Chapter 498: A Show of Force (Part I)

Chapter 498: A Show of Force (Part I)



In the upper floors of the Zangfa Pavilion, within the Nanyang Sect, Shen Yi stood amidst a cloud of white mist, his mind replaying the events of his recent battle against the White Jade Capital fish demon commander, whom he had slain with his own hands.

While the panel could directly interpret and demonstrate martial arts techniques, it couldn't make up for a lack of combat experience. Only by personally experiencing a wide array of strategies and pondering their countermeasures could one truly achieve a level of effortless mastery.

At the moment the fish demon saw through the Tianyan Forty-Nine technique and truly found the path to survival, Shen Yi also realized a profound truth. The spiritual technique that allowed him to slay demons and devils across great realm gaps during the Returning Void realm had an exceptionally powerful effect even against the White Jade Capital level, but it did have its limits.

No matter how ingenious a technique was, it needed to be supported by a sufficient level of cultivation.

The perfected spiritual technique was flawless in its execution, even bewildering elders Chi Yang and Liu Shiqian, indicating that even among the White Jade Capital elders, few could have cultivated it to such a masterful degree.

However, when it came to cultivation realm...

When Shen Yi had previously used the Wusheng Palm technique, he had relied mainly on his Godphoenix Invincible Sword Body, comparable to the twelfth layer of the Returning Void realm.

With the dual empowerment of the Gui Xu Immortal Armor and the Hongmeng Purple Qi, along with the addition of the Qinglong Suxing Spear, he had barely gained the qualifications to battle the fish demon.

The reason he had emerged victorious was that the fish demon had already exhausted most of its energy against the Tianyan Forty-Nine technique and the iron medallion. It was already in an extremely fatigued state, and upon finding the path to survival, it had discovered someone standing in its way, which had caused a huge problem with its mental state.

Returning Void's ninth layer was still too low.

If he had been at the White Jade Capital realm, even without considering the use of magic weapons, he could have easily handled the situation with the abilities he possessed at present.

"Huh," Shen Yi exhaled, realizing that there was no need to be stingy with the town spirit stones.

As long as he successfully broke through to the White Jade Capital realm, powerful town spirit stones like Wu Jun and the Flesh-Winged Silkworm wouldn't be of much use anyway, and even if they were, it would be easier to collect them at that time.

Remaining Demon Longevity: 463,000 years

The longevity extracted from these three demon beasts was already considerable, but it wasn't quite enough for his needs.

Beings as powerful as them required at least twenty or more demon origin stones just to reshape their demon souls.

Shen Yi didn't bother to be picky and first reshaped the younger water elephant and fish demon.

He almost couldn't even scrape together enough demon longevity to reshape them.

Remaining Demon Longevity: 2,300 years

Two more powerful demons revived within his mind, weaker than Wu Jun but still far beyond comparison to ordinary first-grade pillar demons.

That made four first-grade pillars, and if he included the three-headed snake demon, he was only one short.

Shen Yi contemplated whether he should include Ke Thirteen to make up the numbers, but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Aside from the possibility of needing to cultivate other spiritual techniques in the future, if he failed to forge the Celestial Palace because of Ke Thirteen, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Elder Xuanqing had once suffered a huge loss because of a similar decision.

"Think of another way," Shen Yi muttered to himself as he stood up, not feeling overly anxious.

During his brief clash with Ke Laosi, the latter, as a dragon prince-level demon, could have caused him a lot of trouble if he had fully mobilized his troops and set his mind to it.

It would be better to lie low and heal his injuries while also avoiding any potential trouble.

Since leaving the Nanyang treasure land, Shen Yi realized that he hadn't had a good rest.

He glanced around and then walked over to the old man, sitting down directly in front of him.

Shen Yi was curious to know if the "residual soul" the old man had left behind was truly just a manifestation of various martial arts techniques or if he had left behind any other legacy for Elder Xuanqing.

With this in mind, he unconsciously sized up the figure before him.

"Xuanqing..."

As the two pairs of eyes met, the old man's repeated words suddenly paused for a moment.

"Old devil!"

Shen Yi's instincts kicked in at the brief moment of strangeness, and he immediately wanted to leap backwards! The faint Hongmeng Purple Qi and the Gui Xu Immortal Armor instantly empowered his body, and the dragon spear appeared in his palm, its dragon roar reverberating through the white mist!

However, Shen Yi's terrifying physique, capable of slaying a White Jade Capital fish demon, seemed to be trapped within the old man's cloudy eyes.

No matter how he urged the Dragon Leap Across the Heavens, his body couldn't seem to move away, and the eyes always remained just inches away.

