Chapter 505: The Battle Between the Elder and the Dao Child (5K2)

Chapter 505: The Battle Between the Elder and the Dao Child (5K2)



"Elder Liu, stop!"

In the Sky Sword Sect, several figures flew across the sky, each exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

The Eight Great Elders were all White Jade Capital cultivators who had opened two imperial cities, and the top two were even on par with Liu Xingshan, possessing the strength to unlock the third Upper Emperor Great City.

Such powerful beings rarely had anything in the world that could disturb their peace.

But a conflict between a Dao Child and the sect elders was definitely one of those rare occurrences.

"Me?!"

Within the light curtain, Liu Xingshan nearly failed to draw his next breath.

Stop? He had watched helplessly as the cave mansion was destroyed; when had he even had a chance to make a move? Given his impetuous personality, if it had been anyone else outside, he would have long since summoned the grand illusion of a great city and unleashed his dao soldiers to charge out.

Alas, when it came to impetuousness, no one in the Sky Sword Sect could rival that woman.

Liu Xingshan was well aware that neither the sect master nor the other elders would stand idly by and allow this battle to unfold.

No matter how revered Su Hongxiu's status was, she was, at least for now, merely a Dao Child.

Indeed, his expectations were met.

The elders who had rushed over, after issuing that cold rebuke, called out Liu Xingshan's name but subtly formed a encirclement around Su Hongxiu.

"Hongxiu, calm yourself as well. Put away the Primordial Heaven Soldier first, then we can discuss this matter."

A similar situation had occurred many years ago. Back then, Liu Xingshan had nearly lost half his life, and although Su Hongxiu had barely won, she had not fared much better.

But the cause of that incident had been Liu Xingshan challenging Su Hongxiu's status as the Dao Child.

To put it bluntly, it had been a dispute over the Union of Dao Treasure Lands.

After that battle, Liu Xingshan had absolutely no chance of obtaining the Sky Sword Treasure Land's legacy.

Hence, the elders truly could not fathom what had happened this time to recreate such a familiar scene in the Sky Sword Sect.

"Are you elders teaching me how to conduct myself?"

Su Hongxiu's eyes swept sideways, her fingers clutching the sword hilt. Accompanying her words, the lustrous sword blade lazily lifted, pointing to the side.

A faint smile curved her lips as she teased, "Do you want to spar with me as well?"

The white jade sword blade slowly swept through the air, and the elders who were pointed at instinctively raised their eyebrows, a hint of retreat stirring in their hearts.

For a moment, the entire place fell into a deathly silence.

This sudden turn of events, involving the Sky Sword Dao Child and the Eight Great Elders, caused quite a stir. Not only were the Sky Sword Sect cultivators affected, but even the various forces invited to attend the Seven Sons Assembly felt their hearts stir uneasily.

What did this mean?

Was there an internal strife within the Sky Sword Sect?

While conflicts between Dao Children and elders were common in over ninety percent of immortal sects, as they involved disputes over immense interests at the White Jade Capital realm, it was indeed rare for it to be so openly and shamelessly displayed.

"This..."

Su Yushang, who had rushed over in a fluster, froze upon witnessing the scene before her, her expression changing slightly as she stood rooted to the spot.

She believed that her sister definitely wasn't making a fuss for no reason; Su Hongxiu always had her reasons for her actions.

But why had she made such a ruckus? Was there truly no better way to handle this?

Baohua Xianzi stood quietly behind Su Yushang. Although she loved lively events, she knew when to draw the line. Today's matter was clearly not something a cultivator at her level of Returning Void Sixth Layer could involve herself in.

Swoosh!

Along with the sudden gust of wind.

At this moment, a towering shadow appeared in the sky, obscuring the heavens and covering the earth like rippling water, only revealing its most basic form.

This shadow overlooked the world, its voice like a resounding bell, echoing throughout the inner sect.

Only those familiar with him would be able to detect the hint of helplessness in his tone.

"You feel that he has done something, but you can't find any evidence, so you're creating a fuss here?"

Within the Union of Dao Treasure Lands, only one person could preside over the heavens and earth.

If the seven sons of Nan Hong were like one entity sharing life and death, then Nanyang Sect was their soul, giving orders, and Sky Sword Sect was their sharp blade, only needing to concern itself with whom to kill.

As the sect master of Sky Sword Sect and a grandmaster at the Union of Dao realm.

It was rare for him to be so gentle.

However, Su Hongxiu did not take the hint but instead lifted her head and nodded seriously, "Yes."

