light just now, there were at least seven or eight puppets.

Of course, even if those seven or eight streaks of light were all at the twelfth level of Returning Void or even comparable to Bai Yujing's puppets, it wouldn't be enough to make Su Hongxiu pale.

What truly astonished her was that she hadn't sensed any fluctuation of aura at all.

Those puppets had managed to conceal their presence to the extreme, even blocking their souls from her spiritual perception when they were killing the demons.

A group of such powerful and ghostlike "assassins."

That was a little frightening.

[Remaining Demon Lifespans: 2,233,000 years]



Previously, the condensation of the suppressing stone had depleted almost all of Shen Yi's foundation. But in the blink of an eye, not only had he replenished the consumption, but he had also gained even more.

"Are there any more?"

Shen Yi adjusted his state of mind, turned his head slightly toward the woman, and softened his attitude.

"..."

Su Hongxiu looked at the youth's bloodstained palms and quietly glanced at the hint of kindness in his expression. Suddenly, she felt something was amiss.

The more he killed, the better his mood seemed to be?

That didn't quite fit the temperament of an Immortal Sect cultivator... especially since he was the Sect Master.

Su Hongxiu wanted to remind him of something, but she felt her identity was not suitable, so she just shook her head and said, "I think that's all of them."

When this Seventh Dragon Grandson set up the scheme to assassinate them, he didn't borrow any help from the Dragon Palace. He only brought the generals under his command and the demons from his mother's clan. Even if the Celestial Sword Sect intervened, their revenge could only go so far as this, let alone if her master personally got involved.

These were the rules of Nan Hong.

As long as the Seven Children and the Dragon Palace didn't completely tear apart their relationship and decide to fight to the death, they had to follow the rules. Even a giant like the Sixth Prince at the Unity realm had to abide by them.

"Good."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, his lips curving up in a smile before returning to his previous calm expression.

It was already difficult enough to drag the Alliance Sect into this mess.

It was a little regrettable that it had to end here.

If only the Celestial Sword Sect and the Dragon Palace could fight to the death.

However, from the current situation...

Even if the Seven Children of Nan Hong only faced the Nan Long Dragon Palace, they probably wouldn't have a crushing advantage. Moreover, in reality, there were only six of them, minus the once-powerful Nanyang Sect, so their strength must have been reduced.

They probably wouldn't do something that would destroy their foundation just yet.

Besides, if the Alliance Sect were truly gone...

The Nanyang Sect definitely wouldn't be able to protect itself.

"Let's go."

Shen Yi retracted his gaze and waved his hand slightly, collecting the pile of corpses into his finger ring.

Then, he summoned the black-light flying sword and disappeared into the water without looking back.

As for the treasures in the hall, Shen Yi didn't make a blatant move. After all, he had killed the demons, and if he took their possessions as well, it would be too obvious that the Nanyang Sect was responsible.

For now, it was more appropriate to let the Celestial Sword Sect take the blame.

"..."

Su Hongxiu paused, slightly taken aback. She felt that today, the number of times she had remained silent was more than in the past few decades combined.

Wasn't the Sect Master's mood changing a little too quickly?

Also, had he come here just to indulge in the pleasure of slaughter?

That seemed a bit absurd.

With that thought, she shook her head and glanced casually at the pile of junk in the hall.

Then, she followed suit and left the grand hall.

As a cultivator of Bai Yujing's caliber, very few things in the world could capture her interest.

Soon, the two of them disappeared into the waters, leaving behind only the gory and untouched treasures in the grand hall.

The surrounding water tribes, who dared to approach only after a long while, were left stunned by the sight.

...

Nanyang Sect, Inner Sect.

After a period of adjustment, the Thousand Demon Cave had completely transformed into a cultivation site filled with immortal qi.

With the help of the Yu clan, the necessary repairs had been made.

Li Qingfeng contacted several forces, including the Great Qian, to select those with outstanding talent and recruit them into the outer sect, where they would be personally taught by the Returning Void cultivators.

The good news was that, with so many unfamiliar forces entering the sect, he had been worried that there might be some trouble.

However, these forces seemed to have witnessed something terrifying, as they were all exceptionally well-behaved. Even when they saw the natives of Nanyang, they were polite, regardless of the other party's cultivation level.

It was as if they were afraid that the Transcendent cultivators would, at any moment, summon a Purple Qi Heaven Palace from their brows, enhance their bodies with spiritual arts, and then summon a couple of puppets...

The bad news was that the sect master had gone missing.

"Can you give me a definite answer? When is the sect master coming back?"

Li Qingfeng stayed by Xuan Qing's side. If he had initially done so to encourage the wooden man, now he was simply venting his stress by complaining to a mute.

