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Chapter 500: On the Eve of the Seven Princes' Assembly
Chapter 500: On the Eve of the Seven Princes' Assembly
In Hongze, the Dragon Palace held as much power as an earthly emperor.
As the Fifth Prince of the Nangong family, Ke Shiliang may not have been comparable to his peers, who were akin to the Unity of Tao, but in a true battle, he would not lose to most Taoists. Coupled with his exalted status, his every move was closely watched by the Immortal Sect.
The incident where he led an army of demons to surround Yunxiaoge had already spread throughout the Seven Sects, causing an uproar.
This was different from the previous incident in Xuanyue City; the Dragon Palace didn't even bother with saving face this time.
Many elders and disciples, filled with righteous indignation, stepped out of the sect.
As the largest human force in South Hong, they had their pride, and they would not tolerate such humiliation.
Unfortunately, the group that could truly decide on this matter had remained silent.
Even though the disciples of the Immortal Sect were furious, they could only forcibly suppress their anger and redirect it elsewhere.
For example, towards the Nanyang Sect.
A respectable Immortal Sect, yet in the face of such an incident, they had not issued any edict. Were they planning to let their faces be trampled upon and handed over to Ke Shiliang to be trampled underfoot?
"If the Nanyang Sect does nothing, are we to stand by and do nothing as well?"
"Even to beat a dog, one must look at its owner. Before the Yunxiaoge returned to the Nanyang Sect, they were still our affiliate!"
"Fellow disciples, are you willing to follow me?"
A steward angrily drew his sword and stepped onto the sect's treasure boat.
Just as the other cultivators were about to follow suit, a spiritual pressure descended from the sky, immobilizing them in their tracks.
"You, a mere steward, dare to incite discord and attempt to stir up conflict between our sect and the Dragon Palace. If you take one more step, I will destroy your cultivation."
The voice of Elder Liu Xing Shan of the Sky Sword Sect reverberated above their heads.
Evidently, such a commotion had attracted the attention of the White Jade King elders of the Seven Sects.
The disciples' faces turned red, but due to the vast difference in cultivation levels, they couldn't even move their fingers.
There were obviously more than a pair of eyes hidden in the sky, all belonging to cultivators of the White Jade King level.
However, no one wanted to say anything more. They merely glanced at Liu Xing Shan with a hint of strangeness.
At that moment, a distant figure lightly flicked their sleeves, dispersing the heavy spiritual pressure, and said with a light laugh: "Thank you, Elder Liu, for teaching my disciples a lesson. It was my fault for not disciplining them properly. I will be more careful in the future."
Along with the voice.
A youth with golden silk and white robes, embroidered with a clear moon, slowly stepped forward. With a sincere smile on his lips, he said, "You are right, Elder Liu. The Dragon Palace and our South Hong Seven Princes have always been on good terms, without any conflict. With your help, we can continue to enjoy peace for countless generations. Why ruin this harmony over a minor friction?"
"You..."
Liu Xing Shan's face twitched, and he instinctively hid further behind the clouds before replying, "Clearmoon Taoist, don't spout nonsense. That's not what I meant... it's just that the time is not right yet."
"Yes, once you achieve Unity, we will have a greater grasp of the situation," the White Witch replied with a smile. Then, frowning, he signaled to the disciples, "Get back to the sect quickly. If Elder Liu doesn't dare to slay the demon dragon, do you think he would hesitate to destroy your cultivation?"
After speaking, he didn't bother to pay any more heed to Liu Xing Shan and strode away, disappearing into the light curtain of the Clear Moon bas-relief.
"You...!"
Liu Xing Shan's hand trembled with anger. After a moment, he waved his sleeve angrily and said, "I, your elder, have the heart of the sect in mind, and the heavens and earth are my witnesses. I just don't want to argue with you."
But soon, he saw two more figures rushing back in the distance.
It was the odd pair of friends, Elder Chi Yang and Liu Shi Qian.