She was deliberately creating trouble, and she didn't need to explain herself.

Hearing this, the other elders' complexions changed slightly, and within the remaining half of the light curtain, Liu Xingshan finally couldn't restrain himself any longer. He leaped out, his face contorted with rage as he shouted, "Again and again, time and time again, you act unreasonably and willfully! How are you even worthy of being a Dao Child?!"

These words were quite heavy.

They even carried a hint of inciting the other elders to join him in demanding the removal of Su Hongxiu's position as the Dao Child.

However, the towering shadow in the sky seemed to have heard nothing.

His features gradually solidified, and his eyes fixed intently on Su Hongxiu as he said softly after a long while, "The Sky Sword Sect is not a place for you to create trouble... Do not open the third city, and do not take life. Provide me with the evidence afterward."

"..."

Upon hearing these words, not only the Sky Sword Sect cultivators but even the external forces beyond the sect were stunned.

Provide the evidence afterward? Was there even such a thing in this world?

This was practically declaring that Su Hongxiu's future position as sect master was unshakeable.

Just what kind of peerless genius could move a grandmaster at the Union of Dao realm to such a degree?

"I..."

Liu Xingshan was also left dumbfounded, suspended in place.

Soon, his old face turned red, and he directed his gaze toward the distant figure.

He had actually anticipated that the position of the Dao Child could not be altered, so he wasn't too disappointed. After all, there was now the additional option of the Nanyang Treasure Land, and there was no need to bite off more than he could chew.

What truly angered him was the sect master's instruction not to open the third city, which was obviously directed at Su Hongxiu and not him.

It must be known that even in the past, he had only narrowly lost to her.

Liu Xingshan had dared to compete for the Union of Dao Treasure Land because, before becoming an elder, he had been a top-notch genius who was no less impressive than Su Hongxiu!

How dare you look down on me so... Elder Liu's breathing became heavier.

In the next moment, a rainbow pierced the sun! Thick clouds of immortal energy gathered as the Dragon Han Grand City stood tall. When the vermilion gates opened, purple mist rose.

Primordial Heavenly Soldier, Three Suns Demon-Slaying Sword!

The Crimson Bright City opened, and the green pheasant's aura coiled like morning mist. Tiger Devouring Cloud Pattern Armor!

In an instant, Liu Xingshan transformed from a robed elder of the Immortal Sect into a formidable general clad in heavy armor, ready to kill without hesitation.

However, his finger remained pressed against his brow.

The rainbow continued to stretch, and the third Upper Emperor City slowly opened its gates. There was no purple qi or white smoke, only a faint white light, indicating that this was just an ordinary spirit soldier.

But the mere act of opening the Upper Emperor City was enough to astonish most of the beings in Nan Hong.

As the white light dissipated, a four-winged spirit beast with a horse-like appearance appeared under Liu Xingshan's legs. It was lifelike, except for its stagnant eyes, which betrayed its true nature as an inanimate object.

"Just... just practicing."

Liu Xingshan's expression was calm, his voice unperturbed as he finally lowered his hand, holding the sword while mounted on the beast, causing its front hooves to rise high and let out a thunderous neigh! In front of him, Su Hongxiu's figure seemed much slimmer.

Her black hair was smooth and sleek, and her crimson robe fluttered in the wind, resembling a wedding dress. As the sleeves billowed, boundless sword intent was stirred.

She raised her eyes to meet Liu Xingshan's imposing gaze, pondered for a moment, and suddenly covered her mouth with the back of her hand, letting out a light laugh: "Pfft."

That laugh transformed her initially cold and rigid expression into one of captivating beauty.

The same laugh, when heard by others, made them pause involuntarily. But to Liu Xingshan, it caused his stoic features to twitch slightly.

That laugh instantly reminded him of the humiliating past and the instinctive dread that lingered throughout the years.

Barely losing once, yet being afraid for so long.

Liu Xingshan couldn't understand why she dared to destroy his cave mansion with no evidence.

And even if he wanted to compete for the treasure land, he would choose Nanyang Sect over Sky Sword Sect, which was closer to him, deliberately avoiding this Dao Child.

Could it be that this woman wasn't afraid of him at all?! How dare she!

"Kill!"

Liu Xingshan roared ferociously, and the four-winged spirit beast stamped its hooves. The golden-gleaming longsword in his hand shone like a suspended sun, blinding his opponent.

The confrontation between two White Jade Capital cultivators, both wielding Primordial Immortal Swords, caused the very heavens and earth to tremble with the force of their blows!