They drew closer and closer, until Shen Yi was completely enveloped.

"... ..."

"... ..."

From the moment he had transmigrated to this world, Shen Yi had never felt so powerless. Forget about coming up with a countermeasure; his consciousness was gradually becoming hazy.

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

Was this the power of a great master at the Unity realm? Even though the old man had been dead for a full 100,000 years?!

Just as a familiar voice penetrated his eardrums, Shen Yi's muddled mind suddenly cleared.

"Xuanqing, you've come?"

"Come in."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi slowly opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar Ancestral Hall. It was night, and the hall was dimly lit.

His legs moved of their own accord, stepping into the hall and stopping in front of the ancestral statue, where he respectfully performed a ritual. From his mouth came a voice that didn't belong to him.

"Disciple is about to leave and has come to pay respects to the ancestor."

Shen Yi watched helplessly as his hands came together in a salute, his heart suddenly sinking.

It wasn't the imagined possession of another's body.

This body was clearly someone else's... and most likely Elder Xuanqing's.

In the face of the means left behind by a Unity realm cultivator, Shen Yi had no way to respond, so he could only calm down and quietly observe.

The ancestral statue shimmered with spiritual light.

Suddenly, a figure walked out from it and reached out towards Shen Yi's head, but only got halfway before withdrawing with a helpless laugh. "You've grown so tall."

The figure was none other than the old man sitting in the Zangfa Pavilion.

"Are you really planning to leave? Are you giving up on your master and the Unity treasure land?"

The old man was smiling, but his voice carried a hint of bitterness.

Shen Yi was once again forced to open his mouth, and he also smiled as he spoke. "Leave the Unity treasure land to the other disciples. Xuanqing will find his own path. A master is always a master, and when Xuanqing ascends to the Celestial Court, he will invite you to come and enjoy the blessings there.

"No," Shen Yi shook his head, his expression indifferent. "But no one can afford to offend Xuanqing. If he doesn't give face, then I'll take it myself. I will always get what I want, and Master should know that Xuanqing has never lost."

"Is your pride more important than your master?" The old man swallowed, slowly turning away.

"If someone wanted to humiliate you, Xuanqing would break through the heavens to stop them... Perhaps pride sounds trivial, so let's call it commitment to the Dao. One's commitment to the Dao must not be broken."

Shen Yi took two steps back, lifting his robe, and then calmly knelt down on both knees. "Even without Hongze, Xuanqing is still a proud son of heaven. Wait for me to return, and you will see them bow before you."

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

"I've considered everything," Shen Yi replied with a slight smile, his confidence unwavering.

"Then good." The old man turned back, his expression much calmer now. "This time, I won't interfere. Whether you live or perish, whether you ascend to immortality or not, has nothing to do with Nanyang. I am the sect master, and I cannot jeopardize the lives of everyone in this sacred land for your sake alone."

After saying this, he nodded. "Go."

In an instant, Shen Yi's perspective shifted, as if he had suddenly become the old man.

He quietly watched as the proud young man stood up and left, hearing him say, "Please pretend you don't know anything... Don't watch or listen, just wait for me to return. You are my master, so have some faith in me. After all, I've never lost."

With that, Xuanqing turned and strode out of the Ancestral Hall, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

...

Nanyang Sect, Ancestral Hall.

"We have a big problem!" Li Qingfeng wanted to slap himself. It seemed like this was all he had been saying lately.

"... " Xuanqing silently turned back, putting down the broom in his hand.

Outside the Ancestral Hall, numerous Nanyang executives had gathered, their faces filled with worry.

"Xuanhai Abbey received a jade slip requesting help from Yunxiao Pavilion. They are being besieged by the Dragon Palace, and Xuan Yue City has already sent reinforcements. The Yan family received the news as well and dispatched their clan members. Now, they are all waiting for Nanyang Sect's response."

Li Qingfeng's hand trembled as he held the jade slip.

His greatest hope was that nothing unexpected would happen before the Seven Sons Assembly.

However, the recent news had been more and more alarming.

"They say that the one leading the siege is the Fifth Prince and the Fourth Young Master of the Dragon Palace, with an elite force of three thousand, comparable to eight great generals of the White Jade Capital."

Li Qingfeng had no concept of such realms, but he knew that upon hearing this news, even the strongest executives of the Nanyang Sect almost fainted.

This show of force was almost equivalent to half the strength of the Qingyue Sect, excluding the sect master.

Aside from himself, even if Master Shen Yi took action, it would likely be of little use.

"Besieged?"

Xuanqing's expression turned grave, but he did not show any signs of panic.