Liu Xing Shan's eyebrows twitched slightly as he felt a sense of foreboding.
These two were in cahoots with Shen Yi of the Nanyang Sect. Their return likely meant they had gone to assist Yunxiaoge, but their demeanor didn't seem like they had just been through a major battle.
Could it be that even with Ke Shiliang's intervention, they were unable to defeat that native of Nanyang?!
At the same time.
Within the ancestral hall of the Clear Moon Sect.
Xuan Qing knelt on a meditation mat, and in front of him stood a cold-backed figure with their hands behind their back. Their posture and temperament were identical to that of the ancestor statue.
"Elder Ji, won't you help me?"
"No." The woman replied calmly.
"Why?" Xuan Qing suddenly clenched his fists, with the intention of standing up and leaving.
"Because I don't want the new sect master to be like you, thinking that someone will always be there to catch you whenever you fall. I don't want them to become lawless... Oh, I forgot, you always thought it was your lucky stars that allowed you to turn crises into safety, never losing, and you took pride in that. Even after Qin Shi Xiong's demise, you still thought so, didn't you?"
As a Unity Realm giant, Ji Zongzhu rarely spoke so many words at once.
She was always known for her gentle and quiet demeanor, like the clear moon, but now, a slight curve appeared at the corner of her lips, carrying a hint of ridicule.
"Xuan Qing already knows his mistake." Li Xuanqing stood up, intending to bow again, but was held in place by the spiritual pressure. His voice carried a hint of urgency, "Shen Yi is different from me."
"How is he different?" The Clear Moon Sect Master finally turned around, "He is even more deserving of the title of Tianjiao than you, and his ability to stir up trouble far surpasses yours back then."
"Xuan Qing, I, your master, am truly afraid. Just as we were delighted to see your potential, we are now equally worried."
The Clear Moon Sect Master looked at him with a complicated expression, her lips curving downwards, "You should know that by not forcefully taking away the Nanyang treasure land, we have already shown the greatest leniency towards you. That treasure land represents a new Unity Realm cultivator, and we are willing to give you a chance, but it is up to you to walk this path.
"I hope you truly understand. You're just going to go find your old flames again, aren't you?" The Clearmoon Sect Master, rarely seen with her eyebrows raised, watched as Xuanqing seemed to ignore her and strode out of the hall. She finally sighed, "No need to look for him. At least, for now, he's much better off than you."
"At least three of the seven Taoist priests are willing to stand up for him, unlike you. Back then, the other six only wanted to kill you to repair their Taoist hearts." The Clearmoon Sect Master took out a Taoist token, from which came a message from the White Witch, who had sent it earlier.
Even before Xuanqing entered, her silence and decision to not stop the White Witch from leaving the sect was already a clear statement of her stance.
"Thank you, Auntie Ji." Xuanqing paused and then bowed.
However, he felt helpless inside. While Shen Yi's behavior was impeccable, his style of conducting business was truly a headache.
He never communicated with others, acting alone and keeping his plans to himself.
Just like this time, he had already made arrangements without informing anyone, making Xuanqing take a trip for nothing and earning him a lecture from Auntie Ji.
"If you want to find your old flames, go ahead. Anyway, someone has already taken the initiative to come, and I've asked the White Witch to bring them to stay at the Clearmoon Sect temporarily." The Clearmoon Sect Master added nonchalantly.
Upon hearing this, Xuanqing's body stiffened momentarily.
He then turned and quickly walked away.
As the two conversed, outside the Clearmoon Sect, accompanied by Su Hongxiu and her sister, an elderly woman with waist-length white hair and a treasure flower cane stood gracefully. Beside her, a stunningly beautiful barefoot girl carefully supported her.
"It's very thoughtful of you to come all this way to attend the Seven Princes' Assembly. Please do visit Sky Sword Sect when you have time." Even Su Hongxiu's voice was gentler when addressing this elderly woman.
The Treasure Flower Sect Master, a giant in the Unity Realm.