However, as Liu Xingshan's mounted figure charged forward, it was enveloped by the white sword light the moment Su Hongxiu's sleeves fluttered.

It was a scene identical to what had transpired many years ago.

Without hesitation, the elders joined forces to protect their surroundings. The robust spiritual energy of the world wrapped around the light curtain, conveniently sending all the disciples and elders outside the inner sect, away from the battle.

In the next moment, a piercing sword cry reverberated.

The golden and white lights rapidly expanded, dispersing the spiritual energy of the world, and pouring out in waves.

The hovering shadow of a figure overlooking the mortal realm finally raised its palm and casually clenched its fist, retracting the overflowing sword light.

Because of this, even the most powerful elders, with their utmost effort, couldn't see through the sword light to observe the situation within.

They could only sense the violent clash of golden and white energies, which was so intense it sent shivers down their spines.

Until a plaintive cry of a spirit beast reverberated through the area.

Finally, a burst of spiritual light scattered, pouring into the Upper Emperor City, after which the city gates closed, vanishing into the mist.

"...?"

The elders fell silent for a moment, glancing at each other, each seeing the shock reflected in the others' eyes.

They knew that Su Hongxiu was definitely stronger than Liu Xingshan... but they hadn't expected the gap to be so wide.

At that moment, the hovering figure in the air sighed softly: "Ah..."

Then, with another wave of his hand, he dispersed the sword light that filled the sky.

A solitary figure appeared outside the light curtain, standing with a sword in hand. Her crimson robe was tattered, her pale face smeared with blood at the corner of her lips, and her eyes, beneath her eyelashes, held a hint of mockery as she looked down.

She held nothing in her hand; the Warm Jade Sword had already shattered, and she was merely holding an empty grip.

Yet, Liu Xingshan knelt on the ground as if a sword was truly pressed against his neck.

He propped himself up with his hands, his body trembling slightly, his hair crown falling off, and his black and white hair hanging loosely. Although he seemed to have sustained fewer injuries, his eyes were wide with terror, and his veins popped out as he lacked the courage to even lift his head.

"Do you know why you lost?"

Su Hongxiu tilted her head slightly, looking at him sideways. "Old thing, it's because your ruthlessness is just an act, while mine is genuine."

Being mocked to his face, Liu Xingshan didn't refute. As he subconsciously lowered his head, his Dao heart had already crumbled.

He just grit his teeth, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins: "I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything! This is a case of fellow sect members harming each other!"

Hearing this, Su Hongxiu licked the corner of her scarlet lips, a hint of sarcasm appearing in her expression as she regained her usual nonchalant demeanor: "Before you said that, I wasn't quite sure if it had anything to do with you."

"You..." Liu Xingshan suddenly raised his head, then froze. It was only now that he noticed how badly injured Su Hongxiu was.

"My intuition is rarely wrong."

Su Hongxiu put away her smile, her tone turning cold: "Anyway, I felt you were highly suspicious, so disabling you first and preventing you from making any moves was the right decision."

"I..." Liu Xingshan finally lowered his head and sighed: "I did notice something about the Phoenix, but I was angry and didn't want to say anything.

However, Su Hongxiu turned away nonchalantly, as if she hadn't heard, and said indifferently, "That's not what I'm talking about."

As her words landed, Liu Xingshan's body stiffened.

Fortunately, Su Hongxiu didn't seem inclined to continue the argument. Leaving behind only a sentence, she took steps away, moving farther from them. "If you dare to look in that direction again, next time I'll let you witness my third Dao Soldier. If you can withstand a single strike without dying, I'll give you the position of Dao Child."

"..."

The remaining elders stared at Liu Xingshan, noticing that his bow seemed much more sincere.

At times, holding the leverage over a fellow sect member was a unique way to control them.

Just then, the Dao badges of everyone present lit up almost simultaneously.

Even the ethereal figure in the sky slowly turned his gaze outward from the sect.

"The South Dragon Palace has sent an envoy to inquire."

"The Fifth Prince, Ke Shiliang, and the Fourth Dragon Son, Ke Xuan'ao, along with a total of seven great demon generals, four hundred elite soldiers, and over ten strong water tribe experts, have been slaughtered, nearly wiped out."

"May I ask if this matter has anything to do with the South Hong Seven Sons?"

The relationship between the South Dragon Palace and the South Hong Seven Sons was rather delicate, akin to keeping a distance between oil and water.

Even if there were conflicts, they were usually resolved privately to prevent the situation from escalating.