There was only a month left until the Seven Children Assembly.

The sect master hadn't just failed to prepare; he had disappeared without a trace.

"Why don't we send the executives out to look for him?

"What?" Li Qingfeng was taken aback.

"The Sect Master has returned," Xuan Qing repeated softly before getting up and stepping out the door. He looked up towards the void, a hint of confusion on his face as he stood there, motionless, as if he had turned back into a wooden statue.

The faint trail of qi that had just streaked across the sky even made this once-peerless genius, who had dominated his contemporaries for tens of thousands of years, feel a twinge of surprise.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingfeng hurried to follow, also stepping out of the Ancestor Hall and looking around. "Where is he?"

As if in response to his question, a sudden patch of pale red appeared in the sky above the inner sect of the Nanyang Sect, like a sunset. As it drew closer to the mountain peak, the red became more and more intense until it transformed into a sea of blood, with an eight-story grand hall standing amidst it.

The Palace of Infinite Demon Emperors seemed like a sharp sword, piercing through the clouds to reveal the scenery beyond.

"It's true."

Xuan Qing murmured, coming back to his senses. The qi he had sensed earlier indeed belonged to a late Returning Void cultivator.

Between the scarlet halls, undiluted purple qi rippled slightly, so pure that it instinctively attracted the attention of others.

The next moment, the sound of scraping filled the Nanyang Sect's inner sect.

Six thick, coarse pillars appeared out of thin air, and as the stone flakes peeled away, intricate carvings of demons and monsters were revealed.

Each one was ferocious and seemed capable of turning the world upside down.

Those who had recently joined the Nanyang Sect, such as the honored guests from the Water Moon Merchant Alliance, even recognized some familiar faces among the carvings.

After all, they were late Returning Void cultivators themselves and influential figures outside.

But at this moment, they all looked pale and shaken.

The pillars that the Sect Master had envisioned were actually those top-tier demons infamous throughout Nan Hong!

Each one was enough to make all forces except Immortal Sects tremble.

They found it hard to imagine that there would be a cultivator who would choose to contemplate such beings and do so with such vividness that even the details of the scales were identical, making them suspect that the Sect Master had sneaked up on the demons while they were sleeping to observe them up close.

That would be taking an enormous risk.

The scraping sounds became more and more intense, eventually turning into a loud, bell-like rumble.

As the stone flakes completely fell away, supported by the six top-grade pillars, the Palace of Infinite Demon Emperors suddenly rose another story.

The rumbling turned into melodious music that echoed throughout the heavens, and within the mist, it seemed as if immortal cranes were strolling. At the edge of the scarlet sky, a thick and rich purple mist rose and slowly drifted towards the Demon Emperor Palace.

"Whoosh."

Xuan Qing closed his eyes.

Nine layers of Returning Void, a complete Heavenly Palace, and the heavens celebrated this achievement.

Before this day, among the Seven Children of Nan Hong, this was a legend exclusive to one person.

From this moment on, this honor was no longer unique to him.

Even though he had expected it and had spent a long time tempering his mental state, Xuan Qing still felt a twinge of loss.

But as soon as this feeling of loss faded, a strong surge of excitement burst forth from his wooden body.

The Nanyang Sect was alive again!

If it weren't for the fact that he had sat there motionless for too long, Xuan Qing would have had the urge to let out a long howl.

This torture had lasted for ten millennia.

What Xuan Qing had thought about day and night was to go back to the day before he broke through to the peak of Returning Void, suppress the impulsiveness in his heart, and take a more solid step-by-step approach on his cultivation path, no longer provoking those calamities.

Starting anew, he would lead the Nanyang Sect forward step by step.

However, time was not something that could be reversed.

He had never imagined that he would live to see the day when the Nanyang Sect would come back to life.

Moreover, with the purple qi he had contributed, the Sect Master's path was even more stable than his had been back then, and he could also fulfill his long-held wish.

The only thing that left a bitter taste in his mouth was that today's celebration from the heavens was much grander than when he had broken through to the ninth layer of Returning Void.

Thinking of this, Li Xuanqing smiled.

"Xuan Qing has nothing to offer but his two sleeves of clear wind. I only have this remaining broken body."

When the wooden man suddenly spoke, Li Qingfeng, who was standing by stiffly, felt that something was amiss. He turned his head instinctively and said, "Senior, you..."

Indeed, Xuan Qing's body began to tremble slightly.

But his expression remained calm: "Today, I shall use this broken body to pave the way for the Nanyang Sect's path to greatness!"

As his words fell, a wisp of purple qi once again separated from his body.

