Chapter 498: A Comparison of Formations (Part 1)

Chapter 498: A Comparison of Formations (Part 1)



At the top floor of the Treasure Law Pavilion in the Nan Yang Sect.

Shen Yi was enveloped in white mist, his mind replaying the scene of him personally slaying the fish demon general of the White Jade Capital.

The panel could directly deduce cultivation techniques, but it couldn't make up for the lack of combat experience.

Only by personally experiencing a sufficient number of methods and pondering how to counter them could one truly become adept.

When the fish demon saw through Heavenly Derivation Nine-Nine and truly stepped into the path of life, Shen Yi also realized a truth: the Spirit Art that could kill demons and devils across great realms in the Return to Void realm was still exceptionally effective at the White Jade Capital level, but it had its limits.

Even the most ingenious techniques required a high enough cultivation level to support them.

The Spirit Art, in terms of technique, was flawless, even confusing Chi Yang and Liu Shiqian, the two elders. This indicated that even the elders of the White Jade Capital might not be able to cultivate this technique to such a refined level.

But in terms of cultivation level...

When Shen Yi previously used the Unborn Palm, he relied mainly on the Divine Phoenix Immortal Sword Body, comparable to the twelfth layer of Return to Void.

With the support of the Abyss Immortal Armor and Primordial Purple Qi, and the addition of the Azure Dragon Shattering Star Spear, he was qualified to fight the fish demon.

The reason he won was because the fish demon had already exhausted most of its energy due to Heavenly Derivation Nine-Nine and the Iron Command Token. It was already in an extremely fatigued state, and upon finding the path to life, it discovered someone standing ahead, which caused a significant problem in its mentality.

The ninth layer of Return to Void was still too low.

If they were both at the White Jade Capital level, even without considering Daoist Soldiers, with just the techniques he had mastered now, he wouldn't need to go through so much trouble.

"Hmm."

Shen Yi exhaled, not feeling any reluctance to part with the Foundation Stones.

As long as he could successfully break through the White Jade Capital level, Foundation Stones of similar power to Wu Sheng and the Winged Silkworm wouldn't be of much use later. Even if they were useful, it would be easier to collect them at that time.

[Remaining Demonic Lifespan: 463,000 years]



The lifespan provided by these three demons was already considerable, but it wasn't quite enough.

For powerful beings like them, just reshaping their demon souls required at least twenty or more Demonic Essences each.

Shen Yi didn't bother to be picky and first reshaped the younger Water Elephant and Fish Demon.

He almost couldn't even gather the lifespan for the Foundation Stones.

[Remaining Demonic Lifespan: 2,300 years]



Two more powerful demons revived in his mind, weaker than Wu Sheng but still far beyond ordinary First-Grade Dao Pillars.

This meant he now had four First-Grade Dao Pillars, and with the Three-Headed Serpent Demon, he only lacked one.

Shen Yi considered whether to include Ke Shi San to make up the number but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Not to mention he might need to cultivate other Spirit Arts in the future, but if he couldn't forge the Heavenly Palace because of Ke Shi San, he would regret it to death.

Elder Xuan Qing had suffered a great loss because of this.

"Think of another way."

Shen Yi stood up, not overly anxious.

He had just faced Ke Lao Si, a dragon progeny-level demon. If the demon had fully mobilized its soldiers to deliberately cause trouble for him, it would have been enough to give him a headache.

It was better to take advantage of healing to lay low for a while.

Since leaving the Nan Yang Treasure Site, Shen Yi realized he hadn't had a good rest.

He looked around and then walked towards the old man, sitting down casually in front of him.

Shen Yi really wanted to know if the "residual soul" left by the old man was just a manifestation of various cultivation techniques, or if there was another legacy left for Elder Xuan Qing.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously examined the figure before him.

"Xuan Qing..."

The old man's repeated words suddenly paused for a moment as their gazes met.

"Old thief!"

At the slightest hint of strangeness, Shen Yi instinctively wanted to leap backwards! The Primordial Purple Qi and Abyss Immortal Armor instantly enveloped his body, and the dragon spear quietly fell into his palm, with the dragon's roar instantly resounding through the white mist!

However, Shen Yi's formidable physique, capable of slaying the White Jade Capital fish demon, seemed to be trapped in the old man's turbid eyes.

No matter how he urged the Dragon Leap to the Sky, his body rushed out, but those eyes remained close by.

And they kept getting closer, until they completely engulfed Shen Yi.

"..."

"..."

Since his arrival, Shen Yi had never felt so powerless. Forget about coming up with a strategy; even his consciousness gradually became hazy.