For them to take such a public stance meant that it was undoubtedly a grave matter.

However, everyone could understand why the South Dragon Palace would suddenly come knocking.

The names mentioned in that roster had, just a few days ago, appeared at the Yun Xiao Pavilion and even crossed paths with their Dao Child.

"The South Dragon Palace wants to ask, did the Fifth Prince and the Fourth Dragon Son come to seek an audience with the Immortal Sect with peaceful intentions, without any offensive behavior?"

"There was also an agreement afterward."

"So, is the Immortal Sect now deciding to disregard all rules?"

Almost simultaneously, all eyes turned to Su Hongxiu.

Regardless of motive or strength... Well, perhaps she alone wasn't enough, after all, in the act of entering the water to kill demons, the most dangerous part wasn't the "killing demons" but the "entering the water." But if you add in Wei Yuanzhou and Bai Wu, who were also present that day, it sort of made sense.

"..."

Su Hongxiu remained silent for a long time before slowly turning around.

In a place unseen by others, her eyes also held a hint of confusion and surprise.

After Ke Shiliang and Ke Lao Si laid siege to the Yun Xiao Pavilion, had their entire household been wiped out?!

And the South Dragon Palace hadn't even found any traces of the culprit, yet they still took the time to come and ask the South Hong Seven Sons about it.

Throughout South Hong's waters and lands.

There weren't many who had the capability to do this.

Not to mention others, even Su Hongxiu thought it was highly likely that she was responsible for this.

"Was it you?" The ethereal figure in the sky turned his gaze toward her.

Su Hongxiu shook her head, "No."

Before she could finish her sentence, the others were already bewildered. With the arrogance of the Sky Sword Dao Child, how could she dare to do something and not admit it, especially within their own territory?

It seemed that strength wasn't the issue here.

As for motive... Aside from the three Dao Children, who else would be so enraged by the Yun Xiao Pavilion incident that they would slaughter so many water tribes to vent their anger?

And the retaliation came so fiercely and swiftly, displaying sheer ruthlessness!

It was simply baffling.

Suddenly, someone raised their head, and everyone else exchanged glances, realizing something.

They seemed to have overlooked who truly needed to regain their dignity in the Yun Xiao Pavilion incident. Mainly, that place didn't have a strong presence, and it even seemed out of place with the Immortal Sect's untouchable reputation.

The Nanyang Sect.

Su Hongxiu also seemed to have thought of this, and she quietly shifted her gaze outward from the sect.

At the same time, Bai Wu of the Clear Moon Sect and Wei Yuanzhou of the Lingyun Sect made the same movement.

These three were the Dao Children who understood the Nanyang Sect the most.

If it really was the Nanyang Sect who took action.

Then most likely... it was Shen Yi.

"Are you serious?"

Su Hongxiu raised her eyebrows curiously, finding it hard to believe.

She did have high expectations for the young sect master and was grateful for saving her sister's life, but that didn't mean she could believe that Shen Yi could accomplish something that even she found challenging.

Over four hundred elite soldiers, seven White Jade Capital generals, and many strong water tribes.

Even if they were all turned into pigs, a few would still be able to escape.

All killed?

"What nonsense are you spouting? If he had this ability, would Ke Shiliang have dared to block his Yun Xiao Pavilion?" Bai Wu of the Clear Moon Sect shook her head, dismissing the unrealistic idea.

"..." Wei Yuanzhou remained silent.

He was the first among the Dao Children to come into contact with Shen Yi.

The strength Shen Yi displayed had changed drastically each time they met.

Without truly seeing Shen Yi again, Wei Yuanzhou wouldn't jump to any conclusions.

Of course, there was a simpler way to find out—check if the sect master Shen was in the sect. With the Seven Sons Assembly approaching, if there were no urgent matters, Shen Yi would most likely not leave.

Meanwhile, within the Nanyang Sect.

Li Qingfeng was hosting the executives from the seven sects who had come to discuss the assembly.

But the jade slips at their waists kept flashing.

The next moment, they all looked up, remaining silent for a long time. Suddenly, one of them asked softly, "Is Sect Master Shen ready?"

"..."

Li Qingfeng was stunned for a moment before forcing a smile, "Of course."

The man cleared his throat and asked cautiously, "Then, where is Sect Master Shen now?"

"Th-that..."

Li Qingfeng's smile became even stiffer, where was he? How would he know! No one in the entire Nanyang Sect could control Sect Master Shen.

But one thing was certain.

He was definitely not in the Nanyang Sect!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end