Compared to the previous times, Li Xuanqing's action this time was very slow and more difficult, as if he were extracting his last bit of life force.

Even his wooden face showed visible pain.

"You're serious!"

Li Qingfeng's pupils contracted, and he rushed forward, pressing Xuan Qing down to the ground.

He was the native of Nanyang who had followed Shen Yi the most and was also the one who knew best how the Sect Master had managed to grow so much in such a short time.

Based on his understanding of Shen Yi, if she had known about this, she would never have accepted it.

But as he pressed Xuan Qing down, Li Qingfeng's fingertips trembled.

It was bizarre for a Gold Core cultivator to be able to restrain a Returning Void cultivator.

The purple qi passed through Li Qingfeng's body and spread towards the wooden man behind him.

Just then, a gentle breeze seemed to blow in from the horizon.

Carrying the purple qi, it redirected the qi back into Li Xuanqing's wooden body.

The familiar, indifferent voice echoed in the ears of the two: "I understand your intentions."

"... "

Li Xuanqing lay on the ground, silent for a long time, before finally showing a hint of agitation, an emotion he had not displayed since the Nanyang Sect's resurgence.

He always seemed gentle and calm, as if he had no temper at all, even when Li Qingfeng nagged incessantly by his side.

Perhaps everyone had forgotten that Li Xuanqing's original personality was extremely arrogant.

He took a deep breath and said softly, "I've seen what I wanted to see. I've truly lived long enough."

Now that he had witnessed what he had been waiting for, there was no point in continuing to live, as it would only be torturing himself.

The gentle breeze in the sky also remained silent for a moment.

Then, it said softly, "I haven't heard your story yet. Hold on a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingfeng suddenly felt the wooden man beneath him tremble violently, and the wooden eyes were filled with complexity and fear.

Xuan Qing's breathing became heavy.

He realized something.

Shen Yi didn't seem to be a gift from the heavens to the Nanyang Sect, giving them another Li Xuanqing—a calm and steady person with exceptional talent who would lead the Nanyang Sect forward steadily.

She wasn't a second Xuan Qing. She was Shen Yi, unique and unparalleled.

A young man who dared to kill a Dragon Palace General at the mid-Returning Void stage, even more arrogant than he had been in his youth.

He also hoped that, while ensuring his own survival, he could simultaneously allow those who had shown kindness to him to live as well, if possible.

Such things were too hot to handle.

Shen Yi shook his head, turning his gaze back towards the horizon... A hint of helplessness flashed in his clear eyes.

Perhaps the last time, when the heavens were bestowing the purple qi, it had not yet finished, and he had preemptively intercepted the purple qi onto himself.

This time, the heavens were clearly trying to make up for the loss of face from before.

A celestial tune had been blowing until now without end, as if it were nitpicking.

Fortunately, it was not a breakthrough at the last moment, and there was still ample time; otherwise, he would have had to embarrass it once again.

These six Daoist pillars were made from the three Great Demon generals of the twelfth level of Returning Void from the Turtle Army.

In addition, from Ke Laqi's mother's clan, he had also obtained three top-grade demons that could be refined into supreme-grade Suppressing Stones.

"That should be enough."

Shen Yi turned his gaze back to the Dao Palace. If he included Wu Jun and the Flesh-Winged Silkworm, he was highly confident that he could break through to the tenth layer of Returning Void in one go, and most likely, it would be a Heavenly Palace.

But he did not rush it.

Compared to breaking through directly, these two great demons could temporarily play a bigger role.

With this in mind, Shen Yi summoned Wu Jun.

Then, he took out three corpses—two Great Demon golden-patterned turtle generals at the twelfth layer of Returning Void, and that old softshell turtle comparable to Bai Yujing.

With a slight movement of his spiritual soul...

The three powerful demon corpses quickly transformed into a sea of blood that poured into Wu Jun's body, the dense bloodline power within causing others to tremble in fear.

From the previous battle between the Tianjian Sect Daoist and the Water Tribe, it could be seen that there was a significant difference between them despite both being White Jade Kings.

If Su Hongxiu succeeded in opening the second Immortal City, it was likely that she wouldn't need his help, and she could easily slay all the demons present.

Perhaps after consuming these demon corpses, Wu Jun could also be elevated to a similar level?

As Wu Jun absorbed the demon corpses, Shen Yi summoned the Flesh-Winged Silkworm and countless silkworm corpses of its kin.

Although their quality was far inferior, their quantity made up for it.

This was the true meaning of expending the entire clan's power to nurture an unparalleled genius.

The two Suppressing Stones sat on either side of Shen Yi, guarding him.

Both were sitting cross-legged, absorbing the boundless bloodline power.

Day and night passed.