It was as if his entire body was enveloped in mud, slowly sealing his ears, nose, and eyes.

Was this the method of a Uniting Dao realm grandmaster? Even though the opponent had been dead for a full 100,000 years! Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced his eardrums, snapping Shen Yi out of his daze.

"Xuan Qing, you're here?"

"Come in."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi slowly opened his eyes, seeing the familiar Ancestor Hall. In the night, it appeared somewhat dim.

His legs moved uncontrollably, stepping inside and walking up to the Ancestor statue, where he respectfully performed a bow, his mouth uttering words not his own.

"Disciple is leaving. I've come to pay respects to the Ancestor."

Shen Yi watched as his hands clasped together, his heart suddenly becoming certain.

It wasn't the imagined body-snatching reincarnation.

This body was obviously someone else's... and most likely Xuan Qing's.

Facing the methods left by a Uniting Dao realm cultivator, Shen Yi had no means to counter them. He could only calm down and silently observe.

The Ancestor statue emitted a divine light.

Suddenly, a figure walked out, reaching towards Shen Yi's head, but halfway, he retracted his hand and sighed helplessly, "You've grown so tall."

It was the old man who had been sitting in the Treasure Law Pavilion.

"Really planning to leave? No more Master, and no more Uniting Dao treasure site?"

The old man was smiling, but there was an inexplicable sadness in his voice.

Shen Yi was forced to open his mouth again, smiling, "Leave the Uniting Dao treasure site to the other fellow disciples. Xuan Qing will find another path. Master will always be Master. When Xuan Qing ascends to the Heavenly Court, I'll invite you to come and enjoy it."

"..."

The old man remained silent for a long time before finally speaking up, "I don't think you're the type to be held back by emotions."

"No," Shen Yi shook his head and replied calmly, "But no one can afford to offend Xuan Qing. If he doesn't give me face, I'll take matters into my own hands. I can always get what I want, and Master should know that Xuan Qing has never lost once."

The old man cleared his throat and slowly turned away. "Is face more important than your master?"

"If someone were to humiliate you, Xuan Qing would do the same. He'd break through the heavenly gates if he had to. Perhaps 'face' sounds trivial, but let's call it 'Dao Heart,' and the Dao Heart must not be broken."

Shen Yi took a couple of steps back, lifted the hem of his robe, and then calmly knelt down, "Without Hongze, Xuan Qing is still the pride of the heavens. You must wait for me to return and watch them bow down in submission."

"Are you prepared?" The old man sighed, his voice hoarse.

"I've left nothing to chance," Shen Yi said with a slight smile, exuding confidence.

"Good," the old man turned back, his expression much calmer, "This time, I won't interfere. Whether you live or die, whether you achieve immortality or not, it has nothing to do with Nanyang. I am the Sect Leader, and I cannot put the lives of everyone in this treasure site at risk for one person."

After saying this, he nodded, "Go."

In an instant, Shen Yi's perspective suddenly shifted, as if he had transformed from Xuan Qing into the old man.

He watched quietly as the proud youth stood up from the ground, leaving behind a message, "You must act as if you don't know... Don't look, don't listen, just wait for my return. You're my master, have some faith in me. After all, I've never lost."

Xuan Qing turned and walked towards the Ancestral Hall, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

...

Nanyang Sect, Ancestral Hall.

"A major crisis has occurred!" Li Qingfeng felt like slapping himself, as if this was the only phrase he knew how to say.

Xuan Qing turned around silently and put down the broom in his hand.

Outside the Ancestral Hall, numerous Nanyang overseers had returned from outside and stood in a line, their faces filled with worry.

"Mysterious Sea Pavilion and Cloud Peak Pavilion have sent help requests. They are under siege by the Dragon Palace's troops. Xuan Yue City has sent reinforcements, and upon receiving the news, the Yan Family has also dispatched their clansmen. Now, they are all waiting for Nanyang Sect's response."

Li Qingfeng's hand holding the jade slip was trembling uncontrollably.

His greatest hope was that no accidents would occur before the Seven Sons Assembly.

However, the recent news he had received was more alarming than ever.

"They say the leader of the troops is the Fifth Prince and Ke Laosi of the Dragon Palace, leading three thousand elite soldiers, comparable to the eight generals of White Jade Capital."

Li Qingfeng had no concept of such a realm. He only knew that upon hearing this news, even the most powerful Nanyang overseers nearly fainted.

This display of force was almost equivalent to half of the Clear Moon Sect's strength, excluding the Sect Leader.

Not only Li Qingfeng, but even if Sect Leader Shen himself intervened, it would likely be of no use.