The Treasure Flower Sect was located at the border between South Hong and West Hong. Logically, they should have allied with the forces of West Hong to jointly resist the West Dragon Palace. However, due to some special relationships, they had a better relationship with the South Hong Seven Princes.
"Just having a look around," the elderly woman said with a touch of emotion as she gazed at the surroundings, a place she hadn't visited in a long time.
Soon after, her gaze caught a glimpse of a stream of light disappearing into the distance.
She paused slightly.
With her Unity Realm strength, it was easy to discern the wooden figure within the stream of light and the familiar aura that made her think of him day and night.
The old woman remained silent for a long time before a faint smile appeared on her face: "How wonderful."
Although he still refused to turn his gaze towards her, at least she had seen his back once again.
"What's so wonderful?"
Su Yushang, curious, asked in a low voice.
"I don't know," the Treasure Flower Fairy replied, her voice lowered as well, but her mind seemed elsewhere.
"I heard that you've recently started managing the sect's affairs. Why don't you focus on cultivating first? Your current realm is too low," Su Yushang said bluntly, indicating the closeness of their relationship.
"I'm trying to juggle both. Anyway, I'm much younger than you," the Treasure Flower Fairy said, glancing at her master beside her, a bit nervous about the topic.
After all, she couldn't very well tell her master that she was only looking for someone to marry into the sect, and that her trip to attend the Seven Princes' Assembly was also to secretly slip away and see if the allied sects had found any information about that young man.
He was a young male cultivator with the strength of the fifth layer of the Returning Void realm, and with his handsome looks, he should have been well-known, yet he remained anonymous. It was truly frustrating that they hadn't found any clues about him.
"What's going on here?"
The old woman retracted her gaze from the sky, where she had sensed the presence of many White Jade King cultivators but hadn't bothered to pay attention until now.
Now that she had seen Xuanqing, she wondered if the South Hong Seven Princes were in some sort of trouble. She wouldn't mind lending a hand if needed.
"It's just a minor issue. No need to trouble yourself," Su Hongxiu said lightly, nodding.
As her words fell, figures appeared in the sky, bowing respectfully to the Treasure Flower Sect Master: "We, the younger generation, greet the Treasure Flower Sect Master."
They were all elders or direct disciples holding high positions.
While they definitely had the surface skills, the exchange between them stirred up hidden ripples in their hearts.
Many had received the news and were aware of what had happened at Yunxiaoge.
The influence of that Shen Sect Master seemed to be quite different from what they knew. How could a young cultivator who had only left the sect for a few months be so adept at maneuvering and orchestrating such a spectacle?
It was truly terrifying to think about.
With the support of three Taoist priests, it seemed that Shen Yi had already secured most of this ownerless Unity Realm treasure land.
All that was left was to reach the White Jade King realm before any unforeseen events occurred.
Then, they recalled the earlier conversation between Liu Xing Shan and the White Witch.
Could there be another explanation for the incident at Yunxiaoge?
The more they thought about it, the more it seemed like taking sides.
A group of radical cultivators planned to unite, reorganize the sect's discipline, and, taking advantage of Shen Zongzhu's noble status, intended to change the way the Immortal Sect dealt with the Dragon Palace.
This was no minor matter, as Su Hongxiu had suggested.
However, they dared not speak more, as many White Jade King cultivators had not even seen Shen Zongzhu in person up to this point.
They were also curious about what he was doing at the moment.
...
Not far from Yunxiaoge, on a small island in South Hong.
Yan Xianqing held the formation plate with a sense of helplessness. He had expected that when Shen Zongzhu used this item, the situation would be extremely dangerous, and he had even prepared himself for the possibility of dying alongside Shen Zongzhu.
But he never anticipated the danger would be to such an extent.
Shen Yi had quietly asked him to investigate the direction and locations where the demon soldiers and generals had left.
"I have accomplished my mission."
Yan Xianqing sighed and walked towards the shore, where a figure in ink-colored robes stood.