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

Ke Shiliang was the name of the Fifth Prince.

"What did he say... He wants us to confront them directly... All Nanyang Sect and Yan family cultivators at the late Returning Void stage and above must show themselves..." Li Qingfeng, unfamiliar with the situation in Nan Hong, replied hesitantly.

"Hmm."

Xuanqing sighed and slowly clenched his fists.

The siege and confrontation indicated that the other party was not seeking revenge but wanted to discuss terms.

This made the situation even more troublesome.

What had the Nanyang Sect done to be at a disadvantage?

At this thought, Xuanqing inexplicably recalled the dragon palace's great sword that Master Shen Yi had taken out before.

He turned his head towards the direction of the Zangfa Pavilion.

Xuanqing knew better than anyone what was happening there, and Master Shen Yi would not be able to leave for the time being.

This matter had come too suddenly.

Even if he were willing to ask his old acquaintances for help for the sake of Nanyang, there wouldn't be enough time.

"Everyone, wait here and don't leave. I'll keep you informed."

Xuanqing took out his token and left the Nanyang sacred land.

In full view of everyone, he headed towards the Qingyue Sect.

Since returning home, aside from the last time he called out, this was his first time leaving the Nanyang Sect.

Xuanqing soon stepped onto the Qingyue relief sculpture, and under the stunned gaze of the Qingyue disciples, he quickly descended towards the Qingyue Sect's Ancestral Hall.

Then, with long strides, he entered the hall and stood before the ancestral statue.

"..."

Compared to the previous time when he had called out with nonchalance and dominance.

Xuanqing took a deep breath, his knees trembling slightly as if struggling, and then resignedly closed his eyes.

He took a step forward and said, "Xuanqing pays respect to his uncle."

At this moment, a wisp of spiritual energy emerged from the ancestral statue, supporting Xuanqing's body as he was about to kneel, and a gentle voice sounded, "I don't want to accept your kneeling from someone as stubborn as you... But then again, you've changed quite a bit."

"..."

Xuanqing smiled bitterly to himself and remained silent, lowering his head.

Outside the Ancestral Hall.

In another part of the Qingyue Sect, Elder Chi Yang chased after someone with a helpless expression: "You shouldn't be rushing around with your injury."

"You don't understand."

Liu Shiqian's face was grim as he summoned the Qingyue treasure boat.

He finally understood what Dao Zi had warned him about.

Ke Laosi had access to more information than he had imagined.

During their previous meeting, the other party had noticed the absence of the blood seal on his body, immediately narrowing down the suspects to Shen Yi and the Yan family.

Moreover, with this show of force, the Dragon Palace was at least ninety percent certain about the identity of the one who had killed Ke Thirteen.

The direct confrontation was to confirm the presence of the blood seal.

Now, two dragon princes were targeting the Nanyang Sect.

Aside from Master Shen Yi, even their Dao Zi would likely seek help from the sect master.

"Could it be that we're in the wrong?"

"It's nothing," Li Shiqian replied, his expression still revealing his uncertainty about the situation. "It's just that this matter is rather unique. Ke Shisan did act inappropriately, but he also made a show of putting up a front. If we're being reasonable, it's hard to say that he deserves to die."

"Let's go take a look first." Li Shiqian furrowed his brows and, riding on the Qingyue Treasure Boat, headed toward the direction of Yunxiao Pavilion.

By the time the two elders arrived, they were met with a startling sight. Towering waves loomed overhead, and within those waves was a dense array of elite demon soldiers. Eight terrifying water demons stood amidst them, their massive bodies blocking out the sky.

Within the encirclement of these water demons were two hundred-zhang-long dragons, one red and one yellow, their bodies coiled in the air!

The overwhelming demonic aura they exuded caused even the two elders, with their high cultivation levels, to feel alarmed.

The majestic and imposing Yunxiao Pavilion, surrounded by this group of demons, suddenly seemed pitiful and helpless.

"..."

Just then, the yellow dragon slowly turned its head, its indifferent gaze falling upon the two elders. It opened its massive jaws and spoke in a voice like a resounding bell: "This matter has nothing to do with you. I only want to see the people from the Nanyang Sect and the Yan family. The rest of you, scram!"

There were very few beings in Nan'hong who dared to disregard Elder Baiyu Jing of the Nanyang Sect. However, Ke Shiliang was undoubtedly one of them.

At that moment, inside the Yunxiao Pavilion, the cultivators from the Nanyang Sect's four subordinate forces were gathered together. When they saw the two elders from the Qingyue Sect, their anxious faces lit up with relief. But upon hearing the yellow dragon's words, their brief happiness faded away.