"Under siege?"

Xuan Qing's expression turned grave, but he didn't show any signs of panic.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he looked up and said, "Did Ke Shiliang say why?"

Ke Shiliang was the name of the Fifth Prince.

"He said... let's confront them face-to-face... Nanyang Sect and the Yan Family's cultivators at the fifth stage of Void Return and above must come forward..." Li Qingfeng, unfamiliar with the situation in Nan Hong, replied hesitantly.

"Hmm."

Xuan Qing sighed, slowly clenching his fists.

Siege and confrontation.

These actions indicated that the other party wasn't seeking revenge but wanted to discuss matters rationally.

This made the situation even more troublesome.

What exactly had the Nanyang Sect done to be at fault?

At this thought, Xuan Qing suddenly remembered the dragon palace saber that Sect Leader Shen had taken out the last time.

He turned his head towards the direction of the Treasure Law Pavilion.

Xuan Qing was well aware of what was happening there, and Sect Leader Shen would not be able to leave for the time being.

This matter had come too suddenly.

Even if he were willing to ask for help from his old acquaintances for Nanyang's sake, there wasn't enough time.

"Everyone, wait inside the sect. Don't leave, and await my news."

Xuan Qing took out his jade Dao tablet and swiftly left the Nanyang Treasure Site.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he headed towards the Clear Moon Sect.

Since returning home, this was his first departure from the Nanyang Sect, except for the previous time he had knocked on the door.

Xuan Qing soon arrived at the Clear Moon Sect's floating sculpture and swiftly descended upon the Clear Moon Sect's Ancestral Hall, attracting the stunned gazes of the Clear Moon disciples.

He strode into the hall and stood before the Ancestral Statue.

"..."

Compared to his previous carefree and domineering demeanor, Xuan Qing took a deep breath, his knees trembling as if in a struggle, before closing his eyes in resignation.

He took a step forward, "Xuan Qing pays his respects to the senior."

At that moment, a stream of spiritual energy emerged from the Ancestral Statue, supporting Xuan Qing's body as he was about to kneel, and a gentle voice sounded, "You stubborn, face-saving youngster, I won't accept your kneeling... But on second thought, you've really changed a lot."

"..."

Xuan Qing gave a self-deprecating smile and silently lowered his head.

Outside the Ancestral Hall.

In another part of the Clear Moon Sect, Chi Yang was chasing after someone with a helpless expression, "You're still injured. Why the rush?"

"You don't understand."

Liu Shiqian's face darkened as he summoned the Clear Moon Treasure Ship.

He finally understood what the Daoist priest had warned him about.

Ke Laosi's information was probably more extensive than he had imagined.

During their previous meeting, the other party had noticed the absence of blood talisman energy on his body, immediately narrowing down the target to Shen Yi and the Yan Family.

Moreover, with this momentum, the Dragon Palace was at least ninety percent certain of identifying the killer of Ke Shisan.

The face-to-face confrontation was to see the blood talisman.

Now, two Dragon Progeny-level figures were simultaneously targeting the Nanyang Sect.

Even if it weren't Sect Leader Shen, but their own Daoist priest, they would likely seek help from the Sect Leader.

"Could it be that we're in the wrong?" Chi Yang asked in astonishment.

What's the point of arguing when we're in the right? If the Fifth Prince dares to say another word, the Sect Masters will be more than happy to step in.

"That's not entirely true."

Liu Shiqian repeated his words, acknowledging the peculiarity of the situation. Ke Laosi had indeed acted inappropriately, but he had also put on a good show for appearances.

In theory, it's hard to justify his punishment.

"Let's go take a look."

Liu Shiqian furrowed his brows and piloted the Qingyue Treasure Ship towards the direction of the Cloud Peak Pavilion.

When the two Qingyue Zong Elders arrived at the scene, they witnessed the towering waves and the dense swarm of elite Demon Soldiers, along with eight terrifying water demons, each with a body that blotted out the sky.

Amidst the water demons, two dragons, one red and the other yellow, each several hundred zhang long, hovered in the air, coiled and majestic.

The overwhelming demonic aura, even for the two Qingyue Zong Elders with their cultivation, was enough to make their hearts tremble.

The majestic Cloud Peak Pavilion, surrounded by these demons, seemed to exude a pitiful aura.

"..."

At that moment, the yellow dragon slowly turned its head, gazing indifferently at the two elders, and opened its mouth to speak with a voice like a deep bell: "This matter has nothing to do with you. I only want to see the Nan Yang Zong and the Yan family, so get out of here."

There were very few in all of Nan Hong who could afford to offend the White Jade Capital's elders.