As the sea breeze blew, Shen Yi stood with his hands behind his back, his black hair gently swaying. His handsome and fair face remained calm, but compared to the impetuous and fierce demeanor from their previous meeting, his eyes now carried a hint of composure.
If not for his young age, he would have truly resembled the master of an immortal sect.
"Are there any omissions?" Shen Yi turned and took the jade slip from Yan Xianqing.
"There are bound to be omissions since my cultivation is lower than theirs... What are you planning to do?" Yan Xianqing couldn't help but ask.
With his calculations, Shen Yi effortlessly resolved the crisis at Yunxiaoge without even showing himself.
But now, he had mysteriously arrived after the incident, and on top of that, he had given this bizarre order.
Yan Xianqing's heart suddenly trembled, "Are you planning to take me with you to teach those demons a lesson underwater?"
As his words were about to finish, he saw Shen Yi shake his head, and he heaved a sigh of relief... Thankfully, thankfully.
The next moment, Yan Xianqing heard the young man's voice in his ear.
"I'm not taking you."
"..." Yan Xianqing was stunned, and he looked at Shen Yi up and down again.
Sure enough, all that composure and calmness were an act, and the sect master was still the ruthless person who had brought Elder Liu to the Yan family and slaughtered Ke Shisan without hesitation.
How could such a cultivator tolerate the Dragon Palace's provocation and let them get away unscathed?
But the only thing Yan Xianqing couldn't understand was that although Shen Zongzhu's aura had become much more robust, it was clear that he had not yet broken through to the peak of the Returning Void realm.
Even if he had exceptional talent and the entire Dao Palace was filled with Primordial Purple Qi, he would still be no match for the White Jade King demons.
After all, the jade slip he had asked Yan Xianqing to investigate included information on those eight great demon generals.
"Alright, go now."
When Yan Xianqing heard Shen Yi's words, he was still hesitating, biting his lip, and planning to express that he was not a coward and that he wanted to follow. But before he could say anything, Shen Yi's figure had already swiftly disappeared into the water.
"You, you're really not taking me?"
He was completely dumbfounded, rooted to the spot.
Was Shen Zongzhu going to make a scene or court death?
At the same time, beneath the murky waves.
Shen Yi casually performed a set of hand seals.
[Nanyang Life-Concealing Art (Rare): Perfection]
He had spent the last two thousand years of his lifespan on this technique, preparing for the current situation.
Previously, in the illusion of the Secret Technique Pavilion, his strength hadn't changed significantly. With the help of Qin Zongzhu, he had merely imprinted all the techniques of the Nanyang Sect into his mind.
In other words, if Shen Yi could endure loneliness, he could now sit in the white mist and repeatedly murmur, "Xuan Qing, have you arrived?"
No matter what item the other party wanted, Shen Yi could quickly pick it out.
In addition to the techniques, there was also a bead for storing them.
Shen Yi closed his eyes, and in his sea of consciousness, the green bead hung in front of the Dao Palace. Besides its storage effect, it also seemed to possess a profound mystery.
However, he didn't know what that effect was.
After all, that old man was truly gone, and even the last bit of his illusory presence had dissipated without a trace, leaving behind not even a hint of his thoughts.
"The thing I regret the most in my life is taking this disciple."
"But it's also the happiest thing in my life because being a sect master is truly boring."
Even after witnessing the events of that night.
Shen Yi still didn't understand what had truly happened. He only knew that in the eyes of Qin Zongzhu, a giant at the Unity Realm, he saw profound fear and sorrow.
It seemed that the matter was not yet over.
"Let's take it one step at a time."
Shen Yi gazed down at the waters below, aware that he desperately needed more lifespan.
His greatest advantage now was that he could quietly appear anywhere with four White Jade King-level beasts, comparable to two open cities, at his command.
So, before the Seven Princes' Assembly, he decided to fill his stomach to his heart's content.
(End of Chapter)
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