Ke Shiliang had the qualifications to make such a demand, but there was no need for him to be so ruthless.

However, now that he had made his intentions clear, it seemed that a peaceful resolution to this matter was unlikely.

"Oh? Are you afraid to let us watch, Fifth Prince? If you have a reason, I'd love to hear it," a strange, playful voice rang out from the sky.

The clouds parted, and Bai Wu slowly descended, taking his place in front of the two elders and facing the two dragons.

"What's this about?" Before Ke Shiliang could speak, the red dragon laughed and interjected, "Qingyue Sect, you just disassociated yourself from this matter, and now you want to get involved again? Have you asked your master about this?"

"Ha!" Bai Wu also chuckled, his tone light and casual. "Ke Laosi, if something happened to our elders, I wouldn't be smiling. Your composure and maturity far exceed my expectations, Laosi. With this mindset, I think you have a good chance of becoming the South Palace Dragon King. Believe in yourself, you can do it!"

"..."

Upon hearing the mention of damage to the elders, the red dragon's expression darkened, and when it heard the title 'South Palace Dragon King', it instinctively bared its fangs. It turned its head away, uninterested in continuing the verbal sparring.

What was the point of trading barbs when Bai Wu had already made it clear that he wouldn't be getting involved?

"I'm just here to watch the show. If you don't like it, come and make me leave," Bai Wu said, pointing at his face and smiling even wider. Then, with the two elders in tow, he strode confidently toward the Yunxiao Pavilion.

In a moment that went unnoticed by others, he shot a warning glance at the two elders, conveying a clear message: "..."

Bai Wu might not care about the affairs of others, but he had to ensure the safety of these two elders and bring them back alive.

His intervention wasn't to help the Nanyang Sect, but rather to deter the two elders from acting rashly and to keep them calm.

"Elder," Li Shiqian said through gritted teeth, his voice low. "Today, Shiqian cannot obey your instructions."

After saying this, he abruptly walked past the stunned Bai Wu and approached the cultivators from the Nanyang Sect's subordinate forces.

"..."

Ke Shiliang, who had previously ignored Bai Wu, finally turned his attention to him, his voice carrying a chill: "Qingyue Daoist, are you sure about this? I must warn you that this matter concerns the life of my unfilial son. I have no interest in playing games with you."

"Are you sure?" The yellow dragon, Ke Shiliang, asked again, his eyes narrowing.

At that moment, the countless demon soldiers and generals fixed their fierce gazes on the two elders.

"I..." Bai Wu scratched his head, at a loss for words.

"Before you speak, remember who you are and who I am," Ke Laosi said, his tone icy.

The Yan family members saw the dilemma on Bai Wu's face and remained silent, understanding the situation. Although they were grateful for Elder Li's stance, the fact was that he alone could not represent the entire Qingyue Sect.

"What's going on here?" the cultivators from the Yunxiao Pavilion asked, their confusion mixed with panic. They wanted to surround the Yan family members and get some answers.

The four subordinate forces had just returned to the Nanyang Sect, and nothing had happened yet. They hadn't even met the sect leader, and now they were besieged by water demons. Anyone would find this unacceptable.

"Let's wait for the sect leader's instructions," Yan Xianqing said apologetically to the others.

Without Shen Zongzhu's orders, he wouldn't say anything.

However... it seemed like the Dragon Palace's patience was wearing thin. If it weren't for the Qingyue Sect's sudden appearance, they might have already sent troops into the Yunxiao Pavilion.

Now, it appeared that the Qingyue Sect's intervention wasn't going to be enough to deter them.

Yan Xianqing took a deep breath and began to mobilize his internal energy as he faced the elite forces of the Dragon Palace.

Shen Zongzhu hadn't shown himself yet... Was he planning to abandon these subordinates, or did he have another plan? But given his understanding of the current situation in Nan'hong, even if Shen Zongzhu wanted to help, he probably couldn't do much.

Those allied sects didn't truly recognize him as their sect leader.

It seemed that a bloody battle was inevitable.

Just as everyone's hearts were filled with dread, a voice rang out from the distance.

"Then, what do you think you are?"

Accompanying the voice was the appearance of a tall figure.

Dressed in a white robe with golden threads and cloud patterns, Wei Yuanzhou stood there, looking down at Ke Laosi.

His arrival surprised not only the cultivators from the Nanyang Sect's four subordinate forces but also the water demons from the Dragon Palace, including Ke Shiliang and Ke Laosi.

Moreover, his words carried a weight and confidence that Bai Wu's had lacked.

It seemed that he truly intended to intervene.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end