But Ke Shiliang was undoubtedly one of them.

At this moment, inside the Cloud Peak Pavilion, the four major affiliated forces of the Nan Yang Zong had gathered together.

When they saw the two Qingyue Zong Elders, their faces lit up with joy, but upon hearing the dragon's words, their joy gradually faded.

Ke Shiliang had the qualifications, but not the need, to say such words.

But the fact that he did so meant that today's matter would likely not end well.

"Oh, you won't even let us watch? Could it be that the Fifth Prince is feeling guilty?"

A strange voice echoed from the sky.

The clouds parted, and Bai Wu slowly descended, standing in front of the two elders, gazing at the two dragons.

"What?"

Before Ke Shiliang could speak, the red dragon laughed: "The Qingyue Zong just disassociated themselves from this matter. Are they trying to get involved again? Did you ask your master?"

"Ha." Bai Wu also smiled lightly: "Ke Laosi, if our sect's elders were to be severely injured, I wouldn't be laughing. You are more composed than I imagined, and your temperament surpasses what my master expected. With this temperament, I believe you can become the Dragon King of the Southern Palace. Believe in yourself, you can do it."

"..."

Upon hearing about severe injuries, the red dragon's expression darkened, and at the mention of the Southern Palace Dragon King, it instinctively bared its fangs.

It turned its head away indifferently.

What's the point of arguing? Bai Wu's previous words clearly showed that he didn't dare to truly get involved.

"I just want to watch the show. If you're not happy, come and fight me."

Bai Wu pointed to his face, his smile widening, and then he strode towards the Cloud Peak Pavilion with the two elders.

In a moment unnoticed by others, he shot a warning glance at the two elders.

Bai Wu could ignore other people's affairs, but these two old men, he had to bring them back alive.

He didn't intervene to help the Nan Yang Zong, but to intimidate the two elders and prevent them from acting impulsively.

"Daoist Priest."

Liu Shiqian clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "Today, Shiqian won't listen to you."

After speaking, he swiftly passed by a stunned Bai Wu and headed towards the Nan Yang Zong's affiliated cultivators.

"..."

Ke Shiliang, who had ignored Bai Wu earlier, finally turned his gaze towards him, his voice carrying a chilling intent: "Qingyue Daoist Priest, are you sure? I'll be blunt, this matter involves my unfilial son's life, and I have no interest in playing around with you."

"I'll ask again, are you sure?"

At the same time, the dense swarm of Demon Soldiers and the various generals all glared at them fiercely.

"I..." Bai Wu opened his mouth, feeling a bit of a headache, and was at a loss for words.

"Think about who you are before you speak." Ke Laosi reminded him with a sinister tone.

The Yan family cultivators watched as Qingyue Daoist Priest struggled, all standing silently. They understood the situation, and while they were grateful for Elder Liu's support, one elder alone could not represent the Qingyue Zong.

"What happened?"

The Cloud Peak Pavilion's cultivators were confused and panicked, wishing they could surround the Yan family.

The four major affiliated forces had just returned to the Nan Yang Zong, and before they could do anything, even meet the Sect Master, they were surrounded by the water demons. Anyone would have a hard time accepting this.

"Wait for the Sect Master's decree." Yan Xianqing looked at the others with a slight apology.

Before Shen Zongzhu spoke, he wouldn't do anything.

However, the Dragon Palace's patience seemed to be running out. If it weren't for the Qingyue Zong's sudden intervention, they might have already sent troops to the Cloud Peak Pavilion.

Now it seemed that the Qingyue Zong's influence wasn't as effective as before.

Yan Xianqing took a deep breath, gazing at the elite Dragon Palace cultivators, and began to quickly mobilize his internal energy.

Shen Zongzhu had yet to appear... Was he planning to abandon these affiliated forces, or did he have other plans? But given his understanding of the current situation among the Nan Hong Seven Sons, even if Shen Zongzhu had the intention, he probably couldn't do much.

Those allied sects didn't truly consider him the real Sect Master.

It seemed that a bloody battle was inevitable.

As everyone's hearts were filled with anxiety, a voice echoed from the distance.

"Then, what do you think you are?"

Accompanying the voice, a tall figure quietly appeared.

He wore a white robe with golden silk, adorned with cloud patterns.

Wei Yuanzhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Ke Laosi.

His appearance surprised not only the four major affiliated forces of the Nan Yang Zong but also the Dragon Palace water demons, including Ke Shiliang and Ke Laosi.

Moreover, Wei Yuanzhou's words carried more conviction than Bai Wu's earlier statement.

This meant... he truly intended to intervene.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end