When the eastern sun rose, Wu Jun finally opened his eyes, and the Flesh-Winged Silkworm soon followed suit. Even as Suppressing Stones, a faint demonic aura still emanated from their bodies.

Their strengths were comparable.

It was a terrifying demonic aura that Shen Yi had never seen before.

"If the Tianjian Sect Daoist opens up two Immortal Cities, can you defeat her?" Shen Yi turned his head slightly to look at them, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

To his surprise, even with such a huge boost, the two demons still maintained their calm, pondering for a moment before hesitantly replying, "Reporting to Master, if we join forces, we estimate we have about a two-in-ten chance of victory."

"That's quite a big difference," Shen Yi said, taken aback.

Wu Jun closed his mouth, looking somewhat ashamed. It was the Flesh-Winged Silkworm who had the broader knowledge and humbly explained, "Master may not be aware, but although it is the same city, the Daoist artifacts obtained from them are vastly different."

"Take Su Hongxiu, for example. When she reached Returning Void, she forged a seven-layered Heavenly Palace, so the artifact she obtained from the Dragon Han Grand City was a Primordial Heaven artifact, and the one from the Crimson Clarity City is unknown, but it is at least a Green Luan fairy artifact."

"This is something that other White Jade Kings cannot compare to."

"If it was an ordinary White Jade King who had opened two cities and was wielding a spiritual artifact, I alone would be able to handle it."

Hearing this, Shen Yi looked at his own Purple Qi-filled Infinite Demon Emperor Palace.

He suddenly felt a sense of relief.

It was a good thing he hadn't rushed into breaking through like before, disregarding the consequences.

Turns out there were so many intricacies to being a White Jade King.

"How many cities are there in total?"

Shen Yi turned to the two demons again, but he received completely different answers.

"Three."

"Four."

Wu Jun and the Flesh-Winged Silkworm glanced at each other, their brows furrowed slightly, clearly both thinking they were right.

At that moment, a weak voice sounded in Shen Yi's mind.

"Reporting to Master, there are a total of five Immortal Cities, also known as the Five Tribulations, respectively representing birth, old age, sickness, death, and suffering. Only by overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation can a cultivator transcend mortality and ascend to the realm of unity with the Dao."

"However, not every cultivator has the opportunity to undergo the Five Tribulations. Most cultivators, due to their shallow foundation when they reach Returning Void, cannot even perceive the latter cities."

"Even if they are lucky enough to break through to the Unity realm, they can only be considered pseudo-immortals."

Although Ke Shisan's realm was low, his knowledge was evidently far superior to that of the two demons.

He hastily added, "If you want evidence, there was once a cultivator from Nan Hong who had seen the fifth Immortal City of Eternal Wellbeing, but in the end, he failed to open it. This person happened to be from your Nanyang Sect, and his name was Xuan Qing, also known as the Dragon Slaying Daoist."

Heavenly Tribulation.

In the mouth of this Dragon Prince, tribulations seemed like a good thing.

It even depended on one's talent and foundation; otherwise, one wouldn't even have the qualifications to undergo the tribulation? This was simply outrageous.

Shen Yi stood up, his gaze drifting towards the direction of the Ancestor Hall.

Speaking of which, the reputation of this former Nanyang Sect Master was truly pervasive.

The title of Dragon Slaying Daoist sounded rather crude.

But don't forget... This was Hongze.

Hongze, with its four Great Dragon Palaces ruling over the land and sea, their influence reaching everywhere, and their power overshadowing everything.

For a cultivator to dare to bear this title and still be alive today, the level of terror it implied was indescribable.

"Hmm."

With that in mind, Shen Yi put away several Suppressing Stones and flew towards the direction of the Ancestor Hall.

Soon, he landed at the entrance of the hall.

With a gesture, he indicated for the flustered Li Qingfeng to leave first.

Shen Yi straightened his clothes, then squatted in front of the reclining wooden man, Xuan Qing. His eyes were closed as if he had shut out all senses, or perhaps he no longer had any breath left in him.

"..."

Shen Yi cleared his throat and extended his hand towards Xuan Qing, his voice calm as he said, "Hello, Dragon Slaying Daoist."

Before he finished speaking, Xuan Qing's body suddenly trembled, and his lifeless body finally moved. Like an ostrich, he turned his head away and buried it in the ground.

"What's wrong, Dragon Slaying...?" Shen Yi's expression remained unchanged.

Xuan Qing placed his hand on Shen Yi's arm, interrupting him before quickly getting up and silently walking into the hall.

His steps grew faster and faster, as if he wanted to escape this place as soon as possible.

It seemed that in this world, there were things more terrifying than death.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end